"Ugh!"

"Don't move yet. Your wound hasn't healed yet.

"Did you save me?"

"I even used my advanced potion for this.

Mr. Bear woke up and had a complicated expression on his face. He was glad to be alive, but at the same time, he was a little doubtful. Well, he should know how much profit we could make if he died.

"Thank you for the 30 million kam-..."

It might not have been an exact amount, but since it was Jencia's estimate and she had a lot of experience looting, it must be roughly correct. Mr. Bear, who knew the psychology of researchers, muttered quietly:

— ... I was lucky.

I agreed. In such a situation, how many researchers could choose resuscitation rather than waiting for death?

"I'll pay for the advanced potion."

Well, that's obvious.

"How much does it cost?"

"Hmm, 5 million stones should be enough.

— ... An advanced potion should cost around 1 million.

"Really?" Then it looks like the merchants cheated me.

Mr. Bear was stunned for a moment by my cunning behavior, and then smiled.

— Of course, the price of goods may change depending on the circumstances.

As an experienced rank 5 researcher, he seemed to understand exactly what I was talking about.

"5 million stones... This is a reasonable price.

"Thank you for thinking so.

— ... What are you guys talking about?

Stand still. Adults are talking.

"But now I don't have that much money. I'll pay you 5 million stones when we get back to town.

"Hmm.

"I'll keep this item with you." I'd like you to give it back to me when I've paid you.

Mr. Bear took out a skull-shaped bracelet and handed it to me.

"It's a numbered item. I've only used it once, but it's still worth more than 5 million gems.

After that, Mr. Bear briefly explained what the object was, but even if he hadn't, I already knew what it was.

No 7611 - "The Gravedigger's Deception". When the host took lethal damage, it fell into a conditionally dead state and became immune to damage for a certain period of time.

Broke after 3 uses.

I wondered how he was still alive. Probably because of this.

I asked him if he could just give it to me for him, but Mr. Bear firmly stated that it was a pledge and swore to pay me in money.

"Don't even think about stealing it, Bjorn, son of Yandel.

What the hell, how does he know?

When I started, Mr. Bear laughed.

"I've heard of a barbarian who travels with someone from the feline tribe. And that girl also said your real name several times.

"What, did I say that?"

"Don't worry. I understand the feeling when you don't want to be noticed. I won't tell anyone.

Well, I was glad. I don't know about anything else, but it would be a bit annoying if it got to Dvalka's or Hikuroda's ears, as I didn't go with them, saying I got a request to be here.

"So what happened?" Is the bitch dead? Did you two bring down the Guardian?

Mr. Bear, who had come back from the dead, first finished calculating the cost of his life and then asked about the situation. I just nodded my head, because I couldn't go into all the details. Fortunately, Mr. Bear, who knew the etiquette of a researcher, did not meddle in his own business.

"Little Balkan, Bjorn, son of Yandel. I thought everything was exaggerated, but after what happened today, it seems to be true.

He must have been surprised that the two of us had killed the Guardian. In any case, after we agreed on a time and place to meet in the city and gave him his share of mana stones, Mr. Bear's wounds healed completely.

— Björn, son of Yandel, and Mischa Karlštejn. Thank you for saving me. I will not forget it.

With that, the man galloped out of the Chasm through the portal.

A tough guy until the very end.

***

After Mr. Bear had gone, we took some time to see the Gravedigger's Deception. Two of the three gems were glowing. In other words, there were 2 uses left.

I'll wear it until I give it away.

Just in case, I fastened the bracelet on my wrist. I remembered Mr. Bear's words about holding him well before returning, but...

Well, I'll make good use of it before then.

In any case, I put the matter aside and took some time to think about it.

5 million stones...

In exchange for a top-rank potion, I received a decent compensation. Well, if you think about 30 million stones, it was just a drop in the ocean.

It seems that I have become a real savage.

To be honest, I'd be lying if I said I'm not greedy at all.

Besides, I didn't have to make an effort. No matter if Mr. Bear was a good guy or a bad guy, if I just waited patiently, enough money to upgrade the Spirit Imprint to the 6th stage would immediately be in my hands.

I poured the potion on his wound not because of philosophical reasoning that leaving someone to die for money that can be obtained in another way makes me no different from a looter, but because of Misha.

— ... Wh-Why are you looking at me like that? This makes me worry again.

"Nothing special.

Whether my code of ethics was violated or not, I decided that this was not something I could do while my colleague was by my side. However, after it was all over, I began to think.

What would happen if I were alone?

It wasn't just enjoying wealth and fame. In this world, money was both power and life. If it were not for Misha, what choice would I have made in the face of this great temptation?

... Well, that's no longer an issue to worry about.

Whether I wanted it or not, as long as I continued to work as a researcher, someday I will know the answer. So I finished my thoughts and packed my things.

"Huh?" Are we going anywhere?

Where would we go? There were two things left to take with me. I led Misha through the ice passage. It was initially blocked, but it opened when the Tyrant Tarunbas appeared. If we were to follow this passage, we would reach Chapter 2, which we were in earlier.

