James ran through the bushes heedless from the many scratches he received while he recklessly moved toward the shrieking woman. She sounded as if she was being cut in half. He pushed back a large clump of debris and leaves. He saw a woman on the ground and a large plant creature standing over her.

The plant creature was short and only stand up to his waist. It looked like a bush with two stout legs and a wicked mouth filled with sharp twigs and wood stakes. Two large arms jutted out of the main body of the bush plant creature held forward to kill her.

The woman screamed again. “Somebody help me.”

They didn’t see him running toward them. He was coming from the side with the trees and shrubbery hiding his approach. Yet, he knew his journey should have made a loud ruckus. He aimed his kick at the plant creature. His mind and body were one and he sense the power behind it. He struck the creature on the side.

- 35 damage

The creature flew away and hit a large boulder. The woman stopped screaming and looked at him. James waited for the plant mob to get up but it stayed on the ground. His body was still amped up and he was ready for another fight.

“Hey, what are you doing?” A voice said on his left.

James turned to the sound and saw a smaller creature with green clothes come out. It was the same height as the plant creature.

Meryl flew into the clearing. “That’s a forest gnome.”

The gnome held a staff and pointed it at them. “Get out. This woman was trying to steal my berries.”

The woman said, “Those berries are for anybody. You don’t own the forest.”

The gnome laughed and swung his staff around. Several more plant creatures appeared.

James turned to the woman. She wore a brown dress and next to her was a basket filled with blueberries.

He said, “Can you get up?”

The woman said, “No, I broke my foot.”

James smirked. She couldn’t move. He wondered if he should kill that gnome and get the experience points. Then he thought about the Dominion and that he needed a reason to kill the gnome because the Dominion was watching him.

He said to the gnome, “Look, my name is James and we shouldn’t fight. We can leave you the berries and then go.”

The woman said, “Hey, we need those berries for the pies. They only grow out here.”

The gnome said, “Get him.”

The plant creatures came toward him. Jame attacked the first creature. He didn’t use his dagger but punched at it. The plant creature moved out of his attack and then the beast slashed at him. Searing pain hit him on his leg.

James jumped away. He sailed above the creatures. With his momentum, he struck a plant beast on the back. The mob exploded in a puff of leaves and tree limbs. He smiled. He was stronger than these creatures.

The pain in his leg didn’t even hurt him. The woman screamed. James wanted to shout at her to stop but he didn’t. He used his inhuman speed and rush back to the woman. Taking out his knife, he slashed out at the monster. The mob didn’t go down.

-15 damage

The knife only did minimal damage. He chopped downward with his left hand. The plant creation exploded before him. Forget about the knife, he sheath the weapon and struck out with a vicious kick at the creature and then followed by striking the other plant creatures. His body moved effortlessly. All the plant mobs that surrounded him were destroyed. The gnome cried in dismay.

The gnome pointed his staff at him and shot a fireball at him. James dove to the side. The spell singed his shirt. He swung around and looked for the gnome. Another fireball from the mage and he would be a crispy monk. He didn’t have enough protection.

Meryl said, “He’s gone. He almost had you.”

“I know,” he said. “So, how many experience points did I get?”

He looked at his menu and scanned the area underneath his portrait.

Monk Level 1

Experience 20

Wow, he gained 16 experience points. He almost got to level 2.

“Hey, I’m still here? Will you help me?” the woman said.

“Oh, sorry,” he said and went to help her. She easily stood up.

“Hey, you were pretending?” he said.

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James was shocked.

“It’s fine. I could have handled that idiot. I was bidding my time,” she said. She held up a dagger. The weapon glow with red light.

He was mad, not at her, but himself. He was trying to be brave by running toward her. He was not a hero but a star-eyed newbie.

He said, “What is your name?”

“I’m Beatrice. My dad owns the inn at the Village. I was gathering berries. The gnome doesn’t own this forest. He always bosses anybody who comes here.”

She grabbed the basket and place a few berries in it. She smiled at him. “Hey, you’re pretty handy. If you want a good time, come to the Inn. I’ll be there.”

James's face got warm. He didn’t say anything as she sauntered close to him and walked back to the village.

Meryl flew around him. “What are you looking at?”

“Nothing,” he said.

James liked the way Beatrice swayed as she moved. He realized the Innkeeper's daughter was human as far as he could tell and she was buxom. He liked girls like that.

“Hey, you should have stayed with me instead of running toward that girl,” Meryl said.

“Well, I thought guides don’t have feelings,” he said.

The fairy didn’t say anything but glare at him.

“Ouch!” he said. He looked down at his shredded pants. His left leg ached and blood flowed from the wound.

