Chapter 4: Tutorial (3)

Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 4: Tutorial (3)

As far as Dungeon and Stone was concerned, I was an expert. What kinds of monsters would appear and from where, their behaviors, and their weaknesses—I could recite it all from memory without trouble. I made my final decision. With the body of a barbarian and my knowledge of the game, I could survive in this labyrinth just fine. Or at least I thought I could.

"Man..."

As soon as I entered the labyrinth, my vision went dark. Not as an omen for the future, but literally—I couldn't see anything. I probably wouldn't even notice if someone put a blindfold over my eyes. There really wouldn't be much of a difference.

"Fuck."

I felt like I'd been slapped hard over the back of the head. The other barbarians had each only been carrying their one weapon, so I hadn't been concerned either. There should be no need for a torch on the first floor because the crystals on the wall acted as a light source. Of course, the first floor also had a dark zone. But except for the outermost part of the labyrinth that led to the second floor, the dark zone was strictly confined to one section—

Oh, did I fall into that section?

I quickly thought this through. When entering a labyrinth, the place you spawned was random. I mean, it was supposed to be random, but you were never thrown into an area like this. Even if you started at the outskirts, a glowing crystal was always nearby. However, this was not the world of a game experienced through a screen. What if all of those things were a kind of courtesy the creators of the game provided?

What if, in reality, a shitty starting position like the dark zone was the norm? If so, that could explain my current situation. Yes, that had to be the case. If the entire first floor was like this, I didn't have confidence that I'd survive a single day.

"Ha..."

I was able to calm down after getting my thoughts in order. Fortunately, my eyes had adapted to the darkness, so my vision was much better. However, I could still only make out outlines. At least the situation was not so dire that I needed to bite my tongue and take myself out. I decided to run through all the necessary tests. After all, I was finally alone.

"Status window, equipment window, character information, stats, inventory. Journal check, and fuck my life."

Of course, none of it worked. Well, I didn't expect it to, anyway.

"Let's go."

With the shield in one hand and gripping the wall with the other, I moved forward. My speed was slightly faster than a crawl. Well, maybe not? Perhaps crawling would be faster, but I couldn't go any faster than this. It was dangerous—

"Aaaaaah!"

Suddenly, a sharp pain erupted in my ankle. It was a pain unlike anything I'd ever felt before in my life, and my nerve endings were tingling. But even in situations like this, I tried to figure out what had just happened. What had gone wrong? Even without a battle log, the answer came to me quickly.

[You have stepped on a goblin trap.]

Fuck, I just walked into a trap.

***

Where did I slip up? The answer was simple.

The shield provided me with a sense of stability but also obscured much of my line of sight. If I had put my shield on my belt and focused on watching my step, I might have seen the trap in my path. What's the use of a shield if you can't see, anyway? I should have focused on practicality rather than peace of mind.

God damn it.

"Ugh..."

My mind went blank. I wanted to scream, but I desperately suppressed it. I couldn't be sure whether screaming would make me feel better, but I did know for sure that it would make the situation worse.

Thump-thump-thump.

My heart was pounding wildly.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo...."

I pressed my lips together and forced myself to control my breathing. I couldn't think about the pain I was feeling.

Only one type of monster on the first floor used traps. Goblins. And they had to be nearby.

I reflexively raised my shield to cover my head. Then, I stopped breathing and focused all my attention on what I could hear. I couldn't hear anything. It was so quiet, it was as if time itself had stopped.

Maybe they're not here...?

I didn't know. That might be the case. I might have gotten lucky, and they left their stations right at this exact moment. Even goblins needed to poop.

As if. You don't actually think that.

I stomped down the hope creeping up inside me and threw it right out of my head. There were two reasons for that.

One, there was a difference between being positive and being unrealistic.

Two, what I needed right now was a pessimistic mindset.

If you cannot be sure, assume the worst.

The goblin heard my scream. It was hiding somewhere in the dark, waiting quietly for me to lose all my strength. That was why I hadn't heard any sounds. It was just like this in the game, too. If there was a trap, there was always a goblin in its vicinity.

"Hoo..."

I slowly resumed breathing. Since my surroundings were quiet, as long as I stayed on guard, I would detect any movements.

First, I had to take care of pressing matters.

"...Hmp!"

