SGB: Episode 6
Episode 6: Give and Take (2)
In [Dungeon and Stone], you can't trust your fellow NPCs, especially not the ones you've just met.
__________________________________
I walk through the cave.
Limping, limping.
Due to missing one shoe, I'm off balance.
Despite that, I'm happy.
This discomfort I'm feeling now, at least I couldn't have felt it when I was crawling on three legs.
I've regained my human dignity.
I don't know for how long, though.
"Whew..."
I use my shield to partially protect my upper body as I move forward.
I don't have to strain my eyes to check the floor like before.
There's light here.
The light emanating from the crystals embedded in the walls and ceiling brightly illuminates the surroundings.
Crawling through the darkness while bleeding feels like a dream.
I can confidently say that being able to see is a blessing from God.
Definitely in the sense that it allows me to beat the crap out of those evil goblin bastards.
"Waak!"
"Grr?!"
Startled by my shout, a goblin pops out from behind a rock.
Having already grasped its hiding spot, I use a skill as if I've been waiting for it.
"Smash! You son of a bitch!"
Smash is a skill with decent attack power and no MP consumption.
For your information, I just made it up.
Thwack-!
The goblin, mid-jump, gets hit by the shield and falls to the ground. I quickly approach it and pin its upper body down with my foot.
"Grr, grr?!"
It's no use making those pitiful eyes.
I know how cunning and evil these bastards are.
"Grr, grr!"
What, you're saying it's not you?
Then go complain to your friend who went first. That's the bastard who made me like this.
Kwagic-!
I slam the edge of my shield into the goblin's face with all my might.
Unlike Smash, which simply swings or pushes to hit enemies in front...
The name is... Final Shield Attack.
I also just made that up.
Swaaaaaaaaaaa!
The cleanly finished-off goblin disappears into light.
It means that evil has diminished, even if only slightly, and the world has become a little more beautiful.
I pick up the magic stone that appeared as a reward and stuff it roughly into my pocket.
The tenth magic stone I've acquired since entering the labyrinth.
"Phew, you weaklings."
After dying once and barely coming back to life, I've been encountering goblins continuously.
I was nervous at first, but I quickly realized something.
Goblins encountered in areas with visibility were not threatening at all.
They weren't as smart as I thought either.
Just look at the trap carelessly set over there.
'They could have at least dug some dirt and covered it up. Do they have any brains? Who would step on it if it's placed so obviously in the middle of the path?'
The goblin trap was crude enough to be noticeable even from afar. Moreover, if I tried to pass by without stepping on the trap, they mostly jumped out and attacked first.
It seems like that grinning and creepy following behavior like that bastard only happens when you step on a trap...
As I gradually figured out their habits, fighting them became easier and easier.
First of all, their main weapon is a short dagger, and their physical strength is only at the level of an elementary school upperclassman.
On the other hand, I'm currently a muscular barbarian with a height close to 2 meters. If we engage in a head-on fight, I can subdue a goblin within 3 seconds.
Therefore, I only need to be careful of surprise attacks, but since I can know their ambush location through the traps...
'Hmm, maybe becoming a goblin slayer wouldn't be so bad?'
I immediately slap myself hard on the cheek.
Thwack-!
The pain wakes me up.
...What was I just thinking?
I must be crazy.
Otherwise, I wouldn't be giggling while having such pathetic thoughts.
Let's not get arrogant just because I killed a few goblins.
It hasn't even been 2 hours since I died and came back to life, and I haven't solved any of the newly arisen problems.
"Damn, I'm hungry..."
First of all, there's the food problem.
What I lost while crawling through the darkness was not just my shield.
There was a hole in the food pouch that the chieftain gave me, and I lost about 5 days' worth of food out of 7.
Of course, I couldn't go back into the darkness to find it.
It's not like I'm Hansel and Gretel.
Crunch, crunch.
I immediately open the pouch and take out a piece of bread to eat.
The bread is hard and dry, probably for preservation purposes, but as I slowly melt it with my saliva, the sweetness of carbohydrates gradually reaches my tongue.
Why is this so delicious?
Maybe my taste has changed because of this barbarian body.