"Wow... How do you know something like that? Information about the Rifts is very expensive.

"Thanks to Ragna.

"Oh... this woman...

When I used the excuse that Ragna had opened a secret library for me, Misha accepted it and moved on. Perhaps it was because she hadn't read anything, but she was inclined to believe me when I said I had read it in a book.

*Kwang!*

When I reached Chapter 2, I climbed the stairs back and smashed the third pillar from above. An item that had been overlooked while observing the mafia would permanently increase Cold Resistance when taken up.

[You took the Enchanted Ice Shard].

[Cold Resistance +1].

Since Misha had enough Cold Resistance, I took it, although I planned to give her the next one. After completing Chapter 1, we came out of the ice cave. Then we passed the frozen lake and headed for the starting point.

*Bam!*

Breaking a small pond near the starting point with a mace, I dived into the icy water and took out a red ice bead.

"Here, eat."

"Maybe you can tell me what it is first?"

Do you think I'll feed you something unhealthy?

Nevertheless, I briefly explained what relieved Misha of anxiety, and she swallowed it.

[Misha Karlstein absorbed the Ice Crystal. Cold Sensitivity +3].

In truth, the Ice Crystal was the signature item of the Ice Cave. In addition to increasing Sensitivity, it could be eaten up to three times, so when I leveled a Frost-type character, I always came to the Glacier Cave at the very beginning.

I'll have to come back here the next time the rift "recharges."

I was quite cold after the dive, so I built a fire and dried myself. I put on the clothes I had taken off earlier.

"Now we're done.

"Oh, are we finally leaving?"

Dream.

I took the blanket out of my bag.

— ... Why are you taking out the blanket?

"We didn't sleep much on night duty. Let's rest for a while before leaving.

There was no safer place than the cleared Rift in the labyrinth. It was a little cold, but there was no better place than this for a good night's sleep.

"Don't worry. There's no one here but us.

— ... P-I see. Then we will just rest for a while?

— Yes. It's cold here, so come here. Let's share the blanket.

— ... Y-Do you mind?

A cold breeze swept past my nose. The fire was warm. It was night, so the dark blue Milky Way stretched out in the sky and shimmered.

"Bjorn... Sleeping?

*Hraaaap!*

"Are you asleep?"

We closed our eyes for a while.

***

[You entered the Crystal Cavern on the 1st floor].

***

Rank 5 explorer Abman Urikfrid opened his eyes in the Crystal Cave and let out a long sigh. And then he understood.

... I'm alive.

After leaving the team he had been associated with for a long time due to the incident, he worked on his own.

During this time, he experienced many crises, as the labyrinth was not an easy place to wander alone. But it has never been more dangerous than this time. He crossed the threshold of death (the underworld), and barely came back to life.

... I was lucky.

He felt it again, but it was true. Despite meeting a crazy bitch who entered the Chasm and hid her identity in order to rob others, the team had an explorer who was good enough to save him without having any connection with him. And besides, he had an advanced potion. What were the chances of this?

I'll have to make an offering to the temple when I get back, or something.

No matter how many times he thought about it, it really was a miracle. After enjoying the joy  of survival for a while, he changed the subject.

So Bjorn, son of Yandel?

Little Balkan, Bjorn, son of Yandel. He had heard his name many times in the city. Of course, he didn't pay attention to it then, he just thought that a new unusual guy had appeared among them. For a rank 5 researcher like him, a researcher with a nickname wasn't anything strange.

It was interesting.

He was different from ordinary barbarians. Although he may have appeared simple and ignorant, he was experienced, quick-witted, and skilled at negotiating. To put it bluntly, he looked like a barbarian who had been an explorer for a long time. Pure, but not naïve at all. That's how he noticed the black heart of a woman he didn't even know.

Earned a nickname in the 3rd month and is already so experienced? Someday he will become great.

There was no bad feeling towards him. No, on the contrary, there was only a feeling of gratitude. It was said that the pursuit of money was the lot of researchers, but how many researchers had he met who were consumed by money? Asking for 5 million stones for treatment? It can be said that the barbarian fulfilled his duty as an explorer only for not depriving Abman of his equipment.

This seemed even more special given the large number of those who had forgotten about this debt.

Perhaps that's why this girl follows him so much.

Abman remembered the cat girl who turned out to be his associate. The barbarian gave her the essences of the Yeti and the Guardian just like that.

She was also very lucky.

Probably, it was happiness to have such a colleague. If his former teammates were even half as great, he wouldn't be working alone as he is now.

No wait...

At first, it was only a passing thought. However, he changed his expression and thought seriously. Because of this incident, he began to doubt that he would continue to work alone.

Of course, a guy like this can't be bad. Even I can't work alone forever. And it seems that they also have only two people.

Soon Abman made a decision. The various clans and regular teams that tried to recruit him would be unhappy if they found out, but... Well, okay.

We will have to raise this issue when we meet again in the city.

He liked this barbarian very much.