Looking back, I suppose I was a funny guy. I’d always thought of life as boring, but I never once considered suicide. That boredom was just an emotion, after all, and life itself was more precious to me than anything. In the end, I simply decided that most things weren't worth the effort. That’s a belief I still hold. Which is why I’m currently crawling through the dark on three limbs. No, that isn’t a figure of speech. I’m literally on my hands and knees, dragging my mangled right foot behind me. If anyone saw me now, they’d probably think of an abandoned dog with a broken leg. How do I know? Because that’s the thought running through my own head. This small mercy came at the cost of my dignity. First, it doesn’t hurt as much since I’m not putting any weight on the injured foot, and I can actually move faster this way. Second, there’s no chance I’ll step on another trap. In exchange, my elbows and knees ache, but that’s a small price to pay. I can endure it. What wouldn’t a person do to survive? I’d gobble down dog shit with a smile if it came to that. Well, maybe if I had a moment to prepare myself. It’s definitely possible. But what happened to that “uncle”? “Uncle” is just a name I gave him. I don’t know his gender, age, or real name. I’m just guessing from the way he spoke. For some reason, the image that comes to mind is a white guy in his thirties, wearing glasses. Or maybe not. [Bleeding] continues. Anyway, what happened to him, the man who woke up in the body of Joric’s son, Torvin? Did he die? Or did he wake up back in his own body? It’s a question that’s been nagging me since I first opened my eyes. Even when I try not to think about it, the question resurfaces whenever things get worse. [Bleeding] continues. It’s becoming clearer now, why people turn to religion. The reality of being truly alone is too much to bear. When despair closes in, you need something to cling to. Just like I’m doing right now. [Bleeding] continues. [Bleeding] continues. Warning: Character health is below 5%. Without prompt treatment, death is imminent. I kept crawling, my mind wandering. Faintly, I sensed the oppressive darkness beginning to recede. The space around me was growing brighter. This was a good sign. It meant I was heading in the right direction, and it confirmed my hypothesis that the entire first floor couldn’t be pitch black. Just get to the light. There will be people there. I’ll give them this mana stone and ask for help. Then, somehow… Somehow? Don’t be a fucking idiot. Just as I was whispering words of encouragement to myself, grasping at imaginary straws, my other self appeared. Think, you moron. You’re asking for life-saving aid in exchange for a pebble. What’s to stop them from taking the shield and the stone and slitting your throat? Is this really me? He’s a sharp bastard. And what if you run into another goblin before you find a human? Is that skull of yours just for decoration, or is there a brain rattling around in there? Huh? I wasn’t going to take any more of his insults. Well, what else am I supposed to do? I have to keep going. At least with some light, I’ll be able to see the path ahead. Even if a goblin shows up, isn’t that better than fighting in total darkness? …Fair enough. My other self conceded, and my mind fell quiet again. I kept crawling. “Kahahahahaha!” I’m losing my mind. No, I might have already lost it. I’ve lost so much blood, after all. For a while now, my consciousness has been splitting in two and then merging back together. My thoughts feel sluggish, caught in a strange feedback loop. A little more of this, and I’m sure I’ll close my eyes for good. “Kahahahahaha!” I laughed out loud. I didn’t have the energy to spare, but I laughed anyway. At some point, the area had become much brighter. In the distance, at the end of the passage, I could see a crystal glowing. And in front of it, silhouetted by its light, was the figure of a man holding a torch. I wasn’t mistaking a goblin for a person. It was, without a doubt, a human form. “He…lp…” I tried to shout, but my voice was gone. I just crawled desperately, blinking hard. What was that? The figure seemed to teleport, suddenly much closer. Startled, I blinked again. [Bleeding] continues. He was closer still. No, there were five or six of them now, standing right in front of me. Was I seeing things? I squeezed my eyes shut, then forced them open again. Achievement unlocked. Condition: Health drops to 2% or less. Reward: Mind permanently increases by +1. When I opened my eyes, a blond man was crouched in front of me. Our noses were almost touching. His curious gaze met mine for a second before he glanced away, surveying