Shane felt enveloped by a profound darkness, as if submerged in pitch-black water.
It was truly a bizarre sensation. In one sense, it felt like all the strength was draining from his body, and in another it seemed as if an unfamiliar aura was surging into him. That strange feeling, unlike anything he'd ever experienced before, coursed through his entire body and then faded away, leaving Shane unable to gather his wits properly.
Yet even in this daze bordering on unconsciousness, Shane instinctively grasped a certain truth.
'I have to accept it. This really isn't a dream.'
There was no denying it. He couldn't distort reality to suit his preferences. Shane had fallen into a strange new world, and it was likely impossible for him to return to his original world by his own power. The moment he realized this, Shane felt anger welling up inside him.
'So that bastard used the game console as bait to lure me in! Isn't he just a goddamn con artist?!'
Naturally, his college classmate was the first target of his fury. If he hadn't accepted that ridiculous proposal in the first place, he wouldn't have even started the game, so it made sense. He couldn't believe he'd fallen for the sweet talk of someone worse than a second-hand goods scammer and ended up in this mess.
'Come to think of it, that damn lamb scammed me too! You son of a bitch, when I wake up, I'll stomp you flat like a round pancake!'
While he felt bitter towards his classmate whom he'd likely never see again, what mattered more was the lamb that had deceived Shane, who had unknowingly stepped into this world. That woolly beast had played him for a fool. It must have known from the start that this situation was neither a dream nor a delusion, yet it took advantage of Shane's misconception and manipulated things as it pleased.
He mentally went through each of the lamb's statements one by one. "Create a new name to sever ties with the old world," or "Once you're bound to a new hero, you can't go back,"—at first he couldn't make sense of any of it, but now that things had come to this, he understood automatically. So, rather than a tutorial, that earlier procedure was actually an act to bind Shane to this world.
He wasn't exactly sure what that act meant, but one thing was certain: if Shane had stubbornly refused all the procedures, his chances of returning to his original world would have been greater. Of course, even then, it was questionable whether the lamb would have willingly sent Shane back, but if it had explained everything from the start, he could have at least tried to resist. He could have thrown a tantrum, begging to be sent back to his original world.
All sorts of ominous scenarios swirled in his head. If he could never return like this, would the Minjun of the original world die? Would his parents have to witness their only child suddenly dying in his sleep in his own room? Even if he could go back, would the Minjun of the original world be treated as missing during the time Shane spent in this other world? What about his job? He had worked his ass off to get hired less than a year ago, and now he was going to be fired just like that?
'This is absurd. This is unfair and unreasonable. Send me back right now.'
Those bastards had scammed him. Those goddamn sons of bitches. He screamed in his mind over and over, thrashing his limp arms and legs about in a futile display of rebellion.
How many hours had passed like this? After a long while of groaning and raging alone, Shane finally collapsed from exhaustion.
'Yeah, no matter how angry I get, it's useless…'
Regretting the past is pointless. Getting angry alone when no one's listening will only drain your energy. Now, the only option is to accept reality and find a way to return to the original world as quickly as possible.
'What did they say earlier? Face the end of the world? They should've explained it in a way I could understand.'
Honestly, it all sounded too much like fantasy, and Shane wasn't used to this kid of talk. Reaching out from often played games with fantasy settings, and above all, indie games were rife with unfriendly and difficult-to-understand narrative styles. They were used to inferring the story through crude and hard-to-comprehend sentences.
'Right, they probably mean they'll send me home if I see the game's ending.'
It was a vague guess, but it didn't seem wrong. They had no idea how to reach the ending or if a gacha game even had an ending in the first place… But at least there was a way to return to the original world, and things hadn't fallen to the worst-case scenario, so that was fortunate.
'Looks like there's no use crying over spilled milk now… Anyway, I'll have to work hard to get back to the original world after giving that damn lamb a good thrashing. I can't live forever in a world crawling with weird monster things like shadows or whatever.'
Catch shadows, summon heroes, and progress through the story diligently. If they do that, they should be able to see the ending and possibly return to the original world. At least, that's what the lamb said.
Perhaps even that could be a lie, but thinking about it, although the lamb had withheld important information, it didn't seem to have made up anything outright. So, the statement about being able to return to the original world was likely true.
