Ann’s expression stiffened.
“However, wasn’t it said that Scath would help search together?”
“Did we not already find the scattered companions? Surely, you’re not suggesting we gather bodies as well?”
Jeong Yusin’s head throbbed.
This was not part of the plan when agreeing to rescue and travel with Ann, but by chance, they found two people. Was it luck?
Jeong Yusin felt it was luck, but Ann might have perceived it differently—as some inevitability dictated by fate.
‘You’ve looped the hope circuit too many times; everything’s gone awry.’
Regret crept in too late.
While outsourcing to a small company like family, when he raised concerns about tasks not matching his contract with the young CEO, he heard every curse under the sun. A mistake wrecked the family-like party. By sheer luck, a way to survive was found.
By more sheer luck, they found people.
Now, talk came of finding the defunct CEO.
With the last trace of modern human conscience, Jeong Yusin spoke to Ann.
“Ann, I’ll bet my conscience: Kael is dead.”
“There’s a chance that the situation was urgent and misjudged.”
‘Damn.’
It was a collapse.
He couldn’t bear it any longer.
“Let’s call it quits. I’m going alone. You all figure it out. Find him or don’t.”
Ann said urgently,
“Scath, do you truly believe you could go alone?”
“It’s better than finding a lost person only to get killed myself.”
He gathered his belongings and got up from his seat.
“Scath!”
Ann’s pleading voice echoed in the dark hollow.
‘Seriously, you’ve lost it.’
Jeong Yusin clenched his teeth and turned his back.
Just as he was about to leave the hollow, something dropped between his hardened leather armor. It was unmistakable, even soaked in goblin blood—it was a brown clump of fur. It belonged to Darmong.
Jeong Yusin stared at the fur on the floor blankly.
“What is this doing here?”
A deflated voice slipped from his lips.
The companion who had accepted him when he had nowhere to go. The companion who freely helped when he aimed to become an Explorer.
If not for Darmong’s help and advice, Jeong Yusin might still be aimlessly wandering the streets. Though he was paid for lodging…
Fingering the clump of fur,
After standing there for a long while, Jeong Yusin finally spoke.
“Let’s go to Central Zone. There, we might find explorers who can offer help and advice. With luck, we may meet a good explorer who can make finding your companion smoother. This is my final compromise.”
Ann, who had been silent, finally spoke.
“Understood.”
‘We should’ve parted ways there.’
Jeong Yusin stuffed the blood-soaked fur into his pants.
With everyone’s belongings packed, the group departed from the external rest area.
Mari also tied a rope around Lin’s waist and dragged them along.
In a long silence, each of them had their own thoughts as they pushed through the darkness.
More hours passed, or perhaps it was minutes?
They walked all night, or maybe they crawled through the dark.
There were no hobgoblin attacks.
Was it because they were drenched in goblin blood and filth?
He didn’t know.
Just as the sensation on his feet disappeared, they reached the boundary between the central and outer zones.
And there…
They found Kael.
Although his head was mangled and half-eaten, only limbs that looked human and beast-like remained, eerily arranged in a curious shape. Above them, heads decorated like a Christmas tree, and there among them was Kael’s head.
This disturbing structure was a totem marking the boundary between the outer and central zones, a sign of the hobgoblins’ territory.
“There he is.”
Jeong Yusin pointed his finger at Kael’s head.
Ann’s body stiffened like a statue. It was an expression of someone witnessing something that shouldn’t exist.
Ann stumbled closer,
“Oh…oh…”
After staring dully upward, she knelt to the ground, vomiting.
“Uwwaaaahhhh!”
Jeong Yusin approached the totem carefully, grasping Kael’s head by the hair and bringing it back.
“Mari, it’s Kael.”
“Kael? Kael. Kael. Kael.”
Mari gently cradled the head Jeong Yusin handed to her.
Jeong Yusin patted the sobbing Ann on the back, choking on his own nausea as he spoke.
“Look at your friends. Din and Mari. Without you, we couldn’t have survived here. Are you planning to keep kneeling here and grieving?”
Ann stared at Jeong Yusin, her eyes glazed over.
“Stop looking at me and look at them, your village friends.”
Jeong Yusin turned Ann’s chin towards Mari and Din. One was giggling, and the other was tenderly caressing Kael’s head.
“Don’t you feel sorry for these friends? This all happened because of you. If only you had prevented the party from going to Level 2, none of this would have happened.”
“But… but, Kael…”
“Is dead, remember? Are you blaming the dead? Is Kael going to feel sad? Truly, don’t you think you bear any responsibility?”
