Chapter 8
Bait.
That was my job for this expedition. That was how I was going to pay Bern back.
Walking ahead of the group, putting myself in the position to be the first to step on a trap or stumble into a group of mobs. My job was to be cannon fodder to let the trip go smoother...
It's bullshit, right?
It has to be.
There is no way that they could do something this awful and inhumane, I mean...
I know that my background in fantasy worlds isn't the most reputable but arent their people for this? Rogues to scout ahead and disarm traps. Archers with incredible sight to spot groups of impending monsters. How can this be another world without those basics?!
I asked Bern and they do in fact exist.
What for a moment eased my caution, then caused me to seethe harder.
If these solutions existed, why am I still being offered up as a sacrifice?
Well, it was as Bern said earlier, when in a dungeon like this, you need every out you can get. You'll do anything to raise the survival rate of the group.
I guess I don't count for that statistic.
-
The next few days passed in relative silence.
Other than eating and drinking, I spent most of my time coping with my imminent fate. A good portion of that was done by reminiscing on the trashy web novels I used to love, imagining myself as that luck blessed protagonist, stumbling around in the dungeon and finding untold treasures...
'Well, I guess I am already one step closer to becoming that lucky protagonist, who's to say it won't be me?'
It was with thoughts like that that I was able to push away my sense of imminent dread.
Beyond my imagination, I spent quite a lot of time looking ahead to our destination. The grandeur was awe-inspiring enough for me to temporarily forget that it was likely going to be my grave.
-
After 4 days of travel, I could make out some details of the structure. The closer we got, the more otherworldly it seemed.
Khazret was shaped similar to the Pyramids of Giza but stood several magnitudes larger, nearly the size of a mountain. The edges and surfaces were rounded and smooth, as the entire surface seemed to be covered in loose sand, defying all known laws of gravity.
I asked Bern about the phenomena, but got back a simple "magic" as a response, followed a couple of seconds later by a "how the hell should I know?"
I guess magic is a bit of a catch-all in this world too.
-
After 5 days of travel, I could make out a dark and gaping entrance. Located about halfway between either side of the pyramid, the entrance was dwarfed by the sheer magnitude of the pyramid.
-
That night, I was able to spot a small campsite of sorts gathered up around the entrance. The mounting dread that I had been able to temporarily forget began quickly welling up again.
-
The next morning, I could make out the figures of 5 people, 3 men, and 2 women. The tallest of the bunch started waving and set out to meet us halfway.
As he came into closer view, I could see that he was another handsome bald man, this time dark-skinned and suited in shiny silver and yellow armor. Under his thick mustache, he had a brimming smile to match Bern's happy smirk as the two reunited.
"Bern, you old man I can't believe you made it all the way out here!" He said, clapping Bern on the shoulder.
"What do you mean old man? I'm barely 30! I can't believe that the oh so very esteemed Sir Dulmir remembered to invite some dirty adventurer like me!" Bern responded, happily mocking the old friend.
"Oh shut it, you know this title is just for show. Here, let's go link up with the rest of the group-"
Finished with their little reunion, Dulmir finally notices me on the back of the cart.
"Who's the cargo you got aboard?"
"His name's Hale, found him half dead in the middle of the desert. He'll be... scouting for us."
Dulmir looked at me with a pitying smile, "Well Hale, glad to have you with us."
"Likewise."
-
Unlike the two baldies, the rest of the camp seemed to have a suffocating air about it. If anything, the two men were the ones out of place, considering that we were about to begin a near-suicide mission.
The two other men consisted of a short, cleric dwarf named Tarkas and a tall, lanky archer named Lail. I ended up wandering away from Bern and Dulmir to introduce myself but was just met with pitying nods.
Not that I blamed them. I wouldn't want to bond with someone who's destined to die soon either.
The two women were a different story.
I first met Hallia, a kind, roguish woman. While she didn't speak many words and was wrapped nearly head to toe in darkly covered cloths, her eyes were full of reassurance.
Finally, I met Fie. She was an elf, but she looked young and was dressed in a slightly tattered grey dress. I don't want to make rash judgments about her age, considering her race, but I would guess she was only 15. That was only bolstered by her shy temperament.
I asked her what she was here for, and she claimed to know basic auxiliary magic. She said that she was here out of convenience for the party, providing save torchlight and small healing.
Definitely a much better job than myself.
-
The introductions went relatively quickly. Unsurprising considering how many of them responded to me with dismissive nods, however, it gave me a bit more time to scrounge around the camp.
I was told by Bern that most of the stuff at the camp was communal for the expedition, so I managed to find some simple replacement clothes, alongside a sturdy pair of boots for the trip.
While looking through the provision, I was surprised by how many pieces of food I didn't recognize. I may have been spoiled on the trip with Bern, eating mostly simple chicken-like meals.
The box in front of me was jam-packed with grotesque smelling meats, oddly shaped fruits and a mountain of unfamiliar grain.
A bit spooked from the smell, I grabbed the most bread-like thing I could find before wandering back to the front of the camp.
As I bit into the bland bread, I overheard Bern addressing the other members.
"We don't have much time to spare here, start prepping your equipment, we enter Khazret at sundown."