As Shane was trying to reassure themselves, the strange sensation enveloping their entire body gradually faded away. Warmth and feeling returned to their fingertips, which had been cold and numb, and a faint light could be sensed beyond their eyelids, which had been shrouded in darkness.
Moreover, an unidentifiable warm pressure began to envelop Shane's body. Although it was described as pressure, it wasn't particularly stifling; rather, it felt so stable and comfortable that it was as if they were being embraced by someone.
They weren't sure, but perhaps it was okay to get up now? As soon as they got up, they'd first have to find that lamb and give it a good kick. Shane made this resolution as they slowly opened their eyes. But…
What was before their eyes was the sleeping face of a man they had never seen before.
***
"Uh, uhh…?"
For some reason, a handsome face like that of a movie star was right in front of Shane's nose. The slightly disheveled hair was a deep honey-gold color, and beneath the tousled locks, his features were neat yet delicate. Though his expression was somewhat softened by deep sleep, his straight nose and tightly closed eyes gave the man a rather stern impression.
The man was dressed in somewhat tattered and dirty armor. The armor, which was presumably originally white, was covered in dust and stained with dark splotches here and there. The black cloak that could be glimpsed was also worn and torn in various places. He looked like a defeated soldier who had returned exhausted after a long battle.
However, there was a more pressing issue at hand. One of the man's arms was supporting Shane's head like a pillow, while the other was gently wrapped around Shane's shoulder. In other words, Shane was being embraced. It seemed that the warm pressure Shane had felt earlier came from this…
"What the hell is this guy?!"
Being held by a stranger while sleeping, what kind of situation was this now?! Shane, forgetting all about their previous anger, turned pale and hastily shoved the man away.
Fortunately, the man rolled onto the floor without any resistance. Even as Shane got up and caught their breath, he showed no signs of waking. He didn't seem dangerous for now, but there was no way to know where this man had suddenly appeared from.
Shane hurriedly looked around. They were sure they had been in the middle of a forest before, but now they were in some warehouse-like place. The wooden floor was rotting, and the smell of dust permeated the air. Waking up in a different place each time, it really felt like an endless nightmare, Shane thought, clicking their tongue in frustration.
By the way, where had that lamb gone, and why was this unfamiliar man in its place? As soon as Shane thought this, a large exclamation mark appeared before their eyes. The exclamation mark burst with a "pop" sound, and a sentence sprang out from inside.
—What do you mean? This is the first hero you've summoned as a Spirit Mage. Please cherish him. And I'm right behind you.
When Shane turned around, the lamb was standing upright on a pile of straw, looking at them. It seemed it had been nearby after all.
Shane felt a bit annoyed, wondering with what nerve that creature was lingering nearby, but if it had disappeared, that would have been troublesome in its own way. Having it around was better than being left alone, to the point where Shane even felt a sense of relief.
'Come to think of it, a hero, huh…'
Shane recalled how the soul stone had slipped out of their hand on its own and had been absorbed into the golden card at the last moment. That must have been when the hero summoning process took place. It was their first summoning after all, and it was a bit disappointing that it happened without their intention, but that was a minor issue.
Why this so-called hero was sound asleep, and why he had been embracing his master while sleeping, was somewhat concerning… But at least it was a relief to know he wasn't suspicious or bad.
Shane had roughly understood the situation, and while it was somewhat reassuring, they couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness deep down.
"Now that I've summoned a hero, does that mean the tutorial is pretty much over? I guess there's really no turning back now."
Typically, once the tutorial ends, the main game begins. Once everything has started, there's no going back, even if you want to. As Shane clicked their tongue lightly and looked at the lamb, it flinched and nervously created words above its head.
—Now that all the tutorials… I mean, the 'assimilation process' is complete, you can't return to your original world until you see the end of this world anyway! Even if you beat me to death, there's nothing you can do, so please just accept the situation now.
Although the lamb could have acted more arrogant after deceiving someone as they wished, there was a sense of precariousness in its tone, as if it was trying to act confident despite being completely cowed. Its tiny size yet stiff posture, looking down at Shane with its head held high, also gave off a strangely boastful impression. Perhaps it was naturally timid despite appearing cold, or maybe it was at least aware that it had done something wrong.
