Chapter 1: Do You Admit Your Guilt? I Admit You’re a Fool!
Late in the evening, Darmong was sitting at the inn counter, propping his chin up with his hand. The few patrons had already left, and it was about time for those who were staying to retire to their rooms.
Creak!
The door opened and Jeong Yusin stumbled in with irregular steps.
Like an octopus, he slithered over and sat across from Darmong.
“Darmong, give me a drink.”
“Business hours are over.”
“I can’t go on like this.”
Darmong clicked his tongue and retrieved a bottle of alcohol from the shelf, pouring a small glass. Jeong Yusin grabbed the glass with trembling hands and gulped it down. The fire ran down his throat and spread throughout his stomach. As the warmth spread, the throbbing pain throughout his body slightly subsided.
‘Will I be able to get up tomorrow?’
Jeong Yusin seriously pondered.
“This one’s on the house today. Starting tomorrow, it’ll be two silver coins per glass.”
“For this little glass?”
“It’s expensive alcohol.”
‘Feels like soju.’
Jeong Yusin smacked his lips and got up from his seat.
“In that case, I’ll head in first.”
He was too exhausted for small talk.
“Hm.”
Jeong Yusin went into his room, threw himself onto the bed, and groaned.
“Huuuuh.”
And with that strange sound, he blacked out.
A month had passed.
Jeong Yusin’s routine had been monotonous.
Spitting out the fur from the bear raccoon he had been chewing on, he woke up.
After breakfast, he proceeded to the Demon Disassembly Site to begin his work.
Extracting the blood from the captured demons, he peeled off the hides and separated the flesh from the entrails.
The types of demons were diverse. There were small ones like goblins, and there were others whose size was laughably over six tons.
Jeong Yusin stared at the massive demon carcass and sighed.
“How in the world do they catch these monsters?”
The degenerate elf supervisor gave a simple reply.
“Efficiently.”
They took a brief break at noon then resumed work in the afternoon.
In the evening, they changed from their work clothes before heading to the shower facilities attached to the Demon Disassembly Site to clean themselves. Once cleaned, they gathered together to eat.
However, the location was unusual — it was in the corner of the front yard of the Demon Disassembly Site.
Meat sizzled on the grill.
The meat was scraps left over from the dissection of the demons, while the charcoal came from the nearby blacksmith’s.
They had been grilling meat every evening for about a month.
The dissection staff shared the wine they had brought.
“Here, it’s your turn to drink, newcomer.”
Senior dissection specialist Malon pushed the bottle of wine his way.
“Thank you.”
It was a dwarvish distilled liquor. Despite only taking a sip, the potent alcohol made his stomach burn.
“Is the work bearable?”
At Malon’s question, Jeong Yusin glanced down at his hands.
His once soft and supple hands were now a mess of scars and calluses.
Furthermore, during today’s operation, he narrowly avoided losing one of his fingers. If it weren’t for the degenerate elf supervisor’s healing magic, he would have been holding onto his half-severed finger to seek medical treatment.
Though initially surprised, the magic wasn’t as impressive as it was the first time, thanks to the elemental magic he had witnessed from Scath.
Magic was still amazing, nonetheless.
Jeong Yusin lifted his head.
“Yes, it’s manageable.”
Malon laughed loudly.
“That’s good to hear! Since we’ve gotten along so well, how about a drink at another place sometime?”
“Not possible.”
The elf supervisor interjected suddenly.
“Initiates should return to the dormitory right after finishing their meals. Darmong’s waiting for you like a newlywed bride, I hear.”
“Yes.”
The corner of the elf’s mouth twitched.
“Chuckle. Darmong waiting anxiously like that… laughable.”
With that, the elf let out a loud laugh.
???
Laughing at his own words?
Jeong Yusin and Malon could only look on dumbfounded as the elf continued laughing.
Regaining his composure, Malon smacked his lips.
“It’s a pity. Let’s have a drink when the opportunity arises.”
“Agreed.”
