NoveLight ™
"Bjorn!" I remembered! This is the man!
— There is no need to explain. I remember it too.
Feeling strange, I combed my memory. It happened 3 months ago when I was trapped in Lord Floor's [Abyss of Evil], Riakis.
"Be thankful I haven't killed you yet, trash."
When the Dzzarvi clan rejected the rebellious researchers, they fell into a collective panic. Then this man appeared.
"I am aware of this phenomenon."
He proposed a new path for ignorant researchers. Of course, it was difficult to believe him because of his naivety.
"I've been working as a team with this guy for over a year now and I've been through a lot of incredible things. This is a mysterious person. He really knows everything. I have no doubt that his words will save us."
The explorers, who had no other choice, followed him, trusting only the assurances of the elf who was said to be his companion.
He has no doubt, damn it.
They all died. That's all I learned when I asked about it later, so I thought they ended up the same way until I saw this man today.
It seems that they are the only ones who survived after taking more than a hundred people to their deaths.
If you think about it, he turned out to be an interesting guy. He didn't come back alive because he was just lucky. It would be fair to say that he did something to stay alive. At the time, I thought he was just a jerk.
But to think that he deliberately led them to their deaths.
"W-here it is!" Get out of the way!
Seeing the man anticipating the Death Knight's actions and shouting orders, I narrowed my eyes. He had a total of four summoned beasts. The synergy between the summoned beasts was good, but the rank of the essence itself was not high. Here I realized one thing.
I think about the 7th rank.
This person was a low-level researcher with nothing behind his soul. If he was from a wealthy family, then at least his equipment would be of good quality. This raised even more doubts. If he wasn't from a good family, how could an explorer with a short career know Riakis's behavior pattern and the conditions for the appearance of the Death Knight?
... It would be reasonable to say that he is a player.
The final judgment was made by rational reasoning. This unknown summoner was a gambler. I didn't know why such a guy would make the mistake of choosing a class like summoner while being human.
Hell, it's confusing.
Perhaps if he were a beastman, dragon, or dwarf, but humans don't have synergy with summoner types. Of course, in the beginning it was only a small difference, but it leads to a huge gap when you reach the second half. In other words, the efficiency was very low.
Perhaps it is not so important for him...
It was definitely plausible. Regardless of the perfection of character, it was human nature to choose a class to one's liking. After all, not everyone wants to fight in the front ranks. It's not for me to say, though, given that I chose the shield as soon as I realized I was starting out as a barbarian.
[You killed a Death Knight. Experience +4].
I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of satisfaction that settled in my body. At the end of the fireball that the mage thrust into the inner core, the Death Knight turned into a cluster of lights and dissipated.
There was no essence.
"What a shame. I even bought a test tube at a high price just in case.
"Be careful what you say, Partean—"
"Oh, yes.
The mage closed his mouth and looked in our direction.
Now, it seems, it's our turn.
After watching them for a while with an expressionless face, I put on the mask of a naïve barbarian again.
"Wow, amazing! What was the magic at the end?
When I tried to address the mage in a friendly way, the elf archer stopped me, coldly interrupting my words.
"I don't think we need to have such conversations?" What did you mean earlier? If you don't explain yourself properly, I'll consider you an enemy.
God, I'm sure she was soft in front of people back then...
Was it all a sham? Oh, yes. Elves and barbarians don't get along very well.
"Like I said, I was just trying to help!"
"Strange. None of us asked for anything like that.
"The Death Knight is strong!" That's why I thought you were in danger!
The elf looked at me suspiciously. How bad was the image of barbarians among the elves that she looked at me like that even in the Ignorant Barbarian Mode?
"Is that really the only reason?"
"What else could there be?"
"Well, there is an essence. I don't know about you, but the beastman next to you would be very greedy for her.
Mike was startled by the elf's sharp remark and threw up her hands in panic.
"It's a misunderstanding!" I do use a sword, but I wouldn't even be able to absorb it because all my essence slots are full!
— ... It's true?
"You can check it out for yourself!"
What are you talking about? How exactly should she check this?
It was a truly absurd answer, but the elf only nodded.
"Then I believe you.
Apparently, this elf's sarcastic behavior was limited to barbarians.
"But if you only intervened to help us, then something doesn't add up here.
"Oh, you damn woodflock...
"You!" What did you just say?
"How vile can you be to doubt me at first sight?" I asked in response, irritated by the harsh voice.
Not that I'm really angry or anything. I also knew that it was wrong to intervene during a battle. But so what?
"Do you suspect me because I'm a barbarian?"
To speak decisively even in a situation where I was clearly guilty is to be a real barbarian.
"If you, woodflock, insult me again, I will not tolerate it!"
The elf was taken aback when she saw that I raised my shield, as if I was ready to fight even in a 4v2 situation.
"No, that's not the point! Something is not clear here, so I ask you to explain!
"What's incomprehensible?"
"I understand that the essence is not your goal. However, it is difficult to say that there was no intention to get the achievement at our expense.
Wow, she's really smart. This was practically true, but there was nothing wrong with it either.
