Chapter 41 - The First Fully Autonomous Self-Driving
Those who kidnapped me were beast-kin riding giant ostriches, specifically wolf beast-kin.
Their proper name is the Lang tribe.
Although I usually wasn’t very interested in stories or settings.
In the beginning, there were humans and animals.
I clearly remembered the mythical story that beast-kin were born because humans with animal-like tendencies eventually broke taboos and did unspeakable things.
They could truly be called crazy bastards.
Anyway.
There’s a saying that even if you’re dragged into a tiger’s den, you’ll survive if you keep your wits about you.
Although it wasn’t a tiger beast-kin, but a wolf beast-kin.
And it wasn’t a den, but quite a luxurious bedroom.
The fact that it was a bedroom made me even more anxious.
The only somewhat reliable thing was.
“Elise, I have a suspicious feeling…”
SD Elise, who had been floating around me like a guardian spirit even when I was kidnapped.
In fact, the main reason I could maintain my composure now was thanks to Elise.
If things really don’t work out?
Although it’s really, really, really regrettable?
If I borrow the power of the Party Reserve Member Summon Ticket?
Elise, who is fully equipped with the current 5-rank highest level equipment set, would appear next to me with a poof.
“Huhu, anyone can see this is that angle.”
“What angle?”
“My my, are you trying to make a lady say strange words? Ark-nim, you have quite a lewd side?”
Did you think I was going to say it’s a “that” angle?
These guys, they’re surprisingly well-versed in Korean slang…
So as I was lying still with my legs tightly bound and arms awkwardly tied to the bed.
Crash–!
With a grand sound.
The window was torn out along with the wall.
…I peeked earlier and this is the 5th floor?
And what appeared was.
A face quite familiar from 2D illustrations–
“You’re more docile than I thought. Are you perhaps a virgin?”
As soon as she opened her mouth, she completely shattered her image.
Renatel. Lang tribe beast-kin. 5-star. Slightly furry.
Earth attribute close-range dealer. Tier 1 dealer for earth decks.
For reference, Lumi is tier 5 on the tier list.
Anyway, as I was sizing up the short-haired wolf girl in front of me with an adult’s calculation.
“You don’t seem to understand the meaning of being kidnapped by the Lang tribe. It’s not surprising that my tribesmen are in heat since you’re quite handsome, but to kidnap someone who already has another beast-kin’s strong mark. Hanging out with those cat bitches has made the Lang tribe’s pride fall to the bottom.”
What.
Was it really “that angle”?
I needlessly looked down once more at the pretty red ribbon tied around my waist.
As I was slightly dumbfounded.
“If you don’t want to lose your chastity, come with me obediently. I’ll rescue you.”
Renatel sighed and said something that was hard to guess whether it was a threat or goodwill.
At the same time.
Swish!
She swung her sword at a speed my eyes couldn’t follow and cut the ropes.
“Um, I think my heroes will come to rescue me if I just wait quietly.”
I believe, I believe in our heroes.
“From what I saw while infiltrating, the Lang tribe leader who wants to savor your chastity will probably arrive within 10 minutes. With a group. If you prefer being pounced on and squeezed by a group, I won’t stop you.”
“I’ll be in your care.”
I bowed my head sincerely to my savior.
I hope this one doesn’t end up ravishing me?
Please don’t let it be that kind of development.
I shouldn’t have skipped the story…
Inevitably, I followed Renatel to move–
“Aaah!”
“Be quiet.”
I started being moved like a bundle tucked under her side.
Just after the hero party entered the middle of a quite wide canyon in Zone 1 of the 16th floor.
“Hmm.”
Ark made a subtle expression.
“What’s wrong, Ark?”
“Well, usually there’s some guidance on how to break through the zone, but it hasn’t come out yet–”
Ark continued speaking with an uneasy expression while looking down at the revelation tablet, but was soon interrupted by Lumi’s shout.
“I hear a strange sound woof!”
Thump thump…
Thump thump thump…
As if some beasts were approaching in a group, the ground slowly started shaking along with the sound.
“Behind us!”
At Saha’s shout, the heroes prepared to defend against the attack.
Saha, at the forefront, slammed her hammer down towards the source of the sound.
Lumi, who went to the outskirts as much as possible, growled in case something might jump down from the canyon above.
Yohena and Ari guarded the rear of the formation, while Ark and Tinya observed the blind spots from the center.
Thump thump–
Thump thump thump–
The fierce footsteps gradually became clearer, stronger, and more intense.
“It’s wild boars!”
A herd of giant wild boars was charging towards the hero party.
“Woof! The wild boars’ state is strange woof!”
At Lumi’s shout, Ari, who had the best eyesight in the party, squinted to observe.
“They look slightly terrified! They seem to be chased! And… giant… birds…?”
Ari doubted her eyes.
Behind the rushing wild boars.
Something that resembled ostriches at first glance–
Legs too thick to be called birds. And cute little wings that probably couldn’t fly even if fully spread.