He picked up a piece of crackling meat and took a bite. Even without any spices, the coarse-grained salt alone filled his mouth with a rich aroma, free of any gamey odor.
‘A drink paired with meat… this is sex.’
The second month. The routine remained the same.
Except for a few changes.
Firstly, the elf supervisor began calling Jeong Yusin by name, even if it was his alias.
“Scath, there’s no need to overthink it. Anyway, you can’t eat golems. Just gently peel off their skin.”
Jeong Yusin attempted to stab the golem but the skin was so tough, it wouldn’t budge even a little.
Unable to watch anymore, Malon jumped in.
“Not like that! Don’t force it so much, gently insert like inserting into a virgin’s opening during the first night.”
Slap!
The elf supervisor slapped Malon’s cheek.
Thud.
Malon fell to the side, holding his cheek and staring at the supervisor with a perplexed look.
“Malon, must you always use such crude metaphors?”
“Sorry.”
The three men shared a moment of silence.
Suddenly, the elf supervisor burst into chuckles.
“Ho ho ho, a virgin’s opening, I can’t hold it in anymore.”
A large laugh erupted. Malon also rubbed his cheek and laughed, leaving Jeong Yusin unable to join in.
‘Is this elf crazy?’
What part of the conversation made them laugh?
He gave up trying to figure it out.
Shaking his head, Jeong Yusin focused back on the golem.
Another change was Jeong Yusin’s discernment.
By observing the wounds on the demons, he was able to determine their vital points.
There were many battle wounds, but there was always only one wound that led to their death.
He stroked the chest of the golem. There was a small hole through a spot that lacked scales.
Vital point.
This was the third golem dissection, and all three had a hole in the same location without scales.
He confirmed this vital point with Malon.
He now understood why Darmong had sent him here.
Of course, it was for the money, but wasn’t it also to cultivate his discernment?
That tsundere raccoon wouldn’t admit it easily, but…
The last change was physical.
Muscles started appearing on his lean frame, and his jawline became slightly more prominent.
His stamina compared to what it used to be was incomparable.
The result of consistent high-protein diet, high-intensity work, and a regulated daily routine.
Swish.
The knife finally pierced the skin. However, the hard part was only just starting.
The task was to create a boundary by cutting the skin with consistent pressure. This wasn’t an easy task.
His arms trembled, and sweat drenched his face.
If he applied too much force, the knife would veer off, ruining the defined line. A ruined line meant the skin would peel unevenly, and merchants wouldn’t be satisfied, often haggling down the price. Ultimately, it became a loss for the dissection site.
Yet, he also couldn’t apply too little pressure. If the knife didn’t progress, the process would be slow, leading again to the dissection site’s financial loss.
“Huff.”
After much effort, he finally carved the line.
Jeong Yusin wiped the sweat from his forehead. The rest was easy. He simply had to insert the knife between the skin and flesh and scrape gently.
It was much like inserting a needle between a toe and its nail to pull it out completely.
Once the entire dissection was finished, Jeong Yusin slumped into his seat.
“Too slow.”
At the elf supervisor’s comment, Jeong Yusin scratched his sweat-drenched head.
“Still, with this level, I can barely meet one person’s quota.”
The elf’s subsequent words made him smile unconsciously.
“Wow, disassembling golems in just two months? You’ve got talent, new guy. My evaluation skills weren’t wrong, at least.”
Malon puffed up.
“Why are you the one so proud? I was the one with the sharp eye to discover Scath.”
‘Neither of you had high expectations.’
He muttered inwardly.
*
The third month.
There were no remarkable changes.
He had grown more accustomed to the dissection work.
More muscles were developing on his body, and his stamina increased even further.
Perhaps the most significant gain was learning the name of the elf supervisor from Darmong’s occasional teasing.
Aldein Ashwood.
This knowledge could count as some sort of achievement.
It’s funny, but there were times when the tsundere raccoon was endearing.
Perhaps it was the influence of the peculiar sense of humor of the eccentric, one-eyed elf supervisor.
On the night they peeled the skin off the Twin-Headed Ogre, the elf supervisor approached.