the area instead of asking questions. He was a veteran, judging the situation with his own experience and intuition rather than relying on the words of a dying man. He came to a conclusion quickly. “You’re a rookie.” Fuck, if you can see that, then help me, you bastard. As you can see, I’m a pathetic barbarian with nothing but a shield. I’ve got a goblin mana stone to trade for help with my shredded leg. You can have it all, just… “Amazing,” the man mused. “How did a newbie manage to get here faster than us?” I hurried to open my mouth, to answer him, but the only sound that came out was a wet gurgle, something between a cough and a spit. “Grrreu…” Honestly, it sounded more like a goblin. But it was enough to show them I was in no condition to speak. The blond man turned to a companion. “Priestess Seraphina. Could you treat this kid?” A priest? Did he say there’s a priest in their party? I whipped my head to the side with the fervent hope of a man witnessing a miracle. And there she was: a priestess in a white robe. Her beautiful lips parted as her eyes met mine, and she spoke bluntly. “I decline.” Eh? What? “I see. All right then.” All right? What does he mean, all right? Why is he just agreeing? This was a nightmare. To finally make it here, only to be treated like this… A tantrum of despair swelled in my heart. Just then, a man with a sword at his hip spoke. “Valerius, may I have a potion?” “Isn’t that for when you can’t use your divine power?” the swordsman grumbled. “You have plenty,” the blond man said smoothly. “I’ll pay you for it when we get out.” “Sheesh.” The swordsman, Valerius, clicked his tongue and pulled a potion from his bag, tossing it over. My heart lurched as I watched my only lifeline being handled so casually. Clink. Fortunately, the blond man caught it. “This isn’t as clean as divine power, so it’s going to hurt.” He uncorked the bottle, poured half of its contents onto my wound, and tipped the other half into my mouth. An unbearable wave of agony instantly washed over me. It felt as if all the pain my body had been unconsciously suppressing had been unleashed at once. The body regenerates rapidly due to the recovery (medium) effect. My entire body felt like it was melting. Now I understood why potions couldn’t be used mid-battle in the game. I’d thought it was just a system restriction, but it was a shockingly accurate reflection of reality. Shit. “Heuk, heuk, heuk…” After a few minutes, the pain gradually subsided, and the haze over my mind began to clear. “Now,” the blond man said, “can you tell me, barbarian? How did a rookie like you get here before us? If you know a new passage, I’d like to buy that information.” So that was his goal. I didn’t feel bad about it; in fact, it was reassuring to know he had a reason for helping me. There is nothing more sinister than kindness without cause. Still, I felt a little sorry for him. I didn’t know any secret passages. “I was here as soon as I entered the labyrinth,” I told him honestly. The blond tilted his head, then nodded as if in understanding. “Ah, I’ve read about that. Cases of dimensional instability. It’s rare.” My heart hammered in my chest. “You’re seeing this for the first time?” I asked, as if I’d misheard. I couldn’t believe it. This party had a priest and a wizard; they had to be at least mid-tier adventurers. But this was their first time seeing something like this? “Yeah. According to the books, it’s a one-in-a-century occurrence. Someone getting dropped in the outermost zone like this.” Oh. A once-in-a-century event. And I experienced it on my very first trip into the labyrinth. Now I understood why the other barbarians hadn’t been carrying torches. Who worries about getting struck by lightning every time it rains? “An unprecedented experience, I’m sure,” the blond said, his gaze tinged with pity. “But what a disaster to go through something so rare.” He seemed to be a decent guy, despite his slightly disappointed tone. “It wasn’t the information I wanted, but it was an interesting story. We’ll call it even for the potion.” “Oh, and don’t forget your shield over there.” I looked where he was pointing and saw my shield lying on the floor about twenty meters away. I thought I’d tied it securely to my waist, but it must have fallen off while I was crawling. “Well then, let’s go.” They walked past me without another word, not even waiting for a thank you. In the labyrinth, time was money. I understood. In fact, it was a miracle they’d spent this much time on me at all. I stared after them for a moment, then scrambled to my feet and ran to pick up my shield. It was incredible to have survived, but something still felt