657 Negotiating clothes for a body

“Vincent Vincent. Plow can see no head body and spiky monsters. Are monsters going to cook body?” Plow said in a low voice while trying her best not to bark.

Vincent cautiously approached the last tree covering his view. Be poked his head and saw a headless naked female body, a campfire, and ten Cefeye.

The Cefeyes were strange creatures. They had long dark brown fur-like spikes on their backs, similar to hedgehogs. The rest of their body was covered by a short layer of brown fur.

On their heads were the skulls of animals. Most of them were skulls of cows, sheep, horses, and donkeys. None of them had the skull of a wolf or a predator.

Vincent had read in a book how Cefeyes had one big eye similar to the Cyclops. Because of their wide vision, they constantly suffered from migraines.

The Cefeye race was once a vicious and feared race because of this. They were constantly pissed off all the time.

Fortunately for the Cefeye and the future victims of their assaults, the Cefeyes of the Southern Continent started wearing skulls one day, causing the reports of victims to stop entirely.

Based on the information from the book they read, Kazumi estimated it was the same time she, the Knowledge Hero, was summoned to this world. This was also the time when the Cefeyes would later migrate to an unknown place in the Berlucia Kingdom and remain safe as if it was a place the authority never went to check.

Based on how Kazumi had helped the goblins learn to speak human language, Vincent and Kazumi thought this was her handiwork.

.....

While the Cefeye race of the Southern Continent became peaceful, this change came at a cost. The Cefeye became fascinated with stealing clothing and ripping them apart.

The leader in a small group of Cefeye would attach a piece of thorn clothing onto one of their two horns. It would prove their might as a Cefeye while serving as an achievement.

The book mentioned how, after years of study, the researchers determined the top twenty male Cefeye with the most achievement would have the honor of protecting their queen, which means a rare-to-be-born female Cefeye.

How did they steal? The Cefeye showed great intelligence by acting similarly to the bandits. The Cefeye would surround people who wore clothes and threaten them to strip with hand signs.

Only by stripping and also leaving any food and water supplies would the victims be allowed to leave with any item not considered important to the Cefeye. This meant the Cefeye didn’t steal weapons or any other object of value.

The book mentioned it would be best to keep an extra set of clothes in case of an encounter with Cefeyes. Although the victims would not be injured externally, they would receive emotional damage if they were in a party.

In front of Vincent were nine Cefeyes with an article of ripped clothing acting as a loincloth. The tenth Cefeye, who was most likely the leader based on what they learned from the books, wore ripped pieces of clothing wrapped around its body.

The Cefeyes didn’t seem to require wearing clothing as their fur gave the impression of keeping them warm. It made Vincent wonder if the Cefeyes had more traditions than the book of monsters mentioned.

Vincent shook his head to clear his thoughts after encountering a new race he had heard of from books. He focused his gaze on the Cefeye leader first to determine how difficult it was going to be in a frontal assault.

.

[Name] Cefeye

[Race] Cefeye

[Age] 2

[Condition] Healthy

[Traits] Hair Control, Hair Tail

[Stats] Strength 4 || Agility 17 || Perception 12 || Mana 0

.

[Third Eye activate.]

historical

[Hair Control description.]

[The user can control hair. The user will be able to increase the toughness, rigidness, temperature, and sharpness of what their body considers hair.]

.

[Third Eye activate.]

[Hair Tail description.]

[The user is born with one hair many times stronger than the user’s other hairs.]

[The hair can move by the user’s will, similar to an ordinary tail.]

[The [Hair Tail] trait can only be acquired from birth. Only females can have a chance to be born with [Hair Tail] trait.]

.

Vincent was shocked to see the information. The Cefeye leader was a female Cefeye. It meant there could be many more Cefeye nearby to protect the rare Cefeye.

Vincent moved his gaze and inspected the other Cefeyes. Their strength stat was the same, but their speed and perception stat was lower than the female Cefeye.

Vincent moved his gaze onto the body of Awa. Fortunately, the body was close to the fire, allowing the naked body to receive a little bit of warmth.

The body was left with its back leaning against a tree. Additionally, it didn’t appear the Cefeyes were going to eat the body.

Underneath the legs and bottom were a lot of the thorn clothes. It gave the impression the Cefeyes noticed Awa’s body was still alive.

