Upon hearing that Crab intended to seek help from Sisyphus, I immediately protested. "Absolutely not!"
"Why not?" Crab looked confused.
"Sisyphus is far too cunning… Haven't you heard?"
Crab shook his head, wide-eyed, clearly unaware.
Yes… just as I thought. Sisyphus is not to be trusted. He's selfish and will do anything that benefits him, even at the cost of someone else's life.
Back when he was still the king of Corinth, before his punishment in the underworld, he abused his royal power—robbing and killing travelers to steal their provisions and treasures. No one ever suspected him, thanks to his devious wit. He avoided being branded a criminal by manipulating everyone around him.
"That really happened? How come I've never heard of it before?" Crab asked.
"This is something passed down by background characters who once played the role of travelers and managed to survive. Every background character knows this story." I paused and looked him in the eye. "You really didn't know?"
Crab gave me a naïve smile and shook his head again.
Good grief. Where has this guy been? He's far too innocent for this world. How does he even survive in such a ruthless place? Maybe he should pick up some street smarts before it's too late.
"But that's just a story, right? We don't know if it's true. Maybe Sisyphus isn't really like what people say," Crab objected.
"You're too optimistic, you know that? Sometimes you've got to learn to see the worst in people. The world isn't as kind as you think it is." I tried to teach him.
Crab narrowed his eyes at me.
"I think you see the worst in people too much. Maybe you should try looking for the good in them too. The world's not always cruel." Crab shot back.
This new underworld companion of mine was downright frustrating. Still, I found some comfort in his nature. Maybe it was because he was still a newbie background character, pure and unstained—like a white cloth untouched by filth. Unlike me, who'd seen the darkest corners of fairy tale society, where you had to trample others to climb higher.
"Going to Sisyphus for help is like walking into death," I insisted.
"Then how else will you escape? Do you have another option?" Crab challenged me.
I hesitated. The truth was, I didn't. I had no idea how to escape this place. After all, it was my first time in the underworld. "There's got to be another way…"
"So you don't actually know, do you? You don't know how to get out either," Crab pressed.
"Fine… I admit I don't know how to get out of here. But I still say it's too risky to go to Sisyphus."
"Sometimes we've got to take risks. We're both new here. We don't know anything. But the one thing we do know is that Sisyphus is imprisoned here. You know his fate—he's the man who cheated death. If we ask for his help, maybe his fate-given talent can help us too." Crab was now speaking seriously.
"You're right… but don't forget, his fate isn't just about cheating death. He's also manipulative—he exploits others for gain. And do you know what happened to the people he deceived? They all died miserable deaths."