Bai Shi didn’t quite understand. It was clearly a win-win situation.
“I can’t trust my back to someone I just met inside a cave.”
“Besides, I’m the one who found the cave. You can’t just expect a free ride.”
Bai Shi nodded. Hakan had a point, but this wasn’t non-negotiable.
Bai Shi didn’t think Hakan was an idiot who would just casually mention a cave for no reason.
“So what are you trying to say? Don’t beat around the bush.”
“Heh heh, it’ll cost you extra!”
Bai Shi couldn’t help but laugh. He’d thought it was going to be something serious, but this was all Hakan was after.
Hearing this, Hakan’s expression turned complicated.
“I’ve changed my mind. I don’t need your things. I just don’t want to hear the word ‘hire’ right now.”
Bai Shi shrugged. Latest content publıshed on 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⚑𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⚑𝕟𝕖𝕥
“Alright, I won’t ask why. But I’m still giving you the trinkets. I can’t carry them all anyway. Better you take them than leave them on the beach.”
“Fine, it’s a deal then.”
Bai Shi led Hakan back to where he had come ashore and picked up all the trinkets he couldn’t carry before.
After receiving the trinkets, Hakan generously invited Bai Shi to eat some of his grilled fish, which was quite delicious.
Bai Shi really enjoyed moments . He didn’t have many friends; at most, he’d chat with people online.
He loved interacting with game NPCs, exploring their stories.
It was like making friends with a group of unique individuals from another world.
Now, Bai Shi felt as if he had rediscovered that joy from gaming.
But the difference was, now he was personally experiencing this fantastical journey.
Interactable NPCs, non-interactable cannon fodder—now they were all people Bai Shi could physically meet.
Maintaining a basic watch, they rested separately for the night. The time passed quickly and without incident.
The next morning, Hakan led Bai Shi to the entrance of the cave.
The entrance was hidden in a rugged cliff face, difficult to spot without looking closely.
Hakan looked back at Bai Shi.
“Since I’ve taken your payment, I’ll do my job properly. I’ll take the lead. Stay behind me and don’t get any funny ideas. I’ll have my wolf watch you.”
“Fine, that’s reasonable.”
After all, they were just strangers who had met by chance. It was impossible to fully trust their backs to each other.
If Hakan had asked Bai Shi to lead the way, Bai Shi would never have agreed.
Putting himself in Hakan's shoes, Bai Shi knew that letting him walk behind was already a big concession.
If a warrior really wanted to ambush him, even if the white wolf gave a warning, it would be after the attack had already been launched. By the time he could react, the weapon might have already struck.
Hakan, being a warrior, couldn’t possibly be unaware of this.
And while this formation gave them the option of flanking Bai Shi, the risk of being ambushed from behind was not at all equivalent to the risk of open combat.
Since there was no perfect solution, this was the best option for both of them. Hakan lit a torch, first extending it into the cave, then taking a few steps inside before turning to signal Bai Shi to follow.
They entered the cave one by one. Their vision immediately dimmed in the narrow, cramped space.
The path inside was long. They walked for several minutes without finding anything particularly noteworthy.
After a while, Bai Shi’s patience wore thin.
“Hakan, what were you doing at the cave entrance just now?”
“You really don’t know?”
Hakan was a bit surprised.
“What, is this common knowledge in the Lands Between?”
“No, I’m just surprised a Tarnished warrior wouldn’t know. Then again, it’s not exactly knowledge that helps in a fight.”
“First, I was checking if there was any flammable gas in the cave that might explode on contact with fire. Standing outside makes it easier to escape if something goes wrong.”
Hakan paused, then continued:
“Waiting for a moment after coming in was to see if the air was breathable.”
Bai Shi was a little surprised. He never knew there was so much to exploring a cave.
“I see. You’re very experienced.”
Hakan didn’t say anything. Although Bai Shi couldn’t see his face, he could tell this wasn’t the silence of someone shy from being complimented.
After a long silence, Hakan was the first to break it.
“I… was once hired by a noble from Leyndell. I explored caves and catacombs with my clansmen.”
“Heh… it was really just grave robbing. And I even tried to save face by calling it ‘exploring’.”
Hakan laughed self-deprecatingly.
“In one cave, we encountered a powerful enemy. I was the only one who made it out alive.”
“After that, I accepted employment from Stormveil to hunt Tarnished. It wasn’t that I needed the runes; I just wanted something to do.”
“After doing that for a while, I realized I couldn’t be a mercenary anymore. I couldn’t forget their familiar faces. So I broke the contract and began to wander aimlessly.”
“You know what happened next. My ship wrecked, and I washed up on this beach.”
Bai Shi listened quietly to Hakan's story. He could feel that this was a living, breathing person, with his own joys and sorrows.
But Bai Shi didn’t know what to say.
“...That’s a sad story. I know you’re not telling me this for comfort, but I wish you the best on your journey ahead.”
Bai Shi thought for a moment and added:
“When we get the chance, I’ll buy you a drink.”
“Heh heh, I feel much better getting that off my chest. As for the drink, let’s talk about it after we get out of here.”
Just as he finished speaking, Hakan stopped in his tracks.
“I think we’ve found something incredible.”