I spend the rest of the day mostly just waiting for something to happen. Surely, the floating island city wouldn’t have just stopped there and not done anything.

But nothing happens, so I go to sleep in my new house. I’m still sort of creeped out by what happened with this particular ritual. Mostly by the fact that somehow my bed moved here and my suspicion that the house actually became a living tree.

Night comes fast, and passes just as quickly.

Wow, that was a great sleep. That cottage is truly magical. Literally. And what clears the last bits of doubt about that is the fact that the mist of magic is still hanging around the construction.

Yeah, I guess I do have a magic hut now. I hope it doesn’t sprout a chicken leg and walks away.

I spend the day as I usually would. Cooking, eating, training and crafting.

Sure, there’s a giant city floating in the sky, but that’s no reason to slack off. Especially since it isn’t doing anything.

Another night and another morning. Most of the day goes on as normal. I practise my magic and get closer and closer to mastering my one spell.

It is maybe around noon, when I’m cooking my traditional spaghetti with flavour spaghetti shouldn’t have, when my routine is interrupted.

I only notice it quite late, but once I do, I can’t focus on anything else. Rustling. Just a short distance in the direction of my new neighbour the quiet of a dead forest is disturbed by the noise of underbrush cracking under feet.

Someone is there. And they’re heading my way.

Okay now, don’t panic. I’m sure they are going to be peaceful. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t have made themselves so easily heard. And I’m sure a civilization that grew up with the System is going to have people with very advanced skills.

As the minutes pass, trepidation grows within my heart. Why are they taking so long? Surely, they have some movement skills to hasten their journey. Is this another attempt to signal they come in peace? Because it’s only making me more nervous.

Eventually, the noise draws near enough and I spot them, just as they’re exiting the forest. Yes, them. There are two figures walking leisurely side by side.

My attention is immediately drawn to one of them.

Their figure is clad in dark clothes. Even the face is covered and I can’t make out anything. What I do notice are the blades strapped to their sides. I count at least four.

Very well, so maybe not that peaceful of a meeting. Let’s hope this person is only insurance. I’ll have to make sure not to draw their ire. Who knows how strong people can get here.

The other person, well… it’s just a boring old man. Not old as in he’s of advanced age, but old as in boring. Yeah, that makes complete sense. He’s wearing what I suppose is fancy clothing for their culture, though I can’t think of an Earth equivalent.

As they near, he raises his hand in greeting. The other person remains silent and vigilant.

I wave back.

Well then, here goes nothing. I hope this really is only a peaceful talk.

Just in case, I remain sitting in front of my boiling pasta. Wouldn’t want to appear threatening. Not at all because I’m still naked and it’s easier to hide this way.

Finally, both of them are in hearing range and the man waves once again, a friendly smile on his face.

“Dobrý deň.”

“…”

Shit. Fucking damn.

What did I fucking expect. For everyone in the universe to speak English? Or for the System to upload the local language into my mind? Oh, this is going to be so annoying.

“Hello. I’m sorry, but we seemed to have a bit of a language barrier between us. You wouldn’t happen to…” before I can I finish though; a blur appears in my vision.

It’s the person accompanying the man. They moved so fast. How? I barely even registered it. Actually, where are they?

Just as I finish that thought, something strikes me over the head and I pass out.

I wake up.

Uh, what happened? Wasn’t I just about to talk with the strangers from the city?

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

I look around. The room I’m in is unfamiliar. Actually, everything about this location is unfamiliar. The bed is not at all my own improvised mossy mess. And the strangest thing are the barren rocky walls. Yeah, this is definitely not my house.

Did they really knock me out and kidnap me? That is like the least expected thing I could have thought of. Why would they even do that?

I sit up and stretch my arms a bit.

Then, as if waiting for that the whole time I was asleep, the door which I hadn’t noticed barges open and a person walks in.

In fact, it’s the very same man from before, even accompanied by his silent bodyguard. At whom I glare. That’ll teach them.

Behind those two are a couple more people, but they’re hidden behind those two and I can’t see them properly. Spectators? Or a part of whatever this is?

“Ospravedlňujeme sa za túto nešťastnú situáciu. Určite ale pochopíte, že keď mág začne hovoriť neznámou rečou, je lepšie byť opatrný,“ the man speaks, but I once again do not understand a word that he is saying. He does sound rather stuck up though.

Both of which are good enough reasons for me to stare at him like he’s an idiot.

From behind, a disgruntled voice says, “Nesnaž sa byť nóbl ty debil. Je jasné, že sa ho treba zbaviť. Alebo si až taký hlúpy, že ani to nechápeš?”

Whatever it is that this new person said, the face of the try-hard gentleman twists into an expression of contained, for now, anger. I’m beginning to like him less and less. Maybe the disgruntled person can teach me how to provoke him like that?

