We’re not spawning in the Chaple of Respawn

Johan, Kyler, and Lilithyian were sitting in front of their Deep Dives Stations, fully immersed in "The Rise of the Undead." The game was their life - they had spent countless hours exploring its vast and expansive world, battling fierce monsters, and completing challenging quests. They were the three siblings of the 3 Musketeers Guild, feared and respected by players across the in-game world.

But their latest quest had taken them to the annual "Mythdary Event," where they faced off against Renommus Daedun, a demon vampire noble from the Undead world. The battle had been grueling, but they had emerged victorious. Or so they thought.

As soon as the boss was defeated, they were ambushed by a group of players from the Red-devilsmile PVP-ers, a notorious guild known for attacking other players indiscriminately. Caught off guard, the siblings had no chance.

Johan, Kyler, and Lilithyian were stunned. They had just been defeated by their jealous rivals, the Red-devilsmile PVP-ers, during the annual Mythdary Event. But instead of respawning in the Chapel of Respawn as expected, they found themselves in a strange and unfamiliar place. It was a desolate corn-farm in a poor town called Honeywood, surrounded by fields of tall stalks and overgrown weeds. The air was thick with the smell of damp earth and rotting vegetables.

"What the hell just happened?" Kyler exclaimed, looking around in confusion.

"I don't know," Johan said, shaking his head. "We were just died and now we're here."

"But this isn't the game," Lilithyian pointed out. "We're in some kind of real world."

Johan spoke up again, his voice filled with realization. "Guys, I think we've been isekai'd. This is a completely different world from the one we were in before."

Johan, Kyler, and Lilithyian looked around in confusion, trying to make sense of their new surroundings. Johan was the first to speak up. "I can't log out or recall to our guild hall."

Kyler tried to recall to their guild hall as well, but with no success. "Me neither."

Lilithyian was equally baffled. "And where are all our skills, stats, and items? We're back to level 1 with nothing to show for all our hard work."

The three siblings exchanged worried glances. They were trapped in this strange new world with no idea how they got there or why.

Johan stared at the blue box of text in disbelief. "We're back to level 1? How is that possible?"

Kyler shook his head, "And we don't have any equipment on us. Not even a piece of cloth."

Lilithyian's cheeks flushed as she suddenly realized something, "U-um guys, we're not really wearing anything at all."

"We need to figure out what's going on and how we can get back to our world," Johan said, trying to steer the conversation back on track.

Before Kyler could suggest searching their surroundings, Lil cut in, her cheeks turning red as she shouted, "Wait! We can't just walk around like this! We need to find some clothes first!"

Johan and Kyler both turned to look at Lil, realizing that they were indeed completely naked. Johan nodded in agreement, "You're right, Lil. We can't just walk around like this. Let's look around and see if we can find anything to cover ourselves with."

The three siblings began to search the surrounding area, looking for any sign of clothing or other items that could help them. But the field was empty except for a few scattered bales of hay.

Kyler sighed in frustration, "There's nothing here. What are we going to do?"

Johan put a reassuring hand on Kyler's shoulder, "We'll figure it out, Kyler. For now, let's try to stay calm and think things through."

Lil looked down at her bare feet, feeling embarrassed and vulnerable. "I don't like this. I don't like being so helpless and exposed."

Johan gave her a gentle smile, "It's going to be okay, Lil. We'll find a way out of this."

But even as he spoke, Johan couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in the pit of his stomach. They were trapped in a strange new world with no explanation or way out, and he had a feeling that things were only going to get worse before they got better.

Johan, seeing that Lilithyian was getting uncomfortable being exposed, quickly sprang into action. He scanned the area and

noticed some old logs nearby. Without hesitation, he started ripping off some of the bark and twigs to create a makeshift cover for Lilithyian.

"Here, Lil, put this on for now. It's not much, but it's better than nothing," Johan said, handing the makeshift cover to Lilithyian.

Lilithyian blushed, gratefully accepting the cover and quickly putting it on. "Thank you, old man," she said, feeling a bit more comfortable now that she was covered.

Kyler, meanwhile, had already started exploring the area, searching for any clues or signs of how they had ended up in this strange world. "Guys, I think we should start looking around. Maybe we can find something that will give us a clue as to what's going on," he said, as he walked back towards them.

It was morning, and the weather was a bit humid. Strangely, there were no farmers doing field work, even though they were in the middle of a cornfield.

Kyler: looking around "And where are all the farmers? Shouldn't they be working in the fields?"

Lilithyian: noticing her blue box "Hey, I have a skill called 'Fine-sight: Lv1.' Do you guys have any different skills?"

