Crouching under a low-hanging branch, I emerged into a small clearing. The dense trees made what should’ve been easy navigation a frustrating chore. I leaned against a nearby trunk, taking a moment to catch my breath. My leg still throbbed from the wound, but at least I could walk. No infection to worry about. Still, the pain gnawing at my palm and leg was a real problem.
Pushing off the tree, I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my map. According to it, I was close to a well. Other than that, just an endless sea of trees.
"Great," I muttered. "Just an endless forest. How hard can it be?"
With an exhale, I resumed my search. The forest was eerily quiet, save for the occasional caw of a distant crow. A light breeze would stir the leaves now and then, only to die down as quickly as it came. The air had a chill to it, but nothing too bad.
After a few more steps, I arrived at the well. It was nothing impressive—just a moss-covered structure with a bucket hanging from a frayed rope. Vines had crept into its cracks, overtaking most of the stone.
"Right," I mumbled, "Let's try over here..."
The muddy ground squelched beneath my boots as I veered toward a towering tree ahead. Draped from its branches were strands of old fabric, probably left behind by someone. Its trunk had crude heart shapes, likely carved with a blade. Looked like a spot where lovers would meet, not where some idiot would be searching for a runaway sheep.
I moved past the tree, hopping down from a nearby rock, maybe forty or fifty centimetres high. My leg screamed in protest, the forgotten pain flaring back to life.
"Agh..." I groaned, gripping my leg. "Shit. Alright, okay. Come on, keep it together."
I pressed on, limping slightly, hoping to finally catch a glimpse of the lost sheep. I couldn’t help but feel irritated—most of these Guild quests were the same: find this, fetch that. It was all busywork. The main board had more varied quests, though. Everything from eliminating a bandit leader to retrieving some strange artefact from an old ruin. Those paid more, naturally. I saw a quest offering 250 gold for capturing a wanted rapist from Kinowa.
The thought faded as I stopped, taking in my surroundings again. It was still dead silent. No sign of the sheep. No baaing in the distance.
"Come on, sheepy, sheepy," I muttered, the words flat as I scanned the trees. "Where are you?"
A sudden rustling behind me made me jump. Spinning around, I spotted a deer standing on the rock I had just hopped off. Its eyes locked onto me, completely still. It didn’t even look like it was breathing. I took a step toward it, and in an instant, it darted off into the forest, vanishing into the trees.
Still a bit shaken, I turned back around and continued forward. I couldn’t afford distractions right now—I had a job to do.
"Come on..." I muttered under my breath. "Why would you run away in the first place?"
Rubbing my leg where the wound still ached, I pushed onward. Who would've thought that the sound of a sheep’s baa could become the highlight of my day?
Ahead, the grass grew taller, giving the place a swampy vibe. Pushing the grasses aside with my hands, I made a path through the overgrowth. The sound of frogs croaking and the faint trickle of water became more noticeable, and the dirt underfoot was getting muddier with each step. One wrong move and I'd be flat on my back.
"If I were a sheep," I muttered, "this is the last place I'd wander into."
I soon stumbled upon a small pond. To my surprise, there was a freshly cut tree trunk nearby, and resting on it was a large shield. Raising an eyebrow, I scanned my surroundings before approaching. The shield was heavy—too heavy to carry easily. But if I managed to sell it, I could probably make a decent amount of gold.
After giving it a once-over, I placed it back on the stump with a sigh. I had to sell this thing.
Level 1: Axel
HP: [██████░░░░░] 55/100
Mana: [░░░░░░░░] -1/100
Stamina: [██████████░░] 70/100
Options: [Inv | Skills | Quests]
Tapping the "Inventory" option, a new screen popped up, displaying what I currently had.
======================
|Inventory
======================
---------------------------
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
| Gold: 0
---------------------------
| [Empty]
---------------------------
| [Empty]
---------------------------
| [Empty]
---------------------------
| [Empty]
======================
Seeing the zero gold amount caused a small heart attack, but I quickly remembered that I’d already taken out my gold. Right now, I had four gold pieces and four silver left, having spent some on that cheese earlier. It wasn’t much, but I’d have to make it work until I found a way back home.
