First of All, I’m Drinking - Chapter 63

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 63

 

“Hmm.”

 

As Irin said, the White Horse soaring through the sky was indeed in this vicinity.

 

But I couldn’t help but pay more attention to Tanya’s actions.

 

The sight of a hidden entrance being revealed by manipulating a few bricks meant that she had prior information about the monster.

 

Could this also be her family’s intelligence network?

 

If so, this exam was fundamentally skewed from the start. While proclaiming equality between nobility and commoners, you couldn’t even approach the prey without knowing the information beforehand.

 

“How did you know there was a monster’s lair here?”

 

I asked directly.

 

Tanya tilted her head.

 

“There are hints and codes about monster locations hidden throughout the labyrinth. Didn’t you guys find those and come here too?”

 

I frowned at Tanya’s words.

 

So there were hints hidden everywhere.

 

‘Bael seemed to know everything in advance.’

 

That must have been because Bael’s intelligence network was exceptional.

 

Well, I have no business with that guy who already failed anyway.

 

“Are we going to fight?”

 

Tanya asked, pointing her dagger at us.

 

“Of course!”

 

Irin shouted confidently and took her stance.

 

I blocked Irin’s front with my arm to stop her.

 

“We have no intention of fighting you.”

 

“Hey!”

 

“Let’s hunt the monster and split the points fairly. If you’re willing.”

 

“Are you scared? Did you get scared without even trying to fight?”

 

“Be quiet.”

 

I ignored Irin who was chattering away beside me.

 

No matter how I thought about it, confronting Tanya here would be a loss.

 

If she insisted on settling things, there would be no choice, but I wanted to avoid fighting if possible.

 

“…”

 

Fortunately, Tanya wasn’t particularly belligerent.

 

“…Alright, fine. I don’t particularly want to take unnecessary risks either.”

 

Tanya sheathed her sword.

 

“The ‘White Horse’ is quite a difficult monster to subjugate alone anyway. Having a party wouldn’t be bad.”

 

Tanya nodded toward the entrance.

 

“Let’s go in.”

 

Then she was the first to leap inside.

 

I was about to follow, but patted the shoulder of Irin, whose mouth was hanging open.

 

“Don’t think about doing anything dangerous, think about passing first.”

 

While I wouldn’t fail even if I fought Tanya, Irin might.

 

From what I could sense, Tanya and Irin seemed to be at similar combat levels.

 

If Irin failed, I would also be in a troublesome position having lost my guide.

 

“Tch, fine.”

 

Irin didn’t argue further.

 

Since she had said with her own mouth that she hoped to enroll to fight strong opponents, she could probably endure minor desires for the greater goal of passing.

 

“Let’s go in.”

 

We followed Tanya into the entrance.

 

A narrow passage stretched out long.

 

At the end of the passage, a wide chamber appeared.

 

Golden rays of light were pouring down from a round hole in the sky.

 

Below it, a horse with a white body was snorting and showing wariness.

 

It had a long horn on its forehead, and a pair of feathered wings sprouting from its back.

 

Its body was also a massive 10 meters tall.

 

“Be careful.”

 

Tanya’s voice dropped low.

 

“If you approach within its range, attacks will come flying.”

 

Tanya turned her head to look at us.

 

“How should we handle positions? Do you each have any specialties?”

 

She seemed to intend to hold a strategy meeting before entering full combat.

 

Unfortunately, our party included someone who despised such trivial procedures.

 

“Do we need positions?”

 

Irin placed her hand on the axe handle.

 

“If we just shut up and beat it, it’ll be dead soon enough!”

 

Dash-!

 

Irin kicked off and charged at the monster.

 

The White Horse soaring through the sky, commonly called ‘White Horse’, seemed flustered by Irin’s sudden movement and pathetically allowed the hit.

 

“Neeeeeigh-!”

 

Thunk!

 

With the sound of flesh tearing, fresh blood splattered in all directions.

 

Irin’s axe blade embedded deeply into the White Horse’s ankle.