off. Alaric Brand Level: 1 Body: 25 / Mind: 36 (+1) / Abilities: 1 Item Level: 24 Combat Index: 68 (+1) “He was lucky, that barbarian.” “I don’t know if you can call that luck,” the blond man, Konrad, replied with a vague smile. “Going through something like that on your first day…” The swordsman, Valerius, snorted. “He stepped on a goblin trap. He’d have died either way. He was lucky he met us.” “He was lucky to meet Konrad, not you,” the female archer, who had been quiet until now, interjected. “You didn’t even want to give him a potion.” Valerius just shrugged. “You see guys like him all the time. They don’t last long. Our priestess must have thought the same thing, right?” The priestess, Seraphina, offered a bitter smile but didn’t reply. The archer spoke up angrily in her defense. “Lady Seraphina would have treated him if not for the temple’s rules! In fact, if we didn’t have a potion, she might have broken them. Don’t you dare assume everyone is as callous as you.” “I don’t know about that. I’ve met plenty of people who are very different on the inside from how they appear on the outside.” “Valerius, you should try to be a little more like Konrad.” “You mean, be considerate enough to ask about a secret passage before offering help?” “Yes. I’ve heard that barbarians are proud and don’t like accepting charity. Perhaps that’s why he was so tactful about it.” “Hey, now, don’t you think you’re giving me too much credit?” Konrad scratched his head with an awkward smile, though he didn’t deny it. “Ah, if we want to take the shortcut, we need to turn here.” “It really is nice having a guide in the party.” “Lady Seraphina, most guides only know the way to the portal,” the archer said. “Konrad is exceptional. He’s memorized all the landmarks on the first floor.” Valerius shook his head at the archer’s admiration. “But where the hell does this blood trail end? We’ve been walking for a while.” “Yeah,” Konrad agreed. “I guess you were wrong about him just being lucky, Valerius. What kind of mental fortitude does it take to crawl that far?” “Hah, what’s the big deal?… Yeah, it should be right around here.” The party, which had been following the bloodstains, turned down a side passage. After about fifteen minutes, they reached their destination. “Looks like we’re the first ones on this route. See? There’s a benefit to hurrying. Let’s get going.” Konrad placed his hand on a monolith at the end of the dead-end passage. An intense light flared from it, coalescing into a shimmering sphere. It was a portal to the second floor. “Wait.” Just as they were about to step through, the archer stopped them. “Isn’t that what the barbarian was wearing?” “What?” The party turned to where she was pointing and fell silent. In the dim light cast by the portal, they could see a mangled sandal lying next to a blood-stained, saw-toothed trap. “…That must be it.” The wizard looked intrigued. He created a new sphere of light and sent it floating down the passage they had come from. Whoosh! The trail of blood began at the trap and stretched on, winding away into the darkness. No matter how far the light traveled, they couldn’t see its end. Silence hung in the air. “Hey, Konrad,” Valerius finally asked. “How far is it from here to where we met him?” “Without shortcuts… probably about fifteen kilometers.” “Heh heh, what a monster,” the wizard laughed in disbelief. “To crawl that entire distance alone, in the dark.” The swordsman next to him couldn’t laugh. “That’s insane.” It wasn’t a matter of physical strength, he realized. It was a matter of will. How many hours did he crawl like that? Not even knowing if he’d ever find someone, if he’d ever get help? He didn’t know. But one thing was certain. When they had found that barbarian, he was still moving. His arms and legs were still pumping, almost unconsciously. And then? He had been unable to speak, but he had held out his hand. Clutched tightly inside it was a small mana stone. At the time, Valerius hadn’t thought anything of it, but now he understood what that gesture meant. I’ll give you this, so please help me. It’s all I have. While crawling that impossible distance, the barbarian had been holding on to that single mana stone, ready to offer it the second he met another living soul. The swordsman came to a decision. “I take back what I said earlier.” Just lucky? Another rookie destined for an early grave? No chance. He knew from long experience. “Konrad, what was that barbarian’s name?” That kind of madman wouldn’t die so easily. It didn’t matter how hopeless his situation became. Because he would never see death as an escape from his torment.

Chapter 5: A stranger in the dark