RD | Chapter 8

Of course, Ian wasn’t approaching people because he wanted to build friendships with them.

‘I need useful characters.’

The things he was planning to do required physical labor, so the more people who could exert strength, the better.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“What’s your name?”

“Huh?”

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Ding!
[Character]
‘Pitiful’ Hans

‘You’re not needed.’

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“What about you, what’s your name?”

“Farmer.”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Ding!
[Character]
‘Drunkard’ Farmer

‘You’re not needed either.’

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

After walking around for a while, the people who had been downcast were now staring at Ian as if he were something strange.

‘What is he trying to do now?’

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

Ian ignored their gazes and called over the cheerful farmer, Peter.

“Peter. Come here.”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Huh? Me?”

‘The only useful one is him.’

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“You need to come too.”

He called over Sema as well.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

“Ah! Me too?”

Sema wasn’t particularly good at physical tasks, but he had <Liquid Property Manipulation> magic. If used properly, it could improve work efficiency.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

‘The problem is… with his success rate, I’m not sure if it’ll actually improve efficiency…’

Ian rubbed his forehead.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

There was no other option. If this plan succeeded, the characters involved would gain experience points, but Ian had no other heroes to level up. Even Sema needed to be trained. At least he listened well.

Sema, who didn’t understand why he was chosen, was filled with enthusiasm.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

His new master must be a clever person. He wouldn’t ask him to do useless things. The fact that he was considered a necessary part of the task made him happy. He had always been the useless one until now.

But the direction they were heading in was strange. They were entering a deeper cave, far beyond where the priest had been knocked out… no, put to sleep.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Lord Ian, Lord Ian. Where are we going?”

“Underground.”

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

“Ah, I see. But why are we going underground?”

“Because the Demon Archduke will be coming soon.”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Oh, I see. Wait, what?!”

Peter was shocked as well.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Are we running away? If we’re running away, we need to go outside, right? But it feels wrong to just abandon everyone and run… we should at least give them a warning…”

“Where are we supposed to run with the Demon Archduke coming? Shouldn’t we be preparing for it? Ah, I get it! We’re hiding deeper in the cave!”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“No, not that.”

Ian felt the walls. Other areas were fine, but in a certain spot, his stamina began draining rapidly.

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

Ding!
[You’ve been exposed to demonic energy beyond your tolerance. Your health is decreasing.]

Ding!
[Continuous exposure to demonic energy will curse you.]

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

‘I found it.’

Ian hadn’t invested any of the experience points he gained from clearing the tutorial yet. He was planning to use them now.

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

‘Invest all experience points.’

Ding!

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

[Skill has leveled up.]

[Purification: LV.2]
[Purification: LV.3]
[Purification: LV.4]

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

The sound of Ding! Ding! kept ringing as the <Purification> skill leveled up.

Ian’s tutorial route wasn’t originally designed to be a perfect victory. Back when he was a newbie, he often cleared the tutorial by either achieving half-success or by avoiding it altogether.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The Warrikka Tribe was too strong for beginners to handle.

But Ian had wiped them out and captured prisoners, so there was no way he wasn’t getting a lot of experience points. He poured all those experience points into the <Purification> skill.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

It paid off as <Purification> reached level 4.

‘<Purification> is usually useful in the late game…’

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

The skill was meant to be used against high-level demons, which appear in the later stages of the game.

To defeat high-level demons, you need to be able to approach them, but demons usually coat themselves in demonic energy like armor, so humans with low resistance can’t even get close. Before reaching high-level zones, they’d collapse from curses and other debuffs.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

<Purification> was the skill to remove that demonic energy. It weakens demons’ demonic energy, clears curses, and can turn the undead. But demons, curses, and undead are all found late in the game.

Unless the game developers had lost their minds, they wouldn’t release dragons in the low-level zones. But these developers were crazy.

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

‘They’re throwing a Demon Archduke at me as a reward for clearing the tutorial?’

And not just any demon, but one of the four Demon Archdukes of the continent.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

To face that, Ian had to release something similar. Maybe a dragon living beneath the cave…

‘These developers are really out of their minds.’

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Ian cursed under his breath as he gave instructions to Peter.

