The Story is Told to the Protagonist.

After that, we continued to gather points smoothly.

Farming was mainly focused on Topaz Giant Bees. Sierra’s [Keen Eye] and Ein’s skills played a big role.

“Be careful not to break the arrows.”

“Got it! Hyah!”

Crunch!

“Good, let’s move!”

As the atmosphere was smooth, we exchanged various stories while moving.

“You were an archery athlete?”

Sierra had blended well into the team, and I found myself speaking casually with her now.

“Yes. I was on the Australian national team.”

Ah, so that’s why she chose the bow.

“The Olympics that were about to be held were really important to me. But then this happened…”

“Is it important because of your dream?”

“Of course, winning a gold medal is my dream, but more than that, my family… I live with my mother and grandmother, and my mother recently had an accident.”

“Oh no.”

“We run a ranch at home, but my mother’s lower body is paralyzed, so my grandmother is struggling alone. I really wanted to win a gold medal this time to make their lives easier.”

It’s a sad story. But I was skeptical about the possibility of a gold medal.

‘If an archery athlete got the skill [Keen Eye] instead of [Aim]…’

It means she’s not particularly talented.
Also, the fact that she’s on the national team despite this proves how desperately she worked.

“I want to go back quickly and check if they’re safe. It seems like a strange phenomenon is happening worldwide. I wonder if my parents are okay…”

“Don’t worry. They’re still safe.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I just think they will be.”

Earth is safe for now. For now.

But if her family is in rural Australia, they’re unlikely to be alive by the time she returns to Earth.
Of course, I didn’t say this out loud.

‘Ga-ram cried a lot in the original story when her parents died.’

Hearing this, I felt a bit heavy-hearted, knowing Sierra is the same age as Ga-ram.

But there’s nothing I can do for her.

Her future won’t change.

‘….’

I seem to be having a lot of unnecessary thoughts lately.

“But, are you really not from our planet?”

“Why again?”

“When we talk about our planet, the conversation flows strangely smoothly… Like about gold medals or Australia.”

Wow… This isn’t easy.
To think I’d be suspected like this without even making a mistake.

“…I briefly dated someone from that planet on the 1st floor.”

“Wow, really!? Where are they? Please introduce me later!”

“They died.”

“Oh, I’m sorry…”

The conversation abruptly shortened.
Phew. I think I got past it this time.

During breaks, I also learned the basics of combat.
I felt the difficulty gradually increasing.

“Like this?”

Ein came close and corrected my posture as I held the dagger.
I could smell a slight animal scent, but it wasn’t unpleasant at all. It was a pleasant smell that reminded me of the cat I used to keep.

“Yes. Always pay attention to your grip. Grip strength is important for daggers.”

“I’m confident in my grip strength.”

It was a series of grueling marches and brutal battles, but I was happy.
This moment of talking and adventuring with Ein, a character from the original story.

“When my thigh was pierced, my mind went blank. The basics of combat are, above all, composure. You need to learn how to endure pain first.”

“Endure pain?”

“Don’t get scared by being overwhelmed by pain. Just let it flow as a mere sensation, and keep fighting anyway. It might sound obvious, but it’s the basics of combat.”

I didn’t quite understand what she meant, but all her advice would be valuable.

“I’m not sure if I’ll remember this when actually fighting people, but I’ll try to keep it in mind.”

“Then I’ll remind you again when the time comes.”

Right, since we’re a team, we’ll be fighting together.

Hearing these words from Ein, the protagonist of the original story, made me feel overwhelmed.

The fantasy I often had while writing had become reality.

Fighting alongside the characters, talking with them, and giving and receiving help.

Every moment feels like a scene from the story. And now I was inside that story.

And soon I’ll meet Seol Ga-ram and have an adventure together.

At every moment, I felt unexpectedly overwhelmed.

“Hahaha! With that tenacity, Noah, you’re quite the physical type, aren’t you!”

“How would you know about my tenacity?”

“I’ve seen a person or two while working as a mercenary. I can tell just by looking at you walk! Look over there!”

The leader nodded his head. There, Sierra was sitting against a tree, massaging her swollen feet.

“We’ve been walking for hours, let her rest a bit.”

“Nonsense! I’m not saying Sierra is wrong, but that’s normal, and Noah is the odd one out! Asking to be taught combat techniques during marches is usually considered weird!”

“I have to learn somehow to survive.”

“It’s always the ones who talk like that who get stronger the fastest! Noah, don’t forget me when you go ‘up’ later!”

I smiled wryly at the leader’s exaggeration.

While point farming and the atmosphere were smooth, it was slower than I expected.

‘It should be about time for that to appear…’

I brought someone with [Keen Eye] because there is an easter egg for the fastest clear of the 2nd floor. We need to find that.

“Sierra, a moment.”

“Yes?”

I whispered only to Sierra.
This one is designed so that only the owner of [Keen Eye] can find it, so it would be really unnatural if I found it.

“Underground?”

“Yeah. Since creatures appear in various environments like trees and air, there might be one underground, too.”

It’s a hastily made excuse, but we really need to find it now.
If I only tell Sierra, even if it’s a bit unnatural, I can explain it separately later.

“So, look carefully at the ground. There might be hidden gems or something.”

“You mean like that under your feet, Noah?”

“Huh?”

I lifted my foot and looked down.

“Oh!”