“…”
“If we’ve found Kael’s head, do you now want to find his body? Let’s separate here. I’ll leave first. You come slowly with the friends.”
Jeong Yusin removed his hand from Ann’s jaw and stood up.
Clang!
Ann grabbed Jeong Yusin’s arm with surprising strength, the grip painfully tight.
“We are going. We’re going, you fucking bastard. A heartless bastard!”
Jeong Yusin calmly spoke.
“Ann, if you keep talking like that, I won’t be able to go with you. I’m not your companion or subordinate, understand?”
Ann suddenly burst into laughter.
‘This is terrifying.’
Her laughter abruptly ceased. Ann wobbled and stood up.
“Let’s go, Scath.”
“Do you still have the strength to shoot your bow?”
“Don’t worry. Even if I die, I’ll still shoot.”
[The core of motivation is responsibility.]
As seen on Nertube, he strived to plant responsibility in Ann, just as he had seen.
‘The result is successful.’
Even though her rolling eyes were slightly frightening.
‘Isn’t this equivalent to qualifying as a top motivational speaker now?’
“Come on. Let’s go.”
He clapped his hands and tried to lighten the gloom.
Jeong Yusin dragged Din, and Ann dragged Mari as they walked.
“Finally.”
His voice trembled despite his body battered with wounds and exhaustion.
After many ordeals, they had arrived.
In the vast cavern stood a stele, which they hoped would lead them to the Transition Zone. Despite this, they had not encountered other explorers.
Food was an issue, but more significantly, they had exhausted all their torches. The candles provided by the church were nearly gone as well. The dwindling supply created a sense of urgency which led them to minimize sleep and rest, pushing forward quickly.
Din seemed fine, but Ann’s condition was worrying with her pale face and parched lips. The bandages wrapped around her abdomen were stained with blood, and the smell of decay lingered. Her gait was unsteady, and at any moment, she could collapse.
Just before reaching the stele, the expected hobgoblin attack came, and Jeong Yusin thought it was the end.
Yet, despite her dire state, Ann managed to take down four opponents with her incredible archery skills. The remaining five were eliminated by Jeong Yusin.
Amidst the fierce battle, Din kept giggling, and Mari was clutching Kael’s head while wetting herself.
‘We’re lucky to be alive, at least.’
Glancing back, Jeong Yusin saw Ann, barely walking, and Din and Mari, who must have been exhausted from the forced march and battle, collapsed onto the ground.
As they touched the stele, two portals opened up.
A red portal leading downward.
A blue portal leading outside.
“Let’s go.”
Attempting to keep Din from heading into the red portal, Jeong Yusin pushed them into the blue, followed by Mari and then Ann.
Finally, it was Jeong Yusin’s turn.
Surrounded by blue light, he felt a floating sensation.
Then they saw the bright, sunny sky.
The party stood on a massive magical circle assumed to be the exit of the Labyrinth.
A strange sense of liberation enveloped them.
“Hahaha! Shit, we’re alive!”
Jeong Yusin shouted and collapsed immediately. Nearby, clerics were rushing to their aid, but his vision blurred, and he couldn’t watch till the end.
“We’re alive… hrrk.”
Muttering that last word, he blacked out.
When he opened his eyes, it was to an unfamiliar ceiling.
“You’re awake. This is the relief center next to the Labyrinth’s exit.”
An old cleric with white hair explained.
“How long have I been out?”
“About five hours.”
He raised his head and looked around the room. It resembled a hospital ward with multiple beds spread across a spacious room, though not all were occupied.
“Soon, it will fill up. It’s evening, after all.”
“How can I ever repay this kindness? Thank you.”
Here, even in another world, there were such benevolent organizations.
He was deeply touched.
“It’s one silver coin.”
Jeong Yusin felt like being struck by a hammer at the mention of this extraordinary amount.
“What?”
“Since you’re relatively unharmed, we only used basic healing magic on you. Therefore, it’s one silver coin. If it’s too difficult to pay, we’ll set it as debt. You can pay it off slowly through the guild.”
‘Is this price too high? Is it correct?’
Was his dissatisfaction evident on his face? The elder chuckled.
“Cheaper than the price of your life.”
‘That is true.’
Heeding the elder’s statement, Jeong Yusin paid one silver coin without argument.
All he had left now was one silver coin and a few copper pieces in his pocket. Luckily, he had saved the hobgoblin ears.
“Ah! And your companions?”
“Yes, how are they doing?”