Johan: "I have 'Endurance: Lv1.'"

Kyler: "And I have 'Stealth Crouch: Lv1.' But let's not focus on that right now. We need to figure out what's going on and how we can get back to our guild hall."

Suddenly old man approached them with a sickle in hand, he shouted, "What are you doing here? Don't you dare break any of my precious corns! This town is poor enough as it is."

Johan immediately stepped forward, bowing his head in apology. "I'm sorry, sir. We didn't mean to cause any trouble. We're just a bit lost and confused. Could you please help us?"

The old man eyed them suspiciously before letting out a sigh. "Fine, I'll hear you out. But stay away from my crops!"

Johan explained their situation to the old man, telling him about how they had been transported to this strange place with no knowledge of how they got there. The old man listened carefully, stroking his chin in thought.

After Johan finished explaining their situation, Wilcurt "the old man" looked at him with a mix of disbelief and confusion. "You three are out of your minds," he said, shaking his head. "But your eyes seem honest and pure, so I'll force myself to believe at least part of your story."

Johan thanked him, and Wilcurt continued, "This town is poor enough as it is. We don't need any troublemakers or crazies causing problems. So, you better be telling the truth about what happened to you, or else."

Kyler stepped forward and assured Wilcurt that they meant no harm and would try their best to stay out of trouble. Lilithyian added that they were just as confused as he was about their sudden appearance in the cornfield.

Wilcurt nodded, still unsure about the situation, but decided to let them be for now. "Fine. But stay out of trouble, and don't break any more corn. I have enough problems to deal with," he said, walking away with his sickle in hand.

As Wilcurt walked away, he spoke out loud. "So, you guys just gonna stand there all day?" Then he continued, "Come with me. I have some old clothes from my gone sons and daughters. Honeywood is a small town south of the Flatfield Swamp, where... "

He hesitated and then stopped, looking around as if afraid someone might be listening. "Well, let's just say that the Marbara family has a lot of influence here. We're poor and struggling, but we try to make do with what we have."

He led them to a small shack near the cornfield and showed them a pile of old clothes. "These clothes are not for sale," he said. "They belonged to my loved ones who have passed on. But I think they would be happy to see them being used by someone who needs them."

Johan, Kyler, and Lilithyian were touched by Wilcurt's kindness and took some of the clothes to cover themselves.

Lilithyian couldn't contain her curiosity and immediately asked, "Who are the Marbara? Why are people afraid of them?"

Johan quickly stepped in and apologized to Wilcurt for Lilithyian's outburst. "I'm sorry, sir. She's just very curious. We appreciate your help, and we don't mean to cause any trouble."

Wilcurt's face relaxed a bit, and he nodded. "It's okay, son. I understand. The Marbara family is the ruling noble family in these parts, and they're known to be ruthless and cruel. People are afraid to speak against them, lest they incur their wrath."

Johan nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Thank you for the information. Our main concern right now is finding out what happened to us and how we got here. Do you know of anyone who might be able to help us?"

Wilcurt scratched his chin. "Hmm, I don't know of anyone off the top of my head. But I do know of a Woodkeeper named Kin who lives in the nearby woods. He might be able to help you. But be careful, it's dangerous to go into the woods alone."

Lilithyian's eyes widened in surprise. "Kin? The Woodkeeper Kin?"

Wilcurt looked at her curiously. "Yes, that's the one.”

Kyler spoke up. "Kin is a legendary NPC in The Rise of the Undead. He gives players quests when they first hit level 15 in the game."

Johan nodded thoughtfully. "I remember hearing about him. But what does that have to do with us?"

Kyler explained, "We used to be in the top 30 guilds in the game, but now we're level 1 with nothing besides some unknown skills. It's not safe for us to go straight…”

Wilcurt looked at the siblings with a confused expression. "The rise of the undead? Top 30 guilds? Legendary NPC? What in the world are you talking about?" He opens his eyes.

Kyler took a deep breath and tried to explain. "We used to play a game called The Rise of the Undead in our old world. It was a virtual reality game, but now it seems like we're somehow in a real world version of it."

Johan quickly interrupted, whispering to Lilithyian and Kyler, "Don't scare the old man with talk of other worlds and virtual reality. We don't want to worry him."

Kyler nodded, understanding Johan's concern. "Right, sorry. What I mean to say is that we used to play a game where we had certain skills and abilities, but now we're in a new world without those things. We're starting over from scratch."

Wilcurt looked at the siblings with a mix of fascination and confusion. "I've never heard of anything like that before. How did you end up here?"

