Smashing the ground with enough force to blow dust away, “West Gate is OUT OF THE QUESTION!” yelled one of the old men with a beard reaching his hairy chest.
The other says, “He’s right. West Gate has unordinary undead guarding the gate, even Travelers are keeping their distance from them.”
“And we can’t get through the North Gate without meeting the sea of Travelers.”
Travelers, it is what the people in this world call a player. Something I cannot believe however is the fact that these people are actually the same NPCs I met in my first playthrough back in my previous life. The time I plays also different, so I kept hugging my legs around these people, asking myself, ‘Why?’
'In any case, I’ve already prepared a plan to go through and get to the surface. Once this cutscene ends, I’ll get out, meet with Galliano, speedrun the North Gate and git.'
“What do you think, lass?”
“Eh?”
The bald old man stared at me after I heard that question. I thought to myself, ‘Was it him?’ my eyes peeled, ‘Did he just… talk to me?’
“Between all these 4 gates, which one do you think we should go for?”
“Wait, Boland, are you seriously asking a little girl about this?”
“I’d like to hear everyone’s opinion, Ken.”
‘Little girl?' made my eyes twitch, but, 'He’s talking to me… they’re talking about me. Boland, so that’s his name. Is this what playing Realism Mode is like? Am I going to be able to engage in a normal conversation with NPCs? Th-That’s cool, but…’
“So, what do you think, lass?”
“… Scary.”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
‘Shoot, did I say that out loud?’ but he actually responded, which caught me off guard, “Ahh um, nothing, I mean, um…”
‘Calm down, Siola. It’s just Baldy, it’s not like answering him is gonna kill you.’
This man is the last person in the group to die. I left him alone when a PK group came out to get me, I made him my shield while I escaped through the portal.
They’re waiting for me to answer, but I ponder about it a bit, ‘I’m playing on Realism Mode. The moment I got injured, it’s gonna hurt a lot. I already have a plan but… going to the North Gate with these guys. There’s bound for me to encounter another player killer. But I haven’t gone into the other gates before, what do I do?’
Experience is important, and if I can repeat the past but do it better, without a doubt I might be able to become the number one player in this lifetime, but my curiosity is still in gear. Recalling the past where Kurira talks about her experiences on passing through the South Gate which is the second easiest one out of the four.
Its layout. I drew it on the ground using my finger. Shaping the sands.
Between the South and the East, it’s arguable whether one is harder than the other, but I know that it’s possible to go through those Gates, unlike the West. With North being out of the question, I think it’s right for me to opt for the [Righteous End] Gate instead.
[Siola]: What about going this way? To the South Gate.
[Old Man Ken]: Why?
[Boland]: Kenmartha.
[Old Man Ken]: No, Boland. We can’t have her say her opinion if she doesn’t explain why she came to that decision. Especially after looking at our condition.
[???]: He’s right.
[Boland]: Dura…
The baldy sighed and all of them proceed to stare at me. I don’t mind their gaze but this sure is uncomfortable. The last time I was in a spotlight was when I accomplished a feat, now I feel like I’m being interrogated. But this too, is fine. They didn’t bother to ask me about anything like, I don’t know, introduction or something. How I got here. In any case, the reason that I came up with.
[Siola]: Is there any of you who have gone to any of these places? Those gates.
[Boland]: No, but we have been tipped this information from those who have gone there.
[Siola]: With the West and the North being out of option, what makes the East more appealing than the other?
[Boland]: That we don’t know.
[Siola]: And why is that?
[Boland]: Because those who went in either of them never returns.
Made me pause for a moment.
[Siola]: So, you’re looking for a reason to not choose those two options. Then consider this, Travelers pose just as much danger as whatever is behind those gates.
They stay silent as they whisper to one another. But then suddenly, the short bearded old man who’s injured says, “Does that mean, you will be ditching us here in this shithole?”
“Dura.”
“Boland, I’m talking to the girl,” turning his head at me, “So, what’s your plan?”
“We’ll fight our way through.”
“You,,,” gritting his teeth but then suddenly, he coughed blood out.
Boland hurries over and taps his shoulder, “Don't worry too much about it, Dura. We’ll never leave you or anyone else here. So, all of you, stay calm, and hang in there.”
