11. First Battle.
11. First Battle.
"How many materials do we have left?"
"None."
"Hmm..."
Asagi sighed at my words. I was dumbfounded. I had just risked my life to build a 24m-long bridge floating in mid-air, and she sighs? A sigh?
"I just risked my life to build a dungeon."
"That's a dungeon?"
As I said this indignantly, Asagi pointed her chin at the dungeon I'd built with an incredulous expression. I looked at the dungeon I had created.
"What's wrong with it?"
"What's wrong with it? I don't think it's of a quality that warrants such a comment."
After seeing the dungeon I built with her own eyes, Asagi started speaking more casually. It seemed like she found it hard to believe I was a veteran player anymore. I felt wronged. It felt like Asagi had completely cemented the perception that I was a useless existence she could look down on.
"That's the best I can do with the current materials."
"No one would call a platform like that a dungeon. It looks like a giant, magnified wooden spatula."
"I called it a dungeon to help you understand. To be precise, it's a Monster Farm."
"A weird place with just those platforms floating around?"
"I told you, that's not how you're supposed to build it. But what can I do when we have no materials?"
I protested to Asagi, feeling aggrieved. I used up all the materials I had just to build that. To gather that much, I'd have to spend all day chopping down Oak Trees from now on. And she was complaining after I'd only built that much, even though it took me all day.
Hanging onto those unreliable planks floating in mid-air, the only reason I could build even that much was because there was no future if I didn't. It was certain that monsters would spawn on that platform.
I would love to build a Monster Tower too. But right now, a Monster Tower is a pipe dream. To increase the material supply rate, I needed to get water to make cobblestone.
"Once materials become abundant later, you won't be able to say things like that to me."
"Hmph. I don't know if that time will ever come. We might die before then."
"When we build a house later, I'm going to build Asagi-ssi's house half-assed."
"In that case, you might end up beaten to death by me."
"..."
Fuck. Since I'm lacking in basic combat ability, it looks like it'll go exactly as Asagi said. Does this mean I'm a body that can't threaten Asagi at all? Because I can't fight? Does this mean I have to endure Asagi's contempt day by day like this?
"I'll build it as beautifully as possible."
"I am not a girl. There's no need to build it beautifully. But I would like you to build it with care."
Asagi didn't say it wasn't necessary.
"Yes. You can look forward to it."
"Really? I hope so too."
Asagi said that and walked away with her Wooden Sword. Even if she walked away, it was a distance where we could hear each other if we spoke loudly. Because that was the only amount of land area we had right now. I approached Ranma, who was chopping down the Oak Tree that had grown while I was making the Monster Farm—which I called a dungeon but read as a giant wooden spatula—and looted the material items from the Oak Tree that fell and vanished due to Ranma's strength. Then I headed back to the Crafting Table.
Ranma followed right behind me as I looted the items and moved to the Crafting Table.
"What are you going to do now?"
"Asagi-ssi's Wooden Sword. Wooden Swords have low durability, so they break quickly. If I don't make several, a crisis situation might arise."
I answered Ranma's question earnestly while making Wooden Swords with the sticks and planks I had collected so far. I thought having about 4 spares would be enough to survive tonight. I had picked enough apples that I didn't need to worry about them anymore. The number of apples in my Inventory right now was a whopping 23. That was the number I got from chopping down Oak Trees all day. I judged it better for me to keep the apples of Ranma and Asagi, who didn't have an Inventory, as well. Because they couldn't carry multiple apples.
"Do you want an apple?"
"Yeah. Give me one."
At my question, Ranma nodded and held out his hand. I took an apple out of my Inventory, placed it in Ranma's hand, and approached Asagi, who was away from us. Asagi frowned when I arrived.
It hurts my heart that my treatment seems to be getting worse and worse.
"Why did you come again?"
"Your Wooden Sword might break. I brought 4 spare Wooden Swords and an apple. Eat up and let's fight."
"Do you have many apples?"
"Still plenty. I think the amount we harvest will become more than the amount we eat. Because we have way more Saplings now."
"But the number that grows is about the same, isn't it? Why is that?"
Asagi asked. Indeed, now the Oak Tree Saplings were planted densely within the 23 Dirt Blocks. There were even 14 trees I had stored in my Inventory because I couldn't plant them. I might need a chest soon. Making a chest is easy, so it wouldn't matter if I made one now, but it was better to save at least 10 planks for the hunt with the monsters today.
