Chapter 8 - Overnight Companion (1)

I'm walking through the cave. Properly this time, without waddling.

「The character has equipped leather boots.」

「Total Item Level increases by +5.」

The boots are a little roomy. That tells me one more thing: that guy had big feet for his height. Anyway, they're sturdy enough that stepping into a trap shouldn't leave me critically injured like before.

「The character has equipped a two-handed hammer.」

「Total Item Level increases by +30.」

The hammer, made entirely of iron, is about a meter long. It was a two-handed blunt weapon for him, but I can swing it just fine with one hand.

「The character has equipped shoulder pads.」

「Total Item Level increases by +13.」

They're steel. Loosening the straps a little gives me a perfect fit. Wearing nothing but shoulder pads on my bare upper body makes me look like a gladiator.

「The character has equipped a backpack.」

「Inventory capacity increases.」

Now I don't have to keep bloody magic crystals with my bread, and moving around is much less cumbersome.

I take out some jerky and chew away. There isn't much, since it's only a snack, but it tastes better than the bread. I cut off the remaining portion with my pocketknife and carefully put it away, keeping it free of saliva.

On day two, I've graduated from primitive living.

When I'm thirsty, I drink the water stored in my waterskin. When I need directions, I take out the compass; when I want the time, I check the pocket watch. The emergency bottle of potion should also let me deal with any unexpected injuries.

Isn't it a little ironic?

Killing someone has let me live a little more like a human being.

* * *

「Bjorn Jandel」

Level: 1

Physical: 25 / Mental: 37 (New +1) / Ability: 1

Item Level: 72 (New +48)

Overall Combat Index: 81 (New +13)

* * *

Smash was a good technique even with a shield, but with a proper weapon in hand, its power is on another level.

THWACK!

A single blow of the hammer turns a goblin into light.

If I'd known it'd be like this, I would've just picked a weapon at the start. Couldn't I have saved up and bought a shield later anyway?

Well, I didn't know I'd be this good at fighting back then.

Is it because I'm in a barbarian's body?

Whenever I fight, it feels like my body isn't mine. You'd think I'd be getting used to it by now, but this body keeps exceeding my expectations, and I still can't help marveling at it.

"I'm so fucking sleepy."

Yawning, I pick up the two magic crystals lying nearby and put them in my bag.

That's one change that came with day two: goblins have started appearing in pairs. Tomorrow, they'll probably increase to groups of three or four, and stay that way until the Labyrinth closes on day seven. That's how it worked in the game.

In that respect, things aren't too bad so far. My new weapon has improved my combat strength, and the assortment of consumables makes me a little safer.

It's going pretty smoothly.

'Except my eyes keep closing.'

I've been moving and fighting goblins nonstop since yesterday. Yet I've had less than ten minutes of sleep, and even that was dozing on my feet.

I want to sleep.

I'm not even asking for a blanket and pillow. I'd happily curl up on the bare ground.

At this rate, I'm seriously going to fucking die—

"Ah, fuck!"

I nearly tripped over a rock while nodding off. Uncharacteristically lucky for me. If it'd been a trap, I'd have been in serious trouble.

"Might as well get a little sleep..."

The moment I make up my mind, I lean against the wall, shield and hammer still in my hands.

I don't have an overnight companion beside me, but...

That actually feels safer. If I'm going to be ambushed anyway, I'd rather it be a goblin. Surely I'm more likely to survive being stabbed with a carving knife than getting smashed with a hammer while lying asleep.

TAP.

Motherfucker.

I open my eyes at the now all-too-familiar footsteps. Not a single one showed its face in over four hours while I stood watch. Now that I'm dozing alone, they show up immediately.

Now I understand why that guy told me not to get distracted.

... Persistent little bastards.

I immediately charge forward and drive my hammer into the top of a goblin's skull.

THWACK!

"G-gurk!"

Two of them had been creeping toward me, but the instant its friend gets pulped, the other turns tail and runs.

Yeah, go on. Run.

I don't even have the energy to chase it.

"Ha, you fucking bastards..."

I check the time. Not even ten minutes have passed.

In the end, I have no choice but to roam the cave hunting goblins again. Whenever I get too tired to keep going, I lean against a wall and doze for a bit, just like before.

There are a few close calls while I'm nodding off, but only twice do I feel like I genuinely almost fucking died.

Once, I sense a presence and open my eyes to find some explorer bastard silently approaching me. When our eyes meet, he gives an embarrassed-looking smile, then backs away and disappears.

... Even thinking back on it gives me the fucking creeps.

The second incident is no less hair-raising, though.

Especially since it's happening right now.

「The character has been attacked by a goblin while sleeping.」

For the first time, pain wakes me instead of a presence.

There's a goblin right in front of my nose. I smash it with my hammer and kill it first, and once again, the other bastard bolts.

"G-gurk!!"

I immediately check the source of the pain.

And, oh my goodness, there's a carving knife stuck between my collarbones.

... Fuck. No wonder my left arm wasn't moving properly.

Whew. Thank goodness it only hurts. If I were a little shorter, or the goblin could jump just a little higher, that carving knife would've ended up in my throat.

I grit my teeth and pull out the carving knife.

Then I take the potion out of my bag and drip a few drops onto the wound. I've barely capped it and put it away again when my blood starts bubbling and the wound rapidly regenerates.

HISSSSS.

Was the bastard who invented potions a psychopath?

Somehow, this hurts more than getting stabbed.

"Guuugh, hhhhhh..."

After about five minutes, the pain fades. You'd think pain like that would wake me right up, but my eyelids are far heavier than before.