Lowering my stance, I opened the trap with both hands and pulled my foot out. Then, after tearing off the hem of my trousers, I took off my shoe and applied pressure to the wound. I decided to get rid of the bloody shoe. It couldn't even be called a shoe. They were sandals that were closer to flip-flops. Damn ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠barbarian idiots. If only they'd sent us out with leather boots, I wouldn't have been practically incapacitated by a single trap...

Fuck, what am I thinking about right now?

I caught myself being illogical, and my mind froze. Let's not be even more pathetic. No matter how much I cursed out the barbarians, the situation would not change. In the end, this was my fault for not properly watching my step.

So stop whining and check your injury... Damn, this is really bad.

I couldn't feel anything in my right foot anymore. I could only feel heat, but even that sensation was starting to grow duller.

"I know you're hiding, so come out," I muttered quietly.

Still, beyond the darkness, there was no sign of movement. So, I slowly moved forward. My steps echoed softly off the labyrinth's walls.

Step. Step.

My leg was crushed, but the pain was not as severe as I had expected. It was probably because of a paralyzing poison on the trap... I didn't know if that was a good thing.

"Come out, you asshole."

I didn't hesitate to provoke the goblins this time as I continued to move forward. Time was not on my side. If I were going to have to fight, the sooner I got to it, the better. There was my injury to think about, but also, the possibility that this bastard was waiting for his comrades could not be ignored.

Thump-thump-thump.

My heart was pounding wildly.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo...."

I pressed my lips together and forced myself to control my breathing. I couldn't think about the pain I was feeling.

Only one type of monster on the first floor used traps. Goblins. And they had to be nearby.

I reflexively raised my shield to cover my head. Then, I stopped breathing and focused all my attention on what I could hear. I couldn't hear anything. It was so quiet, it was as if time itself had stopped.

Maybe they're not here...?

I didn't know. That might be the case. I might have gotten lucky, and they left their stations right at this exact moment. Even goblins needed to poop.

As if. You don't actually think that.

I stomped down the hope creeping up inside me and threw it right out of my head. There were two reasons for that.

One, there was a difference between being positive and being unrealistic.

Two, what I needed right now was a pessimistic mindset.

If you cannot be sure, assume the worst.

The goblin heard my scream. It was hiding somewhere in the dark, waiting quietly for me to lose all my strength. That was why I hadn't heard any sounds. It was just like this in the game, too. If there was a trap, there was always a goblin in its vicinity.

"Hoo..."

I slowly resumed breathing. Since my surroundings were quiet, as long as I stayed on guard, I would detect any movements.

First, I had to take care of pressing matters.

"...Hmp!"

Lowering my stance, I opened the trap with both hands and pulled my foot out. Then, after tearing off the hem of my trousers, I took off my shoe and applied pressure to the wound. I decided to get rid of the bloody shoe. It couldn't even be called a shoe. They were sandals that were closer to flip-flops. Damn barbarian idiots. If only they'd sent us out with leather boots, I wouldn't have been practically incapacitated by a single trap...

Fuck, what am I thinking about right now?

I caught myself being illogical, and my mind froze. Let's not be even more pathetic. No matter how much I cursed out the barbarians, the situation would not change. In the end, this was my fault for not properly watching my step.

So stop whining and check your injury... Damn, this is really bad.

I couldn't feel anything in my right foot anymore. I could only feel heat, but even that sensation was starting to grow duller.

"I know you're hiding, so come out," I muttered quietly.

Still, beyond the darkness, there was no sign of movement. So, I slowly moved forward. My steps echoed softly off the labyrinth's walls.

Step. Step.

My leg was crushed, but the pain was not as severe as I had expected. It was probably because of a paralyzing poison on the trap... I didn't know if that was a good thing.

"Come out, you asshole."

I didn't hesitate to provoke the goblins this time as I continued to move forward. Time was not on my side. If I were going to have to fight, the sooner I got to it, the better. There was my injury to think about, but also, the possibility that this bastard was waiting for his comrades could not be ignored.

"Aren't you coming?"

Of course, there was a possibility I was delusional, and there were no such things as goblins here. That would make me the blockhead who had stepped on a trap and was now acting like a lunatic. But what was wrong with that? If I were a lunatic, I would like to be a lunatic who survived.