Johan hesitated for a moment before replying. "We're not sure. One moment we were playing the game, and the next thing we knew, we got transfer in this new world."

Wilcurt's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Transfer? From where?"

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Lilithyian took a deep breath and looked at the older man straight in the eye. "From another world, Mr. Wilcurt. We were playing a game, but something happened and we got transferred here, to this new world. We don't know how it happened, but we're trying to figure it out."

Wilcurt looked at Lilithyian with a mix of amazement and disbelief. "Another world, you say? I've never heard of such a thing. Are you sure you're not just confused or delusional?"

Johan stepped in before Lilithyian could respond. "We understand how it might sound, Mr. Wilcurt, but we're telling the truth. We have no reason to lie to you. We're just as confused and lost as you are."

Lilithyian stepped forward, a determined look in her eyes. "We're not delusional, Mr. Wilcurt. We know what we experienced. Now, can you help us? We need to find this Kin person, and we don't know where to start."

Wilcurt furrowed his brow with concern as he looked at the three siblings. "I must warn you, children, that the wood can be a dangerous place, especially at night. There are magical creatures that roam these lands, and they are most active when the sun sets. You must be careful."

Johan nodded solemnly. "We understand, Mr. Wilcurt. We'll be careful."

Wilcurt let out a heavy sigh. "I cannot accompany you myself, as I am not as young as I used to be, and I fear for my safety. But I can give you some wooden gear that may aid you on your journey." He rummaged through a nearby chest and produced three wooden staffs and some backpacks.

"These staffs may not look like much, but they can be used as weapons or for balance when traversing the rough terrain. The backpacks have some basic supplies that should last you a few days. Use them wisely."

Lilithyian thanked Wilcurt as she accepted her backpack and staff. "Thank you, Mr. Wilcurt. We'll make sure to use these wisely and be careful in the wood."

Wilcurt gave them a small smile. "I wish you all the best of luck, children. May the gods watch over you on your journey."

As the three siblings walked along the path to the north of the corn-field, Kyler kept muttering about the three old wooden staffs they had received from Wilcurt.

"These staffs are useless," Kyler complained. "I'm a main Assassin class, and Johan is a main Warrior. These staffs are only good for someone like Lil."

Lilithyian shot Kyler a sharp glance. "They're not just any sticks, Kyler. They were given to us by Mr. Wilcurt, and he said they were enchanted with magic to help protect us."

Kyler rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but he also said he doesn't want to risk his life going into the wood, so how helpful can they really be?"

Johan stepped in, trying to diffuse the tension. "Let's just trust Mr. Wilcurt and make the most of what we have. We don't know what dangers we'll face in the wood, so we need to be prepared."

Lilithyian nodded in agreement. "We'll make do with what we have. And who knows, maybe these staffs will come in handy after all."

Johan led the way, walking ahead of his younger siblings. "Remember what Wilcurt said, we need to head north until we see the path that leads down to the river."

As they continued to walk, the path became more overgrown and difficult to navigate. Eventually, they reached the top of the path, and below them lay the small, almost-dried river.

"We made it," Johan said with a relieved sigh. "Let's set up camp and rest for the night. We'll start heading into the wood first thing in the morning."

Lilithyian's eyes widen as she reads the blue-box screen about the special ability of the staff Wilcurt gave them. "Empower skill by 10%? That could be just what I need," she murmurs to herself.

She focuses her attention on the staff, feeling a faint tingling sensation in her fingers as she holds it. With a deep breath, she channels her "Fine-sight" skill once again, but this time she concentrates on using the staff to empower it.

As she completes the channeling, she feels a surge of energy flow through the staff and into her body, enhancing her senses beyond what she thought was possible. The world around her becomes sharper and clearer, every detail and movement more distinct.

She blinks in amazement, realizing that her "Fine-sight" skill has been amplified by the power of the old wooden staff. With this newfound ability, she is confident that she can navigate through the woods and find the "Woodkeeper" Kin.

Excited by the prospect, she eagerly awaits the return of her brothers so they can set out on their quest together.

Kyler sighed, "I guess we have to rely on our basic skills and instincts for now. We're like novices in this world."

Johan nodded in agreement, "It's like starting from scratch, but we have to adapt quickly if we want to survive and find our way back."

Lilithyian looked at them with determination in her eyes, "We have to make use of what we have and work together. I have my staff and my skill, but we need to figure out what works for you two."

Kyler suggested, "Maybe we can try to find some weapons or tools that match our classes. We saw some abandoned structures on our way here. There might be something useful there."

