The sun burns my skin as I shovel away at the excrement, the almost toothpick-like tool barely chipping at the large mess. My hands find difficulty at grabbing at the metal due to sweat causing my hands to slip constantly.
Wiping my face with my shirt, I groan in exasperation. This collar really pisses me off.
Right now, it's about the next day, and the sun seems particularly happy today, ignoring my feelings in the process.
So far, I've found out the order of this wonderful cast of faces. Ms. Kaen is the leader/Supervisor, Navi Highergald is like the captain of her small company which consists of Arivia and Meiko Asakawa. And Kors is.. I don't know.
Kors is the best, man.
But regardless, I've figured out their hierarchy, something I can take advantage of when I make my eventual grand escape.
I'm in the backyard of the mansion, a couple of meters away from the training field. The grass stretches out endlessly, brushing up against a distant treeline that sways gently under a too-blue sky.
Located to my right is the companionship of Asa and Arivia, both of them sipping on what I assume to be tea and playing the same board game I had seen them play on day zero.
A radiant white umbrella looms over them, protecting their fair skin from the sun. Underneath, the umbrella table holds their tea and something else I can't really make out, given that well, everytime I stop, I receive approximately 7000 volts shot into my ass.
Right now, curiously enough, they're wearing regular outfits one would expect girls their age to wear in hot weather. Short tops as well as…
Hah…I don't really care all too much to describe that.
Serving is the Kratt, a strange, tall creature made of various tools, lacking everything but a mouth filled with sharp teeth.
Now that I think of it, I've heard of the Kratt before. If I recall correctly, it's a creature in Estonian folklore, a sort of butler that does chores for you. That's not the scary part, though. In order to make one, you need blood and give it to the DEVIL. I wonder, is 'he' a real thing in this world?
As soon as that last word crosses my mind, I shudder and go back to doing my work.
In this world, it seems that monsters seen in typical fantasy exist. Yet not your typical dragon, goblin, skeleton. These are true fantastical creatures that the typical person would never even dream of.
I wouldn't be surprised if this world were filled with more H.P. Lovecraft types of monsters rather than 'basic' ones. Well, they'd all probably not hesitate twice before killing you.
Speaking of killing…
What was that conversation last night? A hit job?
Well, I guess that's to be expected from mercenaries. They're morally ambiguous people, only chasing monetary value. They have no purpose, just for the highest bidder. They will do virtually anything to just gain an extra dollar, whether it's burning down a village or protecting a boy on his way to school.
But to be honest, I can understand. I don't know about this world, but in my world, money was god. Unfortunately, that was the case for almost everyone, as you needed money to do virtually anything, an issue I personally took heavy displeasure with. I wouldn't consider myself belonging to any major religion, but I believe there is a god. I heavily disbelieve the fact that we humans were created to chase our own desires like a dog chasing its tail, an endless loop of suffering, momentary enjoyment, then suffering again.
"Haha… Look who's talking.." I mutter to myself.
Continuing my thoughts about the conversation earlier, I recall Ms. Kaen stated they'd go somewhere before sunrise. It's about 2 hours after the sun rose, pretty early in the morning, so why are they still here?
I swivel my head towards the training area, my eyes widening at the sight.
Kors and Kaen are playing tennis.
Actual tennis. A proper game of volleys, footwork, sweat flying. I watch as Kors barely catches one of Kaen's smashes.
"They're playing tennis!?"
They have an operation, and they're wasting time playing a game of tennis?! A pretty good one too!?
"Tennis? Sounds like some kind of food." Arivia says, moving her piece 2 moves up the board. She's resting her face on her hand, a bored expression on her face. Asa, on the other hand is focused, yet distant at the same time.
I watch Kors barely catch a smash by Kaen.
"No, that's clearly tennis!!"
"Please stop shouting, I am trying to concentrate." Asa says.
"That's not tennis. That's Sinnet," Arivia says with the straightest face I've ever seen on a person.
"You just said it backward—!"
I sigh.
"Okay, let me guess the rules; You hit the ball with the racket back and forth, and if it bounces more than twice on the ground on one side, it's a point. Also, if one player hits it towards the area outside the white line, the other player gets a point."
