NOVEL WEB Chapter 45
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“But this… I can hear it, but can I actually talk?”
The change is still holding on.
“Since I have magic regeneration, wouldn’t that be like creative economy or, no, creative proficiency?”
The change is rising, and with magic regeneration, I can copy proficiency. Why didn’t I think of this sooner? I was thinking of shoveling dirt with my mouth.
“Oops, I veered off course.”
“Grrrr… Gruk.”
I cleared my throat and opened my mouth.
“Are you talking about me, Wolf?”
“Wow~ The wolf talks! It’s a fairy wolf~! Fairy wolf!”
A crowned fairy bounced around.
“Fairies are our friends~ So, is the fairy wolf our friend too? Hee hee!”
‘Talking isn’t easy.’
It’s beyond innocence; it’s a bit chaotic.
I thought of treating them kindly, considering I’m dealing with kids.
“Do you know where this place is? It seems different from the world I came from.”
“Here? This is the fantasy world!”
The fantasy world… It’s definitely a realm I don’t know. But as the name implies, I can see the outlines of what kind of world it is.
‘Is it similar to the spirit world?’
A world with a high concentration of magic, beyond common knowledge… It might resemble that. For now, I need to step out of the palace.
“Already leaving?”
“Yup. Take care.”
Once I’ve done my business, it’s time to go. Sweet and pretty words only come out until I complete the quest and make my first kill. After that, it’s a hellish bonfire. I was eager to get out when the crowned fairy pulled my ears.
“That’s mean, that’s mean, that’s mean! You’re just going to leave without playing with us? Mean!”
As if that would make me want to stay. The crowned fairy followed me to the entrance of the palace, but then dropped my ears reluctantly, as if realizing there was nothing more to be done.
‘I feel sorry for her.’
She’s probably stuck fulfilling the queen’s messenger role. I felt a bit sad for her, but it’s not really my concern. I gave a deep sigh after sneaking a glance at the glum-faced crowned fairy, rubbing her index finger.
“…I’ll come back next time.”
Suddenly, her face lit up with a beaming smile as if nothing had happened. I thought I made the right choice, as I hopped over the slope.
***
“Kyu-ryu-ruk. Kyu-ru-ruk~?”
I learned fairy speech, so I was hoping, but I couldn’t communicate with the fairy dragon.
‘Well, what can I say? It’s tough to talk since we’re different species.’
Whether I could talk was still in question. It was a bit disheartening that I couldn’t communicate with the one who saved me… Gwang-yong.
“Wolf, Wolf. Did you meet the queen?”
“Yeah, I had a nice chat.”
“The wolf spoke!”
After that, the reaction was a complete C and V of the crowned fairy. After all that commotion, as I reached the branches, a flame butterfly flickered its wings, as if waiting for me.
‘A butterfly wrapped in flames…’
Once I got back onto its back, the flame butterfly soared above the emerald-colored sea, bringing me to the tallest building in the city.
“Wolf~ Are you heading back now?”
The fairy asked excitedly.
“No. I want to explore this world a bit more. You said this place is called the fantasy world?”
“That’s right! This is the fantasy world~ The wolf is a monster, but you know a lot!”
I forced a smile.
“Is there anything worthwhile to see? Something famous in this world?”
“Um~ I don’t know!”
The fairy proudly put her hands on her hips. I hadn’t expected much anyway. Also, I already had a loose idea of what I wanted to do.
‘I want to interact with the inhabitants of the fantasy world.’
The residents of the fantasy world, including the flame butterfly and fairies, seemed to have a higher concentration of magic than other statuses. I thought I could become like them too.
‘Specifically, I’m looking for ways to increase my magic.’
The high purity and density of magic in the fantasy world must be related. I need to find out how I can elevate my magic and where the source of this magic comes from.
“So, can you introduce me to other residents of the fantasy world?”
“Sure~!”
Suddenly, the fairy dragon with a tuft on its head chirped with a ‘kek-keh’. It seemed to be sulking as if saying ‘What about me?’. I patted it gently… with a tentacle.
‘If I meet other mystical creatures, I might learn something.’
As I followed the fairy, I saw many creatures.
‘By the way, how do you enter the fantasy world?’
I shot a sideways glance at the fairy dragon. It had a skill called teleportation, so I suspected that was the reason, but the fairies and dragon worms, among other life forms, don’t possess that. What if it’s not a skill?
‘It could be useful in battles too.’
