MAEPG: Episode 70
Episode 70 Tattoo (3)
Two days after the two giants visited.
Slurp—
“Whew…”
The old woman sipped her warm tea and leaned back in her chair.
Preparing to give a tattoo after meeting southern warriors after such a long time brought back memories.
Actually, she wasn't even sure if one of them was really a southerner, but that wasn't something she needed to worry about.
Everyone had their own circumstances.
Wasn't she the same?
‘Maraki…’
It had been well over ten years since she left the south with her only son and settled here.
Her son, who was a promising warrior, had made a name for himself as a mercenary and was settling down well in the city.
But one day, ten years ago,
Her son, who had gone to the northern mountains as usual, never returned…
And she had been staying here alone ever since.
‘I was just planning to live quietly here and die.’
She couldn’t leave Tarak because of her lingering attachment, but she had lived long enough, and she no longer had the will to live.
And since she lived in a remote residential area within the city, she hadn’t encountered anyone from her hometown…
“Granny! We’re here!”
“Hahaha—! I brought some meat to boost your energy, old woman! Eat well and regain your strength!”
A boisterous noise came from outside.
The old woman chuckled and got up from her seat, heading towards the door.
It was an unexpected connection with the young warriors, but she didn’t dislike it.
…It reminded her of her son, whom she could no longer see.
“Meat, my ass. My teeth are weak, I can’t even chew properly.”
She grumbled, complaining, but there was a small smile on her lips.
Two days after the two giants visited.
Slurp—
“Whew…”
The old woman sipped her warm tea and leaned back in her chair.
Preparing to give a tattoo after meeting southern warriors after such a long time brought back memories.
Actually, she wasn't even sure if one of them was really a southerner, but that wasn't something she needed to worry about.
Everyone had their own circumstances.
Wasn't she the same?
‘Maraki…’
It had been well over ten years since she left the south with her only son and settled here.
Her son, who was a promising warrior, had made a name for himself as a mercenary and was settling down well in the city.
But one day, ten years ago,
Her son, who had gone to the northern mountains as usual, never returned…
And she had been staying here alone ever since.
‘I was just planning to live quietly here and die.’
She couldn’t leave Tarak because of her lingering attachment, but she had lived long enough, and she no longer had the will to live.
And since she lived in a remote residential area within the city, she hadn’t encountered anyone from her hometown…
“Granny! We’re here!”
“Hahaha—! I brought some meat to boost your energy, old woman! Eat well and regain your strength!”
A boisterous noise came from outside.
The old woman chuckled and got up from her seat, heading towards the door.
It was an unexpected connection with the young warriors, but she didn’t dislike it.
…It reminded her of her son, whom she could no longer see.
“Meat, my ass. My teeth are weak, I can’t even chew properly.”
She grumbled, complaining, but there was a small smile on her lips.
________________________
After a hearty meat feast, preparations for the tattooing began.
They had brought the most tender meat, considering the old woman’s dental health, but she ate more than expected.
‘They say most southerners are carnivores and big eaters…’
No matter how old she was, the blood of a southerner seemed to run deep.
“Hmm… I feel a bit energized after eating meat after such a long time. The meat is tender, it seems like high-quality stuff. Hehehe…”
“Hahaha! I paid special attention and chose it for you today.”
“Don’t worry, boy. I’ll take good care of you, considering your sincerity.”
All sorts of bizarre items were prepared, from shamanistic tools, including needles made by grinding monster bones, to an unidentified liquid made by mixing chemicals with Ogre blood.
“You lie down here… and Hairy, you should go outside. It’ll be distracting. And tell anyone who comes for treatment to come back in half a day.”
“Don’t worry, granny. I’ll tell them and send them back.”
The bearded man nodded reliably and headed outside.
“Tsk… That guy. I hope he’s not scaring the neighbors and chasing them away.”
The old woman clicked her tongue, shook her head, and turned her gaze to Harley, who was lying on the workbench.
“My goodness. He’s really big. This will be a tough job.”
Tattoos had to be engraved in specific locations and proportions.
The larger the body, the wider the area, so she needed more materials and the shaman had to work harder.
