The Move That Wasn't
The Move That Wasn't
They said time flies when you have a lot to do, or something like that.
After getting through Berserk without much trouble, I started spending my days normally again.
I moved around here and there, since I never knew when people might come barging in.
First, I focused on finding a new place to live. To move my stuff, I had to find a new spot that was livable first.
However, finding a place I liked turned out to be harder than I thought.
In the first place, the cave I lived in now was a spot I'd settled on after agonizing over it dozens of times when I was a kid.
The cave itself was spacious, and it was outfitted with all sorts of infrastructure.
There were several rooms hollowed out inside, and an underground stream flowed through it on its own.
Surprisingly, it wasn't even that damp.
Honestly, the place I'd lived in until now had such a great environment that it was a wonder a cave like that existed in the middle of a forest. Then again, I guess that was why my past self had settled on it.
Anyway, that was why my standards had inevitably gotten higher.
In the first place, caves in this forest were rare enough that even I, who roamed it often, had a hard time spotting them.
Thanks to that, finding a new den ended up taking almost two whole weeks.
"Hm..."
And the place I found, honestly, I wasn't all that fond of it either.
I'd just picked it because, despite being close to the Deep Layer, it had almost no monsters around.
The den itself was more of a pit than a cave.
It was more underground than above ground, and it wasn't all that deep either.
Well, it could at least keep the rain off me...
'Well, I guess the upside is no one's going to wander in because of how deep it is...'
I let out a wry smile and decided to look on the bright side for now.
This was the best spot I'd found over those two weeks, so I might as well think positively.
First, I told no one about the den's location.
For about a week after that, I devoted myself to tidying up the odds and ends in my old place.
I sorted through the countless things piled up in my storage.
"I was collecting trash, it seems..."
Even though I was an off-grid dweller living in a cave... I actually owned quite a lot of stuff.
Not just daily necessities like tissues and towels, but also stockpiled food and seasonings.
Unable to visit the city often, I had a habit of stocking up on several months' worth of supplies at a time.
That way, I could save myself the trouble of going to the city, and reduce the risks too.
Up to now, it hadn't been a problem, but with the need to move, it all turned into a pile of luggage.
If I had my way, I'd take it all, but the bulk was too much.
In the first place, the pit I'd found wasn't all that big.
I had no choice but to separate the things I'd take from the things I'd leave behind.
"I need to deal with that tiger meat quickly too."
Once I sorted it all, the pile of things to leave behind was like a mountain.
It wasn't just daily necessities; it was all sorts of stuff I'd accumulated over time.
My old habit of collecting things thinking 'I'll need this someday' had become a pain in my neck now.
Once again, my past self was proving to be useless.
In the end, I had no choice but to decide to just leave this place as a storage cave.
'I'll just come pick things up whenever I need them.'
With that, my moving preparations were complete. I had no reason to linger.
Since I never knew when the subjugation squad might come charging in, it was best to conceal myself as fast as possible.
And so, I moved my den.
It was a new home.
*
Before I knew it, more than a week had passed since I'd found my new place.
During that time, the bitter winter ended and a fresh spring arrived.
Naturally, I went through Berserk one more time. It was A-type again this time.
This time, I faced Berserk in the new den instead of the original cave.
...It wasn't easy. The pit was shallow enough as it was, and I had to endure the pain in there.
Luckily, no monsters showed up, but if I left things as they were, the pit would definitely end up soaked in the scent of blood.
In the first place, it seemed like the Blood Scent would stop me from sleeping properly.
Because of that, I had no choice but to force my near-collapsing body to clean up inside the pit.
I felt exhausted enough to drop dead, but if the smell settled in, it'd cause trouble for my living.
After that, I even went down to a nearby lake and took a bath as a bonus.
"Hoo..."
...I hadn't even lived here long, and several inconveniences were already surfacing.
Still, what could I do? I just had to adapt as best as I could.
Of course, while all that was happening, people kept coming to the forest. The regulars among them were, naturally, Yoo Chae-rin and Im Ha-neul.
However, the way we met changed a bit after I moved dens.
Originally, they would come to the cave, but now I was the one going to them.
It was a bit of a hassle, but... well, I needed outside information anyway.
"What's the occasion, Ha-neul? You came to deliver the info instead of Chae-rin today?"
"She's busy levelling up these days."
"Ah."
The main thing I asked about was the Knights' movements.
If a subjugation squad was ever coming, the Knights would be the first to move, after all.
"Well... I don't think you need to worry too much for now. They seem incredibly busy lately."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Dantalion, for one. The Lemegeton Cult bastards are up to some weird stuff these days. So they're in pursuit."
She told me that recently, someone had been buying lumber and bricks in bulk from the marketplace. They hadn't been able to figure out the buyer's identity yet, but it was probably Lemegeton.
They were moving busily too, as if they were trying to build some kind of structure.
Dantalion was still alive as well.
Because of all that, the Knights were reportedly still so busy they didn't have a moment to rest.
