Looking around, all I see is pitch-black darkness, yet I can see my entire body clearly. Unable to make sense of it, I start walking in a random direction, hoping for some kind of explanation. Gradually, a faint red light appears in the distance, pulsing like a slow heartbeat. As I get closer, the light grows brighter, illuminating the space with streaks of red that pulse in a low, steady rhythm.
"Not bad," a voice echoes, resonating from every direction, as if the entire void is speaking to me. I turn my head, trying to locate the source of the sound. What is this place? Am I dead?
"No, you live," the voice booms again, the words vibrating through the air. "Perhaps we will meet... if you can slay the alpha wolf."
The voice fades, and I notice cracks appearing all around, splitting the darkness. White light seeps through, piercing the shadows like the shell of an egg breaking apart. Seconds later, the entire space shatters, and I jolt awake to the sight of a bright blue sky.
I lie there, dazed, watching clouds drift across the sky. A voice snaps me out of my trance. "Ah, you're finally awake. Good, good." I sit up slowly, rubbing my eyes, and turn to face the speaker.
Standing a few feet away is a man with light skin, curly brown hair, and a stubble that gives him a rugged look. He's dressed in a mix of medieval-style armor and tough leather, like something a seasoned hunter might wear, with metal plates protecting his vital areas and a large sword slung across his back. He regards me with curiosity. "Can you hear me?" he asks.
I nod, still trying to get my bearings, and pinch my cheek just to make sure I'm not hallucinating. "Yes," I manage to say. "But... who are you?"
The man brightens and places a hand over his chest in a friendly, almost formal gesture. "The name's Roland. I'm part of the Adventurers Guild."
Before I can respond, another voice chimes in from behind Roland. "Idiot, why'd you give away your information like that?" The new arrival steps forward—a tall, lean man who looks like a storybook version of Robin Hood, only his clothes are in shades of dark green and gray, more akin to camo wear. A longbow is strapped to his back, alongside a quiver full of arrows.
Roland only laughs, unfazed, and gestures toward me. "Do you really think two rookies are any threat to us?"
The man in green frowns, crossing his arms. "That doesn't mean you can let your guard down." He shifts his posture, eyeing me more seriously. "Which brings me to my next question—what are you doing out here in the Splintering Woods with just the two of you?"
Finally, we've met someone from this world, but I know better than to tell them we're from another realm. Clearing my throat, I respond with as much sincerity as I can muster. "The name's Adam. My friend Max and I were shipwrecked on the beach near the edge of the forest. The only way forward was through the woods, so… here we are."
Roland nods thoughtfully, considering my words, but the man in green looks like he's about to press further when another voice cuts in from behind me. "How did you sustain all these injuries?"
I startle slightly, craning my neck to see the new speaker. Sitting on a low stone nearby is a figure cloaked in a large, gray hooded robe. The hood is pulled up so far that I can't make out her face—only darkness, even as she turns her head to glance at Max, who lies nearby.
Something about her presence sends a chill down my spine. The dark hood, the calm yet penetrating tone of her voice—she seems to radiate a quiet authority.
She seems powerful, and something tells me she'll see right through any lie. Taking a steady breath, I recount the fight with the wolves to the group, carefully omitting the parts about our actual abilities. Roland's face shifts into a smirk as he speaks. "What made you two think you could take on a Wind Grey Wolf alone?"
Before I can answer, the archer scoffs, "Great, we've run into two suicidal idiots."
Not wanting them to write us off as fools, I clarify, "We were ambushed by the alpha; we didn't pick a fight."
Roland scratches his stubble thoughtfully. "Usually, a creature that strong would ignore people like you unless killing you offered a hefty amount of experience."
He looks at me with a puzzled expression. "No offense, but you don't look like much of a fighter, and yet you attracted the attention of an alpha and managed to survive."
Oh, so that's what he meant. Considering that we spawned here in new bodies with nothing but basic clothes, it must look strange to an adventurer. Shaking my head, I quickly pull up my status page and notice something that surprises me. Ignoring all the notifications, I glance up and reply, "I'm level eight, is that reason enough?"
Roland's eyebrows knit together, but he seems to accept my response.
I stand and approach Max, still lying unconscious. Looking over at the hooded woman, I ask, "Do you know why he hasn't woken up?"
