Newbie Life of a Former Ranker

woo woo woo-

“Again.”

Dojin raised his head at the sound of the forest crying.

The stars in the night sky sparsely visible through the thick trees.

At this hour, the forest always wept like this.

“I thought this sound was the sound of the forest changing.”

After first entering ＜Forest Singing Eternity＞ and wandering around for several days, Do-jin thought that this sound was just the sound of the wind running through the trees.

However, according to the watchman, the structure of the forest changes completely after the forest makes this sound.

‘It might be because of this sound that this forest is called the Forest of Eternity.’

Sadly, while listening to the song of the forest that sounded sad, Dojin moved his gaze to the front.

There was a bonfire that Dojin had lit.

“After all, today is also empty.”

I wandered through the woods alone for three days. Two more days of wandering with the watchman.

There was no harvest for a total of five days.

Right now, after a long 13-hour search, it’s just after making a bonfire to rest.

“I can’t be depressed. I need to eat something decent today.”

Until now, it was annoying, so I only hit the heat roughly, but until today, I thought I would be very depressed if I chewed dried jerky.

So, even if it was a bit annoying, Do-jin took out various ingredients from his inventory in order to cook a simple dish.

So, today’s menu was a mixed stew made with water, milk, cheese, beef jerky, and potatoes, seasoned with salt and spices.

While the stew was slowly boiling, Dojin looked into the dark forest and said.

“Looks like you went a long way this time.”

The direction he was looking was the direction the watchman had disappeared saying he would search.

Since the watchman accompanied Do-jin, he searched the forest even when Do-jin was taking a break.

But now it’s time to come back… … .

Scary to think, I saw something like a whitish shadow approaching quickly in the distance.

A silhouette like a silver wolf running through the forest.

is a watchman

“I’m here?”

The watchman nodded at Dojin’s question that doubled as a greeting.

Then he looked up at the sky and said.

“It’s time for you to go to sleep. Don’t worry about danger today and rest in peace. I’ll stand by for the vigil.”

There was no other reason for the watchman to come back at this time of day, after a non-stop search operation.

It was to come to stand by while Dojin, who had to take a break, was sleeping.

It was a great help for Do-jin, who needed a certain amount of sleep time to recover from the fatigue of his in-game avatar.

“It’s good that I can sleep comfortably, but I feel a little sorry for you.”

At Dojin’s words, the watchman tilted his head as if he didn’t know why.

“What are you sorry about? I don’t need to sleep anyway, and I’m not tired. but you’re not From an efficient point of view, isn’t it natural for me to look after you and make sure you rest and secure your physical strength as much as possible?”

In terms of efficiency, yes. But again, people’s hearts don’t work that way.

It is only natural that a slight amount of mental debt arises when one-sidedly indebted.

What’s more, since he was a pitiful person who wandered the forest with his opponent dead… … .

‘That’s why I can’t openly show sympathy.’

Swallowing a sigh to come out, Dojin just silently moved the boiling stew into a bowl.

And I eat it… … .

“… … .”

The watchman’s gaze was very stinging.

Do zoo monkeys feel like this?

The watchman was staring at the food as if he was staring at something very strange.

It didn’t even have a human face, but it was very nerve-wracking to see him wearing a gloomy mask made of tree bark.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

When Do-jin asked at the burdensome gaze, the watchman was startled.

“M-I’m sorry. It’s been too long since I’ve been with someone else, so I’m inadvertent. I had forgotten that it was rude to look at me this way. Stop eating warm food because it’s amazing.”

Watching the watchman bewildered and gibberish, Dojin put the bowl down.

To watch the food being eaten without even recognizing the fact that he was staring at the other person.

There’s a certain amount of bitterness.

Dojin felt as if the food he had swallowed a few spoons of food got stuck in his stomach.

“Would you like to eat too?”

Do-jin, who was unable to eat alone, took out another bowl and filled it with plenty of stew.

Then the watchman narrowed his eyes and said.

“Am I dead?”

In response, Do-jin jumped up as if it was okay, and forcibly handed the bowl of stew to the watchman.

And Do-jin, who returned to his seat after giving him a spoon, ate a spoonful of stew and said.

“Aren’t you looking at me out of curiosity? Then you can just eat it. You probably haven’t eaten food since you died anyway. Try it as an experiment to see how it feels. You won’t get a stomachache anymore, will you?”

“There is no such thing as an upset stomach… … .”

The watchman muttered and squeezed a bowl of warm stew.

“It is not… … .”

Because the body can’t get an upset stomach. Dispelling the tongue-in-cheek words, the watchman carefully scooped up the stew and brought it to his mouth.

chin.

However, not thinking of the mask was a variable.

I couldn’t eat while wearing a bark mask with only eye sockets.

“… … .”

The watchman noticed Dojin.

However, he soon made up his mind and took off the mask.

The exposed face was terrifying.

Except for the two eyes, the entire face was covered with scars.

Only the fine chin skeleton proves that the watchman was a girl.

The watchman looked sideways at Dojin again.

However, Dojin was only concentrating on eating his stew.

The watchman scooped up the stew again and brought it to his mouth.

