Chapter 8: Differen Loop, Same Outcome

Grey booked it, blitzing down the hallways. He took one turn after another until he came to a stop in a small nook, heaving for breath.

He was very familiar with this nook. During his first run, he had noticed that the curve of the cave walls naturally concentrated sound toward his location.

When he needed a rest, this was his go-to spot, and he could easily hear even the most minor of sounds coming his way. It also wasn’t in the direct path of the safe room or the goblin encampment. He figured because he had spent so much time here the first time, that was the real reason he didn’t run into the others.

’This sucks.’

Grey softly hit the back of his head against the walls, curling his body up as his breath came to a slow. The stench wafting from him hit him all at once.

It wasn’t his body, but rather the blood and various globs of goblin saliva he had ended up caking his fur-lined collar with. But as much as it sucked, he couldn’t get rid of it.

’I guess the only thing to do now is just... sit and wait.’

Stuck with his own thoughts, the adrenaline leaving his body in a steady tide, the weight of it all fell on him.

The sound of something approaching made him perk up for a moment, but then the sound faded away and he was left alone once again.

Grey closed his eyes.

His breathing became rhythmic. Maybe it took a madman to sleep in a place like this, but he had already accepted the role.

...

"What happened? What happened?"

Ray rushed out to find Fitz and May standing near one another, but there wasn’t any danger in sight. His heart was beating out of his chest and he seemed ready to skewer a rock if he had to.

"There was—there was someone here. He left, that way," May pointed, "but I think—." May blushed as though she didn’t want to say the words. She already had to explain once that Grey looked like a pervert running around in feminine clothing and little more than his boxers. She didn’t want to have to do it again.

Luckily, Fitz interjected.

"There was someone else, but it was just one person, and he ran away. He’s probably afraid of our numbers, so that’s good."

Ray frowned. "Shouldn’t we try to add him to the team? The more numbers, the better, right?"

The three of them hadn’t come together in the first place. They had ended up meeting in the safe room and chose to form a team for safety and convenience. It made sense to add one more if it helped out.

But Fitz shook his head. "May said this guy was running around in his underwear. He’s clearly got a few screws loose. There’s nothing worse than a stupid teammate—we’re better off without him. Oh, look. The smoke’s clearing. What’d you find at the end?"

"At the end?" Ray’s brows jumped as though he remembered his job. "Right, there was a wooden door with a crack in it. There’s this goblin in there that looks like it’s sleeping on its feet."

"A goblin? Sleeping on its feet? Is it an encampment boss? The introduction in the safe room said we’d have to beat it to leave the tutorial."

"I think it should be." Ray nodded.

"Good chance. Looks like that madman dealt with the encampment for us. Now all we need to do is fight the boss and leave here. If we move fast, we can be among the first and get rewarded like the introduction mentioned."

There was a reward for clearing the tutorial world faster than others. Fitz didn’t know exactly how they were stacking up, but considering they had only just finished the introduction in the safe room, they had to be doing pretty good, right?

The fact there were cracks in the boss door was another advantage. They could scan the landscape and make a plan before going in. This chance was practically served up on a silver platter for them.

"Let’s do it."

An eagerness flashed in Fitz’s eyes.

—

Grey opened his eyes. He hadn’t gone to sleep, he only rested a bit.

He didn’t know if it was a trick of his mind, but he didn’t feel the same fatigue now that he usually felt after a hard workout. Was it because it wasn’t as hard as he thought? Or was it something else?

Pushing himself up and out of the nook, he landed on the ground softly.

’Let’s go see if they’re done fighting the boss, then.’

It was a bit depressing he couldn’t take advantage of his own hard work, but he knew that he had made the smarter decision. Not only did they have the numbers advantage—and the archer he really didn’t want to deal with—but they had those interface suits.

He had almost forgotten, but after he failed to pick a weapon, that mechanical voice had tried to give him +1 to his Strength. That ultimately failed, but that meant that the people around him were gaining boosts to their physical fitness that he wasn’t.

They would already be stronger than goblins at their baseline, and this would only make them even stronger.

’Don’t let me catch a hold of you bastards.’

Grey gritted his teeth. If he ever laid hands on the engineer that put together the mechanical arms that were supposed to dress him, he’d make sure to give them the time of their lives.

’Well... damn.’

Grey’s feet came to a stop as he turned a corner, his lip twitching.

He was just about to walk down the corridor the safe room was in. From the nook, he had to go through here to make it back to the encampment and out of this tutorial zone. But he ended up seeing something he hadn’t expected to see—though maybe he should have.

A familiar young girl lay dead in front of the safe room, her body oozing with blood. The only difference was that the arrow had cut into her throat, snipping an artery before snapping against the ground.

Different loop, same outcome.