NOVEL NEXT Chapter 61
“…It… hurts… so… much…”
“Something was definitely stinging at the back of my head.”
I doubled over, clutching my stomach, and looked down at the fallen carpet… no, the cat beastkin.
What was her name again? Surf? Sif? I vaguely remember it sounding like that. Let’s just call her Sif. Anyway, this girl is an NPC that randomly pops up when you’re looting dungeons in the Survival Academy.
In her lore, she’s a dungeon robber and a thief, appearing in front of the treasure room with a certain probability, and if you beat her, she steals your treasure, becoming quite infamous.
On the flip side, if you defeat her multiple times, a quest pops up, and when you clear it, she becomes an NPC that sells surprisingly rare items.
I don’t know if that holds true in reality, but that’s none of my business.
The real problem is that she was trying to steal my treasure. I firmly stepped on the thief’s wrist. As I stomped down with the intent of breaking it, she let out a pained groan. I could hear something crunching under my foot. So she was wearing a bracer on her wrist after all.
If I had shaken hands with her, she probably would have stabbed my palm with a poisoned bracer. That was a notorious event in the game that I still remember.
“W-what…”
“Isn’t that a bit too awkward? If you’re going to hit someone from behind, you should have done it more cleverly. Like collapsing the dungeon entrance and threatening me… or stacking monsters like a mountain and intimidating me… or maybe bringing in a Medusa and threatening to turn me to stone if I don’t trade with you.”
“If I could do that, why would I hit you from behind?!”
Is that so? No, isn’t that the kind of world where you need to do something like that to hit from behind? I’m pretty sure one of her methods of tormenting players was to smash the dungeon entrance.
Maybe she just doesn’t have much equipment because it’s still early in the game?
Not that I care. What’s important right now is how to make use of her. There were actually quite a few ways to use her.
“Anyway, since you got caught trying to hit me from behind, you’re going to pay the price.”
At my words, Sif flailed in a panic. But soon, it seemed like breathing became difficult, and she started coughing up blood. Did I hit her that hard? I did throw her with enough force to burst something like a goblin, but Sif, who’s relatively strong, should be able to take that much. Looks like the damage is worse than I thought.
Still, just in case, it’s better to completely eliminate her ability to resist.
I stomped down on Sif’s wrist repeatedly. Her cries of pain tormented my ears. I didn’t want to do this, but reducing variables was important for survival.
“Don’t whine.”
“I’m not whining! I-it really hurts…”
I stripped her of her backpack and coat. As I peeled off the layers covering her body, thin clothes and a frail figure were revealed. Her pale skin glimmered under the dungeon lighting. But I wasn’t really interested. It’s not like I lack lust, but it feels inappropriate. I wasn’t so hungry that I would commit a serious crime.
“My bag!”
I opened her backpack like I was opening a treasure chest. Inside, there were various items. A few articles of clothing, several pairs of underwear, a potion bottle, and some money.
“Pretty poor, huh?”
“If I had more money, I wouldn’t be sneaking in and out of dungeons…!”
That’s true. It would be better to register as a mercenary and catch low-level monsters roaming in places like forests to gain experience, than to go dungeon exploring. You never know what kind of danger might be lurking, and clearing them isn’t an easy feat.
I was scraping through by relying on my game experience and ten years of survival skills on a deserted island. In normal circumstances, going in alone would be considered suicidal. This girl probably secretly followed me for that reason. She must have thought she couldn’t win in a normal way after seeing my fight.
In the game, she wasn’t known for her combat ability; rather, she was infamous for tormenting players with various tools and snatching items before fleeing. You could say she specialized in stealing, which is why she was often referred to as the X-thief.
So, what should I do? Leaving her be feels risky, but killing her feels a bit off. Even if she’s just a carpet, killing a sentient being weighs on my conscience. The exception is cultists. Those lunatics don’t count as sentient.
“P-please… spare me…”
“What’s your name?”
“I-I’m Sif…”
“Alright, Sif. Give me a reason I should spare you.”
I knew roughly what she was, but aside from that, I had no other ideas. Maybe it’s because I had no communication for ten years. I might need to practice talking to people.
