I opened my mouth again, then immediately shut it.
‘What am I supposed to say... It’s fine? It’s not fine? I also just stabbed something that wasn’t human for the first time? No, actually, I’ve never even stabbed a person before?’
Everything sounded strange.
My hand was still trembling like an idiot, and blood was dripping from the tip of the dagger.
The smell of goblin blood, burning flesh, and the damp, earthy scent unique to caves all stabbed into my nose at once. Now that the place where we’d been fighting for our lives until moments ago had gone quiet, the situation itself felt even more unreal.
“Don’t just stand there. Come over here.”
It was a short, cold voice.
The healer with ash-brown hair spoke without even looking at me. Her hands were still pressed to the injured man’s side, and a faint light trembled precariously over the wound.
“Watch the floor there. It’s slippery because of the blood.”
Her words brought me back to my senses a little.
“Ah... yes.”
The answer came out reflexively.
Still holding the dagger, I carefully approached. Goblin corpses lay scattered all over the cavern floor. With every few steps I took, I could see blood spreading into the cracks between the stones.
Beneath my feet were the things I had killed.
‘Ugh...’
I averted my gaze.
“Kaya, can you hold on?”
The mage with reddish-brown hair asked over her shoulder while still keeping watch on me.
“I have to.”
Kaya answered without blinking.
“I barely stopped the bleeding, but if we delay any longer, it’ll burst open again.”
Only then did the injured man let out a short breath and speak.
“Name first.”
He was still covered in blood. Even after losing that much from his side, he hadn’t collapsed yet and was still enduring it.
“...I’m Siyun.”
When I answered, the reddish-brown-haired woman immediately narrowed her brows.
“Si...yun?”
It must have sounded strange to her, an unfamiliar pronunciation.
I said it again, clearly.
“Baek. Si. Yun.”
At that moment, both of them looked at my face for a little longer.
Now that I thought about it, black hair and black eyes.
When I’d only seen myself in the mirror, I was just some Korean guy, but mixed in among these people, I definitely stood out.
‘To think I’d become a black-haired foreigner!’
Which meant I must look even more suspicious.
The healer said briefly,
“I’m Kaya. This is Roy. The bad-tempered one over there is Mari.”
“Kaya.”
Mari immediately cut in with an irritated voice.
“Did you have to introduce me like that?”
“We’re alive.”
Kaya replied without taking her hands away.
“We can at least know each other’s names.”
Mari let out a short sigh.
Roy looked at me and said in a low voice,
“Roy Vesta.”
He jerked his chin toward the reddish-brown-haired woman.
“...Mari.”
Short. But enough.
Mari was still glaring at me. Open suspicion was practically stamped across her face.
At first, I hadn’t been sure whether her face was pretty or sharp, but right now it was neither. She just looked like someone quick-tempered and sensitive.
Kaya immediately asked,
“Can you walk?”
At first, I wasn’t sure who she was talking to, then I realized it was me.
“Ah... yes, I’m fine.”
“Good. Then support Roy on the other side.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She gave me a role so naturally that I moved on reflex.
“Mari, watch the front.”
“I already am.”
“Save the temper for later.”
Even as Kaya said that, she drew out a little more light from her hands. I could see the blood clotted around Roy’s side just barely stop. It wasn’t a full recovery—it really felt like she was only holding on to his lifeline.
I moved to Roy’s other side. Up close, Roy was heavier than I expected. It wasn’t just because of his body weight. It was more like the force with which he was holding himself up had its own weight. There was still strength left in the hand gripping his sword, and though his legs looked ready to give out at any second, he was forcing himself to endure.
“...Sorry.”
Roy said shortly.
I immediately shook my head.
“No, it’s fine.”
Mari nudged a corpse in front of her aside with the tip of her foot as she passed, then suddenly crouched down. She pulled a short knife from her waist and slit open the chest of a charred black goblin.
“What are you doing?”
Mari looked at me as if I were ridiculous.
“What do you think? I’m taking out the magic stone.”
Only then did I see it. A small stone had been revealed inside. It was a murky gray-green stone, about two or three finger joints in size.
‘A magic stone?’
This really was a fantasy world.
Seeing my dumbfounded expression, Mari snorted.
“What? First time seeing a magic stone?”
“...Yes.”
“Yeah, you look it.”
With practiced hands, she pulled out the magic stone and put it into a leather pouch. She took another from the corpse Roy had cut down too. Her movements were quick and without hesitation.
Kaya said coldly,
“Is now really the time to be collecting those?”
“You think it’ll piss me off less if we go through all this shit and come back empty-handed?”
“...Take two more and then we move. No more than that.”
“Tsk... fine.”
It was a short exchange, but it showed.
Who moved first, who would compromise and how far—it was like it had already been ingrained in their bodies.
‘So this isn’t their first time?’
I asked reflexively,
“Why did you come here?”
When the question slipped out, all three of them looked at me for a moment. Even then, Mari took the lead and checked the passage, Kaya held Roy’s wound, and Roy, leaning a little of his weight on my shoulder, opened his mouth.
“Goblin den subjugation.”
A short answer.
