Becoming an Extra in a Trash Game

Chapter 36

Perhaps because I had lost blood, I fell asleep again despite having slept for a long time and waking up feeling tired.

As I was being gently awakened, I unconsciously grabbed the wrist, and when I opened my eyes to the thick sensation, I saw the face of the priest from earlier.

“Please wake up. The high priest has arrived.”

I pulled myself up slightly and leaned my back against the headboard of the bed, and a gentle-looking older man approached with a smile.

“I heard you brought the severed leg.”

“Ah, that.”

Looking at him with his white hair, I opened the subspace and, with slightly blurred eyes, took out my leg and handed it to him.

The heavy and cold sensation and the somehow strange feeling made me quickly hand it over. The older priest held my leg and looked it over.

“It’s been preserved extremely well, and it’s been cut very cleanly. The cut surface is almost smooth, and there are no missing parts, so the recovery should be quick.”

Nodding at the words that I could walk on my own feet as soon as possible, even if it would be unnatural at first, I opened my mouth.

“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

I paid quite a generous fee, after all. Holding my knee and facing my pale blue leg, the priest uttered some incantation-like words, and the flesh began to move and stick together.

Then, as the lower-ranking priest massaged and rubbed my leg, the leg that had been purple with visible veins gradually regained its vitality.

“Ugh……”

Damn, the tingling in my leg feels like electric balls filling up and bursting, like waking up after sleeping on it for 30 hours.

It’s not quite as painful as intense pain, but too painful to be called itchy, so I groaned and curled up.

Soon, my toes cramped as if twisting, and I twisted my body at the feeling of my foot turning. The lower-ranking priest diligently massaged to loosen the stiffened muscles.

Damn, I’ll never use my body as bait again.

How is this more difficult than having my leg cut off?

I must have sweated a bucketful. Finally, as the trembling in my body stopped and I felt my strength leaving me, I caught my breath, and the two priests looked at me and stood up.

“It’s done.”

“Rest a bit before you try to get up. The more you walk, the faster you’ll recover.”

As I urgently gestured for them to leave, the two quickly left as if they had finished their business.

Only after they closed the door and left did I openly roll around on the narrow bed, groaning.

Of course, even though it’s a world with real magic, I didn’t think it would just stick on perfectly fine with a snap.

Still, it really hurt so much that I even shed a few tears at the end, and in the midst of that, the thought that came to mind was that it was fortunate I had sent Kane and Luna away.

“Really, thank goodness for the sense of affluence……”

Even after having my leg cut off and reattached, the only thought I had was that it was fortunate they didn’t see my embarrassing tearful face. This trait is exactly what a weak modern person needs.

I lay on the bed, thinking these rather unproductive thoughts, when I suddenly lowered my gaze.

Wiggle wiggle.

I tried moving my toes and rotating my ankle, and although there was a bit of a strange feeling, they moved well.

As the priest said, it would be better to keep using it to reduce this awkward sensation.

“Hmm……”

Looking outside, it seems the day is just breaking as the sky is brightening.

“Should I go for a dawn walk……”

When the sun fully rises and Luna or Kane comes, especially Luna, she’ll probably worry if I say I’m going for a walk with my newly attached leg. Let’s get the walk over before they come. And clean my sweaty body while I’m at it.

Holding onto the bed, I stood up and stepped on the floor, feeling even more of the discomfort in my leg.

I rummaged through the subspace and took out a suitable piece of wood from what seemed to be collected for firewood, using it as a makeshift cane, and walked out one step at a time.

Since I had lost consciousness and been moved, I hadn’t seen anything outside the room, but as expected of the Labyrinth City being a large place, the temple is quite big as well.

With well-maintained landscaping and people cleaning from early dawn…

“…?”

I’m not one to discriminate based on appearance, but the woman in maid’s clothes doing menial work, sweeping the floor with a broom, who made eye contact with me, had an indescribable appearance.

At first glance, she seemed ordinary, but her pearl-colored eyes were like an aurora rising. The depth of color in her indigo hair was unfathomable.

If you just passed by, you might not notice, but that face, once seen and then looked at again after closing your eyes, blooms with beauty layer by layer, as if being repainted, taking your breath away.

‘What is this?’

