Chapter 89 – The Ruler’S Tomb (5)

Day 3.

It’s tough. I can handle the hunger to some extent, but the thirst is unbearable.

A long time ago, I remember hearing a joke about the ‘333 survival rule.’ It said you can survive 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food. The timeframes aren’t exact, but it’s true that the time you can endure gets shorter as time goes on.

‘When was the last time I drank water? Was it the day before yesterday?’

As expected of an underground area where not a single ray of light penetrates, it’s impossible to see even an inch ahead without a light source, so I don’t even know if it’s day or night. If it weren’t for Diana’s whispers, telling me that three days had passed, I wouldn’t even know how much time had gone by.

I don’t know how long it’s been since my last sip, but if I estimate it’s been two days, is it really this agonizing to have gone without water for just two days? I hope I won’t die after three days without water, like that damn 333 rule says.

Even though I have physical abilities that surpass those of an ordinary person, the overlapping debuffs are eating away at me. Looking at my stats, which are flashing red like a warning light, I don’t know how much longer I can last.

With my vision blocked, I carefully move forward. I can’t let my guard down because I don’t know when the monsters, hidden in the darkness with barely a trace, might suddenly appear.

Hunger, thirst, trapped in dense darkness, wandering aimlessly.

A few hours ago, when my tension briefly relaxed due to accumulated fatigue, hunger, and thirst, I was startled when a monster I hadn’t sensed suddenly charged at me. If Irian hadn’t managed to fend off the monster that jumped out of the darkness in time, someone would have been seriously injured or killed. It was a close call.

Maintaining constant tension while wandering in these harsh conditions was incredibly stressful. Maybe that’s why the conversations among our group disappeared at some point. When was the last time we spoke?

I remember the atmosphere was fine at first. Although we were in an unexpected situation, we had Diana and the rescue team, and we were confident that people of our caliber wouldn’t be defeated so easily.

But at some point, the atmosphere became so bleak that I couldn’t even recall when it was okay. Although I can’t see it, I can naturally imagine everyone struggling, and with each step, the pressure and burden increase. Now, I’m more tormented by self-reproach than by thirst.

Did I make the wrong decision? Should I have just stayed there and waited for Diana and the rescue team?

No, the pair of rings I got from the forgotten temple. The pair of rings that Diana has tell us each other’s location, so why should I have waited? It was right to move.

…But what’s the point? The labyrinthine walls of the underground waterway are blocking us, so we can’t meet.

Maybe coming here in the first place was a mistake. Was it a mistake for me, with my lack of ability, to lead the group here as the leader?

My remaining reason is telling me that I shouldn’t be thinking like this… but even though I know it, negative thoughts keep flooding my mind.

I’d rather clear my head and walk aimlessly, but the more I try to empty my mind, the more all sorts of thoughts keep popping up. Past events, future plans, good things, bad things, regrets… I licked my dry lips, trying hard to calm the chaotic thoughts.

Licking my parched lips doesn’t change anything. My mouth has been dry for a long time. It seems like my improving physical condition is deteriorating again due to hunger and extreme thirst.

“Let’s rest for a bit.”

At my cracking voice, the presence that had been walking silently next to me came closer and gently patted my back.

“Yurian, are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t push yourself too hard. Should I carry you?”

What’s up with Irian? His unusually kind voice and touch make me wonder if my condition is that bad. Is it possible that someone as skilled as Irian can see somewhat in this darkness? Or maybe he’s figuring out my condition through my movements, breathing, or sixth sense.

Instead of giving my party members confidence as a leader, I’m just making them worry. How pathetic.

“It’s okay. You’re tired too.”
“No, I’m still fine. I’ll carry you after we rest.”

I opened my mouth to refuse, but only rough, wheezing breaths came out of my parched throat. Should I just give in and let Irian carry me? I’m in a state where my physical abilities are weakened by all sorts of debuffs, so it’s hard for me, but it’s not the same for Irian.

As the owner of the most outstanding physical abilities, he still seems fine… so wouldn’t it be okay to be carried? Pathetic thoughts kept popping up, but I barely managed to shake them off. Let’s get a grip.

I can be carried. I’m not a superhuman leader, and it’s okay to be carried if I’m tired or hurt.

But even if I’m a pathetic leader, I didn’t want to rely on my companions while rationalizing my miserable situation. I don’t know if this is just shallow pride or if I can still endure it.

“Okay. Irian, I’ll carry you next time. And don’t be so gloomy, you idiot.”

He’s annoying, but he’s not wrong. If I keep dwelling on negative thoughts and stay depressed, it’ll only get harder.

“Who are you calling an idiot, to your leader? Do you want a spanking?”
“Leader? Who’s the leader? You? Wow~ That’s ridiculous. Who made you the leader?”
“…Wasn’t I the leader?”
“What are you talking about? I’m the magistrate, the magistrate. Do you know the magistrate? Of course, I should be the leader.”
“Talk nonsense in your dreams. I’m better than you.”
“Hey, do you want to fight me?”

Cha Hyewon is being more boisterous than usual, probably trying to break the gloomy atmosphere by making an exaggerated fuss.