"No, actually. The ball cannot touch the ground, no matter what." Asa says.
"....Tch. It's like someone came here knowing what tennis is, but went: 'Oh no, we do things differently around here!' and changed like, 2 things."
"Sinnet, not tennis."
I'm about to yell: 'Are you making nuf of me?!' But quickly shut my mouth.
"That was a trap space." Asa states nonchalantly.
"Hah?! You're joking!!"
Keeping my eyes on the 'Sinnet' match, I yell. "Amazing serve, Ms. Kaen!" Of course, she ignores me, but it's understandable.
I turn back to my work, only to be interrupted by two sharp jolts of electricity running through my spine. Not strong enough to drop me, but annoying enough to remember.
Navi.
I've memorized the number of shocks corresponding to each person. 1/6 is Arivia, 2 is Navi, 3 is Asakawa, 4 is Ms. Kaen, and 5, I'm assuming, is Kors, although he's never called me. Kors, you're the best, man. Anyway, the process took not even a couple of hours, given that they were calling me constantly to deal with various issues. I thought I was limited to outside, but even household issues were to be dealt with by me, despite the presence of the Kratt.
Wait, I can't waste any time.
I drop the shovel, rinse my hands with a hose, and dash inside, boots thudding through the grand hallway. Taking the stairs two at a time, I barely stop to breathe. I've seen what Arivia does when I'm late. Navi might be worse.
I knock twice at her door.
"Come in…"
I do. And nearly fall over.
Her room is chaos. Swords, daggers, and other medieval murder instruments are scattered everywhere. The curtain flutters with the wind. Her bed's massive—black frame, gold accents, the kind of thing royalty sleeps on.
And there's Navi. Sitting up in bed. Completely uncovered aside from a lazily clutched bedsheet.
"Yawn… I'm surprised you're not reacting," she says through a sleepy grin.
"What, you want me to flail my arms and scream or something?" I groan, covering my eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Fix my room, slave." She mutters, flopping back onto the bed.
I sigh, getting to work.
Each sword I lift is heavier than the last, making me wonder how a girl with her stature can carry them with ease. I'm sure she's proficient in all of them, too, which adds to my wonder.
Her snoring doesnt help either, it feels like everytime she inhales, I slowly get sucked into a vaccum, then spitted out. Cute girls aren't supposed to yawn like middle aged men! Well, I can't really assume that, since that's placing unrealistic things on people. What the hell am I talking about?
After five minutes, I've gathered everything into the hallway, stacking them in fives to carry down later.
Her room really is nice—beneath all the clutter.
Glancing at the curtain, I make my way towards it, to allow some sun in the dreary room. As I Place my hand on the curtain, Navi suddenly awakens, jumps over the bed and grabs my hand.
"Are you some kind of vampire?"
"Pull it and you'll find out."
Now that I get a good look at her, she's only a few inches shorter than me, and her hair's quite messy. Her yellow eyes bore into me, like some kind of dog that's a couple of seconds away from biting down on my poor hand.
I let go of the curtain.
"What's with the light allergy?"
"Don't like it, simple."
"There's gotta be a reason, y'know?"
"You really do a lot of prying, y'know?"
"But don't I deserve at least some kind of compensation for working my ass off with no wage? I'm literally a slave, mentally, and physically."
She folds her arms under her chest.
"I don't owe you any kind of explanation. You take orders, and follow through. There's no kind of reasoning required for you to do your job."
She pushes a sword into my chest.
"And here, you missed one."
Damn it, I was trying to make conversation, but I guess she's not really interested. Maybe she's not ready or something? It's completely understandable, yet at the same time, being treated as nothing more than a tool kind of hurts.
I'm about to leave the room, sword in hand, when I remember something.
"Oh yeah, I heard you guys were heading somewhere."
Her head spins towards me.
I can tell she was about to utter something along the lines of 'How the hell'd you know?'
But right now, she's shut the door, I assume to dress- Oh, and she's running down the stairs already.
I walk to the window and lift the curtain. Outside, Navi is sprinting toward the field, yelling. The others panic, scattering like kicked-over chess pieces.
