I had been hiking through the forest for over an hour with no end in sight.

Thankfully the Lurker had not shown up again, or maybe it had, but I just hadn't noticed it. Even though I was more vigilant than before, the environment was Earth-like enough to lull me into a false sense of security. I had no genuine confidence I'd be able to spot its ambush again.

While hiking, I kept using my newly discovered Identify skill on anything and everything around me. Apparently, the mosquito-esque insects were called just that: mosquitos... Life was frankly rather cruel. Even after escaping to another galaxy, I couldn't rid myself of those fuckers.

I even used the skill on the trees, but it appears th-

"Evening, young lad!" A deep shout echoed through the forest, making me jump.

I turned my head in alarm to see a chest-high bearded man standing about 10 meters away, holding what appeared to be a crossbow. The man had a rough-looking face with a large nose. Both his beard and hair were bronze-red and knotted.

"I went 'n' gave ya a scare, huh?" the man asked as he approached me.

On closer observation, he appeared to be in his fifties and was dressed in thick leather clothing. He had a large backpack on his back and a long dagger on his hip. The attire virtually confirmed this was a medieval world, that or this man was an avid historical re-enactment enthusiast, which I somehow doubted from his leathery complexion.

"Oh, you certainly did! I was a bit lost in my thoughts there," I replied clumsily, breaking out of my stupor.

The man seemed to relax after hearing my answer.

"It's my bad, but ya ought to be more vigilant 'round here. There's a Lurker nest nearby..." the man warned. "But, where are my manners! The name's Bassir. Glad to meet ya!"

"It's great to meet you too. My name is Derek. I actually met one of those Lurkers a while back. Almost ambushed me too." I answered. Luckily the man didn't appear hostile.

"Really? I came here to search for the last one, but if ya already took care of it, it's great news! Those bastards sometimes come up the river and lay eggs in the lake. Better to take care of 'em while they're still young," Bassir explained, with contempt dripping from his words.

"Oh, heavens no. I didn't kill it. I just managed to scare it away," I clarified. "But you're telling me that thing was just a hatchling? It was almost to my waist!"

My stress about the creature's size seemed to fill Bassir with confusion, which after a few seconds turned into amusement: "You must be one of them big-city folks. How did ya even end up 'ere in the middle of nowhere?" he asked curiously.

'What should I say? I can't exactly tell him I died in another galaxy, met God, and got transported here... Or maybe I could?' I pondered for a moment before deciding to go with a half-truth: "Well, you see... I was a bit lost, but then I spotted a city from on top of a cliff and started walking towards it, and here we are..."

"Haha, that's a good story! The only notable thing 'ere for miles is that city you spoke of, Melgir, so you can't exactly get "a bit lost"! But oh well, I won't pry into yer personal business. Say, how long ago did you meet that Lurker?"

"Thanks for that, and I think it has been about an hour since it tried to ambush me," I answered.

"Well, darn. In that case, I won't be able to track it down before nightfall... Hmm, if it's fine with ya: I can escort you back to the city after I'm done setting up the last trap," Bassir proposed, patting a contraption hanging from his hip.

"Please, that'd be great!" I responded nearly instantly. If that Lurker was indeed a baby, like Bassir had claimed, I'd hate to stumble upon an actual adult predator while alone and unarmed.

Bassir let out a short chuckle at the fast response but quickly began setting up the trap as I watched from the sidelines.

'Oh yeah, I should try if Identify works on other people,' I mused, promptly using the skill on him.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

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Dwarf - Level 86

Dwarves are sentient land-based mammals known for their short stature, ingenuity, and strength.

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'Oh, he's a dwarf? Well, now that I think about it, it seems so obvious... I guess I still have my Earth mentality where every sentient being is human.'

"Alright, I'm done!" Bassir announced as he picked up his pack. "Ya coming?"

"That was fast. I thought it'd take a bit longer," I expressed as we began trekking towards the city.

"Just a magic force field trap, so it's rather easy to set up," Bassir explained. "It's wasteful, I know, but the king just banned lethal traps. Says they're killing too many travellers. Bullshit if you ask me... No one dumb enough to get caught in those would survive even one second in these forests."

I nodded, silently thanking the king for the ban.

It took me a second to realize Bassir had just acknowledged the existence of magic in this world. Although to be honest, it was to be expected after all that happened.

