Survival 127

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“Ugh, my head…”

Was it because I was lying with my head on the cold floor?

A pounding headache struck my skull.

-Crunch.

But there was no time to worry about the headache.

The eerie sound of grinding teeth mixed in my ears.

Undoubtedly, it was the distinct sound of a Wendigo.

Moreover, the killing intent focused on me in this so-called ‘dungeon’ sent chills down my spine.

‘Damn. If I’m not careful, I’ll end up with a nice view of the Styx River.’

Come to think of it, I had never encountered a friendly Doppelganger before.

Though I didn’t sense any presence nearby.

I hurriedly got up and grabbed the Raven claw.

If I lay here idly, the Wendigo’s tale from folklore would come true.

However,

“…Unbelievable. There’s a place like this underground.”

In fact, there were countless underground spaces in the north.

From the cave of the Direwolf I experienced to Bathory’s refuge, and even the northern underworld.

However, this place was on a different level compared to those rough places.

First, there was the grandeur.

Even if not the entire palace, it was spacious enough to fit a palace and a garden carved out of ice in elegant curves, unimaginable as the work of monsters.

In the center, a wooden sculpture of a quadrupedal reindeer stood proudly. Judging by its polished surface, it seemed to have been oiled.

Further away, civilization shone brightly.

Need I say more?

In this frigid space, they were not only covered in thick fur but also lit a fire.

My body had warmed up in the quite cozy air.

‘These reindeers have it easy, huh.’

None of the places I knew in the north allowed fugitives to light a fire properly.

In monster habitats, they lacked the intelligence to kindle a fire, and it was the same for the residents of the underworld.

Lighting a fire in the north meant you had some leeway. If the weak lit a fire, it was like inviting trouble.

So, it mostly belonged to nobles or relatively wealthy classes.

Whoosh.

A fire that seemed quite hot at a glance.

-Growl?

-Crunch.

-Roar!

Around then, the reindeers who noticed my presence had their eyes turn red.

Now I understood their murderous reaction.

To me, this was just a dungeon to farm relics.

But to them, this was their home.

Moreover, in an underground space made of ice, heat was deadly.

Even so, being able to light a fire and play in this place made it the safest haven.

By trespassing here, I was nothing but an intruder.

A tomb raider come to steal their treasures.

Thus, what I had to do was clear.

‘Subdue.’

The quest penalty was for ‘killing’ a Wendigo.

Reasonably incapacitating them to the point of communication would be fine.

With no one watching,

And with the will of Hassan in my other hand,

I glared at the direction from where the sounds of their cries were coming.

-Crunch! 

-Screech! 

The reindeer scraped the ground with their hooves and snorted.

Seeing them already in a battle stance made me sigh.

‘Tsk. Do I even stand a chance?’

The Wendigo wasn’t called one of the top three monsters for nothing.

I had already witnessed its strength.

Camilla and I had to join forces to take one down.

But now, I was alone.

And it was obvious there were more than just one or two Wendigos.

Given that this place was even called a ‘sanctuary,’ there could be dozens, if not over a hundred.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it impossible.

…However.

‘That doesn’t mean it can’t be done.’

I trust the status window quite a bit.

Despite everything, it shows my current situation most objectively.

If it had been impossible,

[Warning]

[The dungeon difficulty is too high for your party’s level.]

[It is recommended to attempt it after further growth.]

Such a warning would have appeared.

But the system only provided me with information about this dungeon, without any warnings or alerts about dangers.

Thus, with great confidence,

I slowly took a step towards the eyes filled with hostility.

“Stop!”

It was a familiar voice.

The voice of the old man I had heard through telepathy just before entering the dungeon echoed underground.

Not only that, but the dense magic mixed in with the voice was the same as the one that had drawn me here.

“Do not act rashly.”

-Crunch!

“Tsk. The zeal of the young has always been troublesome. It’s problematic if you can’t even recognize a distinguished guest. Calm down and return.”

After a brief struggle,

The owner of the voice appeared from a corner where warmth and light shone.