"Then just stay there. I'm leaving."

I sped up. It was still a little faster than a crawl, but it felt like sprinting a marathon.

Left foot. Right foot. Left foot...

As I was walking, my right foot started to throb. I panted loudly. It was either one of two things. Either the effect of the paralyzing poison had expired, or the pain had become severe enough that the poison was not enough to numb it. Come to think of it, neither of those two things was bad. If the poison's effects were over, that was good, and the fact that I could feel pain meant that my nerve endings were still intact.

Why can I only think positively when it comes to stuff like this?

Well, I didn't want to think about that right now. I couldn't even think about that right now.

"...Your mom's a goblin."

Words came out of my mouth without a filter. Maybe I had lost too much blood. I felt like my brain was soaked in alcohol.

"Your dad's also a goblin."

Of course, as I was spitting these insults out, my feet did not stop moving.

"So you're a goblin."

At that moment, the creature made a sound for the first time. It was a small noise, but it was very loud to my ears, which were listening to it.

Splat—

Finally, the bastard was showing himself.

"What? Can't stand your parents being cursed at?"

Of course, I knew that was not the case. It hadn't even been an insult in the first place... The sound came from behind me. It was far more likely that the goblin had been forced to move as I got farther and farther away from it. I accelerated even more. The sound of the monster's footsteps also accelerated.

Splat... Splat... Splat...

The sound of its footsteps, which were getting clearer, was unusual. Every time it walked, it sounded like something sticky had stuck to a smooth surface and fallen off. Even though I knew goblins were no taller than three feet tall, it felt as if a huge monster was chasing after me. To shake off my fear, I kept talking to it.

I was a barbarian. If I engaged in close combat, I would never lose to a goblin.

"Don't just follow me, come at me. You fucker."

For that reason, I continued to provoke the goblin, but it kept following behind me at the same distance. It didn't even seem to want to hide itself anymore.

"Grk, Grk...!"

The noise it made sounded almost like howling, but I could somehow tell.

"Grgh! Grk!"

The bastard was giggling. It was genuinely delighted to see its prey bleeding and dying. It probably hoped I would hear it and be terrified.

...Smart bastard. Okay. Change of plans.

I stopped in my tracks. Then, I stumbled and fell to the floor.

Thump!

My forehead hit a rock and felt like it was going to split open, but I didn't make a sound. From now on, this was a battle of patience. If it thought I passed out and approached first, I would win. If I actually passed out before that, I'd lose.

"Aren't you coming?"

Of course, there was a possibility I was delusional, and there were no such things as goblins here. That would make me the blockhead who had stepped on a trap and was now acting like a lunatic. But what was wrong with that? If I were a lunatic, I would like to be a lunatic who survived.

"Then just stay there. I'm leaving."

I sped up. It was still a little faster than a crawl, but it felt like sprinting a marathon.

Left foot. Right foot. Left foot...

As I was walking, my right foot started to throb. I panted loudly. It was either one of two things. Either the effect of the paralyzing poison had expired, or the pain had become severe enough that the poison was not enough to numb it. Come to think of it, neither of those two things was bad. If the poison's effects were over, that was good, and the fact that I could feel pain meant that my nerve endings were still intact.

Why can I only think positively when it comes to stuff like this?

Well, I didn't want to think about that right now. I couldn't even think about that right now.

"...Your mom's a goblin."

Words came out of my mouth without a filter. Maybe I had lost too much blood. I felt like my brain was soaked in alcohol.

"Your dad's also a goblin."

Of course, as I was spitting these insults out, my feet did not stop moving.

"So you're a goblin."

At that moment, the creature made a sound for the first time. It was a small noise, but it was very loud to my ears, which were listening to it.

Splat—

Finally, the bastard was showing himself.

"What? Can't stand your parents being cursed at?"

Of course, I knew that was not the case. It hadn't even been an insult in the first place... The sound came from behind me. It was far more likely that the goblin had been forced to move as I got farther and farther away from it. I accelerated even more. The sound of the monster's footsteps also accelerated.

Splat... Splat... Splat...

The sound of its footsteps, which were getting clearer, was unusual. Every time it walked, it sounded like something sticky had stuck to a smooth surface and fallen off. Even though I knew goblins were no taller than three feet tall, it felt as if a huge monster was chasing after me. To shake off my fear, I kept talking to it.

