It had been several days since my exhausted body felt the warm embrace of a blanket. Was that all a dream? I dared not open my eyes, too frightened by the thought of returning to my old, tedious life. I didn't want to stay in that world.
Crackle
The sound of the logs burning startled me. Wait... I don't have a fireplace in my apartment! I tossed the blanket aside and opened my eyes to find myself in an unfamiliar place. I could only see the long stretching cylinder ceiling that was at least 10 meters tall over my head. Only then did I notice the massive bed I was lying in.
Is this the hut of the Goblin King? But why am I here?
The cabin was filled with animal bones that decorated the walls. To me, it was eerie, yet comforting in its warmth. The sound of fire was coming from a small fireplace, made from stones.
A sudden pain suddenly hit me in the head like a waterfall. My head is killing me... I wish I could have a cold beer right now...
I looked around, but saw nobody else. Could it have been Kim Seong-Hoon who brought me here? I remembered his face as the last thing I saw before passing out... I need to get out of here before some more monsters decide to take residence in this place.
I pushed aside the thick curtain covering the exit and was met by the sight of a rising sun, its gentle rays warming my cheeks. It seems to be around 4-5 am right now if I'm right. My sight was quickly met with the group of people lying on the cold ground. Some were covering themselves with blankets I believe they made from whatever they could find in this small goblin village, others just slept with their clothes or armor on.
The first to awaken was Malrang. Her soft, furry ears perked up the moment she heard my movement.
"Weee!"
Malrang leapt into my arms, licking my face with a renewed vigor.
"I missed you too," I murmured, a smile warming my heart. This world was real. It hadn't been a dream. But that means I've also eaten those people's souls... I felt conflicted inside, one part of me was happy, and the other sad.
"Big Sis!" Kim Seong-Hoon's voice rang out as he dashed toward me, seemingly out of nowhere. Before I could register his approach, he embraced me with a warmth that was both foreign and strange, a hug I hadn't expected.
"Get off me, you idiot. I'm fine!" I pushed him back, landing a light punch on his head.
He laughed. "I figured, but I was worried about you."
His eyes were sincere, without a trace of malice. A weirdo indeed... I cleaned my dress off as if I were cleaning the dust off with my hands, I felt disgusted, but also happy for some weird reason.
"But tell me, Big Sis, how did you take down that beast on your own? After making sure everyone was safe, Malrang and I rushed to help, but by the time we got there… all we saw was a massive goblin lying dead in its own blood, and you just standing there, lost in thought."
Should I tell them the truth? The people around us watched with hopeful eyes, likely wanting reassurance that I could protect them, that I was strong enough to keep them safe. But that was never my plan. I shouldn't deceive them any longer, though I couldn't let them discover what I'd done… the ones I'd absorbed.
A sick feeling twisted in my stomach. The lingering taste of human flesh haunted me; this grotesque ability forced me to relive each soul I consumed, and I hated it.
Gag
My stomach rolled, and I felt the world spin… The thought of eating human souls finally made my body catch up to reality.
"Big sis!" Kim Seong-Hoon rushed to my aid first as always, with his suspiciously overly caring face.
"Sister Gaon, are you okay?" The rest of the people also rushed to me. I felt disgusted with myself and did not believe I deserved this treatment. Why do they care? Anyway, one day I will leave them, so why?... I don't get it.
"I'm fine, forget about it." I cleaned my mouth with the back of my hand. "I barely won against that bastard; the only reason I'm even alive is that leveling up fixed my wounds. Sorry to worry you all." I could instantly see their faces light up.
A young woman around my age came closer to me and kneeled on the ground, to my amazement. "Thank you so much for saving us, Sister Gaon! We owe you our lives. Please be our pillar and protector, I don't want to die! I don't want to face monsters like that!" Her words became screams of a plea, the desperation in her eyes revealing how much normal people are afraid to die. So why am I getting so numb to that feeling of fear? As if with time, my own feelings are being stolen from me.
I grabbed her hand and lifted her up. "Stand up, what is your name?"
The young woman was still crying and barely able to force out a coherent word. "I… I'm Park Sujin… I... I... please, Sister, I will even become your servant if you protect m—!"
I slapped her face hard, and the girl was left staring into the void with a blank expression.
"DO YOU THINK I CAN BE THERE TWENTY-FOUR SEVEN FOR YOU?" I shouted in rage and grief. "For your own sake and everybody else's, pull yourself fucking together. I'm not your parent or your guardian." I changed my tone to a gentler one. "But I promise you, Park Sujin, if you ever run into trouble, and I'm nearby, I'll rush to help you." I helped her wipe her tears with my sleeve. "Stand up and be a warrior."
I turned to face everyone in the camp; their faces were full of pain and confusion, but also hope and understanding. "WE ARE WARRIORS! WITH EACH PASSING DAY, WE CAN GROW STRONGER. YES, WE MAY LOSE OUR LIVES OUT THERE. YES, WE CAN LOSE OUR LOVED ONES. BUT WE CAN GROW STRONG AND FOCUS ON OURSELVES TO ACHIEVE THAT POWER, WHICH, ONE DAY, WILL ALLOW US TO BE INVINCIBLE—SOMETHING OUR OLD WORLD DID NOT ALLOW US TO EVEN FIGHT FOR WITH OUR WEAK BODIES. STAND UP! WE CAN SURVIVE THIS!" My speech ignited a little flame in the people's hearts; I could see their faces turn confident, and their clenched fists betrayed their desire to grow.
It didn't matter at that moment, man or woman, child or adult—they all shouted their hearts out. That day I understood how fragile other people's emotions are and that I was never the only one suffering in life.
"Big Sister Gaon!" Park Jieun ran to me and hugged me. I felt weird; the innocence of the child and the warm hug felt almost distant to me. "Please let me travel with you. Yesterday, you were sleeping all day, so we had a chance to discuss. My group wishes to stay here, but I want to follow you. I want to grow strong. I want to protect people close to me. In that battle, I was too afraid. But you!" Her eyes were shining like gems. "You, big sister, were amazing, killing that big bad monster alone. I want to be like you. Please... let me travel with you... will you?"
I looked at her eyes. I felt like this world was too much for a child of her age, but at the same time, she was strong and could protect herself. Her traveling with us might not be a bad idea; after all, we lack a long-range attacker in my party. But… "Are you sure? You might die." I wanted to test her determination.
Kim Seong-Hoon opened his mouth as if to say something but quickly held himself back. "I don't mind. As long as I can grow more brave, I am willing to face any dangers!" She took my hand and squeezed hard. "Please..." The remaining five members of her group looked worried, but then Kim Ju-Ho stepped up and placed his massive palm on the little girl's head.
"We will be alright even without her. Because of you, we have gained experience in battle and now know not to rely on one person. We also want to grow strong, so we have decided to build a stronghold here. With no cities around, we might become the first to start accepting passing players and build a community." His expression was full of determination for a better future.
I was unsure what to do; I looked at Malrang, then at Kim Seong-Hoon, waiting for their approval. "What do you say, lunatic?" I directed my words at Kim Seong-Hoon. "Are you okay with her joining our little group?" I wasn't sure why I even considered expanding my group; when I first came to this world, I was ready to face it all alone, but now…
"I'd be happy to have a powerful mage on our team, and so would Malrang, I believe."
"Weee!" Malrang gave an excited nod.