Chapter 43: Black Ink

One fortunate news for the Lang tribe.

The footsteps of outsiders who suddenly appeared.

They were heading straight towards the sanctuary ‘Red Hood’s Cabin’ but suddenly turned away.

It was a close call; the nest where the Langin’s ancestral mother deity ‘Red Hood’ and father deity ‘Fierce Wolf’ nurtured their love was almost destroyed.

Unlike the typical birth process of beastmen.

The Langin tribe had a secret history of being originally human, not beastmen.

This was why the Langin tribe harbored a subtle pride over the Kyeonin tribe.

You were eaten, weren’t you?

We did the eating!

But to the prideful Langin tribe, there was one piece of unfortunate news.

“The wall has collapsed. My companion is gone.”

The current queen of the Lang tribe, who faithfully inherited the will of the ancestors.

A male she had personally selected and received as tribute from outsiders had disappeared.

Before they could enjoy eating him.

The tragedy occurred while they were away for a purification bath.

Enya sniffed the air.

Holding an item in her hand.

She deeply inhaled the scent of the clothes they had captured and taken as spoils from the male.

“……To the west. Pursue him.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Although not as much as the Kyeonin tribe.

The Lang tribe also had a fairly developed sense of smell.

Enough to track down a male she had marked, at least.

Of course, for efficiency in tracking, it would make sense to share the scent of her spoils with the soldiers.

But sharing the scent of the companion chosen by the queen?

That was unthinkable.

“I will also prepare for departure. Have my Pokorong ready.”

Then.

She had no choice but to go herself.

* * *

The teachings of the Revelator.

If there is no path, make one.

The party of heroes, who fully practiced this teaching, leaped over hills and shattered cliffs with the human crusher Saha leading the way, running straight ahead.

“Kung!”

“A portal… isn’t it?”

Every time they cleared an area, they encountered a shimmering portal leading to the next area.

Originally, the portal would only open when the Revelator used the purification tablet (a.k.a. the Revelation Tablet, smartphone) on it.

But since the floors and areas were designed to be autonomous, the portal was wide open without any complicated procedures.

However, the hero party hesitated for a moment.

“It feels a bit suspicious. Could it be a trap?”

“I think so too.”

Saha and Johanna, who were always cautious and suspicious of anything unusual.

“Kung! Actually, the scent of master is stronger inside, woof!”

“That’s right!”

Rumi, who insisted on pushing forward, and Tina, who simply agreed without much thought.

Ari, as always.

“Eat!”

With the courage befitting a Four Star General.

And the curiosity of an alcohol-loving adventurer, she was the first to throw herself into the portal.

Truly an action that put an end to long, tedious, and pretentious debates!

“Ari?!”

“Let’s follow, woof!”

In the end, everyone joined in the simple, quick action that required no private knowledge.

The reward for their brave action.

[Tower of Wishes 16th Floor – Great Forest: Langin Tribe’s Outer Area 1 Cleared!]

[Tower of Wishes 16th Floor – Great Forest: Langin Tribe’s Outer Area 2]

[★☆☆ Find traces of the Revelator.]

[★★☆ Complete the mission within 1 hour.]

[★★★: Complete the mission without harming the beastmen.]

The hero party.

Successfully broke through Area 1 and arrived at Area 2!

Zzzzrrr–

“Oops.”

Johanna quickly picked up a divine stone that appeared by tearing through the air.

While it was commendable to have cleared the area so cleanly.

The situation itself starkly highlighted the absence of the Revelator.

Even the mission objectives remained unchanged.

Find traces of the Revelator.

“Master… this way, woof!”

Once again, with the constraint of no killing, Rumi took the lead.

But they hadn’t gone far when.

“Stop!”

“You can’t go any further!”

“Surrender now, and we’ll consider leniency!”

Langin soldiers appeared from everywhere.

There was no avoiding a fight.

“Move aside, you fools~♡!”

Tina, whose inhibitor had been destroyed, immediately unleashed her ultimate skill.

As the Langin soldiers grabbed each other’s hair and started a catfight, no, a wolffight, it signaled the start of another battle.

***

“Here, put this on.”

“Thank you.”

I felt a bit exposed.

Without realizing it, I had taken off my top and was only wearing a robe.

A criminal fashion statement akin to a modern-day barbarian!

As I tried to put on the top Renatel handed me.

“……?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Uh, could you step out while I change?”

“Hmm. You’re quite the shy male.”

Only then did Renatel turn around and step out of the room.

“You too, step out. Or close your eyes.”

“Eung, that’s too much.”

After making sure even Ellis closed her eyes.

