A total of nine goblins are now attacking me.
Eight regular goblins, with one goblin swordsman mixed among them.
As for the swordsman, he's only holding a scimitar about 60 cm tall, but…
Compared to the others' carving knives, it can really be called a magnificent sword.
"Grurururuck!"
I hit the goblin rushing at the forefront in the temple with my hammer.
Bang –!
One hit, one kill. The goblin dissolves into motes of light and disappears before it can even fall to the ground.
It's too early to be happy, though.
I've only killed one.
"Grurururuck!!!"
Scared of attacking on their lonesome, two goblins co-ordinate their attacks from both my sides.
Each one with a carving knife in hand.
I dash to the right and push one back with my shield, which lets me pivot and hammer the other.
Thud –!
This is the second.
But I don't have the time to even catch my breath.
Because someone has already reached my rear, and jumps in from behind.
The goblin swordsman.
"Kyaahaahaa!"
It makes a screeching hiss like a snake.
I immediately hit the floor with a roll.
Whiz –!
A blade passes above me with a sharp sound.
The goblins, seeing me rolling on the ground, rush in.
This is why the second floor is several times more dangerous than the first.
It's impossible to deal with four normal goblins from this position, no matter how superior you are physically.
I have no choice but to suffer a few injuries –
Had I been alone, that is.
Hwooooooosh!
Another arrow, shot from the bushes, pierces a goblin's forehead.
Seems Erwen's gotten back to sniping.
Thud!
I quickly bounce back up from where I'd been rolling on the floor. With shield in hand, I rush into the middle of the enemy lines.
It's natural for a warrior to draw aggro, isn't it?
"You little fuckers! All of you, come on!"
Blocking with the shield, swinging the hammer, dodging, kicking with my feet, head-butting, etc.
While I run rampant in the middle of the goblin formation, teetering on the edge of the seething madness within my barbarian blood, Erwen, who's re-established her position, fires arrows like crazy.
Hwooooooosh! Hwooooooosh! Hwooooooosh!
The arrows, fired every 2 to 3 seconds, are a great distraction for the goblins.
"Gr, gruck!!"
Maybe because she's in a bit of a hurry, but not every arrow hit a critical point…
Hwooooooosh!
Shoulders, arms, stomach, chest, thighs, etc. It always hit somewhere.
Some of the arrows were even infused with spirits, and the arrowheads burst into flame on impact.
So as to not lose to her, I keep smashing the goblin bastards' heads with my hammer one by one, keeping my distance because I'm wary of the arrows.
Bang! Thud!
It takes little time for the number of goblins to be reduced to two, and they begin to run away.
I handle the one jumping like crazy, and Erwen puts an arrow on the back of the head of the other.
「You have defeated a goblin swordsman. EXP +1」
Seeing the battle was over, Erwen, who'd been hiding in the bushes, appears and approaches me.
"Uncle, are you injured?"
"Fine. How about you?"
"Me too."
"Good. Then let's collect the mana stones."
After that, we split into two and walk around picking up the arrows and the mana stones.
I did defeat the goblin swordsman in the melee, but getting his scimitar is impossible.
Because all their clothes and weapons have disappeared into motes of light, same as the first floor.
"Here's six in total."
We manage to harvest a total of eleven mana stones, including the two that Erwen killed first from ambush.
Considering the fact that I made only forty-four by walking around all day on the first day, I am more than satisfied.
This battle took less than two minutes, in contrast.
"Come on, take them."
"Two? thank you!"
I take nine, and Erwen gets two.
Although they're all 9th grade, the swordsman has a bit more weight than the general goblins, so I took that into consideration while distributing the loot.
"Can we just keep doing this?"
"Yeah. Was there anything that made you feel uncomfortable or dangerous during this battle?"
"No, there really wasn't."
After that, it's time to review the battle and find possible improvements in the fighting tactics.
We haven't been able to find anything to fix right now, but that's just proof that we're still immature.
As the number of battles increases and experience accumulates, our tactics will naturally get better and more refined.
"Okay, then let's finish up here and move on."
"Yes!"
I check the time one last time.
[01: 31]
How much income can I earn by the end of the fourth day, I wonder?
We circled around the portal, slowly expanding the radius.
And after increasing the radius by more than 3km, we actually started encountering a group of goblins about once every 5 minutes.
And naturally, I met a goblin archer.
"Kikikiki!"
The goblin archer, who had a slightly more distinctive sound than 'gruck', was definitely a menacing opponent.
It wielded a small shortbow that resembled a harp, and unlike the other goblins, the arrowheads were poisoned.
It even knew how to use stealth magic.
But…
「You have defeated a goblin archer. EXP +1」
As long as I concentrated, this barbarian body could react to flying arrows, and it was possible to dodge them or block with a shield.
Well, I did still have to be careful.
"There's one more goblin archer! Take it out first!"
"Yes!"
No matter how much of a barbarian you are, an arrow to the head is still an instakill.
When I got back to the city, I'd have to buy a helmet first.
"Let's rest for a while."
"Haa! At last!"
After finishing one more battle, we moved to the empty area near the portal for some rest.
"You can sleep first if you want."
"Really?"
She really didn't stand on courtesy.
As I smiled and nodded my head, she sat down on the bare floor and glanced at me like a tired puppy.
"What about, the backpack and blanket?"
"… Here you go."
I put down the heavier bag and took out a blanket.
And less than a minute later, I could hear snoring.
Sssss, sssss –.
Compared to the traditional barbarian style, it sounded infinitely small and gentle…
She really was tired.
Up until now, she always slept without making a sound.
Well, maybe it was because she was now feeling psychologically safer.
[18:20]
We hunted around the Goblin Forest for about 15 hours.
We had to fight more than ten enemies each time, but the more we got used to it, the less dangerous it got, and the faster we went.
As a result, the income was rising at a rate that would've been unimaginable on the first floor.
But there were some moments of tension.
"Haa…"
As our patrol radius expanded, we started to meet other adventurers.
So far, we'd met others a total of eleven times.
They were all groups of three or more, and sometimes there were teams consisting of different races.
Each time, we passed each other by from a distance, as was customary, but it was exhausting every time.
I was more afraid of those adventurer bastards than the goblins.
And now, there was a reason to be especially vigilant.
"The problem is that she's too pretty."
I looked at Erwen and sighed.
Despite being a homeless wanderer for several days, she still had shiny silver hair, amber eyes that seemed to pull you in, and facial features that met all criteria to be called beautiful.
As a woman, she was lucky…
But as an adventurer, well, who knows.
Among the groups of adventurers we encountered, there were some bastards who licked their lips as soon as they saw Erwen.
Let's hope nothing worrisome happens…
"… Am I that pretty?"
What the fuck, weren't you just snoring?
"Go to sleep."
"Yes."
As if she'd been talking in her sleep, Erwen roughly answered and immediately started snoring again.
Zzzzzz, zzzzzz.
Really, who are you?
The fairies I knew hadn't been like this.
Day 4, Day 5, Day 6…
After entering the Goblin Forest, time flew by quickly, and the 7th day is now about to start soon.
The day has finally come to leave the labyrinth.
"When I get back, I'll sleep first…"
"I feel you."
There is only one way to leave the labyrinth and return to the city.
Wait for the floor to close.
At the set time, the labyrinth spits out the adventurers on the floor back to the city.
168 hours for the first floor, 240 hours for the second floor, and so on.
The higher the floor, the longer you can be active in the labyrinth.
However, we plan to go down to the first floor and leave for the city just before the end of the 7th day.
"Today, we won't go as far as yesterday, and only move in the vicinity."
"Yes!"
There are several reasons to leave early.
When the first floor is closed, the portal also disappears.
Meaning there's no way to retreat if an unexpected situation occurs.
The food, too, is running a bit low.
There's also the option of buying food in exchange for mana stones from the adventurers you meet occasionally, but…
'There's no need to overdo it.'
Above all, we only have no more than 10 intact arrows left.
No matter how sturdy the arrow may be, this is inevitable because it's a consumable item.
Had these been the wooden arrows from Earth, they wouldn't have even lasted beyond one use.
It really feels like a different world.
[22:27]
Checking the time, we pause our hunt.
"Just in case, let's go back."
"Yes!"
Currently, we are at a point about 4km away from the portal.
It should take 40 minutes to reach it at most.
Of course, we can take some more time, but…
It would be better to go early than to be late and not be able to go down.
