The Returnee's Hidden Strategy Stream

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter: 103

[Main Quest #4 completed.]

[Received 100,000 gold.]

[Progress increases.]

[Main Quest #5: The First Wave]

The plan to evacuate the dwarves has been completed.

They need to be moved to a safe place and prepare for the first wave.

Objective: Protect the city from the first wave.

Reward: 200,000 gold, 60,000 experience points, 5 stat points

*Current progress: 11%

With Bolivo's agreement, the main quest was completed.

After checking the details, Hanbit told him, "Well done. So we don't need to buy the shack anymore, I'll just use it as is."

"I guess that would be less complicated. But what are you going to do in there?" Bolivo asked, pointing at the shack. It was such a dilapidated building that it didn't make sense to use it for anything.

"I'm not doing anything, it's just a place for the dwarves to live. About 100 of them, I think."

"...You're going to put 100 people in there? No, more than that, are you planning to let the dwarves live in the city? Not just as simple employees?"

"That's right. Oh, wait a minute.” Hanbit replied casually and went back down into the hole he had made. 'It was over here, right?'

Landing lightly, he walked to the farthest corner.

There was a wooden box placed there.

Hanbit crouched down and began to rummage inside.

"Everything over there is junk. Things that won't sell."

Bolivo, looking down from above, waved his hand.

"These were all imported from foreign countries, right?"

"You could say they were accidental extras. Small trading companies brought them as gifts."

The illegal luxury goods were traded with various cities in the republic and even foreign countries. Although there weren't many trading companies, some would bring along various items as gifts to maintain their connections.

'Ah, there it is.'

Hanbit found a glass vial containing crimson grains.

Holding it up, he asked, "You use the black market, too?"

"What, the black market? That's nonsense!"

Bolivo denied it vehemently.

However, his face looked like it had a sign saying 'Busted' on it.

"Don't worry. I'll keep it a secret as long as we're business partners."

"No..."

-What a mess.

-Isn't that a strengthening potion?

-Yeah, it's the one Barres used.

*Anyone can use it;

*Side effects: lose your mind and die.

Bolivo was speechless, unable to continue. It was no wonder he was surprised. He had been secretly sending goods to the black market. And since he used a reliable foreign trading company, there was no evidence left behind.

"How did you know about that?"

"The substance in this vial. It's a strengthening potion that only circulates in the black market."

"A strengthening potion?"

Hanbit shook the vial.

It was the same strengthening potion that had turned Barres into a monster. Since it was made using monster corpses, it couldn't be traded through legal channels.

"And this vial is even rarer. It's made in the Holy Kingdom."

"The Holy Kingdom? Did you say the Holy Kingdom?"

Bolivo's eyes widened in shock.

He waved his hands and started backing away.

"No, no, I don't know anything about it! I never had any intention of trading with the Holy Kingdom!"

"Who said you were trading with them? I just said it's a rare item found in the black market."

Hanbit dismissed his worries. It wouldn't matter even if he had been trading with the Holy Kingdom.

"Come out here."

Hanbit stepped outside the shop. It was completely dark outside.

"See this on the bottom?"

"What?"

Bolivo leaned in closer as Hanbit turned the vial over. A faint magical pattern was shimmering at the bottom of the vial.

"What is this? I didn't see anything like this when I checked the items."

"Of course not. It's hidden so you can't tell. Anyway, it's something you can't get outside the Holy Kingdom. It's a miracle you found it in the black market."

“You said it was from the Holy Kingdom. If we get caught with it, even a little bit, you're as good as dead.”

“That’s…”

Bolivo’s spirit was dampened by the word “dead.” If caught red-handed, he would undoubtedly face the death penalty. After a moment's hesitation, he asked in a gloomy voice, “Are you going to be okay? I don’t know why you got that golden bracelet, but I don’t think it’s enough to grant you immunity.”

“I’ll be fine. I have the credit of finding a Holy Kingdom believer in Edlen. I can just say I found it there."

“You found a cultist? Could it be... are you the adventurer Black Dragon?”

Bolivo, who had been gathering information on Edlen, was surprised to find such a great adventurer right in front of him. He hadn’t expected it.

“Anyway, I’m going to use this, so just know that.”