…Did these elite, paid mercenaries forget an appointment?
"These guys… are idiots," I mutter. I cover my mouth. "They're just like me…"
The sudden sound of creaking behind me startles me, causing me to fall.
The fabled Kratt!
"I apoll-logi-zzzeeee."
"Wait, not any closer!"
"Serv-viiiiice pro-ccess... staaartiiing... nowww..."
I crawl backwards on all fours like a man facing a bear.
"Wait! WAIT! I'm off-duty! I clocked out emotionally an hour ago!"
The Kratt raises what could be generously called a hand—a rusted claw-joint thing with a spoon duct-taped to one finger.
It shuffles closer.
"No—no touching. That's Rule Number One. Personal space is sacred! I will scream!"
"Obj-j-j-jecti-on: Con-sennt givennn upon contrac-ctt acccepta-nce."
"I didn't accept crap! And she put that collar on me—"
The Kratt reaches forward and gently—gently—boops me on the forehead.
"DING."
I flinch so hard I hit the wall behind me.
"What was that?!"
The Kratt produces a crumpled list. In bright red ink, written in terrifyingly neat calligraphy in this world's language. Well, actually, I can't tell if it's neat or not, given that I can barely read this language. Anyways, it reads:
"TO-DO FOR HUMAN BOY:
Unclog water spirits from basement drain.
Emotionally support Lady Highergald(denied).
Dust chandelier (death risk: 87% (90%)."
I blink.
"Did you just write 'denied' next to emotional support?!"
"Task immmpossible."
A long pause. I glare at the Kratt. It stares back, whirring faintly.
"…Fine. Let's just get this over with. Where are the gloves?"
"Rec-ommended pro-tective gear: None. Increasess spiritual toleranccce."
I groan, dragging myself off the floor.
"Yeah. Great. Let's build up my tolerance. Maybe if I suffer enough, I'll become immune to this entire household."
As I trudge toward the hallway, the Kratt follows close behind, humming some warbled lullaby.
"You know," I mutter, "you're the second creepiest thing in this place."
"C-clarifyyy?"
"You would've been first, but Navi sleeps with a broadsword. Wait, no, that's not even the weirdest thing. Okay, scratch that, you're like, the 5th creepiest thing here."
"Nn-oted."
"Nghh!!" I groan as I try to lift a box of cleaning supplies from the back of the party's trailer.
"C'mon, 200+ pounds is nothing!"
Once again, I fail—dropping the box with a loud thud that shakes the entire wagon.
But the wagon keeps shaking.
That's when I realize something's wrong. The interior's covered by a large sheet, so I crawl toward the back and lift the curtain.
My eyes widen.
We're moving—fast—down a winding trail. To the right is wilderness. Below us, far down the cliffside, the mansion shrinks into the distance. Behind the mountains loom those enormous creatures, their silhouettes stretching into the clouds. But I've gotten used to them by now. It's like watching planes go by.
Somehow, I stowed away without realizing it. Judging by the speed, we've been traveling for maybe twenty minutes, give or take.
Are they using Kalcifer?
Wherever they're going, this might be my chance to escape. All I need...
I look at the ground whizzing by beneath us.
"...is to jump…"
Too fast. If I leap out now, I'll break a limb—or worse. I'll have to wait. Maybe they'll take a break to eat or something.
They in fact, did not take a break. For almost a day, they didn't stop once. The constant swaying of the vehicle makes me feel nauseous, moving me side to side, so any chance of hunger is innately dispelled.
At this point, I'm just thirsty and want to use the bathroom.
Suddenly, and I mean, suddenly, the wagon stops, sending me backwards, towards the back wall, banging my head, then flying forwards outside the wagon, hitting the cold dirt.
My head's spinning. I taste earth. I spit it out.
The darkness of a shadow belonging to an even darker person covers my form, like a dark cloud.
I close my eyes.
Great, I'm dead.
Perhaps she won't execute me just yet. I then open my eyes, looking up. The view of Asa looks down on me, her face a blank. She's wearing what I'm assuming to be her combat outfit, the long jacket trailing down her form, with the armor glinting in the sunlight.
"What are you doing here?"
At least try to act surprised!