Before we part, I have something to share with her as well.
"Be careful. Another trap has been set."
We're going back the way we came, but at some point, a trap has been planted in the forest again.
This means that the goblins have respawned.
Well, just because they've respawned doesn't mean they'll suddenly appear out of thin air like in the game.
You often see what look like rabbit holes inside the forest, and goblins always crawl out of those.
So one time I tried waiting in front of one, and had Erwen start a fire, but there was no response.
I couldn't even check the bottom of the hole because the whole thing collapsed instantly after breaking the ground.
Step.
Erwen, walking in the front, stops suddenly.
"A group of goblins about 70m away at 1 o'clock. There are eight regulars, two swordsmen and two archers."
She's now so used to giving a perfect briefing that I don't need to ask anything.
"Are we going to fight?"
"Fight."
Long conversations are not necessary.
At my nod, Erwen takes the lead as usual and clears her way through the bushes.
Then she stops me with a hand gesture, moves about 10 meters further by himself, takes position, and draws an arrow.
Hwooooooosh!
The arrow flies.
Thunk!
It's probably the goblin archer who she hit.
Because I'd told her to make them her top priority if possible.
"Uncle!"
"Alright, you go back."
Erwen shoots one more arrow at the goblins rushing in, and falls back.
Passing the baton to me, a process that's become so familiar by now.
I rush forward, smashing the swordsman mixed among the regular goblins with my hammer.
Thud –!
It's a good feel, so no need to hit twice.
"Waaaaaaaaargh!"
As I roar from the centre of their formation, the goblins falter.
Yeah, you better be scared, you bastards.
Bang –!
The moment the goblins pause, I dash to explode the head of the other swordsman.
"Grurururururuck!!"
I've been fighting them over and over again, and I've become a master of dogfights like this.
Erwen's the same.
Hwooooooosh! Thunk!
The arrows start to fly in earnest, she must've already taken her position.
There'd been times in the past when our targets overlapped, or I almost got hit by an arrow when our movements we counter to each other, but such mistakes have gradually disappeared.
I've started to be able to roughly predict which enemies Erwen would prioritize, and aim where in which circumstances.
I don't think this is normal, either.
Puff –!
After less than a minute.
The battle ends when I hit the back of the head of the last goblin trying to escape.
I'd heard that there were two goblin archers, but no arrows flew at me during battle.
Looks like the first two surprise shots had taken them out.
"Well done, Erwen."
"Heh heh."
"But if you've already got all the archers, tell me. It's annoying to keep worrying about it."
"I'm not sure if the last one was right."
Well, that makes sense.
Inaccurate information can be really dangerous.
She really has grown up, now.
I'm somehow feeling a bit happy.
"Hurry up, take what you need, and go."
"Yes!"
Afterwards, while I'm busy collecting the mana stones, Erwen calls me urgently.
"Uncle! There's something strange!"
Looking around, I see a ball of light the size of a fist floating in the air.
I know what it is.
It's the first time I've actually seen it…
"… Essence. It's definitely from the goblin archer."
To be honest, I was blown away as soon as I saw it.
How lucky do you have to be to get this?
"I, me, is this essence? This, this, this?"
"Yeah. Definitely."
"Uh, uh, uh, what should I do?"
As one can tell just by looking at her reaction, essences are more valuable than treasures to an adventurer.
Essences are the cornerstones of the skill system of [Dungeon & Stone].
"Hey, will you become a goblin if you eat this?"
"No way. You'll only get a fraction of the abilities that goblins possess."
For example, the guy who'd tracked us down by smell on the first floor. He might've absorbed the essence of the 'blade wolf'.
"What should I do…?"
How many times are you going to ask the same question?
Although the ratio is 9:1, she seems to be greedy for this.
"Do you want it?"
"No, it's not like that, but… What if…"
There's no particular reason not to give it to her, but is it an illusion that she somehow seems to be getting more impudent day by day?
I answer her, smiling.
"If you promise me one thing, I will give you the essence."
'Goblin Archer Essence' is not very attractive to me as a barbarian.
It might be of some help right now, but the total number of essences one can absorb is fixed.
If you want to remove it later, you'll have to spend a ton of money.
"… Really?"
"Yeah."
See those wide round eyes, a smile leaks out.
It's strange to even think about it.
Essence drops with a very low chance when hunting monsters. By the way, did the essence of a goblin archer drop rather than that of a normal goblin?
It's lucky enough to be called beginner's luck.
Is my bad luck finally turning around?
"At first, I was going to tell you after we went down to the first floor, but I'll just tell you now. Erwen –"
"Hey, you! What are you doing now?"
Damn my luck.
As I'm about to get Erwen to promise me one thing, a cry is heard from afar.
"Don't move!"
A party of four human adventurers.
They spot us from afar and quickly close the distance with firm expressions on their faces.
To be honest, I'd expected this.
"Oh, uncle?"
This is the correct process.
Did I get lucky? No way. I've been different from others since I was young.
For me, luck has always been something you have to seize for yourself, not something that drops down from the sky.
"Erwen, prepare to fight."
Just like this.
-x-X-x-
The moment Erwen draws an arrow with a nervous expression on her face –
I push her forward.
"Eh?"
Erwen, who was suddenly pushed from the back, has to take a step forward to keep her balance. And in the process, her body comes into contact with the essence orb floating in the air.
Swaaaaaaaa –!
The essence effuses light, enveloping her form.
"Hey, you crazy bastard!"
Those bastards were aiming for the essence, after all.
"Stop moving! I told you not to move!"
Soon, a group of four adventurers arrive and halt about 10 meters away from us.
But so what?
The essence has already been eaten.
I take a step forward, my face undaunted.
"Why should I listen to you?"
"That essence was ours!"
I can roughly picture the following situation if Erwen hadn't taken the essence.
I might have been forced to give it up.
We captured it by ourselves with Erwen's arrows, so I thought things would somehow work out as long as we just take it.
"If you want to fight, go ahead. I'll deal with you anyway."
Four versus two.
Although we are the numerically inferior party, I respond with a strong tone.
The smaller the dog, the louder it barks.
In order to avoid fighting as much as possible.
Humans are also like beasts in that respect, and if they look down on you, they won't hesitate to bite you.
"…"
The redhead, who seems to be the group's representative, silently grits his teeth.
Come on, think like a leader.
If the essence still remained untouched, it might be a different story.
But now that the owner has already been decided, there's nothing to gain from fighting with us.
So, it's wiser to just give up and go back –
"… We demand compensation."
What's this, whining?
You guys must've regretted a lot when the essence appeared and then disappeared in front of your eyes.
But that's no reason for me to consider your demand.
"We took the essence we got by ourselves, so what kind of compensation are you talking about?"
"Is there any evidence? It was us who just hunted that goblin."
'Do you have any proof?' There's no point asking such a old-fashioned question.
I mean naturally, there can be no such thing.
There are no CCTVs in the labyrinth.
In the end, words spoken by the one with power become the truth.
"Like I said, if you want to fight, go ahead. We won't flinch either."
I respond stubbornly, instead of any attempt to talk things out.
If you're going to fight, go ahead; if you're going to try and talk us into something, fuck off.
I don't even give them any time to think.
"I'll count down from three. If you can't decide in time, we'll consider you enemies."
"Ah, uncle…?"
Why can't you understand the atmosphere?
Be still. Can't you see how scared they are, now that I'm going strong?
"Three.
"Two."
"We will leave."
He makes his choice before I reach one.
Seriously, even if it were me on the other side, if a tattooed barbarian this large was the one counting, I'd make the same decision.
Had it been me, I would've hidden the resentment burning in my heart, and would try and take revenge later…
They might not know any better either.
Soon they disappear from view.
"Did they leave?"
"Yes. I think so."
"We'll speed up till we reach the portal. Take the lead."
At my instruction, Erwen starts clearing the way ahead at a breakneck pace.
I have a faint feeling.
Although we passed the encounter without bloodshed, it's not over yet.
"Any sign of those guys?"
"I don't feel any. Oh, there's a group of goblins at 3 o'clock, what should we do?"
"Ignore them."
"Yeah."
Originally, I was planning to leisurely hunt some goblins on our way back, but there's been a change of plans.
To leave the second floor as quickly as possible.
And if possible, go down to the first floor and get as far away from the portal as possible.
Hearing my plan, Erwen tilts her head.
"Will they follow us to the first floor?"
"It's not about following. We just have the same destination."