“…If you get caught, please don’t mention my name.”

“We’re already accomplices, so forget it.”

“Ahh... How did I end up like this…”

Bolivo sighed deeply, filled with regret.

Of course, it was all his fault.

Putting the vial in his inventory, Hanbit turned towards the gate.

"Let's go."

* * *

A moment later, Hanbit and Bolivo left the gate and headed towards the dwarven village.

“To think I would get involved with dwarves... If the mayor finds out, there’s going to be a huge commotion.”

“You’re so scared, yet you managed to smuggle those defective goods?”

“That was the result of careful planning! I couldn’t predict this kind of situation!”

-He must be a total J-type.

-Life is more like a P-type.

-Yeah, and then you fail spontaneously.

-Are you saying you're C, T?

-That's not how you use it;

Bolivo continued to express his anxiety. It wasn’t entirely false; he was a man who found comfort in plans and routines. And Hanbit had the ability to provide a roadmap for the future.

"You're here!"

Avantgarde was waiting at the entrance to the village, his eyes sparkling. His gaze was already fixed on Bolivo.

"Kim Jaeha is inside, right?"

"Yes. I'm better suited for guarding, so we divided the tasks!"

The two were doing their part. It was reassuring that they could figure things out without being told.

"By the way, could you tell me more about that NPC? And what was that thing you had earlier? A glass vial made by a Holy Kingdom artisan... How are you going to use that strengthening potion?"

Avantgarde bombarded Hanbit with questions.

Inside the village, Kim Jaeha was shaking his head.

"Is he crazy? You should be careful around people like him." Bolivo cautiously asked, watching Avantgarde's enthusiastic behavior.

Hanbit nodded and said to the two, "I'll answer your questions later. You two should talk. I'll go inside."

"Alright!"

"Wait, no..."

-LOLn/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

-Throwing Bolivo away.

-Bangga is so happy.

-Let's give him a 1-hour TMI session.

Ignoring Bolivo's cries, Hanbit headed towards the empty house in the center of the village.

Below it was a newly created underground space.

"Whew. I haven't worked this hard in a long time."

"I've never worked this hard even in the mines!"

"I know, so go and tidy up that area!"

The group of dwarves inside were excited, both in their expressions and voices. It was not only a desperate struggle for survival but also a chance to feel a sense of camaraderie for the first time in a long time.

"It's fun to work this hard!"

Kudran, who had appeared from behind, was breathing heavily.

"How's it going? Is everything going according to plan?"

Kim Jaeha, who had been working inside, came up and asked.

"It's going well. How was the atmosphere?"

"It wasn't bad. At first, they were fighting, but then they started focusing on the work."

Jaeha, who was prepared for any problems, found that the work was proceeding more smoothly than expected.

Looking inside, Hanbit confirmed that they had prepared as much as they needed.

"Have you checked outside?"

"I was guarding with them at first, but it was quiet. You can't really see anything anyway."

The nights in the dwarven village were so dark that you could barely see anything without a lamp.

Even if there were monsters, it would be difficult to distinguish them.

"Your company's people said they cleared this episode, right? How was it?"

"I watched a video, and the first wave was really nothing. The NPCs here handled it well."

As mentioned before, the first wave was simple. The city's defense system, troops, and resident adventurers were enough to handle it.

No matter how much ordinary players tried, their impact was minimal.

"Well, to sum it up, the biggest problem was that they left it too easy. Things went wrong as soon as they safely blocked the first wave."

"...So you're saying we should have interfered? We might not even have been able to set foot in the city if we had."

"If you were too excessive or got caught interfering, that would have happened. So we're going to use a special method."

"A special method? What are you going to..."

Bang-!

Suddenly, a sound cut through their conversation.

The two looked beyond the dark forest outside the village.

At the end of the lamplight shone by Avantgarde, who was on guard, there was a wriggling shadow.

"Perfect timing."

Swish-

Hanbit glanced at his watch and took a glass vial containing crimson grains from his pocket.

"...That strengthening potion, you're not going to make us drink it, are you?"

"No."

Click-

Shaking his head, Hanbit opened the lid.

Then, looking at the shadows in the forest, he said, "We're going to use it on those monsters."

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]