"Ahaha! I was working so hard, I didn't even realize I joined you all on this trip!"
She just nods blankly, then turns her head. "Navi."
The footsteps that follow feel like death itself approaching.
Oh god, then the "Huh?" that follows.
If she comes over here, I'll never escape! I need to make my move now, or I'll suffer forever!
Exerting all the strength in my body, I push up from the ground, breaking into a sprint. My legs push me along the ground, however…
I'm snatched by the collar by Asakawa, who had not even required to change her body's position. The sudden halt puts immense pressure on my neck, almost cracking it.
"KH! Damn It!" I yell.
"Oh, so you tried hitching a ride to escape, Kaito the Slave?" Navi asks, her footsteps reverberating behind me. I hear another pair, presumably belonging to Kors and Arivia.
If I recall, Ms. Kaen stayed back, given that, well, the mansion isn't frankly safe without her.
"Darn, if I had that remote, I would have shot at least 5000 volts into his back!" Arivia declares cheerfully.
I clench my fists. I was so close. If that was the case, I would have leaped out of the carriage earlier, broken bones and all.
"Lady Asakawa, please release him. I feel as if you are putting immense strain on his neck."
She does just that, dropping me to the ground with a thud.
"Gh!"
I rub at my neck, my captors standing over me, one glaring into me, the other smiling like a puppy, the other indifferent, and one, despite possessing no face, clearly has some kind of worriedness displayed on his face.
"Well, what you reckon we do with him, Navi?" Arivia says, leaning forward, hands behind her back. Her face drops near mine.
The constant glare Navi shoots me tells me she's still in the process of giving an answer. Her yellow pupils glint in the sunlight, piercing into my skin.
She looks hurt.
Did you… Did you really expect me to stick around? Just because I talk to you guys doesn't mean I won't book it the first chance I get..
If I say something like that, I'd probably get my head decapitated right there and then.
The forest goes quiet for a moment, the sound of my breathing unmistakable. The four stare at me, quietly.
Then, with a turn of her heel, Navi declares. "Kors, take him, we'll use him as collateral if things get heated."
With that order, the three began to head back to the carriage again. Lifting me up, Kors places his hands on my shoulders, dusting me off.
"I apologize, Sir Kaito, she's quite the temperamental individual, but she means well."
Yeah, yeah, typical character bullshit.
"Means well for a slave, my ass."
We walk towards the back, and I sit back inside. Kors, presumably who would normally sit in the front, opts to sit inside with me.
I hear a crack of the reins in the front, and the skeletal sounds of Kalcifer as the wagon begins its route again.
"In the Kingdom of Soraya, there exists a law where if one is in debt to someone, owing their life to them, they may pay them any sort of compensation if the savior asks for it. However, if they cannot provide anything, they will be labelled as a slave…"
"What kind of sick rule is that?"
"...I can understand your plight. But almost none fulfill this law. However, what surprised me was someone as kind as Lady Highergald taking you as a slave. A typical savior of someone's life would be kind enough not to demand anything, but a truly corrupt person would. Everything I have seen to this point of Lady Highergald indicates that she is a kind person."
"Guess she was having a bad day," I say, glancing outside the window. Arivia leans on Asa's shoulder, while Navi has a tense expression on her face, holding the reins.
The carriage sways side to side, gently lolling my body.
"Whatever it was, I'm sure she had a good reason that benefits you as well. You yourself are a good person." Kors says, his tone friendly.
My eyes travel downcast for a moment, before I smirk.
"Thank you, Kors, for making me feel a little better about working for the rest of my life.."
He nods.
Ah, now I feel bad about being sarcastic. Man, Kors is the best.
After a moment of silence, I ask, "By the way, where are we heading?"
"The Town of Varos, located just a few miles away. It's a town known for being located right in the middle of a large supply trade in the Nyassereth province. The merchandise it receives from the Flora ocean, as well as the ores from the Goro Mountains, allows it to be a very prestigious village in terms of monetary gain."
"Huh, so we're heading towards a real city, huh?"
"No, unfortunately, despite the vast amounts of revenue the town generates, it has been taken under its newly appointed 'mayor', A man named Gorthro Villaides."