I quickly changed, slipping the robe off, putting on the clothes, and then the robe back on.

The warm comfort returned to my shivering upper body.

…………Though there was a slight smell of fur, or rather, wolf fur.

But I wasn’t in a position to be picky.

After finishing changing, I glanced at my smartphone again.

The battle scenes were quite different from typical game combat animations.

Tina grabbing the Langin soldiers by the hair and yanking them.

Saha, having put down her hammer, delivering powerful punches to the Langin soldiers’ jaws.

Ari, instead of shooting arrows, wielding the bow like a swordmaster, swinging it wildly.

I quickly put the smartphone back in my pocket.

I saw nothing.

“Are you done changing?”

Renatel suddenly poked her head in.

She boldly entered and looked me up and down.

“Neat. Let’s go.”

“……? Where are we going now?”

“Hmph. This is the stronghold of Darangdae. No matter how skilled the tracker, unless they remember every scent from head to toe, there’s no way they can track us here.”

That.

I think you just set a flag.

When someone says something absolutely won’t happen■■.

It’s almost a ■■ cosmic law that it will.

“So rest assured for now. I’ll show you around the base.”

Well.

Even if they didn’t remember every scent from my head to toe, Rumi would probably find me.

I had a vague hope.

After all, Rumi is a dog.

With a slight longing, I took out my smartphone.

I caught a glimpse of Rumi (3D model) performing a high-level technique, precisely stabbing a Langin soldier in the chest, before putting it away again.

Then, following Renatel, I toured the stronghold of Darangdae.

The Dream Garden of Darang.

“Who on earth named it Darang Dream Garden?”

“I did. Doesn’t it have a nice ring to it?”

From a slightly crazy woman.

To a completely crazy woman, my assessment adjusted.

According to the unwanted elaboration.

Once again.

The Langin tribe becomes great.

Dreaming together.

East.

Warriors of the mountain.

If I ever return to reality.

I want to open the brains of the director and story writer.

What kind of drugs were you on to come up with such a name?

Anyway, dreams and hopes aside, the Dream Garden of Darang, filled with the smell of iron and flying fur, was surprisingly vast.

Surprisingly well-defended.

And surprisingly, there were no men.

“Males? Males are supposed to stay home and look after the children. And all our elite warriors in Darangdae are honorably maintaining their virginity.”

Ah.

I see.

A gender-reversal concept, huh.

Having used up my brain cell quota for the day.

I nodded vaguely, taking in the sight of the shamelessly fluttering string panties hung on clotheslines everywhere.

Wow, leopard print.

***

While Ark, half out of his mind, was dazzled by the open customs of Darangdae.

[Tower of Wishes 16th Floor – Great Forest: Langin Tribe’s Outer Area 5]

[★☆☆ Rescue the Revelator.]

[★★☆: Complete the mission without harming the beastmen.]

[★★★: Establish a cooperative relationship with Darangdae.]

“Finally, woof!”

“We’re almost there……!”

“It’s been a long battle.”

“What!”

“Alright, let’s go get Ark back!”

The status window popped up in front of the hero party simultaneously.

“Tina, listen for a moment!”

After handing Tina a bundle of fur that could make at least five padding jackets.

Ari quickly, quickly.

Like a flying squirrel, climbed up the tree with vertical mobility.

And what Ari saw was.

“Uh……”

A fortress larger than expected.

Built over many years by stacking rocks, its surface covered with moss and vines, making it hard to destroy or climb.

And.

From the high watchtowers scattered around, Langin archers with threateningly large bows were keeping watch.

Having only dealt with small tracking parties so far, the hero party was a bit intimidated.

“Hmm?”

Ari, who noticed something peculiar, sparkled her eyes.

On the outskirts of the fortress.

A vast.

Grassland stretched out, and on it, giant round-eyed creatures were leisurely rolling around, grazing.

Putting aside the common knowledge that birds don’t usually graze on grass.

Ari quietly descended from the tree and shared her vision with the heroes.

“Let’s raid the ranch!”

They planned to release the giant round-eyed creatures, locally known as Pokorong, to cause chaos in the area.

While they were distracted.

They would sneak in on a super-sparrow each, quickly infiltrate, and steal Ark back!

Forget about establishing a cooperative relationship with Darangdae.

Getting three stars was important, but that could be considered after getting Ark back.

Hearing this, the temporary leader of the hero party.

The spiritual center of the hero city Celestia.

The saint of the Sweetie Goddess Church and the living conscience.

“That’s a really good idea.”

Johanna declared plainly.

“Let’s do it right away.”