The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game-Chapter 94: Comfortable Expedition Team (5)

The Ruined World Was Mistaken for a Game-Chapter 94: Comfortable Expedition Team (5)

Translator: Dreamscribe
Jinwoo was relaxed.
He looked as if he were on vacation. He enjoyed his leisure time drinking delicious beverages.
The one who was in a hurry was the Count.
Beep! Beep!
That warning sound, the one that rang when Sebas exploded, echoed in the Count’s ears.
What that alarm signaled was an explosion.
Since Sebas had exploded and the Knight Commander had died in a horrific state, the Countess had also witnessed it and was terrified, writhing in panic.
“Mmghh! Mmgh!”
Her mouth was gagged, so her screams couldn’t be properly heard, but to the Count’s ears, they came through all too clearly. The surrounding Heroes wore sinister smiles, making the atmosphere blood-chilling.
“I-I will offer it.”
The Count brought a chest full of gold coins and jewels as ransom. He had brought quite a number of treasures for the negotiation. He was prepared to offer anything if it meant saving his wife.
“I’ll give you five more of these chests.”
When Jinwoo frowned, the expedition leaders glared at the Count.
“Add two more.”
“A-Alright!”
“And…”
Jinwoo examined the Count.
The Count was wearing high-rank armor and had a treasured sword at his waist. His rings were also of exceptional quality. The Count flinched and trembled under Jinwoo’s gaze.
“Take it all off.”
“What? What do you mean…!”
The Count reacted sharply.
Jinwoo gave a slight smile and shook his head, then gestured toward the Countess. In response, the Heroes brought over a table and placed the Countess’s hand on it.
Puk puk puk!
A Hero began quickly stabbing a dagger between the Countess’s fingers. Due to the thick fat, the spaces between her fingers were extremely narrow.
“Losing a few fingers isn’t such a big deal, right?”
“S-Stop!”
Faced with a sight that looked like her fingers might be stabbed at any moment, the Count put down the sword at his waist and removed his armor with the help of his knights.
The Count’s knights gathered everything and handed it over.
Shing!
Jinwoo drew the sword. When the silver blade came into contact with the air, it shimmered with a blue light. It was a beautiful sword made from a very rare metal.
[B+] Sky Sword
A treasured sword resembling the sky.
Just swinging it emits an aura close to aura energy. It was once offered at Ella’s Grand Temple, but records state that it was lost.
Not only was it beautiful, but its performance was also exceptional.
It could release aura-like energy close to aura without consuming any magic power or health, even with a basic strike.
“I’ll appraise it.”
The Heroes of the Comfortable Expedition Team took all the items the Count had taken off, appraised them, and then shared the information. The Count’s armor, ring, and accessories were all of similar caliber to the Sky Sword.
“Insane performance…”
"A Count is on different level different after all."
-ㅋㅋㅋ they stripped the Count bare.
-Wow, how much does that one go for?
-Please list it on the auction house!
-Look at the ring stats ㅋㅋ
The Heroes couldn’t help but be impressed.
Each and every one of those items was an incredibly rare treasure.
“You guys take it off too.”
When Jinwoo pointed to the knights, the Count gave an order to them. The knights also removed their equipment and handed it over to the Heroes. The knights brought in treasure chests.
“I-Is that enough now? Please, untie her!”
The Count pleaded desperately.
Jinwoo gave a slight smile and nodded.
“Untie her.”
Just as the Count wore a relieved expression at Jinwoo’s words.
The Hero standing in front of the hostage dragged over a different hostage and threw him toward the Count instead of the Countess. It was the official who had been assisting the Count along with Kumel.
“W-What! T-That wasn’t the deal!”
The Count protested in confusion.
“What wasn’t?”
Jinwoo looked at him with an expression that truly seemed like he didn’t understand.
“I released a hostage just like I said I would, didn’t I?”
Jinwoo had kept his promise.
He had taken the ransom and released a hostage. He had never specified which one he would release.
“Is there a problem?”
“I released them for a fair price, so why are you getting angry?”
“What a bunch of savages. How are we supposed to negotiate properly like this?”
NorthernGrandDuke, Kim Luxury, and LifeHunter each added a comment. Other expedition leaders also drew their weapons, threatening the Count.
“Mmghh!”
“Ah! Oops!”
The dagger that had been weaving between her fingers stabbed into the Countess’s finger.
“Well then, next.”
There were still many hostages left. Just how many treasures would it take to save them all?
The Count barely suppressed the fury that had risen to the top of his head.
His face was twisted with rage, turning red as if it were about to explode.