"A real snotty bastard." Navi suddenly says, from the front of the carriage.
"The guy's a rat. He's bought almost everything in that village—except the people. And knowing him, he's probably working on that too." She says, her eyes tense on the road.
Big talk coming from someone who's essentially done the same to me, but I can see where she's coming from.
"The people of Varos can no longer support themselves," Kors says, his fist tightening. "They risk starving while Gorthro hoards wealth for himself."
"Why.. Why doesn't the government do anything, if there even is one?" I ask, my eyes traveling to his hollow sockets.
"Cuz they're all greedy bastards that'd be willing to turn an eye to genocide if you pay them the right price." Navi snarls. "There's some good fruit, but the entire tree's rotted away, holes all over."
My eyes travel downcast.
"This is the reason we are travelling. Luckily, the townspeople have amassed an amount of money using all their funds to hire our services."
Luckily? Would you not have saved them had they not paid you?
Also, when the word 'services' crosses my mind, Something shows up in my mind. When mercenaries have a target, usually they'd…
"Wait,"
"What exactly are you going to do once you reach Gorthro?"
The carriage goes quiet. Too quiet. Only the slow creak of wheels and wood.
The silence of killers.
The world is gone, replaced by a stillness too precise to be natural. Even the air forgets to breathe..
"Kill him, of course."
My eyes widen, travelling from the two.
You can't just kill someone like that, can you? There has to be some kind of rule that prohibits it; that's basic human morality!
"Isn't that illegal?! You can't just murder someone, I'm sure you can talk-"
"There's no talking to someone as far gone as that! He deserves to die, that's it. He's been silencing everyone around him. Innocent people die just for speaking badly about him." Navi states matter-of-factly.
"..."
I believe in objective evil—but I don't believe we should become it to defeat it. If we answer murder with murder, we're just fueling the same fire.
…Who am I kidding?
"...Ms. Highergald, that is not the law, I'm sure you know of it. If he is to attack first, we have the right to retaliate. But… he is a known fugitive in other kingdoms. Ideally, we're supposed to arrest him."
The girl named Navi Highergald narrows her eyes.
"I don't know about you Kors… but I'm killing the bastard the first chance I get."
With that, she closes the window, drowning out the sound from outside, leaving me and Kors the only ones alone.
I personally dont know much about this Gorthro, but I can assume from the reaction Navi had, he's a total scumbag. And honestly, because I haven't seen things myself, I can't really get angry or hype to kill him. From this outsider's perspective, he's just a person I hear people say bad things about. It's not my fault that I have no resolve.
But if it's possible, I'm sure there can be a better outcome than something as violent as death.
"Kors, if I can ask, who exactly is Gorthro? What's with her reaction?"
Kors glances at the ceiling, the strange smoke rising from his skull shifting with his bodies movements.
"A tyrant, who only sees human rights as nothing more than liabilities. He only sees money and monetary gain. A man who has indulged in his desires to the fullest. He will do anything to gain the upper hand, stooping down to levels never thought possible."
With that, silence.
The space is quiet once more—the distant calls of fauna mingling with the creaking of the carriage. My head rests against the seat behind me, swaying gently side to side. Am I really at fault for lacking motivation??
Well, it's not like I'm going to be fighting with them. I'm just a slave.
This constant swaying is actually quite soothing. My eyelids slowly find themselves closing…
Suddenly, a sharp bump jerks me awake from the slow drift toward sleep.
I nearly jump, eyes snapping open.
Is that clashing? The sounds of metal striking metal ring out in the air. Kors is already outside the carriage, the door wide open.
Scrambling outside onto the dirt path, I stumble upon the scene of Arivia, wielding what seems to be a strangely shaped long sword, almost compact-looking given the assortment of lines running down its side.
What she swings it towards leaves my mouth agape.
A small humanoid creature, its back hunched grotesquely. It has no eyes or ears—only black, vein-like patterns crawling over its pale skin. Sharp spines jut from its back.
I can't get a better look as its body is sliced in two, black ink spilling down the ground.
"What the hell are those?!"
"Goblins," Asakawa says, her face straight.