Whether fortunate or unfortunate, thanks to my detachment, I’m not entranced or dazed and can observe her like this, but how are others just passing by this woman?

‘Trait…’

“You… Have a strange fate.”

Just as I was about to open the trait window, she approached and spoke.

“Hey, you.”

Who is she?

I can’t recall any character like her from the original work or the game.

The moment I met those pearl-colored eyes, she bowed her head in greeting and then slowly stepped back.

“We. We will meet again someday.”

“Wait, just a moment.”

Damn, my leg…

As I moved my uncomfortable leg, dragging it slightly, she turned the corner and disappeared like a ghost. As if she had never been there in the first place.

Leaving behind only unsettling words and disappearing. It’s strangely unsettling…

The sky has brightened as if the sun has fully risen, and the unique smell of dawn air has disappeared.

I’m curious about who that woman was, but for now, it’s more urgent to wash up and get back to the room before Luna and Kane arrive.

‘Sigh, really. This is exactly like foreshadowing in movies or dramas, isn’t it?’

Later, when I ask about her, they’ll probably say, “What? We don’t have such a woman in our temple.” That’s how it usually goes.

Then you end up cursing yourself for not chasing after her right away. Ah, I should have run and caught her then!

Faithfully creating a situation from a viewer’s perspective, I washed up and then lay down on the bed, pretending I had never gone out, and took out a book from the subspace that I had brought from my room, flipping through it.

At first, I wondered what I would do here without computers or phones, but humans are indeed animals of adaptation.

When I was young, I found animal encyclopedias or dinosaur dictionaries interesting, and now looking at monster catalogs here is quite intriguing…

“Young Master… Fortunately, it seems the priest has come and gone.”

“Luna, you’re here? Kane, you look better too.”

Deeply engrossed in reading, I raised one hand to wave at Luna and Kane when I heard them calling, and smiled.

“So, did you send Aria off well?”

“Yes, she asked why you didn’t come along, so I made up an excuse. She said she’d work at the main house for a while and come back when she saves up some money.”

I wonder if Aria will really be able to return to the Labyrinth City.

Remembering Aria, I muttered that you shouldn’t let go of a paperwork slave, then stretched out as Luna massaged my leg.

“…Young Master, you didn’t actually walk and wash yourself, did you?”

Luna, who had been massaging my leg and sniffing around my body wondering why I was so clean, asked, and I calmly opened my mouth.

“You know, when you’re handsome, you smell good even without washing.”

“It seems something’s wrong with your head. I’ll call the priest.”

Glaring at Kane, who immediately dismissed my words as ridiculous, I raised my reattached leg high and wiggled my toes to change the subject.

“How is it? Looks fine, right? Don’t you think I can be discharged… No, leave the temple now?”

Luna’s eyes slowly raised as she watched my wiggling toes. At that, I slowly lowered my leg, pulled up the blanket myself, and lay down again.

Checking by rotating my ankle under the blanket, there doesn’t seem to be any problem… It’s unfair.

“Stay in bed for at least 3 days. Understand? And now that I’ll be here all the time, ask me to do all the small things.”

No, what is this nonsense? I came out after clearing a dungeon, and although I don’t know what Ruby did to get in, they must have found out through investigation that I entered a place that was originally off-limits and came out.

Who’s going to handle the aftermath if Luna and I are stuck here?

I looked at Kane, who seemed like he might stab me with a knife instead of his tongue, and the timid Luna with her nervous smile, then laughed.

“Luna, your jokes have improved.”

Slowly resting my chin on my hand, I put on my villain face for the first time in a while and slowly raised my gaze.

“Do you both have a lot of time? Even if I rest here, you two shouldn’t be resting. Right?”

“But……”

“Originally, the combat personnel you had in mind was just me. Luna is originally your maid……”

I cut off Kane’s words as he opened his mouth as if to defend the dejected Luna, and raised the corners of my mouth.

“What are you talking about? My party should be versatile. What are you both doing here when you should be running dungeons and gaining experience? Huh? Don’t tell me you can’t do anything without me?”

My words shut both of their mouths. I took out a water bottle from thin air and drank, indicating that I didn’t need Luna’s assistance, and said,

“While I was lying down, someone from the dungeon management came to investigate, right? Leave the rest to me and you two get moving. I’ll testify about the detailed circumstances and wrap things up.”