Thud, thud.

The footsteps were heavy.

He was twice as tall and bulky as any Wendigo I had encountered.

His horns were split in multiple branches, appearing almost metaphysical.

His fangs were completely hidden by his curled lips.

“Welcome, one who has met the qualifications.”

No need to ponder further.

His appearance alone, and the fact that he could speak, made it easy to guess that he was the leader of the Wendigos.

And to support my speculation,

[BOSS]

[Seeker of Shadow]

The status window displayed a title that I hadn’t seen with any other Wendigo.

A noble Doppelganger.

Another intelligent Doppelganger, following the ‘Deceiving Ground Spider,’ had appeared.

“Follow me. This will be a long story.”

The wrinkles on the reindeer’s face twitched.

…Hmph.

I slowly released the grip of my tightly clenched fist.

It was a day I realized that a smiling face didn’t suit beasts very well.

***

Should I call it a Wendigo village?

The inside was not much different from a human settlement.

Living spaces supported by sturdy conifer logs.

A group of Wendigos dancing around a bonfire.

From a distance, it looked like a scene from a fairytale reindeer village.

Strictly speaking, such a peaceful sight was far from the monsters I knew.

Maybe if they were human.

“Does it look similar to humans?”

The massive bipedal reindeer guiding me observed them and casually said that.

“This is unimaginable in the Evildon Empire. There, our kind are treated worse than animals.”

There was a faint hint of sorrow in his old voice.

But.

“Are you trying to evoke sympathy?”

“Oh, you seem to have no interest.”

“I don’t care what hardships your race has faced.”

That was the reality.

[Failure Penalty]

[Permanent loss of the symbol of the Doppelganger King, ‘Shadow.’]

Why did I seek them out?

Simply because they would aid my growth.

There was no chance of developing some deep bond or anything like that.

There was no reason or intention to fall for some common emotional manipulation.

“Then let’s get to the point. Enough with these past stories from history books. I understand you’re facing a crisis you can’t reveal to others.”

What I wanted was a simple deal.

To solve the troubles indicated in the status window,

And receive Shadow’s relic in return.

-Smirk.

With that, the Wendigo revealed its tightly hidden fangs in a smile.

“As the esteemed guest mentioned, we Wendigos are currently facing a great crisis.”

“Tell me, and I’ll resolve it.”

“How reliable. However, every matter has its procedures. The coronation is no different.”

Coronation.

I frowned at the strange word that came out of his mouth.

This was an unheard-of setting in the original story.

‘A coronation… isn’t that an event to enthrone a ruler? Why mention it now?’

Surely this leader isn’t planning to declare himself king… no, that doesn’t seem right.

Besides, if a coronation means there will be a king,

‘Then what about the king’s relic? What about my reward?’

I had no idea.

There was too little information to make a judgment.

So, I asked the only person who could give me the answer.

“Coronation. How is that related to your crisis?”

“It has a very significant meaning. The absence of a king for a race.”

As if choosing his words,

He closed his eyes and scratched his horns against the ceiling of the cave.

“Except for some nobles, there is a degeneration of intelligence, cannibalistic madness, a lack of reproductive drive…”

“What are you suddenly talking about?”

“These are the consequences of the vacancy of our king.”

His gaze turned back to the Wendigos.

“Humans probably know too. Occasionally, some of our kin escape my control.”

Though his words seemed random, I had a feeling I understood something and listened closely.

Wendigos, usually calm but causing trouble at intervals of several years.

It aligned perfectly with Yegor’s explanation.

“The Doppelgangers have lived too long without a king. But now, that dark era will come to an end!”

However,

At that moment, the leader suddenly turned towards me.

‘What’s with those eyes?’

There was a sense of déjà vu in his face.

Not a fanatic, no.

Having seen the members of the Disaster Cult, he seemed even more severe than them.

The flames that had been slowly dying were suddenly burning fiercely.

The previous gentle atmosphere was gone, replaced by eyes filled with joy and obsession, scrutinizing me.