—W-well, it's not like I wanted to do this either. I'm sorry for bringing you to our world without your consent and tricking you into being bound to this world.
"…"
—If you want to take out your anger, go ahead. Hit me, stomp on me, stab me, do whatever you want. I'll endure it. But I still can't send you back to your world.
As the lamb lowered its head without making excuses, Shane felt even more conflicted. Of course, if the other party had acted shamelessly, that would have made them angry too, but seeing it so dejected before Shane had even expressed any anger made them feel uneasy in its own way. There was no point in getting angry if kicking this tiny little creature wouldn't change reality.
"Don't mess with people. You're not going to send me back anyway, so beating you up would just make me look like the bad guy. Are you just saying that because you don't want to be seen as the villain?"
—Um, I'm not a person, I'm a lamb?
"Is that really important right now? Anyway, forget it. If I really can't go back, what's the point of wasting my energy arguing with you here…?"
As Shane said this with a pout, the lamb's expression softened, seemingly a bit relieved. It looked like it thought Shane had calmed down.
The lamb, unaware that Shane was internally reasoning that clumsily hitting a young animal would be considered animal abuse and that as a superior primate they should restrain themselves, floated gently through the air until it was right in front of Shane's eyes.
Its perky ears and moist pink nose looked so temptingly pinchable. Shane secretly vowed to give them a good pinch later if this creature ever did anything untrustworthy.
For now, though, Shane wasn't in the mood to pinch the lamb, so they simply stroked its fluffy wool-covered back, enjoying the soft texture. The lamb seemed to like this, looking up at Shane with quite a pleased expression.
—Still, don't worry too much. Remember what I told you? I'll stay by your side until the world meets its end. Until you return to your original world, I'll follow you around and provide you with as much convenience as possible.
"Convenience? What kind of convenience?"
—Well… For example, something like this.
A bright light flowed from the lamb's golden horns. Shane, startled by the sudden burst of light in front of their eyes and thinking it might blind them, stumbled backward. Surprisingly, it wasn't dazzling at all. If anything, looking at it seemed to ease their eyes.
After a brief moment, the light from the horns transformed into something resembling a translucent glass panel. The panel was covered in writing, and as Shane examined its contents, they quickly understood what it was.
"Spirit Mage info, Hero List, Item Inventory, Shadow Bestiary…?"
Sleek, game-like menu options caught Shane's eye. It was unmistakably a user interface commonly found in games.
—I've endeavored to make the 'game system' that was common in your world available to you. I'm sure it will be helpful.
The lamb, seemingly proud of its creation, watched Shane's expression with sparkling eyes. Shane chuckled, thinking that the lamb now looked more naive than before.
A game system, huh. It seemed that being in a game world meant such things were provided. Come to think of it, didn't the lamb initially say something about "constructing a system but it ended up being deactivated"? Shane suspected that this game system was probably what it had been referring to then.
At first glance, it might not seem like much, but Shane instinctively knew that this was quite important.
'If this is only visible to me, then it's definitely valuable. Being able to see intangible information that others can't is already a huge advantage.'
Shane tapped the letters on the glass panel with their fingertips. Each time they touched a letter, the panel vibrated faintly, and new content floated up on its surface.
[Info: The Spirit Mage information displays the Spirit Mage's own level and stats. As the Spirit Mage's capabilities increase, both the 'duration' for which they can control heroes and the number of 'skills' the heroes can use will also increase.]
[Info: In the Hero List, you can check the heroes' levels, skills, stats, and number of stars. Level your heroes to make them even more powerful!]
If Shane could see their own capabilities as a Spirit Mage (Which they hadn't even known they had until now) or the stats of heroes, they wouldn't have to rely on guesses or intuition to gauge combat power. This would allow them to navigate this world much more efficiently.
—This system didn't originally exist in this world, so I forcibly created it based on the culture of your world… It might be a bit unstable at first. But don't worry, I'll keep maintaining it and improving its weaknesses.
"That's good enough. Thanks for offering bug fixes and updates too."
Shane shrugged as they said that, but then decided it might not be a good idea to express gratitude so half-heartedly here. After all, in a game world, having a game system provided isn't something to be thankful for—it's natural. Moreover, if there are issues with the system, of course they should fix bugs and provide updates. It would be more problematic if they didn't.
