C113: When I went through the tunnel, that’s where I was
I see a light ahead of me. It seems to be the exit of a tunnel. It is still a long way away, so it seems to be only a point of light, but in s.p.a.ce with only the light at hand, it seems awfully bright. I changed my speed from a fast walk to a short run, stroking Destiny, who was around my neck as I went.
The light that had been a dot gradually grew larger, and the scene on the other side of the tunnel filled most of my vision. Ahead is a burnt-out ruin. A world filled with the blackness and ashes of charcoal. It looks the same as it did when Gams and the others visited it before. A few more steps and I could exit the tunnel, but I stopped and listened carefully.
“We are almost in enemy territory. Stay alert.”
Gams’ voice was in my ear. Maybe they’re in the same place. I took out my phone to check on Gams and the others, and found that they were standing in a tight group near the exit of the tunnel.
After making a roll call to see if everyone was there, the hunters stuck to the exit wall and peeked outside. Then, when they looked at Gams, he nodded widely and raised his right hand.
“That’s the signal.”
As soon as I see it, I step out of the tunnel. For a moment, I felt the same strange sensation that I did when I rushed into the entrance, but since this is my second experience, I ignored it and didn’t stop.
I kicked the earth forcefully to shake off the air that clung to my body, and exited the tunnel. In front of my eyes, I saw a number of houses whose pillars and beams had collapsed into charcoal. I could smell the burning smell, as if the house had been burning until recently. The sky was cloudy. If I had been alone in such a place, I would have felt nervous and wanted to run away, but now.
“Hey, who are you? You’re not the guy from before.”
I hear a questioning voice behind me. I turned around to see one of the hunters pointing a cutla.s.s at me. The other hunters are surrounding me, weapons at the ready, on alert. I miss this kind of response. I chuckle, remembering Gams when I first visited the village.
“What the h.e.l.l is wrong with you?”
“Wait a minute. I know that man.”
“Master Yos.h.i.+o!”
The two brothers Gams and Chem stepped in to stop them. Murus, Kang and Ran also stood around me as if to protect me.
“It’s been a while, everyone. How have you been?”
I switch on a different mode than my usual self and speak to them. I must be a follower of G.o.d, Yos.h.i.+o, not a good friend in front of them.
“Oh, so we are on the same side. Can you explain?”
The leader of the hunters instructed his companions to lower their weapons and then stared at my face. From their point of view, I was just a strange man who suddenly appeared. It was natural for them to be wary.
Sudhir and Niles are villagers, but they joined the group after I returned to j.a.pan, so they look puzzled. Chem cleared her throat once, glanced at me and nodded lightly. Seeing this, I gave her a nod as well.
“This is Yos.h.i.+o-sama, a follower of the G.o.d of Fate. He has visited our village before and spent time with us.”
Upon hearing the explanation, a surprised voice leaked out, “Oh!” followed by “What?” There was a cry of joy that shook my eardrums. There was no need to search for the owner of the voice, it was Niles, the former chief priest. A large man with a face covered in tears, approaches me with a thud and the earth shaking. I can’t help but notice that the smile that was plastered on his face has been pulled away.
“It’s you! I’ve heard rumors of you from the villagers! My name is…”
“I know who you are, Mr. Niles, and I thank you for all you do for our village.”
“What a waste of words!”
I took Niles’ hand and smiled at him, and the amount of tears in his eyes increased. I guess I’ll have to rehydrate him later.
“I’m glad to see you too, Mr. Niles, but this is hostile territory and it would be helpful if you could keep your voice down a bit.”
“Excuse me!”
Niles hurriedly held his mouth as he replied loudly. His exaggerated movements softened the atmosphere of the place. Thanks to Niles, who has a big reaction to everything, I can feel that they’re less wary of my sudden appearance.
“I would like to talk more with you all, but it seems that now is not the time. First, let’s rescue the inhabitants of the Kingdom of G.o.d. After that, if there is time, we can talk.”
“I see. I understand.”
Gams and everyone else agreed to that suggestion. Nevertheless, I should say something to the villagers I met before.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, Mr. Gams, Miss Chem, Miss Murus, Mr. Kang, and Mr. Ran. I’m glad to see you all again.”