After a few bites, the bread, which was the size of my palm, disappears.
I let out a sigh, feeling a strange sense of disappointment and dryness in my mouth.
I'm thirsty.
This is the second problem.
...Damn, where do I get water?
「You have defeated a goblin.」
「You have defeated a goblin.」
「You have defeated a goblin.」
「You have defeated a goblin.」
「Warning: The body is lacking fluids. Please procure drinking water soon…….」
In [Dungeon and Stone], you can't trust your fellow NPCs, especially not the ones you've just met.
__________________________________
I walk through the cave.
Limping, limping.
Due to missing one shoe, I'm off balance.
Despite that, I'm happy.
This discomfort I'm feeling now, at least I couldn't have felt it when I was crawling on three legs.
I've regained my human dignity.
I don't know for how long, though.
"Whew..."
I use my shield to partially protect my upper body as I move forward.
I don't have to strain my eyes to check the floor like before.
There's light here.
The light emanating from the crystals embedded in the walls and ceiling brightly illuminates the surroundings.
Crawling through the darkness while bleeding feels like a dream.
I can confidently say that being able to see is a blessing from God.
Definitely in the sense that it allows me to beat the crap out of those evil goblin bastards.
"Waak!"
"Grr?!"
Startled by my shout, a goblin pops out from behind a rock.
Having already grasped its hiding spot, I use a skill as if I've been waiting for it.
"Smash! You son of a bitch!"
Smash is a skill with decent attack power and no MP consumption.
For your information, I just made it up.
Thwack-!
The goblin, mid-jump, gets hit by the shield and falls to the ground. I quickly approach it and pin its upper body down with my foot.
"Grr, grr?!"
It's no use making those pitiful eyes.
I know how cunning and evil these bastards are.
"Grr, grr!"
What, you're saying it's not you?
Then go complain to your friend who went first. That's the bastard who made me like this.
Kwagic-!
I slam the edge of my shield into the goblin's face with all my might.
Unlike Smash, which simply swings or pushes to hit enemies in front...
The name is... Final Shield Attack.
I also just made that up.
Swaaaaaaaaaaa!
The cleanly finished-off goblin disappears into light.
It means that evil has diminished, even if only slightly, and the world has become a little more beautiful.
I pick up the magic stone that appeared as a reward and stuff it roughly into my pocket.
The tenth magic stone I've acquired since entering the labyrinth.
"Phew, you weaklings."
After dying once and barely coming back to life, I've been encountering goblins continuously.
I was nervous at first, but I quickly realized something.
Goblins encountered in areas with visibility were not threatening at all.
They weren't as smart as I thought either.
Just look at the trap carelessly set over there.
'They could have at least dug some dirt and covered it up. Do they have any brains? Who would step on it if it's placed so obviously in the middle of the path?'
The goblin trap was crude enough to be noticeable even from afar. Moreover, if I tried to pass by without stepping on the trap, they mostly jumped out and attacked first.
It seems like that grinning and creepy following behavior like that bastard only happens when you step on a trap...
As I gradually figured out their habits, fighting them became easier and easier.
First of all, their main weapon is a short dagger, and their physical strength is only at the level of an elementary school upperclassman.
On the other hand, I'm currently a muscular barbarian with a height close to 2 meters. If we engage in a head-on fight, I can subdue a goblin within 3 seconds.
Therefore, I only need to be careful of surprise attacks, but since I can know their ambush location through the traps...
'Hmm, maybe becoming a goblin slayer wouldn't be so bad?'
I immediately slap myself hard on the cheek.
Thwack-!
The pain wakes me up.
...What was I just thinking?
I must be crazy.
Otherwise, I wouldn't be giggling while having such pathetic thoughts.
Let's not get arrogant just because I killed a few goblins.
It hasn't even been 2 hours since I died and came back to life, and I haven't solved any of the newly arisen problems.
"Damn, I'm hungry..."
First of all, there's the food problem.
What I lost while crawling through the darkness was not just my shield.
There was a hole in the food pouch that the chieftain gave me, and I lost about 5 days' worth of food out of 7.
Of course, I couldn't go back into the darkness to find it.