“Relax your face.”
At Jinwoo’s words, he barely managed to control his expression.
“Smile. It’s a wonderful day, you’re getting your wife back.”
“Ha, haha!”
The Count barely managed to force out a laugh.
“We’ve got plenty of time, so take it slow.”
“...I’ll return.”
The Count headed back toward the city.
Jinwoo spent a leisurely time at the oasis with the Heroes. The Count gathered as many treasures as possible from his domain, then reappeared at the negotiation site.
“Realistically, paying the ransom for all of them is impossible.”
The cart the Count had brought was packed with treasure chests and weapons that the Heroes would covet.
“In addition to this, I’ll provide some valuable information.”
You could almost hear the wheels turning in the Count’s head.
“Dragging this out any longer is getting boring…”
Jinwoo said that and then nodded.
“I’ll let exactly two go, so pick the ones you want.”
“T-Then…!”
Without hesitation, the Count pointed to the Countess and Kumel.
“Mmgh!”
“Mm!”
The other hostages thrashed about and glared at the Count in betrayal, while the Countess and Kumel shed tears of joy. The Heroes untied the two and even removed the bombs attached to their bodies.
“H-Honey!”
“Khk! Y-You endured so well!”
The Count and Countess embraced each other in an emotional reunion.
“Congratulations!”
“So touching!”
“Count! Countess! You must live happily ever after!”
Clap clap clap!
The Heroes smiled warmly and applauded. At the sound of the applause, the Count came to his senses and quickly opened his mouth.
“As promised, I’ll find and tell you where treasures worth coveting are. I’ll send messengers to keep in regular contact from now on, so…”
He was asking them to guarantee his safety.
Jinwoo smiled kindly and gestured with his hand.
“Go on. I’ll let you leave.”
The Count, still filled with caution, withdrew from the oasis with his knights. Jinwoo rose from his chair and stretched.
“Looks like we won the bet.”
At Jinwoo’s words, the expedition leaders had no choice but to agree. It was a perfect victory for the Comfortable Expedition Team. Although they had lost, everyone’s expressions remained cheerful.
Because it had been fun.
“The hostage content was entertaining.”
“Let’s do it often.”
“Episode 3 might be the best one yet.”
“We’re just getting started, and it’s already insane.”
“I can’t even guess what content will come next! All hail the Creator God!”
They had gained treasure, and it had been fun.
It couldn’t have been better.
Only the dopamine-filled finale remained. When the expedition leaders met Jinwoo’s gaze, they smirked and nodded.
There was never any negotiation.
This was a setup meant only for ‘fun’ from the beginning.
Heroes of Arsilan never forgave enemies.
* * *
The Count hurried to escape the invaders’ territory. Due to the massive size of the Count and Countess, the horses couldn’t run at full speed.
“W-We’re alive!”
When he saw his troops up ahead, the Count felt relieved and thought so.
‘I must this!’
Those invaders were not normal.
They were demons, or even worse than that.
It felt like facing pure evil born from the Abyss itself.
They were beings who could threaten not only the Eastern Noble Union, but the Empire itself.
It was no time for internal strife.
With the god remaining silent, it was time to unite their strength.
‘I’ll kill them in the most painful way possible!’
The entire Eastern Noble Union would rise and assemble a massive army to drive them out of the sanctuary. Just as the Count was thinking that.
Kwagagagaga!
The troops in front of the Count were engulfed by an explosion and all blew apart. The horse reared up in shock, throwing the Count to the ground. The Countess also fell from her horse and rolled across the dirt.
“Ah…”
The Count turned his head and looked out toward the desert.
Dozens of ships were bombarding the troops with indiscriminate shelling. Along with the remaining buildings of the city, the entire military force was swept away.
"Keoook!"
"Uaak!"
“S-Save… me…”
Invaders riding on stone horses mowed down the knights escorting the Count and approached him.
The Count looked up at them in a daze.
“Y-You said you'd let us go! Didn’t you say you’d release us?!”
“We did let you go.”
“You should’ve run faster, then.”
“A promise is a promise. That’s what romance is.”
They had, in fact, released them.
The invaders said so with bright smiles. The effects of the translation magic were still active, so their words could be understood. The Count, Countess, and Kumel were dragged back to the tent in front of the oasis.
The hostages were still alive.
They were tied to long wooden poles stuck into the ground. Cylindrical explosives were strapped to their bodies, with fuses connected below.
The Count and Countess now shared the same fate.
The invader who had led all the negotiations looked down at the Count.
