Respawn Condition: Trash Mob

I’m a little bit scared of tomorrow, you know?

 

Pushing through the wheat-field that sways, billowing in the gentle breeze of the kind summer wind that is trapped beneath the surface of the world together with me. The breath of life filling the empty cavern as it constantly tries to surge and stream out towards the exit, as if it were showing me the way towards tomorrow. As if it were trying to take me with it.

 

But I’m a little bit scared of going.

 

The dungeon is my home. What’s the outside like? Is it scary? Will I be welcome there? Why am I leaving? Am I not welcome here anymore? Why? Did I do something wrong? Was I bad? I was good. I was good! I swear! I hear leather creaking in my ear and I cover the sides of my head as I walk, lowering my eyes down to the ground. Don’t look into his eyes. Don’t look into his ey-

 

“Egg,” says a voice from below me and I shift my nervous eyes, staring towards its. The slime pulls the egg back towards me, shushing me with one finger.

 

Oh right. Sorry. I forgot. He’s sleeping.

 

I narrow my eyes, looking at the dreamer in the egg. How can he be asleep? On a day like this? What a heap of lazy bones. I can’t stand it. I can’t stand it. There’s so much to do. There’s so much work to do and here he is, just sleeping the day awa-

 

“Sssshhhhh~” says the slime, pressing her finger against my teeth again.

 

Ah, right. Right. Sorry. I get carried away, you know me. I’m very passionate about life.

 

What was I doing?

 

I look around the wheat-field. Oh right. Dungeon. Leaving.

 

Nodding to myself, I head towards tomorrow. Even if I’m a little bit scared of it. I don’t know what’s going to happen to me outside of the dungeon. I don’t know if there even is an outside of the dungeon. What if… what if this is it? What if the dungeon is the whole world. What if I exit the dungeon and then there’s just… more dungeon. What if the whole world is a dungeon?

 

Oh gods. Oh gods. I feel my heart beginning to beat faster and faster, thrashing in my chest at the thought that terrifies me. What if there’s no escape? What if it’s just this? Forever? Forever? Just me, forever and ever and ever and ever and -

 

“Sshhhhh!” she shushes me again, somewhat annoyed now.

 

Right. Right! Sorry. Sorry. I shake my head and take a deep breath. It’s fine. Everything is fine. I’m fine. You’re fine. Everything is fine.

 

Right?

 

Yeah.

 

Yeah, sure.

 

I step onto the staircase, looking back over my shoulder at the strange floor that I am about to leave behind me. What was this even about? There weren’t any trash-mobs, though I guess they’re dead. There wasn’t even a metaphor. But uh… maybe it died with the rest of them. Maybe It’s just a field? But for what purpose? Why do we have something like this down in the dungeon? Who takes care of it? I don’t un-

 

“Shh! Egg!” she whispers loudly.

 

Right. Right. Yeah. No, you’re right. Egg.

 

I turn my head back forward and walk up the staircase. Shouldn’t ask too many questions, guy. It is what it is, you know? Sometimes the dungeon has a giant hydra, sometimes it has a zombie graveyard, sometimes it has a wheat-field. Is that a problem for you? Well. Tough. You don’t have to be here. I do. So get over yourself.

 

Holding the lance in one hand and the egg in my other arm that is wrapped close to my chest, I rise up the staircase towards the next floor, as I climb towards tomorrow with the wind at my back.

 

I’d like to fight something. I mean, it’s nice to walk while we talk, guy. But I’d like to fight a little, you know? I’m going to do my best, you know? When I finally get into a fight. Maybe I’ll even get to fight the hero-party? Wow. Could you imagine? I bet the dungeon-master would really look at me then. Maybe…

 

I squirm, squealing in a quiet delight as I rub the insides of my arms against my sides, a blush growing on my cheeks at the prospect in my mind’s eye.

 

Maybe they’ll even tell me that I did a good job? Maybe they’ll even tell me how proud they are of me and what a good trash-mob I am? That would make me so happy! I’m going to do my best for you, dungeon-master! So please look at me, please watch me. Please tell me that I’m good. I’m good.

 

Standing tall, straightening my back and pulling my shoulders back into alignment, I rise up the staircase with a raised head. Gotta look my best for the boss, you know? In-case he’s watching me. Everyone is watching me.

 

Rising up the stairs, standing proud and tall with my cape billowing behind me as I walk, I smile a happy smile. Ah. What a life. Perhaps the best of them all? I’m going to make the most of it, I promise you that, guy. I’m going to walk up these stairs and give my very, very, very best. People are counting on me, people are watching me. I might be afraid of what comes tomorrow, but I won’t let them see it. I’m going to march straight towards it, egg and lance in hand like a hero, like the hero himself. Because I’m going to show them that I can. I’m going to show them that they can. If they just try. If they just climb these same stairs that I climb. If they just see what I see, if they hear what I hear, if they do what I do. If-

 

“SHH!” a gooey hand lightly slaps against my chest. Ah. Right. Right. Sorry. I got carried away again.

 

What was I doing?

 

I look around the staircase, thinking for a moment how I got here. A gentle wind pushes against my back, as it rises up the stairs ahead of me.

 

Oh right. Haha! Knocking on my own skull once with the tip of the lance, I keep walking, climbing up towards tomorrow.

 

 

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