Of course, the effect of the tattoo was also stronger, so warriors preferred to have larger bodies.
“This is my first time giving a Great Warrior’s Tattoo without even a Warrior’s Tattoo. Tsk, tsk, tsk…”
The locations where the two tattoos were engraved were the same.
The ‘Warrior’s Tattoo’, a burning flame pattern starting from the heart and extending to the neck, and the ‘Great Warrior’s Tattoo’, which was drawn on top of it in a more complex pattern.
“Then I’ll begin, so bite down on this.”
“Huh? It’s not necessary, old woman. Just start!”
“Hehe… It’ll be quite painful. Why don’t you bite down on this now, so you don’t regret it later?”
“Hahaha! Don’t worry about it. Pain is nothing to a true warrior!”
He readily refused the piece of wood the old woman offered because pain meant nothing to him.
She didn’t urge him any further and immediately began the tattooing process.
“Whew…”
With a small sigh, a faint light started to emanate from the tattoo on the old woman’s face.
It was the ‘Shaman’s Tattoo’ she had received from her master while learning from him.
The bone needle in her hand was dipped deep into the dark red liquid and then pulled out.
And it was stabbed into Harley’s heart…
“Huh?”
The needle was still on his chest muscle, not penetrating at all.
“This guy, his skin is so tough that the needle won’t go in!”
“Huh?”
It was an unexpected obstacle.
His monstrous body was now immune to attacks that didn’t contain a certain level of energy…
As he was flustered, the old woman clicked her tongue and rolled up her sleeves.
“Alright! I’ll take care of it, so just lie still. Tsk… If it weren’t for the meat, I wouldn’t have been able to do this!”
And the tattoo on the old woman’s face started to glow more intensely, and a whitish energy enveloped the bone needle.
Several hours passed.
The tattooing process continued quietly without any problems.
After a hearty meat feast, preparations for the tattooing began.
They had brought the most tender meat, considering the old woman’s dental health, but she ate more than expected.
‘They say most southerners are carnivores and big eaters…’
No matter how old she was, the blood of a southerner seemed to run deep.
“Hmm… I feel a bit energized after eating meat after such a long time. The meat is tender, it seems like high-quality stuff. Hehehe…”
“Hahaha! I paid special attention and chose it for you today.”
“Don’t worry, boy. I’ll take good care of you, considering your sincerity.”
All sorts of bizarre items were prepared, from shamanistic tools, including needles made by grinding monster bones, to an unidentified liquid made by mixing chemicals with Ogre blood.
“You lie down here… and Hairy, you should go outside. It’ll be distracting. And tell anyone who comes for treatment to come back in half a day.”
“Don’t worry, granny. I’ll tell them and send them back.”
The bearded man nodded reliably and headed outside.
“Tsk… That guy. I hope he’s not scaring the neighbors and chasing them away.”
The old woman clicked her tongue, shook her head, and turned her gaze to Harley, who was lying on the workbench.
“My goodness. He’s really big. This will be a tough job.”
Tattoos had to be engraved in specific locations and proportions.
The larger the body, the wider the area, so she needed more materials and the shaman had to work harder.
Of course, the effect of the tattoo was also stronger, so warriors preferred to have larger bodies.
“This is my first time giving a Great Warrior’s Tattoo without even a Warrior’s Tattoo. Tsk, tsk, tsk…”
The locations where the two tattoos were engraved were the same.
The ‘Warrior’s Tattoo’, a burning flame pattern starting from the heart and extending to the neck, and the ‘Great Warrior’s Tattoo’, which was drawn on top of it in a more complex pattern.
“Then I’ll begin, so bite down on this.”
“Huh? It’s not necessary, old woman. Just start!”
“Hehe… It’ll be quite painful. Why don’t you bite down on this now, so you don’t regret it later?”
“Hahaha! Don’t worry about it. Pain is nothing to a true warrior!”
He readily refused the piece of wood the old woman offered because pain meant nothing to him.
She didn’t urge him any further and immediately began the tattooing process.
“Whew…”
With a small sigh, a faint light started to emanate from the tattoo on the old woman’s face.
It was the ‘Shaman’s Tattoo’ she had received from her master while learning from him.
