Light enveloped my surroundings, and an even paler light shone beyond before my sight returned.
I stared at the sky, bewildered. It had been a long time since I'd seen such a bright light. The sky remained gray and gloomy.
"Derek, are you going home?"
"No way, after a month like this? I'll go straight to the tavern after washing up."
"I'M BACK!!!"
"All explorers below rank 7, please come this way!"
To say the surroundings were noisy was an understatement. It was only natural that all the explorers of the labyrinth would gather in one place…
But still. I had no idea there were so many explorers in this city. It was Gwanghwamun during the World Cup.
Click, click.
I set the clock to 12 o'clock.
Only one day passes in the city when you enter a labyrinth. No matter how many days you spend inside, when you emerge it's noon the next day.
When I played, I thought it was a thoughtful gesture from the game's creator towards the player. But is it in the game's universe...?
This way, even after leaving a maze, you could immediately continue with a mission in the city. Therefore, I had thought it was just a convenience feature for the players.
"Bjorn, son of Yandel!"
Who was it? It was a familiar voice… Turning my head in the direction of the sound, I saw a barbarian standing at eye level. I remembered him clearly as the first chief.
"Karak, the second son of Fanun."
"He's the third child."
Huh? So, Ainar is the second one?
In any case, it was easy for the tall barbarians to find themselves in this crowd.
"Kenick's fourth son, Suero! You've returned alive too!"
"I'm glad you're well too." Karak, Fanun's third son!
I was still, but the barbarians began to approach me.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha! The Blade Wolf was no big deal! None of them can withstand more than one blow from my axe!"
"Of course, wield your axe bravely. Parman, son of Nerun!"
Was this a school meeting? It was instant chaos.
The barbarians greeted each other by repeating their long names over and over, and they praised each other's courage. They were fascinating. How did they memorize such long names with such large brains?
"Bjorn! What are you doing?! We're going to exchange mana stones, aren't you coming?"
I cleared my throat once and answered as loudly as I could.
"Oh, I'll go!"
"You look very tired!! There's no strength in your voice!!"
"That's how it is!"
I thought my barbarian performance had been pretty good up until now, but my confidence was waning. The native barbarians were different.
"There it is!"
"The place to test a warrior's courage!"
As I moved among the barbarians, I naturally experienced the same procedure that all the explorers went through. It was nothing special; it was simply the process of exchanging mana stones for money at the checkpoint.
"24,476 stones."
"28,420 stones."
"41,498 stones."
It was like a checkout line at a grocery store. Especially when it came to speed.
The officials sitting at the table doing their jobs were incredibly fast. They placed the bag of mana stones on top of something that looked like a barcode scanner, and when a number appeared, they dispensed the money like a machine. As I watched this with curiosity, the barbarians around me shouted and chattered at the top of their lungs without a shred of shame.
"Oh!!! To win more than 40,000 stones, incredible!"
"Karak, the third son of Fanun, is a warrior among warriors!"
Ha… was it because I'd been living with a fairy the last few days? I couldn't get used to this.
I still have to find Erwen too…
Why did these hooligans have to show up instead?
I remained still.
"Bjorn, son of Yandel! Now it's your turn!"
As I sighed inwardly, my turn arrived. I approached the table and placed my bag in front of the seemingly heartless civilian worker.
"Are the three bags manna stones?"
The other two belonged to Skinny and the samurai.
But now they were all mine… for about 40 minutes.
"That's how it is."
As he nodded, the official placed the bag on a scale-like device. Shortly after, he transmitted the exact amount.
"182,413 stones."
A slice of bread cost about 20 stones, so was that more than 9,000 loaves in seven days?
Just yesterday I had felt sad about catching a goblin and winning a slice of bread.
…I was beginning to be filled with emotions.
"180,000 stones! Bjorn, Yandel's son, has won 180,000 stones!"
"This is the best record in history! Bjorn, Yandel's son, is the greatest warrior of all time!"
But these bastards didn't even give me time to get excited.
I quickly received the money from the official and left the checkpoint. But as soon as I emerged from the crowd, the savages began to notice my appearance and started making a ruckus.
"Not just stones! He's even carrying a hammer."
"And she's even wearing shoes! I'm so jealous!"
"She has three bags!"
"Look at a clock! Can you tell time?"
"How is this possible? Is Bjorn, Yandel's son, a magician?"
Well, it wasn't that I couldn't understand their reaction. It would probably feel like magic to them. He'd be the first barbarian to enter the labyrinth naked and emerge a civilized man!
Damn, all this commotion is turning me on too.
Whoa, calm down, Bjorn.
I am…
"I am the best warrior!"
"Ahhhhhh!"
At the same time as my scream, the barbarians went mad. Then they lifted me up and began to throw me into the air.
Surprisingly, this suited me better than I had thought.
Well, so be it.
"You can't make too much noise here."
