Chapter 5 - Give and Take (1)

Looking back, I was a funny sort of person. I was always thinking how tired I was of life, yet not once had I ever considered killing myself. Being tired of it was only a feeling, after all, and my life was more precious to me than anything else.

Besides, I figured it was a bad bargain in all sorts of ways.

I still do.

Which is why...

* * *

I'm crawling through the darkness on three limbs.

You might wonder what the hell that means, but I mean it literally. Right now, I'm crawling along the floor on three limbs, dragging my completely fucked-up right foot behind me.

Anyone who saw me would surely think of a stray dog with a broken leg.

How do I know?

'Because that's exactly what I'm thinking right now.'

Giving up my human dignity came with some sweet rewards. For one, I don't have to use my injured foot, so it doesn't hurt, and I'm actually moving faster than before.

Most importantly, there's no chance of stepping on a trap.

My elbows and knees ache in exchange, but, well...

I can take that much. I can endure it.

What wouldn't I do to survive? I could eat dog shit with a smile.

Hmm... I'm sure I could, if I had a little time to prepare myself.

'I wonder what happened to that guy?'

Calling him a guy is just my own assumption. I don't know that person's gender, age, or name. I'm only guessing from the way they talked.

For some reason, I picture a white man in his thirties wearing glasses.

Or not. Whatever.

「[Bleeding] continues.」

Anyway, what happened to the person who woke up in the body of Orm, son of Kadua? Did he die? Or did he wake up back in his original body?

It's a question I've carried with me ever since I opened my eyes. I deliberately try not to think about it, but the shittier things get, the more that guy keeps coming to mind.

「[Bleeding] continues.」

I think I understand why people turn to religion. Reality is too harsh to face alone.

When despair comes, you need somewhere to turn your gaze. Just as I do now.

「[Bleeding] continues.」

「[Bleeding] continues.」

「Warning: Character HP is below 5%. Without prompt treatment, the character may die.」

Whew. I've come quite a way while crawling along lost in thought. It's only a slight difference, but I can feel my surroundings gradually getting brighter.

That's encouraging in several ways. At least I've been heading in the right direction, and it means my theory that the entire first floor couldn't possibly be this dark was right.

Let's just make it somewhere bright, whatever it takes. There'll be people there. I'll offer them this magic crystal and ask for help. After that, somehow...

'Bullshit. Who are you kidding?'

As I whisper encouraging words to myself, dangling a carrot, another self appears.

'You fucking moron. They're busy. You think they'll help you for one lousy piece of bread? More likely they'll take your magic crystal and shield and kill you.'

Is it because he's me? This bastard's smart.

'And what if you run into a fucking goblin before you find anyone? Do you have no brain? Huh?'

As the original owner, I can't tolerate any more insults.

'Then what the fuck do you suggest, moron? I still have to go. At least I'll be able to see where I'm going there. Even if a goblin jumps out, wouldn't that be better than fighting it here?'

'... Fair enough.'

My other self concedes, and my head falls quiet again.

I keep crawling.

"Hehehehe..."

I feel like I'm going insane. No, perhaps I already have.

Then again, is that only natural after losing this much blood? For a while now, my mind has kept splitting in two, merging back together, then growing dull again.

It's a virtuous cycle, of sorts. If I grow any duller than this, I'll surely never open my eyes again.

"Hehehe..."

I laugh aloud. I don't even have the strength for it, but I laugh anyway.

At some point, my surroundings have grown bright. Far away, at the end of the passage, I can see crystals glittering brilliantly.

More importantly, I can see a human silhouette standing against the light in front of them.

I'm not mistaking a goblin for a person. That's unmistakably a human figure.

"H... help..."

I want to call out, but my voice won't come. Crawling desperately forward, I close my eyes and open them again.

And what do you know? The human figure is closer, as if it teleported.

Amazed, I close my eyes and open them again.

「[Bleeding] continues.」

Closer still this time. Five or six people are standing in front of me.

I'm not seeing things, am I? I close my eyes and open them again.

「Achievement Accomplished」

Condition: HP falls to 2% or below.

Reward: Mental permanently increases by +1.

Then I see a blond man crouching before me. Our eyes meet at point-blank range, but he asks nothing, merely studying me and my surroundings with a curious look.