Among the grass, a gem embedded was the same mint color as the grass of the gem forest.

As I lifted my foot, the gem wriggled as if it sensed something. It’s a sign that it’s trying to go underground.

No!

“You little!”

I immediately took out my dagger and stabbed the gem.

Keeng!

With a cute scream, the gem stopped moving.

Ding!

[You have gained 100 points.]

At the system message, the team members in front shouted in surprise.

“Wh-what’s this!”

“…100 points?”

I quickly grabbed the gem and pulled it out like a radish.
A mole with a mint-colored gem on its crown popped out.

“Sierra!”

“Yes?”

I put the mole in Sierra’s hand.
This is your achievement from now on.

“No way, what a windfall! Why 100 points…”

“Leader! Look at this! It’s a new creature!”

The noisy team members turned their heads sharply. Everyone gathered to look at the peridot mole.

“A mole?”

“Oh! Its head is the same color as the grass! Hmm, it’s too identical, even if it’s the same! There was a reason it gave 100 points!”

At those words, Sierra pointed to the gem.

“No, if you look closely, it’s subtly different.”

Like this, Sierra with [Keen Eye] could distinguish the difference.

“Sierra really does have good eyes! You’ve done well!”

“Huh? Oh, Noah told me about this.”

“Noah did?”

Ah.

‘Oh, Sierra…’

Thanks to her, I had to sweat to devise a suitable excuse.

“Hahaha! Noah is our team’s treasure, a treasure!”

I smiled awkwardly as the leader patted my back.

But when I was checking the reactions of other team members, my eyes met Ein’s.

“Hm? Do you have something to say?”

“…No.”

She averted her eyes.
And we started moving again.

***

Sierra was often positioned close to me, and perhaps because of this, she frequently struck up conversations with me.

“Noah.”

This time, Sierra came close and whispered.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

I also leaned in and spoke softly. Her brown hair tickled my ear and cheek.

“With the bee, and just now too, you did that on purpose to look after me, right? So I wouldn’t feel out of place in the team.”

What? She can think like this too?

“If you knew, you should have played along.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I’m a bit slow on the uptake… Hehe.”

Well, it’s fine. It’s my fault for being poor at acting.

“And belatedly, thank you for putting me in the team. I’ll work harder.”

“You’re already pulling your weight. That’s enough for obligation. If you work harder from here, I’ll be grateful.”

“Yes! I’ll try to do double my share so you can be grateful!”

Then she opened her eyes wide, observing the surroundings more carefully. I couldn’t help but smile at her exaggerated behavior.

Sierra had been sticking close to me for a while, seemingly comfortable with me.

“But the more I look, the more your clothes seem similar to our planet’s.”

“People’s living places are all the same.”

“Do you know the phrase ‘clothes make the man’?”

I was startled. I flinched, thinking she was testing me.

Wasn’t she Australian? The system’s translation function is amazing.

“…No.”

“Really? Aren’t you curious what it means?”

“What does it mean?”

“There is such a thing.”

And then she smirks to herself. What’s she doing?
I gave her a flick on the forehead.

Thwack!

“Ow!”

“Don’t be cheeky.”

“Ow… Why is this oppa’s hand so spicy? Just…!”

Then she grabbed my wrist and the middle finger I flicked with, twisting them this way and that.

Come on. My durability stat is only 3.

“You think you can break it like that?”

“Ow! Why are your fingers so thick!”

“Can you two be quiet over there!?”

Jilduk shouted angrily from the front. We had fallen a bit behind the team while chattering.

It was a bit noisy. The formation was also disrupted. We might unnecessarily attract creatures.

“We got scolded because of you. Just keep watch on our surroundings.”

“Hng…. Okay….”

We quickened our pace to match the formation.

But as we found our places, Ein suddenly loaded her crossbow.

Click.

“Huh? Wh-what is it? An enemy?”

“Noah. Look over there.”

“Where?”

I watched intently in the direction Ein was aiming, with heightened tension.

“Isn’t that the mole?”

“Oh! Really!?”

“Where? Ah, you’re right! It’s that mole from earlier!”

“Oh, it’s trying to go underground! No!”

As if she had expected this, Ein fired her crossbow, and the arrow stuck in the ground.

The leader belatedly grasped the situation and came running with his sword drawn.

“What!? You found a mole!? Where, where!”

And then he dives into the place Ein pointed out.

Wow, but how did she find this without [Keen Eye]?

[You have gained 100 points.]

“How did you find it?”

“I didn’t notice before, but once I knew such things existed, I could see them.”

Her large pink eyes were visible.

“Your eyes are really good.”

“Because I’m a hunter.”

After saying that, she slung her crossbow on her back and started walking again.

Wow, look at her quietly doing her part. That’s what a protagonist party is like.

“But Noah, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Ask anything, oh great mole killer.”

“…What are you saying? Ah, listen while we walk.”

We started moving again as I listened to Ein’s words. I briefly bent down as the grass tickled my legs while walking.

I brushed off the dirt from my legs.

“You knew the trial content in advance, didn’t you?”

I stopped abruptly as I was straightening up.

“…”

Ah.
Belatedly realizing I had stopped, I shook off my dazed mind.

As I started walking, I tried to act nonchalant and look forward again, but the team’s movement had already stopped.

All team members except Sierra were looking at me expressionlessly.