Chapter 101

Maya fixatedly stared at Seojin with a stern gaze and asked,

"How the hell did you do it?"

Her serious expression made him feel like she was criticizing him somehow.

"You're acting like I'm some sort of criminal."

"No, not at all. I'm just curious about how you managed it. Is it one of your skills, sir?"

"That's right."

"So, the monsters are taking your orders to find the oasis?"

"Correct."

"That's impossible!" Maya exclaimed, shocked.

It was true that some monsters could be reasoned with, as they were intelligent or even had access to magic, but that was not the case in Shahav.

"They're no better than beasts! I bet they don't even understand the concept of water since they don't even need it."

"But they heard me."

"That's what I can't understand. Don't tell me you can increase their intelligence, because that makes even less sense…"

"But I did."

"…."

"It doesn't last long, though. And while they might not know what water is, they know what being wet is. That's enough to find an oasis."

"Did you talk with them or something?"

Maya was being sarcastic as she couldn't wholeheartedly accept the facts laid out before her, but Seojin answered seriously.

"Yes, it was all a bit clumsy though."

"What? No, I was… uh… are you serious?"

Maya's insight had never failed her once in her entire life, and it was telling her that Seojin was being honest.

He was telling the truth. This adventurer had really talked to the monsters, ordered them to find an oasis, and even boosted their intelligence when needed.

"…It doesn't make sense. Only adventurers who use the Power of Darkness can do that. Not just any ordinary adventurer… so, you could never…"

"Well, surprise! Never say never."

Seojin shrugged his shoulders with his arms extended. Maya was now gritting her teeth.

"You've already seen it once, haven't you? Why are you so dramatic about it?"

"You said that it wasn't mind control! I thought you were stimulating the monster's belligerence, or making them see you as their ally! I didn't expect that you could give them such detailed instructions…'

"Wait, before that…"

Seojin changed the subject, looking into Maya's eyes which even had tears welling up in them.

"Can't I do that?"

"… What?"

"I didn't use mind control, but shouldn't I be able to? Was it written in our contract?"

"No, it's not that you can't…"

"What's your problem then?"

Maya trailed off, knowing that Seojin was only using his skills to the fullest, nothing other than that.

"By the way, I found another clue. Why don't you listen to it and head back? Or are you planning to keep up this pointless conversation?"

"…What clue?"

"About who you really are. I think it's pretty reliable too. I found it in the desert… so, what do you want me to do with it?"

Maya was now filled with fear, wondering what exactly he had found. She could easily overpower this guy with a snap of her fingers, yet he was gradually uncovering Maya's disguise and her secrets.

"I'll listen before heading back."

"Alright, it's not that big of a deal anyway."

And with that, Seojin dropped a nuclear bomb on Maya, who gulped in response.

"Ush-Gat Rsu. Gashu. Srugs."

"… !"

"Ush-Gat Rsu. Gashu. Srugs."

Maya knew that by doing so, she was basically admitting it, but she couldn't control her expression as she opened her eyes wide in panic.

"H-how… ?"

"Eternal sleep, tombstone, exploration. That's what it means, right? I'm not perfect at it yet."

Whether he was perfect or not didn't matter at all; what Seojin said was clearly Ancient Elvish! But how the hell…?

"So, where did you learn this…?"

"I found a stone tablet."

"A stone tablet…? You read it…?"

"I read it, analyzed it, and studied it. I didn't wanna miss any clues."

"In such a short space of time? !"

Maya's jaw dropped in shock. She opened and closed her mouth several times, but no meaningful sound came out.

"Most people can't just learn a language that quickly… is that why you're so surprised?"

"Yes," he replied. "It's a nice talent to have, being able to pick up languages so quickly. It's Ancient Elvish, right?"

"Yes, it's still used now, but mostly as a written language."

Maya finally calmed down and tried to act like she was just impressed by his linguistic achievement, but it was clear that she was still in shock.

"You're an elf, aren't you?"

"No, I…"

"Oh, one more thing. The tablet told me that the Sleeping Desert used to be a forest - the vastest forest in Salevania."

With that, Maya was left overwhelmed and helpless. Trying to make sense of the wild situation was proving to be too much for her, both mentally and emotionally.

'What the heck is going on?'

The man was no different from any other adventurer who drifted into the desert. Nevertheless, he was different - he could manipulate monsters as if they were puppets, he was able to defeat the strongest warrior of the desert, and he even uncovered the secret of the Guardians of Balance.

'And now the Elvish…'

"It doesn't make any sense."

Maya's wide eyes shifted toward Seojin in disbelief, but that wasn't the end of things.

"Did you stop the monster that breaks the balance?"

