SGB: Episode 27
Episode 27: The Rift (1)
People grow.
The ways they grow are diverse.
By reading books, reflecting on their past, having a heartfelt conversation with a friend for the first time, or having a dream they truly desire.
Or…
By being jealous of someone else’s good fortune, witnessing someone’s misfortune, or realizing the power of desire.
All inspiration from experience contributes to growth.
Today, I’m no different.
Well, my mental growth might be a very small part of it, but…
“One shortbow, one plate greaves, three low-grade potions, a dozen regular torches… what’s this? A portrait? Is it a family member? Whatever, let’s throw this away…”
This is worth well over 800,000 stones.
As I organize the belongings of the blonde guy’s party, I smirk.
Come to think of it, I’ve always been like this.
It’s not that I always grow after experiencing shitty things.
But…
“With this, I can get three more armor pieces made.”
Whenever I grew, shitty things always followed.
Damn it, I’m starting to understand what I need to do.
People grow.
The ways they grow are diverse.
By reading books, reflecting on their past, having a heartfelt conversation with a friend for the first time, or having a dream they truly desire.
Or…
By being jealous of someone else’s good fortune, witnessing someone’s misfortune, or realizing the power of desire.
All inspiration from experience contributes to growth.
Today, I’m no different.
Well, my mental growth might be a very small part of it, but…
“One shortbow, one plate greaves, three low-grade potions, a dozen regular torches… what’s this? A portrait? Is it a family member? Whatever, let’s throw this away…”
This is worth well over 800,000 stones.
As I organize the belongings of the blonde guy’s party, I smirk.
Come to think of it, I’ve always been like this.
It’s not that I always grow after experiencing shitty things.
But…
“With this, I can get three more armor pieces made.”
Whenever I grew, shitty things always followed.
Damn it, I’m starting to understand what I need to do.
_____________________________________
I’m walking through the cave.
With Ainar.
“Bjorn, where are we going now?”
“We’re heading south, where the gnomes are.”
After a total of eight hours of rest, four hours each, Ainar has also regained some energy.
Her energy level is still practically crawling on the ground compared to usual, but…
“Bjorn, you can move quickly. There’s no need to worry about me.”
“Why are you in such a hurry?”
“I… I want to get stronger as soon as possible.”
“I see.”
It seems like I don’t need to worry about Ainar anymore.
Now that she has a clearer goal, those dark emotions will become nourishment, not poison.
Hmm, is it the same for me?
“I feel the same way.”
Throughout my watch, I reflect on the path I’ve taken so far.
The coming-of-age ceremony, entering the labyrinth, becoming night companions with Hans, Erwen, the Goblin Forest, the 4:2 battle with the crossbow party, etc.
Even thinking about it now, there weren’t any major mistakes.
I chose the best options available in each situation.
But…
In other words, it also means that I was just focused on getting through each moment.
“Why did you suddenly stop?”
“It’s nothing, let’s keep moving.”
There are extenuating circumstances.
There was no tutorial fairy, no system messages.
As soon as I opened my eyes, a man’s head was chopped off, and after that, unrealistic things kept happening.
So I had no choice but to act passively, prioritizing safety.
But what happened because of that?
“Bjorn…? Your expression isn’t good.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Always chose the best options?
Bullshit.
That was just coping.
How good of an option can it be for someone who cleans up after things have already happened?
If I really want to survive, I need to act more proactively.
Then the options I can choose from will change.
Even my uncle, who used to gamble every day, said it.
Instead of playing on a board made by others, throw the dice on a board you create yourself.
Alright, change of plans.
“Ainar, do you really want to become stronger?”
When I stop and ask her suddenly, Ainar shows deep suspicion.
“…What do you mean by that?”
“I’m asking about your resolve. There’s a way to become stronger for sure. But it’s dangerous. What will you do?”
High risk, high return.
What will her answer be to this proposal?