I was a barbarian. If I engaged in close combat, I would never lose to a goblin.

"Don't just follow me, come at me. You fucker."

For that reason, I continued to provoke the goblin, but it kept following behind me at the same distance. It didn't even seem to want to hide itself anymore.

"Grk, Grk...!"

The noise it made sounded almost like howling, but I could somehow tell.

"Grgh! Grk!"

The bastard was giggling. It was genuinely delighted to see its prey bleeding and dying. It probably hoped I would hear it and be terrified.

...Smart bastard. Okay. Change of plans.

I stopped in my tracks. Then, I stumbled and fell to the floor.

Thump!

My forehead hit a rock and felt like it was going to split open, but I didn't make a sound. From now on, this was a battle of patience. If it thought I passed out and approached first, I would win. If I actually passed out before that, I'd lose.

"Grk?"

I decided to put my faith in the toughness of this body that had walked about three hundred yards with a busted foot.

Splat—

The sound of its footsteps was getting closer and closer. Its progress was so slow it was yawn-inducing. Even though its prey had collapsed just like it had wanted, it was still suspicious.

Damn, why is this goblin so careful?

At that moment, the curses came easily. Goblins were the weakest trash mobs in the game. They used poisons and installed traps, but aside from that, their combat power was low. But the goblin I had just encountered?

Splat—

It was definitely not something to underestimate. I realized now why the village's NPCs always talked about the goblins' cleverness. From what I could tell, these goblins were several times more intelligent than those barbarian clowns.

Splat—

It stopped somewhere between five to ten yards behind me. Why? Just as I was questioning this, a dull shock jolted through my shoulder.

Tap. Roll...

What? Did this fucker throw a stone at me? ...It's not going to keep throwing, is it?

"Grk...! Grk!"

Despite my fears, the monster spat out a howl of joy. As I hadn't given any reaction to the stoning, it seemed truly convinced I was dead.

Splat, splat, splat, splat—

The goblin came over to me quickly. I could feel how excited it was as it skipped over. I steeled my nerves and used the sound to estimate its distance. And when I figured it was close enough—

"You fucker!"

I jumped up and shot a fist toward him. I figured punching was quicker than picking up the shield and slamming the monster down with it. However, I soon had a gut feeling that my plan had gone awry. Again, there were two reasons for this.

First of all, the distance between us was about a step too far.

And second, the bastard was much more agile than I had expected.

"Grk!"

The goblin bent its back and stepped backward. I couldn't see it, but it felt like that was what it had done. I instinctively realized that I had missed it.

Damn it, what now?

I turned the gears in my head and prepared my next plan of action. But at that moment, my body moved on its own.

It was truly a strange feeling. My surroundings were still dark, but I intuitively knew where the goblin had jumped. Once I realized that, my hand was already flying toward the goblin.

"Grk?!"

I felt something with my fingertips. It didn't matter if it was a wrist, an ankle, or a neck.

"Ahh!"

I screamed and slammed the goblin to the floor. Crack! There was the sound of something breaking. But I couldn't relax yet, so I immediately climbed on top of the goblin's body.

"G-Grk!"

The tables had turned.

"I'm above you, and you're below me. You fucker!"

I punched the goblin in the face like a madman. There were times when I punched the floor during the frenzy, but this barbarian's body was much stronger than I had assumed. Instead of hurting my fist, the stone floor cracked under it.

Soon, the goblin's movements ceased. And...

Whish—!

Dust scattered. It was an unusually shiny dust. I stopped my fists. At some point, the body below me had disintegrated into little pieces.

I mean, come on.

"Ha! Fuck, even this is the same?"

Please, one or the other. Is this a game, or is this just a world that's similar to the game? How am I supposed to know which one it is?

[You have defeated the goblin. EXP +1]

Soon after, the goblin's body disappeared without a trace. Feeling dejected for some unknown reason, I picked up a small stone that had been left in the spot it had once occupied.

[You have acquired a tier nine Mana Stone.]

It wasn't strong, but it shone faintly. This was a magic stone serving as currency in Dungeon and Stone. How much was this worth? A memory soon came to mind.

"A slice of bread."

That had been the average value of the mana stones spat out by goblins in the game. I scoffed.