"Why should I go through this problem?" I've already done it once.
— ... Sorry?
At my words, the elf made a stunned expression on her face. I'm sure it didn't make sense to her because the Death Knight was a difficult monster to face until you got to the 6th floor.
I quickly continued to explain:
"I once visited the Blood Citadel. Will this explain everything?
It was the Chasm with a mutant, so instead of the Death Knight, a Vampire jumped out of there, but they don't need to know that. Here they could not find out the truth. In addition, it was a half-truth.
"But! How can we believe that?
"In that case, you won't believe anything!" If you want to fight, come to me, you damn treeflake.
"Do you think I don't...!"
Seeing that the elf flared up with anger, the man jumped in surprise and intervened.
"Miss Meyrin." P-Please stop! What he said might be s-true!
"Excuse me?" What are you-...
"I... I remembered! This barbarian... I saw him then! Björn, son of Yandel. An explorer nicknamed the Little Balkan!
Although it was a brief encounter, the summoner seemed to remember my face.
Soon, the mage and the warrior exclaimed at the same time.
"No wonder he deflected the Death Knight's sword so easily during the conversation.
"Oh, how incredible. Mrs. Meyrin, it seems that we were mistaken. Why would someone as famous as him do such a thing to earn achievement points?
The elf pursed her lips, perhaps sensing that the situation was taking a strange turn.
"I understand your feelings. Admitting something is sometimes the hardest thing. But sometimes you need to learn to let go of stubbornness and accept things.
"Well, all right...
When all her comrades decided that I had no ill intentions, the elf did not continue this conversation.
Ha, so that's what a good reputation is for?
Realizing the importance of glory again, I stared at the summoner approaching me.
"Y-nice to meet you, Bjorn, son of Yandel.
It was easy to look down on him because of his habit of stuttering, but he wasn't an ordinary guy either. After all, he once drove hundreds of people to death just to save his own life.
"It's fate that we met like this. Th-Maybe we should introduce ourselves? The man asked cautiously. I was sure that he was not just interested in my name, so it would probably be more correct to say that he wanted to meet me.
"Good.
I nodded without hesitation. There was no reason to refuse.
After all, I was still here because I wanted to know his name.
"As you know, I am Bjorn, son of Yandel. And what is your name?
Since I was sure he was a player, I thought I would find out the name and investigate later. Nothing serious, but I was just a little curious. Watching him play, I thought he might be a benchmark for how casual players behave.
— I'm Hans Krisen.
Hell, I didn't expect that either.
A player in Hans' body?
What kind of destructive combination is this?!
"If you don't mind, I'd like to meet you at f-...
I stepped back when he asked for a handshake with a friendly smile.
"Stop." I'm busy with something, so I'm going to leave!
"Excuse me?" What are you-...
"Misha!" What are you doing?! We're leaving!
"Y-yes!" Hold on! Wait for me...!
Damn, I should have taken salt or something with me. My heart was already pounding in anticipation of what was to happen in the future.
***
As soon as I learned the identity of Hans G, I ran away.
Some time has passed since then.
"What are you doing?!" Running away is good, of course, but please explain why...
"He was Hans too.
"Huh?" What are you to them-...
"I've always been unlucky after meeting Hans.
I spoke with sincere concern, but Misha made a relieved expression.
"God, is that all?" I thought something serious had happened!
No, this is really something serious. He is Hans! And a player I met in the maze!
"To be honest, there's something bizarre about you. I didn't think you believed in superstitions.
Seeing how Misha behaved carelessly, for some reason I was upset.
"Misha... This is not something to joke with.
"Phew!" Bjorn, you... You seem so cute today!
What's wrong with her?
I told her one by one the Hans incidents:
"Come to think of it, you also said you didn't like that name..."
— Yes. But then it seemed to me just ominous.
When I told her about Hans B, who was nearby right before the Dvalks took the Mozlans, Misha also changed her complexion.
"Wh-what the...?!" What the hell is wrong with Hans?!
As befits a superstitious researcher, Misha also looked a little anxious at this point.
"And now what?" We have already met him... You don't think anything bad will happen, do you?!
Well, I don't know about that, we just need to be more careful in the future.
"Let's go to the 3rd floor as soon as possible.
— ... Not on the 1st floor?
Misha, now more serious than me, expressed her doubts, but at least it was the most reasonable decision.
First of all, I wasn't sure if it was a superstition or not... But even if the superstitions were real, it didn't change anything. If Hans' Curse was real, it would be pointless to run. Damn things happened in the city, too.
Simply doing what we were supposed to do is a way to reduce the damage.
"If that's the case, then you shouldn't have told me about it. Making me feel awkward...
It was true. Apparently, the meeting with Hans, a former player, prevented me from thinking rationally. Or did I at some point come to rely on her?
"I don't know about happiness, but sharing the hardships will surely cut the suffering in half, right?"
"What are you saying?!" You are a mad barbarian!
— ... It's a joke.
"Don't lie!" Your eyes were sincere!
When I told her the truth, Misha was very angry.
But despite this, the fact that I unconsciously relied on her seemed to satisfy her completely.