Kaya continued after him.
“Goblin appearances have been increasing around the village lately, so a guild request came down. Basic reward, with extra settlement for magic stones.”
Mari muttered while looking ahead,
“It was deeper than expected... There were more side tunnels connected further in. And there were at least twice as many as estimated.”
Roy let out a low breath.
“...I was hit first.”
That one sentence was enough. Roy had been badly injured early on, Kaya had been tied down stopping the bleeding, and Mari had held out alone until she was finally cornered at the end... The fact that Mari had endured all that on her own meant she wasn’t ordinary.
I nodded.
“I see.”
Then, after a brief pause, I opened my mouth again.
“But... where exactly is this?”
Their gazes fixed on me again.
A little late, I added,
“I... remember basic common sense and language, but place names and how I got here are kind of...”
Mari’s brows furrowed.
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
“I know I look suspicious.”
“Who would believe that?”
That was when Kaya explained in her place.
“This is the outskirts forest of Loenheim, near the royal capital region in the center of the Kingdom of Astraheim. We’re currently returning to a pioneer village under Loenheim’s jurisdiction.”
The moment those words fell, the Archive quietly reacted.
The center of the Kingdom of Astraheim.
The royal capital region.
Loenheim.
I felt the translated concepts organize themselves once more inside my head.
Good. So it was something like the metropolitan area.
“You came all the way into a goblin den without even knowing that?”
Mari tossed out.
“Yes...”
“Suspicious.”
“I know.”
“That makes you even more suspicious.”
Kaya called her name shortly.
“Mari.”
“...Fine.”
We headed out of the cave like that.
Even the path I’d seen on the way in felt completely different on the way out. The smell of blood had grown thicker, and the gravel beneath my feet was more slippery.
The dagger in my hand was drenched with blood and sweat. The grip was so slick that I had to adjust how I held it twice.
When we emerged from the passage, outside light entered my eyes again.
After being inside the dark cave, seeing the forest and sunlight made me strangely dizzy. The sun hadn’t completely set yet, but the trees were so dense that the forest path had already grown dim.
A breeze brushed my face, and the smell of earth and trees came back to me.
‘How the hell did I survive that?’
The thought came to me belatedly.
Once we reached the cave entrance, Roy staggered heavily. I grabbed him tighter on reflex.
Kaya said shortly,
“Let’s rest for a moment.”
We slowly sat Roy down beside a nearby boulder.
Kaya checked his wound again. A pale light leaked from her fingertips. Beads of sweat ran down her jawline. Her expression was calm, but she didn’t look relaxed.
Mari swept her eyes over the surroundings.
“No sign of anything following us.”
Kaya gave a short nod.
Only then did I look down at the dagger in my hand.
Goblin blood.
A torn sleeve.
Dark red stains dried on the back of my hand.
With this hand, I had just killed several living beings.
It felt a little strange.
Seeing that, Mari raised one eyebrow.
“For a country bumpkin, you weren’t bad.”
“Pardon?”
“That was a compliment.”
“It didn’t sound like one at all.”
“Then pretend you didn’t hear it.”
Her temper was foul. But there wasn’t only malice in her voice itself.
While holding Roy’s wound, Kaya asked,
“You said you got lost in the forest.”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember where you came from?”
“...I don’t.”
I paused for a moment.
“It’s just as I said earlier. I remember basic things, but... everything else feels like it’s missing here and there.”
As soon as I said that, Mari snorted.
“You know that’s a really convenient excuse, right?”
“It’s not exactly convenient...”
“Then it’s even more suspicious.”
Roy asked in her place,
“You didn’t run away.”
I raised my head.
He was still pale, but his eyes hadn’t clouded over.
“In a goblin den you’d never seen before... you heard someone scream and came toward it. Most people wouldn’t come to save anyone, if only because their own life is precious...”
“I didn’t... do it because I wanted to.”
“Then?”
“Just...”
My words trailed off.
Human Ranch.
The Hallway of Flesh Books.
The Black Cosmos Breeding Farm.
Those words flashed through my mind for a moment.
“I thought if I ignored it and passed by, it would keep bothering me.”
After saying it, I felt kind of stupid. But it was the most accurate answer.
Roy quietly looked at me, then gave a very small nod.
Kaya said briefly,
“Let’s go. Roy, you need to endure until we reach the Healing Sanctuary.”
After resting a little, we moved again.
Kaya and I each took one side of Roy, while Mari walked ahead, checking the path. A small flame was gathered at her fingertips. It seemed she was using it like a torch. Thanks to that light, the forest path was a little less frightening.
As we walked, I quietly looked around.
There were clearly traces of human passage.
Marks carved into trees with a knife.
Shallow ruts left by wheels.
In some places, the grass had been trampled flat.
Signs of civilization.
The Dimensional Archive had been right.
How many steps had we gone like that?
The light at Kaya’s fingertips shook violently.
“Wait.”
For the first time, her voice cracked low.
Blood began spreading from Roy’s side again. Dark red suddenly seeped out from between the wound she had been holding closed.
Kaya’s expression hardened for the first time.
“Fuck...”
