SWNOVELXO Chapter 77.1
Crushing Newcomers Is Wrong
The moment Yuuri saw the men, he felt something was off. Rather than just a sense of unease, it was a warning from the cheat-like skill, [God’s Eye]. Recently, it had evolved, or maybe Yuuri had gotten better at using it. [God’s Eye] no longer just warned him of danger, but also alerted him to the presence of malice. If it was a small malice, like a child’s prank, the warning would appear as an orange hue. As the danger increased, the hue would shift toward red, and if immediate action was needed, it would turn bright red.
The warning for illness or injury was slightly different, so Yuuri had learned to distinguish between them. Perhaps it was due to the information conveyed by the skill, allowing him to understand that the same red could have different meanings. In any case, at that moment, Yuuri saw men cloaked in a deep red, a danger level rarely seen in recent years.
“…Kurre, who are those guys?”
“Huh? I don’t know, they’re walking into the Adventurer’s Guild, so probably adventurers?”
“…Adventurers.”
Yuuri repeated the word, his voice filled with doubt. Kurresh blinked repeatedly at this. Yuuri wasn’t usually the type to direct suspicion or hostility toward others. That’s why, whenever Yuuri reacted like this, Kurresh knew something was up. He, too, had his life saved by Yuuri’s abilities during their first encounter, so he trusted Yuuri’s high level of discernment.
“Is something wrong?”
“Well, it’s not that there’s something specific…”
“Oh?”
“Those guys… they’re red.”
“…Red?”
Kurresh’s eyebrows twitched. He knew what Yuuri meant by “red”. Yuuri had previously explained that dangerous things appeared red to him. This skill activated during appraisals as well. Regardless of whether it was Yuuri’s skill or Ali’s [Magic Eye], harmful things were perceived as red. However, unlike Yuuri’s [God’s Eye], the other two abilities couldn’t be active all the time without causing strain. Appraisals required conscious focus, and while the [Magic Eye] could be constantly active, overuse caused headaches and fatigue. Yuuri’s [God’s Eye] was a cheat in comparison.
The men Yuuri described as “red” entered the Adventurer’s Guild. Before Yuuri and Kurresh could follow them in, the men exited, pursued by a group of younger adventurers. Kurresh instinctively grabbed one of them by the arm, stopping them. The young man looked surprised but soon smiled.
“Hey, isn’t it Kurresh? What’s up?”
“I just wanted to ask you something.”
“Ask me something?”
“Yeah.”
Yuuri nodded subtly at the exchange. The men, seeing that the younger adventurers weren’t following, relaxed and waved goodbye. They must’ve already arranged a meeting place, based on the atmosphere.
The younger adventurers, now stopped by Kurresh and Yuuri, looked at them in confusion. Yuuri glanced at them and signaled to Kurresh that they appeared normal—there was no malice. The danger came solely from those men earlier.
“So, what do you want to ask?”
“Those guys from earlier, do you know them?”
“Know them? Well, we’re about to explore a dungeon with them soon.”
“…Really?”
The young adventurers were the same age as Kurresh, having registered at the Adventurer’s Guild around the same time. They briefly explained to Yuuri that they’d been forming a party, taking on simple requests, and steadily improving their skills. Meanwhile, Kurresh had been studying the basics with the Scarlet Lynx Guild, which led them down different paths. Kurresh murmured “dungeon exploration” quietly to himself. Normally, he wouldn’t think much of it, but with Yuuri deeming them dangerous, it wasn’t something he could just leave alone. If nothing was wrong, Yuuri wouldn’t have said they were dangerous.
What bothered Kurresh even more was that Rooks, the normally laid-back slime, had been wary of the men too. Everyone in their hideout knew of Rooks’s strength, despite his cute appearance. While Yuuri cheerfully described Rooks as “amazing,” Kurresh knew his abilities far exceeded that.
“Did you guys ask them to join? Or did they approach you?”
“They asked us. Guess we’re finally improving, huh?”
“…Yuuri.”
“Yeah.”
Even though the young adventurers looked happy, neither Yuuri nor Kurresh thought the situation added up. From their perspective, the younger adventurers were still rookies. There was no apparent benefit for those men to explore a dungeon with them.
Kurresh muttered about an unsettling feeling creeping up the back of his neck. He couldn’t shake the bad feeling. Even if he wanted to believe it was nothing, knowing Yuuri’s abilities made it impossible to be optimistic.
“…It’s dangerous.”
“You guys should stop teaming up with them.”
“Magg?”
“Urgus?”
Two boys, one murmuring in his usual calm tone, the other grumbling as if annoyed, approached the group. They’d just returned from a gathering request and spoke to the young adventurers rather than Yuuri or Kurresh. They had finished reporting to the guild and were now exiting.
“You know those guys?”
“…No? …Yes?”
“We don’t know them well, but they seem shady. They even approached us earlier.”
“They approached you?”
“Yeah.”
Yuuri and Kurresh stared, surprised. Magg and Urgus didn’t look like they’d be of much use in a dangerous dungeon. They were still rookies themselves, lacking much in the way of equipment and experience.
“Two-faced.”
“Magg’s instincts are usually right, and I don’t trust them either.”
“…Actually, Yuuri’s judgment was also a no-go. And Rooks was on edge too.”
“Seriously?”
“…Confirmed.”
“It’s not just me and Rooks; even Magg and Urgus felt something was off… This is definitely a no-go, Kurre.”
“Even if it’s confirmed, we don’t have any proof. It’s just intuition…”
The younger adventurers looked bewildered, watching as the four of them discussed the situation. They felt left out of the conversation, and rightfully so. Still, they didn’t leave, likely out of politeness.
“Kurresh, we’ve got a meeting, so we’re heading out.”
“Wait! Don’t just leave so casually in this situation!”
“Huh? But you guys seemed to be having a friendly chat, right?”
“No! You’re the ones directly involved here!”