James said, “Meryl, I know this is a stupid question. But how do I heal myself?”

The fairy flew around him and scanned his leg. “That’s a nasty cut. You should have better protection. Oh, I forgot. You choose the Monk class.”

“Meryl tell me how to heal myself,” he said. He hated her commentary.

“You can go back to Narla or get some sleep. Sleep raises your HP and promotes healing. Or take a healing potion,” she said.

“Oh yeah, I forgot I have them.”

He pulled up his inventory, touched the icon for the potion, and drank it. A warm glow came over him. He felt his wounds close. His shredded pant was now whole again. That’s neat he thought, even his clothes were stitched up.

Meryl said, “Let’s get closer to the outskirts of the village. I don’t want you to die before this tutorial is over. I will be docked points if you do.”

“So, you’re leaving me?” he said.

“Yes, after you finish the tutorial or if you reach level 5, whatever comes first,” she said.

James trudged back to the village leaving the fairy still buzzing around the forest. Meryl flew toward him.

She said, “Rude, you didn’t tell me that you were going to leave. Where were you raised in a barn?”

The fairy laughed.

“No, I wasn’t listening to you,” he said.

Meryl said, “I think you have listening issues.”

James walked closer to the walls of the village. Yet, he stopped in an area with trees and bushes that made a small shelter so nobody could see him practicing. He stood in the small glade. James stretched.

He said, “Do I have quick slots?”

Meryl said, “Yes, you do. Just think on your slots.”

He looked at the fairy hoping this wasn’t a joke like last time when he wanted to look at his menus. The fairy hovered close to him and waited. James shook his head and focused on his quick slots. Five small squares appeared before him. He was about to ask the fairy how to populate one but he didn’t have to.

The game system already knew what he wanted. The first slot was his strong punch, the next one had a healing potion and the third had the regenerate vial.

Meryl pointed out. “You don’t need those slots. You can just think of the potion, spell, or item you want to use and it will be available.”

“Thanks. I like to look at shiny things. I’m a visual person,” he said.

The fairy didn’t look impressed. “So, sire, what do you want to do?”

“Well, we should look for mobs to fight,” he said.

Scanning around the forest, he didn’t see anything to fight and he was an impatient man.

He said, “Let’s go look for the farmer.”

Pulling up his map, he saw that he was at the west end of the forest.

“Damn, I should have asked where to find this farmer?”

“Aha,” Meryl said. She giggled. “I know where to go.”

“Wait, how do you know where this farmer lives.”

He turned at the fairy and wondered if Meryl talked to people behind his back.

“Well tell me, I’m waiting. How do you know where to find this farmer?” He said towering over her.

“It’s easy. Look over there.”The fairy pointed to a corner. He saw a group of large creatures in a bush. He moved closer.

“What makes you think those creatures have anything to do with the farmer?” He placed his hands on his waist.

Then he saw it. The creatures were large reddish brown ants and each carried some type of fruit or vegetable. One was carrying a large corn stalk and another had a thick round gourd clamped around its large jaws.

The fairy smiled and pointed. “Look, those ants just came from the farmer’s lands.”

“So let's find out.”

They walked toward the direction where the insects came from. But it took longer than he thought. They bypassed several groups of ants. It was a parade. Besides ants taking the crops, he saw large green beetles holding the farmer’s crops. James and the fairy crested a small hill and overlooked several rows of cropland.

He heard the sounds of metal striking an object.

“Stop! Give me back my food.” The man sounded distraught.

A woman said, “Ince, it’s no good we cannot stop them.”

James ran and found two short people that looked like dwarves. A man was holding a hoe and he was trying to stop an ant from grabbing a bushel of carrots from his cart. James's speed was so fast that he passed the couple and almost hit a wooden gate.

James stopped and then ran back. He tried striking one of the ants. He realized the ant was as big as a large horse and should had gauge his strike. Yet, he missed it. The ant fled away from him.

The man exclaimed, “Thank the Gods you came. We only have a little left from my crops.”

James grabbed the bushel of carrots. It was on the ground.

He handed it to the farmer. “My name is James Rue. I was recruited by the Village Elder to help you.”

The farmer grabbed the carrots and tossed them into the small hand cart. “Hi, I’m Farmer Ince and this is my wife, Cecil. We need help. These insects started to take my crops a few days ago. I think the goblins told the Ant queen to take my fruits and vegetables.”

James almost thought it was the forest gnome who did this. But he listened to the distraught farmer.

Farmer Ince said, “Please help.”

New Trial Quest: Help Farmer Ince get his crops back. Investigate why the insects are doing this and report back to the Village Elder.

James waited for a snarky word from the AI but he didn’t say anything.

He said, “Yes. I’ll help you.”