No matter how they looked at it, being grateful here would be a disadvantage. As Shane's expression grew increasingly cunning, the lamb seemed to sense something ominous and began to slowly back away.
"I appreciate it and all, but don't you think it'd be a bit disappointing if that's all there is?"
—W-what, is there something else you want…?
"Of course there is. It's great that you brought in the game system, but don't original game systems usually have login rewards or daily quests? Where are those?"
—Login rewards? Daily quests?
"Login rewards are bonuses you get just for logging into the game once a day. But since the concept of logging in doesn't really apply here, let's just say it's a reward you get unconditionally once a day. Daily quests are when you get additional rewards for completing minor tasks every day, like leveling up heroes or defeating enemies. You'll obviously include those, right?"
—What on earth is that? Getting rewards just for waking up in the morning, how blessed was your previous world? And getting extra rewards just for doing what you're supposed to do anyway, that's so unreasonable…!
"Unreasonable? I'm the one who's been forcibly tied to this world because of you! Of course you should give me that much as compensation for mental distress! As for daily quests, if I hadn't come to this world, would I be leveling up heroes or fighting monsters? When you think about it, I'm being forced to do things I wouldn't have done otherwise! I'm just asking for fair compensation here!"
—I-is that so? When you put it that way, it does sound right…?
When the lamb tilted its head in confusion, Shane inwardly rejoiced. Perhaps this lamb, though initially acting a bit suspicious, might fundamentally be simple-minded and gullible. Watching it fumble about like an actor who had lost their script and was improvising to recover the situation, it certainly seemed that way.
Of course, Shane couldn't be sure what the lamb might be plotting internally, or if it was just pretending to be weak to placate Shane's complaints. Still, if Shane played their cards right, there seemed to be a good chance of getting quite a lot of what they wanted.
—If you really insist, I'll give them to you, Shane. Come to think of it, the things you mentioned would be quite effective for motivation too.
"Now we're talking. So, you'll definitely provide login rewards and daily quests, right? Great, next let's discuss things like challenge missions or time-based rewards…"
—Don't tell me you want even more?!
The lamb, which had seemed relieved just moments ago, fled in horror at Shane's continued demands. Shane chased after it, cackling all the while. Throughout this commotion, the blonde man showed no signs of waking, sleeping soundly. To anyone unaware of the situation, it might have looked like an ordinary young man happily playing with a lamb.
However, unfortunately, that peaceful moment didn't last long.
[Ah, hic, hiccup…]
The lamb, which had been darting about to avoid Shane's mischief, suddenly froze in place. At that moment, Shane realized. For some time now, unidentified voices that sounded like sobbing had been echoing around the warehouse.
***
It was the voices of quite a few people. While it was impossible to determine the exact number, there were at least ten or more. The sound of men and women, children, young adults, and the elderly, all mixed together in what seemed like mournful weeping, reminiscent of a funeral.
"Are they people passing by?"
Shane first tried making a logical guess. While they couldn't pinpoint their exact location, judging by the scattered farm tools and straw, it seemed to be a warehouse in some rural village. If that was the case, it was entirely possible that the voices outside belonged to the villagers. However…
—They're not just passing by. They're wandering around the warehouse.
It was just as the lamb had said. At this point, even Shane couldn't help but feel uneasy. If these were simply people passing by, why would they keep circling the warehouse?
'No, are they even human to begin with?'
It was a somewhat outlandish question, but Shane genuinely became curious about it. The reason was simple. The speed at which the voices moved was strangely regular and fast. Judging by the weak sobbing sounds alone, one might expect them to be moving very slowly, but in reality, the voices circling the warehouse were moving at a pace that seemed almost as if adults were running.
'A group mixed with children and the elderly, sobbing while running around the warehouse at such a consistent and fast pace? That's extremely weird no matter how you look at it. Moreover…'
Above all, as Shane listened closely to the movement of the sounds, they realized the most suspicious point. The only sound coming from outside was sobbing. What this meant was that there wasn't even the sounds of people walking, let alone running, around the warehouse right now.
As if they were floating in mid-air.
—…Shane.
The moment their eyes met the lamb's, Shane had a gut feeling. Those things out there were definitely not human.
"Are they shadows?"
—Probably.
