Chapter 42

Chapter 4 Eyelids (15)

***

Tobrun was a city located just a day's journey due north of the capital, Kingsland, practically attached to it.

It was similar to the makeshift forward bases hastily constructed 70 years ago during World 2 to try and stop the undead from advancing into the capital.

"Huh, I heard that Tobrun had changed in World 3…"

The professor couldn't close his mouth at the spectacle of opulence before him.

The city walls, with their magic arrays activated in several layers, were slightly lower but still visibly dangerous. The technology to meticulously inscribe magic arrays and inlay materials that serve as the source of magical power on them was something only dwarves could achieve. These magic arrays were seamlessly integrated into the entire city wall, and it was hard to imagine the amount of craftsmanship that went into the catapults and towers.

'No, what could have happened in 70 years to transform Tobrun, which was practically a large trench, into this?'

He had heard a rough outline from the community. "Be careful of the prices in Tobrun," "The city has changed a lot since the mage tower was built," "Buildings are sprouting up like corn," and so on. When he saw the map, he imagined Tobrun as a rapidly developing refugee camp, filled with houses, because it used to be a barren hill. When I played, it was a pitiful city trying to turn shantytowns into farmland. If I were assigned as the lord here, I would have considered it a demotion.

Well, the plan is already off to a bad start. Climbing over the city walls is out of the question, right?

As he looked around for a place to sneak in, he noticed a bird that had flown near the wall turn into a roasted chicken in real-time due to the electric sparks and flames. The soldiers caught it with ease, as if they were used to it. It was obvious that if he clung to the wall, he would end up like that roasted chicken.

"So, I can only enter through the main gate…"

The professor looked at his own body.

A blood-soaked noble ceremonial outfit, barely distinguishable from rags.

Disheveled beard and hair.

A towering, intimidating figure over two meters tall.

Gleaming red skin.

Red eyes.

- Jokass: If someone like that is walking around, the guards who don't capture him should be executed for dereliction of duty.

- takealook: Exactly. It's not just suspicious; it's a different species, a different kind. Even if you look at it kindly, it's a half-troll. If I were there, I would have thrown him into the torture chamber as soon as I saw him.

No, what could have happened in 70 years to transform Tobrun, which was practically a large trench, into this?

He had heard a rough outline from the community. "Be careful of the prices in Tobrun," "The city has changed a lot since the mage tower was built," "Buildings are sprouting up like corn," and so on. When he saw the map, he imagined Tobrun as a rapidly developing refugee camp, filled with houses, because it used to be a barren hill. When I played, it was a pitiful city trying to turn shantytowns into farmland. If I were assigned as the lord here, I would have considered it a demotion.

Well, the plan is already off to a bad start. Climbing over the city walls is out of the question, right?

As he looked around for a place to sneak in, he noticed a bird that had flown near the wall turn into a roasted chicken in real-time due to the electric sparks and flames. The soldiers caught it with ease, as if they were used to it. It was obvious that if he clung to the wall, he would end up like that roasted chicken.

"So, I can only enter through the main gate…"

The professor looked at his own body.

A blood-soaked noble ceremonial outfit, barely distinguishable from rags.

Disheveled beard and hair.

A towering, intimidating figure over two meters tall.

Gleaming red skin.

Red eyes.

- Jokass: If someone like that is walking around, the guards who don't capture him should be executed for dereliction of duty.

- takealook: Exactly. It's not just suspicious; it's a different species, a different kind. Even if you look at it kindly, it's a half-troll. If I were there, I would have thrown him into the torture chamber as soon as I saw him.

- Jokass: ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ

- takealook: That's a solution I never would have thought of ㄷㄷㄷㄷ

- NoruDrug: But wouldn't torture be quite painful? Even if you have a pain reduction trait, the pain of broken bones and torn flesh doesn't just disappear, right? Or has the professor finally started to enjoy pain as pleasure?

"Um, no... I guess you could say I'm used to pain without fear."

It still hurts. It hurts so much that it feels like dying, but there's something about it. When you get stabbed in the stomach, the pain and the thought of 'I'm going to die' make your whole body go limp. Deep wounds always come with the fear of loss. But after experiencing so many limb-severing injuries, that fear is gone. The pain is still there, but it quickly disappears as the regeneration kicks in. So, it's not masochism. Absolutely not.

"Anyway, a little torture won't even make me flinch, so let's just go in."

With that decision, the professor emerged from the bushes and started walking confidently toward the main gate.

***

Thud-

Swoosh!

Thud-

"Ah!"

In front of the city gate, a long line of people waited for the intense identity checks.

"That, that thing! It has light in its eyes!"

"It's a monster!"

"It's a Mute!"

Hmm~ Kind people. How did they all know to clear the way for someone with such a short temper like Koreans?

The professor, with each step he took, saw people part like the Red Sea, and he reached the temporary guard post in front of the city gate.

