Belsus and I dropped into the farm, one after the other.
While I landed lightly as if I had just walked through the front gate, Belsus literally fell from the sky and rolled across the dirt floor.
However, Belsus was already in a state where he couldn't even feel the impact.
That was the price of suddenly standing up and sprinting with a body that had been starved for a week. Even after suddenly dropping into ruins he had never seen before, he just passed out, lacking the energy to even question it.
It was pitiful seeing him sprawled out face-down on the ground. I gently nudged his shoulder with the tip of my foot and rolled him onto his back. Belsus's face was revealed.
I felt zero guilt about using my foot to handle him. You would understand if you knew the stench coming off him right now.
'How can a human being smell like this?'
My house was currently a dump, but this guy was straight-up hazardous waste.
If my house was a cardboard recycling bin, Belsus was a rotting food waste bin. Thanks to him, I smelled like I had just crawled out of a dumpster, too.
I took off all my clothes and shook them out vigorously. If even a single bug egg had transferred onto me, I probably would have thrown that bastard out of the farm, lifeline or not.
'Ugh, I shook out my clothes, but I can still smell something rotting.'
As long as the source, currently passed out in the middle of my farm, remained, this stench wasn't going anywhere.
I turned my head and looked at the farm's entrance. It wasn't because I wanted to run away from the smell... I couldn't leave anyway.
A subspace isn't bound by exterior space. You can enter and exit from anywhere. However, the entry and exit points don't just change to wherever I want.
The door reopens at the exact location where I last entered or exited.
In short, if I left the farm now, I would end up right back at the spot where I grabbed Belsus and made a run for it. Archer and Calain were probably furiously combing the area for us, so stepping out now would be suicide.
Therefore, I judged it best to stay inside this farm for a while.
Fortunately, since it was nominally a farm, daily necessities had been delivered in a crate like a simple starter pack, so I was okay for now.
And in there, there was something useful for this exact moment.
A pouch of dried herbs.
I temporarily set aside the herbs that would save me from the garbage dump stench and started a fire first. Since the cabin's fireplace was still inactive, I just made a makeshift one outside.
I managed to light the firewood with just a single match.
'I didn't even have kindling, let alone a fire starter.'
My increased nature-friendly dexterity was paying off in moments like this. Compared to the traits of top rankers, it probably looked like child's play, though.
After lighting the fire, I placed two large rocks on either side and laid a wide, flat stone on top. It was a makeshift grill.
Then, I filled a pot I had bought earlier at the market with water, tossed in the herb pouch, and brought it to a rolling boil. Thanks to the strong fire, the scent of the herbs quickly grew rich, and the water turned a slight bluish hue.
'Honestly, even boiling Belsus whole in here wouldn't be enough.'
But no matter how tough a mercenary he was, he'd boil to death, so I mixed in some cold water to adjust the temperature. Groaning, I lifted the large pot and stood in front of Belsus.
Splash! I poured the herb water all over his body, sparing only his head.
'Wow.'
Surprisingly, Belsus didn't wake up. Even looking like a drowned rat from the neck down, he remained completely unconscious.
'Alright. The stench should be a bit more bearable now. Next.'
I dug up the wooden crate I had buried in a pit in the ground. Because the farm's level was still too low to have a refrigerator equipped with cooling artifacts, I had borrowed the wisdom of my ancestors as a temporary measure.
A slab of fresh pork, a string of sausages, a few potatoes, carrots, corn, and a handful of garlic. Plus, a small pouch each of salt and pepper.
Squatting by the well, I brushed the dirt off the potatoes and carrots. I peeled them using a single cooking knife. I chopped the corn into manageable chunks and peeled the garlic with the knife, dropping the milky white cloves into a pile.
After washing the knife in water once, I chopped the pork into thick, bite-sized pieces. I also scored the sausages.
'I can't believe I'm sitting here cooking for someone instead of leveling up the farm.'
But this was the only way to save Belsus, who had practically slipped into a coma.
I brought all the ingredients over to the fire and placed them on the flat stone. The pork landed with a satisfying sizzle on the oiled stone surface.
I tossed in a handful of the herbs I had saved after dousing Belsus. Sprinkling salt and pepper on top made it look quite appetizing.
As I went through this series of steps, a wave of profound disillusionment washed over me.
'What the hell am I doing? Did I get a job as a farmer or a chef?'