 

“Snort! Snorting!”

 

The enraged White Horse’s eyes turned toward Irin.

 

Thud!

 

When the White Horse lifted its front legs and struck the ground, a shockwave swept across the surface.

 

“Ugh!”

 

Irin took a direct hit from the shockwave, suffered some internal injuries, and immediately retreated.

 

Her entire body was already surrounded by a blue aura barrier.

 

“Neeeeeigh!”

 

The White Horse’s horn glowed golden.

 

The surrounding air condensed around the horn as torrents of energy swirled.

 

Soon a golden beam shot from the horn and struck down at the ground.

 

Kwaaaaang-!

 

Irin barely dodged the beam.

 

Meanwhile, Tanya gripped two daggers and leaped into the battlefield.

 

Thinking this wasn’t an opponent to take lightly, she was also wreathed in aura from the start, outputting maximum power.

 

“Hyah!”

 

Slash!

 

The dagger swung with a battle cry created a large wound on the White Horse’s body.

 

It didn’t end with just once.

 

Tanya avoided the White Horse’s kicks with ghostly movements while continuously swinging her daggers.

 

Swift swordplay with two daggers.

 

In terms of speed alone, she was a level above Irin.

 

“Neeeeeigh-!”

 

The White Horse let out a roar of pain.

 

Streams of blood scattered wildly, staining the ground red.

 

Due to its overly massive body, it couldn’t respond to Tanya’s speed attacks at all.

 

The wounds that accumulated one by one had already covered most of the White Horse’s body.

 

However, it also swung its legs and wings around to defend only its vital spots.

 

“Neighing!”

 

Flutter! Flap!

 

The White Horse flapped its wings powerfully and soared into the air.

 

Tanya and Irin, who had been continuing their attack, retreated backward.

 

Whooooom-!

 

The White Horse’s horn was once again being dyed golden.

 

It was the precursor to the destructive beam that had swept across the ground just moments ago.

 

“Be careful!”

 

Tanya looked back at Irin and shouted with an urgent expression.

 

Kwaaaaaa-!

 

The golden beam collided with the ground.

 

The earth was destroyed and split apart as bricks and rocks scattered everywhere.

 

‘This is getting slightly dangerous.’

 

The moment I made that judgment, I charged forward like an arrow.

 

I wrapped Irin in my left arm and Tanya in my right arm, escaping from the attack range.

 

Gooooo-

 

The ground that took a direct hit from the beam was twisted and destroyed beyond recognition of its previous form.

 

If we hadn’t escaped, we would have been forcibly sent back nine times out of ten.

 

Of course, with their skills, they might have been able to minimize the impact and block it.

 

“Oh, you.”

 

Irin glanced at me sideways.

 

“So you’re the type who knows how to save teammates?”

 

“What do you mean.”

 

“Earlier at the scorpion nest when you were fighting me, you didn’t even move while all your party members got sliced up.”

 

“….”

 

I was left speechless by Irin’s reproach.

 

Because it was an undeniable fact.

 

“I never even considered them comrades to begin with.”

 

I had only gone along with them because Bael’s information was helpful.

 

I was planning to abandon them eventually anyway.

 

I even had a plan to deal with them directly with my own hands if points were lacking.

 

“Then do you consider us comrades?”

 

“Enough to save your lives once?”

 

“How fucking touching.”

 

“Puhup.”

 

The one who suddenly burst into laughter wasn’t me, but Tanya.

 

“Ah, sorry. It was suddenly funny.”

 

I set both of them down on the ground.

 

Right. Even I think it was inconsistent behavior.

 

So what if it was.

 

This is just how I am.

 

I’m the type who needs to act as I please to feel satisfied.

 

“Hihihihing!”

 

I looked up at the sky.

 

The White Horse was accumulating energy in its horn once again.

 

From the ground, there was no way to strike the White Horse that flew freely through the sky.

 

At this rate, we would just be helplessly bombarded by beam attacks.

 

Sling-

 

I gripped my sword.