Hearing that, I let out a sigh of relief.
"Phew..."
That was a relief, at least. My lifeline could be extended a little longer.
On the other hand, a thought occurred to me.
'Wait, does that mean there was no real need for me to move right now?'
Honestly, when it came to comfort, the old place was the best.
But that complacent thought lasted only a moment, and I soon shook my head.
No, I'd only just moved, and I was already thinking like this?
Since I never knew when a subjugation squad might attack, it was right to keep living here for now.
'Well, I did dig a secret passage in the cave anyway, so it'd probably be fine...'
In any case, time passed.
Other than the change of house, life was no different from usual.
I hunted, ate, and slept. Rinse and repeat.
There were times in between when I got bored, but I could solve that by meeting the people who came into the forest.
"No, where the hell did he go?"
"Wow, I can't find him no matter how hard I look."
When I didn't feel like seeing people, I hid from the uninvited guests who entered the forest.
"Hello! Today's content is—!"
Sometimes I ran into Chae-rin and ended up on her stream.
"Today I brought some pretty surprising news. Among the Otherworlders, someone's appeared who can use a Sword Aura. And in my country, no less."
Sometimes I chatted with Im Ha-neul or Yoo Chae-rin and listened to the information they brought.
It was a more peaceful daily life than I'd expected.
Nothing special happened, and there hadn't yet been any intruders coming into this place.
It seemed that, just as she'd said, the outside world really was busy. Busy enough that they could hardly spare a thought for someone like me.
But the longer I lived, the more my complaints about my current den piled up.
Living there revealed more than a few inconveniences.
First, the pit's entrance was wider than I'd thought.
Because of that, the level of wind coming in was no joke.
No matter how I covered it up by layering wood, wind still seeped in through the gaps.
Well, it'd be cool in the summer, but thinking about winter made me feel bleak.
Second, the floor was way too bumpy. Even when I laid something down to flatten it, I could still feel protruding lumps when I lay down.
In short, it was pretty damn uncomfortable to sleep.
Other than that, I had to walk all the way to a distant lake to wash up.
The pit was smaller than I thought, and there were plenty of other minor discomforts.
Still, I tried to somehow endure and keep living there.
...If only it hadn't been for that last incident.
What finally made me snap was when Berserk hit again after another month had passed.
Thankfully, it was B-type this time. My den being drenched in blood could be avoided.
"Hoo..."
Once again, what erupted was lust, so I was in the middle of self-relief, trying to quell the urge.
Stuck in a pit and jerking off without even any side dishes...
I felt slightly pathetic, but I had no choice.
Berserk B was easier to endure than A, but not to the point where I could ignore it.
Anyway, I was lying there with my clothes off, relieving the desire, when it happened.
Suddenly, an uninvited guest entered the pit.
"Kkyuryuk...?"
It was a very cute rabbit. One that had grown somewhat giant from Demonic Energy, but was still a fluffy, white rabbit.
True to its herbivore nature, it didn't attack me. It just stared at me intently.
"..."
A suffocating silence hung in the air for a moment.
My naked body was reflected in its bright red pupils.
The emotion I felt in that moment was... beyond words.
It was as if the rabbit was mocking me.
Luckily, the creature left the pit soon after, but my sense of shame lingered for a long time, tormenting me.
It was a very long night...
*
"Ah, yeah. The original place really is the best."
A few days after that, I returned to the cave without a moment's delay.
The familiar scenery greeted me. It was a warm sight I'd seen for over ten years.
'Yeah.'
Even if someone came and I died, I might as well die in the place I'd lived in.
There was no way I could live in that pit.
"Whoa, a lot of dust piled up while I was gone."
Of course, I hadn't completely abandoned that pit.
It was uncomfortable to live in, but it was still a space where beasts didn't enter well and people couldn't easily reach.
I planned to use it as a hideout if a subjugation squad came charging in later.
In any case, I'd already tunneled a side path into the cave, so I didn't have to worry about being surrounded.
So, after cleaning my house once, I flopped down roughly.
For one reason or another, this place was good. I'd lived here for over ten years and couldn't leave it so easily.
That was when I was resting for a bit.
"Hm?"
Thud, thud.
Someone came, accompanied by oddly vigorous footsteps.
It was three armed women. From the weapons and armor each wore, they looked like high-level adventurers.
They looked at me and started talking among themselves lightly.
"Is this the one?"
"Yes, that's right. That bastard is the demon spawn!"
"Heh, his looks are something to see, at least. Worth coming all the way to this dangerous place."
I raised my guard and activated Player's Eye.
It was quite a curious combination.
One of them was an Otherworlder, and the other two were Gaia natives.
From the looks of it, the Otherworlder had brought the other two here.
I looked at them and asked.
"What are you people? Why did you come here...?"
"Why'd we come, you little shit?"
One of the adventurers grinned.
"To collect the bounty on your head."
She drew her sword and began charging at me.