Mari spat the curse like she was biting it out.
Roy’s weight suddenly lurched to one side.
For a moment, I thought we’d collapse together.
But I held on.
My foot planted itself on the ground first, and my body naturally accepted Roy’s weight. Even with Roy’s weight tipping to one side, my center of balance didn’t falter.
‘If this were before, I would’ve gone down with him... Is this thanks to the Heavenly Demon Body?’
Kaya’s voice fell sharply.
“Siyun, don’t let go.”
“Yes.”
“Good. We go like this.”
“Hurry!”
This time it was Mari.
We hurried along the forest path, practically dragging Roy with us. Roy clenched his teeth and barely moved his feet, while Kaya held his wound even as she walked. Every time the light wavered, blood seeped out little by little.
Kaya’s breathing grew rough.
“Just hold on until the Healing Sanctuary.”
“...Yeah.”
Roy forced the word out in a low, grinding voice.
I took on more of Roy’s weight. My arm went numb and my shoulder pulled, but strangely, I didn’t collapse. Instead, I shifted the weight into a more comfortable posture. I was out of breath, but my body moved more and more efficiently.
After stubbornly pushing on for a long while, I saw light between the trees. At first it was faint, then it gradually became clearer.
Torches.
Light from windows.
The silhouettes of roofs.
‘GG.’
It was a village. A real village. A place where real people lived.
Then Mari muttered quietly,
“What a goddamn ordeal, seriously...”
For the first time, I could hear the strength leave her voice.
At the village entrance stood a low fence and gate woven from wood. Two guards were standing there, and the moment they saw us, their expressions changed completely.
“Roy!”
“What’s with all that blood!”
One of them ran over. The other looked my way and immediately went on guard. His gaze swept over my hair, my face, and all the way down to my hands.
“Who is that bastard?”
“…He’s on our side.”
Roy spoke first, even as he gasped for breath. It was only a brief sentence, but it carried weight.
“If it weren’t for him… I… Kaya… Mari… we’d all be dead.”
At that, both guards looked at my face again. Their suspicion hadn’t disappeared, but it felt different from before.
‘Roy, nice!’
Kaya spoke curtly.
“Explanations later. For now, let’s get to the healing sanctuary.”
“Should we inform the guild too?”
“Do it. The Order and the guild both.”
People began moving in a hurry.
Someone quickly supported Roy, someone ran off to find a stretcher, and someone glanced at me while whispering.
An outsider.
Covered in blood.
A suspicious man.
Something along those lines, probably.
Mari brushed past me and tossed out a remark.
“Don’t even think about running.”
“I don’t have anywhere to run to, though?”
“…That’s true.”
Leaving only those words behind, she took the lead.
We pushed straight into the village.
Light leaked over low walls, and the faint smell of dinner being cooked drifted from house to house. In the midst of it all, one building stood out, unusually bright.
White-painted walls.
Bell-shaped ornaments.
Above the door hung the emblem of the Ruen Order.
It was the healing sanctuary.
When the door opened, warm air and the scent of medicinal herbs poured out at the same time.
“Trauma patient!”
Kaya shouted.
“Incision wound to the side, severe blood loss, emergency hemostasis currently maintained!”
Two people wearing white clothes and gray outer robes rushed out from inside at once. One of them, an older priest, looked at Roy’s wound and his expression stiffened.
“This is serious.”
“Can you save him?”
“Shut your mouth and lay him down first.”
Roy was moved onto the stretcher, and Kaya immediately stayed beside him to relay the situation. Mari had stepped back.
I stood near the threshold of the healing sanctuary and watched.
Only then did the tension begin to ease, little by little.
A living world.
A place with doors, a ceiling, human hands, and people moving to save someone.
Even so, I couldn’t feel completely relieved.
After finishing the handover, Kaya walked toward me.
“Come with me. We need to get you confirmed at the guild.”
“Right now?”
“Roy is in their hands. We have to do what we have to do.”
Leaning against the wall, Mari said,
“You’re lucky~ We’ll be able to vouch for you properly.”
“Can’t you say it a little more nicely?”
“Is there a reason I should?”
It was then.
Heavy footsteps sounded from outside the healing sanctuary.
Thud, thud, thud.
They were steady, measured footsteps.
The thick wooden door opened again.
A large shadow entered first beneath the lamplight.
Broad shoulders, a firm jawline, attire without a single unnecessary detail.
He wasn’t fully armored, yet from the way he stood alone, I could tell he was someone considerably strong.
No one had to explain anything; the air inside the healing sanctuary quieted first. The two priests closed their mouths, and even the footsteps coming and going from inside noticeably diminished.
Mari clicked her tongue briefly.
“He’s here already.”
The man first glanced once at Roy on the stretcher. Only then did he slowly shift his gaze to me.
The moment those eyes swept over my body, a chill ran down my spine.
He wasn’t just looking at my face. They were eyes that read my hair color, eyes, build, hands, even the way I stood, all at once.
Then a young priest beside him spoke in a low voice.
“Vice Guildmaster Garen.”
Before the name could even settle in my head, a low, hard voice fell.
“Who is the stranger?”