“Frankly, it’s serious. Especially the red-haired girl.”
“Did she die?”
He asked casually, frankly not curious or concerned.
“No, she was on the brink of death, but we managed to save her.”
“Yes. Well, that’s good.”
His indifferent tone made the elder’s eyebrows twitch.
“Scath, weren’t you the party leader? Weren’t you the last one out when leaving the Labyrinth?”
“It wasn’t me. The friend with just the head was the leader.”
“So, what are we to do? You seem like the only sane member of the party left.”
“Each of their debts can be recorded separately. But can you help the ones with mental issues?”
“The girl might have some hope, but the boy is hopeless.”
Mari had some hope, but Lin did not.
“Well, I’ll leave that to you. I’ll go now.”
Just as he stood up to gather his belongings…
The clinic door violently opened.
Bang!
“Ann! Din! Kael!”
A sturdy human male stormed in, shouting loudly. His limping suggested that he was the injured villager Kael had mentioned.
“…Mari?”
The man searching the room paused when his gaze fixed on someone. His trembling voice echoed softly in the quiet room.
Mari sat in the chair beside Ann’s bed, gently caressing Kael’s head.
Din squatted next to Mari, still laughing.
“What is this?…”
The man approached them with difficulty, addressing them.
“Mari, Din, what happened? Say something! What is this head?”
Jeong Yusin, having slung his bag over his shoulder, walked closer and said,
“It’s pointless. Mari’s mind has broken, and Din’s gone mad.”
“Who are you?”
“You’re the replacement player.”
“Explain what happened!”
The man growled angrily.
“Do you see the head Mari is holding there? That’s Kael.”
“Wha… what?”
The man’s voice faltered, as if unable to process the words. However, his gaze was fixed on the head Mari held.
“That’s Kael. He fell into a hobgoblin trap, stabbed with a spear, and his skull was crushed with a club. That’s how he died.”
A silence enveloped the room.
The man suddenly crumpled to the floor, having lost all strength in his legs.
“Whoo… whaaaaaahhhh!”
He began to retch.
At that moment, the elder approached, clicking his tongue disapprovingly.
“Don’t vomit in a clinic that requires cleanliness.”
“Agreed.”
Jeong Yusin nodded.
After heaving violently for a while, the man suddenly leapt up and grabbed Jeong Yusin by the collar.
“You bastard! What did you do?! Why are you the only one unscathed!”
Jeong Yusin threw a punch that struck the man’s jaw.
Thud!
He stumbled and collapsed onto the floor.
“Fighting in the clinic—I’m not pleased.”
The elder clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
Jeong Yusin also clicked his tongue and said,
“I saved all of them and brought them out. You should bow to me in gratitude. I ran around dodging arrows like a porcupine trying to rescue your companions. I could even strip to show you my injuries if necessary!”
There was some exaggeration in this statement.
“Hmm. That wasn’t exactly how things happened.”
Suddenly, the elder pointed out the discrepancy.
Jeong Yusin’s eyes met the man’s.
“I’ve never seen this elder before. Maybe your head’s got a problem. Are you Kael’s companion? What’s your name?”
Ignoring the elder’s chuckle, the man spoke,
“Tarman.”
“Alright, Tarman. We need to head somewhere now. Immediately.”
“Where?”
“The Explorers’ Guild.”
“For what?”
“To collect the bounty from the extermination request. You know, you need to pay your friends’ medical bills, right?”
“And why should I come along?”
“I just want to avoid any complaints about unfair reward distribution later. But if you don’t want to come, fine.”
“I’ll come along.”
Tarman hesitated but soon nodded his head as an answer.
From the sudden shock of his friend’s death, Tarman seemed lost for a moment, but his quick regaining of composure was noticeable.
“There’s the Explorers’ Guild building right next to the relief center. It’s a branch mainly handling extermination and collection requests. Since it’s not a busy time, we should be able to wrap things up quickly.”
The elder interjected.
“The elder’s point is logical and clear, but is he really that out of it?”
Tarman asked, prompting Jeong Yusin to shrug his shoulders.
“It might be a temporary dementia. But do you really think that’s important now, when we don’t even know how high the treatment costs might be?”
“That’s… true.”
“Let’s go.”
Jeong Yusin wanted to quickly settle the reward distribution to sever ties with these tiresome people as soon as possible.
Tarman hesitated, glancing again at Kael’s head but finally followed Jeong Yusin.
Jeong Yusin and Tarman exited the relief center and entered the Explorers’ Guild building next door.