After working like a dog all day, time passed in the blink of an eye, and eventually, twilight was setting in. I felt complicated. Now monsters would start spawning in the Monster Farm I had clumsily built. Asagi and Ranma's battle would start there, and I would have to go in, loot the items, and run away.
I hope only Creepers don't appear, but that would be a tall order.
The sun began to set. I could see Asagi and Ranma warming up. They weren't that nervous. Right now, I'm the only one nervous in this world. Why? Because I'm the only normal person.
I quickly approached them and urged them.
"The priority isn't the Spider. The priority is the Skeleton."
"I know. Stop emphasizing it. I feel like I'm going to get calluses on my ears."
"...."
I brought it up once, but I was immediately scolded by Asagi. Still, this content couldn't be emphasized enough.
"If we just kill the Skeletons quickly, it'll be much easier. Bows and Arrows. Bows and Arrows are the top priority. Especially the Arrows."
"I got it! Stop talking about it!"
"Yes. I won't talk about it anymore."
I'm sure they'll handle it well on their own. After seeing Asagi get annoyed, I quickly tucked my tail. Still, it's a relief. Since I've emphasized it until their ears are calloused, it's certain they'll try to kill the Skeletons first. Ranma, perhaps feeling sorry for me, quietly approached and whispered to me.
"Don't worry. I'll focus on fighting the Skeletons."
I felt like tears would come out, perhaps because Ranma was being considerate.
"Thanks. And if a Creeper spawns, forget everything else and just run away. From then on, we can only catch Spiders."
"Got it. Don't worry about that. I'll scream if a Creeper comes out, and from then on, we'll live if I do well, right?"
"Yeah. I'll try my best, so you guys try your best too."
"Got it."
At my words, Ranma nodded. I really felt like tears would come out. If I had been alone with Asagi without Ranma, we would have died. I probably would have been killed by Asagi first, and then Asagi would have starved to death.
I went and stood behind Asagi and Ranma. There was no particular need for me to charge, but you never know. And this is the safest spot if a Skeleton shoots an arrow. I was confident that if I were alone and a Skeleton spotted me and shot an arrow, I would die instantly.
"Stay there and watch. Never try to act tough on your own."
"Yes."
Asagi's words would have hurt a man's pride, but since I had already thrown away my pride yesterday, it was fine. I am a man without pride. Because I traded it for my life with Asagi yesterday.
"They're coming out."
I could see Asagi, who was looking ahead, start to take a stance while gripping her Wooden Sword. At Asagi's signal, black mist-like things started to form on the platform I had built that looked like a wooden spatula. Originally, there were no such effects in Minecraft. I wondered if that was also a reality correction.
Gegegegek!
A Skeleton popped out from the swirling mist. There were 3 of them. All of them were holding bows. They didn't look like the blocky figures I saw in the game. They were monsters made of real human bones. I felt goosebumps all over. How often do you get to see human bones in real life? And bones that move however they want, at that.
I quickly said to Asagi.
"We have to go in before the others come out!"
"Got it. Follow me."
"Okay."
At my words, Asagi and Ranma nodded and kicked off the ground. Ranma was at a level where he was almost flying, and Asagi... was at teleportation speed.
"Whoa!"
Ranma, who couldn't properly capture Asagi's figure, exclaimed in admiration as he saw Asagi start swinging her Wooden Sword at the skull of one of the Skeletons. I was also surprised. Was that a speedster? It was a charge of speed that was truly invisible to the eye.
"Hup!"
With Asagi's shout, her sword swung vertically, smashing the skull of a Skeleton that couldn't react. The Skeleton didn't die in one hit. It seemed the attack power wasn't that strong because it was a Wooden Sword. Seeing the Skeletons raising their bows with their skulls damaged, Asagi dodged by backflipping backward. In the meantime, Ranma, who arrived much faster than me, kicked the head of the Skeleton that was standing closest and aiming at Asagi.
Ppaak!
Ranma's attack power was definitely stronger than Asagi's with the Wooden Sword. Because the skull of the Skeleton that got hit by Ranma's attack was completely smashed. The Skeleton whose head was blown off disappeared with a light, and I could see 2 item drops on the spot.
It was a Bone and an Arrow.
This seemed possible. Monsters won't spawn unless I go back to the original position anyway. Because it's not 24m. From now on, I have to fight while controlling the monsters by moving my position. Asagi was already dodging all the arrows the Skeletons had fired once, and was rushing at one of them with her Wooden Sword.