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry."
"I mean, please lower your voice..."
"Alright!"
Finally, the madness subsided only after a checkpoint worker came to reprimand us. Then I regained my composure and sat on the ground like the barbarians surrounding me, waiting for the other barbarians to finish at the checkpoint.
That's when…
«...»
I felt like I was being watched and I turned my head to see a fairy staring at me through the crowd of explorers.
It was Erwen.
How long had he been staring at me? I hope it was after my crowd surfing…
«...»
Without flinching, when our eyes met, Erwen smiled as if pleased to see me. However, as the beautiful fairies beside her began to chat with her, she quickly looked away. Curious, I listened to their conversation, which turned out to be quite refreshing. Watching her chat so calmly with fairies older than herself seemed almost surreal.
"Sister! I think I know how to deal with the elementals now. I understand why Grandma Grinderin insisted that you have to befriend them first."
"Oh, really? Fire spirits have a rather quick temper, so you'll soon be able to hear their voice."
Hmm, so you're one of them. I only have wild beasts by my side.
I'm jealous...
Looking at Erwen with longing for what I was missing, our eyes met again. I seized this opportunity to say something.
Tonight.
Erwen tilted her head, then smiled and replied:
Okay!
First of all, it was clear that Erwen was quite interested in this secret conversation. But she didn't know if he had understood what she had said.
Did he actually answer "okay" or was I just imagining things?
Ha… I'll have to try to talk to her when she leaves the checkpoint.
While I was lost in my thoughts-
"Why are you looking at me like that? Is this someone you know?"
"N-No! Sister! Of course not!"
When the fairy next to him asked her a question, Erwen waved goodbye.
Then, waiting for an opening, she looked at me and said with her mouth:
"I'm sorry!
This time I thought I'd heard her correctly. I also understood her subtle gesture of pointing at the other fairy and shaking her head afterward. It must have meant she had no choice. Well, it was the same here.
"Bjorn, son of Yandel! What are you looking at?! Do you know this fairy?"
"I don't know her!"
"Well, of course! It's impossible that the greatest warrior of all time would meet a vile fern-faced wretch!"
I wanted to shut this bastard up, but I couldn't. Hearing his booming voice, the fairies surrounding me glared at us with piercing eyes.
Erwen was among them.
He looked at me with bitter eyes, but nodded his head as if he understood.
"Ha..."
Looking into those sad eyes, I realized.
What are we doing now?
Is this Romeo and Juliet?
"Come on!"
Shortly afterwards, the barbarians finished their exchanges and left.
It seemed impossible to speak to Erwen among the fairies no matter how long I waited, so I followed them outside. Annoyed, there were more people gathered in front.
"Dad! Are you hurt? I've missed you."
"Brother! I'm here!"
Hmm, yes, there was something similar in the game as well. Simply put, the people gathered here were relatives or acquaintances of the explorers.
"Let's go! I'm going to clear the way!"
"Ohhhhhhh!!!"
I followed the barbarians through the crowd, each one overcome by joy, despair, sorrow, or affection.
I observed their faces one by one. I felt strange.
"Limarion! My husband, where is my husband? Is he...?"
"I'm sorry. He asked me to pass this on to you."
"No... no. No... Ah!"
I had played Dungeon & Stone countless times, but now I could see faces and expressions I had never seen before through the monitor in 2D graphics.
One of the reasons I had to travel with the barbarians was that, just like at the previous checkpoint, this city had even more procedures for newcomers to go through. However, my expectations were surprisingly wrong.
"Let's drink! Let's drink!"
"Ohhhhhh!!!"
As soon as they left the labyrinth, the barbarians headed to the tavern.
They're all underage, idiots. Oh, wait. The coming-of-age ceremony is over.
"I'll leave."
"Why! Bjorn, son of Yandel, the Greatest Warrior!"
A modifier had been added to my already long name. I left the group, repeating to myself that patience was a virtue and excusing myself by saying I had to go somewhere.
"May the fortunes of war be with you! Bjorn, son of Yandel, the Greatest Warrior!"
I felt this time and time again, but I couldn't predict anything based on common sense with these guys.
"Finally, some peace and quiet."
After spending some time with the savages, I felt like I was going mad. Had Erwen felt the same way when she'd stayed with me?
Next time, I would have to control the barbaric act.
Walk, walk.
After separating from the group, I wandered aimlessly through the city. I had a destination, but right now I just wanted to walk wherever my feet took me.
He was calm.
It was midnight when I first saw this city, but now that it's daytime, the streets are full of people. Surprisingly, it gave me a sense of safety.
«...»
There were no monsters here. No one could hurt me. Even if I fell asleep along the way, I'd wake up in one piece. Maybe someone would even lend me a hand.
Here there were laws, rules, and leisure. Of course, it was still a distant world in another universe, and I also knew that, contrary to appearances, almost everything—from its ideas and culture to its social system—would seem uncivilized compared to the 21st century.
