Chapter 1: The Nameless Mine (1)

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Even in a pitch-black space where one cannot see an inch ahead, the human body adapts in its own way. As the eyes grow accustomed to the darkness, the faint silhouettes of objects begin to take shape, and the ears become twice as sharp as usual.

However, the only thing my ears could catch was the rhythmic thud of pickaxes striking mineral veins. It made sense; after all, my current status was nothing more than a common forced laborer.

"You bastards! Keep digging! This is the final mercy the Great Emperor bestows upon you Infected!"

Occasionally, the overseers would bark orders, and their whips would turn the dark cavern into a scene of chaos. Whenever they opened their mouths, a casualty was almost guaranteed to follow.

"Damn it... how the hell did I end up in a place like this?"

I had been reincarnated on the planet that serves as the setting for the game Arknights. I don't know why. It wasn't like those common novel intros where the protagonist sends a 5,700-character complaint to the developers. The only thing I could think of was that I hadn't logged into the game for two days.

Swallowing my resentment, I swung my pickaxe. Having served in the artillery back on Earth, I had some knack for using a pickaxe, but since I was currently in the body of a young child, I lacked the raw physical strength and found myself struggling.

"Haah... haah..."

Still, I was better off than the young girl next to me. Even in the dim light, I could see her arms trembling violently; she seemed to have reached her absolute limit.

It’s extremely dangerous if you lose strength in your forearms while swinging a pickaxe. If you lose your grip for even a second, the tool becomes a lethal weapon flying toward the person next to you.

"Hey. You there."

"Haah... Huh?"

I took my share of Originium and placed it into her quota basket.

"Take this. Just pretend to swing your pickaxe for now. If you keep going like that, you're going to end up hurting someone."

"Ah... thank you... thank you so much..."

In truth, I was barely meeting my own quota. By giving this to the child, it was obvious I’d have to work like a dog to make up the difference.

Even so, my hands moved on their own out of pity. This kind of labor was far too cruel for such a young girl.

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"Look at this little shit! Is this all you managed to dig up?!"

In the end, having failed to meet my quota by a narrow margin, I was denied my rations for the day. Clutching my empty stomach and drinking nothing but water, I felt pathetically miserable.

"I'm going to catch Oripathy... aren't I?"

The mineral we were mining, Originium, was a high-efficiency energy source that played a massive role in the industrial and scientific advancement of this world.

But where there is light, there is shadow. As a side effect of Originium, a contagious disease called Oripathy emerged—a condition where a person's body gradually turns into stone. This led to a massive conflict between the Infected and the non-Infected.

In reality, the Infected are treated as less than human in most countries. Considering they carry a potentially fatal contagious disease, one could argue it's somewhat expected, but for me—having worked in a mine for a month and being all but guaranteed to have contracted it—it wasn't a pleasant thought.

"Um... thank you for earlier."

It was the voice of the girl I had given the Originium to. However, I was far too buried under hunger and fatigue to give her a proper response.

"Don't worry about it. Just one bottom-feeder helping another, that's all."

I closed my eyes without even turning my head toward the source of the voice. To survive another day tomorrow, conserving energy was essential.

"Th-This! It's some of the bread I had left over. Thanks to you, I didn't go hungry today. Would you like some?"

Wait, food is a different story! I'm currently starving over here. A proper meal is also a vital part of conserving energy.

"Well now~ I guess I'll have to accept this favor from the little lady..."

But the moment I turned my head and saw her face, I gasped in shock.

Sharp eyes, white hair, and rabbit ears. She was a Cautus. It was a familiar sight. She was the boss-level antagonist who made a powerful appearance beyond the phone screen—an executive of the Infected militant group, Reunion. It was Frostnova. She was still young and short, but looking at her overall features, there was no mistake.

"Um? Why are you staring at my face like 그hat?"

There were several reasons. First, her beauty—even as a boss in a game chapter—was enough to topple nations. I was dazed by the beauty she couldn't hide even as a child.

Second, my brain had overloaded because the mere fact that she was here meant my life was hanging by a thread.

"I'll... take the bread, thanks. And we look about the same age, so just speak comfortably."

I ate the bread first to get my brain working. The bread distributed here was as hard as a rock, but if you soaked it with enough saliva, it was edible.

Right. Because of her, I remembered exactly how Ursus treated the Infected. If the number of Infected didn't die of 'natural causes' as scheduled in the mines, the guards would pick people by drawing lots to fill the quota.

I had to prepare to leave this mine as soon as possible.

"I see. We are the same age. Then, shall we exchange names? My name is Yelena. What's yours?"

"I am..."

Wait. What was my name?

I couldn't remember my name from the real world, from Earth. Was it because I had reincarnated? Everything except the memory of playing this game during my free time in the military was hazy.

"...Well. I can't seem to remember my name."

"What's that supposed to mean? Do you just not want to tell me?"

"No, I'm serious. I'm an orphan who was born and raised here, so I didn't have parents to give me a name. The adults here just called me 'Kid'."

It was a plausible excuse. At the mention of being an orphan, Yelena looked flustered and apologetic.

"Hmm... You can just call me 'the kid who's good with a pickaxe' or something."

"What is that! That's not a name!"

"True. It would be inconvenient without a name. Then, from today on, you can call me Earth."

Earth. I chose the name so I wouldn't forget that I was an inhabitant of Earth.

"I see. Earth. Thanks for helping me earlier!"

"Don't mention it. This bread was more than enough repayment. Well, I'm busy, so I'll be going."

When I didn't know her identity, I performed a good deed out of pity, but not anymore.

The fact that Frostnova was here was a signal that the overseers would soon come to slaughter the laborers in this cave, including her.

Fortunately, she would be miraculously rescued by a passing hero named Patriot, but every other laborer besides her would become a cold corpse.

And since I was destined to become one of those corpses,

I had to prepare my escape right now.

"Wait...? Wait for me!"

She was a child facing a pitiful fate, but my own life came first.

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