The bone needle in her hand was dipped deep into the dark red liquid and then pulled out.
And it was stabbed into Harley’s heart…
“Huh?”
The needle was still on his chest muscle, not penetrating at all.
“This guy, his skin is so tough that the needle won’t go in!”
“Huh?”
It was an unexpected obstacle.
His monstrous body was now immune to attacks that didn’t contain a certain level of energy…
As he was flustered, the old woman clicked her tongue and rolled up her sleeves.
“Alright! I’ll take care of it, so just lie still. Tsk… If it weren’t for the meat, I wouldn’t have been able to do this!”
And the tattoo on the old woman’s face started to glow more intensely, and a whitish energy enveloped the bone needle.
Several hours passed.
The tattooing process continued quietly without any problems.
_______________________
《The individual meets the conditions and gains enlightenment. You have acquired the skill “Calcos-style Combat Tattoo”.》
The moment the last stitch pierced his chin, vitality surged throughout his body.
And Harley immediately realized what had happened.
Part of the life force dormant in his muscles, bones, and other parts was being sucked into the completed tattoo, activating all his physical abilities at once.
‘This is amazing. It’s much more efficient than enhancing with “Bio-Aura”.’
And if he also imbued the tattoo with aura…
Harley, who couldn’t stand to wait once he had an idea, immediately put it into action.
The ‘Great Warrior’s Tattoo’, a magnificent flame pattern engraved on his chest, slowly turned red and started to glow as if it was burning.
And…
“Whoa—!”
A faint heat haze rose from his entire body.
A chilling sound escaped as he clenched his fist.
‘At this rate, I could beat an Ogre to death with my bare hands without even using “Physical Transformation”?’
Harley, who was rejoicing, came to his senses and looked back at the old woman.
She was sitting on the ground, gasping for breath, as soon as the tattooing was finished.
“…You stubborn bastard. To think you didn’t even make a sound. Is your pain tolerance broken?”
“Old woman, are you okay?”
“I’m just exhausted from using too much energy. It’s been over ten years since I last gave a tattoo, so I guess I pushed myself too hard.”
Harley felt bad seeing her pale face, drenched in sweat.
She must have used a lot of energy to pierce his tough body, even though she wasn’t young.
‘There are still many tattoos left to engrave, this is a problem if this happens already…’
He was convinced that he couldn’t leave her like this.
He needed to feed her meat three times a day, give her good health supplements, and improve her stamina through regular exercise and stress management.
“Old woman…”
“I need to rest now, so get lost. I’m going to die at this rate.”
The old woman staggered and collapsed on the bed.
It seemed like he would have to bring it up later when he got the chance.
He placed the pouch with the remaining balance on the workbench and went outside, and he saw the bearded man sitting on a chair, dozing off.
“Hey~ Turaba!”
“Uh… huh? Harley? Are you done?”
The bearded man, who rubbed his eyes and got up from his seat at Harley’s call, looked at him and widened his eyes.
“Oh, oh—! That’s the Great Warrior’s Tattoo!”
“Hahaha!”
The southern warrior looked at Harley with admiring eyes, exclaiming repeatedly.
It wasn’t the simple flame pattern that warriors had, but a magnificent and vivid burning flame that extended from his chest to his neck, fully exposed through his bare upper body.
‘Ah! I see!’
And Harley realized.
Why the southern warriors of the previous generation insisted on this attire.
‘It wasn’t just to show off their muscles, but also their tattoos!’
It was the result of various factors, including regional, ecological, and cultural elements, but such things weren’t Harley’s concern.
As he walked out with his shoulders squared and a swagger in his step, he felt even more admiration from the surrounding gazes, perhaps it was just his imagination.
“Turaba, the effect of the tattoo is so good, why do only southern warriors use it? It doesn’t seem like the technology is that tightly guarded.”
If a shaman with the skill could freely leave the south, it meant they could leak the technology whenever they wanted.
But he had never seen people from other regions using tattoos.
“Well, it’s because of the side effects. There are various strict conditions. And most importantly, it continuously drains your life force.”
Life force that was constantly drained from the moment it was engraved.
Of course, the strengthening effect was even greater, but the amount each person could handle varied.
