No One Told Me They Were This Big

Lu Mingfei looked at the Demi-Human's ape-like face, wrinkled with grief, opened his mouth, and for a moment did not know what to say to comfort him.

In the end, the young man crouched down, patted Boc on the shoulder, and said nothing.

Yet that simple gesture moved the small Demi-Human Boc to the verge of tears.

His trembling claws fumbled frantically through his tattered robe, trying to find something with which to repay his benefactor.

But after searching himself from head to toe, he found only ten mushrooms.

They were the last of the food he had brought to stave off hunger when he was driven from the cave.

Ashamed, Boc held the mushrooms in his palms and offered them to the young Tarnished.

"I'm sorry. When I was driven out of the cave, they took all the important things I had, so I can only use these to thank you.

I'm really sorry."

Looking at the mushrooms cradled in Boc's trembling claws, Lu Mingfei suddenly found it a little funny.

"Hey, hey, friend..."

He scratched his unkempt mop of hair.

"You're making it look like I'm here to collect protection money."

He crouched down, took only the smallest mushroom from Boc's palm, and gently pushed the rest back.

"One is enough. Consider it..." Lu Mingfei tilted his head and thought for a moment. "Consider it our friendship fee?"

Boc's cloudy yellow eyes abruptly widened, and his claws began trembling even harder without his realizing it.

"B-but..."

"No buts." Lu Mingfei had already stood up and casually tossed the mushroom into his mouth, chewing it.

"Mmm... Tastes all right. A little bitter, though."

He pulled a face.

"Next time, remember to pick the younger ones."

In truth, he could not taste anything at all.

The small Demi-Human finally could not hold back his tears.

Struggling to suppress the sob in his voice, he said:

"Wait for me... I want to go back to the cave and retrieve something important... Then I'll be able to help you... Even though I get so scared I can't walk whenever I think about them and that cave...

But I'll go for you..."

"Oh, come on, come on." Lu Mingfei was at a loss. "You don't need to help me. In this godforsaken place, having someone willing to chat with me is already a huge help."

But this scrawny Demi-Human was surprisingly stubborn. Once he had made up his mind, he had to see it through. Boc did not answer, only trembled as he struggled fiercely within himself.

Looking at Boc's trembling back, Lu Mingfei sighed.

"That Coastal Cave you mentioned—is it the Demi-Human Cave at the northernmost end of the beach if you head south from here?"

"With a body like yours, wouldn't going back just be serving yourself up on a platter?"

He drew the chipped Lordsworn's Straight Sword from his waist.

"Come on. I'll go with you."

"N-no!" Boc suddenly grew agitated, every strand of gray fur standing on end. "They're vicious! They'll..."

"They'll what? Turn me into a tree?"

Lu Mingfei grinned. His eyes lit up, molten gold flowing through his pupils with an unquestionable majesty.

He had never liked meddling in other people's affairs.

But at that moment, Boc's trembling figure and the stubborn gleam in his yellow eyes looked so much like Lu Mingfei himself from years ago.

Once upon a time, the powerless, weak Lu Mingfei of the past had also found the courage to stand up.

Back in middle school, a classmate had said that Lu Mingfei was a child his parents had abandoned at his uncle and aunt's house, a child no one wanted. Lu Mingfei fought him, only to be cursed out by his aunt afterward.

For the entire following week, he had done that guy's cleaning duties. At night, when he returned to his uncle's house, he had to serve everyone their meals before eating himself, wash the dishes, and listen to their roundabout hints about the cost of keeping him...

How stupid.

He had been so weak he could not even beat a stray dog...

So scared that his entire body trembled...

"Hey." He kicked a pebble by his feet, golden eyes burning in their sockets.

"Stay close to me later."

No one had ever stood up for me.

But at least... at least I could be the one who stood up for someone else.

He laughed at himself.

"This is the place, right?"

Lu Mingfei pointed at the gloomy cave entrance and asked Boc beside him.

Boc, meanwhile, cowered and shivered beside his new friend. It was unclear whether he feared his former cave companions or had been frightened by Lu Mingfei's earlier display of cutting down Demi-Humans one swordstroke at a time.

Behind them, severed limbs of those ape-like creatures lay scattered across the beach.

Coastal Cave was darker and more sinister than he had imagined.

Moss covered the damp rock walls. Lu Mingfei held his torch forward, illuminating pale bone fragments scattered on the ground—whether animal bones or the remains of some unfortunate soul, he could not tell.

"You wait here."

Lu Mingfei pointed to the Site of Grace beside him.

Demi-Humans like Boc, who were not blessed by the Erdtree, could not see the Site of Grace.

But Lu Mingfei had observed that this place was relatively safe. Whether he returned alive or "returned dead," Boc would be all right.

Lu Mingfei had already confirmed that his resurrection was less like coming back from the dead and more like a reversal of time. Even objects damaged nearby would be restored.

But special beings like the Beastman of Farum Azula would not revive.

He did not dare gamble on whether Boc would rewind with him, or whether he had only one life like the beastman.

The safest option was to have him wait here.

"B-but... you don't know the paths inside the cave..."

The small Demi-Human feared his own kind, yet still insisted on leading the way.

"No." Golden eyes shone in the darkness. "You wait here."

"...All right."

After settling Boc, Lu Mingfei entered the cave depths with sword in hand and torch raised.

Now, dealing with these small and frail Demi-Humans was not difficult for him, provided he was not swarmed.

However, if more than four Demi-Humans attacked at once, Lu Mingfei could not guarantee that he would emerge from the fight unscathed. One careless mistake could even cost him his life.

After all, he was still made of flesh and blood. He was just unusually hard to kill.

If getting swarmed was dangerous, then he would pick them off one by one.

Without a sound, Lu Mingfei sliced off the head of the Demi-Human before him. He turned and used his torch to cut off another Demi-Human's roar calling for companions, then expertly finished it with another slash.

Smooth and effortless.

The cave posed no challenge to him now. He cleared out the Demi-Humans inside as easily as chopping vegetables, taking only one sneak attack because of the darkness.

With his head buzzing, Lu Mingfei dealt with his attacker, took a swig of Crimson Tears to recover from his injuries, and never alerted the rock cavern deepest within, where the Demi-Human chief was said to reside.

Looking at the faint campfire in the distance, he put away his torch and raised the Brass Shield.

"Looks like a monster that still has its wits about it."

He muttered to himself.

Then he stepped into the rock cavern.

Though several campfires provided light, the cavern remained dim.

A shield-bearing Demi-Human howled and charged at him, only to be easily beheaded.

"Not that many of them..."

Lu Mingfei muttered.

Before his words had even faded.

Pairs of scarlet eyes lit up in the darkness.

Lu Mingfei silently slapped himself, tightened his grip on his sword, and readied himself for battle.

Two enormous figures over three meters tall slowly rose to their feet, like wolves or jackals.

"No one told me they were this big."