I'm snoring right now.
The very image of a mighty savage, all conked out after an arduous day.
Zzzzzz!
… Um, is this a bit over the top?
I'm a little worried, but I hear laughter.
"… Really, they're a strange race."
I guess it went well.
I guess my racial advantage outstripped my acting skills.
The perception of barbarians as simple and stupid is quite helpful.
That's why I stuck to my role as a barbarian, even disregarding the problem of evil spirits.
As the proverb goes, hide your dagger behind your smile[1].
As if hiding a dagger within your laughter, use the preconceived notion of your innocence as a weapon to slit the other's stomach.
… That sounded a bit like middle school syndrome[2].
In the end, to summarize, it means that it's better to keep your true thoughts close to your chest.
Just like now.
Zzzzzz!
Nodding off sideways, scratching my stomach as if asleep. All for the sake of realism.
Even so, I'm listening intently, paying full attention to the uncle's movements.
If you show this much of a gap, if the other party does have some kind of scheme, he should take action soon.
Or you can just try to sleep for real.
To be honest, I don't know if I'll be able to sleep like this.
"Bjorn, time to change shift."
Ah, um… Really, I didn't even get a wink of sleep.
"Don't relax your guard too much just because the goblins haven't appeared till now. They are wicked and sly."
Maybe because he has his doubts, uncle exhorts me to stand up straight during my watch, and lies down comfortably on the floor like the last time.
And in less than five minutes, he falls asleep again.
Disappointment creeps in.
He just went to sleep. What the hell have I been doing for two hours?
Shit.
Is it because I've met him for the first time today?
Even though I decided he was reliable, I couldn't sleep at all.
If I had known this would happen, it would have been better to sleep alone while watching out for the goblins.
That way, I could have slept at least a little.
"Hoo…"
I'm bone-tired, dead on my feet.
And I feel even more drowsy because uncle is sleeping next to me.
Still, it's my turn to keep watch, so I diligently concentrate my mind on chasing away the siren song of the Sandman. But suddenly, a voice breaks through my focus.
"Bjorn, get up."
"… I didn't sleep."
"Say that after you wipe the drool around your mouth."
When I rub it with the back of my hand, it really came away moist.
"So if you sleep standing up, your nose doesn't get stuffy."
Looks like I really did nod off.
Even if just for a short while, with only ten minutes left of my shift.
… My heart is pounding.
However, there is something that needs to be done before I can indulge in self-blame.
So I apologize frankly.
"I'm sorry."
Not just pretending to be a barbarian, I am being serious.
Being night friends is relationship based on trade. But although he provided me a safe environment during the night, I couldn't return the favour.
It's natural to apologize in that case.
Even I don't want to become the kind of person I hate the most.
"… Fortunately, there weren't any problems while I slept, so it's no big deal."
"Thank you. You can sleep more if you want. I will keep watch one more time."
"No, I can't do that. It's your turn, go to sleep. Give me the watch back."
He could have blamed me, but he forgives me instead with a friendly smile.
So without further ado, I go back to my seat and squat down.
Again, sleep eludes me.
All adventurers, including uncle, are so exceptionally respectful. Is it normal to trust someone you see for the first time with your life?
Aren't their guts a bit too great?
Whichever way you slice it, to me this all looks like a bunch of bullshit.
Because of that, I kept snoring, just like the last time.
Zzzzzzzz!
I couldn't help it.
I'm sorry, uncle, but somehow, you've started to look more and more suspicious.
Zzzzzzzz!
That far too good impression of yours reminds me of a scammer.
Uncle who mentioned that there was no need to get another member.
Who didn't even bother to say anything about the smell.
That's already pretty good.
Just now, you didn't blame me for sleeping on my shift.
You even refused my offered price of letting you sleep one more time.
Of course, maybe I'm just a crazy bastard, and in fact, this guy is just that kind.
But to me, kind bastards are the most suspicious.
'It was these bastards who stabbed me in the back every time.'
If it was the old me, now would have been the right time to be vigilant.
Don't make the same mistake twice.
If you have even the barest modicum of intelligence, that is.
Zzzzzzzz!
Wouldn't it be better to just quit this and break up at this point?
As I was thinking that, I kept snoring.
How long had it been?
Click.
A small, but foreign sound.
Backpack buckle? Waist belt? Or the heels?
There was no way to sense where exactly the sound had come from.
However, although my head understood that, the body of a barbarian interpreted it with instinct.
Dangerous.
Is this the killing intent they talk about in martial arts?
Goosebumps broke out on my skin.
I opened my eyes at once.
"You woke up."
Still, the old man was smiling happily.
With his two-handed hammer bathed in goblin blood and flesh, lifted high above his head.
This fucker…
Avoid!
The body that had been raised from birth as a warrior reacted far faster than my rational judgment.
I was already rolling to the side before my brain had given the command.
Crash–!
As something smashed with a loud noise just in front of my nose, I was using the recoil to quickly rise up and fix my posture.
"Eh!"
Uncle, whose surprise attack failed, had a bewildered expression on his face.
Rather than asking why, I dashed forward.
"W-, wait!"
Are you trying to make an excuse or something? You didn't mean to? Were you playing a prank? In that case, it was indeed a little, no, really funny.
Fuck, how fucking stupid are those barbarian bastards, really?
Puff–!
The 'smash' with the shield accurately hit his chin.
However, humans were different from goblins, with a much stronger physique.
The man staggered, but did not fall.
Then one more time.
Puff–!
Smash.
"Kaaaha!"
The hammer in his hands fell to the floor with a resounding thud.
His nose was already red and swollen with blood.
… Oh, are you in pain?
Most probably, but I don't care.
Because right now I want to be a bastard who doesn't care about that kind of thing.
So, once again—
"S-, stop! Wait, I can explain…!"
"Smash."
The man, after getting repeatedly slugged in the face with a shield, finally fell to his knees.
In terms of the game, he was incapable of further combat.
In other words, it was now possible to hold a conversation.
"Uncle."
"Please, I was wrong! Save me!"
Have you decided to ask for forgiveness already?
You've got a quick judgement, but maybe not a wise one.
Because the conversation I want right now is not about forgiveness.
"Why?"
"I, I got greedy for mana stones… I was just going to knock you out and steal them. Believe me!"
Believe you? Yeah, that won't wash with me.
If I had such an overflowing love for humanity, I would've had a few more friends.
"Shield! I was going to take that shield too!"
As I slowly raised the shield, the uncle quickly added something.
This is the main reason why I don't believe in humans.
Everyone lies so easily.
Just compounding to their tangled web of lies, without bothering to do it properly.
"Why the shield?"
"… Because the barbarians have good quality arms. I was thinking of selling it once I got back to the city."
Obviously, most of the weapons that barbarians receive during the tutorial are comparatively expensive.
Because the weight of steel in them is significantly higher than average.
Just looking at my shield, one could tell it was made of pure steel.
But even so, killing somebody just to get this?
Well, when I think about it, it's not completely incomprehensible.
But…
"Bullshit."
The man was still hiding something.
"Be honest. Why?"
Just like when I was dealing with the fallen goblin, I crushed the man's chest with my foot.
"Ugh!"
Deep fear was engraved in his eyes.
But maybe because this bastard had tried to kill me?
Surprisingly, I didn't feel anything in particular.
The same way you know not to look into the eyes of a cow when slaughtering it…
It's okay to just ignore it, or something like that.
As I was thinking about ending the conversation at this point, uncle called out again.
"Hea-, heart!"
"Heart?"
It was an unexpected word.
When I looked at him with eyes that demanded an explanation, uncle continued his words with a resigned expression.
"… A barbarian's heart sells for a high price."
"Why?"
"Well, I don't know for sure, but they say it's an ingredient for some new magic potion!"
"I see."
Now I understood the motive.
I was just a goblin to this man.
Difficult to catch, but once you catch one, you can get a huge reward.
"Why did you act now instead of when I first slept?"
"… I have to sleep too."
Oh, I see.
If possible, it's better to both sleep and earn money.
I thought uncle was cautious, but it was just a bug from seeking extreme efficiency.
"I've told you everything, so please forgive me…"
"Forgive?"
To be honest, I couldn't help but laugh.
Forgive me?
