The Guardian's Solitude
The hero in the dungeon. A cramped single room somewhere in the Slums. In the pitch-black darkness where not a single ray of light penetrates, voices drift back and forth.
"Min-seok."
"Yeah? Why are you calling me, Caliber?"
"Why do you refuse to keep companions by your side?"
The Hero, Min-seus—no, Min-seok—lay on the cold floor with his arms crossed. At Caliber's question, he answered mechanically, like an automated voice.
"Well, being alone is..."
"Do not speak that lie. How long have I watched over you? Do you truly believe I would not know that you grow lonely?"
Caliber usually let such things slide with a simple "I see," but today he clearly had no intention of dropping the matter. Sensing things would become troublesome, Min-seok let out a small sigh inwardly. What came out of his mouth, however, was a teasing jab laced with mischief.
"...Oh. Pretty sharp for a cheap longsword housing a demon, aren't you?"
"Then I shall ask again. Why do you not make companions? This time, answer without falsehoods."
"Ugh, persistent. Caliber, you weren't popular in the demon realm, were you? Makes sense—no one would like a demon who tries to scam people out of their bodies with shady contracts..."
"Do not change the subject, Min-seok."
Despite his attempt to steer the conversation by deliberately saying things that would rile the sword up, his ploy was seen through immediately. Pretty sharp for a sword stuck in its sheath. Like a parent asking if work was going well these days, the relentless questioning made the sigh he had been holding in finally escape aloud.
"Haa, why are you so curious about that anyway? Geez, anyone would think you're my dad."
"It is because... are you not pushing yourself too hard lately?"
Indeed, even Min-seok himself had to admit he had been overdoing it. But what choice did he have? To level up quickly, he had no option but to push himself. That was simply how the game was structured. Bastion Saga. Unlike ordinary RPGs where defeating monsters granted experience points, this game he had once loved possessed a system called Achievements. The Goddess called Sith—an AI—observed the player's deeds and accomplishments in real time, weighed their significance, and granted experience accordingly. That was what Achievements meant. In simple terms, it was a system that rewarded spectacular plays worthy of being replayed at a funeral with massive amounts of experience.
That was why he pursued solo play. Of course, there were other reasons as well...
I just don't really want to talk about that.
Recalling the past made his mood sink instantly. Faced with a demonic sword that kept pressing on something he did not want to answer, his words came out harshly.
"So what, you want me to make companions? Like some harem hero from a light novel?"
"I do not know what a light novel is, but yes, exactly that! Min-seok! Humans are not complete beings like dragons. They are creatures who share happiness, pain, sorrow, and loss with others, connecting through those emotions. Only when united do humans become whole!"
He's really getting into this. Still, Min-seok remained firm.
"Oho, we've got an anthropology professor here. Even so, I have no intention of making companions."
He had no plans to do so. Perhaps because of his stubbornness, a hissing sound came from the old sword. The demonic sword was getting worked up.
"You... you foolish, idiotic thing! Why do you insist on taking the long way around when an easier path lies before you! This is a foolish decision unworthy of the man I once called 'Jealousy'! Do you truly wish to die fighting alone?"
"Die...? I want to live too, you know. I'm human. I want to date, too..."
Counting his previous life, he was well over fifty. With that level of "virgin power," he could be called a sage surpassing even archmages. He wanted to cry. But cruelly, his tear ducts remained dry. A man could not shed tears at will.
"Then why!? Why won't you make companions!? You frustrating fool!"
Though he did not want to say it, perhaps the magic of a sentimental night had seeped in. The secret he had wanted to hide, the one he had wanted to keep buried, slipped out.
"Because..."
If I make companions, they'll die and it'll hurt.
"...What?"
His voice trembled as he continued.
"Caliber. I... I don't want to see anyone else die because of me anymore."
Caliber seemed slightly taken aback by the fragile voice, so unlike Min-seok's usual confident self.
"...What do you mean, Min-seok? Who exactly did you cause to die? You are someone who helps and saves others, not someone who leads them to death."
The sword that usually only nagged and complained had been thinking such things. Min-seok felt a small pang of emotion. A faint trust welled up at those warm words, and his trembling lips began pouring out the past. It was unsightly.