"Ugh, what is it! What's so noisy...!"

"Ha ha ha. I'm sorry. It seems this is all because of me..."

The professor smiled as innocently and intelligently as he could and greeted the guard.

"Nice to meet you. I'm a mercenary who escaped from Turan. Can I enter the city?"

***

Creak- Bang!

"You're in!"

"Ah!"

"You bastard! Do you think we're fools! Coming to Tobrun without fear! You'll stay in there until the mage arrives!"

"Ugh! Captain! Jackson hasn't regained consciousness yet!"

"Of course, that damned monster must have done something. Wait and see! I'll make sure to break that monster into hundreds of pieces and lift the curse, no matter what!"

'...I just smiled, that's all...'

He tried to act as human as possible, hoping people might see him that way. After all, this world has dwarves, elves, and even cat people and werewolves. Why couldn't there be someone like him?

So he took off his hood and smiled brightly, but the guard fainted on the spot. Sensing death, the guard used his last strength to ring the alarm bell. Then, the guards, who were on high alert, poured out and beat him up before tying him up and throwing him into the guard prison.

"Ugh, you really gave me a good beating. Regeneration will take 2 minutes..."

Monsters are truly monsters. Having all his bones broken didn't even faze him.

- Jokass: I bet he enjoys being hit.

- takealook: Maybe he was just trying to use the leather straps to slap himself.

- NoruDrug: Living alone in the wasteland can drive a person crazy. Maybe the professor is just twisted in this way.

"Stop it, just stop it!"

Clang Clang Clang!

"Monster! Shut up and stay quiet! The mage will be here soon!"

"Hey, Gary! Don't get close to the monster! It might use some trick!"

Time passed as the misunderstandings piled up.

***

Creak! Creak-

Clang Clang Clang!

"Hey, monster! Get up!"

"Ah, what? Um... What is it? Is it time to get up already?"

"Damn, you have it easy. Sleeping in the prison and all. But that leisure is about to end! Once the mage confirms you're a monster, I'll make sure you can't even close your eyes!"

"Ugh! Captain! Jackson hasn't regained consciousness yet!"

"Of course, that damned monster must have done something. Wait and see! I'll make sure to break that monster into hundreds of pieces and lift the curse, no matter what!"

'...I just smiled, that's all...'

He tried to act as human as possible, hoping people might see him that way. After all, this world has dwarves, elves, and even cat people and werewolves. Why couldn't there be someone like him?

So he took off his hood and smiled brightly, but the guard fainted on the spot. Sensing death, the guard used his last strength to ring the alarm bell. Then, the guards, who were on high alert, poured out and beat him up before tying him up and throwing him into the guard prison.

"Ugh, you really gave me a good beating. Regeneration will take 2 minutes..."

Monsters are truly monsters. Having all his bones broken didn't even faze him.

- Jokass: I bet he enjoys being hit.

- takealook: Maybe he was just trying to use the leather straps to slap himself.

- NoruDrug: Living alone in the wasteland can drive a person crazy. Maybe the professor is just twisted in this way.

"Stop it, just stop it!"

Clang Clang Clang!

"Monster! Shut up and stay quiet! The mage will be here soon!"

"Hey, Gary! Don't get close to the monster! It might use some trick!"

Time passed as the misunderstandings piled up.

***

Creak! Creak-

Clang Clang Clang!

"Hey, monster! Get up!"

"Ah, what? Um... What is it? Is it time to get up already?"

"Damn, you have it easy. Sleeping in the prison and all. But that leisure is about to end! Once the mage confirms you're a monster, I'll make sure you can't even close your eyes!"

The professor yawned and nodded half-heartedly at the guard's words.

'At least the city people aren't in complete panic. They just locked me up without any action, waiting for confirmation.'

"Sir, the mage! This way!"

"Hmm... Is this really a speaking Mute? Even a regular Mute could have easily broken these restraints, yet he was caught so easily..."

The guard's actions suggested that the person who just entered was the mage. However, the voice seemed oddly familiar.

A moment later, the mage revealed himself, and the familiar voice's identity became clear.

"This is..."

"Ah, it's been a while. We met a few times in the lab, didn't we?"

The mage, with snake-like eyes and a blue robe, was one of the enthusiastic participants in the experiments in the basement of the Mandalius estate.

'I thought that if a speaking Mute was caught, the mage, especially the one who studied Mutes, would definitely come.'

Sure enough, even though he had only been captured for about two hours, someone was sent from the notoriously slow mage tower.

"Is Isaac doing well? I'm a bit disappointed. After all, we saw everything there was to see in a month."

"....It's best not to say anything unnecessary. If you want to live."

"Scary! Someone might think you're eager to save me!"

The conversation was sharp. With no good feelings toward each other, there was no way they could speak kindly.

"Sir... Mage? Do you know anything about this monster's identity?"