The guy who had just been about to pull out my heart and sell it as an ingredient was now saying something like that?
If I'd reacted just a little late, I wouldn't have even gotten a chance to beg for my life.
"Please…"
Well, everybody wants to live. I should've known it was going to be like this. At least he had good attitude.
However.
"Uncle, it is right that you should pay the price."
The bastards I hate the most are the ones who do whatever they like and then dodge the responsibility afterwards.
Therefore…
"I will give you everything I have! Even if I don't have that much right now, if I can just go back to the city… "
I can't believe you.
In that respect, what was the difference between this guy and a goblin?
I couldn't ever be friends with a goblin, but at least with this guy there had been a chance.
Only that was different, and therefore he was worse.
Of course, this is just an emotional opinion, and I don't make choices based on my emotions.
It doesn't always happen, but at least I try.
"I will probably meet countless people like you in the future. They'll all say the same thing. Then should I forgive them each time?"
Forgiveness is a very scary word.
A decision you make with a gentle heart often comes back like a dagger to stab you in the back.
I know that fact better than anyone.
So this time, too, I have no choice.
A mistake in this primordial world would not only scar my heart, but even threaten my life.
"I'm sorry, uncle. I don't think I can do it. Because I've been stabbed in the back far too many times."
"Oh, no! Absolutely not! I'm different!"
Come to think of it, the goblin said the same thing.
Well, I was just arbitrarily interpreting whatever I'd seen in his eyes, but anyway.
Then, what do you do next?
Kkkkk.
Raise the shield high with both your hands.
However, unlike the last time, it pauses for a moment.
Of course, that hesitation doesn't last long.
As if some unknown force is pulling your arm down –
"Oh, no, please!"
I lowered the shield with all my might.
Crunch. After the sound of cracking bones, came a sullen silence.
「 Achievement complete 」
「 Condition: First kill. 」
「 Reward: Permanently increases Mind by +1. 」
I did not turn away from what I had done, and instead accepted it.
About a day had passed since I entered this game world.
I killed someone.
And what I received in return were a large hammer, shoulder pauldrons, leather boots, a compass, a knife, a pocket watch, a water bottle, a backpack, a blanket, some herbs and bandages, a potion, six days' worth of food, and 32 rank 9 mana stones.
Editor's Notes:
[1] 笑裏藏刀 (Chinese, lit. hide a knife behind a smile) is one of the thirty-six stratagems.
[2] 중2병 – don't lie, we know you know what chuunibyou is.
-x-X-x-
I'm walking through a cave.
This time, there's no wobbling.
「The character is wearing leather boots.」
「Total Item Level rises by +5.」
The boots almost fit. Thanks to that, I learned one more thing. Uncle's feet were too big for his height. Anyway, they're pretty sturdy, so stepping on a trap won't hurt as badly as it did the last time.
「The character has equipped a two-handed hammer.」
「Total Item Level rises by +30.」
This hammer is made of solid iron and is about 1m long. Uncle needed both hands, but I can swing it one-handed.
「The character is wearing shoulder guards.」
「Total Item Level rises by +13.」
Steel pauldrons. I tied the laces a little loose and they fit just right. If I take off my jacket and put on just the pauldrons, I look like some ancient gladiator.
「The character is wearing a backpack.」
「Inventory expands.」
Now I no longer need to store the blood-stained mana stones alongside the bread, and moving around is much less cumbersome.
Chomp.
I take out some jerky and chew it.
I don't have much of it, but it tastes better than bread.
I cut the rest with a knife and store it away so as to not get my drool all over it.
On this second day, I have graduated from my primitive lifestyle.
When you're thirsty, just drink some water from the water bottle.
If you want to know the direction, just take out your compass, and if you want to know the time, just take out your pocket watch.
There's even a bottle of potion to help you cope with any possible injury in an emergency.
Isn't it a little ironic?
That after killing a person, I became able to live a little more like one.
「Bjorn Yandel」
Level: 1
Body: 25 / Mind: 37 (New +1) / Ability: 1
Item Level: 72 (New +48)
Combat Index: 81 (New +13)
Smash was a good technique to use with a shield, but a proper weapon boasted a different level of power.
Puff–!
A goblin turned into motes of light and disappeared with just a single blow of my hammer.
Had I known this would happen, I would've just picked a weapon at the start. After all, wouldn't it have been fine if I just saved up money and bought the shield later?
Well, I didn't know at the time that I could fight so well.
Was it because I transmigrated into the body of a barbarian?
When I fought, I felt like my body didn't belong to me. It was easy to get used to it, but looking at this body that always exceeded expectations, I still couldn't help but exclaim my amazement now and then.
"I'm feeling drowsy."
Yawning, I picked up the two magic stones from the ground around me and put them in my bag.
This was the change that occurred on the second day.
The goblins started coming in twos.
Perhaps tomorrow, it would increase to three, and the same would continue until the labyrinth closed on the seventh day. Because that's how it was in the game.
In that sense, it wasn't particularly bad yet.
My combat power increased sharply with the new weapon, and thanks to the various consumables, my life instead became a little safer.
Things were going pretty smoothly.
'Except for the fact that I keep closing my eyes.'
From yesterday until now, I kept constantly moving and fighting the goblins. But I'd only gotten around ten minutes' worth of sleep, and one time I even fell asleep while standing up.
I really wanted to sleep.
I didn't even want any luxuries like a blanket or a pillow. I just wanted to squat down and take a nap, even if it was on the bare stone floor.
Really, if things carried on like this –
"Oh, fuck!"
In my half-asleep state, I tripped over a stone.
Thankfully, things didn't go as unluckily as was my usual. I would've been in real trouble had it been a trap.
"Let's just get some sleep right here…"
Coming to a decision, I immediately leaned against the wall, with my shield and my hammer still in my hands.
Even though I didn't have any night friends by my side…
Rather, this felt safer. If you're going to be ambushed anyway, goblins are better for that.
You're more likely to live if you get stabbed with the little carving knives[1] they carry around.
Unlike your head being pulped with a hammer while lying down.
Squelch–
Motherfucker.
I woke up to the sound of footsteps that had already become familiar.
Even when there had been no hide nor hair of them when I'd stood vigilant for no less than four hours. Now that I was sleeping alone, one showed up right away.
I could see why uncle told me not to drop my guard.
… Stubborn bastards.
I immediately ran over and shoved the hammer into the goblin's head.
Puff–!
"Ga, gruck!"
A total of two shits had been creeping up on me, but the other guy immediately bolted once he saw his friend being smashed.
Yes, go, go.
I don't even have the energy to follow you.
"Hey, you bastards…"
When I checked the time, less than ten minutes had passed.
In the end, I had no choice but to go back to the cave and keep hunting goblins.
Whenever I felt too tired and couldn't take it any longer, I leaned against the wall and got a few winks of sleep.
There were a few occasions while I dozed off that made me almost faint with surprise, but it was only twice that I felt like I had one foot in the grave.
Once, when I felt a presence and opened my eyes, some bastard adventurer was quietly closing in on me.
When our eyes met, he gave an indifferent smile, then stepped back and disappeared.
… Even just thinking about it again, I got goosebumps.
In terms of surprise alone, the second occasion didn't lose either.
Especially since it was an ongoing process.
「The character was attacked by a goblin while sleeping.」
For the first time, I woke up to actual pain, not a premonition of a presence.
A goblin appeared in front of me. Once I killed it with one swing of my hammer, the other bastard hightailed it.
"G, ggh!!"
I immediately identified the root cause behind the pain.
But, oh my God, there was a carving knife stuck between my collarbones.
… Shit, my left arm wasn't moving well for some reason.
But after all, I was glad it ended with just pain.
Had I been a little shorter, or if that goblin could jump a little better, this knife would've been lodged in my neck.
Creak.
I clenched my teeth as I pulled the knife out.
Then, taking out the potion from my bag, I placed a few drops on the wound. By the time I closed the stopper and put the bottle back in the bag, the blood was bubbling and the wound was regenerating quickly.
Chiiiiiiiik.
Was the bastard who made the potion a psychopath or something?
Somehow, it hurt more than the stabbing itself.
"Ouch, hehehehe…"
After about five minutes, the pain went away.
Although the pain had woken me up abruptly, after the rush faded, my eyelids felt heavier than ever.