Anyway, all Luna and Kane know is that I joined the party and entered together, and since I, the connection to Ruby, woke up yesterday, the inspector should come today at the earliest.

Well, I can handle that kind of thing, so it’s much better for Kane and Luna to grind the Labyrinth in the meantime.

“You’re the same even after nearly dying. Seeing you regain your energy in just a day, there’s no need for us to be here.”

“But……”

Kane shook his head at Luna and whispered something, then left with Luna, who seemed to understand.

Having gone through a big ordeal, this is the time when experience is accumulating rapidly. At times like this, you should be on the field to keep your senses sharp.

‘Well, the same goes for me.’

Things like using the Codex to time magic use or anticipating party members’ movements to coordinate support need constant practice to become second nature.

Right now, even walking is a bit unnatural with my leg, so running is even more difficult.

If I went with them, I’d just be standing still, which doesn’t help improve control, so it might be better to rest, considering this as a vacation.

I moved my hand in the air to take out the Codex and checked the magic I had used and the magic remaining.

Certainly, this time I used more offensive or defensive magic, and the consumption of utility magic was relatively low.

“I should visit the magic tower too.”

When the Siren is delivered to Alkaido and Harlon, they will be able to research it and increase the number of units.

It’s infuriating to remember how in the original story, the one-armed man who obtained the Siren became Kane’s enemy, causing him to fall behind in information warfare and public opinion, and struggle greatly, but now that the Siren prototype is in my hands, we can do the same thing on our side.

At first, we’ll spread it like Kruger Trading Company’s communication network, then through marketing, from nobles to commoners, if we can spread it within a few years, it will be a great help when the continental war breaks out and we face the Evil God Cult.

‘Plus, should I have them research if we can add surveillance functions, like Big Brother?’

Civilian surveillance using mobile phones?

It’s illegal in South Korea, but who cares here? If it’s good for me, that’s all that matters.

Ah, and later, when demand increases, buy more attribute stones…

‘Come to think of it, can they be… Enchanted?’

As I was only turning my head instead of my body, I remembered another system I had forgotten about.

It’s a bit too much to try now in the temple, but later when I get out, I should check if attribute stones can be enchanted onto the Codex.

I glanced outside.

It’s been a while since Luna and Kane left. A bowl of cold soup, left at some point, was placed on the drawer next to the bed.

I slowly got up, using returning it as an excuse to walk out slowly.

‘Indeed, it’s too unsettling to just let it go.’

That woman.

Too suspicious.

The clothes worn by those doing menial work that I saw this morning. They seemed to be the clothes of servants employed by the temple, probably not even lower-ranking priests.

I greeted a middle-aged woman wearing such clothes and spoke to her.

“Hello, ma’am. I have something to ask……”

“Oh… Oh oh, noble sir. Please give this to me.”

Right… I have the Arrogance trait.

No matter how polite I try to be, it seems I’m not polite enough.

I carefully handed over the plate and asked again.

“By any chance, do you know who among the servants working here is a woman with pearl-colored eyes and indigo hair?”

At my question, her eyes rolled up as if trying to recall something, then she let out a groan.

“Who… Are you talking about……”

That can’t be. That appearance was too shocking to forget easily.

I slowly described the woman I saw this morning again, and the woman in front of me looked as if she couldn’t understand what I was saying, but when I mentioned sweeping in front of the main hall, she finally spoke again.

“That, the maiden who only cleans the main hall courtyard every day. Ah, now that I think about it, her hair color might have been bluish.”

There’s something here.

With an oddly eerie premonition, I forced a smile and spoke gently.

“Yes. I need to talk to that person… Where can I find her?”

At my words, a look of embarrassment slowly spread across her face.

“Uh… But sir. That woman quit this morning……”

“What?”

“She definitely quit. Saying the world was already moving… In a hurry.”

Why do bad premonitions never fail?

If this were a movie or drama, someone would have cursed at me, saying, “You should have caught her earlier!”

But listen, I was in a situation where I couldn’t chase after her then with my crippled foot!

Feeling slightly unhinged, I made excuses to no one in particular and then smiled bitterly.