 

Spears or daggers would be one thing.

 

Tactics using longswords for throwing purposes weren’t very developed in this world.

 

The lethality upon hitting was inferior compared to spears.

 

The efficiency and difficulty were overwhelmingly outclassed by daggers.

 

There simply wasn’t enough utility in throwing a longsword at an enemy.

 

‘That’s how it is in this world.’

 

Combat methods in the Intermediate Realm were somewhat standardized.

 

However, the Demon Realm was different.

 

In that place where combat and slaughter were daily life, countless extraordinary tactics that transcended common sense had been developed to catch enemies off guard.

 

Whirr, whirr!

 

I spun the sword around its handle like a propeller.

 

The sword rotated fiercely like a windmill in my grip according to my control.

 

“….”

 

Irin watched me with a drowsy expression as if to see what I was up to.

 

Tanya was observing my actions with an interested expression.

 

Thump!

 

I stepped forward with one foot and swung my arm horizontally, hurling the spinning sword.

 

The sword flew in a circular trajectory, spinning like a boomerang.

 

Toward the neck of the White Horse that was concentrating a beam in its horn.

 

“Hihihing!”

 

Slash-!

 

The White Horse’s neck was cut far too easily.

 

The massive body reaching 10 meters fell to the ground with a thunderous crash.

 

The standard-issue longsword didn’t lose its centrifugal force even after cutting through the White Horse’s neck and continued rotating.

 

It traced an arc and returned to me, fitting snugly into my hand.

 

“….”

 

“….”

 

Tanya and Irin stared at me with their mouths agape.

 

Tanya in particular looked almost dejected.

 

“…If you could handle it this easily, why did you just stand there earlier?”

 

I chuckled and answered naturally.

 

“I was going to abandon you and run if you died. We’re competitors, after all.”

 

“Ah.”

 

Tanya nodded as if she understood.

 

Then, as if something occurred to her belatedly, she raised her head again.

 

“Then, why did you save us earlier?”

 

“The human heart is like a reed, easily changing even in short moments.”

 

Actually, I don’t know why I saved these guys either.

 

It was just a whim.

 

That was the only way I could express it.

 

“Anyway, thanks. We caught it thanks to you.”

 

Ding!

 

A notification sounded from the artifact on my wrist.

 

[No. 176 Asel: 3,150 points (Currently 3rd place)]

 

2,000 points were added to my existing 1,150 points, making it a total of 3,150 points.

 

As expected, it was more profitable to hunt monsters and aim for a big score rather than running around catching examinees one by one.

 

But 2,000 points, huh.

 

Wasn’t it structured so that points were divided equally according to the number of people?

 

“It seems like points are distributed differently based on contribution.”

 

Tanya showed us her wrist.

 

[No. 5,761 Tanya de Belyaev: 2,950 points (Currently 4th place)]

 

“I originally had 2,350 points but only got 600 points.”

 

“I got 400 points.”

 

Irin also shared her score.

 

[No. 137 Irin Kramer: 4,300 points (currently 2nd place)]

 

Indeed.

 

Since I was the one who directly beheaded it for the kill, the points seemed to be concentrated on me.

 

Adding up all the points the three of us earned, the total was exactly 3,000 points.

 

However, the surprising part wasn’t that.

 

“You dropped to 2nd place?”

 

Despite gaining an additional 400 points, Irin had been demoted in ranking.

 

She didn’t hide her frustration and ground her teeth audibly.

 

“Damn it. I was so focused on fighting I didn’t even notice the notification going off.”

 

Someone capable of surpassing Irin to take 1st place.

 

Someone who would have at least 4,300 points or more at this point.

 

Only one person came to mind immediately.

 

“It’s Ragnor von Grantuan.”

 

It was Tanya’s voice.

 

Right.

 

The oddball who had maintained 1st place for an entire semester at Byeolmaseong Academy of the Holy Kingdom, one of the three major academies, then suddenly dropped out and came over to the Empire.

 

The current 1st place undoubtedly belonged to him.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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