"What do you mean?"
It's a simple guess.
They were a party of four.
And four is a pretty good number to be active on the second floor. But why were they moving towards the entrance rather than away?
The intention is clear.
"They, too, were probably planning to go down to the ground floor on the 7th day and return to the city. That's why we met here at this time."
"Ah…"
To put it simply, these guys came here to scout out the second floor, just like us.
So, even with double our number, they were scared of us and ran away.
Maybe it's not a proper party, just a loose group of adventurers that happened to meet on the first floor and improvised.
"I see…"
Erwen quietly nods at my explanation. I don't know if she understood correctly.
"You're amazing after all!"
… So you didn't?
"I'll just follow your instructions from now on!"
Well, maybe that would actually be better.
Because people who try and clumsily work their brains are more prone to accidents.
"Uncle, it's a goblin!"
"Leave it."
"But it looks like it's already found us, you know? It's running our way right now!"
"What?"
As soon as I listen to the situation, I feel a sense of incongruity.
From the 4th day until now, there hasn't been even a single goblin who noticed us first.
That's how excellent Erwen's senses are.
No matter how different these are from back then, even if we're moving at a running pace now, this can't be a mere coincidence.
Hasn't she even absorbed an essence now?
"Try detouring in the opposite direction."
"Yes!"
At my instructions, Erwen turns.
And that moment –
Hwoooooosh!
An arrow is fired from the same direction she turned to.
As soon as I sense it, I grab Erwen by the neck and pull her back.
"Khk!"
Erwen groans because of how much pressure I put on her airway…
It's still better to just get choked for a little while.
Rather than being pierced in the neck.
Thunk!
As soon as I hug Erwen and cover my upper body with the shield, the arrow bounces off it.
Even such a glancing blow has so heavy an impact.
Is it that bastard with the crossbow we met earlier?
"I, I… could've, avoided it…"
Erwen squeaks some words out.
I'm sorry, but I don't have the time to listen right now.
"Was there…"
"Just run."
We start running again, diagonally, with Erwen in the lead.
"Uncle, you don't need to pull me like that, even if there's another arrow…"
"Be quiet. I'm thinking."
Erwen's voice tapers off as she bites her lips tightly.
I continue my thoughts while we run, still being vigilant about our surroundings.
I don't know how they managed it, but they lured out the goblins. And now they've set up an ambush from the opposite direction, trying to gobble us up.
If I run away like this, will I be able to get to the portal safely?
'No way.'
Looking at the possibilities, I judge the chance of success to be extremely low.
They have a crossbow in front of us.
The goblins are continuing their pursuit behind us.
You'd have to be lucky all the way to reach there alive…
Well, I'm not a guy with that kind of luck, to say the least.
"I'm going to have to fight."
It's time to catch a few breaths.
During that, I come to the conclusion.
"Erwen, use your ability."
"Ability?"
"I mean, use the power of the essence."
The essences dropped by monsters contain their special abilities.
For example,
[Goblin Archer]
Agility +2, Flexibility +4, Vision +6, Sense of Smell +2, Perception +2, Cognitive Interference +6, Accuracy +8, Poison Resistance +4, Obsession +7.
(P) Poison Arrow – Poison damage when using a bow-type weapon.
(A) Thief Step – Gain stealth.
This is the information that was displayed in the game.
Increases stats, and gives one passive and one active ability.
This information should also apply in this world.
There have been some variables so far, such as evil spirits, starting points, etc., but at least in these aspects the world has always been consistent with how things were in the game.
"Well, I don't know how to use it…"
I smile as I look at Erwen, who is looking bewildered at the sudden and unreasonable demand.
"It's alright."
"What's alright?"
"I mean you are already stealthed."
As Erwen keeps running, her body turns hazy.
Although, the effect is weak enough for her to be seen even from afar…
"Stop."
When she stops walking, the stealth effect becomes stronger.
This is why characters moved slowly in the game. As time passes while she stands still, the effect goes beyond translucence and she becomes almost transparent.
Although there is a clear sense of incongruity at the borders, it won't be noticeable except at close range.
In this dark forest, even less so.
"Wow…"
Erwen exclaims as she looks over her own body.
She's surprised, but so am I.
Although I think my reasons are slightly different from hers.
There're no trigger words or anything like that, it seems to be a mechanism that activates skills according to just your will.
Anyway, let's study this in more detail later.
"Erwen. Take this."
"Yes?'
I hand the backpack to Erwen.
And give her rapid-fire instructions.
"Hide here, and when I give you the signal, shoot the crossbowman first. Never act before then. Understand?"
"What do you mean…"
"There's no time. I know you understand."
I quickly finish what I have to say and immediately start running.
"Wait, signal! What's the signal –!"
A muffled shout comes from behind, but it's much too risky now to go back.
Step.
I halt after moving about 30m away from the original position.
At first, I didn't even want to leave so far.
If I'd stepped on a trap while running like this, I'd have been in big trouble.
"Gruck gruck!"
As I turn back, I hear the goblins coming from the front left.
And those sons of bitches…
I still don't know where they are.
They haven't made a single appearance since blocking our first step.
But I'm not worrying too much.
Because it's obvious what those bastards are trying to do.
"Gruck, gruck!"
If they had been fighting the goblins, they'd have showed up first.
They must have lured the goblins towards us intentionally.
Returning to the present, I watch the goblins swarming towards me.
"Gruruck!!"
There are two swordsmen among the ten goblins.
It's lucky that they don't have any archers –
Twang!
… There you go.
I run towards the horde of goblins as an arrow strikes my shield.
Of course, I can't run freely like I used to.
Because not only the goblin archer, but a human crossbowman also has me in his sights.
Twang!
After a period of about 10 seconds, another arrow flies in.
It's the goblin archer this time too.
Twang!
After blocking the arrow with my shield, I smash the head of a goblin swordsman wielding a scimitar.
In return, I get a stab in the leg from another goblin's carving knife…
Thwack.
Can't be helped.
You have to take this kind of risk.
Once the number of goblins starts decreasing, they'll feel impatient and show up too.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
While beating the goblins up thoroughly as befits this barbarian body that I've possessed, I gradually take more and more injuries.
Forearms, thighs, flanks, etc.
Individually, they're not serious injuries, but it's different when all of them pile up together.
Thwack!
The poison is beginning to affect me, because I can feel a tingling sensation spreading outward from the wounds.
But risking it all like this has allowed me to kill a total of 7 goblins already.
Hwooooooosh!
Arrows fly in.
Two at the same time.
Hwooooooosh!
They come from different directions.
One would be the goblin archer, and the other would be the crossbowman.
It's difficult to block both.
I choose to protect my flank from the crossbow bolt with my shield.
Bang!
The sound the bolt makes is different from the goblin archer's arrows.
Is this the power of a crossbow?
While I'm thinking that, hwooooooosh! A goblin arrow pierces my left elbow.
"Shit."
It hurts.
Did it hit the bone? Not only is it painful, but I can't even move the wounded arm any longer.
Fuck, I tried to stop the hit with my shoulder guard, but it's harder to do that than I thought.
Thud.
I throw away the hammer in my right hand without any regrets.
I switch the shield from my paralyzed left hand to my right. If I have to choose between the hammer and the shield, the shield is always better.
In the current situation, even more so.
Puff! Puff! Thud!
With the shield in one hand, I take care of the last three goblins, and clear up the surroundings for the moment.
The goblin archer also seems to have scarpered, and the arrows have stopped.
I got injured while winning the first round, but have I at least pulled through?
I shout.
"Come out! You motherfucker!"
I never thought I'd say this to a human, not a goblin.
But really, are the two any different?
Hwiiiiiiiiiish!
Nobody comes out at my call, but projectiles keep being shot from afar.
It's the human crossbowman.
As expected, I have no problem blocking.
But…
Bang!
Fuck, what is this?
On every direct hit, the crossbow bolt pierces the iron plate and reveals its tip on the other side.
One mistake, and will this hand also be done for?
As I cover my upper body with the shield and peer over the edge into the forest, a voice reveals itself before long.
"Barbarian."
Three people show up in total.
A redhead, presumably the leader.
A samurai, with a single-edged sword similar to a Japanese katana.
And a beanpole with a sword-and-board.
The crossbowman is still in hiding.
"It really was you."
"Yes, it was us."
How did you lure the goblins? I don't ask any questions like that.
Because that would only weaken my position.
"Come on, then."
