Kit examined the massive arch looming in front of them, reminiscent of the one he had passed through when he first entered the game. However, this one was twice as tall and three times as wide. It could easily accommodate two wagons side by side.
The hieroglyphics etched into the stone were more numerous here than on the previous arch, but Kit still couldn't decipher their meaning. As he studied the differences between the two arches, a man approached from the other side. Suddenly, the hieroglyphics began to glow and come to life, causing Kit's eyes to widen in wonder.
A blue light emanated from the carvings and the massive arch hummed softly. The man walked through and disappeared.
Kit blinked in amazement before grinning widely. "Mars, did you see that? Frosted fairy bread! I love magic!"
"Kit...nevermind. Have fun," Mars chuckled at his friend's excitement. Kit playfully punched him in response. "Ow! What was that for?"
"You know what," Kit replied before turning back to Pint and leading him towards the gate. As they got closer, Kit noticed a large stone circle on the ground beneath the arch, with more strange symbols carved into it.
Ding!
[Travel gate]
“Please choose your destination.” A soft, feminine voice seemed to drift around Kit's ears. He looked around, but the only thing he saw was Mars beside him.
Suddenly, a small world appeared in front of them, filled with sparkling lights that captured Kit's attention. It was the same world he had seen during the login process. Unsure of what to do, Kit stared at it until he felt a touch on his shoulder and realized Mars had moved closer.
Mars reached out and began manipulating the world with his hand, until he found what he was looking for. With two taps of his finger, a map of the Fornax continent appeared before them. Mars then tapped again on the forsaken state, causing the map to transform into a more detailed view.
As Mars studied the names of towns on the map, Kit couldn't help but ask, "I thought you already decided where we were going. What are you doing now?"
Mars let out a sigh before answering, "I was just double-checking that Red Splash Village would be our best option. I really wanted to go straight to Spartan Fire, but there isn't a travel gate there."
Kit paused, the name Spartan Fire ringing a distant bell in his mind. However, he couldn't remember where he had heard it before. He shook his head, thinking that the memory would eventually surface. It must not have been important if he had forgotten it already.
"Red Splash village, forsaken state," Mars spoke carefully.
The soft feminine voice chimed in once again, "Please confirm Red Splash village, Forsaken state. 20 gold and eight silver crowns will be deducted from your party as payment for transportation."
Kit's jaw dropped at the outrageous price. "Sweet mother of cheese! That's a rip-off, Mars! We can't afford that."
He had 25 gold on him, but the other 25 was in his restaurant capital and he refused to touch it. He had plans to upgrade his equipment with the money he had earned. But now, if he spent 10 gold just on travel, it would be wasted.
"Kit, it's either 10 gold each or 6 months of travel time. What do you want to do?" Mars asked with a quizzical look.
Kit mentally cursed as he realized how long it would take to reach their destination. 10 gold coins didn't seem like much now.
He let out a sigh and handed over his payment of 10 gold and 4 silver coins to Mars, wondering how his traveling companion had managed to gather enough money for his share. Kit had earned his through cooking meals.
However, before he could voice his question, Mars was already initiating the travel gate process. Kit's thoughts were suddenly consumed with anticipation and excitement; they were one step closer to finding Monak's treasure. His legs began to feel restless and almost moved on their own as he followed Mars through the archway.
Kit made sure Pint was securely attached to him and that Snowball was safe in the sling he had tucked him into before they approached the gate. With one final check, Kit bravely stepped through the archway.
A cold shiver ran down Kit's spine as he walked under the stone archway. His vision blurred and he felt his stomach lurch from the disorienting images. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to regain his composure.
When he opened them again, he found himself in a strange town, far from what he had expected. The small huts made of mud and straw looked like they could barely withstand a strong gust of wind.
Despite the unpleasant smells that filled the air, the town was bustling with people. Kit tried to block out the odour by breathing through his mouth, taking in the sights around him. There were no roads, just dirt paths weaving between the buildings.