The woman nods and lifts her head slightly. Even with her face turned up, her hood shadows her features completely. "He overdrew his mana pool. He's suffering from mana debt; he'll need more time to recover."
So that's what happened when he collapsed after the first wolf encounter. Nodding, I sit down beside Max and turn back to Roland. Clearing my throat, I say, "We lost a lot of our memories after the shipwreck, and we're from a faraway land. Could you tell me more about where we are?"
Roland nods surprisingly without a hint of suspicion. "We're in the Splintering Woods, within the Heinz Empire. The closest town is Green Vale."
Processing the information, I ask, "these woods are dangerous, what brings you all here?"
Before Roland can respond, the archer steps forward, "We're adventurers on a mission."
I expect more, but he just stands there, his posture tense. He seems wary. Did something happen?
Suddenly, a shadow beside me ripples, and a figure slowly emerges from it, cloaked in darkness. As he steps out, the shadow dissipates, revealing a man dressed in black leather, with a hood and mask covering his mouth and nose. His voice is a soft rasp as he says, "Don't mind Gale. He's on edge since we hit... complications."
How many of them are there? I turn to Roland and ask, "I appreciate you finding us and healing us, but can you tell me what's going on?"
Roland strokes his chin thoughtfully, drawing a deep breath. "We were on a mission to kill a specific beast, but it turned out to be much stronger than expected. It took down one of our party members. We had to retreat, and not long after, we found you two drifting in the river near the basin. That's pretty much it."
No wonder they're on edge. I'd be too if a friend had died unexpectedly. Nodding, I reply, "Thank you for trusting me." Now, I just need to know how many of them there are.
The man in black leather, with multiple daggers strapped to his belts, glances at me as if my thoughts are plastered on my face and says, "It's just the four of us."
Feeling a pang of guilt for prying, I nod sharply and finally open the notifications I missed during the fight with the alpha wolf.
"9 Grey Wolves, Level 3 slain. 900 XP gained.
2 Grey Wolves, Level 7 slain. 600 XP gained.
You have leveled up. 3 assignable stat points received.
You have leveled up. 3 assignable stat points received.
You have leveled up. 3 assignable stat points received."
We took down that many wolves without even realizing it? Not bad. Taking it all in, I check my status screen:
Species: Human
Age: 24
Level: 8 (0/700 XP)
Health: 150/150
Mana: 120/120
Stamina: 140/140
Strength: 7
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Dexterity: 11
Endurance: 14
Vitality: 15
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 5
Charisma: 4/10
Skills:
Blood Rush Lv5, Common
Bloody Bandage Lv2, Common
Basic Spearmanship Lv3, Common
Basic Blade Handling Lv3 (Max), Common
Bloody Claws Lv4, Uncommon
Karmic Vision Lv3, Uncommon
Personal Storage Lv Max, Rare
Universal Language Comprehension Lv Max, Rare
Titles:
World Walker, Epic
Available Stat Points: 9
Available Path Points: 5
So fighting to survive does have its perks, though I'll avoid it next time if I can. When I look up, I catch the woman's gaze. Her face remains hidden, but she seems curious.
Turning to her, I say, "I didn't get all your names."
She nods. "I'm Lira. You've already met Roland. The one with the bow is Gale, and the one dressed in black is Lucian." She hesitates, then asks softly, "May I ask you something?"
A bit surprised, I gather myself and respond, "Of course."
"Do you use arcane magic?" she asks.
Thinking it over, I shake my head slightly. "What do you mean by arcane?"
Lira pauses before explaining, "Magic is divided into two types: Elemental and Arcane. Most people can learn from the elemental branches, but arcane magic is rare."
Elemental must mean things like fire or water. That would make blood magic an arcane magic. I can't ask directly without giving myself away, but how did she know I have Blood Magic? Uneasy, I ask, "How can you tell?"
"When a person has a strong affinity for certain magic, their mana becomes aspected towards it. I'm sensitive to mana," she explains. Lira rises and starts walking toward the woods, signaling for me to follow.
With no other option, I trail behind her. After a few minutes, Lira stops, glancing around the forest. A tense silence stretches, and I wonder if I've been led out here to be killed. Finally, she asks, "Are you... a vampire?"
Caught off guard, I reply, "Vampires exist?"