If I can freely travel between the fantasy world and my original world, doesn’t that mean I can easily avoid every attack? I asked the fairy about that point.
“Huh? The wolf is silly! Monsters can’t come into the fantasy world!”
The fairy spun around playfully.
“Oh really? Then how did the wolf get in?”
The fairy looked puzzled. I probably won’t get a proper answer. The fairy dragon brought me here, but… this little one can’t speak.
‘I’ll have to ask another mystical creature.’
Eventually, we arrived at a massive forest… or rather, it was a dungeon. It was the park where the dungeon had formed.
‘Why are we back here?’
When I inquired with bemusement, the fairy beamed with delight.
“I really like this place, so I made it my home!”
“Like it?”
“Yeah! It expanded, so I was happy!”
It expanded? The dungeon had indeed maintained that much. After walking a fair bit inside the dungeon, I met a mystical creature—a deer.
‘…A white deer?’
The dreamlike atmosphere of the fantasy world made it look like a painting among the trees… if it weren’t for the fact that it was floating upside down in the air.
“The white deer is the smartest in the fantasy world!”
With a boastful tone, the fairy said this, and the white deer turned its gaze toward us.
“Bringing a wolf to a deer…”
The white deer criticized the fairy and then stomped the ground with its foot.
“Even if that’s the case, I have no ill feelings towards you, so don’t worry.”
“It talks?”
“Aren’t you the same?”
When I put it that way, I couldn’t argue back.
[White Deer (백록)]
[Body Length 4.26m] [Height 2.14m] [Weight 831kg]
[Strength 266] [Agility 471] [Stamina 351] [Magic 511]
[Skills Available]
[Teleportation (B)] [Magic Detection (C)] [Magic Regeneration (D)] [Insight (E)] [Tough Skin (E)]
‘This status is amazing.’
Though it’s low on strength, agility and magic are quite high. If we were to fight…
‘I’d probably lose.’
I can’t say I’d have zero chance, but the odds seem low. As I finished calculating in my head and glanced at the white deer, it smiled knowingly.
“So, that’s how you live your life.”
“…?”
“Always vigilant and never letting your guard down.”
The white deer shook its head.
“I can tell what kind of life you’ve lived. So, what’s the reason for bringing all these chatty ones to find me?”
‘Surprisingly friendly?’
It seemed to have noticed I was insightful through its tone and didn’t pursue it. I suppose now I understood why the fairy said they were nice.
“I want to know why you fantasy world creatures have high magic levels.”
“I see. Your magic is certainly inadequate. It’s understandable you would seek stronger magic.”
Is that it? In this place, facts seem to be weapons. Why so brutal with just facts? While I pondered that, the white deer’s eyes glinted.
“I can’t just give it to you.”
‘I kind of expected that.’
Seems difficult. Should I seek out a more favorable mystical creature? Soon, the white deer spoke up.
“If you help me with one thing, I’ll tell you.”
“…What is it?”
“Just like the present world, a dungeon also exists in our fantasy world.”
“A dungeon exists?”
The fairy jumped up and down as if to confirm.
“Yeah! That’s right! There’s a dungeon! Of course there is!”
Even the fairy dragon nodded in agreement.
‘…So, you can understand what I’m saying?’
“It’s been there for quite a while. Anyway, stabilizing one dungeon should be an easy task, right?”
‘That might be true.’
There wouldn’t be any loss in attempting it. But I’d need to assess the dungeon’s difficulty first.
“Where is this dungeon?”
“Not far from here. Tagena.”
“Me too, me too!”
I didn’t hesitate to hop onto its back. I wanted to experience the white deer’s skill of teleportation.
‘The scenery is shifting rapidly.’
It wasn’t a B-grade skill for nothing. In less than three seconds, we covered a distance of about 10 kilometers.
‘This is a bit strange.’
It was a place I recognized well.
According to the white deer, it had been long abandoned, but I had never seen such a dungeon in the original world, the real world.
‘Does the fantasy world not affect the real world? Yet the real world can affect the fantasy world?’
I felt I was starting to understand this world a bit better. Like a mirror. Events inside the mirror world wouldn’t affect reality, but the mirror reflects reality.
‘…So, that’s why the dungeons in the fantasy world didn’t exist in the real world.’
It felt like a subordinate world rather than an equal one.
“Alright, here we are.”
What I arrived at was the dungeon of the fantasy world… no, a huge building.
‘Is this the boundary, I wonder.’