A chill ran down Shane's spine. The horrific image of that creature the lamb had shown earlier through the hologram vividly replayed in their mind.
If the voices outside were those 'shadows,' it was dangerous. They absolutely couldn't be allowed to enter. Shane immediately stood up.
"First, we need to stop them from getting in."
They quickly scanned the warehouse. Fortunately, this warehouse had only one door, so locking that door would be enough to prevent intrusion from outside. There were windows, but most were high up on the walls and quite small, so it seemed unlikely that any person or monster could enter through them.
The warehouse door had a sturdy, thick wooden bar. If they could properly secure that bar, it didn't seem like the shadows could get in from outside. Shane carefully approached the door, tiptoeing to avoid making noise.
'Alright, let's lock the door and wait until those things give up. Or maybe wake up that hero or whatever…'
It was certainly a good plan. Shane genuinely thought it wasn't a bad plan. That is, if the process of sliding the bar into place hadn't produced an enormous sound like that of an unoiled door.
Creeeak! At the sharp sound that seemed to claw at their ears, Shane startled. In that moment, the sobbing and wailing circling outside the warehouse suddenly stopped. However, this wasn't a situation where one could feel relieved that the sounds had ceased. There was no way those beings outside had been startled by the sound of the bar and fled. If anything, the sound of the bar might have provoked them…
And a moment later, just as Shane had taken a few steps back, unable to bear the pressure of the silence:
[Ah, ahhh, aaaaaaahhh!]
"Ugh, aaagh!"
As a scream of rage burst out from beyond the door, replacing the sobbing, Shane couldn't help but let out a scream of their own. As if in response to that scream, something slammed against the warehouse door with a bang. The impact, like several people throwing themselves at the door at once—no, perhaps something even more overwhelming—violently shook the warehouse door.
"W-what the hell! Don't tell me they heard the sound…?!"
As Shane cried out in shock, the impacts against the door grew even more violent. Bang, bang! After just two or three hits, cracks were already visible in the wooden bar. The Lamb had been right. Whatever was on the other side of the door, they'd have to fight it.
Shane thought it was fortunate that at least they weren't completely unarmed. There was definitely that ornate sword they'd taken from the coffin in the pit earlier. Fighting with that would be better than bare hands, at least…
'Wait a second.'
It was all well and good to prepare for a fight, but Shane realized their hands were empty. The sword was gone. Thinking it might have fallen to the floor, they frantically scanned the warehouse, but there wasn't so much as a speck of dust rolling around, let alone a sword.
"Hey, where'd my sword go?!"
—What sword?
"The sword I brought from the tomb! The really fancy-looking one! Don't tell me I dropped it somewhere?!"
—Come to think of it, you did poke me with that at first. But I didn't hide it.
The Lamb just shook their head as if troubled. Shane's mouth turned sour at the thought that they might have let go of the sword when they lost consciousness.
"That sword looked really valuable… No, that's not important right now."
—Even if you had a weapon, it would be useless! I told you, those aren't beings you can face directly!
"Then what am I supposed to do?! Can you do something about it? Like, shoot light from your horns and go 'Mesarthim Beam!' or something?"
—Is this really the time for jokes? I explained it to you earlier! You're supposed to fight from the rear while your hero…
"That bastard's sleeping! How thick-skinned does he have to be to sleep through all this chaos?!"
The letters created by the Lamb swirled around in the air, but Shane didn't even have the presence of mind to read them. The wooden bar began to crack with a splintering sound. Meanwhile, the blonde man lying face-down on the floor showed no signs of waking, let alone moving, to the point where it seemed like he might be in a different world altogether.
Shane frantically looked around and grabbed a shovel lying on the floor before rushing towards the man. Their plan was to try waking him up first, and if that didn't work, they'd have to fight with this…
[Huu, aaaaargh!]
The moment the bar finally broke and the door swung open, Shane realized what the Lamb had meant when they said weapons would be useless.
Shane had expected the entities outside the door to be about a dozen ghosts or zombies, but their prediction was off in many ways. For one, it wasn't multiple entities, but a single one. That is, if you count something with numerous faces attached to a single body as one entity.
If one had to describe it, it was a massive lump of flesh. A huge mass that looked like it had been formed by melting and fusing about ten people together. The flesh lump was moving while floating a few dozen centimeters above the ground, casually defying the laws of physics.