Even as the doubt crossed my mind, my hands didn't stop moving.
Next, I took out the two iron pots I had bought at the market. One large, one small.
I placed the large pot upside down over the pork and vegetables on the stone grill to cover them. Sealing it completely could cause it to explode, so I left a slight gap.
While the food cooked in my makeshift oven, I poured water into the small pot and boiled a few potatoes separately.
Once the potatoes were cooked through, I drained most of the water and mashed them with a spoon. Seasoning it with salt and pepper and stirring the thick mixture over the fire, I casually finished my potato soup.
There wasn't any milk in the crate. Because I had to use water, it ended up looking more like a bland porridge than a soup, but it smelled decent enough.
More importantly, Belsus wasn't exactly in a position to be a food critic right now.
'This isn't cooking. This is nursing.'
I was really doing it all. I was worried that feeding roasted pork and vegetables straight to a guy who had starved for days might mess up his stomach.
Grumbling, I lifted the soup pan and turned my head. At that moment, I almost fell backward.
'Oh shit, that scared me.'
Belsus, who I thought was dead to the world, was sitting up.
He was staring intently at the pot in my hands, loudly gulping down his saliva. His gaze was so fierce it was practically a glare. It gave me the chilling sensation of coming face-to-face with a starving bear.
'...How can he still not bring himself to lunge and snatch it, even in that state?'
It wasn't because he thought he'd lose in a physical fight against me right now. It was because, no matter what, Belsus was fundamentally incapable of entertaining the thought of attacking me to steal food.
It wasn't that he knew how to but chose not to. Like a person who had never learned a certain language, he simply couldn't do it.
A guy who wouldn't know how to beat someone up even if he were starving to death.
A kind-hearted pushover, no, a good guy, who wouldn't look down on me just because I was weak.
A guy who would never try to walk all over me. A guy who, once he received a favor, wouldn't forget it even if he became Emperor. A guy who would respect me to the bitter end.
I set the soup pot down a short distance away. I placed a spoon down with it.
"It's yours. Eat."
It happened in a flash. The moment the words left my mouth, Belsus lunged.
Belsus tried to grab the pot, which had been over a fire just seconds ago, and drink straight from it. I smacked him on the head with the spoon to stop him. It was a reflex.
"It's hot, you lunatic."
Anyway, those words brought Belsus's reason back.
Having barely reverted from a beast back to a human, he calmed down and started blowing on the soup before eating it.
Meanwhile, the pork and assorted vegetables in the makeshift oven were turning a golden brown, emitting a pretty amazing smell.
While Belsus devoured everything like a starved demon, I turned my back to him.
'Part of it was because waiting around felt like a waste of time, so I wanted to do something else, but...'
It was also a sort of performance. A show meant for Belsus.
I may be seeing you for the first time, but I am comfortable turning my back on you. I have not detained or imprisoned you. Therefore, while you eat, I will mind my own business and do my own work.
Sure enough. I could feel Belsus stealthily tracking my movements even while eating frantically.
Feigning ignorance, I left Belsus by the campfire and walked into my cabin.
While cleaning, I needed some time to think alone. Only after I was left by myself did I allow a serious expression to freely settle on my face.
'How many transmigrators are there?'
Including Belsus, there were nine Origin Characters.
Assuming everyone received the exact same directive as me, to become the Tower Conqueror or make their chosen partner the conqueror, then there must be nine transmigrators.
And there's one more thing.
There is absolutely no way a joint victory is possible.
'I'm sure of it. Only exactly one person can win and remain in this world.'
As for the characters, even if they don't become the Emperor, they'll just go on living their lives where they belong. But not us. If we don't take first place, all that awaits us is returning to our original worlds.
'The guys who managed to rank 1st in their respective classes are crazy gamers. There will be more people wanting to stay in this world than I think.'
Me, for starters. But putting everything else aside, if I go back to my original world, I'll die from severe blood loss!
'Just how many of them will want to stay here? Surely they can't all be like me, devoid of family or any lingering attachments to their original lives?'
Was there no notice regarding this on the status window?
This dilapidated cabin seemed to gather dust again the moment I turned around after dusting. As I vigorously dusted, I habitually checked the status window.
There was nothing on the blue status window, but I spotted a new feature on the yellow one.
[Rankings]
[Chat]
'Chat?'
Is it a chatroom for the transmigrators?
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