As I watch, Ainar gulps and her eyes gleam.
“Of course, I’ll do it. If we don’t become stronger, we’ll all die anyway!”
Right, that’s how it is.
That’s the kind of world this game was set in.
Ainar, who has expressed her willingness to accept, continues by shouting,
“I’m a warrior!”
Didn’t she say she wasn’t one earlier?
Smirk.
Seeing the barbarian attitude, so inefficient yet sometimes more efficient than anyone else’s, gives me a new realization.
“So, how do we get stronger?”
The easy path is the slow path.
And shitty things are like natural disasters.
No matter which path you take, they come upon you without warning.
With my twisted fate, they happened much more frequently.
That’s why…
“We’re going to enter a rift.”
First strike is the best strike.
This time, I’m going to seek out shitty things first.
As some famous person once said…
The pain that doesn’t kill me will only make me stronger.
I’m walking through the cave.
With Ainar.
“Bjorn, where are we going now?”
“We’re heading south, where the gnomes are.”
After a total of eight hours of rest, four hours each, Ainar has also regained some energy.
Her energy level is still practically crawling on the ground compared to usual, but…
“Bjorn, you can move quickly. There’s no need to worry about me.”
“Why are you in such a hurry?”
“I… I want to get stronger as soon as possible.”
“I see.”
It seems like I don’t need to worry about Ainar anymore.
Now that she has a clearer goal, those dark emotions will become nourishment, not poison.
Hmm, is it the same for me?
“I feel the same way.”
Throughout my watch, I reflect on the path I’ve taken so far.
The coming-of-age ceremony, entering the labyrinth, becoming night companions with Hans, Erwen, the Goblin Forest, the 4:2 battle with the crossbow party, etc.
Even thinking about it now, there weren’t any major mistakes.
I chose the best options available in each situation.
But…
In other words, it also means that I was just focused on getting through each moment.
“Why did you suddenly stop?”
“It’s nothing, let’s keep moving.”
There are extenuating circumstances.
There was no tutorial fairy, no system messages.
As soon as I opened my eyes, a man’s head was chopped off, and after that, unrealistic things kept happening.
So I had no choice but to act passively, prioritizing safety.
But what happened because of that?
“Bjorn…? Your expression isn’t good.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Always chose the best options?
Bullshit.
That was just coping.
How good of an option can it be for someone who cleans up after things have already happened?
If I really want to survive, I need to act more proactively.
Then the options I can choose from will change.
Even my uncle, who used to gamble every day, said it.
Instead of playing on a board made by others, throw the dice on a board you create yourself.
Alright, change of plans.
“Ainar, do you really want to become stronger?”
When I stop and ask her suddenly, Ainar shows deep suspicion.
“…What do you mean by that?”
“I’m asking about your resolve. There’s a way to become stronger for sure. But it’s dangerous. What will you do?”
High risk, high return.
What will her answer be to this proposal?
As I watch, Ainar gulps and her eyes gleam.
“Of course, I’ll do it. If we don’t become stronger, we’ll all die anyway!”
Right, that’s how it is.
That’s the kind of world this game was set in.
Ainar, who has expressed her willingness to accept, continues by shouting,
“I’m a warrior!”
Didn’t she say she wasn’t one earlier?
Smirk.
Seeing the barbarian attitude, so inefficient yet sometimes more efficient than anyone else’s, gives me a new realization.
“So, how do we get stronger?”
The easy path is the slow path.
And shitty things are like natural disasters.
No matter which path you take, they come upon you without warning.
With my twisted fate, they happened much more frequently.
That’s why…
“We’re going to enter a rift.”
First strike is the best strike.
This time, I’m going to seek out shitty things first.
As some famous person once said…
The pain that doesn’t kill me will only make me stronger.
_________________________________________
“Oh! I see!”
Ainar exclaims in admiration after hearing my plan.
And she asks cautiously,
“…But what is a rift?”
How come she knows less than me, even though she’s a native?