"Is it because you're a barbarian? You're still full of energy even after dealing with so many goblins by yourself. Where's that fairy bitch?"
He's running his mouth a lot, but after all, this is the purpose.
"I think you've handed her your backpack, too. It's better to speak plainly if you want us to be gentle."
As soon as I hear those words, I can't help but burst out laughing.
If you tell me, I'll let you gently depart. What kind of an idiot pushover[1] do you take me for?
"Crazy."
The leader frowns at my sarcastic chuckle[2].
His face looks fed up.
Apparently, I look too much like a standard barbarian.
"There'll be time enough for questions once we capture you."
The leader exchanges glances with his colleagues, and together they all slowly close the distance.
Capture…
It's a nice word to hear.
Just killing me won't give them much profit, that's true.
There must be several reasons why they dared make a surprise attack.
The magic stones we've gathered for 7 days. The equipment we're wearing. Erwen's beauty. To relieve their burning fires of envy, seeing how they had to watch us get something fortuitous right in front of their noses.
I'm feeling it all over again.
"Everyone, don't be anxious, just think of it as hunting a large monster."
Seriously, there are too many munchkins in this world only chasing after maximum efficiency[3].
Well, I guess the same might happen to me too in the future.
Sssk.
I slowly raise my hand.
I force my left hand, which hasn't been moving properly since an arrow with paralyzing poison got stuck in the elbow, to the top of my head.
And…
"What are you doing?"
I raise the middle finger high.
Hwiiiiiiiiiiiiiish!
So that anyone who has lived in this world can see it as a unique sign.
Thunk–! Soon, a faint sound echoes through the forest.
Editor's Notes:
[1] 호구 (hogu) – a very popular slang term meaning an idiot who lets others use him for their own benefit, a pushover.
[2] 실실 쪼개는 (lit. splitting yarn) means to laugh in a pretty rude/negative way.
[3] 효율충 (lit. efficiency insect) – being translated as munchkin, a player in role playing games (trpgs, for example) who tries to optimize everything for maximum efficiency. See this thread. Please note that munchkin here is being used in the EN RPG parlance, Korean fantasy mostly uses the word munchkin to indicate a character being OP.
-x-X-x-
"Percy? Percy!"
The leader hastily called out someone's name.
Of course, there was no answer.
Because I'd instructed Erwen to shoot the crossbowman first.
"What the hell did you do?"
The leader then asked me.
But even so, did he already anticipate my response? Because he was being wary of his rear area, not of me.
This was a very big mistake.
I hate bastards who ask questions with already fixed answers.
A lot, too.
'Smash!'
The moment the leader's gaze turned to the bushes at his back.
Without hesitation, I dashed forward and swung my shield.
Whoooosh!
Unfortunately, I didn't feel the taste of impact.
Did you avoid it? if it were a goblin, it would have disappeared into the light of the world without fail.
"Illys! Now!"
At the leader's call, the samurai dashed towards me, slashing horizontally with a restrained posture.
Clang!
Sparks bounced off from the shield with a metallic sound.
What crazy shock is this? I almost dropped my shield.
But despite being surprised, I ran towards the three instead.
To distract their attention, and to give Erwen a more surefire opportunity.
But…
Whoosh!
Another 'smash' missed.
Was it because they were adventurers on the second floor?
While trying to deal with them, I found the short reach of the shield to be particularly annoying for the first time.
But the more I thought so, the more I narrowed our distance and swung my shield more aggressively.
Then, I heard the sound I'd been waiting for.
Hwiiiiiiiiiiiiiish!
At last, Erwen's support fire had begun.
However, the arrows didn't hit the forehead, neck, legs or arms. Because the bastard with swords-and-shield blocked them with his shield.
"I will stop the arrows! Don't worry and handle the barbarian!"
Somehow, he alone didn't fight.
Did you decide to focus just on the arrows?
Again, humans are too picky compared to goblins.
Bang!
As I was receiving the samurai's strike with my shield, the leader sharply swung his sword at my left arm.
Slash–!
Fortunately, I managed to react in time, so it didn't cut deep enough.
I did get cut, but it didn't mean much because the arm was already damaged, and it didn't even hurt too much because of all the paralytic poison.
"Hey, what a monster…"
The leader muttered at the sight of me not even blinking at the cut on my arm.
Fuck, man, I have an excuse. Not cool.
Spitting out some swearwords, I pushed with the shield and forcefully deflected the samurai's strike.
Then came another support fire.
Hwiiiiiiiiiiiiiish!
Maybe she just changed the shooting position, because it came from a completely different direction than before. Even as far away as she was, it wouldn't have been easy.
Thud!
The beanpole once again blocked the arrow with a shield.
Are you some kind of outfielder? All you do is dive in with your body and block incoming fire.
Just when I was getting irritated over the battle situation that showed no sign of progress –
Crackle!
The shield that was looking like a hedgehog, riddled with arrows, began to burn quickly.
"Shit!"
The beanpole couldn't stand the heat and threw the shield away.
Sorry, but our archer is a spirit archer.
That's why you should've used a full metal shield like me, you bastard!
Hwiiiiiiiiiiiiiik!
Since the annoying shield had disappeared, Erwen also fired another arrow without hesitation.
"Aaaaah!"
She hit the beanpole's shoulder this time.
And then, he lost even the sword he'd been holding and became a useless bastard.
"Illys! I'll take care of the fairy bitch!"
Only then did the leader grasp the situation, entrust me to the samurai and run to the bushes.
It was already too late for me to catch up.
Shit…
It seemed that I had no choice but to trust Erwen.
"Just stop and give up, barbarian."
The samurai stepped back, and spoke with a dignified voice.
Really, fucking humans were always like this.
What fucking bullshit is that? You're clearly trying to buy time until your leader comes back.
Thud!
As I dashed forward and used 'smash', the samurai's face wrinkled.
"You afraid, all alone?"
"He isn't alone!"
I asked the samurai a question, but the beanpole was the one who answered, trying to stand up.
In his left hand was the one-handed sword he'd dropped earlier.
However …
Swish!
Was it because he was right-handed? He wasn't any good with it.
Your shield technique was also a wild mess, what's wrong with you?
Slam!
Taking a step back, I neatly evaded the beanpole's attack, and knocked him down from a distance with a kick.
The beanpole made an enraged squeal[1].
"Aaaaah!"
Uh, I didn't know it would break like that.
The beanpole fell to the floor, clutching his neck with both hands.
I even wanted to use this opportunity to finish off the battle, but unfortunately my plan had to be cancelled thanks to the samurai.
Thud!
I couldn't get used to this heaviness behind the impact no matter how many times I blocked it.
Why was he hanging out with these bastards?
Was there some story behind it?
I didn't know, but it was the biggest mistake this bastard ever made in his life.
Whoosh!
As I used 'smash', the samurai dodged with a familiar distance.
Immediately, I dropped my shield and reached out my hand, dashing once more.
Let's call it… 'grab while pretending to smash'.
Now I was too lazy to even name it. It wasn't fun anymore.
"Uh-huh!"
The samurai, who got caught by the nape of his neck, looked perplexed.
"I guess you didn't expect this?"
I pulled the samurai towards me with full force.
And, instead of moving my left arm, I used my mouth to bite his neck –
Tear–!
– And ripped it out.
"Ah, ah, ah…"
The samurai couldn't even scream.
He took a step backwards, covering his neck with both hands, which was pouring blood like a fountain, his eyes blank…
He crumpled to the floor.
"Uncle!"
Did you handle that side on your own, too?
As soon as the battle was over, Erwen appeared from the bushes.
"Uncle… huh?"
I spat out the chunk of meat on the floor, and wiped my mouth with my arm.
Fuck, that was fucking filthy.
The difficult battle was over.
No, was I the only one who felt that way?
Fortunately, Erwen was looking no worse than when we'd last parted, as if the battle was over before the enemies even got close.
On the other hand, I was looking completely shredded.
"Uncle! Drink this right now."
Finally relaxed, I knelt on the floor, and Erwen held out a potion towards me.
Gulp, gulp, gulp…
I carefully emptied a bottle of potion as if I was drinking a herbal tonic.
Although it looked like poison, Erwen explained that it was better to drink it because there was no single deep wound.
Anyway, was it because I emptied the whole bottle?
The feeling was completely different from usual.
"Lay off…"
Something was boiling inside me.
