"Ainar. When something happens, always think of the worst possibility first."
We only need to look at what had happened before, when we delivered ourselves into thinking we would casually encounter human explorers.
Life doesn't always go the way you want.
"The reason we were able to escape was because she let us go. She must have thought that, if she wanted to, she could easily catch us. So it's too soon to feel highlighted."
The explanation was starting to drag on, much to my dismay.
Let's get to the main point.
"By now, she must be..."
"Watching you closely."
Mother...
I thought she'd be on her way here at best. Apparently, there was another rock bottom beneath the rock bottom. Or maybe I had a problem with my IQ.
"Bjorn!"
As Ainar and I lowered our backpacks and prepared to fight, a woman emerged from the darkness.
Again, without a mask.
"I'm sorry, Barbarian."
What's up with this creepy dog?
"Even so, the previous fight was impressive."
Whether it was gnome skill or not, it seemed as if he had been watching us for a long time...
This didn't make logical sense.
"Why did you appear now?"
It had taken me a few minutes to drink the potion and be able to move again. So why hadn't I signed up during that time?
While waiting for a response,
"Ahhhhh!!!!"
The yellow fur bounced off the ground and started running with all its might. Ainar and I reacted late because we were paying attention to the psycho dog.
However...
Thud.
A thin, needle-like thing fly straight in and pierced the neck of the yellow-haired man.
Could he have been poisoned?
Even with the minor trauma, her yellow hair shook like a trembling aspen, and soon she fell inert.
Then I realized... It wasn't the time to calmly ask why.
"Ainar!"
Long words weren't necessary between us.
As soon as I said his name, Ainar got up from the ground and jumped forward as if he had been waiting for it.
I did the same.
If you can't run away, you have no choice but to fight!
Whoom!
The plundering fox easily dodged Ainar's greatsword by ducking. Then, simultaneously, she blocked my mace with a dagger as I fell upon her.
Clang!
But what...
How many essences had I spilled? The dagger that had blocked my mace was perfectly fine. And, when the woman exercised more force, I was helplessly pushed back.
"Stop this senseless fight, barbarian."
Okay. That seems like a very difficult request.
Even if it doesn't make sense...
"Behell-aahhh!"
I was a barbarian.
Of course, my mind had not yet escaped my time as a member of modern civilization.
Clang!
I was afraid every day, there were no signs that I was getting used to the pain, and I kept thinking of a way to escape.
However, one thing was the same as with the barbarians.
Clang!
If there is only one possible way.
I choose to go through it.
Without hesitation.
Clang!
At the same time that my mace collided with his dagger, I got rid of it and attempted a tackle.
As expected, she didn't move.
Why are a scout's physical abilities so high? I complained involuntarily.
But even if I couldn't take it down, my resistance could stop it.
«Ainar! Now!»
Before he even screamed, Ainar's greatsword was already swinging superbly in a straight line.
For the first time, the looter, who had been expressionless all this time, revealed an emotion.
«.....!»
Surprised, or upset.
Hmm, maybe it was anger.
Slash!
My back hurt.
Did he stab me in the spine?
But what happened to my armor?
Before I could even ask, the force left my body.
[The character has been affected by the [Paralysis]] status.
I tried to hold on to his pants and hold on somehow, but my body, which ran like a monster even when I was stabbed in the neck, ignored me.
Stabbed!
Then, successively, the sound of stabbed flesh was heard again.
Clang!
With that sound, Ainar's greatsword fell to the ground. When I moved my eyes up, I saw that a dagger was deeply stuck in Ainar's wrist.
I wondered if this was the end of us...
but even as he suffered, Ainar did not stop.
«Ahh!»
Having lost a gun, instead of his paralyzed right arm, he brandished his left fist. Seeing his fighting spirit, I realized again...
Why a barbarian, who was no different from a large human in appearance, is treated like a monster.
However, this was not a good opponent.
Whoom!
The woman escaped the fist with her evasive movements and did not stop there, but instead grabbed Ainar's wrist, twisted it, and...
Boom!
He threw her to the ground.
Ainar immediately got up from the ground and tried to stand up, but he kept slipping and falling. His arm was shaking with the tendon raised. Seeing that, the woman sighed coldly.
«Surrender. There is nothing you can do while paralyzed by the poison of a basilisk».
Like a death sentence. My mind turned white and my eyes darkened.
Equipment, skills, experience... There was a big difference in all aspects.
No matter how much I turned the gears in my head, I couldn't think of any way to turn the situation around.
When the word «death» was engraved in my mind,
«That's why you should have listened to me when I gave you the chance».
The woman leaned over and let go of my hand that had been stiffened around the hem of her pants.
And he said dryly,
«Barbarian, swear you won't talk about what happened to anyone today. Then I will forgive you».
That?
***
Then followed a brief silence. Then, the woman opened her mouth.
«I was going to make you this offer before you ran away. I owe you something».
I could instinctively feel that this was the only way to live, but...
I couldn't understand it.
Raising her head desperately, the woman briefly explained to me,
«I don't want to kill a barbarian with my bare hands if I can help it.»
With my own hands...
Is that why he had stared when the yellow-haired man had attacked me? To let someone else take care of your mess?
«Bjorn... the looter's words... don't believe them..... she's just playing with us.»
But even if you say that, we have no choice.
If she plays with us and then kills us, or just kills us...
It was no different either way.
I spat the blood that reached my throat and asked,
«If I reject the offer, what will you do...?»
«Kill you, of course. That was the promise in the first place».
«Promise... with whom?».
«That's not your place to know».
His voice was the same as always, but somehow it sounded a little harsher.
«Choose. I'll give you some time...»
