The sea was rough, waves crashing against the shore.
"Where's Bjorn? Is he back yet?"
"Not yet. He should be here soon..."
Arrua Raven clutched the 'Coordinate Transmitter' tightly, staring at the horizon. Everyone on the boat was feeling a sense of unease.
Bjorn Yandel.
Their leader, the barbarian who had stayed behind to buy them time, facing a 3rd-grade monster alone.
"Something must have happened. We have to go back and save him!"
"No! Didn't you hear what he said? We're not supposed to go near him."
"He always says that and then does whatever he wants! I'm going to do what I want this time!"
"That's..."
Misha trailed off.
Raven, who had been shouting emotionally, also calmed down a bit and spoke.
"Just wait. He'll be fine. He'll come back."
"Sorry for shouting."
"It's okay. I feel the same way."
"You feel the same way?"
Raven hesitated for a moment at Misha's question and then answered,
"...He's our companion."
"Ah, yeah... That's right."
An awkward silence followed.
Everyone's gaze was fixed on the spot where they had left Bjorn.
About five minutes later...
The boat, which had been anchored at sea, suddenly rocked violently.
"The water! The water is receding!"
The sea level, which had risen like a flood, was rapidly decreasing.
"Wh, what's going on? Bjorn's not back yet! Did he... fail?"
"That's impossible! If Stormgush was still alive, there would be another storm!"
"Th, then..."
"Yes! Bjorn defeated Stormgush!"
Raven shouted joyfully, and Misha couldn't hide her relief either.
"That crazy barbarian! He said he would just hold out, but what the hell was he doing down there?!"
Despite her words, Misha's face was filled with relief.
"Partslan, turn the boat around!"
"A, alright!"
Raven quickly steered the boat back towards the island.
That's when...
Flash!
A white light flashed from beneath the surface, like a bolt of lightning.
"Wh, what was that?"
"I, is something wrong...?"
Everyone looked at Raven, including the priestess.
...But a mage doesn't know everything.
"I, I don't know..."
The labyrinth was full of mysteries.
She had never even seen Stormgush before.
"..."
Time passed, and the water level continued to recede, revealing the center of the island.
But Bjorn was nowhere to be seen.
"Where the hell is he?! What are these equipment doing here?"
The only things left in the center of the island were Amelia and Bjorn's equipment.
"There's a nail here. And a rope tied to it. He must have been here..."
"He probably tried to tie himself down so he wouldn't be swept away. But where did he go...?"
"Then what about his equipment? Why would he take off his equipment...?"
The scene was full of contradictions.
"...Let's search the area. If he was swept away, he wouldn't have gone far."
Raven, confused, tried to stay calm and gave an order.
Bjorn had told her that she had to be the leader when he wasn't around.
"There's more equipment here! It's the necklace Bjorn was wearing!"
"Th, there's underwear here! It's his!"
The others spread out and searched the island.
The water level continued to recede, and the island returned to its original state.
But...
"Why... why isn't he anywhere...?"
They couldn't find Bjorn, even after searching the entire island.
What the hell had happened here?
No one knew, but Raven spoke firmly.
"Maybe Bjorn..."
"Don't say anything stupid. He'll be fine."
A leader should always be positive.
That's what Bjorn had taught them.
So...
"It's clear that he defeated Stormgush. He even had the presence of mind to tie himself down. I don't know why he took off his equipment, but maybe he was swept away to another island. Let's go look for him."
Raven then boarded Partslan's boat and searched the nearby islands.
There were many guesses and arguments.
But they didn't give up hope.
Time passed...
"...We'll see him in the city."
They couldn't find Bjorn, and it was time for the labyrinth to close.
Swaaaaaaaaaa!
The light of the labyrinth enveloped them.
Raven returned to the city and looked for Bjorn in the deserted Dimensional Plaza.
But he wasn't there.
She went to the checkpoint, but he wasn't there either.
"Where's Bjorn? Was he at the plaza? The employee said he wasn't among the explorers who passed through earlier."
"...We couldn't find him."
Raven and her companions waited anxiously.
But even after all the explorers had left and the plaza was empty...
"..."
Bjorn didn't appear.
He should have been here, no matter where he was in the labyrinth, if he was still alive.
"Um... It's almost closing time..."
The employee started to look at them nervously.
It meant only one thing.
But no one could say it out loud.
"..."
A heavy silence fell.
And then Ainar, the only barbarian, spoke.
"Yeah, Bjorn is dead."
It was time to face reality.
______________________
They say that even mountains change in ten years.
But not this city.
Enough time had passed for mountains to change twice, but this city was still the same.
Like the street in front of the checkpoint I was standing in.
"Dad! Over here! Over here!"
