Flesh Golem of the Labyrinth City

TN: There are a lot of sword parts and korean terms, so I put definitions at the bottom.

"That can't be right. Please do it properly."

"Uh, uhh... I couldn't even come up with this in a dream..."

The solution mixed into my blood is a special reagent that only reacts to human blood.

The reagent is colorless but turns blood black when it comes into contact with human blood.  

"L-look... There's still this much red tint..."

"This is driving me crazy."

A single drop of the reagent was enough to turn the entire blood sample black. Nevertheless, the reason my blood still has a reddish hue is...

"As, as expected, it's mixed with dire wolf's blood...!"

"No, is that even possible from a common sense perspective? Is it okay for animal blood to enter a human?"

"Of course not! B-but... We have a real example of it..."

What a dizzying result. Is this really okay? I haven't studied much about biology, but I at least know it's fucked if you transfuse animal blood into humans.

Moreover, wasn't there that article that the human who was transplanted with a pig organ died not too long after? I'm getting suspicious now.

"By any chance, did my heart or lungs change?"

"I don't know about that since I haven't opened you up yet..."

No, what are you going to open up? Saying scary things despite your looks.

"No, you figured out the blood with that circuit thing too, right? Do something."

According to Lavi, there's a big difference between an eyeball and blood, and the locations are different, so she's not sure. A wolf's heart? That's really sickening.

"On second thought, I don't think it's that of a wolf."

"Huh? Why?"  

She questioned my words.

"All the parts that have changed so far were damaged before changing. My left eye was unusable, and I had lost a lot of blood."

"Aha, that's true. Then don't worry! Your lungs and heart are human!"

"Can you be certain?"

"No..."

Damn it.

Anyway, we've finished identifying the skill's ability. Is my job done with this?

"Then I'd like to receive that reward now."

"Ah! About the reward..."

After hanging the flask containing my blood on a stand, Lavi hurried into the back of the shop behind a curtain with quick steps. Then she came back out and placed a small leather pouch on my palm.

"I, it's five silver coins! I'm sorry, but I can only give you a little... Instead, next time you come, I'll give you much more! A lot more..."

"I don't know if there will be a next time."

"Because we haven't figured out everything about the skill yet! I want to do more experiments and such... I can give you a bigger reward if we understand it more clearly!"

"Well then, I'll keep that in mind for now."

Five silver coins? It's an amount I can barely earn after fighting nonstop for a day in the labyrinth. As expected of someone born a magician, even if poor, they're good for three generations.

"Ah, could I perhaps know your name?"

"My name?"

"Yes! Since we'll be seeing each other often now... Eep!? Th-that's not what I meant!!"

That's Lavi, beating her own drum, banging her own gong, smashing a kkwaenggwari, breaking a jing, and even spinning a sangmo all by herself.

"Hmm."

Well, yeah, it would be better to come here if anything strange happens again.

"Where I lived, the surname comes first, and the given name comes after."

"Oh, is that so? What an unusual way."

She wrote down the information I told her on a small rectangular piece of paper with a piece of wood containing graphite.

"Surname is Yoo, given name is Eon. Together, it's Yoo Eon."

"Yoo Eon... Is, is it a pseudonym...?"

"It's my real name."

"I see... I think it's a witty, cool name..."

"I agree."

Leaving behind Lavi, who was scratching her head, I left the appraisal office.

"Five silver coins. This is enough."

* * * * *

"Did you bring a blanket from the inn or something?"

"This is the gambeson you sewed for me last time..."

The textile shop owner raised his eyebrows like the number eight 八 and stared at me as the gambeson I was wearing turned to rags.

"Did you rub it against a stone wall? On sharp, splintering rocks?"

"No, well... I played a bit roughly with a dire wolf. I didn't intentionally tear it up by doing weird things..."

"Goodness, really."

It was a thick gambeson made of 16 layers of hemp cloth. I heard there were 20-layer and 32-layer ones, too, but they were much thicker than the typical 8 or 12-layer most explorers used.

Five silver coins are nowhere near enough to buy a new gambeson. I thought it would be fine to just mend the torn parts and wear it. At most, a layer or two were ripped from rolling on the ground on the back, shoulders, or stomach area.

The right arm was also in a sorry state, but that would have to wait.

"This needs the sleeves completely ripped off and redone. What's the point of sewing on something so messily torn up?"

"Can't you just roughly roll it up, stuff it inside, and cover it with a layer of hemp cloth on top? Like the cotton batting stuffed inside for the torn parts."

"Then, if that one layer rips, it'll immediately return to this state, no?"

"Ah, true."

In the end, the owner's recommendation was this.

"Everything below the elbow has to be cut off and discarded. The parts above that are still in decent condition."

"Then below that..."

"I'll attach new parts, but be careful to protect your elbows. If the stitching comes undone, it's bare arms right away."  

"Yes. Thank you."

In the end, I handed over a precious silver coin and got the gambeson repaired.

Next is the pouch belt.

"Please make it a bit thicker than last time."

"You little punk. It's all the same with animal leather once you remove the fat and tan it. Instead of a thicker one, there are tougher ones."

