As I stepped out of the portal, the intense sunlight blinded me and I had to shield my eyes with my hand. The sound of birds chirping surrounded me in the bright light. As my vision adjusted, I realized I was standing in the heart of a massive forest, surrounded by towering trees. Turning back, I saw that the portal had disappeared into thin air. "No dungeon... then what is the purpose of these portals?" I wondered aloud as I cautiously ventured deeper into the forest in search of an escape route.

As I delved deeper into the dungeon, I found myself talking out loud, lost in my thoughts. "So, these dungeons lead to portals...and once we defeat the boss, the portal disappears and we only have a short time to escape." My words echoed through the massive forest as I walked on.

Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks and looked around. "Why are all the monsters backing away from me? Is it because my level is higher than theirs?" As I pondered this aloud, a voice answered me in my head. "Don't be foolish. You're releasing too much aura." Startled, I searched for the source of the voice but found no one. "Who are you? Show yourself," I demanded, hand resting on my sword.

"You really are an idiot. Have you already forgotten what happened in the last dungeon?" The voice sneered. "But no matter, this time I'll help you and control your aura." Suddenly, a warm energy surged within me, almost like it was drawing in the surrounding air. As a result, the monsters and animals in the forest around me returned to their normal behavior, calmly going about their business.

"Strange," I muttered, tapping my fingers against the hilt of my blade. "This aura...it's definitely mine, but…." My sentence trailed off as my mind raced to make sense of the situation. An unseen entity within me, manipulating my essence at will. It left a sour taste in my mouth.

Interrupting my contemplations, I heard the sound of water trickling nearby, the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze. Following the noise led me to a beautiful clear stream that wound its way through the trees.

I knelt by the stream and splashed some water onto my face. It was cold and refreshing, a stark contrast from the dank dungeons I'd been trapped in for what felt like an eternity. As I stood up, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye - smoke billowing in the distance.

A village.

As I approached, I could hear faint noises - people talking, children laughing, livestock bleating. A typical scene for a small village on the outskirts of an expansive forest.

And yet something felt off.

"Odd..." I muttered again, crossing my arms over my chest as I continued to observe from a safe distance. "Why does it feel like they're hiding something?"

As if answering my silent question, military men appeared at the entrance of the village. Their armor glinted menacingly under the setting sun and their eyes scanned their surroundings with practiced ease.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

I couldn't shake off this uneasy feeling that settled heavy in my gut like lead. Shaking off these apprehensions, I reminded myself sternly, "I'm not here to meddle in their affairs." And yet...

Before I knew it, my feet had started moving towards the village on their own accord. As much as I dreaded getting involved in any conflict there was this inexplicable pull leading me towards them.

As I approached, one of the guards drew his blade and pointed it at me. "Halt!" he commanded. "Who are you and why are you here?" I stopped in front of him. "There's no need to fear me," I assured him. "If I wanted to harm anyone, you'd already be dead." My words may have been too harsh for him to understand, as he responded with anger. "How dare you speak to a guard of the guild like that!" Confused by what I did wrong, I tried to diffuse the situation.

"I apologize if I offended you, but can I pass through or assist in any way?" The guard rejected my offer and just then, another group of wolves came charging towards the village. "Sir, they're headed this way!" one of the other guards shouted. They quickly formed a defensive stance to protect the gate. "Close the gate!" the guard in front of me ordered. Before I could even finish asking to be let inside, the gate shut in front of me. Frustrated, I asked for a chance to prove myself. "Please, just let me handle these wolves and then can I enter the village?" I rested my hand on my blade in preparation for battle.

"Are you daft?" The guard roared, his gaze momentarily flickering to the wolves. "This isn't a place for reckless heroics."

His words fell on deaf ears as I had already dashed towards the oncoming hoard, unsheathing my katana in one swift motion. The metallic tang of fear permeated the air, but I felt nothing. In seconds, I stood between the village and its imminent threat.

The first wolf lunged at me, a low growl resonating from its throat. With calculated precision, I swung my blade downwards, cleanly severing its attack. The rest of the pack seemed to falter at their comrade's swift defeat, uncertainty flickering in their eyes.

"Stand down," I commanded, meeting each pair of gleaming eyes. "Or share his fate."

To my surprise, the wolves retreated, disappearing into the depths of the forest from where they had emerged. I turned back to face the dumbfounded guards, sheathing my blade with a satisfied smirk on my face.

"Well?" I asked expectantly. "May I enter now?"

There was an awkward silence before one guard grudgingly opened the gate. "You best not cause trouble," he warned as I walked past him.

"I have no intention to," I reassured him without looking back. My focus was on the village unfolding before me: small wooden houses dotted around haphazardly, children scurrying around playing catch, elderly folks sharing stories under a rustic pavilion.

It was mesmerizing; a stark contrast from the dark dungeons and enormous forests that had been my world thus far.

As I walked through the bustling streets of the town, the scent of freshly baked bread and sizzling meats filled my nostrils. The cobblestone pathways were crowded with people, their voices mixing together in a cacophony of bartering and haggling. I reached a small market place, a hub of activity where traders and villagers alike gathered to buy and sell goods. Racks of armor and weapons gleamed in the sunlight, tempting passersby with their shiny blades and sturdy shields. My eyes lingered over the displays, knowing that I needed to earn more money if I wanted to survive in this village. "I need money," I muttered to myself as I pushed forward into the market, determined to find a way to make a living.