And ostriches much larger than the wild boars in comparison.
What the Great Forest calls ‘Pokorong’, which in modern terms would be like chickens grown to car size with cute faces attached, were rushing towards them.
“Meal!”
“Meat!”
“Pork!”
“Hunt!”
And on each Pokorong’s back was a beast-kin.
Shouting all sorts of slogans, they were chasing the wild boars like biker gangs, in a state where they couldn’t see anything else.
The unfortunate point was.
The hero party existed at the center of that path.
“What should we do, Ark?”
“Well, not all beast-kin are hostile forces in the Great Forest region?”
As Ark said.
‘Enemies to be dealt with’ are clearly visible to the heroes.
As if a red aura swirls around the target.
Although the approaching wild boars had a red aura, the beast-kin chasing behind them didn’t have such an aura.
“Well, for now we should avoid–”
“Be careful, Ark!”
But the advancing speed of the wild boars and Pokorongs was too fast to avoid.
The hero party was instantly caught up in that charging procession.
The one who was stuck to Ark like glue was Tinya.
Fearing Ark might get caught up, she was blocking the wild boars by swinging her cute fists yap yap kong.
But the wild boars weren’t interested in the heroes, they were just running straight ahead for their own survival.
Rather, what became a problem was–
“Kyaho! It’s a man!”
“He’s handsome!”
“The outsiders brought a tribute!”
The beast-kin riding the Pokorongs left a comment each time they saw Ark’s face.
Especially when one huge Pokorong brushed past–
“Ugh–”
“Master?!”
Suddenly, a thick whip flew out without warning, and before Tinya could grab him, it wrapped around Ark’s body and pulled him up.
“Outsiders! To offer such a high-quality tribute, you’re quite well-mannered! I’ll enjoy it well! Welcome to the Great Forest!”
A hearty female warrior’s voice echoed from atop the Pokorong high above Tinya’s head.
“Wait, he’s not a tribute! He’s Tinya’s master!”
Tinya shouted belatedly, but.
That voice was buried under the sound of the Pokorongs shaking the ground thump thump as they ran, not reaching anyone’s ears.
“Master! Maaster! Aaark! Big brotheeeer!”
Tinya ran with all her might to try to grab even the tail feathers of that giant Pokorong, but.
For a human she was tiny, and exaggerating a little, the stride of the Pokorong with legs slightly smaller than Tinya was too much to catch up to.
“Waaah, waaaah…!”
In the end, Tinya sat down crying like a fractured three-eyed horse who dropped a whirlwind potato on the ground.
A little while later.
When the heroes finally grasped the situation and gathered around Tinya to hear the whole story.
The car had already left, and Ark was gone.
“Tch! We should have stopped them even if it meant slaughtering them all…”
Unable to contain her anger, Saha.
Smashed a rock with her fist, shattering it to pieces.
Not just Saha, but everyone had extremely indignant, resentful, and dejected expressions, but.
Among them, there was one hero expressing anger most intensely.
And quietly.
“…Those wolves without manners. At this rate, Master will be ravished…!”
Lumi, who never made mistakes in her speech concept before, was grinding her teeth with it completely shattered.
Her expression was as if she had instantly shredded 100 yellow cards in a paper shredder.
“Lumi woof… sniff, do you know something…?”
“This place… resembles Lumi’s hometown, the Great Forest. In the Great Forest, offering a man as tribute has only one meaning. Grrrr…”
Although Lumi didn’t explicitly explain the meaning.
Man. Handsome. Tribute. Will enjoy well.
The hero party had already shared the words that spilled out of Tinya’s mouth.
At that moment.
[Tower of Wishes 16th Floor – Great Forest: Outskirts of Lang Tribe Territory Zone 1]
[★☆☆ : Find traces of the revelator.]
[★★☆ : Complete the mission within 1 hour.]
[★★★ : Complete the mission without harming the beast-kin.]
The mission window that originally only appeared before Ark, the chosen revelator.
Popped up for all members of the hero party.
“This is…”
“So this is what Ark meant when he always talked about 3-star clear…”
“Since the master isn’t here, we’re supposed to see it? This is so annoying, really!”
The hero party shared their thoughts.
Everyone’s gaze turned to the temporary leader in Ark’s absence, the saint.
“We can’t just sit here like this. Rescuing Ark is the top priority, but let’s also consider the three-star conditions for Ark’s sake in the process.”
Yohena said calmly.
Although Lumi was furious after instantly losing the groom she had been eagerly slobbering over.
“Grrrr… Lang tribe… I want to pluck out all their fur, but since it says not to harm them… Lumi will try to endure woof…”
Since consensus is crucial at times like this.
She agreed with Yohena’s judgment.
Until now, the hero party had been in knight-riding autonomous driving mode, but.
Finally, in the first fully autonomous self-driving mode.
They began to advance while grinding their teeth.