I wish she would at least read some books.
Uh… she still can’t read properly.
“A rift is… simply put, a labyrinth within a labyrinth.”
I skip the detailed explanation.
She wouldn’t understand anyway.
“A labyrinth within a labyrinth?”
“Yes.”
It’s one of the few things in [Dungeon and Stone] that’s similar to modern games.
If I were explaining it to another modern person, I would have called it an ‘instant dungeon.’
“Sometimes, portals open up randomly on each floor. If you enter those portals, you’ll find yourself in a new space that’s neither the 2nd floor nor the 3rd floor.”
“Ah! Are you talking about the Frost Lord’s Palace?”
At least she’s heard of it.
The Frost Lord’s Palace is a space accessible through the rift on the 8th floor.
I can’t even remember how much I struggled to get just one Frost Lord’s essence…
“But is that possible with just the two of us? I heard that even the chieftain almost died when he went there when he was young.”
“It’s fine. We’re on the 1st floor.”
There are four types of rifts that open on the 1st floor.
No matter what it is, the difficulty level is incomparably easier than rifts on other floors.
If we use ourselves as a benchmark, it would be about seven stars.
Of course, assuming a 5-star rating system.
“But how can we enter a place that appears randomly?”
“Don’t worry. I have a way.”
I’m a 9-year veteran, you know.
I’m the one who personally discovered hundreds of hidden pieces in this unfriendly game.
“Bjorn, I trust only you!”
I turn east as we were heading south.
Originally, I planned to hunt gnomes, kobolds, and Stone Golems on the 2nd floor of the southern route, ‘Black Rock Mountain.’
Although the Stone Golem’s ‘Suppression’ is a pain in the ass, it’s not impossible to deal with if we prepare beforehand.
However, playing it safe like that would take years to reach the 8th floor.
“Two barbarians, huh. Are you not looking for night companions? If there are three of you, you can sleep—”
“Get lost.”
“No, I was just asking—”
“I’ll smash your head in 3 seconds.”
As we traverse the 1st floor, several people approach us besides monsters, but Ainar takes care of them all.
…But can’t she just say no?
“I hate humans more than pointy-ears.”
It seems like Ainar’s distrust of humans has evolved into hatred.
Thwack! Thwack! Kwagic!
We move for almost 20 hours, beating up any monsters that block our path, and finally arrive near our destination.
It’s around 4:00 AM.
I’m realizing just how vast the 1st floor is.
Even though it’s a maze-like structure, it takes more than a day to get from the western edge to the central area.
“Bjorn, isn’t this the entrance area of the 1st floor?”
Strictly speaking, calling it the entrance area is inaccurate.
Most starting points are biased towards one side, either north or south.
And besides, there’s no light here, right?
Whooooosh!
We enter the darkness, using the regular torch we got from the blonde guy’s party.
And after some time…
「Killed Gnome. EXP +1」
「Killed Blade Wolf. EXP +1」
Ainar, who has finished the eighth battle, exclaims in wonder.
“Four types of monsters all appearing here, I didn’t know there was a place like this in the central area of the 1st floor.”
It’s common knowledge among explorers, but well, it’s not a place people usually come to.
It’s like the point where warm and cold currents meet, I guess?
In this place where I am now, blade wolves from the east, ghouls from the west, gnomes from the south, and goblins from the north all appear.
However…
“There are surprisingly few people.”
This area is not popular among explorers.
The reason is simple.
Even though four types of monsters appear, it just makes things more complicated for those who have to deal with them.
The number of monsters itself is also small.
‘And there’s the fatal disadvantage of having to consume torches, making it cost-ineffective.’
In essence, there’s no reason to come here except for those who pass through to save time.
But veteran players like this kind of space.
Well, it’s suspicious, right?
It’s the perfect place for developers to hide something.
“But why did we come here?”
“Just wait a bit. It’ll appear soon.”
