NOVEL NEXT Chapter 63 Cabin (2)
Cabin (2)
Cabin (2)
Day 8 of being lost.
Surprisingly, while wandering aimlessly through the Witch's Forest, we hadn't encountered any other explorer groups.
Even considering the area's characteristics, it wouldn't be strange to run into someone...
However, upon closer examination, it wasn't that unusual.
First of all, the Witch's Forest is vast.
Also, the resident population itself is small since it's not used as a main hunting ground.
Moreover, we were just wandering around aimlessly, not even heading towards the central area.
Naturally, the chances of encountering someone by chance decrease.'Besides, by now, anyone who was going to pass through would have already done so.'
Still, I thought that as the 3rd floor's closing time approached, some explorers aiming for the 4th floor would come in.
It's common to test the waters like that when going up floors.
'Then are these guys trying to go up to the 4th floor too?'
Hmm, it seems highly likely.
Of course, that doesn't mean we can trust them.
"A barbarian and a beastman? Don't tell me it's just the two of you?"
Just as I assessed them as soon as I saw them, they also figured us out.
Well, it would be strange, right?
A 2-person team wandering around the 3rd floor, and the Witch's Forest at that, not the 1st or 2nd floor.
The man who seems to be the leader of the 5-person team comes to a conclusion.
"...You guys, did you get separated from your team?"
"That's right."
I admit it readily.
Bluffing is fine, but only when there's something to back it up.
In the first place, saying otherwise in this pathetic state would just make me look strange, and what could I gain by insisting that it's not true?
Of course, I still need to be careful even though I admitted it.
"Ugh! Bjorn! Are we saved now?"
"Be quiet."
I push Misha, who's already making a fuss, behind me and block the front.
And I subtly raise my shield.
"Don't be so wary. We're not bad people."
A middle-aged human woman steps forward from the other side and smiles kindly at my actions, but...
"We have sons and daughters your age in the city. I understand why you're worried, but don't be. You must be tired, so come here—"
"I refuse."
You have sons and daughters?
So what?
It actually makes them seem more dangerous.
Having children to feed means they have a clearer motive to make money.
"Bjo, Bjorn, why are you doing this? They might help us..."
"Be quiet."
How to act when encountering other explorers.
I've been thinking about this a lot.
The conclusion at the time was to ask for help first.
Promising some kind of reward and asking them to just take us out of the forest would be a reasonable deal for them too.
However...
'To make a deal, I need to know what kind of people they are.'
Verification comes first.
"I am Bjorn, son of Yandel."
"You're a cautious one. I'm Hans Stov. I'm the scout in our team."
The leader of the opposing side exchanges names with me as I reveal my identity.
But the problem is...
"Your name is... Hans?"
"Haha, it's a common name, right?"
"That's what I'm saying."
Why are there so many Hanses in the world?
One point deduction because the name is ominous.
"My name is Anuman Bate. I run a general store with my husband in the city—"
I cut off the woman's rambling about her personal information.
"That's not necessary."
There's no way to verify in the labyrinth whether what she's saying is true, and we don't have much time.
Whether we'll receive help or not...
We need to make a decision quickly either way.
'Two warriors, two archers, and one scout.'
I quickly scan them from head to toe, checking their approximate strength, as well as their faces, expressions, tone of voice, and atmosphere.
Of course, there's no need to meticulously examine them one by one.
Sometimes, intuition can make a more accurate judgment than anything else.
The experiences and data accumulated in my subconscious.
"Misha."
Finally, I make a decision.
There's no guarantee that this is the right answer, but...
"Will you follow my decision?"
No need for long explanations.
Misha answers briefly to my question that omits a lot.
"Of course."
Alright, I've got her consent.
"Let's stop with the introductions, we'll be on our way."
"On your way? Didn't you guys need our help?"
That's true, but my instincts are screaming that you guys are dangerous.
"On second thought, it seems like we don't. Come on, Misha, let's go."
"Ah, alright!"
"Hmm, if that's what you guys want, I have no reason to stop you. Be on your way."
Okay, then we've got their permission too.
I slowly step back, covering my body with my shield, while still keeping my eyes on them.
That's when...
Whoosh!
I hear a familiar whooshing sound.
And before my brain can even process it, my body reacts.
Whoosh!
I tilt my head to the side, and an arrow grazes past my ear.
Damn it, how the hell did they do that?
The arrow came from behind.
But the archers should be in front of us.
"Mrs. Bate, what the hell are you doing!"
One of the members of the opposing party shouts at the archer woman.
So it wasn't a pre-arranged agreement?
The woman who said she had sons and daughters our age no longer speaks softly.
"You idiots! Didn't you see the equipment that guy has? It's Laetium equipment! Do you even know how much it's worth if we sell it?"
"B, but they're fellow explorers..."
"Kid, if you can't do it, stay out of it. Do you see that backpack? It's an expandable backpack. Something you can't buy even if you work your ass off for a year."
Was it true that she ran a general store with her husband?
This woman has a good eye.
Although I don't have the guts to compliment her.
"I, I can't do it."
"Then those who can't, stay out of it."
"I'm in. It's not my first time, and I'm not well-off enough to pass up free money."
They quickly reach an agreement among themselves, probably former explorers.
I watch them intently.
Misha grabs my sleeve with a worried expression.
"Bjo, Bjorn... shouldn't we run away?"
"Wait."
They have a scout.
Running away now wouldn't get us far.
'It should be coming soon...'
"I'll, kill, you..."
'There it is.'
I smile bitterly.
The only reason I was trying to make a decision quickly, whether it would turn out good or bad.
As the Cannibalo appears from the darkness, the group of explorers who were about to target us flinch.