So much that my vision blurred if I stopped concentrating even for a single moment.
It was time to make the decision I'd been putting off.
Although my body was that of a barbarian and sensitive to killing intent, there was a limit to it. Didn't I just wake up after being stabbed with a carving knife?
'I need to take a break.'
I checked the time, and it had been about fourteen hours since I'd parted with uncle.
Perhaps the adventurers active on the first floor were also wandering around by now, again looking for night friends.
"Hey barbarian, are you looking for a night friend?"
This time when I roamed the area, it was the adventurers who took the initiative to speak to me first.
Also, very passionately.
"Hmm, you look pretty tired, don't you? Will you come?"
"You can always trust a barbarian. If you join, we'll have three people, so how about getting together?"
It was like being an in-demand whore.
Was it because this was the second day and everyone was looking the same?
Bastards who sniffed at my smell were nowhere to be seen. Or maybe the smell hadn't been the problem in the first place?
Come to think of it, yesterday I'd been wobbling on my feet a bit, and drenched in about seven litres of blood.
"Oh? That's unfortunate."
Numerous love calls flooded in, but I refused them all and kept walking through the passage.
Haa, was there no strong barbarian anywhere nearby?
In fact, my best choice would be to find a fellow countryman to make night friends with. The problem was that, until the second day, I wasn't able to smell even the faintest whiff of another barbarian.
"You are looking for your own people? Hmm, wouldn't it be difficult?"
"Difficult? Why is that?"
"Even a barbarian who just finished his coming-of-age ceremony would go upstairs within two or three months. I don't rightly know, but there must be less than a hundred on the first floor."
As I kept exploring, it looked like barbarians were a rarity on the first floor. Seriously, it'd be strange to mess around on the first floor if you have a body like this.
99% of the adventurers I met on the first floor were humans.
"Why don't you join us instead?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't."
"I see. I pray that Rafdonia will be with you on your journey."
"Thank you."
This man looked pretty trustworthy, but I ended our chat and moved on.
Since I found out that how expensive of a barbarian's heart was, I couldn't help but suspect every one of the adventurers.
Click.
I took out the compass.
I'd been moving south ever since I got it, but I still wasn't out of the Goblin Zone.
I could feel just how big the first floor was.
'… Should I give up looking for my own people?'
My worries didn't last long.
I decided to stop looking for needles in a desert, and made a more realistic plan.
I'd look for a night friend even if they weren't of my own people.
But not humans.
I'd search for the demihumans who were less than 1% of the population.
A fairy who valued promises, or a dwarf with as arrogant a personality as a barbarian would be the best…
It didn't matter much as long as it was a non-human race.
Unlike humans, these races had longer lifespans.
Given enough time, they had the potential to climb all the way to the top, so they would be less likely to get blinded by short-term gains and hurt a fellow adventurer.
Having made that decision, I kept wandering around the cave for about an hour.
And…
「You encountered an injured fairy stranger. 」
I finally found one of the demihuman races that I'd been looking for.
The moment our eyes meet, the air grows heavy with a strangely suffocating silence.
"…"
The pointy-eared fairy sitting with her back against the wall just stares at me without saying a single word.
Were you also sleeping alone without a night friend?
Her catlike glowing amber eyes show embarrassment, but also a keen vigilance.
Just looking at her makes me want to pass by and disappear, but…
Seuk.
As our silent confrontation stretches out, the fairy finally gets up from where she'd been sitting with a nervous face.
But her posture is unnatural.
Upon closer examination, there's a wound on her stomach.
"You're hurt."
It's not deep, but it's a long cut.
Not something that could be caused by the little carving knives carried by the goblins.
I quickly come to a conclusion.
"Was it a human?"
The fairy doesn't answer.
She's afraid.
Yeah, I can see where she's coming from. I'd be scared too if some random stranger much bigger than me passed by while I was injured.
Isn't she even a woman, on top of that?
Her body is tiny too. Maybe around 160cm?
Anyway, this isn't a bad situation –
"Please spare me."
Yes?
"Please, just once, uncle barbarian. I have a little sister in the city that I need to take care of."
I did wonder how this plot was going to develop.
The fairy kneels down to her knees without any regrets.
At some point, even moisture had formed in her eyes.
"I beg you."
What the hell, where did your spirit as a fairy go?
To be honest, I'd thought she would be the cool beauty type.
Because most of the fairies in the game had that kind of tone and personality.
Hooo, if I'd known she'd be this kind of a character, I would've approached the situation completely differently.
Let's clear up the misunderstanding before things get worse.
"I have no intention of killing you."
Make eye contact and speak with a clear pronunciation.
The eyes are the windows to the soul, so given some time to calm down, she'll know that I'm being sincere –
"… Must you do this, uncle barbarian?"
– Yup, that's not gonna happen.[2]
I'm having an identity crisis right now.
Isn't this a highschool drama, with a savage delinquent bullying the girls in front of the school? With me being the savage, obviously.
"Just once, please, let me go just this once."
As my silence stretches, the fairy takes a step back. The fear in her eyes deepens as she opens up her front collar.
It's not funny.
What kind of life do these barbarian bastards lead? What's their usual image like, that she's doing this shit?
"Hooo…"
I can't help but sigh.
What do I do?
Would this misunderstanding be cleared up if I showed her that I'm not that kind of trash, with actions rather than words?
… That seems feasible.
"Start treatment first. We can talk later."
I step back, take the herbs and bandages from my bag and throw them at her.
"This is a lychee leaf…?"
I see, so this is a lychee leaf.
In the future, I can use it with peace of mind.
I was worried that it might be poisonous, so I couldn't use it even though I got injured earlier.
Editor's Notes:
[1] 조각칼 (lit. carving knife) usually means engraving knife used in sculpture. However, it is also a term used in archelogy to mean a prehistoric tool for carving flint.
[2] 개뿔 (lit. silver horn), means something that'll never happen, bullshit.
-x-X-x-
"… Why are you giving me this?"
"Do I need a reason to help you?"
I feel like a thorn is stabbing the insides of my mouth, trying to spout rubbish I don't even want to say, but I can't help it.
Because this works better for her type.
I want to be friends with this fairy tonight.
It makes me sound like garbage for some reason, but it's not a bad deal for her either.
Injuries, lack of sleep, and gorgeous looks.
Just looking at her situation, she has it several times worse than me.
She did that shit just now because she knows that.
To be honest, that tenacious obsession with her own survival surprised me.
"Like I said, treat yourself first. We can talk later."
"But…"
"I'm going to stand guard."
As I turn my back dismissively, I soon hear a sound.
The sound of herbs being chewed before applying them over her wounds.
"… It's all done."
Already? She's surprisingly good with her hands.
Turning around, I see a tightly wrapped bandage from between the gaps of her torn clothes. The vigilance in her eyes when she looks at me seems to have lessened a bit, for some reason.
Let's start with the standard introductions and slowly close the distance between us.
"I am Bjorn, son of Yandel."
"… Erwen."
"I don't know what you've misunderstood. But nothing will happen to you."
"Yes? Ah, yes…"
She makes a brave face, but the fear is still there in her eyes.
I thought that if I did this much, this misunderstanding would soon be solved, but what the hell is wrong now?
In the end, I can only ask bluntly.
"Why are you so afraid of me?"
"… Barbarians and fairies are enemies, aren't they?"
"Enemies?"
"Sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that… I don't want to fight you."
She gets so worked up at my question that she starts begging again.
No, I just asked because I was really curious…
Are fairies and barbarians, enemies? That's a story I'm hearing for the first time. They obviously got along pretty well in the game.
How did this happen?
I just look at her with a piercing stare, and the information I wanted readily flows out.
"… Th-, the war that ended ten years ago? I, I personally don't have any lingering hatred! I really don't."
Ten years ago…
I don't know what happened, but listening to her talk, it seems more like a belligerent relationship rather than outright hostility.
Well, then, was she afraid because she grew up hearing bad things about my race from a young age?
The situation is pretty bad.
What do I do? Do I have to look for somebody else?
Not to mention, the herbs and bandages I already gave her are on the pricey side…
Alright, let's try this first.
"It's the same for me, no lingering hatred."
"That's right!"
