People grow, and everyone has their own method. Reading books, reflecting on the past, having a sincere conversation with a friend for the first time, or discovering a dream they truly desire.
EITHER.
Feeling jealous of someone else's good fortune, witnessing someone's misfortune, or realizing the power of a wish—all inspiration that comes from experience contributes to your growth.
Today I was no different. Although psychological growth was probably only a small part of it.
As I organized the backpacks for the group of the boy with the yellow hair, I smiled with satisfaction.
"A wooden bow, a metal-plate gaiter, three low-rank potions, a dozen ordinary torches... What's this? A portrait? A family portrait, perhaps? Anyway, throw that away..."
Adding it all up, these things would be worth more than 800,000 stones.
After all, it had always been this way. Growth doesn't always correlate with a screwed-up situation.
But...
"With this, I can afford three more pieces of armor for myself."
Every time I had leveled up as a person, it had always been after a messed-up situation.
Damn, I knew what I had to do from now on.
***
I was walking through the cave with Ainar.
"Bjorn, where do we go now?"
"We will go south, towards the gnomes."
After a total of eight hours, including a four-hour break for each person, Ainar also regained consciousness. Compared to his usual self, his energy level was still very low.
"Bjorn, you can move quickly. You don't have to worry about me."
"Why are you in such a hurry?"
"I... want to become stronger as soon as possible."
"I it."
It seemed I no longer had to worry about her. As long as there was a clear goal, the dark emotions would act as nourishment, not poison.
Hmm, maybe that was the same for me.
"I share the same opinion."
All the time I had been on guard duty, I had been reminiscing about my journey so far.
The coming-of-age ceremony, the entrance into the labyrinth, the night companions with Hans, Erwen, the Goblin Forest, the 4:2 battle with the crossbow group, etc.
Looking back, there wasn't really anything wrong with any of those situations. I had always looked for the best possible option in every situation.
But...
To put it another way, I had focused solely on escaping from every moment.
"Why did you suddenly stop?"
"No problem, we'll keep moving forward."
This was worthy of consideration.
I hadn't received any tutorial or system text from a fairy. The moment I opened my eyes, a man's head had been cut off, and from then on, events unfolded that were far removed from reality. Therefore, I had no choice but to act as passively as possible, prioritizing my own safety.
But how had that ended?
«Bjorn...? You don't look good».
«Don't worry about that.»
Did you always choose the best possible option? Lie.
In the end, that was just a coping method. How good could the options have been for a guy who only manages to resolve a situation after it happens?
If he really wanted to survive here, he had to start being more proactive. That way, the options given would be different.
My uncle, addicted to gambling, had once told me: «Instead of playing a game that someone else has planned, roll the dice on a board that you make yourself».
Okay. Change of plans.
«Ainar, do you really want to be strong?»
When I suddenly stopped and asked this, Ainar expressed deep confusion.
«What... do you mean?»
«I'm asking for your commitment. There is definitely a way to get stronger. But it carries risks. What will you do?»
High risk, high reward.
How will you respond to this proposal?
When I stopped to look at her, Ainar swallowed and her eyes lit up.
«Of course I will. If we don't become strong, we will die anyway».
Yes it's true. That's how this world worked.
Ainar expressed his consent, and then shouted,
«I am a warrior!»
I thought you said you weren't before.
loose a risita.
Observing the inefficient attitude of a barbarian who was also sometimes more efficient than anyone else, I realized something.
«So how can I get stronger?».
The easy way was the slow one. And the screwed up situations were like a natural disaster;
no matter which path you take, it can hit you without warning.
And with my luck, the number of natural disasters was many.
That's why...
«We will enter the Rift».
The first blow wins.
This time, I was going to look for the natural disaster myself.
As someone famous had once said:
«The pain that doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.»
***
«¡Oh! ¡Ya veo!»
Ainar heard my plan and exclaimed.
And then he asked carefully,
«... But what is a Crack?»
How come you are a native of this world, but have less knowledge than me? I wish I read some books.
Oh, sure... He hasn't learned to read yet.
«The Rift is... in a nutshell, it is a labyrinth within a labyrinth».
I omitted detailed explanations. She wouldn't understand it anyway.
«A maze within a maze?»
«That's right.»
It was an element of Dungeon & Stone that didn't look like many games today. If the person I had to explain it to was also modern, I would have described it as an «instantiated dungeon».
«Sometimes a portal opens in a random place on each floor. When you enter it, it does not take you to the second or third floor, but to a new space».
«Oh! Are you talking about the Frost Lord Palace?»
I guess you've heard of him.
The Frost Lord's Palace was a space accessible from the Rift, on the eighth floor. I remember working like a dog to get the Frost Lord essence.
«But is it possible only with the two of us? I heard the boss went there when he was young and almost died».
«Nothing happens. We're only on the first floor».
There are a total of four types of Rifts that can be opened on the first floor. Whichever one you choose, the difficulty was incredibly easy compared to the other plants' Rifts.
Although using us as a standard, it would still be seven stars...
And that's about five.
«But how can we enter a place that appears randomly?»
«Don't worry. There is a way».
It may not seem like it, but I had spent nine years of my life playing this game. And he had discovered hundreds of things hidden in this unfriendly game.
«¡Burn, I will trust ti!»
I turned east from our original path south.
Originally, he had wanted to hunt gnomes, kobolds, and stone golems on the second floor southern route, «Black Rock Mountain».
The Suppression of the Stone Golem was a pain, but if you prepared in advance, it could be overcome. However, there was no promise of how many years it would take to reach the eighth floor playing so cautiously.
