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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 10 - Short-Term Contract Worker (2)
That day, Arzen spent about 30 coins to buy a ragged cloak and some clothes to wear.
The guild branch has an agency that handles deceased or missing persons.
If family members aren’t found within 60 days, the bodies are sold cheaply by that agency.
It’s natural for most people to avoid it, thinking it’s ominous.
However, Arzen had lived closely with death since childhood, so he didn’t understand why it was considered so ominous.
He also bought a secondhand Akahaloo skin robe, which looked no different from new ones.
For Arzen, it was hard to grasp why people wouldn’t buy used items.
Of course, I wouldn’t buy used underwear or anything, just a cloak and boots…
Boots were mostly large, as there weren’t many delicate adventurers like Arzen, but they were fine as long as they were wearable.
After all, he would only wear them a few times before discarding them.
He also stopped by a medical supply store to buy a mask used for sanitation.
No matter how he thought about it, the smell from the sewers was too awful to ignore.
“Hey, old lady, this really doesn’t let any smell through, right? It’s not going to stink, is it?”
“Ah, have you been fooled all your life? Of course it lets smells through, who’d sell it if it didn’t!”
“Seems I’ve lived my whole life being deceived.”
“Ha!”
After that, he headed to the shop that Samson had taken him to that morning.
He was curious about the taste of the basil pesto sandwich that Samson had eaten.
“Hey, what’s in this sandwich?”
“It’s basil pesto, of course!”
“What’s basil pesto?”
“It’s basil pesto, what else could it be?”
The owner’s curt reply made Arzen frown.
No matter how good the food was, he disliked unfriendly places.
I won’t put up with it… I’ve decided I won’t tolerate those who look down on me.
Just as he was about to leave without ordering, someone punched the owner on the top of the head.
“Hey, whether I’m older than you or not, I told you to speak properly, didn’t I?”
The owner was a scrawny man, while the one who spoke was an enormous woman.
“Basil pesto is made by grinding basil leaves with garlic and pine nuts, then mixing them well with olive oil.”
“Oh, olive…”
“Yes, the number 4 island in Wrinkle Land is famous for its olive trees! It’s a world-renowned olive-producing area. Even the great Yong-hyun is said to visit often to relax. We also mix in some tangerine juice.”
Now that she mentioned it, the olive oil from the “Egg & Bacon Sausage Set” he had for breakfast was indeed delicious.
Arzen sat back down.
After paying for the basil pesto, the owner’s wife smiled warmly, saying she’d prepare it deliciously.
Is that the sea…?
From the outdoor table, he could see the horizon of the ocean coloring the view with its blue.
He could feel the sea breeze bringing both summer warmth and ocean coolness.
Sitting at that table, Arzen briefly stared blankly at the sea.
The waves, white and foamy, crashing on the shore.
It felt like something he could watch for a lifetime without getting bored.
I never imagined this before…
As he lost himself in thought, someone approached and hit Arzen.
- "Have you memorized the scriptures?"
- "Have you memorized all 25 combat readiness protocols?"
- "You’ve memorized them all? Recite them. If you get even one wrong, it’s twenty lashes."
Just like this…
Without being exposed to violence…
Just having time to watch something freely…
Humans can find happiness.
'But what if I can gain money, power, and the purest priestess in the world from here?'
Heh, heh, heh, heh heh heh.
A laugh escaped him.
Dreams will come true, and destiny stood by the boy in the name of emptiness.
'Just wait a little longer! I, Arzen, will take all your money and power!'
At that moment, the owner’s wife brought a sandwich to the table.
“Here you go, basil pesto sandwich!”
Next to the plate was a glass cup exuding a refreshing aroma.
“Oh, this is olive juice. It’s tangerine juice mixed with olives, and it’s very popular.”
“I didn’t order this.”
“Our husband was grumbling earlier. He has a very delicate personality. Regulars know this, but newcomers often feel uncomfortable.”
“!”
“But that just shows how dedicated he is to his cooking. So I hope you’ll forgive him with this.”
Arzen took a sip of the olive juice.
The tangy flavor filled his mouth and coolly slid down his throat.
It was a taste that could easily forgive even the owner’s grandmother.
“Right.”
“Yeah, thank you.”
If Arzen hadn’t gained the power of emptiness, he might have thought:
'Living in a place like this, surrounded by peaceful and kind people, wouldn’t be so bad…'
But that wasn’t possible.
'I, Arzen, am a being chosen by destiny to be a king!'
A king must reign.
Even in this kingdom of beasts, where adventurers must flee with their tails tucked between their legs.