Yet the reason for their actions was uncertain. The reason? The reason made Vincent unable to avert his gaze.

The shivering Awa noticed Vincent staring at a specific place. She tried her hardest to move her gaze. She soon understood Vincent was staring and drooling at her wonderful Dullahan body.

“The shame I feel... is unimaginable... kill me now, human... I can’t get married... my future as the bride... ”

“Hush!” Vincent tried to make Awa stop talking, yet his slightly raised voice was noticed.

The Cefeyes twitched their ears and moved their heads toward Vincent’s direction. They made sounds as if giggling when the familiar sounds of a human’s voice were heard. It meant it was time to mug humans out of their clothes.

*Tsk* Vincent clicked his tongue and walked out from behind the tree. Plow followed while trying to make a mean look, and Zero followed while being fully prepared to fight.

“Please... stop looking... at my body...”

“What is there to look at?” Vincent asked while looking at the status of her body for a second time.

.

[Name] Awa

[Race] Dullahan

[Age] 19

[Condition] Critical Condition, Severe Starvation

[Traits] Blood Tempered Body Stage One, Soul Link

[Class] None

[Stats] Strength 0 || Agility 0 || Perception 0 || Mana 0

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“I would believe it is the shriveled corpse of a beheaded woman if I didn’t find your head first. Just how long did you manage to survive for your body to be reduced in that state?”

“My body is... normal...”

*Skree!* The female Cefeye screeched while pointing her stick at Vincent’s clothes.

[Vincent. How about you throw them some clothes?]

Vincent liked the idea. He summoned a bunch of his clothes. The light caused the Cefeyes to point their sticks at Vincent as if warning him not to do any bold movements.

The Cefeyes soon saw a shirt hanging on Vincent’s hand. He threw the shirt at the Cefeye and said, “I have more where that came from. But I need the body behind you, please.”

The female Cefeye nudged the shirt. She lifted the shirt with the stick and smelled it. After nodding, the female Cefeye ripped the shirt as if she was a child having fun tearing papers.

[It worked better than I expected. Did you perhaps add something to the shirt?]

-I had a hunch the Cefeye deemed worn clothes as the prize. That is why I threw a dirty and used shirt.-

[Now it makes complete sense! That is why the Cefeye only strips people and does not take their other different types of fabrics.]

Vincent placed Awa’s head on Plow’s back. “Please keep Awa safe.” He requested.

“Plow will keep head safe.” Plow looked at Zero and continued, “Big plant. Please protect Vincent Vincent.”

Zero gently nodded once. “Zero. Protect. Master. If. Danger. It. Becomes.”

Vincent summoned more of his dirty and used clothes. He dangled them in front of the Cefeyes.

After a few seconds, Vincent determined the Cefeye had a good nose as they appeared to be smelling the clothes from far away. They could tell the clothes were used and dirty, making them eligible to be recognized as achievements.

Vincent pointed at Awa’s body and the clothes multiple times. “Let’s make a trade. I give you these two treasures, and you let me take the body.” He said, hoping the Cefeye could understand what he was trying to mean.

“Skree?...”

“Sk, Skre”

“Sk, skr... skree?”

The Cefeyes communicated with a high-pitched voice. Based on their tone, Kazumi guessed they had possibly comprehended Vincent was trying to bargain with them.

After a while, the Cefeyes stopped discussing. The female Cefeye dropped the stick she held. She extended her hands and opened her ten small fingers.

[They drive a hard bargain. Five of your used clothes for Awa’s body could prove a problem.]

[You do not have enough used clothes in the Soul Dimensional Storage. Most of the spare clothes you have are clean.]

.....

-... that means I need to give up some of my current clothes. I hope I will not get a cold.-

Vincent lowered his head to look at Awa. He smiled and said reassuringly, “I will save your body. Just hold on a little bit longer.”

“Dullahans... don’t... need... to... be... pitied...”

“Hehe. Suit yourself, you prideful woman.”

Vincent summoned four more pieces of clothing, but he needed to provide four more. They needed to come off of his body to be accepted.

Vincent took a deep breath and prepared to resist the cold by removing some of his clothes in order to reach the quota.

As Vincent was removing his gloves, Plow raised her ears on alert and warned *Pho! Pho!* “Plow heard a heavy footstep!”