“I-If you had just waited a little longer, I-I could’ve led you to a land full of treasure… W-Why are you doing this?!”
“No spoilers, please.”
“Spoilers? What do you mean…?”
The Count couldn’t understand what he meant.
“Finding it ourself is what makes it romantic. Discovering it, that's the content.”
“What nonsense are you talking about?!”
When he waved his hand, the invaders lit the fuses attached to the cylinders. The fuses burned with sparks and reached the cylinders.
Fweeee! KABOOM!
The hostage shot up into the sky with the wooden pole, exploded into beautiful fireworks, and vanished. The shattered body fell into the God’s Hole.
One by one, the hostages were launched. Kumel screamed as he flew through the air. Then it was the Countess’s turn.
“H-Honey! S-Save me! Please save me!”
The Countess struggled and screamed.
The translation magic wore off, and the Count could no longer understand the invaders’ language.
“N-No!”
Fwoooosh!
The Countess’s massive body soared into the sky. She rose high into the air and then exploded in a dazzling burst. Her appearance was grotesque, but in that final moment, she was beautiful.
“UAAAAAAHHHH!”
The Count wailed, shedding tears of blood. That blood was black.
“Hahaha!”
“Now this is fireworks!”
“Should I try it too?”
“Hm, well, they come back to life in Romance in an hour anyway.”
“Let’s ask HandGenius nim!”
Though the Count couldn’t understand what the invaders were saying, it was painfully clear that they were genuinely enjoying this horrifying scene.
These invaders had no intention of negotiating.
Everything was simply ‘fun’ to them. Pillaging was fun, destruction was fun. Even this execution was nothing more than a game.
‘Content…’
The Count recalled the word he’d heard earlier.
The one who had led the invasion approached the Count.
[How did it feel to sell off your domain and your people to the Erosion?]
“W-What…”
The words echoed inside the Count’s head.
It was perfect Imperial language.
[Suffer forever. You shall never speak again, and everything shall be pain.]
Something seeped into the Count’s soul.
“KRAAAAH!”
It felt like his soul was being torn apart. The Count screamed, wanting to beg them to stop, but no voice came out. Only screams emerged.
Fwoooosh!
The Count’s body soared into the sky.
He rose the highest and exploded in the most brilliant display, then fell into the hole. Thus vanished Count Jayron du Balac, once a rising figure in the Eastern Noble Union.
* * *
The execution was not a bad event.
It was an execution, Arsilan Hero-style, in pursuit of pure fun. And even this was the Heroes holding themselves back as much as possible.
There were suggestions to throw them into a pit and have a battle royale to pick the last survivor and kill them, and others even proposed tying them to ships and dragging them across the desert.
In the end, the fireworks execution, symbolizing a celebration of a successful raid, was chosen.
-It was full of dopamine from start to finish.
-Arsilan-style execution by Heroes ㅋㅋ
-I need to research this!
Jinwoo engraved magic circles onto the souls of the Count, his wife, and their retainers. Just as they had once indulged in pleasure, now they would live in endless pain.
“Ah, that was fun.”
“We’ve nearly used up all the shells.”
“Let’s head back now.”
The Heroes, wearing refreshed expressions, looked toward the underground labyrinth and boarded the ships. The fleet began preparing for return. They could have used the Hero’s Flower that bloomed in Romance to return to Arsilan, but that wouldn’t allow them to take the ships with them.
Except for a few Heroes, everyone chose to return by ship. After all, the sight of ships loaded with treasure arriving at the Magic Barrier was overflowing with romance.
Jinwoo looked at Haebyul.
“Please store these treasures in the domain and manage them, Haebyul nim.”
“Yes! If we register them as domain-exclusive items, we can lend them out!”
The high-rank equipment and accessories stripped from the Count were registered as domain-exclusive items. This meant they were considered the domain’s property and could be lent out to Heroes by the lord.
The Comfortable Expedition Team had now become Heroes affiliated with the Romance domain.
“I’ll sell off all the treasures and come back loaded with supplies.”
“Yes! Please do.”
At UruBear’s words, Haebyul nodded in response.
Romance was nearly empty.
To get it running properly, a large amount of supplies was needed.
The Heroes looked at the sacks of fruit seeds and spices.
“These could sell for a lot. I wonder if we can grow them in Arsilan.”
“Will the climate be suitable?”
“Hmm...”
The spices taken from the Count’s mansion had an incredibly unique flavor. Since it was a taste no one had experienced before, it was likely to fetch a high price in Arsilan.
‘It’s been a while.’