But it remained peaceful.
At least compared to the labyrinth in which he had spent seven days.
«...»
I wanted to savor that feeling of stability a little longer, so I kept walking. Since the explorers had just emerged from the maze, being covered in blood didn't make me stand out.
No one looked at me strangely. But as I continued walking down the street, I felt the need to wash my body. So I went to the first inn I saw, got a room, and washed.
It was interesting. I'd never seen bathwater with more blood than dirt.
«...»
When I came out after washing for an hour, I felt that the clothes I was wearing were too dirty.
Damn it, I should have bought some clothes before taking a bath.
All I wanted was to go to sleep, but I went back out onto the street and looked for a clothing store.
But why? No one was looking at me strangely, but I was still embarrassed for some reason. My naked body and my blood-stained, dirt-covered pants were the same. Well, no, my body was at least much cleaner, but still…
I felt like a savage again.
Because?
"Welcome!"
As soon as I entered a store that I assumed was a clothing store, a friendly worker approached me.
They smiled, even at a seemingly homeless barbarian. I had never seen such a professional employee, not even in Seoul…
"A shirt? If you'd like a custom order, please visit the building next door... Looking for something to wear now? I'm not sure if they have anything in your size, but I'll take a look."
With the worker's help, I was able to buy a fitted shirt and some black trousers. The total was 2,500 stones.
I couldn't tell if I'd been scammed or not. I'd never tried on or bought clothes that didn't have any function in the game.
"See you next time!"
Now that I seemed more like a person, I returned to the inn. After seeing the official who exchanged the mana stones for me and also speaking with the clothing store clerk a moment ago, I felt that the city exuded a strangely modern atmosphere.
Rafdonia.
Most of the buildings were made of stone and had many floors. It was hard to even find a building with fewer than three floors on the street, and water for my bathroom came out of a tap. Perhaps living in this city was more feasible than I thought.
«...»
Shortly after arriving at the inn, I lay down on the bed. And as I recalled, one by one, the events of the past seven days, I realized that I, too, was a human, not so different from Hans.
When I came into this world, my only goal was to survive. And now?
Finally, I let out the words I had held back countless times until now.
"I want to go home."
I wanted to go back.
Even though nobody welcomed me there.
I woke up at night. After a deep sleep that lasted several hours, my head felt clear, though my body still felt heavy. I checked my watch.
[20:10]
It was time to move. I hadn't set a specific time with Erwen, but "tonight" at a tavern usually meant after the sun went down.
I picked up the three backpacks. One was mine, and the other two were the spoils from the dead explorers. I had emptied the mana stones at the checkpoint, but the equipment inside was still there. I needed to settle the debt and the distribution with Erwen.
I left the inn and walked through the streets of Rafdonia at night. The magic lamps lining the stone buildings gave the city a mysterious, golden glow. Soon, I found the sign I was looking for: a large, wooden board with a crude painting of a whale.
The Black Whale.
As soon as I pushed the door open, the smell of roasted meat and cheap ale hit my nose. The place was packed with explorers celebrating their return. I scanned the room, my height making it easy to see over the crowd.
In a corner booth, partially hidden by a pillar, sat a girl in a hood. Even with her face obscured, I recognized the way she fidgeted with the hem of her cloak.
I walked over and sat down heavily across from her. Erwen jumped slightly, then looked up, her amber eyes wide with relief.
"You're late, Mister," she whispered, though she was smiling.
"I had to wash the blood off," I replied, placing the backpacks on the seat beside me. "And I had to buy clothes so they'd let me through the front door."
Erwen giggled, her gaze dropping to the table. "You look... different. Like a real person."
"I am a person. Mostly." I leaned forward, lowering my voice. "Let's talk business. We have a lot to go over. The mana stones, the equipment from those four, and most importantly... the essence."
Erwen's expression turned serious. She looked around to make sure nobody was listening before nodding.
"I didn't tell my sisters about it," she said softly. "They think I just got lucky with some stones. If they knew I had the Goblin Archer Essence, they would have taken me to the Great Forest immediately."
"Good. Keep it that way for now."
I reached into one of the bags and pulled out a heavy pouch of stones—her share from the checkpoint—and pushed it across the table.
"First, your cut of the mana stones. Then, we need to discuss that promise I mentioned back in the labyrinth."
Erwen reached out, her fingers touching the pouch, but she kept her eyes on me. She looked nervous, like a student waiting for a grade.
"What is the promise, Mister?"
I looked at her, realizing that the dynamic of our partnership was about to change. She wasn't just a tag-along fairy anymore; she was an Essence user. And I wasn't just a naked barbarian; I was the "Greatest Warrior" with 180,000 stones in my pocket.
"The promise is simple," I said. "From now on, you don't hunt with anyone else. We go back into that hole together."