Lira sighs, relaxing slightly. "No, they're extinct. But why is a noticeable part of your mana aspected toward Blood?"
How do I answer without revealing I just appeared here and stupidly chose Blood Rush which set me on a path of blood magic.
She takes my silence as contemplation and continues, "You know, certain arcane magics, like blood magic, are banned in the Heinz Empire."
Realizing her suspicion, I quickly stammer, "I honestly don't know why I'm able to use blood magic. Also why is it banned?"
Lira isn't fully convinced, but she answers, "Arcane magic, especially blood magic, usually requires either a genetic predisposition or dangerous rituals. I'll let it slide, but don't reveal it to others—it could lead to complications."
Relieved that she's dropping the matter, I nod and thank her. As we walk back to camp, I consider my options. If I can't openly use blood magic, how will I defend myself? I decide to hold off on assigning my points for now.
As we near the camp, I spot Max sitting with Roland, deep in conversation. Well I'm glad he's awake but I'd better stop him before we accidentally give different stories about our origins. Rushing over, I greet him, "How are you doing, Max? Haven't seen you rest this long since the shipwreck." Max raises an eyebrow, but soon, my meaning registers, and he gives me a quick nod.
Max responds, "Yeah, that was pretty rough, but this isn't so different," he adds with a light chuckle. Then, turning back to Roland, he says, "How about we join your party and help you get revenge on that bastard who took your friend out?"
Just then, Gale storms over and snaps, "Are you stupid? How would adding two rookies to the party help?" Before anyone can reply, Lucius steps out of a nearby shadow of a tree and offers, "How about I test them out?"
Roland nods, rising to his feet. "Sounds like a great idea. If they can land a hit or two on you, then maybe they're worth bringing along. Especially since Max here is a fire mage."
I turn to Max with a flat look. He just shrugs it off and says cheerfully, "So, what are the rules of this spar?"
Lucius heads toward an open area near the camp, calling over his shoulder, "Don't hold back. I'm level fourteen, and we have an excellent healer." Max nods, standing up and joining him. Roland and Lira shift their gazes to me. I don't think I have a choice here, but I'll have to keep my blood abilities hidden—though Blood Rush should be fine.
I look to Roland and ask, "Do you have a spear? Mine broke in the wolf fight."
Roland nods, his expression somber. "I only have my great sword and a short sword."
Scratching my chin, I say, "Can you lend me the short sword? I doubt I could handle the great sword well."
Roland unbuckles the sheath from his hip and tosses the short sword to me. I catch it, drawing it out and admiring the gleaming metal. Now this is a weapon, not the crude, pointed sticks I've been using. Letting Basic Blade Handling take over, I practice a few basic moves, then nod to Roland and head toward where Max and Lucius are waiting, while the others watch from a distance. Looks like Max is up first. This will be a good chance to see how a local to this world fights.
Lucius draws two daggers, one in each hand, and assumes a combat stance. Max calmly brings his arms to his sides, his eyes glowing faintly sky blue. Lucius, momentarily caught off guard, shifts his stance, possibly rethinking his approach. Perhaps Lucius was planning to use his shadow ability, but Max's Mana Sight might see through it. Interesting.
Suddenly, ten fireballs, each the size of a tennis ball, manifest around Max and shoot toward Lucius at high speed. Lucius's hands blur as he slices each fireball in half, dissipating them, and then he charges at Max. Max remains unfazed; instead, ten larger fireballs, each twice the size of a basketball, form around him and begin to orbit him in intricate patterns. I hear Lira gasp as she steps forward, watching intently. Lucius stops mid-sprint and hurls his daggers toward Max's head at breakneck speed. The blades hit two of the rotating fireballs, which explode outward, sending the daggers spinning away.
Shadows start to envelop Lucius as he accelerates toward Max, but as he closes in, the shadows begin to burn away, leaving him exposed. Max launches the remaining eight fireballs, slower this time, and Lucius weaves through them with agility, drawing two more daggers. With a burst of speed, he closes in and slashes at Max's chest. But Max is ready—his hands already outstretched—and unleashes a torrent of flame, forcing Lucius to retreat, thin trails of smoke rising from his armor.