'Still, the taste is good…'
Taking a hearty bite of the basil pesto sandwich, Arzen looked back at the azure sea.
'I should invite Ulman and Rock here for a meal sometime.'
Arzen glanced at the menu.
There were about six options, all looking delicious.
He could ask the kind owner’s wife what would be best to serve guests.
'Alright, I’m full now… time to get to work.'
* * *
When Arzen officially became a contract worker, Samson gave him the keys to all 13 sections of the sewer system.
Though the sewers were interconnected underground, Arzen didn’t feel the need to move through sections that were already cleared.
After all, even if there weren’t slimes, the sewers still collected all the city’s waste and filth.
'Let’s start with the northwest section… and work through them one by one.'
The area he had cleaned during the previous request was the northwest quadrant.
Directly below it was the west quadrant.
As he descended the stairs, Arzen conjured a glowing light to illuminate his surroundings.
"《Lamp of Prayer》."
As he unlocked the door, the squelching sounds of slimes dragging themselves across the floor echoed in the distance.
Sewer slimes despised light.
"Alright, let’s get started. Worker Bee, Kaz to Arkturas."
When the Void’s command summoned Void creatures, the first to appear was always Worker Bee.
The others had no individuality, no distinguishing features or sizes.
They were indistinct—so much so that calling them Worker Bee One or Worker Bee Two was meaningless.
Going forward, he decided to only give Worker Bee a name.
"Su Ja Kunia."
With the Apostle’s command, the Void creatures merged, forming a new shape.
The form of the Void creatures seemed to be adjusted to serve a specific purpose.
This long-range Void creature, though Arzen wasn’t sure if "poison" was the right word, had a massive venom sac.
And it didn’t have a stinger.
"Try shooting that one first. See it over there?"
Bzzzz…
As Worker Bee flapped its wings, the mutated Void creature bent its back.
Then, with its large venom sac, it discharged the Void’s power.
The slime hit by the blast began to disappear as though something were devouring it.
The slime twisted in agony as it dissolved, making it clear that whatever this was, it wasn’t ordinary venom.
It was something different, but there was no better way to describe it than poison.
"Worker Bee, aim directly for the core."
The mutated Void creature fired again at a nearby slime.
It missed the core by a bit.
However, for the slime, that was as good as hitting a vital spot.
The area pierced by the poison was swallowed by the Void, causing the slime’s form to collapse.
‘The projectile isn’t particularly fast…’
Was it only accurate at the distance where it had hit the mug handle so precisely? What was that, about five meters?
"That looks like it’s about five meters away. Shoot that one next."
Just as Arzen predicted, the slime within five meters had its core cleanly pierced.
Through further experimentation, Arzen learned more about the mutated Void creature’s capabilities.
'It seems like it can only shoot three times…'
After firing three times, the creature’s body began to distort and fade, as if returning to the Void’s space.
'Three shots, huh…'
That meant this creature wasn’t a true long-range fighter but rather a mid-range one.
He decided to call it “Midbee.”
"Kaz to Arkturas."
Arzen summoned new Void creatures to replace the ones that had merged into Midbee and disappeared.
As he forcibly held open the door to the Void’s dimension, a sharp pain shot through him, as though something were scraping at his heart.
It was similar to the overload caused by overusing divine miracles.
'Miracles involve communication with the heavens… and most people can only perform a certain number per day…'
If you increase your divine power, the number of miracles you can perform increases proportionally, but the way to increase it is through this kind of relentless practice.
'It’s like increasing physical strength.'
During his time with the Divine Guillotine, Arzen had to go through this grueling process every day, no matter how painful.
But now, it felt different. He was doing this of his own free will.
The power of the Void had given him new potential.
No matter how exhausting the training was, it didn’t feel as grueling anymore.
"Come on… just one more!"
As he forcefully kept the dimensional rift open, another creature emerged from the gap that usually only produced two.
Now there were seven Void creatures.
One more than the six he typically controlled. A remarkable improvement.
Seven Void creatures, not counting Worker Bee.
"Hah… hah… hah…"
Despite his labored breathing, Arzen smiled with satisfaction.
"Worker Bee, like last time. Follow my commands. I want to see how they fight."
Bzzzz… Worker Bee, who had been sitting on his shoulder, flew up.
Its antennae and wings, along with some unknown chemical signal, guided the Void creatures.
Unlike the ambush-style hunt for gnolls, this time Arzen watched as a single Void creature hunted each slime, accurately swallowing only the core.
'Do these things really feel no fear at all?'
They were living creatures, but it seemed like they lacked any emotions that living things typically had.