“Southerners are born with strong life force. It’s a method that suits us.”
People from other regions said it was more efficient to focus on training their aura and strengthening their bodies when needed.
That’s how weak southern warriors were at handling aura…
“I see. Well, it doesn’t matter to me, who is now a proper Great Warrior of the south! Wahahaha—!”
“You’re right! To think my friend is a Great Warrior! Hahaha!”
“Hahaha!”
“Gahahaha!”
The two men’s laughter echoed through the alley.
Of course, no one dared to say anything to them.
《The individual meets the conditions and gains enlightenment. You have acquired the skill “Calcos-style Combat Tattoo”.》
The moment the last stitch pierced his chin, vitality surged throughout his body.
And Harley immediately realized what had happened.
Part of the life force dormant in his muscles, bones, and other parts was being sucked into the completed tattoo, activating all his physical abilities at once.
‘This is amazing. It’s much more efficient than enhancing with “Bio-Aura”.’
And if he also imbued the tattoo with aura…
Harley, who couldn’t stand to wait once he had an idea, immediately put it into action.
The ‘Great Warrior’s Tattoo’, a magnificent flame pattern engraved on his chest, slowly turned red and started to glow as if it was burning.
And…
“Whoa—!”
A faint heat haze rose from his entire body.
A chilling sound escaped as he clenched his fist.
‘At this rate, I could beat an Ogre to death with my bare hands without even using “Physical Transformation”?’
Harley, who was rejoicing, came to his senses and looked back at the old woman.
She was sitting on the ground, gasping for breath, as soon as the tattooing was finished.
“…You stubborn bastard. To think you didn’t even make a sound. Is your pain tolerance broken?”
“Old woman, are you okay?”
“I’m just exhausted from using too much energy. It’s been over ten years since I last gave a tattoo, so I guess I pushed myself too hard.”
Harley felt bad seeing her pale face, drenched in sweat.
She must have used a lot of energy to pierce his tough body, even though she wasn’t young.
‘There are still many tattoos left to engrave, this is a problem if this happens already…’
He was convinced that he couldn’t leave her like this.
He needed to feed her meat three times a day, give her good health supplements, and improve her stamina through regular exercise and stress management.
“Old woman…”
“I need to rest now, so get lost. I’m going to die at this rate.”
The old woman staggered and collapsed on the bed.
It seemed like he would have to bring it up later when he got the chance.
He placed the pouch with the remaining balance on the workbench and went outside, and he saw the bearded man sitting on a chair, dozing off.
“Hey~ Turaba!”
“Uh… huh? Harley? Are you done?”
The bearded man, who rubbed his eyes and got up from his seat at Harley’s call, looked at him and widened his eyes.
“Oh, oh—! That’s the Great Warrior’s Tattoo!”
“Hahaha!”
The southern warrior looked at Harley with admiring eyes, exclaiming repeatedly.
It wasn’t the simple flame pattern that warriors had, but a magnificent and vivid burning flame that extended from his chest to his neck, fully exposed through his bare upper body.
‘Ah! I see!’
And Harley realized.
Why the southern warriors of the previous generation insisted on this attire.
‘It wasn’t just to show off their muscles, but also their tattoos!’
It was the result of various factors, including regional, ecological, and cultural elements, but such things weren’t Harley’s concern.
As he walked out with his shoulders squared and a swagger in his step, he felt even more admiration from the surrounding gazes, perhaps it was just his imagination.
“Turaba, the effect of the tattoo is so good, why do only southern warriors use it? It doesn’t seem like the technology is that tightly guarded.”
If a shaman with the skill could freely leave the south, it meant they could leak the technology whenever they wanted.
But he had never seen people from other regions using tattoos.
“Well, it’s because of the side effects. There are various strict conditions. And most importantly, it continuously drains your life force.”
Life force that was constantly drained from the moment it was engraved.
Of course, the strengthening effect was even greater, but the amount each person could handle varied.
“Southerners are born with strong life force. It’s a method that suits us.”
People from other regions said it was more efficient to focus on training their aura and strengthening their bodies when needed.
That’s how weak southern warriors were at handling aura…
“I see. Well, it doesn’t matter to me, who is now a proper Great Warrior of the south! Wahahaha—!”