By now, Gale and Roland have joined me to watch. Before Lucius can regroup, the eight missed fireballs from earlier turn back, rapidly converging on his position from different angles. As if that wasn't enough, each fireball splits into five smaller ones, making them nearly impossible to evade. Lucius draws a belt of knives and throws them, piercing through twenty of the fireballs, but it isn't enough—the remaining ones hit him, resulting in a massive explosion.
When the smoke clears, Lucius is on one knee, breathing heavily, with burns covering the exposed parts of his skin and parts of his armor scorched. Max, meanwhile, stands with blood trickling from his nose and eyes, three more large fireballs still hovering around him. Lucius sighs and concedes, "Not bad—you win. My skills aren't suited against fire and light. Maybe in the forest, I'd have had the advantage. Either way, you're in."
Max dissipates the fireballs and replies, "Thanks. I'm running low on mana. If that hadn't worked, I'd probably have lost. Sorry about the knives, though." Lucius waves him off and heads over to Lira for healing.
"How about you and me, Adam?" Roland asks, drawing his great sword with a grin.
I smirk back. "Sure—if you think you can handle it."
Roland laughs, moving toward the battleground, and I follow. Standing where Max just stood, I ready myself with the short sword, settling into a basic stance with bent knees. Should I go all out with Blood Rush and end it quickly? No, Blood Rush is now level five, and I'm not sure how much it's improved. I don't want to accidentally slice Roland in two if my suspicions are correct.
Roland braces himself, positioning his great sword to one side, gripping it with both hands. I activate Blood Rush at a quarter strength, immediately burning twenty stamina, and launch forward. Roland's expression shifts from confusion to determination as an orange aura surrounds him, and he swings his sword toward me. Our blades clash, and the force of his swing knocks me backward. Sliding back, I see Roland raise his sword, preparing to unleash a powerful downward slash. A compressed line of energy erupts from his blade, tearing up the ground as it speeds toward me.
Underestimating him, I decide to go full Blood Rush. With my stamina dropping by eighty, the skill activates, and everything around me slows down. The once-deadly projectile now seems manageable, easily avoidable. Before Roland can react, I close the gap, delivering a powerful horizontal slash but holding back enough to avoid a deep wound. Roland's eyes widen, but he's unable to counter my enhanced speed and strength. My blade slices shallowly across his chest, leaving a fine line of blood.
As the strike completes, I pivot to his left, positioning myself just as Blood Rush ends, leaving me with only forty stamina. Thankfully, I kept the cut shallow, or I might have seriously injured him.
After a brief moment of stillness Roland traces his fingers over the cut in his chest plate, glancing at me before chuckling. "That was some power behind that swing. I surrender—you win. If you hadn't held back, I'd be in two pieces right now."
I sheath the sword and walk toward Roland. "No, you were plenty powerful," I say. "Besides, I couldn't pull off that attack again—I'm nearly out of stamina."
Roland nods, sheathing his great sword behind his back. "You made the right call, ending it quickly. If you'd tried to stretch the fight out, I would've worn you down with defense and endurance alone."
I glance over and spot Max, eagerly discussing something with Lira. As I start toward them, Gale calls out, "Adam, I need to talk to you."
With a slight sigh, I turn to face him. Gale coughs into his hand, hesitating before speaking. "I apologize for underestimating your strength, but I need you to keep Max from stirring up a rematch with that beast."
I'm caught a bit off guard but decide to hear him out. "Honestly, I don't care much about taking down the creature. I just thought we'd help since we owe you for patching us up. If your party decides to go after it, we'll join you. If not, we won't push the issue."
Gale's face tightens into a frown, but he quickly smooths it away. "Fine. We'll put it to a simple vote, excluding you two, of course."
I nod, and Gale heads off to gather the party. The four of them head into the small, rugged green tent on the left side of camp, leaving Max with a puzzled expression as he watches them disappear inside.
A few minutes pass as Max and I wait in silence, watching the tent. Then, suddenly, the flap opens, and Gale storms out, looking furious as he heads toward the forest. The others emerge after him, with Roland grinning like a madman.
"It's settled!" Roland announces. "Time to hunt down that vile creature."
Lucius steps up beside Roland and adds, "I'll give you the details on it, though. Are you both sure you want to join?"
Max grins and gives him a thumbs-up. "Yeah, this is a good way to repay you all for your help."
Lucius turns to me, and I give him a sharp nod. "Count me in. So, what's the plan?"