It's not like I'm Hansel and Gretel.
Crunch, crunch.
I immediately open the pouch and take out a piece of bread to eat.
The bread is hard and dry, probably for preservation purposes, but as I slowly melt it with my saliva, the sweetness of carbohydrates gradually reaches my tongue.
Why is this so delicious?
Maybe my taste has changed because of this barbarian body.
After a few bites, the bread, which was the size of my palm, disappears.
I let out a sigh, feeling a strange sense of disappointment and dryness in my mouth.
I'm thirsty.
This is the second problem.
...Damn, where do I get water?
「You have defeated a goblin.」
「You have defeated a goblin.」
「You have defeated a goblin.」
「You have defeated a goblin.」
「Warning: The body is lacking fluids. Please procure drinking water soon…….」
__________________________________
[Dungeon and Stone] has a satiety system.
Of course, it only activates inside the labyrinth, and since it was filled by simply eating, there was no need to carry drinking water.
However, this is not the game world.
To be precise, it's closer to another world that's very similar to the game I know.
'The game was already hardcore enough, but now that it's become reality, the difficulty level is going crazy.'
Still, I'm not too worried.
While water is a more important resource than food, the chieftain didn't give me any water either.
There must be a way to be self-sufficient within the labyrinth.
And in fact, it didn't take long to find it.
"Smash!"
After about an hour of wandering through the ant-like maze of the cave, killing goblins...
Drip, drip.
Following the sound of dripping water, I discover a small pond.
There's already an explorer squatting down, drinking water. It's practically the first encounter since the blonde party...
"......"
There's no conversation.
He sees me from afar and wordlessly steps aside, and I don't bother approaching him to talk either.
The other explorers I meet afterwards are the same. They all avoid me as soon as they see me.
Just like in the game, there seems to be an unspoken rule among explorers to avoid contact with each other as much as possible.
Well, maybe they just didn't want to get involved with a blood-soaked barbarian.
Anyway, I kill goblins when I'm tired, eat bread when I'm hungry, and drink water when I'm thirsty. Time flies by, and now it's like this.
"One, two, three, four, five, six..."
I've earned a total of forty-four magic stones so far.
In terms of bread, I've acquired 44 loaves.
It's truly a moving thing to think about when I was dying... but there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
In return, I've gained a deep sense of fatigue.
This is the third problem I have.
'I'm getting sleepy...'
As a living being, I need sleep.
Even this high-spec barbarian is no different.
So how do I sleep in a labyrinth where monsters are real?
There are two ways.
Either I entrust my life to the heavens and sleep lightly, or I find a companion to watch over each other.
The choice I have to make is already set.
Entrust my life to the heavens? Based on experience, that's not something I can rely on. At least not for me.
'Let's find a companion.'
Of course, I don't mean forming an official party.
Everyone is probably tired right now, so I'm thinking of finding a suitable person and forming a temporary cooperative relationship.
In the game, most people spent the night that way when their fatigue level was high.
Thud, thud.
Having made my decision, I walk around the labyrinth, focusing more on moving than fighting. As I do this, unlike before, I start to see groups of people here and there.
Thud, thud.
Groups of two or three explorers are resting, taking turns keeping watch.
I examine their appearances and faces, and then I gather the courage to approach a few groups, but I get rejected every time.
"Sorry, but we've already found all the people we need."
Although that's what they say, seeing them frown and cover their noses as I approach makes the reason clear.
...Those bastards.
Just how clean do they think they are?
As I grumble to myself, someone speaks to me.
"Hey."
He's a human man who looks to be around thirty years old.
He's about 180 cm tall.
He has a rather kind and gentle appearance, but he's holding a hammer covered in goblin blood and flesh.
The man grins and asks me.
"Are you looking for a night companion?"
What the fuck is this guy talking about?
I instinctively take a step back, and the man tilts his head.
"You weren't looking for a night companion? I thought it would be safe to trust you and rest comfortably because you're a barbarian, but it's a shame."
Just say that from the beginning, man...
It seems like "night companion" is slang for the temporary cooperative relationship I mentioned.
The in-game term was "Night Companion."