"Yes. That's why I'm asking, Erwen. Would you like to be friends with me tonight?"
"… Night friend?"
"I'm tired now. The same must go for you, too. So why don't we cooperate for today, since there are no lingering feelings between us?"
"Ummm…"
Her eyes suddenly light up.
To be honest, I wonder if she spoke truly just now.
Without rushing, Erwen contemplates for a while with a deep frown, then offers a condition instead.
"Barbarians value a warrior's honour. Can you swear on it? That you won't hurt me first?"
"I swear."
"Mm, of course, I promise you in the name of my clan. I would never harm you first."
It's equivalent to a pinky swear In Korean culture[1].
Of course, I can do this all day.
But there is one issue that needs to be addressed first.
"I am Bjorn, son of Yandel. Not 'uncle'."
Our Bjorn is only twenty years old, you know.
The contract had been concluded.
Maybe it was even a bit ground-breaking in terms of local culture.
Thanks to that, I found out the fairy maiden's real name in the process.
Erwen Fornacci di Tersia.
She was twenty years old, same as me.
Hoo, I'm glad I'm not the real Bjorn. I'm sure the real Bjorn would think so too. Even if I…
I won't say it.
"Then how do we decide how to take turns?"
"I'll sleep first. That should make you feel safer."
"It's not like that, but if you want to, I can't help it…"
In a word, it was an unvoiced complaint.
"So it's good with you?"
"Yes."
Heh, I'm glad. I would've fallen into despair if it'd been rock-paper-scissors again.
My eyes had been fluttering closed since some time ago. Please, I just wanted to get some sleep. Why was getting a good night's sleep so hard?
"Oh, yeah, but! How do I know the time?"
Tsk, is this why rookies had it so difficult?
I took the watch out of my backpack and gave it to Erwen.
"It's expensive, so don't break it."
"Yes…"
Seeing her receive it reverently like an ancestral relic gave me some peace of mind.
"I'll be careful with it. Good night."
I lied down on my backpack, covered myself with a blanket, just like uncle had done.
And…
Zzzzzzzzz!
I let sleep claim my consciousness.
"Uncle!"
… It's Bjorn, I tell you.
"Uncle, wake up. Time's up."
I forced my eyes open and got up. I couldn't believe it.
Had it been two hours already?
"Come on, give the watch here."
I looked at the time, and two hours had indeed passed.
Come to think of it, it seemed that I hadn't even snored properly. Just in case, I tried to do that that for ten minutes…
Wow, was this the synergy between a backpack and a blanket?
It was terrifying enough.
Obviously, if uncle had lent them to me, I wouldn't have been able to avoid his surprise.
I would have slept very comfortably, forgetting the outside world.
Is this karma?
… Considering the circumstances, let's lend them to her too.
"Cover yourself with this and sleep. And use this as a pillow if you want."
"Yes? But…"
She was shy, but her lips curved at the corners.
I decided to pretend that I hadn't seen anything.
"Well, then I'll use them properly, thank you…"
Without any further urging on my part, Erwen crawled into the blanket and curled up like a cat. And soon after, there was the sound of regular breathing.
Hey, are you sleeping so well in front of an outsider?
She seemed tired. She might've had as hard a day as mine.
"Hoo…"
I rested my back against the wall and opened the watch.
[22: 50]
It felt like five days had passed, but there was still more than an hour left before the second day ended.
I wanted to go back to the city soon. Actually, it was funny to say that I was going back, but… If I managed to go back, I'd definitely sleep for a few days.
'… Seeing that I can think like this, this body is really worth it.'
I closed the watch and put it back in, immersed deeply in my thoughts. It'd been a while since I last had a peaceful time, but I kept thinking about this and that.
What happened to me in reality?
Had my disappearance been discovered? Surely it would be. Somebody should come. Although the company wouldn't take a few days' absence seriously.
"Kkh."
It wasn't that this was the first time I was considering this issue.
It just made me more and more sad.
If you keep thinking that there's nothing good about going back, your will itself would shatter.
It was better just not to think about it, in many ways.
No matter if it was only deceiving myself, I was pretty good at self-hypnosis.
"…"
I deliberately twisted my flow of thought.
Alright, let's recap what happened over the past two days. After the coming-of-age ceremony, I entered the labyrinth, fought the goblins, fought uncle…
Shall I praise myself for doing well so far?
I clung to life really hard. Since there was no one to praise me for that, why not do it myself?
Snap –
I decided to leave the self-congratulations until I got back to the city, and when I opened the watch, time had run out.
"Erwen, wake up."
"Just five more minutes…"
What's so good about just five minutes, hurry and get up.
"Ugh…"
Erwen rubbed her eyes and stood up as she shook off the wretched barbarian's hand from her shoulder.
Hey, this looks dangerous.
I could see why she hated me.
"Don't even think about falling asleep just because nothing has happened so far."
"Yes…"
I was a little nervous, but once again I went back to bed.
Maybe because I'd lent her the blanket and the backpack, a trace of warmth remained in them.
It was ironic.
How long had it been since I'd last felt the warmth of someone other than myself? How unfamiliar.
Maybe more than everything else I'd gone through in the past two days.
Zzzzzzzzzz!
This time, I had quite a bit of energy, so I diligently started snoring. To be honest, it was more to make sure she didn't sleep and did her job properly.
… I didn't feel like sleeping.
I opened my eyes and glanced at Erwen, then let go of my worries and closed my eyes once more.
And, how long had it been after that?
Creak.
I felt a sense of urgency and sat up hurriedly.
"Hey!"
For some reason, I was holding Erwen's white wrist.
It looked like she had been stretching it out towards me…
"What are you doing?"
"You looked like you were having a bad nightmare, because you kept sweating…"
Looking at the handkerchief in her hand, it didn't seem like an excuse.
Well, if it had been a weapon in the first place, I would have hit her with a shield without asking why.
"Sorry, I'm sorry."
After grasping the situation, I relaxed my hands.
Erwen stroked the place I'd caught with a painful expression.
There were already red marks on her wrist.
I didn't even apologize. Because they would've been empty words anyway.
"How much time has passed?"
"… Ten minutes left till shift change."
"Right. So let me take the shift now."
"But…"
"If I sleep again now, I'll just be more tired."
At my words, Erwen lay down with an apologetic expression. And tossed and turned a little.
"Uncle."
"Any problems?"
"No. I have a question."
"Ask."
Erwen hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"… Who is your uncle?"
What? Are you making a pun?
"Because you keep muttering, telling him you're sorry, in your dreams… Oh, my apologies. Am I speaking out of turn? You don't have to answer. I'll just sleep."
Before I could respond, Erwen pulled up the blanket over her head.
It seemed that this young lady was slowly starting to become curious when she realized that I was not that scary.
"Lay off."
I thought while doing a few simple stretches.
I couldn't really remember anything, but it looked like I had a real nightmare…
Suddenly, I felt a little curious.
Who the hell was the man I was asking for forgiveness?
Two candidates came to mind.
An unknown uncle who was decapitated at the coming-of-age ceremony, and Uncle Hans, who taught me how to be human.
… But when I thought about it, it was strange for it to be either. I didn't recall doing anything to them worth apologizing for.
Soon I came to a conclusion.
It must've been some meaningless dog dream that I had.
[04:30]
Day 3 had started. And about 10 minutes left before I had to wake up Erwen.
I felt worried as I watched Erwen sleep with a blanket crunched between her legs.
What concerned me was the prospect of a second date[2].
That is, whether or not to propose a team-up.
Of course, there was a downside to having a companion, that you would have to share the loot.
No matter how many goblins appeared on the third day, it was clear that Erwen joining would reduce my eventual income.
It had nothing to do with her strength. Well, since she was a fairy, it would usually be cost-effective, but…
Should I say that I'm already overpowered?
Even without Erwen, I could easily dispatch three or four goblins by my lonesome.
It wasn't arrogance, I really judged that way after experiencing several battles with this body.
And I had to collect as many mana stones as possible, to prepare for my future living expenses in the city as well as the subsequent taxes.
"Hoo…"
Safety, or more mana stones?
While I was pondering about the most rational choice –
Step.
I could hear adventurers' footsteps from the passage on the left.