"Monster... There seems to be a misunderstanding. This is not a monster. He just... changed his appearance a bit while cooperating with the mage tower. You can lower your guard."

The guard was greatly surprised to hear that the professor was not a monster. It was understandable, given that he had been treated as one and locked up in the prison in a city dominated by mages.

"R-right, I'll release him immediately!"

"....No, wait."

The snake-eyed mage smiled faintly at the bound professor.

"This man committed a serious crime against the mage tower and was forced into labor. It would be best to send him back to the Leadflow School of Magic Tower bound like this."

The professor, seething with anger, shouted at the mage.

"You bastards! You still think you can use me like this! Damn it! If it weren't for these ropes...!"

"The prisoner has a lot of ill will toward the mage tower and will likely lie. Send him to the tower as quickly as possible."

"Understood! I will do that!"

The snake-eyed mage, having given the order, knelt down to meet the professor's eyes.

"Surviving that hell. I'll admit, you have a strong will to live."

"Spit!"

The professor's phlegm hit the mage's face. The mage wiped the sticky saliva with his sleeve, his face now cold.

"Arrogant fool... We'll see in the tower. We'll dissect you to understand how you survived in Turan with such an unstable body and how you've maintained consciousness all this time."

"Ugh! I'll curse you! I'll curse you until you die!!!"

The mage, leaving the raging professor behind, had a brief conversation with the guard and slowly left the prison.

Even after the mage left, the professor, who was still raging, was watched by the guard, who seemed to understand something and sighed deeply. He then took a piece of bread from a cabinet and placed it on a plate, bringing it to the professor.

"I get it. You were marked by the mages, weren't you? Your terrifying appearance is all because of them."

Click-

The guard, who had been standing in front of the prison, continued with a bitter expression.

"This Tobrun looks well-built at first glance, but it's completely rotten inside. Everything in this city is under the control of the mage tower. The lord is just a figurehead. The city's defense relies entirely on magic arrays, and most economic activities depend on the waterways created by the tower. Merchants can't defy the mages. With the upper echelons controlled, we lower ranks have no choice but to follow to avoid being expelled from the city."

The guard, who was now sitting in front of the prison, was spilling out all his pent-up feelings. As a warden, Gary felt it was his duty. This terrifying man must have been a normal person once. Since he started working in the guard, most of the people who disappeared without reason in the city had traces leading to the mage tower. But every time he reported it, the orders from above were to burn the reports and ignore them. The upper ranks were intentionally turning a blind eye to the mage tower's dirty work.

This city is corrupt. And he was a guard in this corrupt city, a father of two children.

"I'm sorry. I... don't have the strength..."

Tap Tap.

Someone gently patted his shoulder, comforting him. Yes, at least someone understands my feelings.

"Sniff! Thank you. One day, I'll expose the corruption in this city... Huh?"

Wait a minute. There was no one else around except for him and the terrifying man. Then who...?

The warden, startled, turned his head and saw the professor, holding a piece of bread, standing awkwardly with his hand on the warden's shoulder.

"Thanks, but that's just how life is."

Crack!

"Choke!"

"Shh. Just take a little nap, conscientious warden."

The professor, having strangled the warden unconscious through the bars, swept the broken ropes aside and pulled the iron bars with both hands.

Creak! Groan! Creak!

"Great! Now I have freedom of movement and a perfect identity!"

The professor stuffed the remaining bread into his mouth and gathered his belongings from a corner of the prison.

"Now my identity is perfectly 'a criminal who escaped from prison.' Even the mage from the tower, who has known me for a long time, has certified that I'm not a Mute but a 'person' who has been cooperating with the tower."

That's right. This was what he had been planning from the moment he was captured.

'If a speaking Mute is caught, the mage, especially the one who studies Mutes, will definitely come. Since this is a city with the Leadflow School of Magic Tower, the mage must be one of the servants of the Mandalius estate.'

And now, the proof that 'this man is not a monster' had come from the mage's mouth, confirming his identity.

- HighWeinaChom: Wow, when did you think this far ahead?

"No, I thought that even if I entered the city normally, it would be hard to live a normal life with this body. So I thought, 'Who can vouch for my identity in this city?' and suddenly, the mage tower came to mind. They would take me there if they saw my face. Since they don't know how strong I've become, they would probably bring an old bathtub or something to carry me. Then, if I escape during the journey, I would gain the stable identity of an 'escapee.'"

As a guard, they would try to catch the 'collaborator' of the mage tower as quickly as possible. This would lead to wanted posters all over the city, and people would become familiar with the face of the 'escaped criminal (person)' rather than the 'monster professor.' Yes... if I do this—"

After gathering his belongings, the professor used the warden's dagger to carve "I am leaving to find life - Professor" on the desk.

"My name will be on the wanted posters. Then, people who know me will clear my name. It will be easier to find me."

As I chuckled and explained the current situation, the chat room reacted with disbelief