"Why not?"
Lucian frowned. It didn't make sense to him—this seemed like a win-win situation.
"I don't feel comfortable turning my back in a cave to someone I just met," Hakkan replied, matter-of-fact. "Besides, I found the cave. And you want to waltz in and reap the benefits? Just like that?"
Lucian nodded. Fair point. But he had a feeling this wasn't the end of the conversation. Hakkan didn't seem like an idiot—he wouldn't have mentioned the cave at all if he truly meant to keep it secret.
"So," Lucian said, "what is it you want? No need to beat around the bush."
"Heh," Hakkan smirked. "Pay up."
Lucian couldn't help but laugh. He'd braced for something dramatic or unreasonable, and it turned out the man just wanted compensation.
"Fine, fine. I left more trinkets back on the beach—couldn't carry them all earlier. I'll go back and grab them for you. Consider it your payment for guiding me into the cave."
At that, Hakkan's expression shifted oddly.
"Forget the payment. I've changed my mind. I don't want your stuff anymore. And don't call it a job—I don't want to hear the word 'employed' today."
Lucian shrugged. "Alright, no questions asked. But I'll still give you the jewelry. I can't carry it all anyway, and I'd rather you take it than leave it to rot on the beach."
"Deal."
They walked together back to the shore. Lucian retrieved the ornaments he'd left behind and handed them over. In return, Hakkan offered him a share of the fish he'd cooked. It was surprisingly good.
Lucian enjoyed the moment. He never had many friends, and most of his social life was limited to chatting with strangers online. But talking to NPCs in games, uncovering their stories, always gave him a strange sense of fulfillment—like he was making friends across a boundary of worlds.
Now, that same feeling was back—but deeper. He wasn't just a player anymore. He was living it.
The NPCs, the enemies, the monsters—he could speak to them, walk with them, eat with them. It was all real now.
—
That night, they rested with a cautious peace between them. No words passed, only the crackle of the fire and the distant sounds of waves. Morning arrived quietly.
At dawn, Hakkan led Lucian to the cave entrance. It was tucked into jagged cliffside rock, so well-hidden that an untrained eye would easily miss it.
"Since you've paid, I'll do the work," Hakkan said. "I go first. You stay behind me. Don't try anything. The wolf will be watching you."
"Sounds fair to me," Lucian agreed.
It was the smart play. They barely knew each other, and trusting a stranger with your back in a dungeon was borderline suicidal. If the roles were reversed and Hakkan asked him to take point, Lucian would've refused too.
Hakkan letting Lucian walk behind him, while still dangerous, was a notable concession. A soldier of his experience surely knew the risks of exposing his back.
The risk of betrayal was lower this way—for both of them.
Hakkan lit a torch, held it out toward the cave, and tested the air. Then he stepped in slowly, careful and deliberate.
Lucian followed him inside.
Darkness swallowed them almost immediately. The air grew damp, the stone cold beneath their feet. The passage was narrow and uneven, and the flickering torch cast long, shifting shadows.
They walked in silence for several minutes. Nothing noteworthy yet. Lucian began to grow restless.
"Hakkan," he said. "Back at the cave entrance—you were doing something. What was that?"
"You really don't know?" Hakkan sounded genuinely surprised.
"Is that some kind of common knowledge in the Lands Between?"
"Not exactly. Just surprised a Tarnished warrior wouldn't know it. But I guess it's not something that helps much in a fight."
Hakkan continued: "First thing I did was check for explosive gas. Sometimes, caves contain fumes that can ignite with flame. So you test from outside, where you can retreat quickly if things go wrong."
"Then I waited inside for a bit—to see if the air was breathable."
Lucian blinked. "Huh. Makes sense. I hadn't thought of that. You're really experienced."
Hakkan said nothing.
Though Lucian couldn't see his face, the silence didn't feel like bashfulness.
Eventually, Hakkan broke it.
"I used to work for a noble in Leyndell," he said quietly. "Me and my clan—we were hired to dig out old ruins, explore tombs."
He gave a bitter chuckle.
"Calling it 'exploring' is a bit too generous. We were grave robbers, really."
His voice darkened