It'd happened several times during the night, so I wasn't particularly nervous. Most of the time, they'd take a look at us once and just pass by.
But…
Step –
This pair of adventurers, let's call them Ricky and Buster[3], took one look at us and stopped walking.
And whispered to each other.
"Isn't that the fairy?"
"Looks right. The shape of the bow matches."
Of the two men who came to a conclusion while whispering between themselves, Buster asked me as the representative.
"Barbarian, what is your relationship with the fairy?"
"As you can see, we are night friends."
"Even barbarians and fairies can be night friends, I've seen something strange today. So how long do you two have left?"
"I have no answer for you."
Buster didn't ask any further.
He just smiled and left with Ricky beside him.
"Right. Let's go."
"Huh? Ah, um…"
Soon, their presence disappeared from the surroundings.
But I wasn't reassured.
What the hell were these bastards doing? It felt as ominous as when the chieftain had shouted in front of me.
I slowly moved to the side and tapped Erwen, who was still sleeping, on the shoulder.
"Ugh…"
Hey, are you still sleeping in this situation?
Wake the hell up.
Because somehow, it feels like we're fucked.
Editor's Notes:
[1] Or rather, that is the western equivalent. Not translating the full Korean gesture here because not very relevant.
[2] 애프터 신청 (lit. after sales application), requesting the next date after the first meeting or blind date.
[3] 퉁퉁 (Tong Tong) and 비실 (Bi Sil) are Doreamon characters, fat and thin respectively.
-x-X-x-
Strictly speaking, the word 'we' should not be used here.
Because the Ricky and Buster pair were interested in Erwen, not me.
Tug, tug, I nudge Erwen again with my foot.
"Ugh…"
What do you mean, ugh? Wake the hell up. I know you aren't asleep. I saw you cover your face with the blanket when I glanced at you right after hearing their words.
"Hey!"
It's a waste of time to keep up this charade, so I just grab her by the shoulders and force her to get up.
"Why were you pretending to be asleep?"
"That, that's…"
Erwen mumbles her words and avoids my gaze.
Considering the fact that I have to get the relevant information as quickly as possible and make a decision, it's a pretty rude attitude.
Hwig.
When I grab her by the chin and force her to look at me, Erwen finally, reluctantly, starts to talk.
"Because you'll leave when I wake up…"
Indeed, was that the reason?
I did so swear. If there's a conflict with other adventurers while standing guard for the night, you have to fight together. But unfortunately, this happened on the last turn within the promised timeframe.
Well, I don't actually care about my honour, but…
She doesn't know that.
So she tried to hold on to me somehow.
Because the moment she opens her eyes, the promise that bound us as night friends would be over.
"Hoo."
I take a deep breath.
If a grown man like Uncle Hans had done something like this, I really would have been angry…
But since she's only twenty years old, some pity blooms at a corner of my heart.
Of course, that's that and this is this. I still have to make a decision.
"Was it those two?"
"No."
"Then why were you hiding yourself?"
"… There was a pattern engraved on their clothes. Same as the human man who tried to hurt me. They must have been in the same group."
A group… Fuck, are things getting more problematic?
I'm starting to consider whether it would actually be better to just say goodbye to this fairy girl and go our separate ways from here.
"Let's talk while we move."
"Are you going to help me?"
"I'll listen to your story, at least."
First of all, we have to get out of here. And I have to grasp the rest of the situation on the way. We start moving, setting almost a running pace.
"Tell me everything that's happened so far."
As if reading the atmosphere, Erwen briefly recites only the important information without saying anything extra.
"The first night, my night friend who I'd just met attacked me while I was sleeping. I found out later that he was an executive from a group mainly active on the first floor."
For reference, the group is called 'Crystal Union'.
"I managed to escape, but after that, people from that organization started attacking me whenever they saw me. I was injured in the process."
I pause for a moment.
"Wait, how did they know about you?"
"They used message stones."
What is that? There was nothing like that in the game.
"A little more detail."
"It's a magic tool that allows you to talk remotely with other message stones that have been configured to resonate with it in advance. I heard that the reach is about 300m."
"I see."
It's a kind of a walkie-talkie. If the frequency is set in advance, you can communicate up to 300m away.
Gradually, I understand the situation we're in.
With such magic tools and sufficient manpower, disseminating information would be easy in a closed environment like this.
However, the problem is…
"Why are they chasing after you?"
Erwen did nothing wrong.
Why would they spend so much effort going after the victim?
"Is it to keep your mouth shut?"
"… I don't think it's that."
"Is there anything else?"
"That's…"
Erwen, who'd been calmly answering my questions so far, once again hesitates to speak. I really can't help her if she keeps up with this attitude.
While I was considering dumping her –
"I swung my knife at that man when I first ran away. Where I hit him, it wasn't a good place, really…"
"… By a bad place you mean?"
I feel cold for some reason.
The cool wind keeps brushing my groin.
"That, um, that, there…?"
Really.
"Ummm, anyway, I heard from the people who were chasing me afterwards, it was totally cut off and couldn't even be re-attached with a potion… I guess that's why…"
That's why it's worth chasing after her with full power.
"I, I, I'm sorry…"
There's nothing to apologize for.
Wasn't that guy the perpetrator? You reap what you sow. The problem is that there are far too many people in every world who can't understand such simple logic.
"Uncle, I think somebody's behind us."
"Where?"
"Don't look back."
I've been concentrating on my hearing, but I still can't hear anything.
"On the path… I think about 150m away."
It's strange that she can feel a presence at that distance, but it doesn't seem like a lie. There's no reason for her to do that.
Is this the innate perception of a fairy?
The image I had of her changed all of a sudden.
"I need to speed up, are you alright with that?"
"Yes. I can handle it."
Even though the white bandage covering her wound is stained red, Erwen doesn't spit out even a single sound of pain.
She has good guts.
Well, my thoughts got complicated again.
"How far is the tracker?"
"… Still about 150m."
Even if you increase the speed, you can't spread out the distance.
Things aren't going well.
By now, the stalker must be announcing our location to his comrades with a message stone, or something.
Have to get rid of him.
If their target had been me, I would have certainly judged so.
But I'm still running.
After you kill him, you can't step out of this quagmire anymore.
So check things out first, before you dip your feet.
"U-, uncle…?"
How much risk do I have to take, and how much reward can I get in return?
I need more detailed information.
"Erwen."
"Yes, yes?"
"What are you good at?"
"I am confident in cleaning and laundry. Oh, I'm not very good at cooking, but…"
What is she talking about now?
"In battle."
"… Bow, bow! Oh, and spirits too!"
Just a standard fairy archer.
"Which attributes?"
"… Fire."
Well, that's the most valuable one.
Thanks to that, I can slowly draw the picture in my mind.
"Have you ever killed anyone?"
"No… But, I can."
That's something you have to do, to know.
"Right."
I ask her the final question.
"Erwen, would you like to join me? The duration is until you get out of the labyrinth, and the loot distribution is 9 for me and 1 for you."
"I will, I will!"
This is enough to give me a reason.
"– I promise in the name of my clan."
"I also swear on the honour of a warrior."
We again went through a ceremony as a token of trust like before, and evolved our relationship from night friends to temporary colleagues.
Of course, running like crazy all the while.
"Distance?"
"About 100m!"
Even at the maximum speed we could reach, the distance was getting smaller.
I made up my mind.
"Change place to the outskirts."
"Yes!"
We turned around and entered the dark passage.
Less and less crystals shined on the walls and the ceilings as we progressed, and before long a deep darkness fell to greet us.
My thoughts were a bit complicated.
After all, I never expected to come back here on my own two feet.
"Erwen, summon the spirit."
A flame the size of a watermelon floated on the palm of her hand, illuminating the surroundings. Watching the floor for traps, I quickly made my way through the darkness.
And…
"Unsummon. Now."
We hid in the dark.
"When are you going to give the sign?"
"You'll hear it soon."
"Right."
I kept my composure as much as I could and focused on my hearing.
The best outcome would be for the chaser to miss us and pass us by.
Then there would be no need to kill them, and I too would be able to step away from this quagmire later.
Step, step, step –.
Before long, the tracker's footsteps reached my ears.
However, contrary to expectations, he stopped without passing us by.
Just in front of the crossroads we'd passed last.
Step.