"Pyraethon 42—Blight." She cracks her index finger, and suddenly flames roar to life behind her, shaped by her will before blasting toward a group of the creatures.
"Those are goblins?!"
"You seem pretty confused, Mr slave!" Arivia teases.
"I mean, of course, I am! I expected the small, creepy green fellows with goat eyes and long ears!"
Arivia looks at me, confused, before parrying a blow, retaliating by thrusting forward, skewering a goblin.
These things are far too grotesque to be ordinary goblins. Their gurgling noises are more plant-like than animal, black and white like some twisted fungus.
The way Sable Veil is taking them out so easily makes me think these guys are the typical fodder enemies anyone can defeat. No, seriously, these guys are dropping like flies.
After about ten minutes, the ground is littered with goblin corpses. The party members don't even look tired despite all the killing. Almost instantly, they settle back into their regular formation.
"Let's get going, it's almost sundown!" Navi calls out.
Wow, wasting no time, I respect it.
I find myself walking back toward the carriage. Now I'm certain with these guys around, I'll be safe enough.
Passing by the corpses, I pause to study one. It looks almost like a doll—lifeless, yet unsettlingly real.
"Oi, Kaito, what the hell are you doing?!" Navi shouts.
"Investing points in my system!"
"What?"
"You know, like putting points in and getting stronger!"
"Are you insulting my years of training?!"
"Hah, never mind."
I pick my body up with a sigh and keep walking. Maybe I slipped because of faulty footing, but I trip again, catching myself on a nearby tree log.
"Damn," I wince, pushing myself up.
That's when something catches my eye.
Where my hand brushed the log, a strange glowing symbol shines—a skull-shaped insignia, glowing bright white. I'm close enough to the carriage that I'd expect one of them to notice it, given how bright it is.
"Hurry up! We're leaving you here!" Navi shouts, looking right at me.
But none of them notice the mark.
I glance back down and dust myself off.
Well, I'm gonna leave whatever that is alone. Nothing worth risking my life over. Probably tied to some thousand-year-old skeleton king or something.
Finally, after a long hour of bumpy riding, we've made it to Varos. Despite everything I'd heard, the town seems pretty lively. People milling around the town square, kids running everywhere.
Right now, Navi is feeding Kalcifer, tossing a slab of meat in his general direction, while Arivia and Asakawa stand at the stable entrance, chatting with the tender.
Kors is sharpening his blade nearby.
And me? I'm just standing in the town square like an idiot, hands on my hips, wearing quite the stupid grin.
Well, what can you expect from a nerd shot right into a story just like the ones he's read?
The town looks like something straight out of an isekai story — old western-style houses scattered around, and a large building in the distance that I'm guessing is the mayor's hall.
That's probably where Gorthro lives.
Yeah, I do a lot of guessing.
I make my way over to Navi.
"So, what's the first move?" I ask.
She turns around and faces me.
"The way you think you're gonna roll with us? That's real funny."
She points at Kalcifer.
"That's your party member now. You're in charge of taking care of him while we're gone."
"By the way, you might want to watch your fingers when you feed him. He could take an arm… or a torso."
I suddenly remember the heavy collar around my neck. And the glares from passerby suddenly sting a lot more.
No way the protagonist's gonna be deterred by this setback!
"All right, I get it. You guys go ahead and have fun! I'll stay right here with ol' Kal!"
"By the way," Navi says deadpan, "he's trained to eat you the second you try to run."
Kalcifer rears his head, almost snickering at that comment.
I groan.
Night falls, and the town square is still buzzing with people doing stuff I couldn't care less about.
I'm sitting in front of the stables, Kalcifer curled up right beside me.
Munching on a bora fruit, I sigh — nothing better to eat around here, of all places.
My eyes wander.
Damsel in distress? Old lady getting her bag stolen? Any nice-looking girls that lost their insignia?
I groan and run a hand through my hair.
Then sigh again, licking my lips.
Maybe they'll suddenly need my help. Maybe I'll awaken some secret OP skill, get super strong, and everyone will be like, 'Sorry Kaito, for treating you like dirt! For forgiveness, we'll all throw ourselves off the nearest bridge! We're sorry!'