Shane had seen the Lamb float in the air several times by now, so they were far past the point of questioning the laws of physics. However, the sight of such a large and heavy mass floating like a light piece of fluff was truly surreal.
But the floating alone was far from the most shocking part. Faces twisted in lament and flailing arms were attached here and there on the massive lump of flesh. It seemed those faces had been the source of the sobbing sounds all along.
Like a Human-faced spear, the faces attached to the surface of the flesh were grimacing, shedding black tears, while the mismatched and unbalanced arms moved busily to wipe away those tears. The eyes from which the tears flowed were empty, revealing only pitch-black eye sockets. Even though they clearly couldn't see, those faces seemed to be staring intently at Shane and the Lamb.
The sight of this enormous monster, overwhelming just by its appearance alone, made Shane's mind go blank. They had thought they'd be somewhat mentally prepared after seeing the hologram the Lamb had created earlier, but that didn't seem to be the case.
It was certainly true that having a sword wouldn't seem to be enough to defeat this monster. In Shane's panicked state, no thoughts came to mind. They hurriedly grabbed the blonde man and started shaking him to wake him up.
"Hey! This is no time to be sleeping! A monster has appeared!"
However, the sleeping man showed no signs of waking up. Normally, when someone shakes you and shouts next to you, you'd at least flinch, but even when Shane slapped his cheeks with all their might using both hands, the man didn't even stir.
"What the hell, why won't he wake up!"
—You can't wake him up physically! Give him an order!
"What the hell are you talking about! I need to wake up this bastard first before he can take orders or not… Ugh, aagh!"
While Shane was yelling at the Lamb, the lump of flesh simultaneously extended the arms that had been wiping away tears towards Shane and began to charge. Even when it had been wandering outside the warehouse unable to find its target, it had shown movement as fast as an adult running at full speed, but now that it had spotted its target, its charging speed was even more terrifying.
The Lamb seemed to be trying to explain something as letters scattered across Shane's field of vision, but with a bright red mass of flesh covered in faces charging at a ferocious speed, there was no way those tiny letters could be read with a clear mind.
—Sleep* **ra uncon*cious state**…
—If you give the order to ****, he will aw****. Immediately, his consciou****.
[Aah, ack, huaaaaaah!]
The speed at which the lump of flesh charged was far more overwhelming than the speed at which Shane could read the letters in front of them. As the monster immediately lunged towards them, Shane hastily grabbed a shovel and swung it.
"S-stay away! You bastard…!"
Shane desperately hoped that even if this couldn't defeat the enemy, it might at least make it hesitate for a moment, but the actual situation was even worse.
"Wh-what?!"
The shovel that Shane swung with all their might passed through the lump of flesh as if striking a phantom, without any sensation at all.
It was unbelievable. Shane couldn't help but be terrified by this utterly unimaginable situation. There was clearly a mass with form right in front of their eyes, with a horrible stench and panting breath so vivid, yet not only could they not hit it, they couldn't even touch it!
'Is this why it's called a shadow? Because it can't actually be touched, like an illusion?!'
But the absurdity didn't end there. The moment Shane lost their balance due to the force of swinging the shovel, countless hands roughly grabbed their arms and legs and pulled them up. Hands with an unpleasant, squishy sensation like those of a bloated drowning victim clung all over Shane's body.
This was clearly unfair. If Shane couldn't grab the other side, shouldn't the other side be unable to grab Shane for it to be fair? Well, considering it had broken down the wooden door earlier, it wasn't entirely ghost-like, but still, this was going too far.
Shane screamed and struggled to break free from the creature's grasp, but it was futile. It was only natural, given that they couldn't even exert physical force on the opponent in the first place.
—You don't have God's blessing! You don't have the power of light to drive away the shadows!
Letters presumed to be from the Lamb flickered before Shane's eyes. So, the "God's blessing" mentioned until now wasn't some kind of superpower, but literally "the power to inflict damage on shadows."
Shane inwardly resented the Lamb for not explaining this earlier, even though they knew it was pointless now.