Once I stepped inside, it should change like other dungeons. I cautiously placed one foot inside the building.
‘My foot?’
It felt like something enormous was pressing down on me. Unless I ignited my magic, it was hard to move.
They want me to clear a dungeon like this?
“Hmm…”
The white deer watched me closely. The fairy looked puzzled, while the fairy dragon yawned overhead. …They didn’t seem to feel any pressure.
‘I have to go in anyway.’
Once I completely entered, I realized my miscalculation. My legs were already trembling. In this condition, not only could I not hunt monsters…!
“As expected.”
As if he had foreseen my state, the white deer nodded.
“Don’t resist; just accept it. Can you conquer nature?”
I gritted my teeth in frustration.
‘What nonsense.’
If I released my magic, I’d instantly be crushed. Just as I was about to turn back, the white deer blocked my entrance.
“Crurrr…”
“Isn’t this what you wanted?”
‘What exactly did I want?’
The overwhelming density of magic made it hard to keep my sanity. I felt like I might faint at any moment.
At that moment, the white deer’s voice pierced my thoughts.
“Don’t resist; just accept.”
Don’t resist?
‘Come to think of it.’
The fairy and the fairy dragon were looking at me as if asking why I was stuck in that state.
‘How?’
The white deer aside, the magic levels of the fairy and fairy dragon were lower than mine. How were they still fine?
It was a puzzlement. And then…
“You’re such a fool, Wolf~!”
The fairy and fairy dragon nibbled at my ears, teasing me as if I didn’t know something obvious.
‘Accept it?’
It meant I was doing something wrong.
“Step outside your common sense.”
While the white deer looked down at me calmly.
‘Step outside my common sense?’
But if I don’t resist this massive magic now? The overwhelming density of magic was a strong pressure in itself. I can’t just let go of my magic… or I would be crushed instantly.
However…
‘…What if I don’t let go of my magic?’
The white deer stood firmly at the entrance. In such crushing pressure, could I force it to give way?
“Gruk, grrr―”
“Living the way you have been makes sense. But from now on, things need to change.”
“Change, you say?”
“You need to trust another.”
Where the white deer’s gaze fell was on the fairy dragon perched atop my head.
‘…You want me to trust?
It was a life of continuous struggle.
Monsters and humans. I couldn’t trust either side.
But if the kindness I offered returned… I might just be able to trust that.
“Kyu-ryu-ruk!”
The fairy dragon embraced my head with its wings.
“Don’t put limits on yourself. Don’t enclose yourself.”
The white deer’s words kept ringing in my ears like a mantra.
Meanwhile, the fairy kept petting me.
“Wolf~ Are you hurting a lot?”
I took a deep breath.
‘…If it’s pointless anyway.’
I slowly began to withdraw my magic.
‘Don’t resist.’
It felt like all the bones in my body would collapse at any moment.
An anxiety swept over me, wondering if I should reignite my magic.
In that moment, the white deer’s voice penetrated my mind.
“Let it flow as it should, and just accept it.”
Flowing naturally. Following the principle.
I couldn’t resist the thick magic of the fantasy world. I, as an individual, couldn’t even begin to compare to the magic of the fantasy world.
So.
‘If I don’t resist the magic of the fantasy world…’
Gradually, the magic enveloped my entire body. But what came wasn’t the intense pressure I had anticipated.
[Your magic has increased by 2]
‘Ah.’
At that moment, I realized my doubts were resolved.
“It looks like you’ve come to realize.”
The mystical creatures asked.
“Was that what you wanted to know?”
The magic of the fantasy world wasn’t meant to harm anyone. It simply existed as a method, an intentless magic. Naturally, one could receive this without being crushed by it if one didn’t resist. I had stubbornly assumed I had to resist this overwhelming magic.
‘That’s what breaking the boundaries and common sense meant.’
If I had long accepted this kind of magic, I could understand the white deer’s magic as well.
‘…’
When I looked back, the fairy was raising her arms in celebration.
The fairy dragon waved its tail excitedly.
‘Kindness…’
As I stared blankly at both of them, the white deer spoke up.
“Hmm. You aren’t thinking of just backing out now that you’ve solved your doubt, right?”
In any case, I planned to clear the dungeon.
…For some reason, my heart felt a little heavy.
***
“You want me to dig behind the plateau?”
He had the look of someone who thought I was crazy. Even the team leader looked puzzled.
‘No wonder.’