We wander around in the darkness, changing directions here and there, for an hour.
Finally, I reach the place I was looking for.
“Alright, we’re here.”
A clearing with a radius of about 30 meters.
In the maze-like structure of the 1st floor, it’s a rare open space with a stele standing tall in the center.
“…What the hell is that?”
“It’s a monument. To commemorate the one who first discovered this labyrinth.”
I cautiously approach the stele and read the inscription on the lower part.
[In honor of the last Great Sage, Diflun Groundel Gabrilius, and his first great step.]
First of all, the inscription is the same as in the game.
That means there’s a high chance that the ‘hidden piece’ I discovered is also the same, right?
“Ainar, everything that happens from now on is a secret. Got it?”
“Alright.”
“It’s not just words, we need an oath. If this gets out, we might both be in danger.”
“…I swear on my honor as a warrior.”
“Thank you.”
I slowly untie the pouch from my waist.
Magic stones from the four types of monsters that appear on the 1st floor – goblins, gnomes, ghouls, and blade wolves – and a magic stone from the 8th-grade monster, Death Fiend.
And the Great Sage’s monument right in front of me.
“I’ll begin now.”
We have all the ingredients to forcibly open a rift.
____________________________________
In [Dungeon and Stone], rifts, which are like instant dungeons, have cooldowns.
For example, on the 1st floor, it takes at least 3 cycles, or three months in city time, for a ‘rift’ to open again.
Of course, it’s rare for a rift to open immediately after three months, and they usually open randomly between 5 and 6 cycles.
The maximum was 8 cycles, I think? I think that’s how it was.
“…….”
For your information, I also figured this out myself.
While grinding for the Frost Lord’s essence, I needed to know more about ‘rifts.’
It wasn’t efficient to just wander around each floor, waiting for a rift to appear.
“Is something wrong?”
“No.”
I briefly reminisce about old memories and place the Death Fiend’s magic stone I’m holding in front of the monument.
If the most recent ‘rift’ opened within 3 cycles, meaning the cooldown is still active, there will be no reaction, but…
Drrdrdrdrdr!
The magic stone I placed down glows and disappears, and tremors spread out from the monument.
As expected, it really works.
Whoosh!
The tremors intensify, and a portal of jet-black color opens.
“Let’s go in.”
“Uh, uh, alright!”
I hurriedly throw myself inside with Ainar.
Because it fills up within 10 seconds.
「Character has entered the 1st Floor Rift.」
I check the surroundings, leaving behind Ainar, who has once again landed on her butt.
A red sky as if the world is about to end.
Flocks of crows flying across it, and a black fortress visible in the distance.
It’s the ‘Crimson Fortress,’ one of the four types of 1st-floor rifts, without a doubt.
It’s only natural since the 8th-grade magic stone we offered as a sacrifice was from a Death Fiend.
Whoosh!
After a brief wait, a gap opens in the air and spits out a person.
This is the main reason why I, who knows how to open rifts with certainty and even knows the strategies to clear them, postponed coming here until later.
I’m more scared of explorers than monsters.
“Hwahaha! We finally managed to get in!”
If I had formed a 5-person team with guaranteed secrecy, maybe it would have been different…
But entering like this means I have to clear the rift with random explorers who entered first-come, first-served.
It’s like automatic matchmaking in a game.
I nervously check the first team member.
“Oh! Two barbarians, that’s reassuring! Nice to meet you! My name is Hikurod Murad! As you can see, I’m a dwarf, hwahahaha!!”
First, a talkative dwarf.
I don’t know about his skills, but this is not bad.
I hope the remaining members are at least this decent…
Smirk.
Of course, that’s too much to ask for, given my luck.
Damn it, come at me, all of you.
I don’t have any expectations anyway.
「A new companion has joined the journey.」
Two more team members are added.
“Oh! I see!”
Ainar exclaims in admiration after hearing my plan.
And she asks cautiously,
“…But what is a rift?”