"So, you a trapper?" I asked, trying to divert the conversation to more positive matters.

Evidently, It did not work as Bassir's grimace only deepened, and he began seething. "Yes, and a damn good one at that! But now, anyone and their mother can just throw down a force field rune and be as good as they can get! That rat of a king effectively robbed me!"

The more the dwarf talked about it, the angrier he got.

"That's unfortunate," I sympathized. "It seems like an irresponsible move by the king. Cutting people's livelihoods like that."

"It is," Bassir agreed in silent defeat. "The king doesn't give a shit about the small guys like us, but oh well, it's not like I'm going to do anything about it. That old monster is way too strong for complaints."

I nodded along to Bassir's cacophony of grunts and sighs, not wanting to exacerbate his fury any further. Looking at Earth's medieval ages, It usually didn't end up well for those who badmouthed the ruler. I'd much rather not find myself hanging at the end of a noose.

❖❖❖

We continued the walk for an uneventful hour while engaging in some idle chitchat until the trees finally gave way to the lake I had glimpsed from the cliff.

"Beautiful," an involuntary gasp escaped my lips, warranting a silent smile from my companion.

In front of me was the purest lake I'd ever seen. I could see myriads of strange-looking fishes gliding about in the crystal-clear water. One would be hard-pressed not to accidentally fall in if it were not for the slight bluish tint. The lake was a lot larger in person than it was looking from atop the cliff.

Off the cliff to my right, a tremendous waterfall thundered down into the lake, sending white mist drifting across its surface.

Beyond the lake, a great white wall loomed, rising from behind a grove of trees. Every once in a while, a watchtower would interrupt the expansive wall.

"Now, that she is. The water from the mountain makes the lake extremely clear," Bassir said, a nostalgic look on his face. "Well, enough gawking. Let's get going!"

To my surprise, Bassir began walking towards the waterfall. I had assumed there'd be a bridge that ran over the outflowing river. "Why are we going in this direction? Do you have a boat?"

"No boat. You'll see once we get there," Bassir answered a tad wryly.

He had not led me astray thus far, so I just decided to hold my tongue and follow while enjoying the pleasant scenery.

It was almost twilight now. The lights from the immense wall reflected off of the clear lake. It was a very soothing ambience.

❖❖❖

Soon we arrived next to the cliff, where I saw a man-made path carved out of the rock that led to the other side of the lake.

The inside of the path was overtaken with flora, clearly enjoying the moist atmosphere the waterfall offered them.

'if I had a camera with me right now, I'd be snapping photos left and right,' I remarked internally, vowing to stow the scene in my memory.

The condensed vapour on the black stone base made the walk slippery, yet it beat any regular bridge or boat ride if not for anything but the beauty alone.

Obviously, my amazed facial expressions and the occasional wows weren't too hard to interpret because as soon as we made it to the other side, Bassir opened his mouth with a crooked grin: "Lad... Ya happy we didn't take the bridge?"

"Yes, extremely... Seriously, I thank you for the help. I don't think I would have made it to the city before nightfall if it weren't for you," I thanked earnestly.

"Yes, yes. Save yer thanks for later. We're not in yet." Bassir dismissed the gratitude. Yet, in spite of his words, it only took another twenty minutes to reach the city gates.

The gate faced directly away from the cliff and had a dirt road leading off into the forest, curving slightly toward the lake. The gate had an outer lifted yett and an inner pair of reinforced wooden doors that were likewise open.

Two plate-armoured dwarves were lazing inside the gate. One of them looked around forty years old and was holding a huge war hammer with a spike on one end while the other, a teen, had a simple crossbow. Both of them clearly appeared tired from a long day at work.

I quickly used Identify on them and found out that the older one was level 68 while the young adult was only level 23.

"Welcome back, Bassir! Did ya catch the last one?" the senior dwarf asked curiously as we approached.

"Thanks, but no luck yet. Was deeper in the forest than expected." Bassir sighed.

"Too bad... Who's the new guy? You don't see many humans 'round here," the same man asked, a bit more on guard now.

I was just about to answer when Bassir cut me off: "Oh, don't mind him. He's just a friend I picked up along the way."

After a couple seconds of eying both Bassir and me, the elder dwarf lightened up. "Well, a friend of Bassir is a friend of mine. My name is Begnik, and the kid there is Nalat," the dwarf exclaimed cheerily. "Welcome to Melgir!"