The familiar void was like fresh air to her, Joan look around to make sure she wasn’t dreaming by pinching her skin.
“Ouch” okay, that’s silly.
She breathes in trying to calm her mind.
“Looks like I did a shit of being espionage, obviously I plan to take a low-key route and hiding and gathering enough information, but nope, just a sniff of Dillan’s stupid nose destroys my initial plan. Awesome.”
“Now I need to plan how will I handle the situation. They will surely check my background and probably endangered my family on the way.” She rubs her temple
“Rash decisions led to danger, and I didn’t think further of the consequences of revealing myself.”
She looks up thinking of her family
“I don’t know if the time here is different from reality, but I need to bet. I can’t go back temporarily since obviously there were going to look for me.” Then she suddenly becomes serious
“I underestimate that world, base on the rating of danger, I say it was 3 rating above. "
"If those three are only cannon fodder…then what of the boss?”
She shakes her head and pats her cheeks.
“Alright, there was no use crying on spilled milk, what I need to do now was to became strong enough to speak with my fist.”
She scrolls down the screen until she reaches the title world she desires and clicks it.
> “Are you sure you want to choose this world? [Yes] or [No]?”
She clicks [Yes] and everything became bright.
-
When she opens her eyes, she found herself sitting on an old chair in front of a worn-out dining table, people around her were eating with frantic expression, a small candle was lit in the middle of the wooden table, enough to reveal everyone’s face. Suddenly memory starts to flow to her brain.
She looks around and finds herself in a small house base on the hay roof, the walls were made of old woods that have been put together without symmetry or proper tools. She didn’t find any room so this house must be a shack.
There was nothing special about her status, she was just a 7 years old girl born in a small village. Her parents were living their life by farming. She has other siblings; 3 girls and 4 boys, the oldest was her elder brother who was 16 years old who was obligate to help on the farm and the youngest is 5 years old boy looking malnourished.
She looks around the dining room, she frowns when the table becomes messy, her siblings start trying to outdo each other by stealing food on one another.
Food very is scarce obviously, and being slow can lead your food to be stolen by others.
But as a rule, no one dares to touch her parent's food or else they will be punished by her father, by beating them mercilessly.
It’s been a lesson they learned when they tried to steal his food. On the other hand, her mother needs it because guess what? She’s pregnant again.
In this age where there was no entertainment and limited activity. Since they were poor, the only thing that fun is knocking someones up.
She looks at the whirlwind as the little bit of food left was grabbed by grubby hands, even a tiny crumb was not spared a bit.
Her mother just looks in all of this numbly, while sipping on her bowl. Her siblings watch in hunger as her mother sips on her wooden spoon with a little piece of meat on her soup. Suddenly her father snorts making her sibling honest.
She stood up and exit the door. Since she was here, might as well check this place.
When she gets out of the shack, she hugs herself. It was currently at night and the street was currently empty and devoid of people. When she was about to go exit-
“Illyah, don’t go out. Monster will eat you. Come, it’s time for bed.” A soft voice sounded behind her.
She turns and saw her tired mother ushering her inside. She just sighs and allows her mother to push her. She remembers she was currently 7 years old and she needs to act like one. For now, that is…
-
Midnight, Joan can’t help her eyes twitch as the sound of different snores echoes in the room. All of them were sleeping on the floor, the only solace is the worn-out hide of animals spread at her back. Although it smells a little unpleasant, at least she doesn’t need to worried about getting a little cold. Right with her phy 20, she sure is.
Suddenly she heard the little sound above the roof. Something was crawling above her. She used her [Bio-Electro radar]. She saw three red energy creatures crawling on the roof.
She can hear their clatter of teeth while sniffing above her. She frowns and looks around, but due to darkness, she almost can’t see anything.
“I realized just now how convenient light is.”
Thankfully, the moonlight was beaming on the slit on the wooden walls making at least reveals some parts of the house.
During dinner, she has memorized every part of the house (perks of 20 wis), and approach was the weapon of her choice. She grabs a pitchfork (typical angry mob need a pitchfork, if you don’t have a pitchfork on your home, you are not qualified to be called an angry mob.) Then she pulls out a worn-out knife in the old leather pouch that has been rusty for years.