Well, except Kors.
Kors is the best, man.
Man, ever since I came here, I've been treated like nothing but dirt on the bottom of a boot. What is it about me that makes people act like I'm disposable? Did I step on a god's pet or something in my past life?
Can I at least get some kind of compensation? A free drink? A cool sword? Hell, I'd take a halfway decent outfit.
And what's with dying, getting yanked into another world, and still looking exactly the same? I can't even get reborn.
I glance at a nearby puddle.
Yup—same slicked-back hair, same tired eyes. If anything, I look even more run down than before. Like someone crumpled up a salaryman and tossed him into a medieval fantasy setting.
Before I can finish my thoughts, a timid voice calls out to me.
"E-Excuse me.. Sir?"
A girl no older than 14 stands in front of me, her hands clenched and her eyes glued to the ground.
"Yes, what is it, little girl?" I say, making my voice as deep as possible.
New event!
"My friends… two goblins attacked them! Please save them!"
Oh, hell no.
That's not a good combo of words.
I glance over at Kalcifer. He glances back, totally unbothered. Reaching into the bag near the carriage, I toss him a fat slab of meat. He catches it with his teeth, graceful as ever.
"Shh.." I whisper, bribing the guard dog.
I turn to the girl.
"Show me the way," I say, trying to put some steel in my voice.
She gives a cute nod, then bolts eastward, barefoot and fast.
I take a step forward… then stop.
Wait. Am I actually doing this?
I don't even have a weapon. I've never killed anything in my life, and now I'm supposed to fight goblins? Real ones? Not game enemies. Actual flesh, claws, teeth, and whatever those spine-things were.
But—
That girl looked terrified.
I sigh and clench my fists.
…No. She needs someone. And there's no one else around. Besides, those goblins from earlier dropped like flies. I just have to hit fast and not die. That's the plan.
After a minute of running, we suddenly find ourselves in a forest clearing. I'm honestly kind of shocked how fast we went from a commercial district to a place this remote.
How are kids even playing all the way out here?
"Over there," the girl says, pointing.
I follow her finger—and freeze.
A cave. Small, jagged, and pitch black inside.
"Shit…" I mutter under my breath.
It's like the entrance is absorbing the light around it. My gut twists. I seriously might be in over my head.
Sweat begins trailing down my hand.
That's when I feel something grip my pant leg.
I look down.
The girl's trembling. "Please… please help them… it's all my fault…"
Her eyes fill with tears. Her voice is cracking. I glance at the cave again.
I can't let a girl cry.
I crouch down, place my hands on her shoulders. "Listen, I'll save them. But I need you to stay outside, okay? Go find some grownups if you can."
"Don't worry! They'll be safe and sound!" I force a grin, give her a thumbs-up.
She nods, wiping her face, and runs off into the woods.
My fake confidence cracks the moment she's out of sight.
Walking over to a nearby tree, I tear off a branch and break it in half. One half goes in my pocket. I've got no armor, no real weapon. But those goblins fight with their hands. I can outrun them, maybe outsmart them.
I step toward the cave.
This is my chance to prove I'm not worthless. That I'm not just deadweight. That I'm really some worth trusting.
I crouch, placing a hand on the edge of the stone roof, and slide inside.
Immediately, the cave presses in.
The roof nearly touches my head. The walls scrape my shoulders. My body fits, just barely, and I have to shuffle sideways.
It's tight.
The air is thin—so still it feels like I'm inhaling nothing. Each breath scratches at my lungs. My own grunts echo loudly in my ears.
I should've brought a torch.
Wait.
Tearing part of my shirt, I wrap it around the end of the stick in my pocket. I find a sharp rock by the cave entrance—strike the stick again and again until the cloth catches. A dull, flickering flame bursts to life.
A makeshift torch.
Good enough.
I push deeper.
The flame dances along the jagged walls, revealing faded scratches—claw marks? And… stains. Rust-red smears baked into the rock.
I keep going for about 2 minutes, my eyes travelling and searching my surroundings like a drone. The sound of dripping water travels throughout the cave, the only source of sound my ears can pick up on.
A sour smell hits my nose.
At first, it's subtle.
