Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse-Chapter 189: In the world of the novel

In the world of the novel, bedding from Earth is incredibly expensive. In a regular estate, just buying a few pieces would be enough to empty the warehouse. However, that only applies to lands where leadership hasn’t changed and hasn’t undergone integration. In a place where the number of pioneers and civilians has significantly increased through integration, there’s little that can’t be obtained. Especially when it’s a large community formed by the integration of more than ten territories.

While it would put a lot of financial pressure on the community, preparing bedding for everyone should still be possible—assuming taxes are collected properly. So, while others might be surprised by their wealth, it shouldn’t be shocking to the point of disbelief.

Yet, when Damian and his group saw the bedding, they were utterly dumbfounded, as if their basic understanding of reality had been shattered. Two possibilities came to Justin’s mind from their reaction: "Either their funds are incredibly tight, or they assumed everyone else was in the same situation."

Justin suppressed a smirk. Although they were allies for now, in the end, they would be rivals for land and civilians. It wouldn’t hurt to note their weaknesses. "I’ll have to ask Grayson about this later," he thought. Fortunately, Grayson, who knew their situation, was already leaning towards their side. There was no need to rush; he could get more detailed information when the time was right.

"You should start preparing your camp too, right? I’m sure you don’t plan on sleeping under the night dew?" Justin remarked.

"...Of course. Everyone, let’s set up the tents," Damian ordered his group.

Even after hearing Damian’s command, his subordinates hesitated for quite some time. It took several reminders before they finally opened their inventories. As they began pulling out items, Justin’s subordinates whispered among themselves.

"What is that?" "Nonwoven fabric? Poles?"

Unlike Justin’s group, who were pulling out proper bedding, Damian’s group had nonwoven fabric and poles. When they fixed the poles and began draping the fabric over them, the murmurs grew louder.

"Are they really making a roof out of that fabric?" "Looks like it. Probably to keep off the night dew." "But what about the ground?" "Oh, look. They’re pulling out straw mats. And blankets too."

The mats weren’t modern ones but the kind you’d see in historical dramas—made from straw. The blankets, though actual cotton quilts, were too small. Unless the person was unusually short, there was no way it would cover their entire body. Even if they tried to wrap up, their feet would definitely stick out.

"...Pfft."

A faint snicker echoed throughout the campsite. Instantly, the pioneers from Damian’s group, who were busy setting up their makeshift shelters, froze. The mocking tone was obvious, even to the dullest person.

"That won’t do," Justin thought as he clapped his hands loudly.

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"Hey, stop gawking at other people and hurry up with our tents! How long are you planning to drag this out?"

"Yes, sir!"

At Justin’s scolding, his pioneers hurriedly resumed setting up their tents. When Justin glanced towards Damian’s group, he noticed their faces had darkened even more.

"Good. This is exactly the right balance," Justin thought. He wanted to show a clear difference in their conditions, but not push it to the point of a complete breakdown. While it was good for Damian’s group to feel frustrated with their current situation, it would be problematic if their alliance broke down entirely. It was a time to find the right balance between pushing and pulling.

Justin figured that as long as he stayed passive, things would naturally play out in his favor. People always compared themselves to others. He just needed to stand by and be ready to step in if things got too dangerous.

"Now that the sleeping arrangements are made, how about we have dinner?" Damian suggested as he approached Justin after finishing the camp setup.

Though Damian wore a forced smile, his expression was full of determination, as if he were planning to prove something this time.

"Come to think of it, food is supposed to be cheap in the Halfling city," Justin mused. "I can see where this is going."

Suppressing a chuckle, Justin nodded.

"Sure, I was just starting to get hungry."

"Great minds think alike. Let’s each send a few people to keep watch while we eat…"

"No need. We’ve got that covered," Justin interrupted.

"Pardon?"

"You heard me. Nathan!"

"I’m on it!"

Justin called over Nathan and some Hobgoblins. Seeing the Hobgoblins gather around, Damian’s eyes widened. He had seen them being used for scouting during their journey, but it was clear he hadn’t expected them to be useful in this situation.

"I remember you mentioning a Tamer... Are you really planning on having monsters guard the perimeter?" Damian asked in disbelief.

"That’s right. Hobgoblins may be weak, but they’re perfect for mine-clearing and alarm duty. I’ll even use them for night watch later," Justin explained.

"...."

Damian fell silent, eyeing both Nathan and the Hobgoblins with a peculiar look. His already dark expression grew even darker. Justin knew exactly what was going through his mind. Scouting and guard duty took a heavy toll on a pioneer’s mental strength, and being able to offload those tasks onto disposable monsters was a significant advantage for maintaining morale.

"It must be eating him up inside," Justin thought. Not only did they have more manpower and resources, but they also had the luxury of convenience. Damian had probably thought he was doing well in this main quest, only to suddenly feel like he was falling behind.

"Well, thanks to you, we’ll be able to enjoy our meal in peace. Let’s get the food out!" Damian shouted, trying to shake off his gloomy thoughts. His pioneers brightened up immediately and began pulling food out of their inventories in neat rows.

As the food piled up, Justin’s pioneers looked surprised.

"Wow, that’s some fancy stuff." "Fried food, sushi, even raw meat... Looks pretty good." "They even bring drinks? They’re well-prepared."

The shift in attitude was noticeable. Damian’s pioneers smirked as they glanced at Justin’s group, expecting them to do the same. It was clear they were waiting for Justin’s team to reveal their food so they could mock them in turn.