Shit…
Apparently, he had some way to track us down. Be it smell, sound, or something magical.
Thump, thump.
He turned and walked slowly, stopping at a distance of about 30 meters from us.
The border where light died and the abyssal darkness began.
"…"
He craned his neck, peering into the dark.
We watched, holding our breaths.
"There you are."
The man who had sniffed a few times in the quiet stillness murmured to himself.
Then, he pulled something out of his pocket.
It was the first time I had seen it in my life, but I intuitively recognized the identity of the object.
Message stone.
As soon as I saw it, I signalled Erwen with a short murmur.
Erwen, who had kept her bow drawn and the arrow aimed all this while.
"Shoot."
Thunk –.
Before I could even finish my words, the arrow pierced the man's forehead.
Thump.
Even after the man fell to the floor, dead, I did not approach immediately.
"…"
Erwen, who was sitting right next to me, could not hide from me how she was trembling.
"Well done. Hesitating would have been dangerous."
It wasn't just some fake compliment, but the truth.
Hadn't I also paused before slamming the shield down on Uncle Hans? Erwen hadn't even had that little leisure.
Even if I didn't tell her out loud, she'd known it in her heart.
That you should never hesitate.
"Yes…"
"You, take a break."
My ability to comfort another ended at this point, and I left the darkness to search the corpse.
Perhaps he'd left his backpack to another colleague in order to move quickly, but the pursuer looked a bit poor.
'To feel regret about such a thing… I've really assimilated into this world.'
Removing all the equipment from the tracker's corpse, from head to toe, I organized the acquired items one by one.
A belt, a leather top and bottom, two daggers, a fairly heavy mana stone pouch, a bottle of potion kept in another pouch tied to the belt, and even a message stone.
"Good. Come here."
After classifying the loot roughly, I called Erwen.
She removed the bandages and applied the potion to her wound.
The wound began to heal with a squelch.
"Kkkh…"
It would've been okay to make some noise, but Erwen clenched her teeth and endured the pain in silence.
She had a tough side to her, too. No, was she just mentally dissociating from the pain?
I hoped it was the former. I wasn't confident about counselling somebody else.
"Did you black out?"
"Yes. Just for a moment."
"Then change into this."
After the treatment finished in a few minutes, I held out the leather top and bottom I had just obtained.
I judged them to be much more practical than the loose-fitting cloth robes she was wearing now.
"I'll wear them right away."
Did she believe that following my every instruction would give her a higher chance of survival? It must've been awkward, but Erwen immediately grabbed the clothes and disappeared into the darkness to change.
"That's not all. Come and let me take a look."
I trimmed the hems protruding at the arms and the legs.
"Wear this too. It should look a little better."
It was still a little baggy overall, but it looked like a comfortable fit with the belt on.
However, because of the change in outfit, her atmosphere had also completely changed.
Previously, she looked like a fairy girl who'd gone on an outing, but now she looked like a full-fledged female warrior.
Even her face exuded that feeling.
"… It feels very strange."
"You'll get used to it."
"I see, is that so…?"
"Yes, you will."
I shoved the rest of the items into my backpack and dragged the naked corpse into the dark.
Then I took the message stone in my hand.
"How do you read messages?"
"Wait. Let me do it."
Erwen looked at the message stone and clicked something.
[… Serdin, who was chasing the fairy bitch and the barbarian, lost contact. All those who hear this, gather in the Goblin Zone.]
Things were progressing just as I'd expected them to.
-x-X-x-
[The two of them may have split up by now. If you see a barbarian using a one-handed hammer and a shield, don't prematurely approach and wait for support.]
My description has been circulated.
It's not too detailed, but that doesn't mean much.
I don't think there are any barbarians other than me who use shields.
"Uncle…"
Erwen looks up at me with anxious eyes.
Knowing what's in her mind, I give her a bright smile.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to leave you."
I've already decided to help Erwen.
The reason is simple.
I've always loved helping people in trouble.
If it benefits me, that is.
"Like I said before, I'll have nine shares and you'll have one. Understand?"
"Of course. I will definitely repay this grace."
Grace…
"Yes, please do."
There's no reason to refuse. Although I'm not expecting too much.
"Yes, definitely…"
As Erwen clenches her fists with determined eyes, I tighten my bootlaces and prepare to move.
"Then what should we do now?"
"We'll move through the outskirts. Summon your spirit again. We'll talk about the rest as we go."
"Yes."
As we walk through the darkness using a fist-sized flame as a lamp, I start checking a few more things.
"For exactly how long can the spirit be summoned?"
"If it just lights up the surroundings, it can last for 10 hours."
"How long will it take to recover?"
"I'll need to rest for two hours."
"Right."
Things are a lot better than I thought.
If all goes according to plan, we will escape their pursuit without much risk.
Then I will see returns on the risk I took this time.
"Uncle."
While I was busy thinking for a while, Erwen speaks to me.
"May I ask where we are going now?"
Oh, I forgot to tell her that.
"The second floor."
"Yes…?"
Don't look at me like that. You heard correctly.
"We're going to the second floor."
"You and I, just the two of us?"
"Yeah, just us two."
In fact, rather than this being our only option, it's something I've been considering for some time. On the first floor, even if the two of us team up, the net income will only decrease, but…
The second floor is a different story.
"Excuse me… um, uncle? The second floor is completely different from the first floor. You know that, right…?"
"I know."
On the first floor, three or four enemies appear at a time, but on the second that number can increase to ten. Uncommon variants, and even higher-grade monsters, start appearing.
"But, if we only stay near the entrance, we should be fine. Because you and I match quite well."
"Really, uncle and me?"
I don't know what's so surprising, but a melee tank and a ranged dealer make up a good combination.
That's why I'd considered going upstairs with Erwen earlier. In that case, even if you split the mana stones in half, your income will increase significantly.
But since there was no way to get past the darkness, I'd discarded this idea.
"Ah, no matter how much I think about it, it looks like jumping into the orcs' den to avoid goblins…"
Well, looking at her reaction now, I think she would have made a sharp rejection even if I'd offered earlier…
But the situation right now is completely different from before.
"What other way is there? All those guys are on the first floor, you know."
Erwen now has a motivation to escape to the second floor, and that also gave me the opportunity to raise my loot ratio to 9:1.
Of course, that doesn't mean this was a decision made entirely without any emotional basis.
[Those who catch that fairy bitch first will be given an additional 10,000 stones and the first chance to enjoy.]
I detest these guys.
No, what I feel about them is closer to hatred than mere dislike.
But by making these guys eat shit, I can get a much bigger reward compared to the miniscule risk, and even the self-satisfaction of doing a good deed?
Isn't this the epitome of efficiency?
"I will give you a chance to choose. What will you do?"
"I will go…"
Erwen nods with an expression of biting the bullet on her face. It seems that the last communication from the message stone played a decisive role…
Nice timing.
"Then let's keep moving."
"… But do you know the way to the second floor?"
"I don't know exactly."
"Yes?"
"Don't worry, though. If you keep moving north, you're bound to come across it someday."
Not a vain hope, but in reality.
If you follow the darkness in any one direction, you'll find a portal somehow. Because this darkness is like a passageway pointing upstairs.
It's a maze-like structure, so you'll have to get lost.
It's worth the price.
"There's a goblin trap!"
As we keep walking, we come upon a trap.
It took much longer than I'd thought. Originally, we should've seen one much earlier.
… Maybe there are fewer goblins where there's no light? Like in the game?
If that's the case, then I'm feeling a bit choked.
How lucky am I, that I fell into the dark zone from the start and met a goblin right away?
"I'll deal with it! You rest!"
Maybe taking this as an opportunity to enhance her appeal, Erwen walks out in front.
"I'm telling you just in case, but don't use spirits."
"… Of, of course!"
Looking much too bewildered for it to be a natural response, Erwen approaches the trap.
And…
"Gruck!"
The moment the goblin pops out, she fires the arrow she had kept drawn, from a very close range.
Thunk–!
Oh, that's kind of like Legolas.
Her skill's much better than expected. Body movements are also very agile.
"How is it?"
Erwen, who killed the goblin in one shot, looks at me with a happy face.
"Would you have used a spirit, normally?"