“Dig here.”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Huh?”

“Dig. We need to go underground. Like a tunnel.”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Peter took out a tool and hesitantly asked. “How deep are we going underground?”

“To the end of this cave.”

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Where is that…?” This time, Sema asked.

Ian couldn’t understand why they were asking so many questions.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

‘In the game, I would just give an order and they’d follow.’

Anyway, since their faces looked like they wouldn’t dig without an answer, Ian spoke up.

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

“Didn’t you feel something strange when we came in? This cave is way too big.”

“Well, I thought it was big, but caves can be that big, right?”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Usually, yes. How far do you think we’ve come in?”

“Uh…”

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

Sema rolled his eyes. Ian didn’t give him time to think.

“We’ve come pretty deep. A cave like this couldn’t have formed naturally.”

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

“You’re saying someone made this cave?” Sema’s eyes widened.

“Yeah. And usually, big caves have an owner.”

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

Of course, both of them knew this.

‘But there’s no owner here.’

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

Instead, there’s a dragon buried beneath the cave.

Ian didn’t know why it ended up this way. Maybe it was just the developer messing with the players?

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“If a cave like this was sold… its owner must be huge, right? Or maybe a crazy wizard…”

Sema stammered, though he himself was a wizard.

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

In truth, only a giant monster or a mad wizard would make a hideout in such a big cave. Farmer Peter gulped.

“Do you think the owner of the cave will spare us? I’m not sure if it’s safe…”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Of course, it’s dangerous. So dig safely. We need to do it without being noticed.”

“How do we dig without being noticed?”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Carefully. If we get caught, we die. But if we dig too late, we’ll die anyway—caught by the demons chasing us.” Sema’s eyes widened.

“……”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“But Lord Ian, how do you know the demons are chasing us? It’s not that I doubt you, but demons aren’t that common, and I haven’t felt anything…” Their faces turned pale. Suddenly, Sema asked.

Demons are different from regular monsters. They’re a higher level, capable of controlling all lower monsters like beasts.

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

‘Sharp.’

Ian quickly thought of an excuse. He couldn’t just say “I saw it in the game.”

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

“Sir Keith is here.”

“And…?”

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

“Do you think a knight of that level would really come to save us? How many people are requesting help from the Papal States? It’s not like they have time to spare. Obviously, there must be another reason for his visit.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Sema was convinced. Peter nodded, still with a “Is that so?” expression.

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

‘Keith would jump into any rescue mission, sure.’

“Only something like demon hunting would make the Papal States send someone like Sir Keith, right?” Ian said without blinking.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“I see…!”

Both of them were convinced.

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

Ian nodded in approval.

“It’s obvious that demons are nearby. And we’re rolling around in monster carcasses and then coming back to the cave. We must be smelling monsters and human blood. If you were a demon, wouldn’t you want to chase after us?”

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

“Yeah, I think so! What should we do?! We’re in big trouble!”

“I’ll dig faster!”

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

Peter planted the shovel into the ground and started digging with all his might.

“I’ll call the others! If they hear this, they’ll all help clear the path!”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Do you want to tell the people that they are all ready to die about this? Are you going to push them into hanging themselves?”

“Ah….”

Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com

Sema groaned. He understood the mood of the people. As a useless mage at the magic tower, he had often mingled with workers rather than mages.

Ian’s people weren’t soldiers. They were former servants who had been turned into “soldiers” because the king was short on troops.

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

So, they were originally workers. Just a little sturdier.

‘They’re not troops, they’re ragtag refugees,’ Ian’s assessment was spot on.

For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“But we can’t dig this path with just our strength, can we?” Sema kicked the ground.

“That’s why you need to step up.” Ian nodded.

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Huh? Me?”

“Yeah. Use your <Liquid Property Manipulation> magic on the ground.”

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“On the ground… how? This isn’t water.”

“What falls from the ceiling? Water. The earth holds moisture too.”

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

“……”

Ian opened Sema’s status window.

Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish

Then, he invested all of Sema’s level-up experience into one skill.

Ding!
[Liquid Property Manipulation: LV.3]

Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text

Ding!
[Liquid Property Manipulation: LV.4]