«Two barbarians. Are you looking for a night companion? If the three of us sleep together, we can sleep much more-»
«Piérdete.»
«I was just asking-»
«I'll smash your head if you don't leave in three seconds.»
When crossing the first floor, we came across other explorers and also monsters, but Ainar took care of it every time.
... But can't you just say 'no'?
«I hate humans more than fern faces».
It seemed that Ainar had evolved beyond distrust of humans and had become a state of hatred.
Hit! Hit! Crunch!
We finally reached our destination after traveling for about 20 hours, crushing the monsters that stood in our way.
It was around 4 in the morning.
Once again I realized how big the first floor was.
I knew this place was a labyrinthine anthill, but to think that it takes more than a day to get from the west end to the center...
«Bjorn, ¿no es esta la entrada?»
Strictly speaking, the word «entry» was incorrect. Most starting points tended to be in one direction, whether north or south or whatever. Most importantly, there was no light here.
¡Careamba!
Burning a torch we had gotten at the yellow-haired guy's party, we entered the dark area.
And how long had it been since then?
[You have hunted a Gnome. EXP +1]
[You have hunted a Leaf Wolf. EXP +1]
Ainar finished the eighth battle and let out a fascinated exclamation.
«And to think that the four types of monsters appeared here, I didn't know there was such a place in the middle of the first floor».
It was probably common sense to most explorers, but it wasn't a place one casually walked around. To compare it, it is like the place where cold and warm currents converge. From where we are now, eastern leaf wolves, western ghouls, southern gnomes and northern goblins coexist.
However...
«It's strangely quiet.»
This area was not popular with explorers. The reason was simple.
Even if all four types of monsters appeared, it would only become more difficult from the hunter's point of view. The number of monsters that appeared was also small.
Furthermore, the fatal flaw is how expensive it is to constantly light a torch.
In fact, no one came here except those who chose to cross it to save travel time.
But professionals enjoyed this space, especially because it was strange. Also, from the game producer's point of view, it was the perfect place to hide something.
«But why are we here?»
«Wait. We will arrive soon».
An hour wandering around in the dark, changing direction here and there. Finally, we got to the place I wanted to go.
«Now, we are here.»
It was a void with a radius of about 30 meters. On the first floor, which was designed in an anthill structure, this peculiar monument stood out in the middle of an open space.
"... ¿What is eso? ⁇
«It is a memorial. In honor of the first discoverer of this labyrinth».
I cautiously approached the tombstone and read the inscription at the bottom.
[The Last Great Sage, Diplan Groundel Gabrilius, in commemoration of his great first step]
To begin with, the text was the same as in the game. In other words, it would be correct to assume that the hidden place I found then was probably the same.
«Ainar, what happens from now on is a secret. Understood?»
«Okay.»
«I need your oath, not just an agreement. If this is known, we may both be in danger.»
«... I swear on the honor of the warrior.»
«Thank you.»
Slowly outflake the bag tied at my waist.
Goblins, gnomes, ghouls and leaf wolves. Mana stones from four types of monsters that appeared on the first floor and mana stones from the demon of death, a rank 8 monster.
And the monument of the great sage right in front of me.
«I'm going to start.»
All preparations to force the opening of the Rift were ready.
***
In Dungeon and Stone's instantiated dungeons, Fissures had a cooldown.
Taking the first floor as an example, it took at least three cycles, three months in city time, for the Rift to reopen. Of course, it was rare for Fissures to open immediately after three months, and most opened randomly within five to six cycles.
The maximum was... eight cycles? Yes, surely yes.
«...»
Keep in mind that I discovered all this on my own. Grinding the Frost Lord Essence, he had needed to know more about the Rift. It was not efficient to go through the floors every time and wait for the Crack to appear.
«Something's wrong?»
«No».
Having become trapped in memories of the past, I placed the death demon mana stone in front of the monument. If the most recent Rift had opened in three cycles, the cooling time would continue to run and there would be no response. But...
¡Dddddddd!
Soon, the placed mana stone disappeared with a glow and vibrations spread through the monument.
It had really worked.
¡Whoom!
The vibrations grew stronger and a black portal opened.
«Hurry, let's go in».
«Uhm, uh... Okay!»
As I remembered that the maximum occupancy was full in ten seconds, I hurried inside with Ainar.
[The character has entered the crack on the first floor].
Leaving behind Ainar, who had landed on his ass as usual, I looked around.
The red sky that seemed to announce the end of the world at any moment.
A flock of crows flying overhead and a black fortress in the distance.
Needless to say, it was one of the four types of Cracks on the first floor, the Bloody Citadel.
It was to be expected, as the rank 8 mana stone offered as a sacrifice belonged to a death demon.
¡Whoom!
After waiting for a while, a gap opened in the air and one person was spit out.
This was the main reason why I had postponed our arrival at this place, as someone who knew the details of how to permanently open the Rift, as well as the cleaning strategy.
He feared scouts more than monsters.
«Hahaha! I finally managed to get in!»
Wouldn't it be nice to form a team of five people to guarantee confidentiality?
By entering the Rift like this, you had to clear it along with a random group of explorers who entered in order of arrival. If this were the game, it would be automated matchmaking. I looked nervously at the first member of the team.
«Oh! How comforting to have two barbarians! Nice to meet you. My name is Hikurod Murad. As you can see, I'm a dwarf hahahaha!!»
First, a talking dwarf.
I didn't know his abilities, but it wasn't bad.
I hope the rest of the group is like that...
I chuckled.
But that would be asking too much, right?
Shit, let whoever wants come.
Anyway, I don't even have hope.
[A new teammate has joined the trip].
Two more team members were added shortly after.