I died—or at least, I thought I did.
Slowly, my senses returned, the world around me coming into blurry focus as I groaned, my body aching all over. I lay on something cold and soggy. Every slight movement made a squishing noise, though I couldn't fully grasp it with my ears still ringing like crazy. Nausea churned in my gut, but I forced myself to hold it down.
Birds chirped nearby, their sounds cutting through the haze, and as my vision cleared, I saw the branches of trees swaying above me. The sky was a bright blue, the sun casting its light down, and a cool breeze rustled through the leaves. My clothes were caked in mud, sticky and wet.
"Ugh…" I muttered, shaking my head. "Man... crap."
Level 1: Axel
HP: [███████░░░░] 60/100
Mana: [░░░░░░░░] -1/100
Stamina: [██████████░░] 70/100
Options: [Inv | Skills | Quests]
"What…”
I blinked hard, my vision warping and darkening. I fell face-first into the mud again, my cheeks smeared with dirt. I managed to crawl away, grabbing onto a nearby tree for support, using my sleeve to wipe off the mess. Then, I realised I was in a forest, trees in every direction, their leaves thick and filtering the sunlight.
I took a shaky step forward, my knees almost giving way beneath me. Catching hold of a low branch, I steadied myself, panting heavily. It took a few seconds before I could walk without stumbling, though my head still spun, my balance teetering.
"What… where—what? How?" I mumbled, confusion clouding my thoughts.
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from behind. I spun around, heart racing—only to freeze at the sight of a creature standing a few feet away. It was a monstrous two-headed dog, its fur a deep charcoal black, each head with glowing red eyes. The most startling feature was its tail, which flickered like a burning torch. Both heads seemed to breathe in sync, small puffs of smoke escaping their nostrils.
Its left head had a scar running across one eye, giving it a fierce look, while the right one had slightly drooped ears, almost giving it a sad expression. Despite its intimidating appearance, its eyes didn’t seem hostile—more curious than aggressive. But I wasn’t taking any chances.
My eyes widened in terror, and I turned to run, my feet slipping on the muddy ground as I scrambled to get away. Adrenaline kicked in, driving me forward even as my legs threatened to buckle. I didn’t dare look back, focusing only on escaping the beast.
"No, no, no!" I shouted, my voice hoarse with panic. "Help! Someone, help!"
I broke through to a clearing, a dirt road cutting through the trees, and to my right, a carriage trundled slowly toward me. It looked like something out of an old western movie—a wooden cart with large wheels, creaking as it moved. The coachman slumped in his seat, half-asleep, the reins loose in his grip as the horses plodded along.
Waving my arms frantically, I dashed toward the carriage, yelling at the top of my lungs. The coachman jerked awake, dropping the reins in surprise, his hand instinctively reaching for the sword at his belt.
"Help!" I screamed, stumbling to a stop in front of the carriage. "Please, there's a monster—it's chasing me!"
The man squinted down at me with a mix of concern and disbelief. "What in the blazes happened to you, boy? You’re covered head to toe in mud!"
"Flaming tail… monster…," I panted, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I pointed back to where I’d come from. "It was chasing me… two heads… it’s real, I swear!"
The coachman’s expression softened slightly, though he still kept a firm grip on his sword. "Two-headed dog with a flaming tail, you say?" He gave a low chuckle, shaking his head. "You mean a Trododle?”
"I don’t know..." I muttered, my voice shaky as I stared at the creature. "What is that?"
The creature trotted down the dirt road, its four paws kicking up dust. It wasn’t massive or tiny, just about the size of a regular stray dog you'd see wandering the streets. But still, the sight of its two heads and the flickering flame at the end of its tail had my nerves buzzing.
When it got about four metres from us, it stopped and began spinning in circles like a playful pup. I raised an eyebrow, glancing at the coachman for an explanation.
"Everyone knows they’re harmless," the man chuckled, shaking his head. "How did you not know that, boy?"
"I didn’t..." I stammered, confusion plastered on my face. "I don’t know?"
With a grin, the coachman hopped off the carriage, dusted off his worn-out clothes, and casually approached the creature. Crouching low, he reached out to pet its heads, and the beast rolled over, exposing its belly like a domestic dog begging for scratches. The coachman rubbed its stomach as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Either I’d somehow missed the news that we’d discovered a bizarre new species or I was trapped in the most realistic nightmare of my life.
The coachman was a man in his forties, with a rugged face framed by a bushy beard and hair that had streaks of grey running through it. He wore a long, buttoned coat, weathered boots, and a wide-brimmed hat that shaded his stern eyes. His outfit was like something from a different era, which was a weird fashion choice.
"What happened to you, boy?" he asked, his gaze shifting back to me. "You look like you’ve been through hell."
"I... I saw something weird in the sky," I blurted out, trying to piece my thoughts together. "And then—I was in school? Where am I?"
He narrowed his eyes. "Oh, boy, you really are a strange one."
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I looked around, hoping for some familiar landmark, but there was nothing. Just an endless stretch of forest surrounding us and a narrow dirt road cutting through it. Birds chirped from the branches above, the forest alive with sounds that felt foreign to me. I wiped more mud from my face, turning away from the coachman as I took a deep breath, hands on my hips in frustration.
The creature—this two-headed dog—suddenly bounded over to me, nuzzling my legs like a cat and circling around me playfully. I stood rigid, afraid to make any sudden movements that might trigger an attack, my eyes locked on the beast.
"I..." I muttered, turning back to the coachman with uncertainty in my voice. "Where are we? I don’t remember a forest anywhere near the city."
