• HOME
  • TOP
  • COMPLETED
  • Buy me a Coffee
  • HOME
  • TOP
  • COMPLETED
  • Buy me a Coffee
Prev
Next

The Druid Who Swallowed Mother Nature - Chapter 8

  1. Home
  2. The Druid Who Swallowed Mother Nature
  3. Chapter 8
Prev
Next



Only Noblemtl

Episode 8. Goblin

In this world, the more prosperous a city is, the deeper the harm caused by urbanization.

This was especially true for cities that grew rapidly while absorbing huge amounts of capital.

Galaga City was no different.

The outlaws took over an entire area and, hired for blind money, worked in both the sun and the dark.

The title ‘contractor’ was one of the titles these outlaws used to give themselves to the public.

Commissioning, that is, taking on a request and solving a problem in return for payment.

If you look at it this way, it looks normal.

‘That’s because the request is not normal.’

Light errands or manual labor do not require the services of a contractor.

When the law needs to be left behind and the end is reached, hitmen are hired.

Bounty hunting is a given.

All sorts of heinous requests, including the assassination of hostile corporate figures and the leaking of exclusive technologies, passed through the hands of contract workers.

Brokerage offices, including this one, were the ones that arranged their commissions and handled the complicated procedures that came with it.

‘As expected, requests are overflowing.’

A request sheet was pinned to a cork board on the wall.

After you have received the rough outline and accepted it, the broker will then provide you with detailed information.

That is why choosing a broker also required discernment.

Is it trustworthy, is it capable, and is it free of shady aspects?

Cromwell, a middle-aged man, was impeccable in that regard.

‘I’ve heard a lot of stories.’

He was a broker who was often talked about among the upper class.

They don’t choose just anyone as a collaborator, so I decided to leave it to their discretion.

I was looking over the request carefully.

“… … You seem to be a cautious person. If you don’t mind, can I buy you a drink?”

Cromwell blurted out.

‘You’re good at talking indirectly.’

The idea is to kill some time.

Was this the kind of personality you had?

It’s the kind of language that the upper class, who value dignity, would like.

Now that we’re on the subject, I approached him.

“I have a request to ask.”

“If it wasn’t on the bulletin board, then go back. Those are the only public requests.”

“Just like you said, they only have public requests collected over there.”

Cromwell’s eyes lit up at the words he spoke while sitting down on his chair.

He looked me up and down, then shook his head.

“Private requests are only given to those whose qualifications have been verified.”

Anything dangerous, confidential, or involving the city’s upper echelons is kept confidential.

The broker would make the decision and arrange it directly with the contractor.

As a first-time visitor, there were many things that had to be verified in order for me to receive a private request.

Of course, there was a simple way to bypass this.

“… … !”

Cromwell, who was wiping his glass, froze.

“Isn’t this enough?”

Before he knew it, the trunk of the World Tree that had wrapped around his body like a snake was wriggling its tip under his chin.

Crunch!

In the darkness, the wall collapsed and multiple gun barrels were pointed at me.

As a broker dealing with outlaws, it is a state-of-the-art defense system.

Still, it was too late.

He couldn’t stop my event.

“… … That’s a unique ability.”

Cromwell remained indifferent even though he had been harmed without knowing it.

Instead, the defense system that had been working was turned off again.

Is it because of a good feeling or because it is bold?

Probably both.

“The World Tree watches Cromwell closely.”

This one wasn’t meant to be a life-threatening threat, but rather intended to observe people.

It felt like he was comparing me to him.

Since he wasn’t really trying to threaten me, I just left him alone.

“Your skills don’t seem bad, but I can’t trust you with just that. You lack trust. If there’s any trouble with the client, I might have to leave this world.”

Yet, the look in his eyes as he met mine was different.

It seemed like he was acknowledging that he wasn’t being sarcastic.

“I don’t ask for too much either. That’s not what I’m talking about.”

I also backed down obediently.

A broker is a relationship that should last a long time.

Preemptive strikes may be necessary, but going beyond that and intimidating them was excessive.

“Even if private requests aren’t possible, can’t you show me the requests that weren’t processed within the deadline?”

Requests are always overflowing.

What was lacking was someone who could solve it.

The choice lies with the contractor, so requests that do not meet the conditions are ignored.

As such, there were many requests that were buried without being resolved.

If I hadn’t found the request I was looking for on the bulletin board, there was a good chance that the deadline had passed.

“You all have unique tastes.”

“There must be some data that hasn’t been discarded yet. Isn’t that not possible? From your perspective, there’s nothing to lose.”

“It’s not like it’s not possible.”

Cromwell muttered something about seeing all sorts of things and looked through his documents on one side.

He took a bundle of commission papers out onto the table.

“Go look it up.”

I looked over the request carefully.

The fruits of labor were quickly harvested.

“I’ll do this.”

Cromwell accepted the request and made a meaningful expression.

“Hmm… … , I barely made it to the deadline.”