“The one worthy of becoming our king has arrived here!”

“…Is that me?”

When he pointed at me, he nodded his head and horns up and down frighteningly fast.

“This place does not open to those unqualified! Moreover, with that mysterious quality I cannot even fathom, you are truly a candidate for kingship!”

And my thought about that was,

‘Maybe all the Doppelgangers are idiots.’

At this rate, it’s like grabbing someone on the street and demanding, ‘Are you our king?!’

Though I thought it was a bit different, this guy was under the same misunderstanding as the ‘Deceiving Ground Spider.’

The difference was…

“At least you’re better than someone trying to kill me and take my place.”

“Haha. Foolishness almost caused great trouble.”

He continued with a deeply furrowed brow on his reindeer’s face.

“The trial to become king doesn’t end with just that. If there was such a person, I apologize.”

His waist bowed at a 90-degree angle.

It seemed he had now completely decided I was the one to ascend to the throne.

Well, such a misunderstanding was welcome to me.

I could acquire the relic without much difficulty.

I had been wondering how to persuade and move the Wendigos, and this was perfect.

“So, will the coronation solve the issue?”

“It won’t be immediate, but gradually over time, it will get better. It might take decades, no, even centuries.”

‘I’ll grow old and die before that happens!’

I buried that honest thought deep in my heart.

“Then let’s hurry up and get this coronation over with. I’m a busy man.”

After all, they were the ones asking for help.

To maintain an advantage in the deal, I couldn’t drop this high-handed attitude.

“Understood, human guest.”

But my calm demeanor and assumptions were shattered by his next words.

“…What?”

I was extremely confused.

To the point where I made the basic mistake of revealing my bewilderment during a negotiation.

‘So he didn’t mistake me for a Doppelganger?’

His eyes, full of conviction, scanned me before he opened his mouth full of fangs.

“You seem surprised.”

“So you knew I was human.”

Time for a change of tactics.

Since I’d been found out, I’d play it brazenly.

Seeing how he seemed somewhat favorably inclined, it was better to ask directly to resolve my doubts.

“Of course. Although, when we first met, I couldn’t read your emotions, so I was confused.”

“Since when did you notice?”

“Since when, you ask…”

He brought his hand, or rather, his hoof, to his chin as if trying to recall.

“If I had to pinpoint, it would be when I left the Evildon Empire. I heard a prophecy from my parents.”

-The Doppelganger king is not a Doppelganger.

-Find the human who will be king and leave this place.

That shocking statement left my mouth hanging open.

“As far as I know, the king representing a demon race is always from that race.”

It was the same in the game.

The True Dragon as Levain’s king, and even the puppets Vlad and Diamond were a Vampire and a Gargoyle, respectively.

“I understand that as well. But what do the affairs of other races have to do with us? I simply follow the prophecy and my mission.”

Mana gathered in the hoof he had lifted from his chin, revealing a black gem.

“This is….”

“The shadow crystal. It is the treasure symbolizing our king, Shadow.”

The shadow crystal trembled.

Then it slowly floated toward me, as if recognizing the king.

However, its journey was abruptly halted by a force.

“The coronation is simple.”

The Wendigo leader, gripping the gem, flashed his eyes.

“Convince me. Show me you are a trustworthy king.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Fight me.”

…So it’s not just any dungeon.

A one-on-one with the boss.

The joy that had inflated with the prospect of an easy task deflated instantly.

As I grumbled in disappointment,

“How are you any different from the one who tried to usurp the throne?”

“Fundamentally different. It’s not usurpation, it’s a test.”

The reindeer bowed politely again.

His words sounded plausible.

If it weren’t for the subtle thorns in his sincere tone and the mana that began to move around him.

“Fine. I’ll play along with your wishes.”

Strengthening royal authority often involved suppressing rebellious vassals.

Crushing defiant nobles was, perhaps, a law of nature.

Watching the massive horns I had to tilt my head back to see,

I grabbed my cherished weapons in both hands.

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