Then stronger.
Then putrid.
It's the stench of rot, thick and wet, like something long dead is watching me.
Suddenly—
"KYAAAAAAGHHHH!!!"
It echoes through the tunnel, impossible to place.
My torch sputters.
Footsteps—fast ones—start pounding in every direction.
No. No no no—
I spin, torch raised, trying to see. The walls lurch. The shadows twist. I can't see anything.
I need to get out of this cave. This is way too dangerous.
I run. My torch flickers. Gurgling sounds rush toward me.
Something skitters along the walls. My ears ring with echoing groans. The smell becomes unbearable—like a mass grave sealed in a furnace.
My chest tightens. The air's gone. My legs are jelly.
I run blindly, scraping my shoulders against stone. I don't even know which way I came from.
Twelve minutes—maybe more.
The sounds stop.
I slam into a wall, gasping. My torch is nearly out.
"I was so fucking stupid," I gasp. "Why the hell did I come in here…?"
I grab my face. I'm panicking, my heart is beating like a machine. I can't breathe. I can't breathe.
I'm gonna die, I'm really gonna die.
No—snap out of it. Just find a way out.
Then—
My hand sinks into something.
Not stone.
I lift my torch.
And see faces.
Dozens. Maybe hundreds.
Their eyes blink.
Mouths moan.
Hands twitch, reaching toward me like they want to pull me in.
It's…
A H U M A N C A T E R P I L L A R
"████████████!!!!"
A scream explodes from my chest so violently that something pops in my ear. I can't hear my own breath anymore.
I run into a frenzy, not looking behind. I toss the torch behind me. For a split second it lights the walls—
And I see corpses.
They're everywhere. Hanging from the ceiling. Slumped against the walls. Skulls staring from between rocks. Rotting flesh with nails clawed into the dirt. Eyes still open. The wet things I've been stepping on has been blood.
The more I run, the more corpses show up.
Dozens. Hundreds. Thousands. Like this place has fed on people for years. Young, old, man, woman, child. It's completely indiscriminate.
I'm in hell. This is hell.
The sounds of gurgling and the pattering of feet quickly follow behind my footsteps slowly drives me insane.
My legs buckle.
I can't breathe. I can't think. I'm going to die. I don't want to die. Not here. Not like this.
Suddenly—
My foot hits nothing.
I fall.
CRACK.
I slam into the ground. Hard. I try to scream, but air doesn't come. I scramble, trying to stand—
But the dark is already here.
Then—
Stab.
White hot electricity jolts across my body, soaring towards my brain.
Pain. Pain. Pain.
IthurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsIthurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsIthurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsIthurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsIthurtsithurtsithurtsithurts
Cold metal—or claws—sink into my ribs.
Again.
My back this time.
IthurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsIthurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsIthurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsIthurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsIthurtsithurtsithurtsithurts
Again.
My stomach.
IthurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsIthurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsIthurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsIthurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsIthurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsIthurtsithurtsithurtsithurts
Again. Again. Again.
IthurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsIthurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsIthurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsIthurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsIthurtsithurtsithurtsithurts
I convulse. I feel the wet warmth spill from my gut. I don't know where it's bleeding from anymore. It's all bleeding. I can't even curl into a ball.
I can't scream anymore, only letting out gurgling noises.
It's cold. So cold now.
Please…
Please… someone save me… I don't want to die…
I don't wanna die in the dark…
I want to do something, I want to be someone.
The torch is gone. Everything is black.
I feel hands now. Cold. Wet. Dragging me into the stone. Into the dark. Into the rest of them.
A whisper brushes my ear.
Not words.
Just the sound of breathing. Like something's been waiting for me.
Then—
Crack.
A burst of light inside my head.
Then nothing.
Just the sound of moaning corpses…
And the dark.
╔════════════════════════════╗
||L I F E E X P U R G A T E D||
"BL00DLO_00SS"
╚════════════════════════════╝
A woman sitting on a throne in an upside-down castle.
Footsteps, inching closer to me.
Hands, grabbing at every part of my body.
_________________________________________
"Oi, Kaito, what the hell are you doing?!"
"...Huh?"