After setting off from the purple-grassed meadow, I quickly made my way to the top of a small, grassy hill. My view further out was still mostly obscured by the many other hills that lay nearby. But I was nevertheless able to discern what looked to be a small forest, just a little ways off in the distance. I thought that I could also just barely make out some orange fruit hanging off of the branches of the trees of that forest as well, and maybe also some small animals scampering across its floor.

Unfortunately, it was all a bit too far away for me to be sure of what I was seeing. But for now, that little forest seemed like about as good of a lead as any. So I began to make my way ahead, moving along as quietly and as carefully as I could.

As I drew closer to those woods, I was gladdened to discover that there really did seem to be some sort of orange fruit dangling off of the branches here. There was quite a bit of the orange fruit too, and it had fallen in great abundance all over the floor of the little forest.

Small, squirrel-like creatures were hopping all around the fallen fruit, happily chittering and chattering, their bright green fur illuminated by the early morning sun as they took their meal in the peaceful and quiet woods. Meanwhile, a strange blue-furred creature that looked like a cross between a goat and a deer was standing watch a little ways behind them, looking around quite lazily, apparently having already had its fill of the delicious fruit.

Of course, once I got too close to the creatures, they all scampered and skittered away. But the sight of them had been very reassuring.

On the one hand, it was nice to see other living beings out in this strange new world, and to feel a little bit less alone.

But I was also glad to see that the creatures had been so happily eating the fruit up off of the ground. That meant that there was a decent chance that it was something that I could eat too, or that at least it probably wouldn't be so harmful or toxic to my body that I’d be in any serious risk if I took a small bite or two.

Cautiously, I picked up one of the pieces of the orange fruit, and turned it around in my hand. It was soft and squishy like a plum or an apricot, but it had a harder, and a thicker skin, a little bit like an apple. The fruit itself had a very sweet smell to it, but a smell that was quite different from what I had expected – not so much like the sweetness of a plum or a cherry, but more like the sweetness of a cantaloupe or a watermelon.

Then, I raised the fruit up to my mouth, and I took a very small bite.

I could hardly believe how amazingly delicious it was. It tasted like a sweeter cantaloupe, but with an almost fruity or berry-like taste mixed in, which gave the whole experience the feeling of eating some sort of exotic candy. Except unlike a piece of candy, it somehow managed to feel earthy and hearty too, like it was filled with all sorts of nutrients and fibers.

I waited a few moments to make sure that I wouldn’t begin to feel sick, or receive some sort of ominous notification from the system informing me of my now impending doom. But all that I felt was the delicious taste of the fruit spreading its way throughout my mouth, as I soaked in the exquisite and the satisfying taste.

And then, I took another bite, and then another. I noticed now that the inside of the fruit was a kind of orange, pulpish substance, with a reddish-pink liquid that burst out whenever I took a bite. The orange was probably the part that tasted like a cantaloupe, while the reddish-pink liquid was probably what gave the fruit its sweet berry aftertaste. To my surprise, not only was the food absolutely delicious, but it was also amazingly nourishing and filling, and it quickly left my whole body feeling rejuvenated and refreshed.

It was probably the best food that I'd eaten in the last three years.

It might even have been the best food that I had ever eaten in my entire life.

With a feeling of profound contentment and gratitude, I devoured the fruit that I’d been munching on, and then began to eat several pieces more, unable to believe just how how plentiful the fruit was, and how delicious each of them tasted.

After a little bit of time spent like that, I had eaten my fill of the sweet and succulent fruit. I could see that a few of the green-furred squirrel-like creatures had made their way back towards me too, and that they were carefully gnawing away at some of the fruit on the branches of the trees. They seemed to be glancing rather spitefully down towards me, and I got the distinct impression that they were very much hoping that I would leave.

So, figuring that I had probably lingered out here for just about long enough as it was, I picked up one last piece of fruit to take with me, and then grabbed my sword back up off of the ground, as I continued on my way, and let the creatures of the forest go back to enjoying their delicious meal. After I had left, I heard them run back down to resume their feast, as sounds of happy chittering and of chattering began to ring out once more through the hills and valleys.

For some time after that, I wandered ahead in no particular direction at all, just meandering my way through the vast expanse of land. During my long trek ahead, I had found more of the succulent orange fruit, and seen more of the green squirrel-like creatures, as well as a few small birds just drifting through the air. But I still hadn’t managed to find any sort of creature that I could talk to, and I still hadn’t managed to make out any sort of sign of a nearby town or village.

Fortunately, I at least hadn’t encountered any sort of danger either… and there seemed to be a real sense of peace in these hills, that was quite different from the eerie forest that I had so thankfully left behind.

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Of course, it may have been a bit of a jinx to have thought that right then. Because just as I was making my way over the hill in front of me, I began to catch sight of something strange a little ways off in the distance.

And then, I froze, as I realized just what it was that I was seeing.

Down in the meadow below, there was a small, green, two-legged creature, that was lying dead upon the ground.

A few meters away, I saw the corpse of a human being, who was wearing the same kind of armor that I was wearing now, with the same kind of emblems on the front, and along the sides. The man was slouched up against the back of a large, fruit-covered tree… and his hands were resting softly upon his stomach, which was coated in a layer of thick, and recently dried blood.