He put the stew into his mouth, which had large scars left and right.

I didn’t feel the taste.

But.

‘It’s warm.’

I felt some warmth.

‘This must have been the feeling of chewing food.’

Even if it was dull, I felt the taste.

I can feel the jerky cracking and moving around, and the ripe potatoes cracking and crumbling.

When I pressed the soft bread slices that had been blown into the stew with my tongue, they were a bit strange but soft.

And let’s gulp- and swallow what’s in our mouth.

‘My heart is warm.’

The hot stew that went down his esophagus warmed the area around his chest slightly.

The watchman stared blankly at the slightly reduced stew.

scary. I was afraid that this stew would be reduced in volume.

I wanted to feel this feeling, this sensation even a little more.

“What do you think?”

Do-jin asks while eating his share.

Still, his gaze was not directed at the watchman.

The watchman pondered for a moment before answering.

“… It is so delicious.”

yes, this is delicious All I could feel was a bit of warmth with a dull texture.

The stew that Dojin handed over to the watchman was much more delicious than the food he ate while he was alive.

“okay? I’m glad.”

If you want more, eat more. because there is plenty

The watchman looked at Do-jin for quite a long time as he spoke naturally as if he were inviting an ordinary friend to eat with.

“Aren’t you uncomfortable with me, scary or weird? i’m that… … .”

you’re dead

The watchman was taken aback by the words that came out unconsciously.

What are you going to do by asking this?

The watchman, who was belatedly speechless, tried to evade it by saying that it was nothing.

“Not at all.”

However, Dojin’s answer was faster than that.

“What makes a person human isn’t whether or not he breathes, right? What matters is the content. From what I see, you’re a bit peculiar, but you don’t seem like a bad guy. Then it doesn’t really matter if you breathe or not. At least it does for me.”

As he spoke, Do-jin raised his head and the watchman’s eyes met.

The watchman thought.

I’m ashamed to show my face

Do-jin said to her.

“It is better to take off the mask. I kept getting frustrated watching it.”

No other words followed.

That was it.

The watchman quietly ate the remaining stew.

Do-jin made a new stew for her, who noticed after she finished eating.

Eating and eating and eating, and by the time the stew had reached the bottom, the watchman asked quietly.

“you… What is your name?”

Dojin and the watchman have not yet mentioned each other’s names.

“Dojin.”

Dojin. The watchman, who rolled the name in his mouth, whispered very quietly, like talking to himself.

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My name is… … .

But the whisper was not complete.

“uh… … ?”

what was my name

As I tried to think of the name, my mind seemed to get confused.

“-■■7■, mission-”

A jumbled mess of memories surfaced.

He heard someone’s voice calling him from inside, but he couldn’t understand it as if it had been roughly erased.

“what’s the matter?”

Do-jin, who was surprised by the look of the watchman who suddenly tilted his head and suffered, approached.

The watchman said to him in a trembling voice.

“… I can’t remember my name.”

Dojin’s expression became bitter.

‘It’s not uncommon for an undead to be resurrected from a corpse’s memory or personality to have deficits.’

However, this knowledge did not help when it comes to comforting someone who is confused about not being able to remember his or her own name.

Do-jin, who chose to speak for a while, decided to give realistic comfort.

“it’s okay. Tegran would know your name.”

Do-jin didn’t know if these words would have comforted him.

Because the watchman kept his mouth shut ever since.

In the end, Do-jin fell asleep for tomorrow.

The watchman stared at Do-jin, who was sleeping in the dark forest night.

* * *

After that day, the watchman no longer wore a mask.

Going out to explore far has also decreased slightly.

Instead, they would hang around Dojin and talk.

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Mainly, the watchman asked what he was curious about, and Dojin answered.

Sometimes, Do-jin would take out food from his inventory and hand it to him.

Every time that happened, the watchman took it lightly.

“I like hot food.”

Then, when he grunted, saying that he prefers hot food rather than beef jerky or bread, Do-jin sighed and said,

“I’ll boil it for you later tonight.”

Then the watchman waited for the night in secret anticipation.

At some point, the watchman stopped wanting to find Tegran.

Do-jin said he would know his name… It ceased to be very important.

‘When everything is over, Jin will leave the forest. I’ll have to stay here.’

Even if you find Tegran-nim and use the energy of the egg to restore the forest to its original form, you won’t be able to come back to life.

As an undead, he could not follow Dojin.

I will have to protect the forest alone again.

The watchman hated Do-jin.

I didn’t even know I was lonely.

Do you know the terrible loneliness?

Talking with someone and letting them know how enjoyable and happy it is to walk together.

‘… I’d rather be able to fall asleep with the forest as it regains its original form.’

To make you want to rest rather than be alone again.

However, even if I felt hatred, that feeling disappeared when I looked at her from the side.

A little longer, I think I want to walk in the forest together.

So the watchman had his wish.

‘one month… No, just one more week.’

I wish the search was a bit longer.

But her wish did not come true.

The day she fully realized her heart.

The time she waits the most, when she and Dojin light a bonfire and have a warm meal.

-Gaa.

Tegran Begriff’s cries were heard.