«I swear on the honor of a warrior.»
No time needed. It wasn't like there were other options.
«...You are certainly a bit strange.»
The psychopath looked at me for a moment with a strange look and then sprayed something.
Chhhhhzz.
A family pain. It was a potion.
[You have consumed a Recovery Potion (Higher)].
[The character's [Paralysis] status has been removed].
The muscles that had hardened began to relax and strength began to enter my body little by little.
The woman looked away from me and asked,
«Barbara woman, what are you going to do?».
Ainar gave an answer after a brief silence.
«...I refuse».
«I see».
The woman did not ask again. He just nodded slightly. However, I felt more clearly his intention in that action.
He didn't take out his gun, nor did he pose a threat, but...
This woman was going to kill Ainar.
And to avoid it, he could only do one thing.
«...Ainar, take the oath.»
«Bjorn?»
«Didn't you say you would obey me completely?»
«Still, a warrior's oath is...»
Damn, what's so important about that pride?
«Ainar, Fenelin's second daughter!»
Ainar stiffened at my scream. I lowered my voice, looked into her eyes and spoke calmly.
«Trust me. This is the right choice».
After a brief silence, Ainar struggled to open his mouth.
"...Okay. I swear».
«Well thought out».
After Ainar took the oath, the psychopath cured her using another potion. This was a real carrot and whip. The feeling of being forced to make a decision was the same.
Nauseatingly disgusting.
As soon as the treatment was finished, the woman turned to leave when I asked her a question.
«... What floor is it?».
To this arbitrary question, the woman tilted her head for a moment and gave a short answer.
«The eighth floor».
Of course, much higher than the fifth floor.
No wonder she was so strong despite being a looter. Even if there were ten like me, we would be no match for her.
But...
My eyes closed.
As I watched the psychopath disappear from my sight like smoke, I made myself a promise. Next time, it would be different.
***
«Ainar, are you okay?»
«...I'm fine. I can get up alone».
Ainar removed my hand and stood up alone. I wondered if she would be disappointed in me, but maybe the person she was disappointed in was herself, not me.
After all, the barbarians were honest to a fault.
«.....»
I decided to leave Ainar and his complicated expression alone for a while, and checked my condition.
First, this thing...
Click!
As I took off my armor and checked the back, I could see that there was a hole the size of a dagger. The penetration was very clean.
... Could it be a 'Auror'?
Damn.
Why did we have to encounter that monster on the second floor, not to mention in this vast and vast Land of the Dead of all places? What the fuck situation was this?
The only thing I could think of was that I had to get stronger as soon as possible. Going home or whatever, was the only way to protect myself in this rotten world.
«Bjorn, what are we going to do now?»
«...Go down to the first floor.»
The Land of the Dead was not a bad hunting ground. But I had no intention of staying here with that crazy bitch hanging around. We could come back if I changed my mind.
«Good... Okay».
Ainar seemed dejected and followed my instructions without asking questions.
Mental attention was not my specialty, but...
Ha... I should at least say something when we got off. It seems like the world has ended.
«Follow me».
Avoiding most avoidable battles, we moved along the markers.
About six hours passed since then. Finally we were able to return to the portal that led to the first floor.
Thudᅳ!
Once again, I landed safely while Ainar rolled on the ground.
And pretty bad, too.
But he got up slowly, as if nothing had happened.
«... Doesn't it hurt?».
«Yes, it hurts.
«But why...»
«As someone who is not a warrior, I do not deserve to feel pain».
...The situation was much worse than I had thought. Was it so embarrassing to beg for your life? Well, in the game it was like that too.
«Um, Ainar...?»
«What's happening?»
«The warrior who survives is the strongest. It doesn't end with a loss, but it opens up the chance to win later!»
«I can't understand it in so many words».
Although he deliberately spoke happily, Ainar's voice was still somber.
«However, I think I understand what you mean by that the strongest warrior is the one who survives».
«Is that so?»
«To overcome such humiliation and the desire to commit suicide at every moment, it must mean that you are a strong warrior. Bjorn, like you».
No, I don't have any of those thoughts... Kill you? It's not like he's a samurai.
That wasn't what he had meant in the first place, but there was no need to deny it at this point.
«Ainar, you can do it.»
«I don't know if I can get over this pain... but I will try».
«Yes, someday you will return this misfortune».
With my sincere support, we resumed our march. And after deciding to camp in a suitable place, I let Ainar sleep first.
«I'll wake you up in two hours».
«...I will accept this kindness this time.»
Kindness...
It was half right and half wrong.
[07: 39]
In terms of time, it's the morning of the third day. I hadn't slept in over 20 hours. After going through so much, my mental fatigue was immense. But even if I had closed my eyes, I still wouldn't have been able to sleep for a long time.
«.....»
It's not that I let myself be carried away by extreme impules like Ainar, but...
I still felt dirty.
It was similar to the pain of drinking a potion. No matter how many times I experienced this sensation, I could never get used to it.
Chomp!
The other day, when I was saved by the blonde and her group, was similar to today.
The priestess looked me in the eye and refused to treat me. The swordsman three the potion at me as if it were trash. Even seeing this, I had taken the potion and drunk it lying down like a dog.
Of course, I was happy to survive, but...
Despite everything, emotions that are difficult to describe also rose.
"Phew..."
I let out a long sigh, as if to shake off my thoughts.
What on earth am I doing now? It's not like me to let my emotions get the better of me. Maybe it's time to stop.
I closed my eyes and remembered the advice given to me by someone I admired as a child.
Remember that you are nothing. You will never be special.
A magic spell that always made me feel a little better. Yes, let's even use this feeling as fuel, as I always do.
That would be a little more efficient.