"Hahaha... This is all I get after all that?"

My jumbled-up mind became a little clearer. It felt like that moment of laughter that always came after a good cry.

"Heh heh..."

I was inside a labyrinth, and there were monsters. Dead monsters disappeared, leaving an item drop. And in the city outside, otherworldly races existed and lived side by side. That was genuinely how this world operated. But...

There was no way I was going to treat this new reality like it was just a game. I wasn't going to let it trip me up anymore.

"Grk?"

I decided to put my faith in the toughness of this body that had walked about three hundred yards with a busted foot.

Splat—

The sound of its footsteps was getting closer and closer. Its progress was so slow it was yawn-inducing. Even though its prey had collapsed just like it had wanted, it was still suspicious.

Damn, why is this goblin so careful?

At that moment, the curses came easily. Goblins were the weakest trash mobs in the game. They used poisons and installed traps, but aside from that, their combat power was low. But the goblin I had just encountered?

Splat—

It was definitely not something to underestimate. I realized now why the village's NPCs always talked about the goblins' cleverness. From what I could tell, these goblins were several times more intelligent than those barbarian clowns.

Splat—

It stopped somewhere between five to ten yards behind me. Why? Just as I was questioning this, a dull shock jolted through my shoulder.

Tap. Roll...

What? Did this fucker throw a stone at me? ...It's not going to keep throwing, is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it?

"Grk...! Grk!"

Despite my fears, the monster spat out a howl of joy. As I hadn't given any reaction to the stoning, it seemed truly convinced I was dead.

Splat, splat, splat, splat—

The goblin came over to me quickly. I could feel how excited it was as it skipped over. I steeled my nerves and used the sound to estimate its distance. And when I figured it was close enough—

"You fucker!"

I jumped up and shot a fist toward him. I figured punching was quicker than picking up the shield and slamming the monster down with it. However, I soon had a gut feeling that my plan had gone awry. Again, there were two reasons for this.

First of all, the distance between us was about a step too far.

And second, the bastard was much more agile than I had expected.

"Grk!"

The goblin bent its back and stepped backward. I couldn't see it, but it felt like that was what it had done. I instinctively realized that I had missed it.

Damn it, what now?

I turned the gears in my head and prepared my next plan of action. But at that moment, my body moved on its own.

It was truly a strange feeling. My surroundings were still dark, but I intuitively knew where the goblin had jumped. Once I realized that, my hand was already flying toward the goblin.

"Grk?!"

I felt something with my fingertips. It didn't matter if it was a wrist, an ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ankle, or a neck.

"Ahh!"

I screamed and slammed the goblin to the floor. Crack! There was the sound of something ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠breaking. But I couldn't relax yet, so I immediately climbed on top of the goblin's body.

"G-Grk!"

The tables had turned.

"I'm above you, and you're below me. You fucker!"

I punched the goblin in the face like a madman. There were times when I punched the floor during the frenzy, but this barbarian's body was much stronger than I had assumed. Instead of hurting my fist, the stone floor cracked under it.

Soon, the goblin's movements ceased. And...

Whish—!

Dust scattered. It was an unusually shiny dust. I stopped my fists. At some point, the body below me had disintegrated into little pieces.

I mean, come on.

"Ha! Fuck, even this is the same?"

Please, one or the other. Is this a game, or is this just a world that's similar to the game? How am I supposed to know which one it is?

[You have defeated the goblin. EXP +1]

Soon after, the goblin's body disappeared without a trace. Feeling dejected for some unknown reason, I picked up a small stone that had been left in the spot it had once occupied.

[You have acquired a tier nine Mana Stone.]

It wasn't strong, but it shone faintly. This was a magic stone serving as currency in Dungeon and Stone. How much was this worth? A memory soon came to mind.

"A slice of bread."

That had been the average value of the mana stones spat out by goblins in the game. I scoffed.

"Hahaha... This is all I get after all that?"

My jumbled-up mind became a little clearer. It felt like that moment of laughter that always came after a good cry.

"Heh heh..."

I was inside a labyrinth, and there were monsters. Dead monsters disappeared, leaving an item drop. And in the city outside, otherworldly races existed and lived side by side. That was genuinely how this world operated. But...

There was no way I was going to treat this new reality like it was just a game. I wasn't going to let it trip me up anymore.