"Phew!" In any case, you are good for telling me everything without hiding. If something like this happens in the future, don't suffer alone and tell me. I'm older than you, remember?
"Oh, yes.
Misha was 5 years older than me; of course, this applied only to Bjorn.
- What kind of reaction is this?
"That means I think you're more reliable."
"I don't think it was that...
In general, this was the end of the chatter, and we continued on our way.
How much time has passed since then? I began to feel fatigue building in my body, which meant it was time to set up camp.
Almost a day has passed since then, so tomorrow or the day after tomorrow we will arrive at the 3rd floor.
I was also very tired, but when I sat down, the first thing I did was put Misha to bed.
Then I sat motionless and watched what was happening, continuing my thoughts.
[00:37]
When I checked the time, it was already past midnight. Since today was the 7th day, it meant that the 1st floor Crystal Cave had already closed and let the researchers back into the city. Regardless of whether we got out sooner or later, when we return, we will all find ourselves in the same time zone.
I hope he returned home safe and sound.
I suddenly remembered Charon, whom I had brought to the 1st floor.
"I think it would be nice to specifically find a human night companion and pretend to be asleep. If he has an ulterior motive, it will definitely reveal him!"
I was worried that an accident might have happened. Is it because of the last words?
Ah, I'm sure it's all right.
It was time to change, so I woke up Misha and closed my eyes for a while.
***
The blinding light, the noise of the crowd, and the stale city air that filled his lungs. Charon involuntarily cried out.
'Behellaaa
He just wanted to do it. Needless to say, it was refreshing. He did not care about the looks of those around him, who looked at him as if he were a savage. Once he was frightened by these looks, but...
What's the odds!
Charon changed.
It is like a bark beetle pupa that has torn its shell to become an adult. During this expedition, he grew into a real warrior.
That is why...
"Chok, these barbarians always show off like that.
"Hey, he'll hear you." They may headbutt you, so be careful.
This condescending look felt like a pleasant stimulus. He was just showing how careless they were, just like the two night companions he'd killed in the past few days.
Everything was simple, as Bjorn, Yandel's son, had said. The 1st floor was full of scum hiding their true intentions, and as soon as Charon showed them the breach, they fell for it. When the people who had once looked upon him as prey realized that they had been betrayed, the expressions on their faces were enough to evoke a new kind of ecstasy.
*Click, click*
One on the back, one on the right arm, one on the left; With three bags on his shoulders, he proudly walked towards the checkpoint.
The queue was long, as befits a gate reserved exclusively for rank 9 researchers.
When he arrived, his kin from all over the city saw him and approached him.
"Charon, son of Tarson!" What are these bags?
"Uh... It's full of gear! Did you loot?
Charon shook his head decisively.
"Pfft, looting?!" Of course not.
It wasn't such a heinous act as looting. No, it was a noble act of protecting his own people.
When he drew a line under their fears, the expression of the barbarians' eyes changed.
"How is this possible without looting!?"
"I... I'm jealous! If you sell all this, how much stone bread can you buy?
They were peers who had gone through the coming-of-age ceremony with him, but today they looked young to him. Therefore, he called as many of his relatives as possible. He had once felt a sense of rivalry with them, but the real enemy was somewhere else.
"Huhu, don't be jealous. You can earn no less if you know how. You won't have to eat stone bread for the rest of your life.
"What!?" If there is such a way, please tell me!
"I'll tell you!" But first! First I have to tell you something.
At first, Charon told them one by one about what he had experienced in the labyrinth: he had been betrayed by his teammates because of his heart, and that they considered the barbarians to be easy and useful monsters.
"We're not monsters!"
"We are warriors!"
As expected, the barbarians were greatly outraged. When they heard that it was the Little Balkan who had saved him, they raised their voices and began to praise him.
"Little Balkan, Bjorn, son of Yandel!"
"He is able to read the minds of vile marauders, he is a great and wise warrior!"
The atmosphere instantly heated up. Among them, Charon proudly exclaimed:
"It was he who taught me. Thanks to his training, I came back with so many trophies!
"Oooh!" It's true!?
"That's true!" I will teach you what he taught me!
In the end, Charon openly shared what he had learned from Bjorn, and even the method he had come up with himself. Of course, all the credit belonged to Bjorn.
"I just need to find a human night companion and pretend to be asleep?!"
"Bjorn, son of Yandel!" Is he a genius?
"It sounded a little strange at first, but these are the words of a great warrior!" I'll follow him!
Looking at his relatives burning with excitement, Charon was convinced of this.
"Chok, these guys are starting again.
"I don't know why they are left alone if they always make such a fuss.
"I bet even if you take out their hearts and sell them, these snouts will remain the same.
Until now, barbarians have been the weakest prey in the labyrinth.
Although he didn't want to admit it, this was the reality he had encountered not too long ago. They could be strong in a head-on duel, but they were helpless in the face of cunning tricks.
"Bjorn, son of Yandel, said!" All of this will be a noble first step for all of us!
'Behellaaa
'Behellaaa
From now on, everything will be different.