“Even if you hand it over anyway, there aren’t any big guys who wouldn’t hand over their compensation.”

“That’s true, but… … .”

A look of puzzlement was turned towards me.

“If it’s dealing with goblins in the slums, there must be a lot even if it’s not an old request?”

“Please give me detailed information.”

I did not answer Cromwell’s questions and just hurried through the process.

I don’t know the details of the request.

‘Client Greenwood.’

The name that gave the request was important.

***

Although cities routinely repeat reclamation and development, there are naturally limits to the administrative power of cities.

Naturally, marginalized lands emerged, and lands that did not benefit from development were eliminated.

If District 3 is a bustling city, District 7 is the opposite, a slum.

As we crossed the administrative boundaries, the modern city landscape transformed into a Third World landscape.

Shabby buildings with no high number of floors.

Even though it was broad daylight, the place was dark as if it were in a different time zone.

The air touching my skin is damp and cold.

When I picked up my nose, the smell of rotten water mixed with an unknown, unpleasant smell.

The moment I stepped into the small puddle, an unknown bug was trampled along with it.

It felt like I was digging through a trash can.

Flap flap!

The World Tree was full of curiosity even in this environment.

It stretched its stem over my leg, avoiding attention, and dipped me into the puddle.

“The World Tree spouts water while roaring.”

It was natural that I was surprised the moment I tasted it.

“Why would you want to taste that? You’ll get sick if you drink that.”

Do something weird.

I looked around, trying to comfort the gloomy World Tree.

‘It’s a sight to behold.’

The people who took to the streets looked no different from factory workers.

Tattered clothes and a listless expression as if he had lost all hope.

There was no kindness in the eyes looking back at the outsider.

I ignored their wariness.

These are people whose lives are desperate, but who do not even have the capacity to harm others.

It wasn’t very dangerous as long as I didn’t get close.

‘The goblins are ready to take over.’

Greenwood’s request was to deal with goblins.

They are a tribe that lacks great power but is characterized by meanness.

He was notorious for squeezing the poor, not the rich.

Naturally, they used the slums as their base and went on a rampage.

‘Why would an environmental group make such a request?’

It was a trivial question.

It’s a request from a local government or police department rather than an environmental group.

‘Will driving out the goblins revive Mother Nature or reduce pollution?’

The harm caused by goblins is nothing more than a drop in the bucket.

It was something I couldn’t figure out.

‘The moss… … .’

I swept the moss growing on the damp stone wall.

The texture that touched my hand was rough rather than slippery.

Even the sedums that do not face any difficult growing conditions were like this.

The same was true of the ivy that tightly wrapped around the wall.

I was lying there helpless and exhausted, doing my best today and tomorrow.

‘This is not normal.’

I felt it again.

Environments necessary for plant growth.

Good soil, clean air quality, adequate sunlight, etc.

It wasn’t just the lack of these superficial conditions that hindered plant growth in this city.

‘There’s something different.’

It was difficult to make a hasty guess at this point.

Bam!

It was during that time.

There was something blocking my steps.

When I looked down, I saw a child holding a small bowl in his hand.

“……I.”

He was a child whose face was covered by messy hair.

I can’t even see the facial features properly.

Judging by his development, he is probably around the age of graduating from elementary school.

I looked at the bowl held out with a trembling hand and guessed what it was for.

‘Begging?’

As I looked around, I felt like I was being watched.

Even if you’re usually lazy and listless, it’s a different story when money is involved.

From then on, I was a reserve force of robbers.

“I’ve lived here a long time. If there’s anything you need, I can help you with it.”

The child whispered in my ear.

Perhaps because he grew up in a harsh environment, he is quick-witted.

I thought about it and then answered.

“Can you recommend me an empty building nearby where I can spend the night?”

“……yes.”

The quick-witted child figured out my hidden meaning.

If you give a single penny here, it will be taken away immediately.

Even if I did good deeds, I needed a place where I wouldn’t be noticed by others.

‘It’s not a request that can be completed in one day anyway.’

Even if we finished quickly, we had to spend at least one day here.

If you get a place to live in exchange for money, it’s not a waste of money.

I weaved my way through the buildings that were built close together with my child.

At the end of the winding alley, as if escaping a maze, there was an old building.

Squeak!

When I opened the old door and went inside, I could not feel the warmth of people.

The furniture was all broken and worn out, but it was fortunate that there was a bed.

Sanitation was a mess, but so were the factory dormitories.

Not bad for a night’s sleep.

“No one lives here. Not many people pass by.”

I nodded in satisfaction at the child’s explanation.

‘How many times have you done this?’

He has extensive knowledge that outsiders would want.

It was a shame for such a smart child to rot away in the slums.

‘… … Even so, my nose is only three inches long.’

My circumstances were too dire to help.

“Okay, take it and hide it well so that no one finds out.”

I gave the money to the child.

It may be a small amount of money, but it would be a lot of money here.

If it doesn’t get stolen, I’ll be able to eat for a few days.

“……that.”