Rather than listening to someone else's account, he's first making a judgment based on his own experience and intuition. Like a seasoned veteran, he reaches a conclusion quickly.

"A beginner."

Then fucking help me, you son of a bitch.

As you can see, I'm a weak-ass barbarian with nothing but a shield. The only other thing I have is a goblin magic crystal I traded a leg for.

I'll give you everything if you want. So...

"Suspicious. How did a beginner get here before us?"

I hastily open my mouth, but what comes out sounds like phlegm rattling in my throat.

"Grrr..."

No, honestly, it's closer to the sound that goblin made... but it's enough to convey that I'm in no condition to answer.

The blond man turns to a companion.

"Priestess Ersina. Could you perhaps heal this man?"

A priestess? They actually have a priestess in their party?

With the eyes of a mortal witnessing a miracle, I look to the side. Sure enough, there's a red-haired priestess in white robes.

Meeting my eyes, the priestess speaks firmly through her lovely lips.

"I refuse."

Huh? What?

"I see. Understood."

And why the hell are you accepting that?

I feel utterly wronged. Fuck, I don't know why I've been dragged here just to be treated like this.

Just as anger wells up in my chest...

"Patzran, could you give me a potion?"

"Those are for when we can't use Divine Power."

"You have plenty anyway. I'll pay you for it once we're out."

"Tch."

Only then does a man with a sword at his waist click his tongue, pull a potion from his bag, and toss it over.

My heart lurches, knowing my life depends on that thing.

TAP.

Fortunately, the blond man catches it safely.

"This isn't Divine Power, so it'll hurt a little."

He uncorks it, pours half over the wound, and tips the other half directly into my mouth.

Before long, unbearable pain hits me. Is this what it would feel like if all the pain that had accumulated in my body without my noticing came rushing in at once?

「Your body rapidly regenerates under the effect of Recovery (Medium).」

It feels like my whole body is melting.

So this is why the game wouldn't let you use potions during combat. I'd thought it was just a system restriction, but it turns out it reflected reality fucking well.

Goddammit.

"Hah, hah, hah..."

How many minutes have passed?

The pain gradually subsides, and my head clears.

"Now, will you tell me, barbarian? How did a beginner like you reach this place before us? If you know a new passage, I'd like to buy that information."

I see. So that was his motive.

I'm not offended. If anything, knowing he had a reason to treat me kindly is reassuring. Nothing is as ominous as kindness without a reason.

Still, I feel a little bad. I don't know any secret passages.

"... I was here as soon as I entered the Labyrinth."

I tell him the plain truth. The blond man tilts his head, then nods as though something has clicked.

"True... I've read about it. Apparently, dimensional instability occasionally causes that sort of thing."

My heart thumps hard. I ask again, as though I must have misheard.

"You've never... seen it before...?"

I simply can't believe it.

This party has a priestess and a mage. That means they're a proper group operating on at least the middle floors.

Yet this is their first time?

"Yes. The book said it might happen once in a hundred years, if that. Landing this far out on the very edge, I mean."

Oh, I see. Something that might not even happen once in a hundred years. And I experienced it the very first time I entered the Labyrinth.

Now I understand why the other barbarians weren't carrying torches. Nobody worries about being struck by lightning just because it's raining, do they?

"You look to be on your first visit, too. To experience something so rare... What a disaster that must have been."

The blond man looks at me sympathetically.

"It wasn't the information I wanted, but it was an interesting story nonetheless. Don't worry about the cost of the potion. You can be on your way."

His way of speaking is a little obnoxious, but he seems like a decent guy at heart.

"Oh, and take that shield over there with you."

I look where he's pointing and see my shield on the floor, about twenty meters away. I'd thought I'd tied it securely to my waist, but it must have slipped off.

"We'll be going, then."

They walk past me before I can even thank them. I can understand it, since time is practically money in the Labyrinth.

No, the fact that they spent this much time on me at all is practically a miracle.

After staring for a moment at the spot where they'd been, I hurry over and pick up my fallen shield.

Surely I should be happy to have survived...

Yet somehow, I feel strange.

* * *

「Bjorn Jandel」

Level: 1.