“Wow, me too.”
The rest of them just nodded because they were basically silent, but it was no optical illusion that their faces were beaming.
“Sudhir, you moved to the village, and the G.o.d of Fate was delighted. The G.o.d of Nature also praised your decision.”
A player, to be exact, but there’s no need to mention that here.
“Yos.h.i.+o, have you ever met the G.o.d of Nature?”
Sudhir brings her face closer to mine and looks into my eyes. I rather like the fact that she doesn’t lose her usual att.i.tude even towards a follower of G.o.d.
“Yes. I’ve met him several times, and he’s always been pleased and saddened by the exploits of the Dark Elves.”
“I see. Hmm.”
She seemed indifferent at first glance, but her cheeks remained relaxed. Anyone would be happy to be praised by the G.o.d they wors.h.i.+p, right?
Suddenly, I noticed that my shoulders were getting lighter. It was not so much that the burden had been lifted from my shoulders, but rather that the burden had actually been lifted from my shoulders. Destiny, who had been wrapped around my neck for so long, was now at my feet, facing a silver lizard of his own species, Gochupicchu. His tongue lolled out and she swayed from side to side, a meaningful gesture in the lizard world, I wondered.
This time, two of them were chasing each other’s tails, spinning in circles on the spot. I wondered what was going on. I want to keep an eye on these two strange creatures, and I have a lot of things to talk to the villagers about, but I have to be sensible about where I’m going. So much for the harmonious mood. I need to tighten up my loosened spirits. Standing around talking is a waste of time, so let’s aim for our destination first.
“We’ll talk as we walk.”
I urge them on, and they all nod. Gams and Hunter took the lead, drawing their swords from their sheaths and moving forward. We gave them a look and followed suit. We are some distance away from the place where the distributor was being held. Maybe it’s time for an explanation. I decided to tell them why we were here, just loud enough for everyone to hear.
“My goal is to secure the inhabitants of the Kingdom and deliver them safely to home.”
“I see. May I be so bold as to ask you a question?”
“What is it, Mr. Niles?”
Niles shrugs his large body and raises his hand. You don’t have to raise your hand, but the way you do it makes you look like a bear doing tricks and is very charming.
“When we tried to rescue those people before, we couldn’t get them through the tunnel. I’m worried about that this time too.”
“You mean that? I’m here, so they’ll be fine. If they are with me, they’ll be able to return to the Kingdom of G.o.d through the tunnel.”
“Oh, I see. You are indeed a follower of G.o.d.”
You’re overly impressed, but you’re really okay……aren’t you? G.o.d of fate, I believe in you.
“Those captives have made a mistake and they deserve it. I’ll have to preach harder after I rescue them, but I can’t just abandon them.”
Scratching my head, I let out a deliberate sigh.
“I want to remind you that our primary goal is not to conquer this place, but to keep you safe. You can forget about rescuing them when the time comes.”
I’ll try not to misunderstand the purpose. In fact, even if the streamers were to be sacrificed, I would put the villagers first without hesitation. I don’t think it’s even worth comparing which is more important.
“I’m sorry, but that’s all I have to say. They’re here.”
Hearing Gams quietly advising voices, everyone stopped in their tracks. A circle was formed with me and Chem in the center, while Destiny and Gochupicchu ran up my body and took up positions on my right and left shoulders. There were no collapsed houses in the area, just burnt ground.
Maybe this place used to be a plaza or a park. Even though we were in a village, it was pretty bleak. As I waited the ground in the vicinity began to rise up. Pus.h.i.+ng aside the soil, countless zombies and skeletons appeared. Their heads and hands extended out of the soil, pus.h.i.+ng up their upper bodies and trying to come out of the ground.
“I’ll crush you!”
It seems that only in the game world can we wait so long for such an enemy full of gaps, as Gams mercilessly hits the monsters whose lower half of their bodies are still buried in the earth and cannot move. It’s a great way to get rid of a lot of problems.
As a……gamer, I have a few thoughts, but this is the most efficient way. It’s the enemy’s fault for exposing a gap. As I kicked the skeleton’s skull, which was about to emerge from beneath my feet, as hard as I could, I made an excuse in my mind.