Johan added, "And we need to keep a lookout for any dangerous creatures. Wilcurt warned us about magical animals that hunt at night."

Lilithyian nodded, "We need to be careful and stay alert. But for now, let's rest and prepare for tomorrow's journey."

As Lilithyian continues to sleep, Johan and Kyler take advantage of the quiet morning to practice their skills. Johan begins by taking long, deep breaths and focusing on his breathing. He concentrates on building up his endurance, imagining himself running for miles without tiring.

Meanwhile, Kyler gets down on all fours and begins to move slowly and quietly through the underbrush. He moves his body in a crouch, careful not to make any noise or disturb the surrounding wildlife. He focuses on his stealth-crouch skill, imagining himself moving through the shadows undetected.

As they practice, the brothers can feel their skills improving. Johan's breathing becomes more controlled and he feels his endurance increasing, while Kyler becomes more adept at moving silently through the woods.

After a while, Lilithyian finally wakes up and joins them. As Lil joins her brothers, Johan suggests that since they can't use the staffs, they should focus on self-crafting usable tools or basic weapons. The three of them discuss their crafting professions, with Kyler having Armoring lv1, Lil having Cooking lv1, and Johan having Smithing lv1.

Johan proposed that he could try to craft a wooden sword and a wooden knife for him and Kyler. With his smithing level 1 and some wooden scraps they found around the campsite, he was able to create a crude but usable wooden sword and a knife. The sword had a base damage of 2, while the knife had a base damage of 1 and a precision boost.

Little "Rabouse" [https://imgur.com/gilNRc6.jpg]

Lil looks impressed with Johan's handiwork. "Nice work, Johan. Those weapons look pretty sharp. Literally," she says with a small grin.

Kyler nods in agreement. "Yeah, they look good. My armoring skill isn't as useful in this situation, but maybe we can craft some armor for ourselves later on."

Name Bonus Stats Special Wooden Sword +2 Attack N/A Wooden Knife +1 Attack +1 Critical Chance N/A

Wilcurt's old wooden staff

+3 Magic Power Empower skill by 10%

Johan nods. "That's a good idea. But for now, we need to focus on finding Kin and protecting this wood from any harm. We don't know what kind of creatures or enemies we might face out here."

Kyler suggests that they should team up using their skills to hunt down some animal for food. Johan and Lil agree. Johan spots a nearby small animal hiding behind the bushes near them.

As they spot the small animal, Kyler suggests, "Let's team up and use our skills to catch it. Johan, you're good at endurance, so you can chase it down. Lil, can you use your fine-sight to keep an eye on it and guide Johan?"

Lil nods, "Sure thing. I'll use my fine-sight to spot the animal and keep an eye on its movements."

Johan agrees, "I'll use my endurance to keep up with it and try to catch it."

Kyler pulls out the newly-crafted knife and adds, "And I'll use my stealth skills to get close to it and take it down."

As Kyler approaches the animal, everything seems to be going according to plan. But suddenly, the animal jumps out in front of him, revealing its true form.

Kyler gasps, "Whoa, this is no ordinary animal! It's a level 2 beast with long brown teeth and three red eyes!"

Johan readies his wooden sword and says, "Let's take it down together!"

Lil nods and uses her fine-sight to track the beast's movements. The three siblings work together, with Johan and Kyler attacking and Lil providing guidance with her fine-sight.

After a fierce battle, they manage to take down the beast and secure their meal for the day. Johan smiles, "We make a great team, don't we?"

Kyler nods in agreement, "Yeah, we really do. With our skills and the weapons we crafted, we can take on anything that comes our way!"

As the beast fell to the ground, Lil stepped closer to examine it. "Wow, it's unlike any creature I've ever seen before," she said, marveling at its unique features. "Its eyes are a deep red, and the long tooth... it almost looks like a rabbit and a mouse combined."

Johan nodded in agreement, "It's definitely not something we would have seen back in the real world."

Taking a moment to catch their breath, Kyler turned to his siblings and said, "Great job, guys. We make a pretty good team."

As they continued on their journey, they couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment for successfully hunting their first creature in this new world. "We gained 7 exp for this, only 393 more to go till our first level up," Johan said, feeling motivated to continue improving their skills.

They continue their hunt for more "rabouse," the siblings come across a group of trees that seem to have fallen during a storm. Johan suggests they gather some wood as well, as it may come in handy for their campsite.

Lil starts to cook the meat, Kyler looks at her and says, "Do you think you can make it taste good with just berries? We don't have any salt or sugar to season it."