"Ramirion, you're back safe and sound. Let's go home. I made your favorite food."
The street was filled with families and friends of explorers.
Even the buildings looked the same.
The only difference was the signs on the first floor.
'There used to be a bar there, not a general store.'
I was finding the differences between the past and present fascinating when...
A woman stood next to me.
It was Amelia.
"Ah, you're here."
"You're late. Did you have any problems at the checkpoint?"
"No, just like you said, I handed them the ID card and exchanged the magic stones."
"Really? That's good. Then let's go."
"Where to?"
"A clothing store first."
After meeting Amelia, we went to a nearby clothing store and bought some clothes. And then we got a room at an inn in the 7th district, my usual territory.
"Come to my room after you wash up. We need to talk."
I took a bath, changed into my new clothes, and went to Amelia's room.
She had already finished washing up and opened the door.
"What did you want to talk about?"
I sat down on the bed and asked, and Amelia dried her hair and sat down at the table across from me.
"I have something to confirm."
"Go ahead."
"Are you... going back?"
What the hell is she asking?
"Of course. I'm going back no matter what."
"Hmm, I see."
"Did you think I would want to stay here?"
"I thought it was a possibility. You must be starting to feel like you've returned to the past."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"...It's twenty years in the past. You might not know this, but you could live a much more comfortable life here if you use this time difference to your advantage."
"I see."
"...It's not just 'I see'. Barbarian, don't you realize what kind of opportunity you have...?"
I cut her off before she could continue.
"That's enough."
I understood what she was trying to say, but it didn't appeal to me.
There's no Bitcoin here.
If I stayed, I would lose everything. My equipment, my noble title, and my precious companions.
It wasn't worth it.
"I'll go back as soon as I find a way. So stop talking about it. I wouldn't even be here if it weren't for you."
"...I'm sorry about that."
Well, her apology was a bit late.
"So is that why you called me?"
"No, I have something else to ask. I wouldn't have told you if you were planning to stay."
She was testing me, wasn't she?
"Stop beating around the bush and tell me."
"I need your help while we're stuck in the past."
Damn it, she wouldn't answer my questions, and now she wants my help?
Does she think I'm an idiot?
"What do I get in return?"
"I'll help you find a way to go back."
"You don't even know how to go back, how can you help me?"
"...There's one thing we could try."
"Tell me."
I was ready to leave if she said I had to make a decision first, but...
"We could use the Fragment of Records again."
Amelia told me her plan.
But I didn't understand.
"The Fragment of Records? It disappeared when we time traveled..."
I stopped mid-sentence.
"Ah..."
It didn't disappear completely.
This was twenty years in the past.
"Yeah, the one I used is gone, but there's still one left. It should be with the Lord of Noark."
I suddenly thought of the Genesis Artifact.
If this theory was correct, then the 'Genesis Artifact', the key to the final floor that had been stolen, would also exist in this time period.
'What happens if I take it back to the future? Will I be able to clear the game?'
I was curious, but I quickly dismissed the thought.
I should focus on returning to my original time first.
'And it probably wouldn't work anyway.'
Amelia and I had been stripped of our equipment when we time traveled.
It meant we couldn't take anything back to the future.
"..."
Ah, I got sidetracked again.
Amelia was staring at me.
Damn it, I'm a barbarian, I can't focus for that long.
"Ahem, continue."
"...I'll tell you after I hear your answer."
Damn it, she's playing hard to get.
I sighed, but I didn't have a choice.
The Fragment of Records was the only plausible way to return.
And...
'I can't do it alone.'
I needed Amelia's help to obtain it.
I didn't even know where the Lord of Noark kept it.
"Alright, tell me. How can I help you?"
Amelia had a strange expression when I agreed.
She didn't seem happy.
No, she looked annoyed.
"Is there a problem?"
"...No. It can't be true."
"What can't be true?"
Amelia didn't answer.
She just composed herself and started talking.
It was a long story, and when it was over, I finally understood.
What Amelia Rainwales had wanted to change.
_____________________
The next day...
"I'll be busy for a while. I can't stop you from doing whatever you want, but try to stay out of trouble. You might do something irreversible."
Amelia moved out and left.
She was going to meet with those shady scouts who tried to recruit criminals for Noark.
We both had to enter Noark to achieve our goals.
'Damn it, I never thought I would have to go to Noark.'
Amelia said she would be back in about three weeks.
She would come back occasionally to update me on the situation.
'Then what should I do now?'
I felt restless, being alone in the room.
Maybe it was a gamer's instinct.
I was in a world twenty years in the past.
'Should I go explore?'
I quickly got dressed and left the inn. Amelia had told me to lay low...
'But I can't just stay here.'
What could possibly happen?