I felt pain as if small chestnuts were bouncing around my blood vessels, and my skin was so hot that I felt like I was going crazy.
This went on for over ten minutes.
"… Uncle, be strong."
Erwen wiped the sweat off my body bit by bit with the old handkerchief.
Was it because of the poison? Or was I just that dirty?
I didn't know, but the white handkerchief turned completely black.
… I'd have to buy a new one later.
"Finished. It's okay now, it's okay."
Having grown a little bit leaner, I struggled to get up from the floor.
Looking down, I could see scabs covering the cuts and stabs, large and small.
If I grabbed another bottle of potion, these would disappear too, but I decided not to.
"This looks a bit ugly…"
So what if there are scars? I am a barbarian!
"Water."
"Yes yes! Here you go."
At one word, Erwen quickly rummaged through her bag and pulled out a water bottle.
It sure felt like being the boss.
Gulp, gulp, as I drank the whole bottle, my stamina began to slowly recover.
Was the water this good?
The veins that had bulged all over my body began to sink down.
"Take out my watch."
With Erwen's help, I checked the time.
And stiffened up.
[23:20]
Damn, you don't even give me any time to rest.
There were only forty minutes left until the seventh day ended.
If you can't get down to the first floor by then, you'll have to live for three more days in this damn place.
"Erwen, take off the clothes."
"Yes yes?"
No, their clothes, not yours.
I didn't have the energy to talk, so when I pointed at the corpses, Erwen loosened her grip on her front collar.
"No, leave the clothes alone. We don't have time, so just pack the gear, magic bag, and backpack."
"Yes yes!"
Knowing that there was no time, Erwen moved quickly.
"Oh, I'll go search that redhead and the crossbow guy too!"
Yes, be careful not to step on traps.
While Erwen was away, I took the equipment off the samurai and the beanpole.
Throw away the chest protector, the katan used by the samurai, and the wooden shield that has turned into charcoal…
After the equipment classification was over, I made a rough estimate, selected only those that looked expensive and packed them up.
And just as I was putting them in my backpack, Erwen arrived.
"Eww…"
It seemed a bit too heavy for her to carry two backpacks.
But sorry, I can't help you. Because I have three.
I checked the time once more.
[23:35].
Only twenty-five minutes left.
"Let's run."
"Are you alright? You look tired…"
"Never mind that."
Erwen was full of concern, but seeing my expression, she nodded and started scouting.
So the marathon started.
"I'll follow you somehow, so speed up as much as you can and scout the way."
"Yes."
I put Erwen in front first, and then I kept running while adjusting the pace.
My body felt strangely heavy because of all the mental fatigue.
No, was it just because of all these backpacks?
… Still, I can't leave these behind. I did all that hard work, so there should be a reward. Isn't that what you'd call a just world?
"Whew, whoo, whoo…"
How long had it been?
Suddenly, a portal appeared in the distance.
Erwen, who arrived first, was waiting for me in front of it.
Her expression, an interplay of joy and regret, was like a shoujo manga protagonist.
Fuck, this was a kind of atmosphere that made me feel like I'd be left behind.
Feeling a bit anxious, I pulled out all the stops and spurred my steps.
And…
"Go in, first!"
"Eh, I, okay!"
Since this was reality rather than a manga, I boldly omitted the emotional embrace and entered the portal.
Flash–!
The burst of brilliance was the same as usual.
But somehow, I felt the light embrace me.
The feeling of returning to the first floor was not much different from when I'd entered the second floor.
That same feeling of rolling inside something's stomach.
"Hey!"
Unfortunately, even the result coincided.
No, was this worse?
Thud–!
While I was almost jerked around by the head and thrown to the ground, Erwen landed fine this time as well.
… How the hell was this possible?
When I was thrown on the second floor, I still floated in the sky and drew a parabola, but this time it was like somebody was pitching a fastball. Me being the ball, obviously.
Damn, my bones hurt.
"This is fun!"
Yeah, it would be.
I too think it would be funny if there was a guy like me next to me.
"Haaa…"
I got up, relaxing my aching body, and dusted off the dirt.
And checked the time.
[23:58].
I was really close to being home safe.
I didn't want to say I was lucky.
Then there would be too many things to blame the heavens for.
If things go well, it's because of me, if things don't go well, that too is because of me.
Living like that is best for your mental health.
"You worked hard, uncle."
"Yeah, you worked hard too."
We looked at each other for a moment and said goodbye.
Wait, I feel like I forgot something…
"Loot distribution!"
"Oh right! Essence!"
Erwen and I both shouted as if we'd remembered at the same time.
"Essence?"
"Yes! You told me to promise you something!"
Oh right, there was that.
Now I remembered what I had forgotten.
But there was no time for a long talk.
I quickly checked my watch again.
[23:59].
I looked at the second hand and there were about 15 seconds left.
I quickly closed the watch and raised my head to look at Erwen.
So, that, that… What was the name?
I think it was something black…
"Black Whale! Let's meet at the Black Whale Tavern!"
"Yes!"
Erwen nodded at my urgent cry.
Now, I thought I'd be able to rest assured –
「The labyrinth is closed.」
「The character is moving to Rafdonia.」
Oh, fuck, I didn't tell her what time.
Editor's Notes:
[1] 목에 핏대를 세우며 (lit. blood around the neck), be very angry or excited.
-x-X-x-
The light covering my eyes gave way to something softer, and my vision returned.
I looked up at the sky, a bit vacantly.
It'd been a long time since I'd last seen something so bright.
Well, it was still a gloomy gray sky.
"You gonna go home, Derek?"
"No way, I finally came out after a month. I'm going straight to the tavern after washing up."
"I'm baaaaaaaaack!"
"All adventurers below level seven, please come this way!"
The surroundings couldn't simply be described as noisy.
It was only natural, since all the adventurers who'd entered the labyrinth were gathered in one place…
Really, I had no idea there were so many adventurers in this city.
It was like watching soccer fans cheering at Gwanghwamun Plaza during a World Cup.
Click, click.
I set my watch to 12 o'clock.
Even if you spend a month inside the labyrinth, only one day passes in the city. No matter how many days you pass there, you come out at noon the next day.
'When I was playing the game, I thought it was just a quirk of the setting to improve the player's quality of life…'
In this way, even after visiting the labyrinth, you can continue your quests in the city without interruption.
So I'd thought it was for the convenience of the users.
"Bjorn, son of Yandel!"
Who is it? It's a familiar voice…
As I turned my head towards sound, I saw a barbarian of similar size as me.
I remembered him quite clearly, as he was the first leader.
"Karak, the second son of Bloodnun."
"The third son of Farun."
What? So, is Ainar second?
Anyway, it was easy for the tall barbarians to find each other in this crowd.
"Serum, Kennick's fourth son! You came back alive too!"
"I'm glad you look well, Karak, third son of Farun!"
I was really just standing still, but the barbarians started flocking to my place.
"Hahahahaha! The blade wolves were no big deal! Not a single one could handle more than one shot of my axe!"
"That's only natural if it was your valiant axe, Parman, son of Nerun!"
What kind of reunion was this? It was crazy lively.
They greeted each other by calling out those long names without a break, and praised each other valour.
These guys were weirdly amazing.
Your brains are filled with holes, so how come you managed to memorize those long names?
"Bjorn! What are you doing standing around! We're going to exchange the magic stones now, don't you want to go together?"
I cleared my throat once and answered as loudly as I could.
"Oh, I will go!"
"You look pretty tired!! There's no power in your voice!!"
"Yes!"
I'd thought I was putting up a good act as a barbarian, but now my confidence was disappearing.
The natives were really different.
"There it is!"
"The place that proves the bravery of a warrior!"
Moving along with the barbarians, I was naturally able to follow the procedure as an adventurer.
It wasn't a big deal; it was just the process of exchanging mana stones for money at the checkpoint.
"It's 24,476 stones."
"It's 28,420 stones."
"It's 41,498 stones."
It was like some kind of checkout counter at a supermarket.
Especially when it came to speed.
The officials sitting at the table were really quick at their jobs.
They put the pouches of mana stones somewhere like checking for barcode, and when a number appeared, they took out money like machines.
While I looked at the whole scene with a bit of curiousity, the savages around me, not knowing that they were embarrassing themselves, kept chatting with each other in loud voices.
"Oooh! To earn more than 40,000 stones, that's amazing!"
"Karak, third son of Farun, is a warrior among warriors!
Man, was it because I'd been living with a fairy for the past few days?