How come she knows less than me, even though she’s a native?
I wish she would at least read some books.
Uh… she still can’t read properly.
“A rift is… simply put, a labyrinth within a labyrinth.”
I skip the detailed explanation.
She wouldn’t understand anyway.
“A labyrinth within a labyrinth?”
“Yes.”
It’s one of the few things in [Dungeon and Stone] that’s similar to modern games.
If I were explaining it to another modern person, I would have called it an ‘instant dungeon.’
“Sometimes, portals open up randomly on each floor. If you enter those portals, you’ll find yourself in a new space that’s neither the 2nd floor nor the 3rd floor.”
“Ah! Are you talking about the Frost Lord’s Palace?”
At least she’s heard of it.
The Frost Lord’s Palace is a space accessible through the rift on the 8th floor.
I can’t even remember how much I struggled to get just one Frost Lord’s essence…
“But is that possible with just the two of us? I heard that even the chieftain almost died when he went there when he was young.”
“It’s fine. We’re on the 1st floor.”
There are four types of rifts that open on the 1st floor.
No matter what it is, the difficulty level is incomparably easier than rifts on other floors.
If we use ourselves as a benchmark, it would be about seven stars.
Of course, assuming a 5-star rating system.
“But how can we enter a place that appears randomly?”
“Don’t worry. I have a way.”
I’m a 9-year veteran, you know.
I’m the one who personally discovered hundreds of hidden pieces in this unfriendly game.
“Bjorn, I trust only you!”
I turn east as we were heading south.
Originally, I planned to hunt gnomes, kobolds, and Stone Golems on the 2nd floor of the southern route, ‘Black Rock Mountain.’
Although the Stone Golem’s ‘Suppression’ is a pain in the ass, it’s not impossible to deal with if we prepare beforehand.
However, playing it safe like that would take years to reach the 8th floor.
“Two barbarians, huh. Are you not looking for night companions? If there are three of you, you can sleep—”
“Get lost.”
“No, I was just asking—”
“I’ll smash your head in 3 seconds.”
As we traverse the 1st floor, several people approach us besides monsters, but Ainar takes care of them all.
…But can’t she just say no?
“I hate humans more than pointy-ears.”
It seems like Ainar’s distrust of humans has evolved into hatred.
Thwack! Thwack! Kwagic!
We move for almost 20 hours, beating up any monsters that block our path, and finally arrive near our destination.
It’s around 4:00 AM.
I’m realizing just how vast the 1st floor is.
Even though it’s a maze-like structure, it takes more than a day to get from the western edge to the central area.
“Bjorn, isn’t this the entrance area of the 1st floor?”
Strictly speaking, calling it the entrance area is inaccurate.
Most starting points are biased towards one side, either north or south.
And besides, there’s no light here, right?
Whooooosh!
We enter the darkness, using the regular torch we got from the blonde guy’s party.
And after some time…
「Killed Gnome. EXP +1」
「Killed Blade Wolf. EXP +1」
Ainar, who has finished the eighth battle, exclaims in wonder.
“Four types of monsters all appearing here, I didn’t know there was a place like this in the central area of the 1st floor.”
It’s common knowledge among explorers, but well, it’s not a place people usually come to.
It’s like the point where warm and cold currents meet, I guess?
In this place where I am now, blade wolves from the east, ghouls from the west, gnomes from the south, and goblins from the north all appear.
However…
“There are surprisingly few people.”
This area is not popular among explorers.
The reason is simple.
Even though four types of monsters appear, it just makes things more complicated for those who have to deal with them.
The number of monsters itself is also small.
‘And there’s the fatal disadvantage of having to consume torches, making it cost-ineffective.’
In essence, there’s no reason to come here except for those who pass through to save time.
But veteran players like this kind of space.
Well, it’s suspicious, right?
It’s the perfect place for developers to hide something.
“But why did we come here?”