"…"

"You even gave up living in the forest and stayed in this desolate land for hundreds of years to protect the seal?"

That was the biggest secret Maya had been struggling to keep hidden, and the sole reason she wanted to win their bet.

"Can you… read my mind?"

She knew it was a ridiculous question, yet couldn't help but ask.

"No way. I just made a speculation based on the things I found out. You didn't even make a slip of the tongue… wait."

Seojin received word from Flappy, telling him that the monsters were moving to the next zone.

-Monsters moving.

-Oh thanks, anything special?

-Unfortunately, no.

He drew an X on a grid and looked back at Maya again.

"Shall we carry on?"

"What did you just do?" Maya asked.

"I'm marking where there's no water on the map."

"…You confirmed it from this distance? Sir, no, you… are you really even an adventurer?"

"What else could I be?"

"I've never seen a human like you. I've seen strong ones, but none quite like you…"

"We're in Shahav, after all. Not many adventurers choose to come here. My kind of people are all over the continent."

"Are you even human?" Maya asked.

"One hundred percent," Seojin replied, "are you an elf?"

Maya sighed and rubbed her forehead as if to admit defeat.

"You knew all along, didn't you? You knew from the start."

"I had no idea."

"No, you did. You just pretended that you didn't, just to mock us and enjoy our reaction…"

"Don't be ridiculous, ah, I'm so sick of being misunderstood all the time since arriving in Shahav. I just happened to find a clue and I analyzed it, Maya."

"Don't lie to me!" she shouted, her voice full of anger and tears in her eyes.

The secret she had kept for so long had been exposed by this detestable adventurer, and she couldn't do anything about it.

"That's how your kind always is," she said, her voice trembling with emotion.

"You never seem to realize how important it is, and you even try to step up when facing such a crisis."

"I will step up," Seojin said firmly.

"Do you think I don't know your true nature? Our world is just a playground for your kind. You may be able to trick others, but we know!"

"… Hmm."

It was a little surprising that Maya had figured out the relationship between NPCs and players.

"Your kind is never serious, never standing by their true heart, only interested in things that please them. You don't even spare a glance for people who have nothing to offer you. How dare you call yourself the same kind of human being?"

'Oh, so that's what she meant?' Seojin thought to himself.

Maya's statement about adventurers' attitude was true and couldn't be denied.

'It's up to people to choose how they play games, but NPCs in the game can't agree on that. It's no wonder Maya was so disappointed.'

What surprised Seojin was how strongly Maya reacted. The other NPCs weren't like that, even the townsfolk in Berne said they didn't believe in adventurers but didn't think adventurers were treating their world like a plaything. What was even more surprising was that Seojin hadn't detected any hostility from her so far; she had been hiding it well.

'Maybe it's thanks to her strong will not to leak the secret she was guarding, hmm.'

Now, Maya was shaking her clenched fists. Seojin wet his lips and spoke apologetically.

"I can't blame you for thinking so."

It was understandable that anyone in her position would develop the same prejudice. He didn't want to risk pushing any further and meeting a backlash from her.

"It's hard to use my skills when the level difference is so big…"

Maya's insightcould also counter Seojin's lies completely.

"I really hate adventurers."

"I'm sorry."

"I hate their irresponsible manner, and… no, the thing I hate most is that your kind don't die."

"Well, it's a great relief for me," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

"I'm telling you… ." Maya bit her tiny lips hard. Despite her young appearance, she had several hundred years of experience in her head.

"I wish at least I wasn't cursed by knowledge."

Then she wouldn't need to feel despair, knowing that killing this adventurer wouldn't change anything.

"At least I'd be able to release my anger on you then, even if that meant one of us had to perish."

"Wouldn't it be best if both of us stayed alive and well?"

Maya glared at Seojin; her eyes filled with a range of emotions. Nevertheless, Seojin didn't shy away.

"Are all elves like you?"

"Not at all."

"Humans are the same. Maybe even more so. Diversity is one of our greatest strengths."

"So, you think you're different?" Maya laughed.

"Many humans have said the same thing. That they are special. That they're not like other humans, that they're great."

Maya remembered how everyone acted after the war. All the elves were still there, but the humans…

"They always seem to choose the same outcome."

"It's not an outcome until it's over."

"It's over."

"Maya, the humans that you encountered may have been like that, but I haven't finished my bet with you yet, have I?"

"You're going to prove it with results? That you're special?"

"Well…"

Seojin smiled, unsure of what to do.

"I think it would be best to talk after I show you results. For both of us. I don't think I can convince you now, and neither do you."

Maya remained silent for a long time, then turned around, leaving him with three words.

"Humans never change."

"That's right," Seojin replied without looking back.

"What matters is what kind of human you are."