"You’re far from the city, lad," he replied, his tone softening a bit. "Are you a survivor from that village? If so, the gods must’ve been watching over you."
"Village?" I repeated, trying not to sound completely clueless. Not wanting to raise suspicion, I nodded slowly. "Yeah. I’m from that village."
"Poor kid..." He sighed, walking to the back of the carriage and pulling away the blanket covering the rear. "Maybe you know some of these folks?"
When he yanked the blanket off, my stomach twisted at the sight. At least ten bodies lay there, lifeless and pale, their clothes stained with dried blood. Some had deep gashes across their torsos, others had limbs severed, and one man's neck was cut so deeply it seemed barely attached. Flies buzzed around the gruesome scene, their relentless hum making me want to hurl.
I staggered back, my face going white as I pressed a hand to my mouth to keep from gagging.
"Too much for you?" the coachman said, his voice softer as he pulled the blanket back over the bodies. "Sorry, boy. Any of them your folks?"
"N-no," I managed to choke out, swallowing hard to keep my composure. "Who... who did this?"
"Goblins," he said flatly. "Poor sods never stood a chance."
"Goblins?" I asked, disbelief hitting me like a punch. "You’re serious?"
"Yeah," he replied. "We didn’t think this part of Nu’tar had goblins... but we were wrong."
"Nu’tar?" The name didn’t ring any bells, and my confusion must’ve shown on my face.
He raised an eyebrow, almost amused. "You really don’t know the name of the country you’re living in? You’ve got more than a few screws loose, boy."
"I..." I began, but my head spun again, and I shut my eyes tight, trying to keep it together. "This doesn’t make any sense."
"Must’ve been through quite an ordeal," he said, hopping back onto the carriage. "Come on, get in. You shouldn’t be out here alone in your state."
"Y-yeah," I muttered, grateful for the offer. "Thank you."
As he reached out to help me onto the carriage, he gave me a small nod. "What's your name, lad?"
"Axel Millo," I replied, my voice still trembling slightly.
"Mortan Catren," he said, offering a weathered smile. "Nice to meet you, kid."
"Likewise.”
As the horses began to trot along the dirt road, the rhythmic clopping of hooves pulled me from my scattered thoughts. I tried to piece together what happened back at school—how that giant eye in the sky stared me down, then the black hole opened beneath my feet, dragging me into its depths. Beyond that, everything went hazy, like a fading dream I couldn't quite grasp.
The coachman reached into a worn sack beside him, pulling out a sandwich stuffed with tomatoes and cheese. Without taking his eyes off the road, he held it out to me, waiting for me to grab it.
"Thanks," I said, taking the sandwich and biting into it. The taste was surprisingly good, fresh and comforting. "It’s delicious."
"Wife made it for me," he said, a hint of pride in his voice.
I nodded, chewing thoughtfully. "She's a great cook."
His eyes flicked toward me, curiosity creeping into his expression. "You ran away from that village, didn't you? Where’re your parents?"
I hesitated for a moment, then lowered my gaze. "They died a long time ago."
He paused, the lines on his face softening. "Oh... sorry to hear that."
"It’s alright," I replied. For some reason, his empathy made me feel a little less on edge. "So, this place... Nu’tar, right?"
"Yeah, Nu’tar," he confirmed, raising an eyebrow.
"I’m not from around here," I admitted, glancing out at the endless stretch of trees surrounding us. "I’m from... well, far away."
"Oh? How long have you been here?" he asked, giving me a sideways glance.
"Just shy a month," I lied smoothly, hoping he wouldn’t press for details.
"Gotcha," he said, nodding. "Which country are you from?"
"The U.S.," I answered.
"Huh? Where’s that, north?" His brow furrowed in genuine confusion.
"Y-yeah. North." I said, forcing a nervous smile. "It’s a small country, not many people have heard of it."
"Ah, makes sense," he muttered, dismissing it with a shrug.
Panic began to simmer just beneath my calm facade. Even a kid in elementary school would know what America is, yet this guy had no clue. That was a big red flag, a sign that I might be farther from home than I’d ever imagined. I needed to find a way out of this mess, fast.
I directed my gaze back to the road, trying to ignore the unsettling thought of the bodies piled up behind us. The universe seemed to have a twisted sense of humour, throwing me into this chaos with no lifeline.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a piece of paper peeking out from the coachman’s sack, dangling slightly in the breeze. It looked like a map, and considering my decent grades in geography—thank you, B+—I figured I could at least try to get my bearings.
"Hey," I said, swallowing another bite of the sandwich. "Mind if I take a look at that map?"
"Hmm?" He glanced at me, then nodded, reaching into the sack and handing over the folded paper. "Sure, here you go."
"Thanks," I said, unfolding the map and studying it closely.
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NOTIFICATION
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* Location Discovered: Un-a Forest
* Map Updated!
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+ XP Gained: 5
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| Current XP: 05 / 100
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| Progress: █░░░░░░░░░░░░
=========================
My eyes widened as a translucent box appeared in front of me, its text hovering just within my line of sight. And judging by the coachman’s lack of reaction, he couldn't see it at all.
"What in the world..." I whispered, my voice trailing off in disbelief.
"Everything alright, boy?" the coachman asked, giving me a curious look.
"Uh, yeah," I stammered, quickly folding the map and forcing a shaky smile. "Yeah, it’s nothing. Just thought I saw something, that's all."
He gave me a slow nod, clearly unconvinced but choosing to let it slide. As he turned his attention back to the road.
“Oh, man,” I whispered to myself. “What is this…”