My name is Ryan, I was 26 when I got shot while saving a girl from being raped. My old man always said I had no self-preservation. Anyways for my good deed I was granted to be reincarnated by God and I intend to live my new life in style and maybe have fun lol.
The familiar white room faded away, and suddenly, I found myself standing in a lush green forest. Shadow appeared next to me, looking around in awe.
“Well it seems our story is starting but first, status!” I yelled out as my Stat page came up
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NAME: RYAN
RACE: HUMAN
CLASS: WATERBENDER
LEVEL: 1
HEALTH: 100/100
MANA: 100/100
SKILLS
WATERBENDING: LEVEL 1
basic waterbending
OBSERVATION HAKI: LEVEL 1
Feel people's presence
INFINITE INVENTORY
transfer anything into a inventory that has infinite space
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As soon as the status screens popped up, I smiled. Everything was in order, and my skills were all there. I looked down at my little raccoon familiar, who was sniffing at some nearby leaves.
"Looks like we're all set, huh buddy?" I said, giving him a pat on the head. Shadow let out a soft squeak in response, turning to look up at me with his bright little black eyes. It seemed like he was ready too. I closed the screen and took a deep breath, taking in the sights and sounds of the forest. The trees swayed gently in the breeze, and birds sang in the distance. It was a beautiful place.
"Come on shadow!" I say as I look down at a large river a few meters away "What did cub scouts say again? People tend to settle along rivers so if I follow it, it may lead to a settlement. " I smiled as I started walking down stream
Shadow followed obediently at my heels, his little footsteps quietly padding on the ground. The little raccoon looked around curiously, his senses no doubt on high alert.
We walked in silence for a bit, enjoying the scenery and the sound of the flowing river. After a few minutes, I could see the forest beginning to thin out, and a hint of civilization could be seen in the distance.
Shadow seemed to perk up at the sight of the village too, his eyes widening with interest. "Looks like we've found our first stop, buddy." I said to the little raccoon familiar, grinning. With that, I picked up the pace and headed towards the village, Shadow at my side.
The village sat on the bank of the sparkling river. The town blended seamlessly with nature, It had thatched-roofed cottages, and some homes were adorned with ivy hanging from their walls and shuttered windows. The air was filled with the scent of wildflowers and pine, creating a refreshing woodland fragrance. I took in the sights and smells of the village as I walked into town.
The place had a charming, rustic feel to it, like something straight out of a fairytale. Shadow seemed to be just as awestruck as I was, his eyes darting all over the place as he sniffed the air. As we continued on, I began to notice some locals starting to take notice of us. A few children playing near a well pointed and whispered to each other, while an elderly woman tending her garden raised an eyebrow at our approach.
"Looks like we've made quite the entrance." I muttered to Shadow, a small smile playing on my lips. We stopped at the elderly woman's garden and I asked her " Evening ma'am, do you know where we could find the general store?"
The elderly woman gave us a warm smile and set down her trowel. "Good evening dear." she said, wiping her brow with a handkerchief. "You'll find the general store just down the street over there."
She pointed down the road to a small building with a sign that read "General Store" hanging above the door.
"Thank you." I say as I walked towards the store, as we approached the store, we could hear raised voices coming from inside. It sounded like a young girl and an older man arguing about something. I exchanged a curious glance with Shadow before quietly pushing open the door to the store.
"Hello?" I asked, Shadow climbed onto my shoulders as we both leaned inside.
The store's proprietor, an aging human merchant with a grouchy expression, looked up at us with a scowl. Sitting on a stool beside him was a young wolf girl, who couldn't be more than 10 years old. She had a look of defiance on her face as she stared up at the merchant.
The merchant grunted. "What do you want?" he said gruffly.
The wolf girl's ears perked up at the sight of us, and she turned her gaze to us. "Who are you?" she said, her voice a mixture of curiosity and wariness.
I gave her a friendly smile. "My name is Ryan and this is my familiar, Shadow." I said, gesturing to the raccoon who was perched on my shoulders.
The wolf girl's eyes widened a bit as she took in the sight of Shadow. "You have a familiar? That's so cool!" she said, her voice tinged with awe. She looked at me with a hint of envy.
The merchant grumbled. "What do you want? I don't got time for chit-chat."
"Sorry sir, just some new clothes for Shadow and a bag." I told the grouchy man
The merchant grunted again and got up from his stool. "Fine, follow me then." he said gruffly.
He led us over to a section of the store filled with various bags and clothes. "Here you are." he said, gesturing at the items. "Take your pick and be quick about it." with that he walked out the door and yelled "AGATHA! MAKE SURE THEY DON'T STEAL ANYTHING!"