[Hee, heehee, heeee……]
Of course, knowing this now was of little use. The shadow, which had been sobbing so pitifully and raging fiercely, had been laughing non-stop since grabbing Shane, and now tightened its grip. As Shane screamed from the force strong enough to crush their limbs, the shadow, seemingly displeased even with that sound, grabbed Shane's neck with its remaining two arms.
"Gack!"
The sensation of being choked was vivid. With a dull metallic sound, the shovel in Shane's hand fell. Their vision began to spin, and the edges of their sight started to turn black. Even if their vision had been clear, all they would have seen were unpleasantly grinning faces, so perhaps it was better to not see at all.
'It hurts… I,I don't want to die!'
Even as their vision blurred and breath was cut off, Shane struggled desperately. They couldn't die like this. Being suddenly dragged into a strange world was bad enough, but to die a violent death without having done anything—how could they meet such an unjust end?
Shane resented the useless Lamb and that so-called hero who did nothing but sleep. What irresponsible bastards, bringing someone to another world and then abandoning them! If they had any conscience at all…
'Whether it's that damn animal or that hero, get rid of this fucking monster! Don't just stand there watching!'
There was only one thing Shane could do. Shouting with all their might in their heart. It was more like giving up than making a request, and even Shane themselves thought this act would be meaningless.
But that wasn't the case.
In fact, this call right now was far more valuable than all of Shane's desperate attempts to face the monster so far.
"I shall obey your command, Guide."
At that moment, a strange voice came along with a sense of liberation. With a loud crash, as if something had collided violently, Shane's body floated in the air, and something soft cushioned their body, reducing the impact.
"Cough, cough, gasp…!"
—Are you alright?
As Shane opened their eyes while breathing heavily, the round face of the Lamb was thrust before them. They had guessed it was the Lamb who had cushioned the impact, but that wasn't the important point right now. Shane hastily grabbed the Lamb and put them down, then immediately looked towards the monster.
They saw the back of a blonde man holding the shovel Shane had dropped earlier in one hand and the monster's severed arm in the other. Though he had been motionless and asleep until just now, the man was now facing off against the monster as if he had never been asleep at all.
'Command… Was that what it meant to give a command?'
Shane couldn't have imagined that they could move someone just by commanding in their mind without even speaking aloud. It was understandable, for although they had heard grand explanations about spirit magic and heroes, they had thought the other person was just an ordinary human.
Ordinary humans can't hear commands from their surroundings while asleep, nor can they perceive or follow commands from inside someone's else's mind. It's not strange to assume that man would be the same.
"You should have explained properly! Did I need to command you to wake up for you to wake from sleep!"
"I clearly explained it to you! I said it wasn't sleeping, but in an inactive state! You didn't even read my explanation properly!"
"Inactive? Did you say that? No, even if you did, who could read that properly in an urgent situation? When you write the text so small like it's the fine print of an insurance policy, it doesn't catch the eye in important moments! Add some flashy glowing effects, and use big, bold, eye-catching colors for the text! If you're going to act as a user interface, at least ensure readability!"
While Shane, embarrassed, was scolding the innocent Lamb, the man was already in a fighting stance facing the monster. The mass of flesh, which had been laughing triumphantly as it pounced on Shane earlier, was now hesitating and backing away, unlike before. As if it knew the man had the power to kill it.
[Huu, huuk…]
The man threw the arm to the ground and readjusted his grip on the blood-soaked shovel with both hands. Even though he was holding just a shabby shovel instead of a proper weapon, the man's posture looked as skilled as that of an experienced knight.
Moreover, the shovel, which had been nothing more than an ordinary farm tool when Shane was wielding it earlier, was now emitting a faint light in the man's hands. This must be the "divine blessing" the Lamb had been talking about all along.
"I'll confirm the first order given by the Guide. Is it correct that I am to exterminate the single target, lowest-grade shadow entity, 'Lamenting Human-faced Spear'?"
The man asked calmly without even looking at Shane and the Lamb. His voice was as cold as a tempered blade. Shane hesitated for a moment at the unfamiliar title of 'Guide,' but soon realized it referred to them and quickly replied.
"If that Human-faced Spear or whatever means that monster… Yeah, get rid of that bastard!"
"Understood."
With that brief response, the man's body vanished in an instant. No, it only appeared to vanish. In a split second, he leaped to an impossibly high altitude and plunged the shovel directly into the top of the mass of flesh.