"Yes…"
"Well done. Seeing you shoot, you really are a fairy."
Erwen looks both embarrassed and happy. Does it feel good to be recognized? To be honest, I was being a bit sarcastic. Looking at our time together so far, it was a bit of a backhanded compliment.
I'm not doubting her skill. Just her character.
"But we will fight many more battles in the future. It would be best to conserve arrows as much as possible."
"Oh, but I can just pick it up and use it again? There's no need to be picky."
Erwen bends over and retrieves the magic stone and the arrow before coming back. The arrow looks to be in good shape, with no discernible damage.
"… Right."
Well, now I feel awkward.
In the game, arrows were consumable items that disappeared with every shot fired. To compensate, one could carry bundles of a thousand.
"See here!"
Erwen holds out her small hand.
"Take it! When you have nine, I can have one, right? I'll work hard in the future! Then I can earn a little too, right? I've promised to buy something for my sister when I return!"
Uh, ah, um…
"Yeah, work hard…"
What? Are you trying to be sarcastic?
While we moved rapidly north in the dark, intermittently catching goblins here and there, the message stone, which had been quiet for a while, transmitted a voice again.
[Additional information relayed. Hatch Young, who was attacked by the fairy, has raised her bounty to 20,000 stones. Alive or dead.]
It meant that they were within 300m of us.
Perhaps instinctively, Erwen quietly huddled closer to me.
"Relax. They won't look for us too hard."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah."
In fact, I was almost certain.
I felt it as I overheard the conversations from the message stone. If I had to describe them as a group, they were like a loose gang of thugs.
There was no sense of cohesion.
Presumably, the group served as a convenient community to exchange information with each other at best. First of all, the first floor was a place where more than five people could not party together.
[I'm planning to go to hunt blade wolves, is there anyone who will move with me? No relaying necessary.]
[I'm tired, so I'm looking for someone to rest with. Come to the pond next to the big rock. No forwarding required.]
In fact, we could hear these communications everywhere as we moved. These people didn't really care about some bounty being posted.
Even so, I did not relax.
Not because things were going awry, but because things were going too smoothly.
Shit…
At this point in my life, something bad happening was par for the course, but things being quiet just made me more anxious.
"Uncle!"
What?
"There, it's a ghoul!"
Can't you see? As she tilted her head, Erwen moved the flame forward.
… She really had great eyesight.
The form of a ghoul finally entered my vision.
Rotten skin, empty eyelids, long sharp nails reminiscent of claws, and scuttling on four legs despite having a humanoid body shape.
It was the same as the illustration I'd seen on the game loading screen.
However, there was one problem…
'What, why are ghouls here?'
On the first floor, different monsters appeared based on if it was the east, west, north, or south. And the ghouls appeared in the western area.
Did we somehow come to the border while wandering around?
Well, that might've been the case. We'd started north, but there had been some dead ends in the way which had forced us to turn around.
I'd have to think about this later.
"… Will I fight alone again this time?"
Erwin, who'd been full of motivation while fighting goblins, showed her dislike for the first time.
Was it scary because it was her first time meeting this monster?
She, too, had a unique side.
"I'll take the lead. You just focus on the ones in the back."
"Yes!"
Having shared a rough strategy, I slowly stepped forward.
There was a total of three ghouls blocking the passage, all of them sitting on the floor like dogs.
Step.
Even when I got pretty close, they didn't even stir.
Well, in the game, you had to enter a certain range to get the first hit, but was this still the same as the game?
Step.
As I carefully took one more step, the three ghouls rushed me at the same time.
"Grurururuck!"
The sound they made was similar to the goblins.
Was it because both were level 9 monsters? Really, they had no uniqueness.
"Hoooaaaaah!"
Rather than retreating, I stepped closer and smashed the head of the ghoul in the lead with my hammer.
Let's call it 'hammer smash'.
Crunch–!
The moment one ghoul was crushed, an arrow came from behind and hit another ghoul.
Thunk!
She seemed to really like the spot midway between the eyebrows.
Then, after knocking back the last of the rushing ghouls with my shield, the battle ended with a final 'hammer smash'.
「You have defeated a ghoul. EXP +1」
The battle thus ended in an instant, but I took a brief moment to recover.
In terms of combat power, ghouls were superior to goblins.
They had a lot more power, and were faster overall.
Well, goblins had their traps, but…
You'd have to be a real idiot to fall for those.
… Assuming, of course, that there was light around.
"Still, they are better than goblins."
"Yes? Why?"
"Because it takes time to catch goblins."
As long as you didn't get overwhelmed in all-out battle, hunting ghouls seemed to be much more efficient than goblins.
Because they set at least one trap, and didn't run around nearby.
It was also a huge advantage that they didn't attack unless you approached.
"Next time, it would be more efficient to start by killing one first with an arrow."
"Yes. I'd be happy to do that."
After sharing a brief battle plan for the future, I collected the mana stones fallen on the floor and pocketed them.
"I, uncle…?"
"What's up?"
"I, that's, now it's my turn to have one…"
"Oh, that's right."
We continued down the passage.
My prediction of us being near the border was correct.
For a while, the ghouls and the goblins alternated, but as we continued northward, it was all goblins again.
How long had it been?
[22:47].
When the third day was coming to an end –
After a break of about four hours, we were heading north again when we found something.
A dark red line drawn on the floor.
"Uh, bloodstains? I don't think it's a goblin's, whose is it?"
… Somehow, I felt like I knew the owner.
So I kept following, and there were pieces of bread fallen on the floor too. Continuously, at regular intervals.
So, I continued to follow the bloodstains. With confidence.
"Hey, it seems you haven't said anything since a while ago…"
Ten minutes.
"Are you mad at me by any chance?"
Thirty minutes.
"Yes? Uncle?"
Two hours.
"…"
At the end of that long red trail, I finally found the sandal abandoned on the ground.
Swearwords came out of nowhere.
"I…"
"Fuck, are you kidding me?"
"Ah, I was wrong! I don't know why though!"
There was a portal so close that it'd hit me on the nose if I fell down.
-x-X-x-
I'd expected the portal to some extent.
It was only natural.
The fact that I met those top adventurers, the blond and his party, was proof that there was a second-floor portal in the direction I'd come from.
That's why I followed the trail of blood with confidence as soon as I found it.
But I hadn't expected this.
For there to be a portal less than 10m away from its starting point.
"This is driving me crazy."
Memories of those past days, of me crawling in the dark on three legs, unfolded like a panorama.
How lucky was I?
Only a few steps in the opposite direction would have activated the portal and secured some light.
Had I done that, I could have seen that damn trap and avoided it!
"Uncle, please tell me. Just don't make such a scary face. Whatever I did wrong, I'll fix it…"
What was she even talking about?
Oh, it was because of me.
It's annoying to explain, so let's just avoid the issue.
"Never mind. It just reminded me of the past."
"Ah…"
Erwen looked relieved, her expression soon changed to one of pity. I couldn't believe it.
Bloodstains, slices of bread, a sandal, and my facial expression.
Did she infer what I'd experienced on the first day from those alone? This girl?
"He must have gone to a good place. For sure."
It couldn't be. I was right.
"Yes… Thank you."
From what she was saying, it seemed like she misunderstood that I was remembering a colleague I'd lost some time ago…
I didn't feel the need to correct her.
The story was too long to explain in detail.
Most of all, if I told somebody, it felt like my simmering anger would again boil over.
So let's just bury this story forever.
"Are you ready to go upstairs?"
"Honestly, it's still scary, but somehow I don't feel like I'm going to die if I'm with you."
If one looked closely, she had a strange habit of using long sentences. Just say 'yes'.
"Then let's go."
"Yes…"
The moment I entered the portal with Erwen, my vision was dyed pure white.
It was like when light first flashed on a monitor.
Flash –!
[00:57]
It'd only been four days since I entered the labyrinth for the first time.
「You have entered the Goblin Forest on the second floor. 」
I reached the second floor.
If anyone asks how I'm feeling right now, this is how I'll answer.
Like I'm struggling inside the mouth of a giant frog! And then, like I'm being spat out.
"Kyaaa!"
My body hangs airborne, then it bounces off something.
I didn't scream out loud like Erwen, but looking at the results, she fared better than me.
Thud –!