Beyond the village, tall trees of a surrounding forest created an unbreakable barrier. "This can't even be considered a proper village," thought Kit. He started to doubt if this was the right place they were looking for.
Glancing over at Mars, who wore a look of horror on his face, Kit couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. His own excitement had been replaced with disappointment and surprise at the unexpected scene before them.
Ding!
[CAL]
[Map Found: Red Splash village.]
Rewards: 50 experience, 1 Red Splash village reputation point.
Kit received a notification that they had arrived at Red Splash village, but he couldn't help feeling skeptical as he looked around at the seemingly backwards town. Mars shared his sentiment, surprised that this was their intended destination.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
"Is this really it?" Kit asked, unsure if this place could even qualify as a village.
"Barely," Mars replied with disappointment. "I guess when people said this state was behind in development, they weren't exaggerating."
Feeling disheartened, Mars led the way towards the closest group of people to ask for directions.
Kit set Snowball down from the sling and watched as the small creature eagerly sniffed at the ground. At least someone was happy about their arrival in this town.
Kit tracked Mars with his eyes, scanning the people around him. They wore a mix of armour and clothing, each individual adorned in their own way. Some wore animal skins and bone jewellery, while others gleamed in intricately crafted armour under the sun.
Kit couldn't help but be impressed by the attention to detail and variety of colours on display. It was clear that these were not ordinary pieces of armour - every one looked well-maintained and well-crafted. Could they all be high-level players? Curious, he attempted to use his identification skill on a nearby weapon.
[Unable to identify]
The players were clearly skilled, munching on crunchy corn as they gathered in the small village. Kit decided to count them out of curiosity and found over 100 players milling around. He couldn't believe that such a tiny town had such a large population of players within its borders. There were even more players than non-player characters visible, which was a rare sight in most games.
Lost in his thoughts, Kit didn't notice Mars approaching a group of individuals clad in animal skins. After some negotiations, Mars secured them a guide - a tall, muscular man named Hubert. "I'm Kit," he introduced himself with a friendly smile. However, Hubert didn't respond to his greeting.
Hubert's eyes roamed over Kit's body, causing a shiver to run down his spine. He felt uneasy around the muscular man. Hubert's gaze unsettled him, as if he was being examined and picked apart. Kit glanced at Mars for some reassurance, but his friend seemed lost in his own thoughts. Keeping his troubled feelings to himself, Kit listened as Hubert mentioned that his brother would also be joining them on their trip to Spartan Fire.
Another man joined them, bearing a striking resemblance to Hubert with dirty brown hair and sharp features. His once-over of Kit gave him the same uncomfortable feeling as Hubert's.
Kit looked to Mars again, hoping he had noticed something off about the two men. But Mars seemed completely engrossed in the menu, oblivious to Kit's silent plea for help. With a sigh, Kit resigned himself to the situation and tried one last time to catch Mars' attention without alerting the brothers. But it was no use; Mars remained unaware of the potential danger posed by the pair.
Kit couldn't help but feel that Mars was preoccupied with something important. It was unusual for him to ignore his surroundings like this. Kit was curious about what had captured Mars' attention so completely.
Finally, Mars' eyes regained their spark and he turned to the brothers, signalling that he was ready to leave.
The brothers wasted no time in setting off. They were eager to depart as well. Kit had hoped they would stay in town for at least a day longer. He was excited about starting his market stall in a new location.
But Kit knew better than to voice his wishes. He didn't want the brothers to leave him behind. So he kept quiet and followed them into the forest. As soon as he saw the forest, all worries left his mind.
Towering trees surrounded him, making Kit tilt his head back to see their tops. He had expected the densely packed trees to block out most of the light, but he was pleasantly surprised to see patches of sunlight filtering through. Kit made sure to keep an eye on the two brothers, using the light as an advantage to detect any potential attacks from them.