The young wolf girl, who I assumed to be 'Agatha', rolled her eyes and jumped down from her stool. She followed us as we looked through the clothes and bags.
"Don't mind him, he's always like that." Agatha mumbled under her breath, rolling her eyes again.
"Why is he so grouchy?" I asked as shadow started looking for some clothes that would fit his rouge aesthetic
Agatha huffed out a sigh. "He's just old and grumpy, that's all. Been living here for as long as I can remember." She watched as Shadow sniffed through the clothes, looking for something to his liking.
"You, his uh daughter or something?" I said
Agatha shook her head. "No, I just help out here from time to time. My parents run the inn down the road." She leaned against the wall, watching us with curiosity. "Where are you from? I don't think I've seen you around here before."
"uhh far west." I say cryptically
Agatha raised an eyebrow at my vague answer. "Far west, huh? That's a pretty broad area." She tilted her head to the side. "You're not a bandit, are you?"
"Of course not." I keep my eyes on shadow
Agatha studied me closely as if trying to gauge my sincerity. After a moment, she seemed satisfied with my answer. "Alright, I believe you." she said, crossing her arms. "But you still haven't told me how you have a familiar."
"I just have him, I've had him my whole life." I lied to her
Agatha seemed doubtful of my answer, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she turned her attention back to Shadow who was still picking out clothes. “Hm, your little buddy sure has good taste.” she said, watching as Shadow sniffed at a black vest and cloak.
"I'll say, is that what you want buddy?" I bent down on one knee so I was at eye level
Shadow looked up at me with his little beady eyes, holding up the vest and cloak in his tiny hands. He gave me an eager nod, clearly liking his choice. "Alright then, what about bags? got anything for traveling?" I asked Agatha
She nodded and led me over to another section of the store. "We've got plenty of bags here. Leather, canvas, you name it."
I scanned the selection, looking for something suitable for carrying supplies and gear. Shadow hovered near me, eyeing the bags with curiosity. I leaned down and whispered to shadow "I'll use my inventory, this is for you buddy."
Shadow perked up as I spoke to him, tilting his head to the side as he listened. I could see the gears turning in his little mind as he figured out what I meant. He gave me a small nod, seeming satisfied with the arrangement. And with that settled, I turned back to Agatha.
"I'll take a canvas bag, please." I said, pointing to a sturdy-looking bag that was laid out near the front.
Agatha nodded and got the bag, handing it to me. "Anything else you need? maybe something to replace those strange clothes "
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
I looked down at my clothes and realized that they did look a bit out of place. They were just regular jeans and a t-shirt, not the kind of stuff you'd expect to find in a fantasy world. "Yeah, actually. Do you have anything more... suitable?"
Agatha eyed me up and down, sizing up my frame. "Yeah, we should have something that fits. Let me go check the back."
She vanished into a back room and returned a few minutes later with an armful of clothes. "Here, try these on."
I took the clothes and headed over to a nearby changing area. Shadow followed after me, watching curiously as I started to put the clothes on.
The clothes were quite different from what I was used to. They were lightweight yet durable, made of a material that I couldn't quite identify. It was then I realized she gave me what was basically traditional waterbending clothes. a light blue coat with fur around the neck, a dark blue long sleeved undershirt, black gloves, gray pants, and black boots. As I put my clothes on, I whispered “Inventory” and I could see what was basically the Minecraft inventory, to my luck I had about 200 gold coins.
I looked down at shadow and smiled at him “Looking nice, buddy!” I high fived him
image [https://i.postimg.cc/x1sX43Q2/2024-07-02.png]
Shadow returned the high five, his little paw slapping my hand with a satisfying 'SMACK'.
He looked me up and down, admiring my new outfit. I could hear a soft whistle from him, which was basically the raccoon equivalent of saying "nice threads". We walked back to Agatha "how much for all this?"
Agatha looked me up and down, her eyes lingering on my new outfit. "Looks like our clothes fit you well." she leaned over and totaled up the price, adding in the cost of the bag. "For all of this, it comes to about 20 gold pieces." She said, holding out her hand.
"Perfect." I put my hand in my pocket and pulled 20 coins from my inventory and handed them to her "Here you go."
Agatha's eyes widened slightly as I produced the coins from seemingly thin air. She took the coins with a hint of disbelief, counting them with a raised eyebrow.
"How did you do that?" she asked, her voice filled with curiosity.
"Magic." I do jazz hands
Agatha looked at me, her expression turning from surprise to disbelief. "Magic. Right." she said, slowly nodding her head. She tucked the coins away into her pocket, clearly still puzzled by the whole thing. "Well, thanks for your business. Be careful out there."