"No, this old man is trying to sell expensive leather again."

"Suit yourself then."

I got a new pouch belt because the dire wolf bit through and broke it. I bought a wider belt that can be adjusted up and down by changing the belt buckle, and it's even tougher.

"Wow, old man. If you need an apprentice, be sure to call me. Selling a handful of leather for 40 copper coins each, being a tanner is a business to get really rich."

"This one just can't shut up. Get lost!"

"Yes, sir."

In the end, I purchased the belt for 40 copper coins. I'm satisfied since I bargained it down from 50.

"Next is the sword, I guess."

The blade and handle of the one-handed sword filed for divorce. Guess they had a bad relationship.

"This can't be fixed by just reattaching the grip since the tang is broken."

"Ah, why are there so many merchants in a labyrinth city? Was it a commercial city?"

"Hey now, I didn't say to buy a new one yet."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"Draw down the forte and to create the tang. The blade will get a bit shorter, though."

The dwarf blacksmith stretched out his thick fingers and measured the length of the blade, then nodded.

"Speak so I can understand."

"I'll melt the part of the blade near the handle and extend it, then remake the tang."

"How much shorter will it get?"

"If I make the tang thin, 5 centimeters. If I make it a bit thicker, about 8 centimeters shorter."

A one-handed sword that barely exceeded 70 cm. If it gets 8 cm shorter, isn't it just a long dagger? But, well, what can you do.

"Please make it thicker. It has a job to do."

"You little punk. What did this sword do wrong for you to abuse it like this?"

Perhaps because he's a dwarf, he has a strong attachment to the weapons he makes. Aren't weapons supposed to get damaged in place of people getting hurt? It should be praised for doing its job well.

"You thrust more than you slice."  

"You can tell that too?"

"Yeah. The tip is more damaged than the edge."

The blacksmith who nitpicks at the shabby sword still has an eye for swords, as expected of a dwarf.

"Come back in two days. I'll try to prevent the blade from getting shorter by making the fuller a bit deeper."

"Yes. Then I'll get going."

Like that, I handed over two silver coins, heavier than bone and flesh, to the dwarf and went outside.  

"It's been resolved one way or another."

Still, that's a relief. The money for treating my body is secured, and I even earned 5 silver coins by figuring out the skill effect. I did spit out 3 silver coins and 40 copper out of that, though. I got off cheap.

I thought it was a stupid skill, but unexpectedly, it has its good points.

"I'm hungry."

Let's return to the inn for now. I was too engrossed to pay attention, but I had some muscle pain and couldn't sleep properly.

My neck is stiff, and my back aches, probably from falling asleep leaning against a tree surrounded by corpses. I should take this chance to buy something delicious with the leftover money.

* * * * *

Flag Goat Inn. It's the inn I settled in and where the owner lady, who took me in when I fell into this world, is.

It's only been about a month, so I haven't stayed that long, but still, a month is more than enough for a person to grow fond of something.

I'm even getting attached to that goat signboard with a flag stuck on its head the more I see it. Who uses a goat as a flag bearer?

'Never seen that girl before.'

I could tell because I'd stayed at the same inn for a month and always slept there unless I spent the night in the labyrinth.

I more or less remember the faces of the people living nearby.

In front of Flag Goat Inn, a girl was holding a broom made of dry tree branches and sweeping the stone tiles.

The owner, who always sat on the bench in front of the inn and smoked cigarettes nonstop, wasn't there, so I thought there might be a diner guest inside, but that wasn't the case either.

"What? Where did the owner go."

The owner was nowhere to be seen, and the girl in front followed me inside and answered my question instead.  

"Welcome! This is the Flag Goat Inn!"

"What? Where's the owner?"

"Owner? Ah, Mom went grocery shopping!"

"Oh? Mom? She had a daughter?"

How did such a hearty woman give birth to such a scrawny kid? Well, body type isn't hereditary, though.

"She usually leaves the store to me when she goes grocery shopping..."

"Oh my, you must be the guest Mom talked about!"

"I'm seeing you for the first time in nearly a month. Are you really her daughter? You didn't kidnap the owner, dump her somewhere, and occupy this place, did you?"

Baaak-

"This little punk just can't shut his trap."

"Ack– even a dire wolf's skull would shatter with that hit. When did you come back?"  

The owner, whose forearm is as thick as that girl's head, handed me the basket she was holding in her left hand while grasping a carrot the size of a cudgel in her right.

"Owner, could I eat first? I'm really hungry."  

"Sarah, can you scoop a bowlful of scraps for this man?"

"Fine, I'll be good and eat. I'm paying for the food this time, sheesh."

"Haha..."

Translator's Corner

Kkwaenggwari (꽹과리): A small flat gong.

Jing (징): A Large gong.

Sangmo (상모): A hat with paper streamers or feathers (Piji) attached to it.

Items typically used in traditional Korean performances.

Tang: A piece of metal in the hilt of the sword that holds it together.

Forte: The strongest part of the sword, located near the hilt on the blade.

Fuller: Rounded groove on the long of the sword.

For those who have morbid curiosity, search up the organ transplant. Sorry…