I couldn't get used to it at all.
By the way, I needed to find Erwen as well…
How come I could only find these guys, not the one I was actually looking for?
Well, I did in fact just stand still.
"Bjorn son of Yandel! Now it's your turn!"
As I was sighing to myself, it was finally my turn.
I walked over to the table and put my pouches in front of the seemingly soulless official.
"Are all three pouches magic stones?"
The other two belonged to the beanpole and the samurai.
But now they were all mine.
Since about forty minutes ago.
"Yes."
As I nodded, the official placed the pouches on a scale or something.
And told me the exact amount.
"182,413 stones."
A slice of bread was worth about twenty stones, so did I earn over 9,000 breads in seven days?
It felt like just yesterday when I'd been feeling sad about catching a goblin and earning only a slice of bread.
… Somehow, I was feeling a bit choked up.
"It's 180,000 stones! Bjorn, son of Yandel, has earned 180,000 stones!"
"This is the best record ever! Bjorn, son of Yandel, is the greatest warrior of all time!"
These bastards didn't even give me the time to get emotional.
I quickly grabbed the money from the official and passed through the checkpoint.
But as soon as I came out into the crowd, everybody could finally see my appearance properly, and the savages who'd come out before me began to tremble.
"Not just stones! He's even got a hammer!"
"No, he's even wearing shoes! I'm so jealous!"
"Three pouches!"
"Look at that watch! Does he even know how to read a watch?"
"How can that be? Is Bjorn son of Yandel a wizard?"
Well, I don't understand your reaction either.
Do you feel that reading is no different than magic?
I am the first barbarian who went into the labyrinth naked and evolved into a civilized man!
Fuck, I'm heating up because this praise is too freaking much for me to handle.
Whoo, calm down, Bjorn.
I…
"I am the best warrior!!"
"Wooooooohooooooo!!!"
At the same time –
As I shouted, the barbarians also descended into a frenzy of enthusiasm. Then they picked me up and started tossing me into the air.
But to my surprise, I was feeling better than I'd expected.
Well, everything had gone well, after all.
"You can't make too much noise here."
"I'm sorry! I apologize!"
"So, don't raise your voices…"
"I get it!!"
Finally, the madness subsided only after one of the officials came and said something.
Then I regained my composure and sat on the floor like the barbarians around me, waiting for the remaining barbarians to finish passing through the checkpoints.
That was then –
"…"
I sensed a certain gaze, and turned my head to see a fairy staring at me through the crowd of adventurers.
Erwen.
Since when have you been watching? Hopefully after I finished getting tossed into the air…
"…"
Whether she knew how I felt or not, when our eyes met, Erwen smiled as if she was happy.
However, because she was talking to the beautiful fairy standing next to her, she quickly took her eyes off me.
Curious, I listened in to the conversation, and it was quite refreshing.
Should I say that it felt too unrealistic to be chatting quietly and happily with your sibling?
"Sister! Now I think I know how to deal with some spirits! Maybe that's why Grandma Greentherin insisted that I make friends with them in the first place?"
"Oh, really? They say that the fire spirit has a rather quick temper, so you should be able to hear his voice soon."
Well, so she's that type of person.
I only have a barbarian girl next to me.
So jealous…
As I looked at Erwen with a longing for what I didn't have, our eyes met again.
I wanted to tell her the time, so I mouthed a word out.
'Tonight.'
Erwen tilted her head, then smiled and answered in the same way.
'Yes!'
First of all, it was clear that this secret conversation felt quite interesting to Erwen.
But, I didn't know if she understood what I was saying.
Did she actually say 'yes' in the first place?
Once I get out of the checkpoint, I should try and talk to her properly.
The moment I thought this to myself –
"Why are you looking over there like that, do you know anyone?"
"Oh, no! Sister! Could it be!"
At the question of the fairy next to her, Erwen waved her hands.
Then, finding a gap in the conversation, she glanced at me and mouthed a word again.
'Sorry!'
I thought I got it right this time.
Afterwards, I could understand her gesture of secretly pointing at the fairy sister and shaking her head.
It must have been because of this elder sister.
Well, I didn't think it was a common situation.
"Bjorn son of Yandel! Where are you looking at like that! Do you know a fairy?"
"Impossible!"
"Naturally! There's no way that the greatest warrior of all time like you would ever know one of those vile idiots!"
I wanted to shut this bastard's mouth, but I couldn't.
At that loud voice, the fairies around us looked at me with piercing eyes.
Among them was Erwen.
She looked at me with bitter eyes and nodded her head as if understanding.
"Haah…"
As I was looking at those sad eyes, I suddenly came upon a realization.
What the hell was I doing?
It's not like we were Romeo and Juliet.
"Let's go!"
Soon after, the barbarians finished trickling out of the checkpoints and started to move out.
It seemed impossible to talk to Erwen who was surrounded by fairies no matter how long I waited, so I followed them too.
Tiringly, there was another crowd in front of us.
"Dad! Aren't you hurt? I missed you!"
"Brother! Here we are!"
Well, yes, there'd been something like this in the game.
Put simply, the people here were families or friends of the adventurers.
"Let's go! I will open a path!"
"Ooooooooh!"
I followed the barbarians through the crowd that bubbled with joy, excitement, despair, sorrow, and affection.
Looking at their faces one by one.
I felt weird.
"Limarion! My husband, where is my husband? It can't be…"
"Sorry. He asked me to pass this on to you."
"No… No. No… aaaaah!"
I'd played [Dungeon & Stone] countless times.
But it was my first time seeing those expressions everywhere, that could've never been seen through the 2D graphics from beyond the monitor.
I had a reason for moving with the barbarians.
Because, like the previous checkpoint, there were still more procedures for beginners to go through in this city.
However, my expectations went unexpectedly wrong.
"Time for some alcohol! Let's have a drink!"
"Wooooohoooooo!"
As soon as they came out of the labyrinth, the barbarians headed to the tavern.
Are you kidding me?
"I'm going to get out of here."
"Why is that! Bjorn, son of Yandel, the best warrior!"
Even a modifier got attached to this already long name.
Telling myself to be patient, I got out of my seat, giving an excuse that I had no choice because I had a place to go.
"May fortune be with you! Bjorn, son of Yandel, the best warrior!"
I was feeling it again and again, but all my predictions based on common sense didn't seem to work.
"Huh, it's finally quiet."
Being with these savages for a while was already driving me crazy. Did Erwen feel the same way while she'd been with me?
Next time, I'd have to pay more attention to my acting.
Thump, thump.
After breaking up with them, I aimlessly wandered around the city.
I did have a destination, but for now, I felt like I wanted to walk wherever my footsteps led me.
Peaceful.
The first time I'd seen this city, it was midnight, but now it was daytime, and the streets were full of people.
Surprisingly, that gave me a sense of security.
"…"
There were no monsters here.
No one to hurt me.
Even if you fall asleep on the road, you'll be able to safely wake up. No, maybe someone will even give you a helping hand.
There were laws, rules, and leeway here.
Of course, it was still a distant world, and unlike how it looked on the surface, I knew that almost everything, including their ideas, culture, and social systems, would be barbaric compared to the 21st century.
But it was still so peaceful.
At least compared to the seven days I'd spent inside the labyrinth.
"…"
I wanted to immerse myself even more in that sense of stability, so I kept walking.
Maybe it was because the adventurers had just poured out of the labyrinth, but my blood-soaked appearance didn't really stand out.
No one spared me a strange glance.
But as I kept walking down the street, I felt like having a bath.
So I entered the first inn I saw, got a room, and washed myself.
It was a little strange.
More blood than dirt came out as I kept washing.
"…"
After rinsing hard for about an hour, I now felt that the clothes I was wearing were too filthy.
Damn, I'd have to go buy some clothes and come back to wash these.
I was feeling sleepy, but I still went out to the street and found a clothing store.
But how come?
No one looked at me strangely, but I was somehow feeling embarrassed.
I took off my top, and wore just the trousers that were stained with dirt and blood…
And now I felt like a savage again.
Why?
"Welcome!"
As soon as I entered the store, a kindly-looking assistant approached me.
Although I was a barbarian looking like a beggar, she had a bright smile.
I'd never seen such a professional shop assistant even in Seoul…
"Do you want some clothes? If you would like to make a custom order, please visit the building next door… Oh, you're looking for something to wear right now? I'm not sure if there's anything the right size, but I'll take a look."