Lil replies, "Well, it's worth a try. Maybe the natural sweetness of the berries will make it taste better."

Johan adds, "We need to make do with what we have. At least we won't starve."

After a few minutes, Lil serves the cooked meat and they all take a bite. Kyler looks surprised and says, "This is actually not bad. The berries give it a unique flavor."

Johan nods in agreement and says, "Good job, Lil. You definitely have some cooking skills."

Lil smiles and says, "Thanks, I'm glad it turned out decent. It's important to use our skills and resources to survive in this new world."

While eating, Johan voiced his concern that they might not be ready to explore further into the woods to find Kin, as hunting the "rabouse" already took a lot of effort. He also wondered aloud whether this world was a game or not, considering all the interfaces, skills, HP and MP bars. Kyler then chimed in, saying that they should focus on gaining a couple more levels to unlock a good pool of skills before attempting to find Kin. Lil agreed with him, and after finishing their meal, they followed the almost-dried river path to explore and gain more experience.

They walk along the path, Lil suddenly spots a large creature standing next to the river up ahead. She quickly warns Johan and Kyler to be cautious.

Kyler, using his stealth skills, volunteers to get closer and check it out. As he approaches the creature, he notices that it's a lv 5 "rabouse" with spikes on its back. He wonders if it's the alpha of the pack.

Kyler returns to Johan and Lil and reports his findings. "Guys, that's definitely not a normal 'rabouse'. It's a lv 5 with spikes on its back. Do you think it's the alpha of the pack?"

Johan nods thoughtfully. "It's possible. Either way, we should be careful. We're not yet strong enough to take on a creature of that level."

Lil chimes in, "But think of the experience we'll gain if we manage to take it down! It's worth considering, at least."

Kyler nods in agreement. "Yeah, and with my stealth skills, I might be able to get close enough to take it by surprise."

Johan hesitates for a moment before finally agreeing. "Alright, let's do it. But we need to be careful and have a plan. Kyler, you take the lead with your stealth skills. Lil, you use your fine-sight to keep an eye on the creature. And I'll be ready with my wooden sword."

Lil confirms that it's a level 5 "rabouse," but with a unique skill called "slug bomb" that spits out hot poison liquid.

Suddenly, the rabouse turns around and spots Kyler, launching its slug bomb attack.

The poison liquid splatters all over Kyler, causing him to lose some HP, but he quickly recovers and uses his dual-wielding skills to attack the beast. Lil uses her fine-sight to locate the rabouse's weak spot, and Johan uses his wooden sword to deflect the slug bomb attack.

Johan: "Guys, this is not going to be easy. That thing looks tough, and it has those spikes on its back. We need to be careful."

Kyler: "I'll try to get close and take it out from behind. Lil, can you use your fine-sight to find its weak spot?"

Lil: "I'll try my best, but it's not going to be easy."

Johan: "Keep it up, guys! We can do this!"

Kyler: "I'm almost out of MP. We need to finish this soon!"

Lil: "I think I found its weak spot! Aim for the underside!"

With Lil's guidance, they manage to bring the creature's HP down low enough for Kyler to deliver the final blow.

Kyler: "Gotcha!"

As the creature falls to the ground, they all breathe a sigh of relief.

Johan: Wow! That was one tough battle, but we did it! And we got enough exp to level up!

Kyler: Yeah, that was intense. But it was worth it. We took down our first boss!

Lil: And we did it together! I'm so proud of us. Lil keeps on going: And don't forget, we also got this Common Magirock as a drop from the boss. It could come in handy later on.

Johan: Good point. Let's make sure we hold onto it. Who knows what kind of crafting materials we might need in the future.

Kyler: Speaking of crafting, we should also gather some more materials to make new weapons and armor. We'll need them if we're going to take on even tougher enemies.

The three adventurers breathed a sigh of relief as their experience points reached the threshold for level 2. It had been a long and arduous journey, but they had finally made it.

As they sat around the campfire, Johan reflected on their progress. "We've come a long way since we first arrived in this world," he said. "I never would have thought we'd be able to take down a boss like that."

Kyler nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that was some tough fight," he said, twirling his new knife in his hand. "But we managed to get through it together."

Lil chimed in, "And we learned a lot from that battle too. We were able to use our skills and experience from the past to take down the rabouse."

Johan smiled, "It's amazing how much we've grown and learned in such a short amount of time. I can't wait to see what other challenges and adventures await us at level 2."

With renewed energy and confidence, the trio plan up for their adventure deeper into the woods, ready for whatever lay ahead

End of chapter 1