Each of them were completely motionless right then… and as far as I could tell, there was no one else nearby, and no sign that anyone else had been here. And so, my best guess was that each of them had killed the other, and that they had then died out here together, in this beautiful and quiet meadow.

I was pretty nervous about the whole sight that was in front of me. But at the same time, there wasn’t any sign of danger, and the hills around me seemed to be perfectly still and empty. And so as quietly as I could, I began to make my way across the ground, before I at last came up in front of the small, green, two-legged creature.

He looked quite a bit like some of the goblins that I had seen in a few shows and movies… except this “goblin” didn’t really seem malevolent at all, or sinister in any sort of a way. He just looked like an animal, I guess, or like a kind of shorter, and more distinctive variant of a human being.

He was a bit over a meter high, with thin, green arms, and a weak upper body. But his legs were very muscular, and I had the distinct impression that he had been far more used to running,and to fleeing than he had ever been to standing his ground and fighting.

Around his waist, there was a small belt which was filled with all sorts of little knives and daggers. But apart from that, there wasn’t anything else that he was wearing, and there wasn’t anything else that I could learn about who he had been, or where he might have come from.

Finally, from the markings on his body, it seemed as if he had been killed by a single long, slicing wound across his chest. To judge from the dried green blood that was coating that wound – and from the dried green blood on the sword of the dead man in armor a little to my side – it seemed fairly clear what had taken place here, and what had brought this creature to his end.

On the goblin’s face, there was an expression that was unmistakably one of surprise, and of sadness… and instinctively, and without really thinking about what I was doing, I just reached my hand over and closed his eyes, as I gently ran my fingers across his forehead, and left him to his peace.

Then, I turned over towards the body of the man a little towards my side, and began to examine him.

The man was about my own size and build - just about average, in other words – with soft brown hair, and strong, thick arms.

In his left hand, he was holding a short, blood-covered sword... and in his right, he was holding a small wooden shield, that seemed to have taken quite a bit of damage throughout the years.

He was fairly young, I thought - and it was easy to see that he had died in a way that had surprised him, and then had just enough strength to crawl back towards the tree, and to rest there, beneath the rays of the early morning sun, before he had at last lost his awareness, and begun to flicker out of being.

It wasn’t quite clear just how he had died exactly, since there were all sorts of small wounds and markings along his body. But my best guess was that he had been killed by the two large steel-tipped arrows which were lodged deep inside of his stomach, and inside of his intestines.

I was just about to lean in, and to examine him a bit more closely, in order to see if I could find out anything more about him, and about where he might have come from…

… when suddenly, I felt my blood start to run cold, as a wave of pure, and unrestrained terror washed over me.

That little green creature, that I had seen before…

… it hadn’t been carrying a bow.

And then, I leapt up into the air, and spun around.

Before I could even understand what was happening, I saw an arrow come whizzing towards me, as I desperately twisted my body off to the side, and avoided what might well have been a lethal blow.

"Congratulations! You have acquired the 'Dodging' skill! Your Dodging skill is now level 1. Each level will improve your body’s ability to dodge your way out of danger.”

I didn’t pay a moment’s attention to that message. Instead, I just looked around, and tried to figure out where that arrow had come from.

And then… I saw the man who must have been the source of that arrow – as I just stared out in horror at the cloaked figure who was standing opposite of me, on the ridge of the hill.

In his right hand, he was now holding a wicked-looking curving dagger… and on his face, there was a look of pure rage, and of terror.

He seemed to be short, and stocky, with a short, gray beard. But before I could make make out anything more than that, he was rushing towards me, as he let out an awful, and a piercing cry.

A part of me wanted to run. But at the speed that he was moving, I didn’t think that was going to be much of an option.

Another part of me wanted to stand my ground and to fight. But judging from the man’s face, and from his features, I had the distinct impression that he wasn’t a bad man at all, and that he wasn’t the sort of person who would attack a stranger unless there had been some sort of a misunderstanding.

Of course, it was an enormous gamble for me to even try to talk to him right then – and looking back on it, I have no idea how I ever found the courage to attempt it. But rather than grabbing my blade at once, I instead just held out my right hand in an open-handed “stop” gesture, as I took a few steps backwards, and yelled out to the man a little ways in front of me.

"Wait,” I cried, “Please, wait! I don’t want to fight you! Who are you? And what do you want?!”

Then, I saw the man hesitate for just an instant.

I had the distinct impression that he wasn’t yet convinced, however – and I knew that he might resume his charge at any moment, in order to try to take my life.

But then, I saw him suddenly come to a complete, and an abrupt halt.

And then, I saw all of the blood drain slowly from his face, as he looked out ahead in a state of awe, and of wonder.

His eyes were locked onto me, and he seemed to be absolutely transfixed by me right then… just as if he was looking at the most amazing thing that he had ever seen in all his life.

Or, more particularly…

His eyes were locked onto my open, and my out-stretched hand… and onto the mark that was displayed there.

And then, the man lowered his weapon down towards his side, as he at last managed to overcome his astonishment, and to find the words to speak.

“Yer… yer an Interloper,” he said, at last. “Are ye… are ye from Earth?”

And then… I just stood there in a state of dumb, and awe-struck silence… as I attempted to figure out what had just taken place, exactly – and how I would even begin to respond.