With her help, I was able to buy a pair of tight-fitting shirts and black trousers.
The price came to a total of 2,500 stones.
No idea if I got ripped off or not.
I'd never bought and tried on clothes without any function in the game.
"Come back next time!"
Now that I was feeling more like a person, I returned to the inn.
I'd thought this the first time I saw the officials exchanging magic stones, and I felt it again while talking to the shop assistant just now. This city exuded a strangely modern atmosphere.
Rafdonia.
Most of the buildings were made of stone, with multiple stories.
No, it was hard to find a building with three stories or less on the street, and when I'd been washing, it was with water coming out of a faucet.
Life in this city might be more comfortable than I'd have thought.
"…"
Returning to the inn, I soon dropped down on the bed.
Recalling the events of the past seven days one by one, I realized that I was also a human being not much different from Uncle Hans.
When I first fell here, my only goal was to survive.
But what about now?
In the end, I spat out the words that I'd wanted to say countless times but endured.
"I want to go home."
I want to go back.
Even if no one welcomes me there.
-x-X-x-
Slowly, I opened my eyes.
I closed them again, and told myself.
'Get up and get to it.'
As I recalled all the various homework I had to do in this city, my drowsiness started to subside.
Alright, showtime.
First, I checked the time.
[21: 18].
I'd come out of the labyrinth around noon, so leaving out the other odds and ends, I'd slept for around four hours.
But was it because I finally slept on a bed?
It felt incredibly refreshing compared to the last time I'd taken a nap on the ground.
My stomach growled.
I still had some leftover bread that I'd eaten in the labyrinth, but I decided to go out for a bite.
In a world where money was no different from life…
It felt like an acceptable degree of luxury.
"…"
Even after washing my body so hard during the day, I still felt smelly somehow, so I had another quick rinse before leaving the inn.
Trudge, trudge.
As I walked the night streets that were much quieter compared to the daytime, I was feeling a bit stifled.
Not psychologically, but physically.
The beige shirt that I was wearing was medieval-style, with an open chest, laced sleeves and neck.
Instead of buttons, there was a cross string like a shoelace on the deep V-neck…
It was tight even with the neck opened as wide as it could go.
I could see why barbarians went topless. Because they couldn't get any clothes the right size. What a pitiful race.
'… But where should I go?'
Right now, my priority was to go meet Erwen at the agreed meeting place.
The problem was that, I didn't know where the Black Whale Tavern was.
I was sure it was south of the Dimensional Plaza with the labyrinth portal, but the city had been compressed in size by tens of thousands of times in the game, so that wasn't very helpful.
So I ended up asking for help from some passers-by.
"Black Whale Tavern? Was there anything like that?"
"This is my first time hearing about it."
Most responded that they'd never heard of it, until a middle-aged man with gray hair.
"The Black Whale Tavern? I haven't heard that name in quite a while. You look young, how do you know about it? It must've been a decade since it was gone."
Thank you for saying I look young, but the rest of it isn't very pleasing.
"… You mean, it's gone now?"
"Yeah, it was a store that had been running for several generations, but it changed hands after the owner fell into gambling debts. And the name changed, too."
My hypothesis ever since the labyrinth gained more credence.
Had the game been set in the past compared to the current era, after all?
If so, issues like the 'evil spirits' or the relationship between the barbarians and the fairies could also be explained.
It looked like I'd have to go visit the library first once the sun rose.
"Thank you. You've been very helpful."
"Heh heh, I don't think I've ever seen a barbarian as polite as you."
I broke up with the native uncle after that, and kept wandering the night streets. Although the name had changed, but it seemed that the pub itself was still in business, so I thought I'd give it a try.
I hoped that Erwen, too, would come to meet me.
'Pydenpus.'
Reaching my destination, I couldn't help but pause for a moment.
I could read the pronunciation, but I didn't know the meaning. Was it in something like an ancient language from this world?
I thought it was necessary to actively study the language which my brain somehow had naturally understood.
"Hah ha ha ha ha!"
"If you're going to fight, go out and fight, you bastards!"
The inside of the tavern was exactly how I had imagined it to be.
Drunk people, adventurers, music, messes, tobacco smoke, even the occasional demihuman.
As I was scanning that place standing at the entrance, I saw a flash of familiar silver from a back aisle corner. As well as a pair of slightly protruding, pointy ears.
A form I was only too happy to find.
Step.
One of the fucking drunk bastards bumped my shoulder as he staggered towards the aisle.
Well, that alone wouldn't have been a problem…
"Fairy girls, you look bored by yourselves. Do you want to accompany this brother for a drink?"
He went to Erwen's place and threw out some cliché lines.
Well, actually, thinking about it, it was no big deal.
But…
"Is it because this pub's in the gutters? It's only got whiny rat bitches like you."
Er, Erwen…?
Did you transform or something?
"… What? R-, rat?"
The fucking idiot could only make a bewildered face at that sharp sting of sarcasm.
I probably wouldn't have done much better in his place either.
"Go away. Unless you're looking to get a hole in your forehead."
Judging by the fact that she especially liked the forehead, I probably didn't mistake the person…
What the hell?
I had to go and check this out.
But before that, I'd like to get rid of that guy first.
"What, what are you doing!"
As I approached and grabbed his shoulder, the arrogant uncle quickly turned his head…
"Uh, uhh."
And closed his eyes right away.
"Didn't you hear her telling you to fuck off?"
"… I heard."
"Then why are you still here?"
Instead of answering, the uncle carefully skirted around me and went back to his seat, this time without a single stagger.
And then –
"Oh, uncle!"
I heard the tone I'd already been familiar with.
But I wasn't surprised.
Because from the beginning, I'd never really thought that Erwen had some kind of split personality.
… It's the truth.
Hey, didn't that guy also say 'fairy girls' just now?
"Are you that barbarian?"
Because it was a corner table, it was hidden from view by a pillar, but there were a total of two people sitting there.
"Yeah, that barbarian is probably me. But who are you?"
"Her older sister."
She really had a sister.
Somehow, she looked exactly the same from the side profile.
"Is 'her older sister', your name?"
"… Don't be an idiot. You can call me Tersia."
Erwen's last name was Tersia, too.
Apparently, she didn't want to tell me her name.
"I see. Tersia, can I sit down now?"
"As you please."
I sat down without hesitation.
And observed Tersia.
First of all, they didn't look like twins.
She looked about three to four years older, and when viewed from the front, their facial features were quite different.
The eyes especially seemed to hold a ferocious atmosphere.
Or, maybe it wasn't just the eyes?
"Barbarian."
"I am Bjorn, son of Yandel."
"Whatever you say. Anyway, why the hell did you bring this little girl to this pub?"
"S-, sister…?"
"You stay still."
Erwen felt the mood and tried to intervene, but was blocked.
Hmm, things were getting pretty funny.
Leaving aside why Erwen brought her sister along, I didn't think she disliked me just because I was a barbarian.
I could feel that intuitively.
I'd have to figure it out later.
"Tersia, for what purpose did you want to see me?"
"Erwen stayed out all night last night. When I asked, she said she was waiting for someone at the tavern all night. I wondered what kind of guy it was stringing my sister along."
Wait, I don't understand?
"What do you mean? Last night?"
"Trying to wash your hands of it?"
Looking at her face, it didn't look like she was joking.
"… Erwen, how many hours have passed since you came out of the labyrinth?"
"Ah, um… Thirty hours or so!"
Crazy. I slept for over a day, not just four hours.
No wonder it felt so damn nice.
"I apologize. I didn't even know that the day had passed since I was sleeping."
At my polite apology, Tersia gave me a look of surprise.
I was feeling somewhat pitiful.
She didn't even raise a stink over the fact that I'd slept for over a day and missed it.
"I never thought a barbarian would be punctual, anyway."
I had nothing to say.
"So, why did you tell Erwen to come here?"
Well, there was quite a long explanation and there were many reasons…
I just cut it short and drew a line.
"I have no obligation to tell you. If you're curious, ask Erwen later."
Literally translated, it meant don't worry about it and lay off, but fortunately, Tersia also understood my meaning. The corners of her lips twisted in a curve.
"How funny. A rookie who's just entered the labyrinth doesn't know his place."
"What does being a rookie have to do with it? Erwen is an adventurer. Unless you plan to take care of her for the rest of her life, you'd better drop that attitude."
"How barbaric."
"S-, sister? Uncle…?"
