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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: The Abandoned One
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Kang Seol moved up to the boundary outpost at the midpoint of the mountain range where the Rock Fang Tribe first revealed themselves.
"Hmm…."
The boundary outpost had been utterly devastated.
The outpost bore clear scorch marks from fire, troll corpses lay scattered haphazardly, and the only unusual detail was the green flag fluttering nearby.
'A flag… It's harvest festival season.'
The Rock Fang Tribe only raised green flags at specific times—during the harvest festival, when they prayed for the Earth Dragon Tankred's blessings.
But right now, that wasn't important. What mattered was the whereabouts of his comrades…. Confirming no one was around, Kang Seol pressed forward a bit more.
Even in this situation, he needed to check properly.
And finally, he spotted his comrades.
"…They're all dead."
Four stakes.
Four people were impaled on them.
Their outfits were clearly similar to Kang Seol's own, confirming they were his party members at a glance.
- What do you call a case like this?
- It's a used room, right? Looks like….
- They just wiped;; ㄷㄷ What the hell happened?
Used room.
A term for when you join a party that hasn't filled up yet and end up in an adventure that's already partially progressed.
When you joined an adventure that had already advanced somewhat, people called it "entering a used room."
'These guys must've cleared just the first gateway of Adventure 1 and couldn't wait for me, who'd gone all the way to the final gateway….'
They'd pushed ahead without him.
And the result? Four corpses.
Kang Seol looked at the four stakes with regret.
'This throws the frontal assault strategy out the window….'
This place was essentially the lowest layer of the Rock Fang Tribe's territory. If they'd been stopped here, none of the leaders had been taken down.
In other words, he'd have to face a boss that required a party hunt—solo.
Yet strangely, Kang Seol showed no signs of giving up.
No, his eyes grew even more serious.
'…Looks like I'll have to use that method?'
* * *
Kang Seol began assessing the situation precisely to grasp the problem.
'Judging by their outfits—one priest, two vanguards, one archer? Solid composition….'
If they'd followed his instructions, they could've cleared Adventure 2 without issue. But now they were gone for good.
They'd died without even closing their eyes—must've been pretty resentful.
'Spilled milk… No frontal breakthrough, so another way.'
Kang Seol's mind held countless strategies for the Five Brothers.
But even for him, optimal strategies fitting this dire situation were few.
Just then, a choice appeared before his eyes.
[You have arrived at the Rock Fang Village. What will you do?]
1. Methodically attack the Rock Fang Tribe's settlement from the lowest layer.
2. Wait for nightfall.
3. Scout the surroundings for information.
4. …
- Ditch your team! Ditch your team? Your team ditched you….
- I'm a solo player… Truly solo….
- This is a tearjerker… Things went to shit;
- Any way to clear it?
- No way; Settings say it's a party adventure with tons of stuff, but if even a glance doesn't show it clearly, no way this guy knows….
Option 1 was risky, even summoning Karuna as a familiar. Option 2 offered night raid advantages but would just waste time solo.
That left only option 3 as viable.
Choosing to scout split the options further.
As he stepped forward with scouting in mind, another choice popped up.
[Which area will you focus on scouting?]
1. Scout inside the Rock Fang Village.
2. Scout the outskirts of Pointy Rock Mountain.
With only about a day left, leaving the area wasn't feasible.
Thus, most who chose scouting stuck to the village interior.
But Kang Seol was different.
He knew every setting and hidden mechanic of this adventure inside out.
Naturally, targeted scouting—not blind wandering—would yield his desired result.
'Backtrack.'
With that decision, Kang Seol turned and withdrew from the Rock Fang Village.
- He gave up lol
- How do you even clear this?;
- At least he'll survive another day….
Eternal World adventures weren't purely linear.
Outcomes varied wildly by path taken, influencing future adventures.
Among these, the ones dubbed "history" were those from the horse with the greatest achievements, shared across all players.
In that sense, if Kang Seol's current plan succeeded, it had a high chance of becoming history.
Because he planned to solo the adventure—securing the best rewards too.
Back in the adventure, Kang Seol was now searching the lowest peak among Pointy Rock Mountain's five summits.
Pointy Rock Mountain had five peaks total.
The highest housed the Rock Fang Tribe; others held different entities.
Not bold enemies of the Rock Fangs, but side characters with some backstory occupying each peak.
'The Rock Fang exiles.'
Beings banished from the Rock Fang Tribe for various reasons, now scattered across the peaks.
It might seem irrelevant at first, but this setting was crucial in the "Friendly 5 Brothers" adventure.
Most hidden mechanics stemmed from these exiles.
That's why Kang Seol combed the lowest peak thoroughly.
'It has to be here….'
The being he sought was described as hiding on Pointy Rock Mountain's lowest peak.
Kang Seol had raised many characters, but relying solely on in-game hints to find things was tough.
Rustle…
Crunch.
Jingle…
"…A bell?"
A bell dangled from a long cord.
The cord stretched between trees.
'Not a trap… Probably an alarm?'