"Will do." I wave at her "Also, is there a library in town?"
Agatha looked at me curiously, her eyebrows raising at the mention of a library "Yeah, there is a library in town. It's a bit small, but they've got some good books. Why do you ask?"
"I'm new around here and need some info." I scratch the back of my head
Agatha nods in understanding. "Well, the library's just down the street. You can't miss it." She glances at Shadow who's still on my shoulder. "And make sure your little buddy doesn't eat any books."
I chuckled at her comment, patting Shadow on the head. "Don't worry, he's got better taste than that. Mostly." Shadow let out a squeak in agreement, as if to reassure her.
"Alright, if you say so." Agatha said, rolling her eyes. "Better get going then, the library closes at dusk."
"Alright, I'll get out of your hair now." I gave Agatha a small wave and started walking away from the store, Shadow still perched on my shoulder.
As I walked, I could feel the stares of the villagers as they watched us pass. I could hear some of them whispering to each other, but I couldn't quite make out what they were saying. "Looks like we're attracting some attention, buddy." I said to Shadow under my breath.
The little raccoon looked around, his eyes flickering around the village as he took in the gazes of the townsfolk. He gave a soft squeak, almost as if he was agreeing with me.
After a few minutes of walking, we arrived at the town's library. It was a small building, made of what seemed like white oak, with a small sign that read "Library" hanging above the door. I pushed open the door and walked inside, Shadow still on my shoulder. The inside of the library was just as small as the outside, but it was well-lit and cozy, with bookshelves lining the walls and tables scattered about.
There were only a few people inside, mostly elderly folks perusing the books or sitting at the tables, quietly reading. They all looked up as I entered, their eyes lingering on me and Shadow for a moment before returning to their books.
I made my way over to the librarian, who was sitting behind a small desk in the corner. "Excuse me," I said quietly, trying not to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the library.
The librarian, a middle-aged woman with wire-framed glasses, looked up from the book she was reading and gave me a kind smile. "Hello there. Can I help you with something?"
"Do you have any maps?" I asked
The librarian nodded and got up from her seat. "Yes, we have some maps in our geography section. If you'll follow me, I'll show you where they are." The librarian led me over to a section of the library that was devoted to geography books. She scanned the shelves for a moment before pulling out a thin book with the words "World Map" written on the cover.
"Here you go," she said, handing me the book. "This has a fairly comprehensive map of the entire world."
"Thank you. Also, do you have any books about the nations of the world." I sat down at a nearby table
The librarian thought for a moment, tapping her chin with her finger. "We should have some books about the different nations..." She walked over to another bookshelf and pulled out a bigger book with the word "Nations" written on it. "This book has some information about the major nations in the world, and some history about each one."
"Thank you ma'am." I nod towards her as Shadow climbed down onto the table and curled up, quickly falling asleep
The librarian chuckled at the sight of Shadow sleeping on the table. "Looks like your little companion is a bit tired." She looked back at me. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
“No ma’am.” I tell her
The librarian nodded. "Alright then. Do let me know if you need any more assistance." With that, she headed back to her desk, leaving me alone with the book and the sleeping raccoon.
I looked down at the map then at the book about the nations and the regions they inhabit.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/wTsKPhmm/Archea.jpg]
According to what I knew, I was currently in the Nemurean Empire. A land filled with temperate weather and large forests. The Empire has been around for around 100 years and was the country of humans.
Beside the Nemurean Empire in between two large mountain ranges sat the dwarven kingdom and elven kingdom in the wildlands, The dwarves lived under and in the mountain range ‘Daggerstone' on the edges of the great forest. The elves lived in a dense and hot forest ‘The Great Forest’ and seemed to worship the massive tree called the world tree.
Beyond the Wildlands sat the frontier, A great grassland that was unclaimed by any country and so bandits roamed.
Farther south of the Empire was the wasteland, a large and seemingly endless desert. The dark elf kingdom called this place home, they established the capital city on the edge of a massive lake called The Great Lake.
East across the ocean sat the island of Poko’Lalo, home of the demi-humans. A tropical rainforest three island archipelago. Three great tribes created a council for their government.
Far south of Poko’Lalo sat the Frostlands, a frozen wasteland which based on all expeditions to go there was abandoned and was home to an ancient race of beings known as jötnar and beyond a name nothing else is known about them.
As I finished reading about the different nations, I leaned back in my chair, taking in all the information. The different countries were all so different, with their own unique cultures and geographies.
Shadow slept peacefully on the table next to me, oblivious to the world around him. I smiled and patted his head "Looks like we picked a real interesting world to end up in, eh buddy?" I said out loud, looking down at the sleeping raccoon.