“Just wait a bit. It’ll appear soon.”
We wander around in the darkness, changing directions here and there, for an hour.
Finally, I reach the place I was looking for.
“Alright, we’re here.”
A clearing with a radius of about 30 meters.
In the maze-like structure of the 1st floor, it’s a rare open space with a stele standing tall in the center.
“…What the hell is that?”
“It’s a monument. To commemorate the one who first discovered this labyrinth.”
I cautiously approach the stele and read the inscription on the lower part.
[In honor of the last Great Sage, Diflun Groundel Gabrilius, and his first great step.]
First of all, the inscription is the same as in the game.
That means there’s a high chance that the ‘hidden piece’ I discovered is also the same, right?
“Ainar, everything that happens from now on is a secret. Got it?”
“Alright.”
“It’s not just words, we need an oath. If this gets out, we might both be in danger.”
“…I swear on my honor as a warrior.”
“Thank you.”
I slowly untie the pouch from my waist.
Magic stones from the four types of monsters that appear on the 1st floor – goblins, gnomes, ghouls, and blade wolves – and a magic stone from the 8th-grade monster, Death Fiend.
And the Great Sage’s monument right in front of me.
“I’ll begin now.”
We have all the ingredients to forcibly open a rift.
____________________________________
In [Dungeon and Stone], rifts, which are like instant dungeons, have cooldowns.
For example, on the 1st floor, it takes at least 3 cycles, or three months in city time, for a ‘rift’ to open again.
Of course, it’s rare for a rift to open immediately after three months, and they usually open randomly between 5 and 6 cycles.
The maximum was 8 cycles, I think? I think that’s how it was.
“…….”
For your information, I also figured this out myself.
While grinding for the Frost Lord’s essence, I needed to know more about ‘rifts.’
It wasn’t efficient to just wander around each floor, waiting for a rift to appear.
“Is something wrong?”
“No.”
I briefly reminisce about old memories and place the Death Fiend’s magic stone I’m holding in front of the monument.
If the most recent ‘rift’ opened within 3 cycles, meaning the cooldown is still active, there will be no reaction, but…
Drrdrdrdrdr!
The magic stone I placed down glows and disappears, and tremors spread out from the monument.
As expected, it really works.
Whoosh!
The tremors intensify, and a portal of jet-black color opens.
“Let’s go in.”
“Uh, uh, alright!”
I hurriedly throw myself inside with Ainar.
Because it fills up within 10 seconds.
「Character has entered the 1st Floor Rift.」
I check the surroundings, leaving behind Ainar, who has once again landed on her butt.
A red sky as if the world is about to end.
Flocks of crows flying across it, and a black fortress visible in the distance.
It’s the ‘Crimson Fortress,’ one of the four types of 1st-floor rifts, without a doubt.
It’s only natural since the 8th-grade magic stone we offered as a sacrifice was from a Death Fiend.
Whoosh!
After a brief wait, a gap opens in the air and spits out a person.
This is the main reason why I, who knows how to open rifts with certainty and even knows the strategies to clear them, postponed coming here until later.
I’m more scared of explorers than monsters.
“Hwahaha! We finally managed to get in!”
If I had formed a 5-person team with guaranteed secrecy, maybe it would have been different…
But entering like this means I have to clear the rift with random explorers who entered first-come, first-served.
It’s like automatic matchmaking in a game.
I nervously check the first team member.
“Oh! Two barbarians, that’s reassuring! Nice to meet you! My name is Hikurod Murad! As you can see, I’m a dwarf, hwahahaha!!”
First, a talkative dwarf.
I don’t know about his skills, but this is not bad.
I hope the remaining members are at least this decent…
Smirk.
Of course, that’s too much to ask for, given my luck.
Damn it, come at me, all of you.
I don’t have any expectations anyway.
「A new companion has joined the journey.」
Two more team members are added.
If he ever betrays Ainar's trust I'll hate him forever
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