Falling through the portal, I landed flat on the ground. Everything hurts. Ow.
I took a look around, I was in the middle of a desert.
"Shit, I just have to land in a desert of all places."
With the atmosphere humid and the air dry, scorching my throat, I head forward. I summoned Combo-Maker, using it as a walking stick, and just travelled forward.
Occasionally while walking through the desert, there would be monsters appearing, trying to eat me as prey.
Giant snake-worms appear from time to time from the sands trying to devour me.
I had a very close encounter 35 minutes ago where one, the size of a Truck burst out trying to bite off my hand cleanly. I took Combo-Maker, using it to jump up a certain height and from there stab it in its eyes.
Ending it off by using a 3-staff mode, I smashed the earthworm's head to a pulp. Panting heavily, I continued heading forward.
After 2 hours of walking in the hot sun. There seems to be no end to any nearby civilization.
"I can't do this. It's too hot."
I reached out checking my inventory.
I still had the bottle from previously in the hotel.
But I already drank half of it.
[Just a bit more. I think there should be a town ahead.]
I continue stepping ahead and walk forward, for the next 2 hours.
With the bottle completely empty and my lips cracked and dry. It looks like it's the end for me.
Trying to think about anything but the heat, I think I started to hallucinate due to the sudden emergence of a tower in front of my face.
That image kept me going for at least 30 minutes. Until I heard someone saying "Halt."
I looked in front of me, and 2 guards in strange-looking armour were staring at me. The armor and weapons were mixed with animal parts and metal. They were also pretty jacked, where the muscles look as if it's going to pop out of the shirts. One of the guards take his palm and stopped me.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
They started speaking to me in different manners but I was too tired, hungry, and thirsty to hear them.
There must be water inside right? I asked them
"Water?"
The moment they said yes, I took my staff and tried to bash through the doors.
However, the two guards were strong. They took their spear and slammed it against my staff.
It shocked me. I started retaliating by spinning the Staff a lot and poking one of them, one of them nonchalantly just step one step to the left and punched me in my nose.
Pow-!!!
I blacked out again.
I woke up again, just to find myself hanging on the ropes on top of a tree.
A tree? in the desert?
I looked around trying to see what was going on, finding out that I'm not in the desert anymore. I'm in town now. The surrounding huts and houses were all made from natural materials as well as parts of animals, like their bones.
Just as I was still looking around, A couple of kids were playing by one of the huts when suddenly one of the Giant Snake-worm popped out heading for the kids.
"WATCH OU___"
Bam-!!!
The Snake-Worm was cut in half cleanly.
The ones who cut the Snake Worms were the kids.
"Wow."
[Wow.]
[*Wow.*
The 3 of us gulped at the same time.
"So you're up now, fresh meat?"
I spin my body towards the back as I was dangling on the tree.
On my back appeared a white-haired Old man with a long sharp beard.
"Ho, Ho, you looked lively."
He starts spinning the rope that I was on.
"For you to be able to run through the Snake-Worm's main territory with just a stick and half a bottle, not bad kid."
He starts spinning faster and faster, making me feel nauseous, and continued speaking to me.
"But you know, if you want to stay here and survive. With your current skills, you won't be able to even win against those kids now."
I try looking at the kids, as they laugh among themselves and point at me before laughing again.
At one point the rope spun so hard that it snaps, plummeting me onto the ground with my face and the mask smacking the ground.
"Welcome to Hunter's Paradise, The country of Mydarn."
As he says that, he lets out a hearty laugh at me
Ryong then states:
[I need to recharge first, so I'm turning back into the charm mode now.]
And from there he turned back into Keychain charm.
Luckily, Blue was still activated even with the Mask off as she gives me a new status update.
Name: Red Chong
Title Equipped: One with the Mask
"Under the teachings of a great being, the wisdom of the student sharpens."
[Stats]
Strength Lv. 7
Endurance: Lv. 3
Intelligence: Lv. 2
Agility: Lv. 5
Luck: Lv. 3
[Skills]
Passive Skills:
[Heavenly Demonic Mastery] Lv. 1
[Qi Cultivation] Lv. 1
[Mana Manipulation] Lv. 1
[Grand Weapon Mastery] Lv. 1
[Mordern Martial Art] Lv. 2
[Persistence] Lv. 1 ☆New☆
Active Title:
One with the Mask
Effect: Learning and adaptability increase exponentially.
Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto's Temporary Champion
Effect: Boost in Attack Speed in Dawn Period.
Inari Okami's Temporary Champion
Effect: Boost in Health when eating Rice.
The Old Man picked me up and brought me to his office.
There I was, seated there, all tied up while he went to brew a tea.
He came back passed me a cup of tea and started talking.
"So what's your story stranger? How on earth did you end up in the desert."
I sat back quietly, didn't know how do I answer from there.
"As I see it, the resident of this country is quite strong that they are able to fend themselves through the desert. When they travel from one town to another, they would either bring a mount for faster travel or bring more water.
But you came all the way here with so little water and even barely surviving against the Snake Worms.
Such small critters are no issue for the people living here.
Which means, you're not from around here."
He glares at me, as I looked at him in his eyes.
I sighed and gave up all reasoning in this situation.
With no option, I just answered: " I came from another world."
He smirks at me, grinning, and starts laughing again at what I said.
"I heard many things, from getting lost to infiltration to invasion. But that's the first time I've heard someone say that."
Suddenly the air around the atmosphere turns cold. it got heavier to breathe. A mass of aura seems to be appearing in front of me.
Yes. I know this feeling. It was Bloodlust.
Coming out from the man in front of me, stares at me before asking: "Do you have the resolve to prove what you said is true or do you wish to die?"
With those words spoken out, I look at him directly in his eyes and said "Yes."