The forest air was filled with a strong, fresh pine scent that was a pleasant change from the strange smell of the village. Kit took a deep breath, inhaling the clean, crisp scent and expelling the last lingering unpleasant odour from his nose.
As they walked further into the forest, the once straight and towering trees now morph into gnarled and twisted giants, their branches reaching out like gnarled fingers. The sunlight filters through the gaps in the twisted branches, casting eerie shadows on the forest floor. The gnarled trees created a sense of unease, as if they were watching every move.
Ding!
[CAL]
[Map Found: Black gnarled forest.]
Rewards: 50 experience, 1 Red Splash village point.
The trees in the forest had twisted, black bark. When Kit first spotted one of them, he assumed it had been burned by fire. But upon closer inspection, he realized that was just their natural appearance. The leaves on these peculiar trees were a soft shade of purple. Despite their gnarled look, Kit found them quite beautiful.
As they walked through the forest in silence, Kit couldn't shake his nerves about the brothers. Mars seemed preoccupied with his menu, and Snowball had disappeared as soon as they entered the forest. Kit calmed himself by stroking Pint's mane as they walked.
Soon enough, Pint started nudging at Kit's side, signalling that it was time for their daily beer break.
“Time for beer already. Look at you becoming more affectionate. Normally you are not like that till after you’ve had the beer.” Kit chuckled and gave Pint his usual treat.
To Kit's surprise, the two brothers also came to a halt. They observed as Kit fed Pint with curious expressions on their faces. The longer Kit was around them, the more uneasy he felt. He made a mental note to stay alert in case they had any malicious intentions towards him and Pint. As soon as Pint finished, the group resumed their journey in silence.
After an hour of walking, Kit realized they hadn't encountered any monsters yet. This was unexpected; Gladys had warned them that the Forsaken state was teeming with dangerous creatures. Kit was grateful that Mars had suggested hiring these brothers as guides. Maybe they were the reason they hadn't run into any dangerous situations.
As Kit reflected on his initial distrust towards the brothers, they suddenly stopped again. Instinctively, Kit scanned their surroundings for any potential danger but didn't see anything threatening nearby.
"Give us your belongings or we will kill you," said Hubert, looking at Kit with dead eyes.
Kit forced himself to swallow, trying to push down the rising feeling of betrayal and fear. “Fuck, I just told myself not to think the worst of people and this happens.” Kit clenched his jaw, refusing to give up his pouch.
He drew his sword in a defensive stance, but Hubert just laughed at him. In a split second, Hubert charged forward with his own sword, piercing Kit's stomach before he could even react. Before the pain could fully register, a message flashed before his eyes.
Ding!
[Player Kit has died]
Respawn: 30 seconds.
“Darn it! I should have trusted my gut about those two.” Kit's gaze snapped over to Mars, knowing they would both meet their end soon.
With two attackers against him, Mars didn't stand a chance and Kit had a feeling the brothers were much higher level than he or Mars were.
Kit watched as Mars valiantly tried to defend himself from the onslaught of blows coming from the brothers while his timer ticked down. Despite being significantly lower in level, Mars was somehow managing to hold his own against the pair.
Encouraged by his friend's determination, Kit began to yell out words of support. “Take them down, you can do it Mars!”
As if he could hear Kit's cries, Mars deftly dodged an attack and landed a hit on Hubert. He was starting to find his rhythm in the fight.
Despite the initial surprise attack, Mars was now gaining an advantage over the brothers. Kit couldn't believe what he was seeing - how skilled was his friend with a sword? His excitement was short-lived when one of the brothers revealed a crossbow and took aim at Mars, firing multiple shots in quick succession.
It must have been a special skill or feature of the weapon to fire so many arrows at once. Unfortunately, it was too much for even Mars to handle and he soon joined Kit in death. Panicking, Kit looked over at Pint, worried that the horse wouldn't be able to respawn like they could. But before he could even process the thought, his time ran out.