I looked out a nearby window and saw the sun going down. The sun was slowly setting in the sky, casting a warm and golden glow over everything. Shadows were starting to lengthen, and the sky was beginning to turn a deep shade of orange.
“You would love this ma.” I said sadly as I remembered my late mother
I looked out the window for a few more moments, lost in thought. The image of the setting sun reminded me of watching sunsets with my mom, and a pang of sadness washed over me as I recalled her passing. "Yeah, she would..." I said, my voice trailing off.
I put the book and map back up before I picked Shadow up and bid farewell to the librarian and walked out of the library, holding Shadow gently in my arms. The sun had almost completely set, and the night sky was now a deep indigo, with a few stars just starting to become visible.
"Let's get to that inn Agatha mentioned." I said to the sleeping raccoon, Shadow let out a small squeak in response, but otherwise didn’t stir. He was still fast asleep, his little body curled up comfortably in my arms.
I began walking down the street, a few people were walking home and paid me no mind. After a few minutes of walking, I saw a sign up ahead that read “Inn” in fancy lettering. I made my way towards it, the inn looked cozy and welcoming in the dim light.
I pushed open the door and walked inside, the smell of ale and roasted meat filling my nose. The inn was a small, but cozy place, with a few patrons sitting at tables and a bar to one side where a burly demi-human wolf man was cleaning some glasses.
I walked up to the bar, the wolf man looked up at me with a curious expression. "Looking for a room?" he asked in a gruff voice.
"yea, how much for a night?" I walked up to the bar, shifting Shadow so I could reach into my pocket
The wolf man looked me up and down for a moment before answering. "It's 5 gold coins for a night. Includes a bed, a meal, and breakfast in the morning." I put the coins on the counter.
The wolf man scooped up the coins and gave them a quick look before nodding, seemingly satisfied. "Alright, you're all set." He reached under the counter and pulled out a room key, handing it to me. "Room 10, upstairs, third door on the right."
"Thank you." I picked up the key "What's on the menu tonight?"
The wolf man scratched his chin thoughtfully as he looked over the menu. "We've got a nice roasted rabbit served with potatoes and carrots. Or a beef stew with hearty bread and cheese, if you prefer."
"two servings of rabbit please. bring it up to my room please" I walk away from the bar and up the stairs
The wolf man nodded, making a note of my order. "Sure thing. I'll have someone bring it up to your room shortly."
I headed up the stairs and found the door marked with the number "10". I unlocked the door and walked inside, setting Shadow down on the bed.
The room was small but cozy, with a bed on one side and a small nightstand on the other. A table and chair sat in the corner near a window that looked out over the street. The room was dimly lit by a small oil lamp on the nightstand, casting a warm glow around the room.
I sat down on the bed and smiled "Thank you God, I appreciate this second chance." I laid back on the bed, feeling a sense of gratitude and relief wash over me. I had a roof over my head tonight, and food on the way. I could have ended up in much worse circumstances. As I lay there in the dim light, I heard a knock on the door.
"Come in!" I yell out as I sit up from the bed
The door opened and Agatha walked in, holding a tray of food. On the tray were two plates, each holding a generous portion of roasted rabbit and potatoes. "Here's your food, sir." she said politely.
"Thank you." I said as I took the tray from her. The food smelled delicious and my stomach growled in anticipation
"Would you like anything else?" Agatha asked, lingering by the door.
I looked back at her "Actually yea, why is everybody so suspicious of me?"
She looked out the door and looked around the hall before closing it. Agatha leaned against the door, her expression turning serious. "Bandits, mostly Daggertooths."
"Daggertooths?" I asked curiously as I feed a carrot to the now awake Shadow
Agatha nodded, her face looking grim. "Daggertooths are a group of cannibals, their leader from what I hear is a ex captain of the Nemurean army, who was supposed to be executed for eating someone"
She shuddered slightly, clearly uncomfortable at the thought. "They attack anyone they see and usually eat them, and rumor has it they've been on the move for a while, coming closer to the town. People are on edge because of them.”
"I see, thank you Agatha, goodnight." I start to eat my meal, sharing some with Shadow
Agatha nodded and quietly left the room, leaving me alone with my food and Shadow. I took a bite of the rabbit, savoring the taste. As I ate, I thought about the information Agatha had given me. The bandits sounded dangerous.
After I finished my meal, I lay back in bed, my stomach satisfied. Shadow crawled up on my chest and curled up, purring lightly, I turned off the lamp and closed my eyes and drifted off, exhaustion finally catching up with me.