The bell's chime rang clearly through the mountain.
No ordinary bell sound.
A tiny bell couldn't echo loud enough for everyone nearby—definitely enchanted.
"Found you?"
The being he sought was close. Now, just find its dwelling.
But unexpectedly, it spoke first.
"A human… Who are you…."
Slurred speech.
Kang Seol advanced casually, as if it were natural. Speaking without being seen—mystical power.
Jingle…
The bell rang again, followed by a panicked voice.
"D-Don't… come closer…."
"I'm not dangerous."
"Y-You're… a person."
"...."
Kang Seol stopped abruptly.
Not because of the words—he'd just spotted a likely dwelling.
A crumbling hut clung precariously to the hillside.
Hidden well on the peak, it had taken effort to find. Poorly lit; he'd nearly overlooked it.
"D-Don't… come closer, I said…."
"As I said, I'm not here with bad intentions."
"Liar! The Rock Fangs sent you! What do you want… with me!"
A choice appeared before Kang Seol.
[The Abandoned One fears you. What will you do?]
1. Threaten.
2. [Req: Persuasion 1] Claim you got lost.
3. Order him to aid in the Rock Fangs' extermination.
4. [Req: Sorcerer] Ask for sorcery teachings.
5. [Req: Insight 1] Point out something's off with him.
Confirming the choice was right, Kang Seol called out.
"Why tell me not to approach? Is something wrong?"
"D-Don't… come!"
Picking a choice didn't auto-resolve everything.
Especially dialogue choices—they guided direction, but the system didn't speak for you.
"Stay back from me…."
"Are you… ill?"
It wasn't clear from here, but Kang Seol already knew the setting: he was sick.
Still, to draw the desired reaction, he asked step by step.
Swish….
The Abandoned One emerged fully from the hut.
Not human—a troll.
His awkward speech likely came from elongated fangs protruding from his mouth.
Anyway, the Abandoned One wasn't an ordinary troll.
Wounds covered his body.
"…See? Back off. It's contagious."
"I want to hear more."
"…Don't make me more miserable."
- ㅎㄷㄷ Contagious disease!
- Social distancing! Back away!
Assuming Kang Seol would retreat, the Abandoned One stared gloomily.
[The Abandoned One is infected. What will you do?]
1. Retreat.
2. Insult.
3. [Req: Toxicology 1] Ask if it's poison infection.
4. [Req: Medicine 1] Offer to examine.
5. …
Kang Seol was a gambler.
At least, Kang Seol of Eternal World was.
Step, step.
"…What are you doing?"
"I want to hear more."
"If you come closer… it spreads."
"If I don't, I can't hear details."
"...."
The troll stared straight at Kang Seol.
Then sighed and retreated into the hut.
[The Abandoned One lowers his guard.]
"…I won't take responsibility."
"Can I come in?"
"…If you want my story. Sure."
Kang Seol smiled and followed into the hut.
First hit him: thick herbal scent. Then: shelves crammed with books.
"…Books?"
"Weird?"
A reading troll—what in the world wasn't weird?
Kang Seol held back, then blurted.
"Not really."
"...."
The Abandoned One squatted, lit a fire.
Crackle…
"Tea? No good flavors, but herbs abound—I can offer medicinal tea."
"More on what you were saying earlier."
"What exactly interests you?"
"Anything."
"...."
Silence as reply, then he awkwardly smiled at Kang Seol, resolved.
"W-Well… May I tell my story?"
"That's what I want."
"Then…."
He began.
Nothing special, really.
Pointy Rock Mountain had an endemic disease from ages past, infecting trolls. Recurring across generations, claiming many lives like a plague.
Ancestral Rock Fangs struggled, eventually making a minor rule.
"Exile?"
"Yes… Correct."
"So you were exiled…."
"No, not me. My mother."
"...."
He continued.
His mother, pregnant with him when exiled, begged to leave the child—but ancestors refused.
He said their choice might've been right.
"Since… I was born with this disease…."
"...."
"My mother cursed the tribe till death. Said they all… should vanish."
"What?"
"The tribe, the disease, and me…."
Painful tale, told calmly.
Kang Seol asked.
"Incurable?"
"That's why I dove into books. Learned human tongue via sorcery, studied tomes on every subject—researched the endemic."
"…Results?"
"Almost succeeded. But one ingredient… missing."
Kang Seol neared his goal.
"Corpse Finger Mushroom… It exists here. But…."
"Couldn't find it."
"Yes. Old records mention only cliffside ones… My disease weakens bones; cliffs are impossible."
"Other trolls… Ah…."
"Forgot? I've been alone since birth. Anyway, my story ends. First visitor, so I rambled…. Anything else…."
"That mushroom…."
"…Yes?"
"Mind if I look for it?"
"Why… what for…."
Kang Seol smiled faintly.
Rock Fang settings, troll lore, leaders' ties—all in his head.
He could help this troll.
"A small trade."
"…If—if you truly fetch that mushroom, I'll help with anything."
[Hidden Adventure 'The Abandoned One' activates.]