Waking up groggily, Owen gripped his head from the slight hangover. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, Owen read through the notifications he had.

Skill gained: Minor Poison Resistance.

“What the hell did Sergeant Fell put in those drinks.” Owen chuckled as he rolled out of bed. “Shit, I never asked Todd where the head was. Meh, fuck it, might be the room at the end; if not, I’ll just find a spot on my way to that village.” Looking into the dresser, Owen spotted what he assumed was this world’s underwear. There were two sets of dark gray clothes; one was a regular shirt, while the other was a pair of shorts. Owen changed into them while storing away his old pair of boxers. Before leaving the room, he grabbed what he assumed was a facecloth.

“Well, at least this is soft and comfortable.” He said while leaving his room and walking to the end of the hall. Hearing no reply after he knocked, Owen opened the door. When he entered, he noticed three stools, buckets, and a basket on his left, while on the right were sectioned-off toilets. “Oh, thank the Gods,” Owen muttered, happy to have plumbing. Noticing that instead of a handle of any kind, there was a mana stone. Touching it, Owen felt a slight pull on his mana as water ran down the edges of the seat. “Magic sure is useful, huh. I wonder if there is some kinda Plumber Class.” Owen mussed as he made his way over to the stools. “Well, guess it’s more of a field shower than anything, but I’m not gonna complain.” Taking one of the buckets and placing it near a pipe, he touched the mana stone above it. Owen watched warm water pour out of the pipe and into his bucket. Removing his hand from the rock-cut off the water. Dipping his cloth into it, Owen noted that the water was relatively warm.

“Dam, they even got hot water. Maybe I can annoy Todd more about this stuff once I return from this job.” As he finished washing up, he looked into the basket set to the side. Noting that it also had the same cloth thrown into it, he assumed it was a laundry basket. Dumping his used cloth into it with the others, he returned to his room. Un-slinging his pack from the dresser, Owen emptied it out on the floor. He placed the two uniforms onto the bed with the remaining items he identified.

Whetstone: Used to provide basic weapon sharpness. Flint striker: Strike with metal to create sparks. Soldier’s Canteen: Well-crafted cylindrical metal container with a minor purification enchantment. Iron Shovel: Well crafted shovel.

“Yeah, I’m not sure what I was expecting there. Definitely the basics, but I can’t really complain.” Packing those back into his pack, he looked at his new uniform. The shirt was long-sleeved, with the sleeves attached to the shirt with leather strings. The cloth was a dark purple with red edge and stitching. Putting it on, Owen noted that the sleeves were thicker than the shirt part with the emblem on his left shoulder. Putting his trousers and boots on, Owen then summoned his armor. Tying his sword to his waist, he strapped his shield onto his left arm.

“Wait.” Owen said as he finished dressing, “Can I?” With a thought, Owen stored everything but his undergarments. When they disappeared in tiny motes of light, he tried summoning them back. Everything appears exactly as he was wearing it seconds ago. “Fuck yea, talk about connivance.” Throwing his pack on, he stored his other uniform before heading downstairs. Seeing Todd at the counter reading a book, Owen greeted him.

“Morning Todd, anything before I head out.”

“Wha- oh, Owen. Sorry about that. No, I already marked you down as out to Oakshade to deal with the Dungeon. You got four days before we send Sergeant Fell to find you. When you get to the village, just ask for the elders and tell them why you are there. They should point you in the right direction, but don’t let them charge you for a room if needed. You are there to help them, but remember that you represent the Captain now that you wear her emblem.” While pointing to Owen’s left arm, Todd said, “Be sure to see Sergeant Fell for any rations if you need them.”

“Got it; see you when I get back then, Todd,” Owen said as he walked to the empty canteen. “Guess most people don’t bother with breakfast here, Sergeant?”

“Nope, don’t really have the food for it. Got everything before you head out, Private? Got food and water?”

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“Uhh got food but no water,” Owen replied sheepishly since he forgot to fill his new canteen. Seeing Sergeant Fell extend a hand, Owen handed over his canteen.

“Always have water on you, Owen. You need to fill your canteen whenever you can. You never know when you will find water again. Understood.”

“Yes, Sergeant,” Owen answered, “I won’t forget again.”

“Good,” he smiled, “Need you to stick around, Owen. I expect to see you back here in a few days.”

“I’ll be back, Sergeant,” Owen said as he walked towards the door. Before exiting, Owen waved goodbye to his new companions. Stepping out and down the street, Owen noticed it was somewhat busy. Smith’s could be heard beating metal into shape while some people were going to shops. Owen saw that, unlike the Western gate he entered, this road didn’t seem to have many wagons. There appeared to be small carts here and there, but the street was not as busy as the other. Reaching the fountain, Owen turned left, heading back out the Western gate. As he made his way down the street, he noticed that most of the buildings on this side of the town seemed empty. Maybe these businesses don’t open until later, Owen thought to himself. As he neared the gate, people were peddling their wares; letting his stomach lead him, Owen stopped by one stall. Munching on some meat skewers, he made his way out the gate. After a few minutes of walking, Owen took the northern fork in the road. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the small sun sinking into the horizon.

“What did Gorden call that again. The Crown or something. Since it’s setting, all the monsters should have formed already.” Remembering the massacre at the village, Owen started to jog. As he jogged along, he passed a few wagons and their guards. Ignoring the weird looks they gave him, Owen continued to jog. He received two notifications about running increasing and another one that was a surprise.

Skill gained: Endurance

Endurance ( I ): Slightly lowers the User’s stamina consumption from any activity.

Happy with his newfound skill, Owen kept on jogging until he noticed a single red dot appear on his Map. He thought, “I’ve never seen a single dot before as he slowed and went slightly right, heading for the dot. Glad that he had his Map to prevent getting lost, Owen slowly approached the enemy. Thanks to the flat grassland, it didn’t take long to spot it.

“It’s just a dear?” Owen said, confused. Hearing him, the creature popped its head up and looked at him. Startled by this, Owen used inspect.

{ARMS System Box}

Class: Air-Mutation Species: Gust Dear Level: 4 EXP: 55 Stats Strength: 3 Endurance: 3 Dexterity: 7 Vigor: 3 Intelligence: 6 Focus: 6

Distracted by the screen, Owen reacted slowly as the creature raised its head, sending a white crescent blade towards him. Lifting his shield, Owen was able to block the blade. Fuck it has magic, I need to pay attention! Owen screamed in his head as he summoned his 1911.

“Double Strike!” he yelled as he pulled the trigger, “Double Strike.” Firing off the two empowered rounds, he watched as two large holes appeared in the creature’s chest as it fell over. Though lightheaded and slightly nauseous, Owen approached its location with his shield raised. Relaxing after he got the death notification, Owen dismissed his pistol.

Combat Exp gained 55. Rewards: F-Grade Mana Stones, Gust Dear meat x3, Gust Dear hide.

“Fucking hell Owen, you almost died to a magical fucking Bambi. Pay attention, dumbass, gunna get off’ed by something stupid.” Owen muttered to himself as he made his way back towards the path.