I followed her for the entire day. Walking through the forest from day till night. At this point I was already exhausted. Just how long are we going to keep on walking? I let out a sigh. After a while, we entered an empty cave by night, there was no sign of a creature here.
I really want to just ran away from here, but looks like that's just gonna be in vain. Even if I managed to survive, my weapon was still with her. I looked at the sword in her waist.
'If only, i can steal it without her noticing.'
The girl stopped her step. Looking to the right and left continuously. She turned her head around, looking at me.
"What?" I asked her.
"Let's settle down here. This might be a great spot." The girl said. She dropped the Goblin body she was carrying. I dropped the other body as well.
"I'm gonna gather some tree branches, so we can make fire." The girl left the cave. The voice of her step gradually fading.
"..."
I was left dumbfounded. Is that girl truly a highschooler? How is she more mature than me? What the fuck? A teenager faced the situation better than an adult? Damn it.
"Arggh! Whatever!"
I just sat on the ground, leaning against the wall. I really want to sleep, but my stomach hasn't been filled for the past 8 hours.
'I'll just take a short nap.'
If that girl hasn't come back by the time I wake up, I'll just assume she died. Either way she already looted my equipment. I'll die next if she does die in the end.
I began to slowly close my eyes. Drifting into the land of dreams.
***
I slowly opened my eyes. In front of me, the girl already sat down near a campfire. I watched her from behind, hearing the voice of munching from her.
'She even built the campfire…'
Yeah, I don't have any pride anymore. I stood up and walked. Sitting opposing the girl. She looked at me. While handing me a cooked goblin flesh, hanged on a stick.
"Here." She said, as her gaze landed on my face. "I know you're hungry."
I grabbed the stick and quickly ate the goblin's flesh. Yeah, it was hard and sticky. It was also a little bit sour.
"Ahjussi, what's your name?"
Ahjussi? Ah, so she's from Korea. But wait, she called me Ahjussi? Isn't that a calling for old people? Damn it! I'm not even that old!
"Lukas. Also, don't call me Ahjussi, I'm still only 23." I blurted.
"What about you? What's your name?" I asked as i kept eating on the food.
"Lee Na-hee. My name is Lee Na-Hee."
"I see."
Things become awkward for a couple of minutes. The crackling fire became the thing that filled the silence between us. We continued eating our food. I scanned Lee Na-Hee's appearances.
'Now that i carefully looked at her. She really is beautiful.'
Pale skin, Dark blue eyes, Black-Reddish hair. All of those complimented each other. I only took a glance at her appearances before.
"What are you looking at?" She asked, as her eyes glared at me.
"Nothing. It's just, your appearance doesn't match your vibe."
"My vibe?"
Oh shit, I blurted that out without thinking. Her eyes scanning me.
"What's wrong with my vibe?"
"I apologize, I misspoke."
I avoided her gaze. There's no way I'm telling you.
"Alright."
Another moment of silence. After finishing our food. I went back to my spot before, since Lee Na-Hee still doesn't completely trust me. And that's fair. I mean trusting someone you just met is just, dumb.
I leaned against the cave's wall. Slowly closing my eyes.
'Surviving the first day. Heh, what a luck.'
***
Lee Na-Hee looked at Lukas. He was already asleep.
'Asleep already? Does this Mister have no survival instinct? Isn't he afraid that I will kill him when he fell asleep? Or left him here alone?'
Many thoughts rose in Lee Na-Hee's mind. She couldn't believe that in this kind of situation, someone like him still exists. Someone that still doesn't care about his surrounding.
'Whatever, if he is useless. I'll just use him as a bait.'
One of the reason why Lee Na-Hee still kept Lukas alive is to test whether he is useful or not. The other, he was the only person she met after entering the trial.
In her eyes, a person's value is determined by their usefulness or not. With that in mind.
'Status Window.'
[Displaying Lee Na-Hee Status]
[Class : None]
[Title : None]
[Strength : 20]
[Durability : 14]
[Agility : 17]
[Intelligence : 18]
[Magic : 3]
[Perception : 17]
[Skill : Hunter's Eye. Hunter's instinct.]
[Ability : Archery Level 2]
[Note : a human with a pretty good hunting ability.]
***
I opened my eyes. Immediately, my nose caught a very bad smell. I looked at the direction the smell came from. Surely enough, it's the goblin's corpse. It had already rotted.
I stood up and walked outside the cave. While covering my nose. Trying to get some fresh air, after smelling the smell of a rotten corpse.
'That was so bad.'
I really wanted to puke. But I held it in.
"Ahjussi, you already woke up?"
Lee Na-Hee came out of the forest, there was blood on her face.
'Terrifying, truly.'
What was she doing inside the forest? I wanted to ask, but decided not to. I'm the hostage here, after all.
She looked inside the cave for a few seconds and turned her gaze back to me.
"Let's move. Those corpses can attract other creatures."
I nodded at her suggestion. I absolutely don't want to stay in that place any longer. With that in mind, we head out, exploring the forest once again.
"Where are you from Ahjussi?"
I told you to not call me Ahjussi damn it, but of course.
"England." I answered her.
"I see."
"What do you do for a living there?"
Why is she asking this now? Even in this situation?
"I do streaming."
"Tch."
What? What's with the 'Tch'? Is streaming really bad of a work?
"Ahjussi, can you do something else? Other than streaming?"
"Euuuh, i can cook?"
"Can you hunt? Can you treat wounds?"
I shook my head, listening to her words. I was at a loss for words. I never treated someone, I never hunted any animal as well. Why did she suddenly ask these kinds of questions to me?
"I see."
As I kept on walking.
"...so you're useless." Lee Na-Hee mumbled. Her tone expressing disappointment. She became quiet after that.
What? Useless? Me? Damn it, you're the one who looted my weapon. What am I even supposed to do?! I stopped my step. Suddenly she turned around, walking closer toward me.
"Ahjussi."
Suddenly she called out to me. What's this? Why am I feeling uncomfortable?
[Activating 'Emotion Reading' on 'Lee Na-Hee']
Lee Na-Hee placed her hand on my shoulder. Giving me a bright smile.
[Target is expressing 'Joy']
"Be useful to me, yeah?"
Saying those words, my vision darkened.
***
Lee Na-Hee looked at the unconscious Lukas. She grabbed the sword in her waist. Bringing the tip of the sword closer to Lukas's palm. Giving a little cut on Lukas's palm. Blood flowed from Lukas's palm.
"Ahjussi, I'll make good use of you."