The embarrassment I am feeling right now doesn't compare to anything I ever felt in earth, Me, an introverted person who avoided interactions at all costs, now found myself the unwilling center of attention in a place I didn't even know existed.

With my hands up in the air, sweat pouring down my back, I did my best to avoid the sharp gazes of the creatures in front of me, for a moment I felt like everyone is thinking about killing me with their gazes fixated at my eyes.

As the grew more tensed than before, it quickly disappeared.

One by one, the glances of the creature disappeared and lost interest in me, their eyes acting like an ant walked by the road, The centaurs continued playing their tune, and the tavern returned back to being normal, as if nothing happened

The relief I felt was like pouring cold water all over my body. Everyone returned to their conversations and acted like I didn't exist.

I sighed, the tension in my arms and back are gone, "I thought I was a goner—"I muttered under my breath as I carefully stepped over the uneven floorboards of the tavern, trying not to trip.

Just as I thought I was blending into the crowd, a loud voice roared thru out the room.

"Oi! It's the little lad from the toilet!"

I froze in place, turning my head slowly as I saw the towering orc from earlier, his massive arm waving at me, grinning at me like he directly knew me, and gesturing me to sit with them.

"Come over here lad! We have a lot of beers and meat skewers to share—!" the orc shouted, slapping the table hard enough to make all the plates jump.

Every eye in the tavern seemed to look towards me for a second, but the orc's booming laugh quickly drew their attention back to him.

"uhm... sure I guess" I softly said, With hesitant steps, I approached their table, the weight of curious eyes pressing down on me. The orc's grin grew wider as I awkwardly slid onto the bench beside him, trying my best to avoid eye contact with the rest of his companions.

"The names Kar'npaul—!" Kar'npaul was much larger up close. His armor clinked lightly as he shifted to make room for me, and the scent of earth and metal clung to him, mixed with the faint smell of herbs—not the usual odor I expected from an orc.

"Don't be shy, lad! We don't bite... much," Kar'npaul boomed, his voice like thunder but with a teasing edge. He slapped my back with such force that I nearly fell off the bench, his booming laugh erupting across the table.

Sitting down the table, I peeked up at the group, an odd mix of creatures I recognized from legends and myth—each of them radiating an air of mystery that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

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Directly across from me sat a beautiful elf with short, silver hair that shimmered under the tavern's dim light, her feline-like eyes, a shimmering golden hue, tracked every movement in the room, giving her an unsettling sense of awareness, wearing over her slender body a deep green cloak, with armor engraved with symbols I couldn't read. Her long bow strapped to her back like she was ready to strike anytime.

To her left, a figure that immediately caught my eye—a bizarre fusion of human and sea creature. The left side of its body was unmistakably human, while its other half was covered in thick scales resembling a fish, with a deep shade of blue-green, his left eye was dark and calculating while his other eye gleamed with with an unnatural glow, like the deep waters of the ocean, wearing a full set of silver plated armor like Kar'npaul but inscribed with oceanic motifs-waves, sea monsters and unmistakable a trident, a scimitar strapped to his back and multiple daggers strapped on his shoulders, covered by his black cloak.

Both of them had a mysterious aura that showed they were not to be messed with, compared to Kar'npaul, they were not outgoing but was ready to converse with anyone they met.

"How bout you lad, whats ya name?" Kar'npaul enthusiastically said as his 2 friends looked at me with interested gazes.

"Uh... my name is Justin... Joe," I mumbled, trying to avoid eye contact, feeling my face grow warm under their intense stares.

"Jorr? What a fine name you've got, lad!" Kar'npaul exclaimed, completely mishearing me as he clamped his massive hand around my arm. He shook my hand with such enthusiasm that my whole body jolted, though the grip was surprisingly gentle for someone of his size. His strength was undeniable, yet he seemed to hold back, as if not wanting to crush me.

I blinked, a little confused by the new name, but I forced a nod. "Uh, yeah... sure," I muttered under my breath. I wasn't about to correct him. Jorr it was.

Before I knew it, his friends reached out, each offering a handshake, their faces bright with welcome. I awkwardly shook their hands, trying to match their enthusiasm but mostly feeling like I was caught in a whirlwind.

And just like that, in this strange world, I was no longer Justin Joe—I was Jorr. Well... it'll have to do.

I sat there, feeling the weight of the moment as I tried to gather up the courage to ask the question that had been circling around my brain since I first arrived. My fingers tapped nervously against the rough surface of the table, the sound barely audible beneath the hum of the tavern.

Taking a deep breath, I glanced at the group around me—Kar'npaul still grinning, the elf quietly sipping from her tankard, and the sea creature's eyes flicking between the two of them. My heart pounded, and my mouth felt dry, but I had to know.

"Uhm..." I hesitated, the words getting stuck in my throat. What if they thought I was an idiot? What if I offended them somehow?

"So... uh, like I said earlier in the, uh, toilet... I'm not from around here." I winced at how awkward that sounded, but there was no turning back now. "How does this world... work?"

All of a sudden the computer interface came back but instead of showing my details, it showed the details of the orc beside me, Kar'npaul.

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NAME: Kar'npaul ****************************HP: 2500/2500

CLASS: Warlord **************************** MP: 50/50

LEVEL: 56 **************************************STATUS: Normal

SKILLS:

Orc's Bloodlust - LVL MAX ********************** Brute Force - LVL MAX

Heavy Swing - LVL 10 *************************** Orc's Resolve - Passive

Spirit of the Warlord - LVL 10 ******************** Warlord's Execution - LVL 1

Battle cry - LVL 4 *********************************Blood Regeneration - Passive

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