What kind of clan is the Plateau? The first, the best, and the strongest clan. No need to mention the Glorious and the Splendid—legendary hunters abounded. The second-place clan, the Dawn, couldn’t even compare to them.
“I just want to know if it’s possible or not.”
“It should be possible to a degree. As long as it doesn’t go beyond the Plateau’s tolerance.”
He seemed uncertain. The team leader let out a quiet breath.
“To what extent is it possible?”
“If it’s only tracking movement, then sure. But if they decide to hide, we’re out of options.”
Indeed, it was more than I expected.
Despite being somewhat renowned in this industry, this was his answer. If it weren’t for my past transactions, he might’ve flat-out rejected me from the get-go.
“Who can do it?”
“Nari. You know her, right? No one else can do it. It’s only because it’s me that I can do this. No one can escape the Plateau, not even Glorious.”
“No one at all?”
“Ugh… well, if you really want to, you can try finding this person. They won’t refuse any job. But I can’t recommend them.”
The informant presented a photo of someone I had never seen before.
“Who is this?”
“I don’t know. But they have a 100% completion rate. Though if they can pull that off with the Plateau is another matter.”
“100%? But you don’t have any information?”
Informants are supposed to keep tabs on each other. Naturally, they should collect information on their counterparts. Yet, the fact that he said “I don’t know” was surprising. The team leader looked puzzled at the informant’s strange smile.
“That’s why I can’t recommend them. They just seem too suspicious. The only thing I know is that they call themselves ‘Fur Tail’.”
“Fur Tail?”
It was a name I had never heard before. But with nothing else to rely on, the team leader tucked the photo into his pocket.
“Where should I find them?”
“Daejeon. I’ve written the exact location on the back of the photo.”
“…See you later.”
“Take care.”
Even after a long relationship, I could tell he wasn’t planning on holding me back. It revealed how the informant felt about the Plateau.
‘Still seems far away.’
***
“Grrr!”
The dungeons of the fantasy world had one distinction: the types of monsters.
“Wow! Bats~ Bats!”
[Magic-infused Bat]
[Body Length 24.4cm] [Height 2.7cm] [Weight 126g]
[Strength 21] [Agility 31] [Stamina 24] [Magic 69]
As the bats emitted bizarre sounds and glimmered their eyes, the fairy, who had just been bouncing happily, suddenly hid inside a skull, terrified.
“Kyaaah!”
The noise reverberated. I sighed deeply.
“They’re not even monsters?”
“What? Are you hesitating?”
“No.”
It didn’t matter if they were monsters or not. It took no more than ten seconds to deal with all the bats clinging to the ceiling.
[You consumed a magic-infused bat. Your experience and fullness increase.]
“…So they are monsters!”
If they were just animals, I wouldn’t have gotten experience points.
“I don’t know what your criteria are for classification, but considering they are infused with magic, I don’t think they’re animals.”
“How do you guys categorize it?”
“Once they are fully infused with magic, they become spirits. They could potentially become beings like us. However, if they lose their sense like that, they become monsters.”
That was a reasonable classification method.
“If that’s the case, doesn’t that mean I’m also a spirit?”
Since I have reason and can handle magic. When I asked about this, the white deer laughed as if it found it amusing.
“You, who originated from the monsters, are a different case. Would a raccoon become a spirit simply because it turned into a monster?”
I had half-given up ever since stepping onto Marang’s path.
“But if you’re going to follow me, you can do it yourself, can’t you?”
“It’s not a dangerous dungeon. Nobody touched it because it was a hassle.”
So it translates to nobody wanted to bother with it.
“Good timing that you showed up.”
“But, creatures can’t come to the fantasy world, right?”
I pointed at the bats, and the white deer tilted its head.
“But I said they were monsters, right?”
Oh right. This is a dungeon.
“But I’m a monster too… so how would you know I have reason?”
The white deer smiled mysteriously.
“You’re quite inquisitive. Just like a child.”
I shot a glance at the fairy, feeling like the comparison was a backhanded way of calling it on the same level.
“You can tell just by looking into someone’s eyes. You might lack eyes, but… instead, you trusted the fairy and the fairy dragon.”
“You can tell from their eyes.”
“Kyu-ryu-ruk?”
As our eyes met, the fairy dragon tilted its head, while the fairy beamed.
“…I think I understand somewhat.”
“Hmph. It seems you have grown a bit.”
“Nonsense.”
“Let’s leave it at that.”
And so, the three creatures and I headed deeper into the dungeon.
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