*Pant *Pant
Narrowing my eyes down at the blood-soaked cloth pressing on his stomach, ‘He doesn’t look too good,’ so I say, “I don’t care what you all think of me. Whether I’m just a snot brat who doesn’t know what she’s talking about or just whatever. But I will get out of this place…”
“... With or without you.”
Maybe it’s best for me and them to be separated. I was the one who caused their future death and maybe if I’m just not there with them, they will survive by themselves. Even now, they’re seeming to be talking to each other without me.
‘Yeah, in the beginning, I’m not even one of them.’
“Enough!”
My eyes peeled hearing Boland's shout.
“If you have opinions, state them clearly! Don’t just keep it for yourself! We’re in this together, and we are more likely to survive if we stay that way,” turning his head at me, “Rather than going off by yourself.”
His eyes, ‘He really wants everyone to get out safe, huh.’
But then suddenly, I got pulled, “What the,” at the sound of an explosion.
*BOOM*
Out of nowhere, the metal door holding us up was blasted open. Two of the old men put me behind them and protected me from potential shrapnel. Luckily, there was none.
“It’s time! Everyone, get up!”
‘So, it has started.’
Kenmartha assisted Dura in standing up. Four of the injured old men assisted one another.
‘But what’re we gonna do exactly? We haven’t decided on anything. No, they have to decide, but whatever their choice is, as long as they get out alive…’
Suddenly, Boland grips my shoulder, “Let’s go. We’ll take your route, lass.”
“Eh?”
! {You have formed a Raid Party}
~ {--- / Lv. 1 / Mage / Unassociated / Raid Leader}
~ {Boland / Lv. 43 / Warrior / Adventurers Guild / Former Rank D}
~ {Dura / Lv. 40 / Rogue / Adventurers Guild / Former Rank D}
~ {Kenmartha / Lv. 34 / Warrior / Unassociated}
~ {Holin / Lv. 27 / Civilian / Unassociated}
~ {Jigza / Lv. 28 / Civilian / Unassociated}
~ {Dono / Lv. 27 / Civilian / Unassociated}
~ {Giorimona / Lv. 38 / Civilian / Unassociated}
~ {8/24 Members}
! {Quest Bestowed}
~ {Breakout (South Gate) / Rank A / Objective: Fight your way out of Prison Realm through the [Gate of Righteous End] and reach the surface / Reward: 100 Experience Points / Additional Reward: Multiply the main reward based on performance / Penalty: None}
~ {Creeps of Bones / Rank B / Objective: Bring all 7 Prisoners in your Raid Party to escape through the [Righteous End] portal / Reward: None / Penalty: [Permadeath] Upon death, you will have no chance to regain your life}
‘Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhh?!’
The system just shoved me these NPCs on me without me having a say in it. What happened to the usual “Ok, I’ll do it” way of accepting quests? Plus, the penalty on that Rank B quest is just totally unfair for new players! And the rewards are trash!
“We have to hurry, come on.”
Leading the men outside, I’m still struck by the shock. Leaving me with no choice but to accept this, I follow them in a hurry. Catching up. But suddenly, the short bearded old man Dura stood to block me. I wondered what he wanted but just as suddenly, he passed me something.
“Here. You’ll need it.”
“A knife?”
“It’s nothing special, but it will prove useful.”
! {Item Received}
~ {Boland Stone Shiv / Rank F / Uncommon / Physical Attack: 7}
‘No requirement or level restriction. It's nice. I didn’t allocate a single point to Strength and Dexterity, but I should be able to use it even without bonuses from those two stats.’
‘And also,’ looking at the raid party list, ‘Why does it say that I’m the leader when clearly Boland is the one leading the team?’
This is bad. Because I will be the one responsible when things go wrong, ‘Wait, I’m the only one Traveler here,’ I paused for a moment, ‘Hmm… Traveler. Why did I it form that when I clearly said Traveler… What?’ I could not even think of the word Player now.
‘Anyway. A leader,’ seeing Boland’s massive back, lapsed a memory of seeing Kurira’s. The way she walks as I follow her as I am now with Boland. But then suddenly, flashes of memories, the faces of every single one of these guys looking at me in despair as I left them to die.
My teeth grinding without me knowing, I shoved everyone aside as I head up front, “Move!” my eyes peeled as I feel everyone’s gazes towards me, “We’re getting out my way,” glancing at them, “Don’t you wander around on your own.”
This time, things will be different.
