Week 1 (8)

"...Let's head back."

"Meaning, you're suggesting a retreat?"

"Yes."

After much deliberation, I made the proposal to the two of them.

Ray, with his ice-cold expression, asked back, but I had no intention of changing my mind.

This was way too dangerous.

"I originally planned to take down the Floor Boss, but in this state, it's too risky."

Tombstone was a game genius at tormenting people, so naturally, retreating came with no small penalties.

Stress would spike dramatically, and the risk of picking up Negative Quirks would skyrocket.

That's why, as a Tombstone player, I wouldn't have even considered 'retreat' in a situation like this to begin with.

If stress piled up too much right from the ultra-early game, it'd heavily restrict future actions, and Negative Quirks would keep screwing things up down the line.

But this isn't a game anymore.

"Let's go back, regroup slowly, and come again. We came down here lightly for scouting anyway, so no need to push our luck."

At my persuasion, Valerie averted her gaze, looking ashamed.

But it wasn't really her fault.

With just two people from the start, an unstable expedition was par for the course, and even so, she'd deftly parried attacks and dealt damage right where it hurt, ultimately taking down the early-game nightmare that was Ursus.

We'd just hit a hard physical limit, that's all.

"If that's the Client's call."

Ray pondered briefly before readily agreeing.

I'd been worried he might dig in his heels, but looks like that was just my imagination.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed, but right now, it was time to worry about what came next.

First off, as the butler had explained, we unfurled the return Magic Circle─

"Come to think of it, why hasn't that thing disappeared?"

Valerie's puzzled voice rang out.

Turning my gaze to where her fingertip pointed, I saw the bear's corpse still sprawled there, not twitching a muscle.

Foam flecking its mouth, it was a pretty gruesome sight.

Compared to the Hounds we'd just fought vanishing into thin air in seconds, it felt weird that this body was holding its shape perfectly.

But I've played this game.

"Must be a drop item. Ray-ssi, could you check it out?"

At my request, Ray strode over to the corpse without hesitation.

He prodded it a few times with his foot, then bent down like he'd found something.

"Energy's concentrated here."

After rummaging for a bit, Ray pulled out something shiny.

As clichéd as it was, in Tombstone, the way to fund expedition supplies was selling Magic Stones—dropped at a set probability from defeated enemies—to the Guild.

For a single target like this with high drop rates, it was plenty reasonable.

At least we'd salvaged something on the retreat.

I let out a sigh of relief when suddenly Ray spoke in a voice laced with subtle embarrassment.

"Uh... umm? This, like..."

"It's a Magic Stone, right? Let's take it back for now. Per the contract, revenue split is─"

"No, not that..."

Ray hemmed and hawed strangely, then finally stood and held out the Magic Stone toward me.

"Is this... a Magic Stone?"

"Huh."

Not an affirmation—a dumbfounded "huh."

I couldn't help it.

Perched cutely on Ray's pale white palm was something that, to any random onlooker, sure as hell wouldn't scream 'Magic Stone!'

"Uh, yeah."

"Right? It's not just me seeing it like this, right?"

As I floundered for words, Ray flushed beet red like he'd expected as much and forcibly shoved the thing into my hand.

The moment I half-reluctantly took it, Valerie let out a deflated sound from beside me and asked,

"'Toy'... right?"

Fuck. This insane mod even swapped out the Magic Stone's shape for this crap.

I inwardly clapped three times in admiration, then pressed my fingers to my forehead in that exact rhythm.

Clap, clap, clap, thwack.

Let me think for a sec.

Anyway, a Magic Stone's value wasn't in its shape or anything.

The concentrated energy inside was what mattered—whether it was triangular, square, or an anal plug, who gives a shit.

...Probably.

"L-Let's head back."

It bugged the hell out of me, but I stuffed that tiny Magic Stone into my backpack's front pocket and declared the retreat.

My intent to just ignore it came through loud and clear, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠apparently, as the two packed up without further questions.

Which, thanks to that, left an awkward vibe hanging in the air.

I unrolled the Emergency Escape Scroll from my pack, let out a massive sigh, and uncorked the bottle left from the Liquefied Mana.

Then, I gave the warning.

"As the butler said beforehand, the Emergency Escape Scroll is unstable. It forces through the Labyrinth's heavy suppression to get us back, so the aftereffects will linger even after we arrive. It'll mess with your mind too, and who knows—might even spawn some weird Quirks."

"Yeah, but better than overdoing it and croaking."

Valerie replied nonchalantly.

Ray nodded in agreement.

No reason to hesitate then.

I didn't know shit about this goddamn mod, but since its base was Tombstone, my judgment was mostly spot-on.

As a vet, I had that much confidence.

With all three hands placed on the scroll ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠spread out on the ground, I tilted the Liquefied Mana bottle.

"Ugh, this feels gross."

The teleport scroll's effect burst forth in a blaze of light, and the next instant, we stood in the clearing where we'd set up the Magic Circle to enter the Labyrinth.

Instant teleport—second time now.

But I couldn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠deny the impression was worlds apart from the first.

Valerie grimaced hard, dry-heaving before grumbling.

"Definitely... not something I wanna feel again."

Ray, looking pale as a ghost in agreement, nodded along.

And same for me.

Felt like the world flipped upside down.

A horrific sensation like my brain was rattling inside my skull.

This was why retreating in Tombstone wrecked everyone's sanity.

Suppressing the urge to puke, I said to the two,

"Urk─, mmph... F-First, let's head back and rest for today. Valerie-ssi, you especially need treatment."

"Yeah, or I'll keel over soon."

Coming from someone who knew her Life Token had dwindled to 1, it didn't sound much like a joke as she shook her head twice and let out a weary sigh.

"Ah, condition's total shit. I gotta head out first."

"Then, Master-nim, we'll head to the Barracks first. Can we talk details tomorrow?"

"Yes, that'd be better."

Ray's proposal—'We're beat to hell, so details later'—was music to my ears, so I nodded eagerly and sent them off for now.

Watching their backs as they exchanged light farewells and walked away, I quietly shifted my gaze leftward.

Naturally, what came into view was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Tombstone Interface window I'd seen to death.

Just glancing at it, two words screaming 'it's finally here' like I'd been dreading.

Mods adding Quirks came in endless varieties, but obviously, I'd never seen cheap-ass ones like these—hell, pink-highlighted for emphasis—in my life.

I figured Sexton's extra content might include Quirk additions, but slapping them on from the jump like this?

Half-doubting, I quietly dragged my finger over the Interface.

Well, that was simpler than expected.

Quirks that locked Collapse types actually took up a Negative Quirk slot without much downside, so in the game, players often welcomed them.

Of course, I'd need to check what 'Exhibitionism' or 'Masochistic' actually did, but even in the worst case, good stress management on the mercenaries would prevent Collapse altogether, nipping it in the bud.

Compared to what I'd braced for, this penalty might actually make things way better than I thought.

I was pretty wiped too, so I decided to head back to the Master's room.

Still queasy from the warp aftereffects, I skipped dinner and, as usual, kicked the ass of the butler rolling around drunk on the sofa.

Her master had just clawed his way back from the brink of death, and this brazen bitch...