“Magistrate, my ass. Do you even do any work? Where’s your conscience?”
“Hey! The higher-ups only need to have an eye for talent. They place the right people in the right positions. That’s it! Got it?”
“You’re just making it sound complicated to say you’re playing around and eating.”
“Ah~ I can’t hear you~”

She’s not a kid, what is she doing? I chuckled. It wasn’t a cheerful laugh, but a hollow laugh at her childish behavior, but it still felt a bit better to laugh.

“So, are you going to be carried or not? Leader, this humble servant will carry you! Stop being stubborn and just let me carry you. I won’t tease you for being carried by a woman. Okay?”

This bastard… he was planning to tease me with this. He must have omitted ‘for now.’ He’s definitely going to tease me with this later.

“If it gets too hard, I’ll ask you to carry me even if you say no, so don’t worry.”
“You look like you’re having a really hard time right now? Why are you acting so serious as a leader? Are you feeling guilty? Is it all your fault if the situation is bad? It’s already dark and the atmosphere is gloomy, and on top of that, you’re physically exhausted, so you keep digging yourself deeper into the ground. Let your sister carry you and clear your head.”

She’s tapping my leg with her toe, even though it’s dark and she can’t see. Why is she tapping me with her toe in such an annoying way? Wait a minute. Considering Cha Hyewon’s leg length… is she around here?

I swung my hand to hit her for annoyingly tapping me with her foot, but the feeling was too soft.

“…Take your hand away, you pervert.”
“Uh, what? Calf… no?”
“It’s not, so take it away while I’m asking nicely. One, two… stop touching and take it away!”

Hmm… where was it? The soft flesh I touched felt like a thigh. Or was it not? I need to touch it a bit more to know if it’s a thigh or not.

“Hey. What’s this? You’re going to get hit.”
“So what!”

Ouch, that hurts. Her hand is sharp, and the way she’s slapping my arm is no joke. Is it real that my bones are ringing when she hits me with her palm?

I rubbed my aching arm and leaned against the wall, but it only made me thirstier. Did we talk too much to lighten the mood? Still, it’s a relief that the atmosphere seems to have improved thanks to the commotion with Cha Hyewon.

As I sat leaning against the wall, the presence I felt next to me hesitantly approached and sat close to me. What is it? Why is she sitting so close?

Something grabbed my hand, following the touch of our shoulders. The warm, small palm was rough with calluses, as expected of someone who has wielded a sword for a long time.

But it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling. The soft skin I felt as I intertwined my fingers with her small ones. Irian, how does she wield a sword so well with such small hands?

She just sat close to me without saying anything and held my hand, but my troubled mind quickly calmed down.

Yeah. It’s just this… it’s quite painful, but I can’t collapse from thirst. Ordinary people can endure for 2-3 days if they have the will, so how can I, with physical abilities far superior to ordinary people, collapse just because I’ve been suffering from thirst for 2-3 days? I’m a hero who fights against the Demon King, so it would be a disgrace if my will was weaker than an ordinary person.

‘…Wait, come to think of it, I’m a hero? The main quest is to defeat the Demon King, so I’m a hero, right?’

Oh, hero! Will I get a beautiful princess heroine after defeating the Demon King? I can’t fall here for the sake of my harem. I won’t allow my death to be anything other than death by overexertion.

I was determined to endure no matter what… even if it meant drinking my own urine.

“Everyone, listen. If time passes like this, our thirst will get worse, and we can’t just sit here doing nothing, right?”
“What do you mean, ‘right’? There’s no way. Are you telling us to drink that sewage?”

The sound of water, which only makes the thirsty group more miserable. As expected of an underground waterway, the city’s sewage is flowing, so the sound of water flowing is loud. There’s water right next to us, but we’re suffering from thirst.

If it weren’t for the stench that could make your nose fall off, I might have just drunk it, no matter if there were parasites, where the water source was, or if monsters were laying eggs upstream.

“That’s not it. If we drink that sewage, we’ll just die, right? We’re just ignoring it, but there is a way. From now on, when we pee, don’t just pee, collect it in empty water bottles.”
“…Are you kidding? That joke isn’t funny.”

Cha Hyewon’s voice came from not far away. Although I can’t see her in the dark, I can feel that she’s startled.

“Does it sound like a joke? Irian, Sandra, what about you two?”
“…It can’t be helped.”
“Okay.”

Actually, Sandra must be having a hard time too. Of course, her debuffs aren’t as severe as mine, so it’s a bit better, but she doesn’t have the same great physical abilities as Irian or Cha Hyewon. She must be having a hard time, especially since she’s exhausted from using her magic, and now she’s dealing with hunger and thirst.

It’s amazing that she’s following us silently without showing any signs of it.

She’s tough, so tough. I knew she had a strong mentality, but now that I’m struggling, I can really feel how amazing Sandra is for not showing it.

▷ Yurian

Huh? Diana?

▷ How are you? Are you okay?
▶ Yeah, don’t worry.
▷ We’re just a few walls away from meeting…
▷ I just want to break down the walls.

The pair of rings that Diana took from the forgotten temple tell us each other’s approximate location. Of course, Diana and I are also using the rings to find each other and move to meet, but… the problem is that this underground waterway is an unstable place that has been constantly expanded as the city has grown.