I interpreted it as something like "night comrade" or "night companion," but hearing it in real life, it sounds quite perverted.
"...No, I am looking for a night companion."
"Really? That's great. Then would you like to join me?"
"I will."
And so, I become night companions with the man.
"My name is Hans."
"I am Bjorn, son of Yandel."
"Then I can call you Bjorn?"
The man, who seems experienced, naturally finishes exchanging names and takes the lead in setting the mood.
"Three night companions are the best, but it seems like it would be a waste of energy to go around looking for more. Bjorn, what do you think?"
In simpler terms, he's saying let's sleep together.
This guy, is he really thinking something else? Maybe it's because of his sly way of speaking, but I keep feeling like I'm being taken advantage of.
"Alright."
"That's good. If someone asks to join, we'll discuss and decide whether to accept them or not."
After a brief exchange of opinions, we decide to spend the first night together.
However, the problem is...
"Then let's play rock-paper-scissors to decide the order."
Rock-paper-scissors seems to be the universal rule here too.
Damn, I'm not good at this...
I repeat, I'm not lucky.
"Hmm, I won for once."
Damn it.
"Then I'll leave it to you. Wake me up if goblins or other explorers approach. Got it?"
"...Got it."
"Here, take this."
The man, who lends me a watch with numbers from 0 to 23 engraved on the face, kindly explains how to use it.
"Wake me up when the short hand reaches here."
This must be how people here perceive barbarians.
"Don't break it. It's expensive."
"...Got it."
Geez, so picky.
The man then takes out a blanket, covers himself with it, and lies down with his backpack as a pillow. And soon, he starts snoring.
Is this what experience brings? He looks so comfortable.
If I ask to borrow it when it's my turn, he won't lend it to me, right?
"Phew..."
Anyway, keeping watch is really boring.
I can't see any goblins, and there are no other explorers passing by. Is it because everyone is resting after finding night companions?
The silence makes me drowsy.
Still, as I lean against the wall and contemplate the future, time passes quickly.
"Hans, wake up."
"...Was there anything?"
"Nothing."
"I see. You worked hard. Then give me back the watch and get some rest. I'll wake you up in 2 hours."
The man gets up and packs the blanket into his backpack before I even have a chance to ask to borrow it.
Tsk.
I let go of the thought and approach the wall, leaning my back against it.
And I pretend to doze off.
Well, of course.
Even if this man is kind, seems intelligent, and doesn't seem to have any intention of harming me...
How can I trust someone I just met?
[Dungeon and Stone] has a satiety system.
Of course, it only activates inside the labyrinth, and since it was filled by simply eating, there was no need to carry drinking water.
However, this is not the game world.
To be precise, it's closer to another world that's very similar to the game I know.
'The game was already hardcore enough, but now that it's become reality, the difficulty level is going crazy.'
Still, I'm not too worried.
While water is a more important resource than food, the chieftain didn't give me any water either.
There must be a way to be self-sufficient within the labyrinth.
And in fact, it didn't take long to find it.
"Smash!"
After about an hour of wandering through the ant-like maze of the cave, killing goblins...
Drip, drip.
Following the sound of dripping water, I discover a small pond.
There's already an explorer squatting down, drinking water. It's practically the first encounter since the blonde party...
"......"
There's no conversation.
He sees me from afar and wordlessly steps aside, and I don't bother approaching him to talk either.
The other explorers I meet afterwards are the same. They all avoid me as soon as they see me.
Just like in the game, there seems to be an unspoken rule among explorers to avoid contact with each other as much as possible.
Well, maybe they just didn't want to get involved with a blood-soaked barbarian.
Anyway, I kill goblins when I'm tired, eat bread when I'm hungry, and drink water when I'm thirsty. Time flies by, and now it's like this.
"One, two, three, four, five, six..."
I've earned a total of forty-four magic stones so far.
In terms of bread, I've acquired 44 loaves.
It's truly a moving thing to think about when I was dying... but there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
In return, I've gained a deep sense of fatigue.
This is the third problem I have.
'I'm getting sleepy...'
As a living being, I need sleep.
Even this high-spec barbarian is no different.