"...You wouldn't know, Caliber. It was a long time ago."
"...Surely you do not mean before you came to 'this world'?"
Sharp. Yes. That incident had occurred before he possessed the JRPG Bastion Saga. A misfortune.
"Yeah. Actually... I caused my closest friend to die."
At his ugly confession, the demonic sword fell silent. In the now-quiet room, a voice trembling with anger continued to echo.
"I shouldn't have recommended that damn, stupid, idiotic game to him..."
"Min-seok, I do not know exactly what happened, but it could not have been your fault. I have watched your character. You are a good person. It cannot be so. It was not your fault."
The thick voice spoke calmly, as if soothing a child. But it did not reach his heart. Once kindled on dry earth, the flames did not easily subside.
"No. It was all because of me. Recommending Terraforming to that dopamine addict, ignoring how he ruined his health playing the game—it was all me. I should have noticed when he came back from overtime at 2 a.m. and started ranting about playing together. I was too indifferent."
Before he knew it, he had sat up, clutching his forehead in agony as guilt and sin boiled over within him. Haa, haa... haa... But soon, the skill Mirror-Calm Water activated, and his burning heart cooled like still water reflected in a clear mirror.
"Ha."
He let out a dry laugh at his own body, which would not even allow him to wallow in guilt. Then, staring into the air with sunken eyes, he slowly opened his mouth.
"Caliber. Actually... when I first came here, I thought I had arrived in hell. The kind of hell where people who neglected their friend and caused his death through game addiction would go. Seeing a demon trying to scam me with a contract, I was half-convinced."
"..."
"But unfortunately, this wasn't hell. Well, it is hell—the Dungeon—but it's just a place where people live. Still... I decided to think of this place as hell. Because that was the only way I could keep living. I decided to throw myself into the Dungeon and work hard. Because that way, I wouldn't think of you. I decided not to make companions. Because I didn't want to experience losing someone precious again. I decided to try defeating the last boss. Because maybe... I could save you. And then I failed spectacularly...! Because I was too weak. And too arrogant."
Caliber had somehow managed to use the return magic stored in its sheath to send him back to his dwelling. If Min-seok died, Caliber's seal would break, and he would soon return to the demon realm from this dusty old room. After all, Min-seok was about to die.
The last boss had been far stronger than he expected. Even though the idiotic gimmick of stats increasing based on the number of "hostile" players nearby had not activated, a veteran like him had been utterly crushed. Were the developers really insane? Putting such a stupid gimmick on a raid-boss-level final boss? What were cashless players like him supposed to do?
If his friend had played Bastion Saga, he might have poured three months' salary into beating the boss. That friend was the type to seriously drop 200,000 won on a useless accessory like the Plague Doctor Mask. If Min-seok had been that serious about something too, could he have beaten the boss? He did not know. He was too sleepy to keep thinking.
"Hero, you..."
His eyes were closing. The final boss was muttering something to the fallen Min-seok, but he was too drowsy to make out the words. It was probably just a meaningless defeat event cutscene anyway. He was a little curious, but he was too sleepy. Time to sleep. Good night...
"Will you acknowledge your defeat and become my limbs? Together with me, a new world..."
God, he's noisy. Fine, I get it. Mister. I get it, so just let me sleep...
"Confirmed. Hmm, I thought you would refuse given your temperament, but this is unexpected. Well then, I look forward to working with you from now on. My strongest sword, and my sturdy shield."
***
Another referred to high-risk humanoid anomalies rarely sighted in the Dungeon's depths. At the same time, it was a term for humans who had "fallen" after succumbing to the Betrayer said to exist in the Dungeon's innermost reaches. Beings who had originally been adventurers but became anomalies at the end of death—that was what Another meant. Therefore, they were extremely dangerous.
Yet even among the Another, there existed one peculiar being who attempted to "protect" adventurers by repelling those trying to invade the White Zone. Clad in black armor from head to toe, wielding a longsword and a greatshield, he looked like a black knight from a fairy tale. Though fallen, the adventurers gave him gratitude and praise for protecting so many over the years, calling him the Guardian.