No sense of fear or hesitation—just pure battle machines.
If dwarves with advanced technology could create bio-weapons, this is what they might look like.
'On the other hand… when we hunted the gnolls, I noticed that the monsters feared these creatures. Even the cat did. Even single-celled monsters like slimes seem to feel fear.'
Was it because the Void creatures were so alien?
Whatever the reason, it was perfect for Arzen as the summoner.
He had learned that fear suppresses an enemy’s full potential.
"Perfect. Worker Bee can have emotions and thoughts; the rest just need to be like this."
Arzen watched with satisfaction as the Void creatures tore through the slimes effortlessly.
He used tongs to scoop the slime mucus into a sack.
Filling two sacks per day was his goal.
When filled to capacity, each weighed about 10 kilograms, and the Adventurers Guild bought them for one silver coin each.
The profit from just selling by-products wasn’t bad.
'Even though I have to throw away my cloak and clothes after a single use, it’s still worth it.'
* * *
Arzen filled both sacks and climbed back up to the city.
It was already evening.
The streets were bustling with people finishing their day’s work, heading home to prepare dinner or gathering for drinking parties.
He made sure to lock the sewer entrance thoroughly to keep out vagrants or thieves.
After changing into a spare set of clothes, he tossed the filthy ones into a trash bin.
Even after changing, the stench still clung to him.
But the smell was useful—people made way for him, and selling the by-products at the guild went smoothly.
"Here to sell by-products."
"Right this way."
After selling the slime by-products, he headed to the public bathhouse to wash off the stench and grime.
That was his daily routine.
After soaking in the hot water and letting his body relax, he would return to his lodgings and fall into a deep sleep.
"Good night, Worker Bee."
Before bed, he always summoned Worker Bee.
But tonight, Worker Bee didn’t come to him—instead, it settled on top of the scripture, just like last time.
"?"
Sensing something unusual, Arzen sat up.
At that moment, Worker Bee began to change form.
It became a key, glowing with a mysterious dark green light.
'It’s not just Worker Bee that’s changing… the scripture, too?'
What was this?
Chains and locks, translucent but visible, appeared on each page of the scripture.
Had they always been there, or were they only now becoming visible?
'The locks are on the parts of the scripture I can’t use yet.'
The further into the book, the more chains there were—dozens, maybe even a hundred.
But closer to the beginning, there were fewer.
'What is this?'
Arzen looked at the verse for summoning Midbee.
Though part of the text was obscured by chains, he could clearly see a number: 7/12.
Seven out of twelve?
What did that mean?
Wait—did it mean I had seven of the twelve?
'Hold on!'
That number 7… could it be?
'Yes, it’s the number of Void creatures! Including Worker Bee, I control eight Void creatures… but Worker Bee doesn’t count?'
It seemed that way.
Worker Bee, now transformed into a key, fit perfectly into the lock.
But something was preventing it from turning.
'So if I gather all twelve… I’ll unlock this ability?'
So, I just have to keep working at it?
'Is that what you’re telling me, Master Rodenkal?'
Arzen felt his heart pounding wildly—no, more than that, it was thundering with excitement.
This wasn’t a limitation.
It was a sign that he could achieve limitless power through hard work.
A guideline telling him that as long as he put in the effort, he would be rewarded.
'I’ll be able to use all this power one day?'
In his excitement, Arzen flipped through the pages, frantically searching for "that one."
The others didn’t matter.
Finally, after passing nearly 80% of the book, he found it.
The most powerful servant, the one that had left such an indelible impression on him that day.
The one with the overwhelming strength to slay even ancient beings.
'There it is! The Faceless Demon.'
These creatures had hunted the SS-rank Hydra, a true monster, and could easily be called a demon.
'I can summon this, too, right? It has a lock, so I must be able to!'
Of course, there was a long way to go.
There was only one main lock, but the keyhole was surrounded by dozens of chains.
It seemed that unlocking earlier scriptures would eventually open the keyhole.
"Hah… hah… Ahaha, ahahahaha!"
Arzen slammed the book shut.
Worker Bee shifted from its key form back into its usual Void creature shape.
Arzen grabbed Worker Bee’s fluffy body and flopped onto the bed, laughing uncontrollably.
"Yahoo! Worker Bee, I’m so happy I can’t stop laughing! Help me stop!"
Bzzzz…
Worker Bee, now clutched like a doll in Arzen’s hand, quietly buzzed its wings in response.
But that was enough to make Arzen feel like his friend was listening to him.
'Not a friend, a servant. My brilliant servant and secretary, my indispensable Worker Bee, the only one who understands this mysterious power!'
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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