The moment I stop concentrating, my vision blurs.

It's time to make the decision I've been putting off.

This barbarian body is sensitive to murderous intent, but even so, there's a limit to how long I can keep dozing like this. Didn't I only wake up after getting stabbed just now?

'I need rest.'

Checking the time, I find it's been about fourteen hours since I parted ways with that guy. The adventurers active on the first floor are probably starting to look for overnight companions again.

"Hey, barbarian. Looking for an overnight companion?"

Sure enough, as I wander around the area, explorers approach me first. Quite enthusiastically, too.

"Hmm, you look pretty tired. Want to come over here?"

"A barbarian's trustworthy. You'd make three of us. How about joining us?"

I feel like a popular male prostitute.

Is it because it's day two, and everyone's looking about as rough as I am? Nobody's giving me shit about the smell. Or maybe the smell was never the issue in the first place.

To be fair, I did look pretty bad yesterday, covered in blood and waddling around with one shoe missing.

"Really? That's a shame."

Despite the flood of invitations, I turn them all down and keep moving through the passages.

Ha, isn't there a nice, sturdy barbarian anywhere?

Honestly, the best outcome would be finding one of my own kind to be my overnight companion. The problem is that, even now on day two, I haven't seen a single barbarian.

"You're looking for your own kind? Hmm, that might be difficult."

"Difficult? Why?"

"Even barbarians who've just finished their coming-of-age ceremony move up to the higher floors within two or three months. I couldn't say for certain, but I doubt there are even a hundred on the first floor."

After asking around, it seems barbarians are rare on the first floor to begin with. Fair enough. With a body like this, it'd be strange to keep floundering on the first floor.

Besides, ninety-nine percent of the explorers I've met here have been human.

"Why not join us instead?"

"Sorry, but I can't."

"I see. May Raphdonia's blessing be with you on your journey."

"Thank you."

This man looks fairly trustworthy, but I end the conversation and keep moving. Ever since learning how valuable barbarian hearts are, I can't find a single explorer who doesn't look suspicious.

CLICK.

I take out the compass. I've been heading south ever since I got it, but I haven't even left goblin territory yet.

It really brings home how enormous the first floor is.

'... Should I give up on finding my own kind?'

I don't deliberate for long. I decide to stop searching for a needle in a desert and come up with a realistic plan.

Find an overnight companion, even if they aren't a barbarian.

But no humans.

I'll look for one of the other races, who make up only about one percent of the population.

An elf, who values promises, or a dwarf, who's as bighearted as a barbarian, would be ideal...

But another race will do just fine. Unlike humans, most of them can afford to take their time. Given time, they have the talent to climb steadily to higher floors. They won't get blinded by pocket change and start harming fellow explorers this early.

With that decided, I wander the cave for about an hour.

And then...

「You have encountered an unfamiliar injured elf.」

At last, I find the nonhuman I've been searching for.

* * *

The moment our eyes meet, a strangely suffocating silence settles over us.

"..."

The pointy-eared elf sits with their back against the wall, silently staring at me.

Were they dozing alone, without an overnight companion?

Their amber eyes, shining like a cat's, show bewilderment and intense wariness. By all appearances, they're hoping I'll simply walk past and disappear, but...

As the standoff drags on, the elf smoothly rises, face tense.

But their posture is unnatural. Looking closer, I spot a wound on their abdomen.

"You're hurt."

It's a long, shallow slash. Nothing a goblin's carving knife could have inflicted.

I quickly reach a conclusion.

"Was it a human?"

The elf doesn't answer. It seems she's afraid of me.

Well, I understand. I'd be fucking terrified too if someone this huge approached me while I was injured. Besides, she's a woman, and tiny at that. Maybe around 160 centimeters tall?

Anyway, this isn't a bad situation—

"Please spare me."

Huh?

"Please. Just let me go this once, Mister Barbarian. I have a younger sibling in the city to take care of."

While I'm wondering how things took this turn, the elf drops to her knees without hesitation. Before I know it, there are even tears welling in her eyes.

"I'm begging you."

What the hell? What kind of elf has this little backbone?

Honestly, I thought she was the cool beauty type. Partly because of her looks, but mostly because that was how elves generally spoke and acted in the game.

Whew. If I'd known she was this kind of character, I would've approached her completely differently.

Let's clear up the misunderstanding before things get any worse.

"I have no intention of killing you."

I meet her gaze and enunciate clearly. The eyes are the windows to the soul, so if I just give her time to calm down, she'll realize I mean what I'm saying—

"... Do you really have to do this, Mister Barbarian?"

—my ass.

I'm having an identity crisis.

I feel like some trench-coat flasher harassing a high school girl outside her school. I'm supposed to be a barbarian, not a creep in a Burberry.

"Just this once. Please, let me go just this once."

As my silence drags on, the fear in her eyes deepens, and she even backs away, clutching the front of her clothes shut.

I'm dumbfounded.

What the hell kind of lives do these barbarian bastards lead? What kind of reputation do they have to make her act like this?

"Whew..."

A sigh escapes me.

What do I do? Would showing her through actions, rather than words, that I'm not that kind of scumbag help clear things up?

... That doesn't seem like a bad idea.

"Treat your wound first. We'll talk later."

I take a step back, pull the medicinal herbs and bandages from my bag, and toss them over.

"Are these... lycho leaves?"

So they really are lycho leaves. Now I can use them without worrying. Earlier, even after getting hurt, I couldn't bring myself to use them for fear they might be poisonous.