Overpowered Reincarnation Perks! - Chapter 1.3
“Understood, Ju-in.”
Being called just ‘Ju-in’, without any suffix, is also awkward.
But judging by Callion’s name, people here probably use nicknames but don’t think of adding anything after the name.
If the name is Amy, they’d call her Amy, not Amy-ya.
‘Amy-ya, the soup is too salty…!’
Swallowing the joke that would have earned me a glare if I’d said it out loud, I smiled awkwardly.
T/n: In Korean, adding “-ya” (야) to names is common for informal address, but the character notes this isn’t used in the new world. The joke “Amy-ya, the soup is too salty…!” combines this Korean speech pattern with a mundane complaint, creating a humorous contrast between the fantasy setting and everyday Korean speech. The character finds this mental mismatch amusing but keeps it to herself to avoid confusion.
The form of address is a bit awkward, but I didn’t feel the need to correct it.
I’m past the age where I’d want to correct a stranger for calling my name a bit strangely.
“I’m in your care, Callion.”
Callion quietly lowered his eyes.
His slightly softened expression almost looked like a smile.
He was as quiet as a winter mountain.
His snow-white hair flowed down smoothly without a single tangle, and his clear blue eyes, set in a flawless, fair face, shone as vividly as if life had been breathed into a statue.
Thanks to the firm jaw and masculine neckline visible below his well-shaped lips, he didn’t give off any sense of weakness.
“Beyond there is the habitat of magical beasts. This isn’t their main activity area, but occasionally, beasts that have strayed from their groups wander nearby.”
Callion said he was a magical beast hunter.
His appearance was so holy that I thought he might be some kind of holy knight bearing the name of a god to fight against magical beasts, but he said he was a wanderer without any fixed affiliation.
“What kind of monsters are magical beasts? Are they different from animals?”
Thanks to the groundwork I’d laid about losing my previous memories due to the shock of collapsing, Callion didn’t find it strange that I knew nothing about magical beasts.
I’m not sure if he’s naturally trusting, or if I just look so much like a Lv.1 novice that he judged me as non-threatening.
“They are immortal beings that move using core stones. They usually wander the mountains without eating or sleeping, but when they spot humans, they suddenly change and rush to devour them.”
“…Only humans? Don’t they prey on other animals?”
“Magical beasts don’t reproduce, so they don’t need to eat.”
“If they don’t die from not eating, why do they devour humans?”
Callion seemed to ponder a bit. As if he felt reluctant to convey information he himself didn’t understand.
“They say it’s because they like humans.”
“…”
If they like them, why eat them? Is this that? Like saying you love chicken so much you want to chomp it down? Is that what they mean by ‘like’?
I was dumbfounded, but there was no point in pressing Callion for an explanation he couldn’t provide. I decided to change the subject.
“So, has Callion been living in the mountains all this time?”
“No. After hunting magical beasts, I resupply at nearby villages and then move to other locations.”
Hunting, not extermination. It seems they can’t completely eradicate the magical beasts.
Well, from what I’ve gathered, it appears there’s an abundance of magical beasts, and regardless of how much Callion resembles a divine knight favored by the gods, it would be utterly impossible for him to single-handedly vanquish a million… no, even a hundred thousand magical beasts.
“Don’t the mountain-dwelling magical beasts attack human villages?”
I see, so they’re monsters that can be defeated if we form a party. If ordinary villagers can band together to catch them, they’re probably not boss monsters.
“If possible, I’d like to escort you to the safest ‘castle’…”
Castle?
“But as I’m not allowed to enter the castle, I’m afraid I can’t accompany you inside.”
“Oh, no. That’s fine. Just guiding me to the village is already a huge help.”
It’s a relief that I don’t have to worry about starving to death in the mountains. And I’m less likely to die a violent death from encountering magical beasts.
I chewed on the jerky Callion handed me and drank some water. Callion had a small bag attached to his waist, and despite being only as big as a palm, it seemed to contain not only plenty of preserved food but also tools needed for camping in the mountains and even clothes to change into.
‘Is it like an inventory?’
I wasn’t too surprised, as I had already considered the possibility of this being inside a game since the system window appeared. It’s probably enchanted with some kind of compression magic or something.
“We should find a place to stay before it gets dark. Can you walk?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Although my legs were sore from hiking after so long, it wasn’t the time to complain when magical beasts might appear. I diligently followed Callion. He moved slowly to match my pace, occasionally looking back to check if I was keeping up.
It was visible that he wanted to grab my hand and guide me, but he hesitated and lowered his raised hand.
My pace isn’t particularly slow, but it must seem frustrating to Callion. I can’t become a burden right after forming a party. I took a deep breath and looked around enthusiastically.
“Callion. I see a cave over there, don’t you?”
“Yes. It would be good if we could rest there.”
If we could rest?
“There’s a possibility of magical beasts nearby. We need to check inside.”
Ah. I see.
Callion went ahead to check inside the cave, and after confirming that there was no sign of magical beasts, he signaled that it was safe for me to enter.
The cave was quite spacious and pleasant. It seemed quite deep inside, but as Callion said, it didn’t seem like anything was living there. Actually, I was more worried about snakes or insects than magical beasts, but fortunately, there was no sign of any life form other than humans inside the cave.
Hurray for a bug-free bedroom.
“Hide yourself here, Ju-in.”
“What about you, Callion?”
“I’ll scout the surrounding area. It won’t take long.”
Callion spoke slowly and politely, as if trying to reassure me.
For a very brief moment, a feeling of anxiety that he might abandon me flashed through my mind.
But if I was a bother, he would have left me from the start. I decided to trust Callion.
“Okay. I’ll wait here. Please be careful.”
“Yes, Ju-in.”
Callion left the cave, leaped over a boulder, and soon disappeared from sight.
It was amazing how he moved so lightly, seemingly unencumbered by the heavy-looking armor he wore.
Perhaps because his entire body was white, he looked just like a snowflake dancing on ice.
I watched the entrance where Callion had disappeared for a while, then turned my head and curled up.
Callion told me to hide in the cave, right? So I should obediently hide, of course.
‘Don’t take a single step out, just stay put here like you’re dead.’
Isn’t it the standard in genre fiction for someone to disobey orders to stay put, venture out, and end up in trouble? I had absolutely no intention of becoming an annoying, troublesome character that would frustrate readers.
So I’ll endure. Until Callion returns!
However, despite my ambitious plan, the damn system window popped up without any consideration.
[We don’t like lazy heroes!]
You’ve spent too much time in the shelter.
In 15 seconds, the shelter will collapse.
Time remaining until burial: 15 seconds
Are you kidding me?
You just can’t stand to see someone comfortable, can you?
Sure enough, I heard something collapsing with a rumbling sound from the far end of the cave. If I stay here any longer, the only outcome will be being crushed to death under the collapsed debris or suffocating.
Only then could I understand why so many troublesome characters in genre fiction acted the way they did.
It wasn’t because they had a grudge against readers and wanted to frustrate them, but because they had no choice, just like me now.