She tried to remember if there is still anything she can still use as a weapon but found none. She looks at her two-weapon and cringed.
“After agi stats has been unlock and put to the max stats, I’ll focus on buying that damn dimensional cube.”
-
She silently walks outside the shack, it was currently midnight as the full moon shines its ray at the earth. Even though its dark on the street, the ray of moonshine helps her saw the identity of intruders above the haystack roof.
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She whistles making the three creeps look in her direction.
“Come little monsters, let me butcher you so I can sleep peacefully.”
The three humanoid monsters roar at her then jump down from the top. She twitches her eyebrows when the three assailant’s bones broke as they landed on the ground.
“…”
“…”
She will pretend she didn’t see anything and focus on their body. Their damaged body parts began to repair fast, making they're original deform bones back to its original place.
“So their dumb, but highly regenerative monsters. Great, last time I face three immortal dogs, now I have to face three healing monsters. Really, what’s wrong with my luck?” then she looks at her luck which was 5, the lowest number of all her stats.
“…forget it, must be my imagination. Can’t be that bad right?”
Then a roar echoes somewhere, making the three ghouls twitch, then suddenly they ran fast leaving Joan alone.
She was speechless, she thought it will be a tough battle, but in the end, her enemy left her alone before she can draw her weapon.
“Forget it, although I’m curious what it is, based on my current equipment, I felt all I can kill was a helpless chicken.”
After looking at the direction where the ghouls run, she enters the shacks silently and put the things where they belong began to sleep.
“Mmn” a woman little voice moan somewhere.
“Grunt”
She can’t help but groan silently and cover her face in frustration, she was not interested in hearing live porn right now as well as imagine her supposed parents having sex next to her.
That night, Joan has never taken asleep as she numbly pretends not to hear anything, The battle lasts until dawn making her eyes covered in blood thread. She looks at the rooftop until the ray of sunlight washes the house.
-
With eye bags under her eyes, Joan watches her siblings and other kids play their games. She can’t help but yawn.
“That guy has so much energy, how can he last that long? Viagra has not been invented in this world yet that guy already that vigorous. Am I missing some details about the people in this world?”
Suddenly she heard commotions at the village center, curious, she looks at the village crowd gathering together.
She approaches them, she heard some talk.
“It’s the butcher, he’s here!”
“You mean the famous white wolf?”
“Shh lower your voice, he might hear us.”
“What are we going to do?!”
“Gather the children and send them home. Don’t let them approach here.”
Then the people began to go call their children and urge them forcefully to go home.
Joan's eyes became narrow as she heard the familiar name of “Butcher”
“If I’m wrong…well I’m wrong, nothing to be embarrassed about being honest.” She murmurs while hiding from the villagers and looking at the crowd direction.
-
A man with white hair and yellow eyes was looking at everyone indifferently. He was wearing black leather armor with thick shoulder armor on his shoulders, on his back has two parallel swords attach to it. He was standing in the middle of the crowds. Around him, villagers were looking at him vigilantly.
“What do you want butcher?” a man wearing the cleanest cloth speak.
Instead of speaking, he approaches his black horse and removes a bloody large brown sack attach at the side of the horse and throws it at the ground. When the sack opens, they can smell rotten meat inside, when a curious villager opens the sack with a slit, he shouts and retrocedes back in horror.
The villagers gasp in fear when they saw what's inside the sack, there were heads.
“What is the meaning of this witcher?” the leader asks grimly.
“Ghouls, 12 heads for 1200 gold, another 1 head for Alghoul 1000 gold, a total of 2400 gold.”
The leader became stiff when he heard the abnormal price of those heads.
“Why don’t you just rob us? Can you see our situation here?” the leader angrily said while waving his hands around him.
“Your problem, not mine. Someone will come here to collect the fee. You can thank me or curse me, I don’t care. As long as you pay the price, that’s all that matters.”
The chief grit his teeth while looking at those heads.
They have been havocking the nearby villages creating countless murders. Finally, they tried to create a militia to combat those hideous monsters, but they were just ordinary men equip with flimsy sword and armor. The result can be imagined; it was a disaster, a mass murder, and only one left alive, left with a head and two arms turning him into a disable. A man with no feet was equal to death in this place. With no hope for his future, he chooses to hang himself with the help of his family. They didn’t say anything and supported him, they can’t feed a disabled person, it almost a struggle to feed their family, and caring for a disabled was a death wish for people like them. It’s better to kill him by themselves, although it's brutal, it’s the reality of this world.