“You’re right! To think my friend is a Great Warrior! Hahaha!”
“Hahaha!”
“Gahahaha!”
The two men’s laughter echoed through the alley.
Of course, no one dared to say anything to them.
______________________
“Ah! Sir Heinrich! Is it okay for you to be up already?”
“Hahaha, it’s fine to walk around a bit. Actually, I could have gotten up before, but the healing priest in charge was so strict.”
“But still… wouldn’t it be better to be careful until you’re completely healed?”
Heinrich, who was having a pleasant conversation with the Saintess who was worriedly speaking to him, was able to leave the infirmary now that his condition had improved significantly.
And it was a good thing that the timing coincided with an important day.
“Today is the day the Elven Kingdom’s envoy departs. We should at least see them off, considering our past connection.”
The Elf envoy, who had gone through many twists and turns, was finally returning to their homeland.
Heinrich also had a strong connection with Rapori, their leader, so it was good to at least show his face one last time.
If they parted ways like this, it would be difficult to see each other again.
‘It was a special case that a High Elf personally led the envoy in the first place.’
They were in a position to lead their race, so they wouldn’t leave the World Tree’s side unless it was a special occasion like this.
As they were talking in front of the gate, the Elf envoy entered, guided by a priest.
Two people had been added to the group, besides Rapori and the envoy.
Cecily, the High Elf candidate, and… Harris, the Elf introduced by Harley.
“Sir Heinrich. I heard you were seriously injured, is it okay for you to be out here?”
“Ah, I’m really fine, Lord Rapori.”
Farewell greetings were exchanged between the Church and the envoy.
They had stayed for quite a while, so many had formed friendships, and it took some time, but the moment of parting finally arrived.
Wooong—
“Then we’ll be going. We won’t forget the hospitality you’ve shown us.”
“I hope both sides can maintain a good relationship in the future. Then, farewell…”
The Elf envoy disappeared into the blue vortex of the gate after the final greetings between Saintess Liesta and Rapori.
They would now travel to the eastern end of the continent over several days and then cross over to the Enamel Continent using their own means.
With Harris.
He felt his heart pounding like an explorer on the verge of a new continent.
“Ah! Sir Heinrich! Is it okay for you to be up already?”
“Hahaha, it’s fine to walk around a bit. Actually, I could have gotten up before, but the healing priest in charge was so strict.”
“But still… wouldn’t it be better to be careful until you’re completely healed?”
Heinrich, who was having a pleasant conversation with the Saintess who was worriedly speaking to him, was able to leave the infirmary now that his condition had improved significantly.
And it was a good thing that the timing coincided with an important day.
“Today is the day the Elven Kingdom’s envoy departs. We should at least see them off, considering our past connection.”
The Elf envoy, who had gone through many twists and turns, was finally returning to their homeland.
Heinrich also had a strong connection with Rapori, their leader, so it was good to at least show his face one last time.
If they parted ways like this, it would be difficult to see each other again.
‘It was a special case that a High Elf personally led the envoy in the first place.’
They were in a position to lead their race, so they wouldn’t leave the World Tree’s side unless it was a special occasion like this.
As they were talking in front of the gate, the Elf envoy entered, guided by a priest.
Two people had been added to the group, besides Rapori and the envoy.
Cecily, the High Elf candidate, and… Harris, the Elf introduced by Harley.
“Sir Heinrich. I heard you were seriously injured, is it okay for you to be out here?”
“Ah, I’m really fine, Lord Rapori.”
Farewell greetings were exchanged between the Church and the envoy.
They had stayed for quite a while, so many had formed friendships, and it took some time, but the moment of parting finally arrived.
Wooong—
“Then we’ll be going. We won’t forget the hospitality you’ve shown us.”
“I hope both sides can maintain a good relationship in the future. Then, farewell…”
The Elf envoy disappeared into the blue vortex of the gate after the final greetings between Saintess Liesta and Rapori.
They would now travel to the eastern end of the continent over several days and then cross over to the Enamel Continent using their own means.
With Harris.
He felt his heart pounding like an explorer on the verge of a new continent.
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