But this time, it was Justin’s pioneers who began pulling out their food.

"We brought some pretty decent stuff too, but their spread is no joke." "Yeah, I’d trade a few things with them." "Maybe we should’ve brought drinks too. How did we not think of that?"

"...!?"

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The faces of Damian’s pioneers quickly changed as they saw the warm food being laid out. While it wasn’t a clear victory for either side, Justin’s group certainly wasn’t lagging behind. Damian, who had seemed confident only moments ago, turned pale.

"No way... How did you…?" "What do you mean? Are there any other places to get food besides the store?" Justin replied, his tone almost playful.

"But isn’t all of that expensive food?" Damian asked, his tone strained.

"Of course it’s expensive. We paid full price for it, like I said earlier."

Damian’s mouth opened and closed a few times, but then he shut his eyes tightly, as though there were many things he wanted to say but couldn’t. Justin smiled, pretending not to notice Damian’s frustration.

"Come on, let’s eat," Justin said, breaking the tension.

Two days had passed since then. Even though they had formed an alliance, Justin’s group and Damian’s faction remained distant from each other. To be precise, it was Damian’s group that was maintaining the distance. It was clear that they weren’t in a position to act superior; rather, they were the ones enduring the other side’s superiority.

"Well, I suppose no one likes to hear others boasting, especially when they’re already feeling down," Justin thought.

His own pioneers were itching to show off, their expressions betraying how eager they were to boast about their resources. Justin hadn’t told them to hide anything, so they felt even more inclined to brag. But if the other side wasn’t willing to listen, there wasn’t much point in it. As a result, both sides had maintained a strange distance for the last two days, focusing on their journey without much interaction.

Despite the lack of conversation, spending time together over the two days had allowed Justin to gather a decent amount of information about Damian’s group. One key piece of intel was the average level of Damian’s pioneers.

"Kieek! Rocks! Rocks incoming!" a Hobgoblin shouted frantically.

"Everyone, prepare for battle!" Justin and Damian yelled in unison.

Just as the pioneers grabbed their weapons, several large shadows appeared ahead.

"Guuuoooh!"

"Rock golems…!"

"Ah, not again!"

The screeching sound was grating, and Justin’s pioneers grimaced. The rock golems moved slowly but had extremely high defense due to their stone bodies. It took forever to bring them down, even when everyone attacked at once. Not to mention, their stone bodies made their attacks incredibly dangerous, so it wasn’t as simple as just hitting them repeatedly. The only way to defeat them was to exploit their slow movements, striking and retreating in a drawn-out battle. They were the kind of monsters that drove people mad.

"At least they give a lot of experience points," Justin thought, sighing internally.

"Stop complaining and start spreading out! Rachel and I will handle the two on the right. You guys take care of the two on the left!" Justin ordered.

"Can’t you handle them all this time, my lord?"

"You idiots, don’t you want to level up? Don’t you plan on advancing to your second class? Stop talking nonsense and get into position!"

"Ugh…"

Despite their groans, Justin’s pioneers quickly divided the golems among themselves. In truth, the only problem was the time and energy it took to fight them; there was no real danger. Even if something went wrong during the battle, Justin could easily step in and finish it off, just like now.

"Black Missile, Black Missile, Black Missile!"

Boom!

In quick succession, three black missiles shot from Justin’s hands, hitting the rock golem dead center. The golem shattered into pieces after being struck by just those three missiles. Unless it was a mid-boss-level stone giant, there was no need for Justin, who had reached level 39, to use any enhanced skills on these regular mobs.

"Hyaah!"

Crack!

The second golem fell apart under Rachel’s counterattack, a skill that was the alpha and omega of her advanced Einherjar class. The Counter Attack skill was a natural enemy to slow-moving, high-attack rock monsters. Despite their impressive defense, the rock golem couldn’t withstand two hits from her counters and crumbled to the ground.

"It’s over!" Rachel called out.

"Well done. Let’s leave the rest to the others. And Zachary, stop holding back and attack more aggressively! You need to gain as much experience as possible!" Justin called out.

"It’s... not as easy... as it sounds!" Zachary replied, panting as he struggled with one of the two golems. It was clear that he wasn’t used to fighting monsters of the same level for such an extended time.

"Tch, it’s going to take a while to turn him into a proper fighter," Justin muttered, shaking his head as he looked back.

Damian and his pioneers were standing a few steps back, watching the battle unfold. After a moment, Damian murmured, his face blank with astonishment.

"You’re amazing."

"You’ve seen us fight several times already. What’s there to be surprised about?" Justin responded casually.

"Even so, it’s still impressive. How on earth did you train such an elite group…" Damian trailed off, stopping himself before he said too much. Referring to Justin’s pioneers as "elite" was as good as admitting that his own subordinates weren’t, after all.

Before Damian could stew in that thought any longer, a Hobgoblin shouted again.

"Rocks! More rocks coming this way!"

"Tch."

Unlike Justin, who clicked his tongue in mild irritation, Damian’s eyes widened in alarm. As expected, two more rock golems were lumbering towards them from the other side. Before Damian could say anything, Justin lightly tapped his shoulder and spoke.

"We’re short on hands. Could you take care of those two? It’s just two, you can handle it, right?"

"...Of course we can!" Damian replied through gritted teeth, nodding stiffly.

It was clear from his expression that he didn’t think it was fine at all.