"Alright… come on."
I grabbed the shield again, lifting it with both hands, and moved it toward the translucent box interface. My palm throbbed from the effort, but I pushed through the pain. The shield hovered just in front of the screen… but nothing happened. With a small ache in my palm, I placed the shield back on the stump and scratched the back of my head in thought.
Tapping on one of the empty slots in my inventory, a smaller box popped up.
==============
Buy Slot 1? (1s)
==============
[Accept] [Decline]
Raising an eyebrow, I shrugged and hit "Accept." I felt the weight in my pocket lessen as one of my silver coins vanished. Four gold and three silver left now.
"Alright, let’s try this again..."
I reached for the shield once more, bringing it closer to the translucent interface. This time, a glowing line appeared around the shield, forming a circle before glowing and disappeared into my inventory.
======================
|Inventory
======================
---------------------------
| Gold: 0
---------------------------
| [Worned out shield]
---------------------------
| [Empty]
---------------------------
| [Empty]
---------------------------
| [Empty]
======================
"Nice," I muttered, feeling a small sense of accomplishment. "Now... back to finding that runaway sheep."
With a resigned sigh, I turned my attention back to the task at hand.
Just then, a weak scream echoed from the far side of the pond, opposite where I had entered. I knew exactly how these horror stories played out—rushing in was a surefire way to get myself killed. Instead, I turned and started to backtrack, only to hear footsteps approaching from the direction I needed to go. Panic set in, and I threw myself behind the tree stump, forcing myself to calm my breathing.
"Shit. Shit. Shit."
“I hear him!” a voice shouted. “Don’t let him get away!”
“We’ve already got a man on him,” another one replied. “He’s as good as caught.”
I pressed myself harder against the stump, holding my breath. The footsteps came to a stop nearby. I didn’t dare peek around the corner; this wasn’t the kind of excitement I signed up for.
After a few moments, more footsteps approached from where I had heard that scream earlier.
“I’ve got the human,” a third voice said, filled with mocking triumph. “Thought you could outrun an elf?”
“Please!” A desperate man cried out, his voice trembling. “I didn’t do anything wrong. Please!”
“My father didn’t do anything either,” one of the elves sneered. “Yet you people hung him like an animal.”
“Take your revenge on the guards, not me!” The man pleaded, his voice breaking. “I didn’t harm anyone!”
“I don’t care if you’re innocent or guilty,” the elf replied coldly. “Your kind paints us as monsters, killers… so we’ll give you exactly that.”
“No! Please! Please!”
I risked a glance around the stump. Four elves had encircled a man kneeling on the ground, his hands tied, his face battered and bruised. The tallest elf stood over him, holding a dagger in one hand, his eyes burning with rage.
With a quick movement, the elf yanked the man up by his collar and plunged the dagger into his neck. Blood spurted across the clearing, and I recoiled back behind the stump, my face expressionless, though my insides churned with fear.
“Let his corpse rot,” the tall elf ordered. “Let’s move.”
“Wait for me, I left my shield on that stump... huh?” one of them said, confused. “It was right here.”
“Are you sure?” the leader asked, his tone impatient. “I don’t see it.”
“I’m positive,” the other elf muttered, stepping closer to where I was hiding.
I flattened myself against the stump, every muscle tense, willing myself to be invisible.
“We’re wasting time!” the tall elf snapped. “Leave it and move.”
“Fine,” the other elf grumbled, stepping back. “I’ll just get another one later.”
I waited, not daring to move until the sound of their footsteps faded into the distance. Slowly, I pulled myself out from behind the stump. Elves and humans—this wasn't just a case of racism; there was a deep-seated hatred between them. Both sides truly loathed each other, and I had little hope for their relationship improving anytime soon.
I sat on the stump, tilting my head down as I exhaled. I didn’t want to look back and see the corpse behind me… I just had to get out of the forest.
And then, as if the universe decided to throw me a bone, a familiar sound reached my ears—baa—from the same direction the scream had come from.
“Finally,” I muttered under my breath, relieved. “Something’s going right for once.”
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