While I fall on my ass with a blunt sound of impact, Erwen quickly regains balance and lands on her feet.
"Wow, that was surprising. Even my big sis never said anything about this."
I'm feeling it all over again, but she's really physically fit.
Her agility is something that a barbarian can't even dream of.
"Uncle, is this the second floor?"
"Yeah."
"Um, I've never heard of this forest though. Are you sure?"
"Perhaps the story you heard was referring to another second floor."
"Another second floor?"
Do fairies not share labyrinth information properly? Why don't you know about this?
"There are four portals on the first floor; in the east, west, north and south, and each one connects to different places."
"Ah, I guess that's it!"
… She just forgot.
Seeing me look at her like she's pathetic, Erwen anxiously speaks up.
"Oh, the third floor! She said that no matter which route you take, everything would be connected again from the third floor. Right?"
She wants to show off her knowledge, it seems.
When I roughly nod my head, Erwen smiles with satisfaction.
Slowly, I'm getting a feel of how to handle her.
"So, what do we do now?"
"Wait. I'm thinking."
First, I carefully check the surrounding terrain.
It's necessary to confirm which parts are different from the game and which remain the same.
For example, the fact that I just flew about 3m while jumping through the portal.
Things that couldn't be seen from the other side of a monitor.
"Hmm."
I go over the surroundings one more time.
There's the portal at the back that you can go down to the first floor at any time, and there are no living creatures in the empty area around us, with a radius of about 50m.
Well, I don't know what it's like between the trees in the distance.
"Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"Just stay still."
The second floor map is a forest.
The surroundings are as dark as night, but thanks to the lights scattered like the Milky Way in the sky, visibility is secured to a certain extent.
About as bright as an alleyway at night, without any street lights.
However, as time passes, it will become day, but this place would not get any brighter.
Because this place is inside the labyrinth.
That's not actually the sky over our heads, it's just a high ceiling. Well, there indeed are some levels where the real sky and sun exist.
"Let's start moving slowly."
"Yes? Where are we going?"
"We'll explore the neighbourhood around this place."
That's the plan I'd roughly laid out since the first floor.
However, there are a few things that need to be confirmed as to whether this will actually work.
So from the first opportunity –
Clang –!
Erwen startles when I swing my hammer at the first tree on the periphery of the vacant area.
"What, what are you doing?"
"I'm checking to see if it's possible to knock down a tree."
"Why are you checking that?"
"I was thinking of building a barrier around the portal."
"Um, I see."
Erwen nods her head in agreement.
It's quite annoying to have to answer questions one by one.
"Anyway, this plan is abandoned."
Erwen doesn't even ask why this time.
She has eyes, too.
Even after hitting it with all my might, all I managed was to slightly damage the tree bark.
Is this tree made of rocks?
"Then, what's next?"
"We'll search this area as planned. And from now on, you take the lead."
"… Me?"
I don't want to field more questions.
"You have to go ahead and look for traps. Pay attention to concealing your presence as much as possible, and be on the lookout for enemies. These two are your tasks."
"… We're dividing our roles, then. Alright."
Surprisingly, Erwen graciously accepts the role assigned to her.
But why do you look sad?
Is it because I've already said everything needed to convince you?
"Still, being in a forest sure feels nostalgic. Even though I know it's filled with monsters."
Erwen walks down the forest path, spouting words that I can't relate to in the slightest.
"Oh, I don't see any traps, but just in case, please only follow my footsteps."
What? Eh? She said something reassuring all of a sudden.
In fact, the way you're striding forward so freely, you sure don't look afraid of stepping into a trap.
Before long, Erwen murmurs quietly.
"There's a trap."
I can't see it.
"Look over there, you'll see something hidden under the leaves."
No matter how many times you tell me, I don't see it.
Giving me a look that says, 'Why can't you even do this?', Erwen throws a stone.
Chiiiiiiing –!
There really was.
How could you even find that in this darkness?
Even though I already knew about the fairies' detection ability, when I see it with my own two eyes, it's simply amazing.
There's a reason you can walk so freely.
"How about it?"
"You're good at throwing stones."
"… Is that all?"
"What else do you need?"
Erwen's shoulders, which had been raised up, droops again.
This is the perfect time to give some carrots.
Subtly, so that it's not too obvious.
"I'd been waiting for somebody who could find traps from the beginning. You are already a full-fledged adventurer. Don't make a fuss about being taken for granted."
"Ummm…"
She pretends not to, but the slight twitching of her shoulders is clearly visible from behind.
Thanks to you, I've now completely gotten the hang of it.
I'll just handle her this way in the future.
"Are you saying that I'm now doing my part? As a full-fledged adventurer?"
"Yeah."
Well, your part is 1 to my 9, though.
Anyway, it seems that this variation of 'lone warrior', which our chieftain was so fond of, works better than I thought.
"But it's strange. No matter how much I strain my hearing, it doesn't seem like there are any goblins."
That's natural.
The second floor is different from the first. Goblins are not always nearby just because there is a trap. It's more convenient to view the traps on the second floor simply as a topographical characteristic.
Because you find them everywhere you go.
"Now stop chatting, and focus."
"Yes."
This isn't the place to relax, so we again start seriously exploring the neighbourhood.
The place where we currently are was called 'Goblin Forest' in the game.
Its characteristic, other than the traps, is that the goblins here basically move in groups of ten.
Occasionally, mutants such as goblin swordsmen or goblin archers also appear.
Of course, when you go to the outskirts, the number of variants increases, and even higher-grade monsters appear…
That's something we don't have to worry too much about, since we're only going to cover the area near the entrance portal.
"There's nothing nearby."
We finish our patrol in a radius of about 200m around the portal.
There were countless traps along the way, but no goblins.
"What should we do?"
"First, get rids of all the traps in this area, and then gradually increase the range."
We gradually expand our territory by removing the traps with stones from afar.
If there is any danger, you have to run to the first floor.
It'll be troublesome if you step on a trap while running.
When the radius expanded to more than 500m –
"Uncle."
Erwen stops her footsteps and whispers.
I also hold my breath.
"It's a group of goblins."
"How many?"
"I don't know. Definitely more than ten…"
"Distance?"
"About 50m. I guess they haven't noticed us yet. What should we do?"
What kind of nonsense is she talking about?
"Fight."
Erwen doesn't talk back at my words. It must be a little scary, but she knows it too.
That we have no choice but to fight.
If you don't like fighting, you shouldn't have entered the labyrinth.
"How much closer can you get without being detected?"
"I think I could go up to 30m if it's just me alone. More than that is too much. Goblins have a more sensitive sense of smell than I thought."
"Right."
After a brief deliberation, I decide to go ahead with the plan I'd mentioned earlier.
Erwen starts slowly creeping through the bushes towards the group of goblins.
Is that what a fairy is?
It's still amazing every time I see it. There's not even the slightest sound of rustling coming from the bushes.
"…"
Soon after, Erwen stops.
When she looks back at where I stand, I give her a nod. Turning back, she draws an arrow on the bowstring and shoots.
Hwooooooosh.
Did she hit?
I have no idea.
It's so far away that I couldn't even hear the arrow striking.
I hope she hit the middle of the forehead properly this time.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
As the first arrow is fired, I start running straight towards Erwen.
"Gruck!!!"
"Grurururuck!!!"
Even as the goblins rush in all excited, Erwen calmly prepares her second shot.
Hwooooooosh!
I feel this every time, but that's some crazy rate of fire.
I couldn't feel these aspects at all while playing the game.
Thump –!
One of the goblins falls down while running.
He was hit at the neck, not the forehead.
Well, even for a fairy, hitting a moving creature accurately from a distance must be hard.
"Erwen, step back."
"Yes!"
Erwen retreats without hesitation, disappearing from my view.
Now all I can see is the goblins rushing in front of me.
A group three times the size of the ones we met on the first floor.
Even if they're just goblins, at this level, it might be a little daunting…
Surprisingly, there's no fear at all.
No, rather.
Pound –!
The warrior's heart possessed by this body is throbbing aggressively, and the heat is crawling up to my head.
"Gruck, gruck!!"
"Grurururuck!!!"
As their menacing howls ring out, I return my own warcry.
"Spaaaaaartaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa –!!!"
Fuck it all.