With no other choice, they contact the adventurer's association and request for termination of these humanoid beasts. Although the tax will surely eat them alive, at least it was better than being hunted by monsters.
But the help didn't come along, and they began to lose hope that any help will not come.
The villager chief sigh knowing this was the price for their safety.
“Give us a month, we will try to pay you as soon as possible.”
The man didn’t say anything and climb the black horse. The horse stamps its feet and neighs making the crowds disperse in panic. They watch as the horse gallop outside until they can’t see his shadow anymore.
-
Outskirt of the village.
Geralt stops the horse and stumble down the mount landing on the ground.
The battle between him and the ghoul has almost taken his life. He touches his left shoulder where the gash was still fresh. The Alghoul has been proven to be cunning, using the lower ghoul under its command to expend his energy, they attack him together, bait him, encircle him like a prey. Thanks to Geralt magic spell, he manages to hold them off, managing to kill them one by one with his silver sword. But the Alghoul never give him a chance to rest.
It was fast and smart, it attacks where he was wounded making him owe much. With Geralt almost exhausted and tired body, the Alghoul attacks became more savage. As if the victory was almost within its grasp it attacks fearlessly, alas the fate won’t allow our favorite protagonist to die, he drinks a swallow potion making the Alghoul became bitter as Geralt wounds slowly healed. It tried to escape, but it’s already too late for it. Around it, Geralt has already set his trap making it paralyze for a few seconds before he delivers his finishing blow cutting its head and ending its reign of terror.
-
Geralt sat at the dirty road, trying to breathe. Suddenly he stood up and pull out his sword. He waited for the owner of the footstep to appear. Soon a girl wearing tattered clothing appeared. She has wheat hair color and her face was covered in freckles.
Geralt frowns and sheathe back his sword. He didn’t feel any hostility or killing intent from the girl. He can see in her eyes was curiosity and…excitement?
“Hello,” the little girl said
“What are you doing here little girl? It’s dangerous here, go home.”
Instead of answering him, she approaches him.
“Your injured.”
“Hmm?” Geralt tilts his head
“I can heal you” the little girl offer
Geralt was surprised and look at her upside down.
“You…can heal me?”
Instead of answering him, she approaches him closely. Geralt was not worried that the little girl will do something bad to him because;
A.) She doesn’t have any dangerous weapon that can potentially kill him.
B.) If she has an ulterior motive, he can act fast to subdue and interrogate her.
C.) She resembles her of Ciri making his heart soft.
She put a hand to his wounds and start using her [Bio-Healing].
Geralt felt the invasion of different energy to his body, he almost subconsciously stops her but when he felt his shoulder starting to itch he stop.
He hesitated but let her do as she, please. He will see what this girl can do for now.
Seconds to minute pass by and the little girl's forehead was almost covered with sweat.
“That’s enough,” he said when he felt his shoulder feel a little better.
Geralt starts removing his black leather armor which makes Joan breathe became rapid.
With a chiseled body, and pecs and abs to die for, she didn’t regret choosing this world. Sadly she was still a little girl and she won't want to destroy Geralt's image as adultery by offering her young body. Maybe soon after she grown up to adult and…forget it, she won't want to cross with the psycho bitch Yen who is very possessive when it comes to her man. It's enough to appreciate the works of art.
While she is thinking of dirty stuff, Geralt inspects his shoulder wound and surprise to find nothing of the evidence that he’s been wounded as if it was never been there.
Geralt looks at the little girl with curiosity.
“Tell me your name young lady”
She was about to say her true name but change her mind, if she’s going to join Geralt's group, the first thing she must do is tell him the truth.
“Illyah my lord”
“You have parents?”
She nod
Geralt sigh and scratch his chin
“Trouble…”
He looks at her and thinks of her situation
People with mysterious power were treated as an outcast by the people and their own family, the people never understand the unknown like magic making them produce fear and dread.
He can only imagine what would happen if the little girl reveals her powers to others especially to her family.