"Ca, Cannibalo?"
"Why are there two of them at the same time..."
Well, we're on Day 8 of being lost.
You guys might have just arrived, but we've already reached level 10 of [Witch's Eye].
"Misha, now's the time."
I grab Misha with one arm.
And with my other hand, I hold up my shield and charge forward, not backward.
「Cannibalo has cast [Tracking Arrow].」
「Cannibalo has cast [Tracking Arrow].」
I see the Cannibalo on the right nocking an arrow.
I dash forward even faster.
Whoosh!
The barbarian's dynamic vision recognizes that two arrows have been shot simultaneously.
But there's no need to worry about my exposed back.
Now, there are others to block for me.
"Ah, ah! Block it!"
"Wh, what the hell are these guys!"
The moment I push through the opposing group with the barbarian's brute strength, I hear screams from the side.
It's from the kid who said he couldn't do it.
"Aak!"
Hmm, you got hit, huh?
Kind people always go first.
Kwaaang!
"Ack! Fuck, my foot!!"
Explosions erupt one after another from the direction of the Cannibalos.
Taking a quick glance, it seems Hans D, who was flustered by my charge and tried to create distance, accidentally stepped on a Mana Mine.
"Mr. Stov!!"
Okay.
The aggro seems to have completely shifted to them.
"Misha, you run now."
"Ah, alright."
I put down Misha, who I was holding.
And I run forward without looking back.
"What are you all doing! Forget about those guys, let's take care of the monsters first—!"
This should be enough to buy us some time.
______________________________________
[Dungeon and Stone] is a roguelike game.
Once you die, that's it.
Your character disappears.
Of course, it's just a game in the end.
You can just create a new character, get new equipment, and...
In the first place, the main content of this game is to use the information you learned from previous playthroughs to reach higher floors.
In [Dungeon and Stone], death is commonplace.
But what if the world of the game were reality?
Character regeneration is impossible.
Everything you see, hear, and learn in this life becomes meaningless the moment you die.
And in that sense…
"But Bjorn, how did you know? That those people would do that..."
"Intuition."
We were lucky this time.
Following the judgment made by my subconscious in a split second turned out to be the right answer.
Misha is shocked when she realizes the truth, but...
"...Intuition?"
Somehow, she seemed to think there was a clear reason why she agreed to follow my lead without any questions earlier.
"The leader of that group was named Hans, wasn't he?"
"He was."
"I don't like that name."
"......"
"Anyway, it's a good thing we escaped safely thanks to that."
"That's true, but..."
Misha trails off with a slightly uncomfortable expression and changes the subject.
"By the way, I never dreamed that kind-looking woman would suddenly change like that..."
Misha shudders slightly, perhaps remembering the woman who glared at us and shouted.
The woman's quick change of attitude seems to have been quite shocking to her.
I say briefly, hoping it will be of some comfort,
"Maybe she really was a kind person."
"Huh? What do you mean—"
"If we hadn't looked weak."
And if we hadn't had expensive items.
If we had met in the city instead of the labyrinth...
That woman might have remained in our memories as a kind person.
But she was the one who nocked and drew her arrow faster than anyone else.
"I don't understand... how can she not be kind just because we look weak..."
"Misha, why did you enter the labyrinth?"
"Well, because I need to make money..."
"It's the same for them."
Money is a means of protecting yourself.
Especially in this world where you're executed if you can't pay your taxes.
That woman must have had many things to protect besides her own life.
"...I feel like I'm learning a lot on this expedition."
"Then move faster. They might be tracking us."
We increase our speed.
And after some time...
Contrary to our worries, they don't show up even after an hour.
'Even though they were attacked first, they wouldn't have all been defeated by two Cannibalos... Did something else happen?'
Hmm, that seems like a reasonable assumption.
Maybe Hans, the scout who stepped on the Mana Mine, was seriously injured, hindering their pursuit.
Whatever the reason, we've safely overcome one crisis.
'I hope this is the end of it...'
Even while hoping for that, I gather my resolve.
Let's not let our guard down until the very end.
As always.
The worst things always happen when you're careless.
________________________________
Day 13 of being lost.
It's 7:00 PM.
In other words, exactly 53 hours left until the labyrinth closes.
"Bjorn, I found it!"
We discover a tree that leads to a cabin.
The light emanating from it seems a bit faded, indicating that it's been a while since the entrance was formed, but...
This is more than enough.
‘It’s fine.’
We’ve at least avoided the worst-case scenario.
If we can just rest for about four hours, we can endure the remaining two days with mental strength.
In other words, the possibility of us returning safely has increased significantly.
「Character enters the Witch’s Cabin.」
Every second of rest is precious, so we immediately place our hands on the tree and enter the cabin.
The scenery beyond is the same as before.
The scent of grass and flowers fills the air.
The quiet chirping of crickets.
The sound of leaves rustling in the wind.
‘Damn it…’
Unfortunately, there’s one thing that’s out of place in this peaceful scenery.
「Current number of occupants: 5」
「Entrance is closed.」
Previous occupants.
In other words, those who discovered this cabin before us.
“Bjorn.”
“Shh.”
I cover Misha’s mouth and quickly scan the surroundings with my eyes.
‘One on the bed, one on the chair, and one on the grass.’
Although there might be blind spots due to the angle from the window…
For now, it’s safe to assume there are three of them.
The maximum occupancy for the cabin is five.
‘This is troublesome.’
I slowly approach the man who is sleeping on the grass.
And at that moment…
As if by chance, the man turns over in his sleep, facing us.
I freeze.
‘I didn’t expect to meet him again here…’
It’s a surprisingly familiar face.