Physical: 25 / Mental: 36 (New +1) / Ability: 1

Item Level: 24

Overall Combat Index: 68 (New +1)

* * *

"That barbarian was lucky."

"Well, isn't calling him lucky a bit questionable? Having that happen on his first visit..."

The blond man answered with an uncertain smile, and the swordsman snorted.

"If he's the sort to step in a goblin trap, he'd have ended up the same way regardless. He's lucky he met us in the first place."

"Draus, to be precise, not us. You didn't even want to spare a potion, remember?"

The female archer, who had been listening quietly, interjected. The swordsman shrugged.

"Of course not. His kind are a dime a dozen. He won't survive long anyway. I'm sure our priestess was thinking the same thing."

The priestess merely smiled bitterly without answering. The archer snapped back on her behalf.

"Lady Ersina would have healed him if it weren't for the temple's rules. In fact, if we hadn't had a potion, she might have broken those rules herself. Do you think everyone is like you?"

"Well, who knows? I've seen plenty of people who aren't what they pretend to be."

"... Patzran, you need to learn at least a little from Draus."

"Such as his consideration in going out of his way to ask about a secret passage?"

"Yes. I've heard barbarians don't welcome help from others. That's probably why he was so considerate."

"... You know, I think you're giving me too much credit."

As the conversation turned to him, the blond man scratched his head with an awkward smile. Still, he didn't deny that he'd been considerate.

"Oh, we need to turn here for the shortcut."

"It certainly is convenient having a Guide in the party."

"Lady Ersina! Most Guides only know the direction of the portal. This is just Draus being amazing. He's memorized every feature of the first floor."

Watching the archer, the swordsman shook his head.

"Anyway, how far does that blood trail go? Haven't we walked quite a way already?"

"Who knows? But judging by the willpower it took to crawl this far, I'd say you were wrong about him simply being lucky."

"Hah, why make such a fuss over it...? It can't be much farther, anyway."

The party following the blood trail turned off partway along to take a shortcut. About fifteen minutes later, they reached their destination.

"Looks like we're the first ones here by this route. Hurrying paid off. Let's activate it."

When the blond man placed his hand on a stone monument at the dead end, a brilliant burst of light erupted and formed a sphere.

It was a portal leading to the second floor.

"Wait a moment."

Just as everyone was about to leap into the portal, the archer stopped the party.

"Isn't that what the barbarian was wearing earlier?"

"What?"

Looking where she pointed, the entire party fell speechless for a moment.

In the darkness revealed by the portal's light lay a single bloodstained trap and one lone sandal of unknown origin.

"... It does appear so."

An intrigued look crossed the mage's face. He created another sphere of light and sent it down the passage.

WHOOOOSH!

The blood trail began at the trap and stretched on along the curving passage. No matter how far he moved the sphere, they couldn't even gauge where it ended from where they stood.

Silence hung over them for a moment.

"... Tell me, Draus. How far is it from here to where we were earlier?"

"... Without taking the shortcut, I'd say fifteen kilometers."

"Hohoho. What a monstrous body. To crawl that far alone in this darkness."

The mage merely gave a disbelieving chuckle, astonished.

The swordsman beside him, however, couldn't do the same.

"... He's insane."

To him, this was a matter of the mind, not the body. He thought it over.

'... If I were in that situation, how many hours could I keep crawling? Without even knowing whether I'd find anyone to help me?'

He couldn't say.

But one thing was certain: when they'd first found him, the barbarian had still been crawling. He'd kept moving his arms and legs even though he appeared unconscious.

And what had he done next?

Unable even to speak properly, he'd held up a hand. In it, he'd clutched a tiny magic crystal.

The swordsman hadn't thought much of it then, but now he thought he understood what it meant.

'He must have meant, I'll give you this, so please help me.'

He'd had nothing else to offer in payment.

That was why the barbarian had kept that magic crystal clenched tightly in his hand throughout that long crawl. So that if, by chance, he met someone, he could show it to them immediately.

At last, the man reached a conclusion.

"... I'll have to take back what I said earlier."

He'd just been lucky? His kind would die early anyway?

Not a chance.

He knew from long experience.

"Draus, what was that barbarian's name?"

A crazy bastard like that wouldn't die easily.

No matter how grueling or hopeless the present might be, he would never choose death as his way out.