While we were having a staredown, Erwen alone was fidgeting impatiently.
Soon, Tersia took something from her pocket and put it on the table.
"Here's 350,000 stones."
"… Why are you giving this to me?"
"Price of the essence that Erwen absorbed."
Oh, so she was telling me to take the money and vamoose.
I was very familiar with this kind of development that was a staple of daytime soap operas, so it just felt weird.
"Why don't you take it? Or do you have other intentions?"
It's not like that.
If she paid with good money, I too had no intention of asking Erwen for a 'promise' in return for the essence.
However, I had to hear it straight from Erwen first.
"Do you have the same opinion?"
"That is…"
Erwen wiggled in place.
Was she that scared of her sister?
Originally, I was going to discuss it once we were done sharing and were alone, but now that we were done, I decided to do it now.
"The promise I was going to ask you for was that you would help me until I got the essence I wanted."
"Eh, is that all?"
"Yes. If possible, I'd like to keep the team running even after that, but that's separate. No promise required. In future, we'll divide the loot 5:5."
In a nutshell, it meant having a two-person party.
How would Erwen respond?
She didn't take long.
"Sorry."
It was a rejection.
In place of Erwen, who was bowing her head, her sister explained the reason.
"Erwen will enter the labyrinth with me from now on."
"From now on?"
"According to tradition, she had to go alone the first time, but I never intended to leave her by herself."
… I see.
Since the tutorial's over, a chauffeur was here to carry[1] her for the rest of the game.
Fucking bloodlines.
"If you understand, take the pouch."
I decided to cleanly give up on Erwen.
Although she was a good friend, there was no reason to forcefully stick with her.
But the calculation had to be done properly.
"350,000 stones is probably the half average price of an essence, right?"
"Of course. It's a loot you two earned together."
From the standpoint as an old hand at this game, experienced enough to be called 'rotten water'[2], I judged 700,000 stones to be a pretty decent amount.
But the ratio was wrong.
"Then this isn't enough, there need to be 280,000 stones more. The promised distribution ratio was 9:1."
"Fine."
Tersia pulled out another pouch from her pocket without a fuss.
Suspicious, I checked it, and it contained exactly 280,000 stones.
Motherfucker, was she just treating me like some pushover?
Obviously, if I hadn't said anything, she wouldn't have given anything other than the 350,000 stones.
Oh, you mean bitch…
I could see why barbarians hated fairies so much.
"If your business is over, will you please step away? I have something to discuss with Erwen."
"What exactly do you plan to discuss?"
Another fight was about to start, but Erwen intervened.
"Big sis, thank you for taking care of me and coming all the way here, but I think you can go now."
"Erwen?"
"I have to say my farewells to uncle too… Yeah?"
"… I get it, you aren't a child anymore."
Taking a deep breath and saying something she didn't even mean, Tersia finally looked at me.
"Make an oath, barbarian. That you won't sleep with Erwen. Then I will leave immediately."
Yes? Did I hear you wrong?
"Uh, sister?!"
Well, I guess I heard right.
Don't sleep with…
Does it mean that all types of skinship before that is allowed?
"I swear. On my honour as a warrior."
"U-, uncle?"
"Done."
Finally, Tersia got up from her seat.
And…
"Oh, I forgot. Thank you for saving Erwen, barbarian."
Leaving a last sentence, she coolly left the tavern.
Jingling.
Hearing the bell hanging over the door, Erwen drooped over the table.
"Huh! What should I do! I've never been treated like this before… Could sister be angry?"
"She isn't."
"How do you know?"
Because she looked at you once before leaving and fucking snickered. You didn't see her.
… Wait a minute, if that's the case, why did she ask me that shit?
Erwen scratched her head a few times before coming back to her senses.
"Oh right! Apologies. I appreciate the suggestion, but it'd already been decided long ago that I'd go with my sister… "
"No apologies necessary."
Even if it were me, a high-levelled fairy carrying me out of familial loyalty would've been a dream come true, although I couldn't imagine one of them willingly hanging out with a fucking barbarian.
"Well, just take this first."
Erwen took out a small pouch and placed it on the table.
"Exactly 63,000 stones."
The price of the crossbow as well as the mana stones the leader had.
I didn't know what the actual amount was, but I had no doubts.
Because it'd be meaningless.
Anyway, how much should I pay if I divide this by 9:1?
"Ah, I took care of my share, so you don't have to pay anything back."
Yeah, alright.
I mean, anything else at this point would be crazy.
"I left the backpacks the two of them had at my dorm for now. There are many things, but… I think it would be good to see them for yourself tomorrow."
"I agree."
Because we'd already been together for a few days, she really knew what I was curious about.
I didn't have to say a single word, but the loot distribution agenda was settled in an instant.
However, moving to the next agenda, Erwen spoke with a more cautious attitude.
"Then… How can I repay you?"
"Repay?"
"I told you. I will definitely repay your grace."
Oh, she did mention that in the past.
"Grace…"
Erwen gulped nervously.
… I guess this was why her sister made me swear that oath at the end?
I wonder if she's expecting something strange from me?
"Stop teasing me, out with it."
Her eyesight had sharpened a lot.
She noticed right away that I was messing with her.
"I can't think of anything right now. I want to order something first, anything you want to eat?"
"I'm not hungry…"
"Then I'll just order mine."
As soon as I glanced at the menu hanging on the wall, Erwen spoke as if she'd just remembered.
"Oh, then, drink! Let's have a drink, please!"
"Drink?"
"Yes. I didn't even drink a sip yesterday on purpose. I wanted to drink my first returning wine with you! Ehehe."
Erwen smiled brightly and looked at me with eyes that seemed to be fishing for praise.
Returning…
Come to think of it, there was such a custom.
Well, it was a bit different from the feeling of drinking a can of beer after work.
For demihumans who grew up in their sanctuaries until they reached adulthood, the 'week of first return' had a greater meaning than one might think.
Um, but what should I say in this situation?
"… That's nice."
"This is when you say thank you!"
"Thank you?"
"Thank you! We're friends who've lived together in the labyrinth, so of course we should be together for the week of first return."
What the hell did she want?
While I was pondering, Erwen scratched her cheek.
"Of course, for you, this isn't your first return…"
"What do you mean? This is my week of first return, too."
"Yes?!"
Why are you surprised?
"Didn't I say that I was twenty, too?"
"… Wasn't that a joke?"
So that's why, no matter what I said, she just kept calling me uncle.
"This was my first time entering the labyrinth."
"Is that so…"
Soon after, Erwen slowly peeked into my eyes, went to find the waiter and started ordering on her own.
The food arrived about twenty minutes later.
"You've worked hard, uncle."
She was just going to keep calling me uncle, looked like.
Fine. Do whatever you want. We won't see each other again for a long time, anyway.
"… You worked hard, too."
We drank, ate and continued to chat. In the labyrinth, we'd mostly talked when absolutely necessary, so this was our first time having such a private conversation.
But things couldn't go on like this forever.
"Uncle, are you wearing a shirt today?"
Yes, and you are wearing a skirt.
We've exhausted all other possible topics.
"Erwen, didn't you say that you'd repay the grace?"
"Yes? Yes, what is it?"
"Then, try using the ability you used back then here and now."
Erwen tilted her head.
Now whether this could really be called a reward…
It was an important issue for me.
What's the difference between an essence inside the game and an essence in reality?
I needed to definitively confirm this in advance.
Maybe I'd need to revise my training methods.
"But why all of a sudden?"
"There's something I want to check."
"But, isn't it illegal to use your abilities inside the city? You'd get caught right away. By the guards."
This was the reason why skills couldn't be used inside the city while playing the game.
So there was no way at all?
While I was thinking, Erwen offered a suggestion.
"How about going to a place where there are no people? Oh, my place isn't an option. Other races are prohibited from entering."
The fairies seemed to have their own accommodations.
Hmm, what should I do anyway? Should I just take you to a dark alley?
As I was pondering, Erwen found the answer first.
"So, I mean… How about going to your room?"
Ah, I guess that works.
Editor's Notes:
[1] 버스 (lit. bus), 'riding the bus' is a gaming slang (League of Legends etc), similar in meaning to a weak team being 'carried' by one expert member. See Namu Wiki.
[2] 고인물 (lit. stagnant water), part of the expression 'stagnant water rots'. It's vanishingly unlikely for a KR webnovel reader to be unfamiliar with the term, but here you go anyway.