As I was dusting the bed, the child who was about to leave hesitated.

He spoke with his small face sticking out through the crack in the door.

“be careful.”

“… … .”

“Especially at night.”

The child’s words lingered around the room.

The wind blowing through the broken window was cold.

The silence, in which not even the sound of a cicada could be heard, created a sense of discomfort as if I had been dropped into an unknown world all by myself.

Knock knock!

A pair of leaves pecked my skin.

“The World Tree is creepy and makes my skin crawl.”

“You’re not human.”

What kind of goosebumps are these?

He laughed lightly.

“You don’t have to worry.”

I’ve played this game for hundreds, if not thousands of hours.

If danger was imminent, I knew better than that child.

‘The dangers of the slums are well known.’

It was dangerous in a different sense from the lawless zone of District 4.

Even if residents appear indifferent to each other, they are sensitive to change.

The exchange of information was especially active with foreigners.

They say you would avoid shit because it’s dirty or because you’re scared of it, but in the slums, it was the opposite.

They were the type to be feared and avoided.

‘There was an eye for it.’

Although the child guided us through the twisted path here and there, it didn’t mean much.

Anyone who knows I’m here will know.

‘If you just stay still, it will move on its own.’

I could clearly see the intentions of those who were after me.

They will try to give a bitter taste to the outsider who fearlessly steps into their territory.

It was obvious that there would be a goblin at the center of it all.

‘I won’t let it be like that.’

I considered going there in person, but it was an uncertain plan.

If you missed it, the frightened goblins could run away.

There was a reason why they were so brutal against the poor.

They knew their stuff.

therefore.

‘I guess I’ll have to dig a trap.’

Fortunately, this body was well-equipped to break the trap.

That’s right, a pretty appearance.

***

The night was deep.

The slums, now darkened by dusk, were so pitch black that it was difficult to see beneath one’s feet.

If the nights in downtown are bustling, the nights in the slums are quiet.

Even among local residents, no one was roaming the streets of the slums at night.

You never know what might happen in the dark.

It wouldn’t have been strange if a person who was fine until yesterday was found dead the next day.

Thud! Thud!

I heard the sound of my footsteps in the quiet alley.

The sound that came back sounded ominous, as if it wasn’t mine.

The atmosphere that had descended was like that.

I couldn’t relax.

Wiggle!

“The World Tree emits qi.”

Does the pore feel like snow?

It’s bedtime, but the world tree is still very active today.

He didn’t keep his body still, as if he was guarding a place I couldn’t see.

Squeak!

The World Tree jumped at the sudden noise.

When I looked back, I saw a cat making a fuss as if it was trying to catch a mouse.

If you look at it, it quickly disappears into the distance.

The surprised world tree slumped in relief.

“You don’t have to worry so much.”

Goblins aren’t the type of people who will suddenly appear out of nowhere and barge in.

They were trap-setting hunters, not proud beasts of prey.

‘Isn’t it big enough to control the whole neighborhood yet?’

Even though I was walking around at night on purpose, I still didn’t feel particularly unsafe.

If goblins had taken control of the area, they would have been defeated in no time.

‘It’s true that this area is an activity zone.’

Traces of the struggle were visible in the broken walls and scattered rubble.

The flooring, dyed a crimson color, was familiar.

It’s stuck-on blood.

There is no way that the residents of this place, who were on the verge of death even if they just sat still, would have done that.

It was the goblin’s doing.

‘Then it should be around here.’

I looked around carefully.

chin!

There was something cold at the tip of my foot.

I narrowed my eyes and looked down, seeing a rusty trap gaping open.

‘This is it.’

A signal light was connected to the end of the wire.

Although it looked crude, it served its purpose.

When the prey was caught in the trap, the goblin that had been waiting would come.

‘How many people will come?’

I cupped my fingertips, which were starting to get cold.

It was different from when he had subdued the defenseless supervisor.

Of course, there was no tension or anything.

It had happened hundreds of times already, and I was too scared of goblins.

“Get ready.”

He whispered to the World Tree and threw a stone over the trap.

Kwajik!

The rusty trap bit the stone.

Are you trying to catch a bear rather than a person?

The evil force was so strong that it made rocks shatter.

Beep! Beep!

The machine flashed red.

I waited, stretching my body slightly.

Soon, the quiet street began to be filled with more footsteps.

Prev
Next

Comments for chapter "Chapter 8"

MANGA DISCUSSION

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

*


YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

ihtzcb1bexh
One Punch Man: Take Saitama as his disciple at the beginning
25 April, 2024
becoming-the-top-moderator-of-th_optimized
Becoming The Top Moderator Of The Otherworld Board
3 February, 2025
Possessed in a Thousand Novels
Possessed in a Thousand Novels
9 March, 2024
regression_sword_apocalypse_reconquest_193x278
Regression Sword Apocalypse Reconquest
7 October, 2024
  • HOME
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Terms Of Usage
  • DMCA

© 2025 NOBLEMTL - Machine Translation Novels. All rights reserved