"Why?"
Bai Shi didn't quite understand. It was clearly a win-win situation.
"I'm not comfortable entrusting my back to someone I just met in a cave."
"And I'm the one who found the cave. You're just asking to hitch a ride."
Bai Shi nodded. Hakan had a point, but this wasn't an unsolvable problem.
Bai Shi didn't think Hakan was an idiot who would just casually reveal the existence of a cave.
"So, what do you want? Don't beat around the bush."
"Heh, I need more money!"
Bai Shi couldn't help but laugh. He thought Hakan was going to say something profound, but his demands were so simple.
"Alright, alright. I've got a lot more trinkets back on the beach where I landed. I couldn't carry them all, but I'll go back and get them all for you. Consider it payment for hiring you to explore the cave with me."
At this, Hakan's expression changed.
"I've changed my mind. I don't care about your stuff. I don't like the word 'hired' right now."
Bai Shi shrugged.
"Okay, I won't ask why. But I'll still give you the trinkets. I can't carry them anyway, and you should take them than for them to just stay on the beach."
"Fine, it's a deal."
Bai Shi led Hakan back to where he landed, and he picked up all the trinkets he couldn't carry before.
After receiving the jewelry, Hakan generously invited Bai Shi to share his grilled fish, which tasted quite good.
Bai Shi enjoyed the moment. He didn't have many friends, just online acquaintances he chatted with.
He loved interacting with game NPCs and exploring their stories.
It was like making friends with a group of unique people across another world.
Right now, Bai Shi felt like he had recaptured that joy he felt while gaming.
The difference was, he was now personally experiencing this fantastical journey.
The NPCs he could interact with and the normal mobs he couldn't in the game were now all people Bai Shi could genuinely connect with.
Maintaining basic vigilance, they rested for the night, and time passed quickly without a word.
The next morning, Hakan led Bai Shi to the cave entrance.
It was hidden among rugged cliffs, hard to spot without a careful look.
Hakan turned to face Bai Shi.
"Since I've accepted your payment, I'll do my job properly. I'll take the lead. Don't get any ideas behind my back; my wolf will be watching you."
"Sounds good. That's reasonable."
After all, they were just two strangers who had met by chance. It was impossible for them to completely trust each other with their backs.
If Hakan had asked Bai Shi to lead the way, Bai Shi would never have agreed.
Putting himself in Hakan's shoes, letting Bai Shi walk behind him was already a significant concession.
If a warrior truly wanted to ambush him, even if the white wolf alerted him, it would be after the attack had already started, and the weapon would have likely struck him before he could react.
As a warrior, Hakan couldn't possibly be unaware of this.
And while this formation made it possible for them to flank Bai Shi, the risk of a backstab was not at all equal to the risk of a head-on fight.
Since they couldn't come up with a perfect plan, this arrangement was the best for both of them.
Hakan lit a torch, first poking it into the cave, and after taking a few steps inside, he turned and gestured for Bai Shi to follow.
They entered the cave one by one. The view instantly became dark and narrow.
The tunnel was long, and they walked for several minutes without anything noteworthy happening.
After a while, Bai Shi couldn't help but ask.
"Hakan, what were you doing at the cave entrance just now?"
"You don't know?"
Hakan sounded a bit surprised.
"What is that common knowledge in the Lands Between?"
"No, it's just surprising that a Tarnished warrior wouldn't know. But I guess it's not knowledge that helps you in a fight."
"First, I was testing if there was any gas in the cave that would explode on contact with fire. Standing outside lets you escape quickly if there's a problem."
Hakan paused, then continued.
"Staying inside for a bit after entering is to check if you can breathe normally."
Bai Shi was a little surprised that there was such a method for exploring a cave.
"I see. You're really experienced."
"..."
Hakan didn't say anything. Although Bai Shi couldn't see his face, he could tell this wasn't from shyness after receiving a compliment.
After a long silence, Hakan was the first to break it.
"I... I used to be hired by a nobleman from Leyndell. My tribesmen and I excavated caves and catacombs."
"Heh... It was really just grave robbing. I'm trying to save face by calling it 'excavating'."
Hakan laughed at himself bitterly.
"In one cave, we ran into a powerful enemy. I was the only one who survived."
"After that, I took a job from Stormveil to hunt Tarnished. I didn't really need the Runes; I just wanted something to do."
"After a while, I realized I couldn't be a mercenary anymore. I couldn't forget the faces of my companions. So I broke my contract and started an aimless journey."
"You know the rest. I hit a reef and ended up on this beach."
Bai Shi listened quietly to Hakan's story. He could feel that Hakan was a living, breathing person, and he could feel his joys and sorrows.
But Bai Shi didn't know what to say.
"...That's a truly sad story. I know you're not telling me this to seek comfort, but I wish you a smooth journey ahead."
Bai Shi thought for a moment and added:
"If we get the chance, I'll buy you a drink."
"Heh, I feel much better for having said it. Let's worry about drinking after we escape from here."
Just as he finished speaking, Hakan stopped.
"What's wrong?"
"I think we've found a special place."