The wannabe fancy man is about to speak again before I interrupt him.

“Look, I really don’t understand what you’re saying mate. Don’t you have…”

The blur appears again and I get myself ready to pass out again. Except that one of the people that stayed in front of the room manages to just barely shout something out.

The dark clad guard, which may or may not be an assassin, stops behind me, their hand just centimetres away from the back of my head. How do I know this? Wind.

I freeze, shocked beyond words. Which may as well happen since they can’t understand me.

But… how? I was even ready for it this time, sort of. How did I not manage to react even the slightest bit.

Actually, the more important question should be why did they attack in the first place. Is it something I said? Obviously, but why? They shouldn’t be able to understand. Don’t tell me that I managed to pick just the right series of words that by happenstance mean insults in their language. But twice in a row? No, that can’t be it.

By the time my shock wears off, I realize that a small hubbub filled the room, the people all conversing amongst themselves.

Huh, am I safe now? And when did the guard get back to re-join them? Perhaps a perception skill would be more important that a body enhancement one.

An old, but powerful, voice clears its throat before speaking up once everyone quiets down.

“Toto nie je čas na paniku. Viem potvrdiť, že náš nečakaný hosť nepoužíval nijakú mágiu.” Upon this declaration the others murmur quietly. “Zdá sa mi skôr, že problém bude iný. A to v jazyku. Očividne nehovorí našou rečou.“

Oh System, what are they talking about? Is it how to execute me? Or perhaps they want to sacrifice me? Why couldn’t I have just hidden when I saw them coming?

They continue talking among themselves for a little while longer before they seem to reach a conclusion.

Or maybe they’re just gathering more people because they don’t know what to do with me. At least that’s what I infer from one person leaving our impromptu gathering.

Uh, I hope this won’t take too long. I’d like to get back to my stuff.

In the meantime, while my abductors argue with each other, I dive into my mind. If I can’t do stuff in my clearing, then I might as well plan out what to once I get there.

Employing the full might of visualization, I recreate my small patch of the lakeside in my head. With as much detail as I can manage, of course. Gotta be accurate.

Now that I have a house, a garden doesn’t seem like such a bad idea to focus on. Those two usually go hand in hand after all. And I may even grow some plants there. Maybe even proper crops.

The house demonstrates pretty well that I’m not limited to plants I find out in the wild.

My diet could certainly take some more variety. Sure, the digestive system is helping, but birch bark has only so many nutrients in it.

But all of that depends on me being able to get back there. Which depends on what these people decide.

A minute or so later, the person that left earlier comes back. Along with a new one. Who immediately pushes herself through the mass of people to stand beside Mr. Douche and the bodyguard.

“I swear if you lied to me, you’ll get what’s coming to you,” she says to the two at her side.

Huh? How the fuck am I able to understand her?

“Hey, you. Say something!” she says, nay, orders while looking at me intently.

Should I answer?

I look at her wrinkly face. My eyes meet hers. Yeah, I do not want to mess with that. Better do what I’m told. At least I can finally comprehend what they’re saying. Or rather, only what she’s saying, but at least it’s something.

“Uh, hello?” I answer hesitantly.

As soon as I speak, her face lights up with joy and it almost seems as if she’s about to do a little dance. Instead, though, she turns around.

“All of you, get out! This’ll take a while.” Uh oh. I do not like the sound of that.

The people reluctantly shuffle out. What remains is only the one person that I understand along with the first two people I met on this world. Though after a withering glare from the old woman, Mr. Ass leaves, the guard-assassin trailing behind him.

“So, care to explain what’s going on here?” I ask. Let’s hope that at least she isn’t so unhinged so as to knock me out for speaking.

“Hmm? Oh, right, right. They thought you were trying to cast a spell,” she shrugs, “it’s standard procedure to knock someone out when they’re about to attack you.”

I stare at her.

“What the fuck is wrong with you people?”

Shit. I should not have blurted that out. Why can’t I control my mouth even with all this brain capacity.

“Well, excuse us, but everyone’s a bit on edge since the apocalypse began.” Her tone is basically dripping with sarcasm.

Yeah, this isn’t very productive. Better get this conversation back on track.

“Look, we obviously got off on the wrong foot,” I try to smile a disarming smile, “Why don’t we start over? Hi, my name is Ra’mon.”

Hell yeah, good job! Now I only have to hope that she’s a reasonable human being. Actually, are they humans. No, not the time for that.

“Nice to meet you Ra’mon,” she replies with a slight smile, the previous excitement back in her tone, “You may call me Croce.”

“So, Croce, can I ask you a question?” quickly I realize my mistake, “Two question, actually. That was already one.”

She grins widely, “I like how you think, Ra’mon. Very well, ask away.”

Oh, thank the System. Crisis averted.

“I think you mentioned something about an apocalypse. Care to tell me about that?”