“Scath, today’s your last day here. Here.”
Jeong Yusin stopped chewing his meat mid-bite and looked up.
Aldein handed him a set of leather gauntlets and boots with iron-plated soles.
“Thank you.”
“Here’s 10 silver coins. I added a bit.”
“Wha! Thank you.”
“Direct those thanks at Darmong.”
Aldein turned quickly and went back to his seat.
“Hey, new guy, it’s a shame. But here, it’s just a small token.”
Dwarf Malon handed him a bottle of dwarvish distilled liquor and a note.
“It’s my cousin’s smithy. Mention my name, and they’ll give you a discount.”
“Thank you, Malon.”
“Yeah. You’re a maze explorer, huh? That’s a tough dream. Hang in there.”
“Yes. I’ll give my all.”
Malon grinned, slapped Jeong Yusin on the back, and returned to his seat.
When the evening meal was over and the dissection staff left, they each gave Jeong Yusin some parting words.
“Scath, if you ever quit as an explorer, come back.”
“Heh. Even if you come back with only one arm, we’ll accept you.”
“You guys! Stop talking nonsense. Scath, honestly, I thought the city guard would come after you accusing you of rape within three months, but no such thing happened. I admit, you’re a non-rapacious Barbaroy. Hopefully, we meet again smiling.”
‘You’re the craziest one here.’
Jeong Yusin chuckled and saw them off. Aldein remained until the end to see him off.
“We’ll call you if we need more hands.”
“Yes, anytime.”
Walking to the inn with the evening streetlights as his company, he felt both exhausted and accomplished.
Every month, he earned 10 silver coins. Having worked three months, he now had a small fortune that exceeded 30 silver coins.
On top of that, receiving the gauntlets and boots would save him on equipment funds, so he could start his labyrinth exploration on a reasonably comfortable note.
A tune spontaneously flowed from his lips.
Entering the inn, he saw Darmong.
“I’ve arrived.”
“I hear today’s your last day.”
“Did Aldein tell you?”
“That’s right. Here’s your ID.”
Darmong handed him a metal plate that was still warm, as if it had been carried in someone’s pocket the whole time.
“So, you will buy equipment and enter the labyrinth right away then?”
“Correct.”
“Close-by branches offer classes for new explorers. Attend one of those first.”
“Uh?”
“The labyrinth is a dangerous place. Preparations must always be thorough. No room for侥幸 (侥 幸).”
Darmong gave a wry smile.
“Darmong, have you ever been an explorer?”
“Is that what you’ve just figured out?”
“I had a suspicion. Alright, I’ll attend the class.”
Jeong Yusin decided to follow the bear’s advice.
There was another reason as well.
The countless demon carcasses he had seen at the disassembly site.
Even though they were just carcasses, their grotesque and bizarre forms, and their immense sizes often overwhelmed him.
Courage alone wasn’t enough.
He needed to gather information and prepare for the worst.
As for the classes for new explorers offered by the explorer’s guild, he doubted how helpful they would be.
Hadn’t he just spent five silver coins, equivalent to blood money, on a class that turned out to be worthless?
He felt it would be an unbearable waste.
How did he even manage to save up this much money?
His original plan was to sit at a tavern, listen to what the explorers had to say, or buy information by treating senior explorers to drinks.
However, he just abandoned that plan.
He set aside his doubts about the class and also abandoned the plan to obtain information through alcohol.
He trusts the bear.
The reason he sent him to the Demon Disassembly Site.
It was to engrave the dangers of demons and instill a sense of caution.
While earning some money and building some strength, his discernment was also cultivated.
If this was the bear’s first arrangement, then the classes by the explorers’ guild must be his second arrangement.
Darmong smiled. He reached for a bottle of alcohol on the shelf, but Jeong Yusin interrupted.
“I’ve purchased a bottle of dwarvish liquor. Let’s drink this one.”
“Agreed.”
In a quiet corner of the inn, the two clinked their glasses filled with the dwarvish liquor.