These were spices that enriched the flavors of cooking in Arsilan. Tasting the spices reminded Jinwoo of old memories.
The spice's name was 'Neshu'.
But in Arsilan, people mostly called it “Ella’s Scent” instead. Ella was extremely embarrassed by that name.
‘Ah, this broth has the rich scent of Ella!’
‘Ugh, ughhh! Stop it!’
‘This sweet and savory taste, Ella’s Scent!’
‘Kyaa!’
Jinwoo used to tease Ella like that whenever they ate food containing Neshu together.
UruBear and a few other Heroes decided to sail back to Arsilan, while Haebyul and the remaining Heroes stayed behind in the domain.
Jinwoo also boarded the ship.
The ship he was on took the lead of the fleet and headed toward Arsilan.
“Comfortable nim.”
“Yes?”
UruBear hesitated for a moment.
“What’s going on? Feel free to speak comfortably.”
“Ah, well…”
Jinwoo was curious why he was acting that way. The Comfortable Expedition Team had grown very close, so much so that they treated each other without formality now. After spending days on the same ship and raiding together, such bonds had naturally formed. Jinwoo also treated them comfortably.
“There’s going to be an offline meetup soon. Would you like to come, Comfortable nim?”
“Is it a meetup for our expedition team?”
“Yes, we talked about it before leaving Romance, and we’d really love for you to join. Ah! But there’s absolutely no pressure. Only those who want to come will be there. There’ll be a stream too, so if you’re uncomfortable with that, no worries.”
A lot of people were curious about Jinwoo. He had displayed skills on a completely different level from other Priests.
“I’ll think about it.”
“Ahaha! Great!”
When Jinwoo didn’t reject the idea, UruBear’s expression brightened.
‘It might be good for a change of pace.’
Of course, even if he did attend, he wouldn’t go as Lee Jinwoo.
What kind of concept should he go with?
Jinwoo began seriously thinking about it.
Time passed, and the entire fleet returned to Arsilan.
“Oh!”
“It’s changed a lot.”
“There are so many ships!”
“This really is the Great Invasion Era.”
Countless ships floated before the Magic Barrier.
The ships ranged in size from small ones that could carry multiple passengers to large sailing vessels. A large billboard was attached next to one of the big sailboats.
[RiceMoney Trading Company!]
*Relax comfortably in Romance! We’ll safely transport your goods for you!
*We’ll also safely deliver looted items to Arsilan!
*Three escort ships accompany us!
[Super Luxury Romance-bound Passenger Ship!]
*This is the passenger ship bound for Romance! We’ll take you there in comfort!
*VIP Room: 1,000 Gold, Luxury Room: 700 Gold, 4-Person Room: 200 Gold, General Seating: 50 Gold!
*Enjoy a romantic meal accompanied by beautiful music!
*We plan to operate a casino as well!
After Romance was established, production-class Heroes invested a massive amount of money and began launching businesses. Hundreds of ships were preparing to set sail. Some were heading for Romance, while many were attempting to open entirely new routes.
Jinwoo took in the scene and realized what it was that he wanted. A deep smile formed on his lips as he enhanced the Soul Gate.
[Transcendent] Soul Gate +4
A heart born from pure will tempers the soul.
The more Heroes are summoned, and the more those Heroes grow, the more the Soul Gate is strengthened, and the powers it grants are enhanced accordingly.
*You can now borrow the power of a Hero to completely subdue and enslave a spiritual being.
*You can now carry more objects.
*Souls that die in Arsilan will head solely to the Soul Gate and will not be consumed by the Erosion.
*You can invade beyond disconnected spaces. Using the remnants left by the Gate of Invasion, you can establish invasion bases in enemy territory and conquer surrounding areas to incorporate them into Arsilan’s domain.
*(NEW!) Places and territories occupied or claimed by Heroes become part of Arsilan. Just as Erosion once consumed Arsilan, now Erosion’s space will be purified into Arsilan, allowing Arsilan’s people to dwell there freely.
It was a direct repayment for the suffering Arsilan had endured. Just as it had once been devoured, now Arsilan would consume the Erosion in return, expanding through conquest.
‘The Heroes will love this.’
What reaction would they show when Arsilans visit their domains? It would be a very good surprise gift.
‘What else should I add?’
Ideas continued to flow, features and content that Heroes would surely enjoy.
*****
For 15 or more extra chapters, you can check out my Patreon here --> patreon.com/dreamscribe
If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it at Novelupdates. Thanks! 😊
To receive the latest update notifications or mistakes, join our Discord server linked below.

Chapter 94: Comfortable Expedition Team (5)