So how do I sleep in a labyrinth where monsters are real?
There are two ways.
Either I entrust my life to the heavens and sleep lightly, or I find a companion to watch over each other.
The choice I have to make is already set.
Entrust my life to the heavens? Based on experience, that's not something I can rely on. At least not for me.
'Let's find a companion.'
Of course, I don't mean forming an official party.
Everyone is probably tired right now, so I'm thinking of finding a suitable person and forming a temporary cooperative relationship.
In the game, most people spent the night that way when their fatigue level was high.
Thud, thud.
Having made my decision, I walk around the labyrinth, focusing more on moving than fighting. As I do this, unlike before, I start to see groups of people here and there.
Thud, thud.
Groups of two or three explorers are resting, taking turns keeping watch.
I examine their appearances and faces, and then I gather the courage to approach a few groups, but I get rejected every time.
"Sorry, but we've already found all the people we need."
Although that's what they say, seeing them frown and cover their noses as I approach makes the reason clear.
...Those bastards.
Just how clean do they think they are?
As I grumble to myself, someone speaks to me.
"Hey."
He's a human man who looks to be around thirty years old.
He's about 180 cm tall.
He has a rather kind and gentle appearance, but he's holding a hammer covered in goblin blood and flesh.
The man grins and asks me.
"Are you looking for a night companion?"
What the fuck is this guy talking about?
I instinctively take a step back, and the man tilts his head.
"You weren't looking for a night companion? I thought it would be safe to trust you and rest comfortably because you're a barbarian, but it's a shame."
Just say that from the beginning, man...
It seems like "night companion" is slang for the temporary cooperative relationship I mentioned.
The in-game term was "Night Companion."
I interpreted it as something like "night comrade" or "night companion," but hearing it in real life, it sounds quite perverted.
"...No, I am looking for a night companion."
"Really? That's great. Then would you like to join me?"
"I will."
And so, I become night companions with the man.
"My name is Hans."
"I am Bjorn, son of Yandel."
"Then I can call you Bjorn?"
The man, who seems experienced, naturally finishes exchanging names and takes the lead in setting the mood.
"Three night companions are the best, but it seems like it would be a waste of energy to go around looking for more. Bjorn, what do you think?"
In simpler terms, he's saying let's sleep together.
This guy, is he really thinking something else? Maybe it's because of his sly way of speaking, but I keep feeling like I'm being taken advantage of.
"Alright."
"That's good. If someone asks to join, we'll discuss and decide whether to accept them or not."
After a brief exchange of opinions, we decide to spend the first night together.
However, the problem is...
"Then let's play rock-paper-scissors to decide the order."
Rock-paper-scissors seems to be the universal rule here too.
Damn, I'm not good at this...
I repeat, I'm not lucky.
"Hmm, I won for once."
Damn it.
"Then I'll leave it to you. Wake me up if goblins or other explorers approach. Got it?"
"...Got it."
"Here, take this."
The man, who lends me a watch with numbers from 0 to 23 engraved on the face, kindly explains how to use it.
"Wake me up when the short hand reaches here."
This must be how people here perceive barbarians.
"Don't break it. It's expensive."
"...Got it."
Geez, so picky.
The man then takes out a blanket, covers himself with it, and lies down with his backpack as a pillow. And soon, he starts snoring.
Is this what experience brings? He looks so comfortable.
If I ask to borrow it when it's my turn, he won't lend it to me, right?
"Phew..."
Anyway, keeping watch is really boring.
I can't see any goblins, and there are no other explorers passing by. Is it because everyone is resting after finding night companions?
The silence makes me drowsy.
Still, as I lean against the wall and contemplate the future, time passes quickly.
"Hans, wake up."
"...Was there anything?"
"Nothing."
"I see. You worked hard. Then give me back the watch and get some rest. I'll wake you up in 2 hours."
The man gets up and packs the blanket into his backpack before I even have a chance to ask to borrow it.
Tsk.
I let go of the thought and approach the wall, leaning my back against it.
And I pretend to doze off.
Well, of course.
Even if this man is kind, seems intelligent, and doesn't seem to have any intention of harming me...
How can I trust someone I just met?
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