Of course, logically speaking, this was a battle between a mass of flesh weighing hundreds of kilograms and a shabby farm tool. Normally, the latter should break or bounce off, but…
[Ah, aaaaargh—!]
With an overwhelming sound that was hard to believe came from a shovel striking flesh, the entire warehouse shook. The shockwave emanating from the shovel's tip in all directions felt like it would turn Shane's internal organs inside out, even from a distance. That mass of flesh, which had seemed so fast and strong, had most of its body caved in from just a single strike.
'Is this even possible?'
It was as if a giant press had crushed the mass of flesh in one go. Blood and filth sprayed in all directions, like a burst balloon filled with blood. It was shocking enough that he could damage the opponent, but the level of hat damage was beyond comprehension. Even if he had put his all into the attack, to reduce that enormous chunk of meat to mush with a single blow!
Shane worried that the monster might have regenerative abilities, or that it might make one last desperate attempt before dying, but his concerns were unfounded. The faces that had been stuck to the surface of the flesh were horribly crushed and crumbled, barely retaining their shape, and the arms protruding in all directions twitched briefly before going limp all at once. A faint scream, presumably the monster's death throes, echoed in Shane's ears before fading away.
That was the monster's end. After spewing out blood, filth, and what appeared to be internal organs, the monster soon stopped making any noise and ceased moving completely.
"Ugh, urgh…!"
The monster, hideous in life, was equally horrifying in death. While Shane lowered his head and dry-heaved from the visceral disgust, the man who had caused this scene landed gracefully on the ground without showing the slightest sign of disturbance.
The man's appearance was quite a mess, covered in blood and filth that the monster had spewed out in its final moments. However, as faint particles of light flowed from the man's body, the blood and filth melted away as if they had never existed. Shane thought this must be another effect of that ability, whether it was the power of light or divine grace.
A moment later, just as Shane finally managed to stop retching and lift his head, the man turned and fixed his gaze on Shane.
"I have completed your first order, Guide."
At that moment, Shane saw the man's eyes for the first time. He had expected them to be blue or green like those of an ordinary foreigner, but the man's eyes were actually red. They were the color of burning fire, or wine pooled in a glass.
Strangely, Shane didn't find those eyes frightening or creepy because of their blood-like hue. Perhaps it was because Shane instinctively understood: this being harbored no hostility towards the living, and was solely devoted to following the orders of the master who had summoned him to this world.
While Shane observed the man's eyes, the man in turn gazed back at Shane, as if studying him. However, unlike Shane's prolonged observation, the man's scrutiny ended rather quickly.
"You must be the one who awakened the long-sleeping dead."
Step by step, the man walked slowly towards Shane. It was a bit late to realize, but the man was quite tall. He was about half a head taller than Shane, who wasn't short himself, so he must have been close to 190cm.
Perhaps due his tall stature and robust build, the man exuded an aura that strangely overwhelmed others. Even the tattered armor and the old shovel in his hand couldn't make him look shabby.
"There must undoubtedly be a noble mission behind summoning to earth a warrior from an era so ancient that even corpses would have long since decayed. I shall obey you and pave the way ahead for you."
The man approached Shane, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head in respect. Shane inadvertently drew in a breath at the sight, reminiscent of a knight swearing allegiance to a king. The sunlight pouring in through the small window illuminated the man completely, creating the illusion that light was emanating from his body.
Indeed, what fault could lie with this man? The problem was simply that Shane, in his stupidity, hadn't properly understood the mechanism of 'orders.' If Shane had commanded him from the start, "Get up and do something about that monster!", this man would have defeated the monster long ago. He had only moved now because Shane's order had been delayed, so he was not at fault.
"However, before that, there is one thing I would like to ask."
Shane found himself nodding unconsciously. He felt it was only right to answer any question from the knight who had saved him.
Surely this man must have his own curiosities. What was Shane's reason for summoning him? What would he be doing from now on? Things like that. If it was a question Shane couldn't answer, the Lamb would answer in his stead…
There was, however, one significant problem.
"Who am I?"
"Why are you asking me that…?"
No matter how he thought about it, this was a question Shane had no way of answering. For a while, the man and Shane could only stare at each other blankly, at a loss for words.