Talking is so hard.
“I-I can be your porter!”
“Anything else?”
“I-I have a lot of knowledge about the dungeons…”
“Anything else?”
I fiddled with the blade of my shovel while looking down at Sif. She stared at me with wide eyes, trying to act cute like a cat. Is she trying to be adorable after all? I pressed the blade against her neck.
“Looks like there’s no compelling reason for me to spare you.”
“W-wait! If that’s the case, then maybe my body…”
“Enough.”
I struck Sif on the side of her head with my shovel. Her body went limp from the strong impact. Confirming that Sif had fainted, I wrapped her in her coat and slung her over my shoulder. While killing her would be the easiest option, I thought I could still find some use for her while looting in the dungeon.
“The next dungeon should be a good spot…”
——————-
“Wake up.”
“…”
“Wake up.”
I jostled her with my foot, and Sif screamed, bolting upright. She still seemed to be in pain from the stomach injury.
Well, she did have a noticeable large bruise.
“Wha! Wh-where am I?!”
“In a dungeon.”
“What?”
“In a dungeon.”
I tossed her a pouch containing jerky and sat on a nearby rock, looking down at a small village below. Goblins were bustling around, preparing for battle.
“Wh-why the dungeon?”
“To loot treasure.”
“W-wait, how many days have passed…?”
“Three hours.”
“What kind of crazy person enters another dungeon in just three hours?! Are you a wannabe suicide?!”
What’s the big deal? There were players who looped through twenty dungeons in half a day.
Oh right, that’s just for games. Ignoring Sif’s gaze that looked at me like I was insane, I observed the goblin village. It was great that I descended vertically into the boss room, but annoyingly, the last room’s structure would not be easy for me to clear alone.
The goblin village surrounding the boss room. And the hobgoblins and their subordinates that would be inside the boss room. I initially planned to skip this dungeon and loot another one, but Sif’s sudden appearance changed my plans. While it was a dungeon filled only with goblins, the rewards were enticing.
If I could loot this dungeon’s treasure chest, it would significantly shorten the time needed for the great operation of gathering the academy tuition fees.
So, I intended to make proper use of Sif to clear this dungeon.
“Anyway, you need to help me clear this dungeon.”
“Y-you aren’t intending to throw a fragile beauty like me among the goblins, are you…?”
“Sounds like you have a dirty mind.”
I quietly picked up my shovel. Seeing how scared she was of my shovel, Sif shrank back in fear. How was she planning on living as a thief with that kind of backbone?
She probably hasn’t been at it for long. Remembering her uniquely dedicated quests, it can’t have been too long since she started going in and out of dungeons. I vaguely recall something about having to feed her family, but that’s none of my business.
I don’t have to consider the circumstances of my enemies.
“But! Goblins are that kind of creature! They go berserk at the sight of women!”
“Oh, is that so?”
“I-You’re not really going to throw me in there, are you?”
“Perfect.”
“I have secret savings! I’ll give you everything, just spare me! I don’t want to die! I have younger siblings at home! If I die, they’ll starve!”
“Then you should’ve lived more honestly.”
“But the petty jobs don’t bring in enough to feed my siblings…”
“Not my problem.”
Seriously. She’s not even someone I’m close to and was trying to rob me.
It’s tough surviving in this world alone; why would I have to consider someone else’s circumstances? I chewed on the jerky and got up. It was time to move.
“If you play your role as bait well, I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse.”
“Where’s my right to refuse?”
“Look at your wrist.”
“This is…”
At my words, Sif stared at the heavy bracelet on her wrist. She seemed startled and attempted to touch it. I spoke before she could.
“It’s a special bracelet. If you try to run or fail to do your job…”
I trailed off to heighten the sense of fear.
Sif’s eyes were filled with terror. I deliberately smiled wickedly and said, “If you do well, I’ll let you go.”
“I-I’ll do my best!”
Like a rookie soldier just transferred into a unit, Sif shouted in an eager voice.
…I hope she doesn’t get caught lying until we clear the dungeon.