Axel woke up bright and early once more, with emphasis on "bright". Since, once again, he had forgotten to draw the curtains the previous night. The sheer exhaustion from yesterday's activities prompted him to plunge into the comfort of the covers almost immediately when he entered the room.

Axel examined his arm, and sure enough, it was injury-free. Almost as if he had never gotten injured in the first place. That potion was nothing short of a miracle in his eyes, but for it to cost the equivalent of a night's stay at an inn was ridiculous. Or maybe it was the inn's prices that were ridiculous. Either way, he made a mental note to save enough coins to buy one in case of an emergency.

Not wasting any more time, he headed towards the city's gate. Axel had to start work quickly so that he could pay for a search as soon as possible.

As Axel made his way, something entirely unexpected happened to him, not like anything so far had been within any reasonable expectations. Right above him, a portal abruptly opened.

Startled, Axel instinctively stepped back to look at the swirling mass of energy, only for his ears to be blasted with the loudest screech he had ever heard.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

A person fell through the portal.

Just as suddenly as the portal appeared, it disappeared, leaving behind a person sprawled out on the floor.

"Are you ok? Hey! Are you okay!" Axel frantically asked, gently shaking the person in an attempt to rouse them.

"Ugggghh... My head hurts. Where am I?" the person groaned, rubbing their head. "Wait!"

The person was a young man with green hair, who wore a white shirt that had an emblem affixed to his right breast pocket, to complete his get-up he wore a pair of navy blue pants. Frantically looking around, the man spun in circles, before he leaped up into the air, shouting, "Yes! YES! It finally happened!"

"What finally happened?" Axel asked, even more confused now.

The only conclusion that Axel could draw was that, perhaps he had hit his head too hard on the way down.

The person grabbed Axel by the shoulders, shaking him vigorously.

"ISEKAI! I managed to get transferred to a new world. I went to the salon to make my hair all

spiky and green, since anime characters have these cool colored hairs, then next thing I hear is a loud horn, and boom! I landed here."

"What?" exclaimed.

"Let's see here." He started messing around with the system screens. "So there's a system here, and everything seems simple enough. No hard stats which sucks, but maybe the stats are hidden or something. The only stats I can find are [Attack] and [Defense]. After that, I’ve got a [Class] and [Skills], the [Classes] are probably tied to what [Skills] I can earn. Then these [Skills] have ranks which means I need to start training them, then after that, it’ll evolve into something stronger. I don’t have any cheat skills right off the bat, which sucks."

"Um, are you sure you're okay?" Axel asked. "I think you might have hit your head a bit too hard on the way down.."

"Okay? I'm way better than okay! I think I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to trick me! Trying to take advantage of the fact that I just arrived from another world, then manipulate me into doing some crazy thing that will benefit you, and only hurt me. But, I can see right through your petty lies, you, you... you... what's your name?"

"I'm Axel, and I really think you need to lie down or something, maybe get you some help.”

"All right, Axel if that's really your name. I don't trust you, and you’re blatant attempts at manipulating me. Now you are my rival. My next stepping stone. I will get stronger and then we will fight and when I emerge victorious you will have no choice but to submit to me and beg for forgiveness." He pointed right at Axel.

"After that, I will work my way towards whatever goal this world has. For I, John Smith, am the chosen one. What other reason would there be for me to be summoned to this world? I am surely blessed and will be the savior of the world." He held his hands up high in triumph.

As the duo stood there, others strolled by, their expressions a mix of confusion and disinterest. Clearly uninterested in dealing with what seemed like the ramblings of a kid who had lost his mind. Another case of a person going mad from being trapped inside the barrier. They brushed off the scene, likely deeming it too early to entertain such nonsense.

Axel, on the other hand, was not sure if he should treat this man as a friend or foe. After all, the first impression the stranger gave was that he was some sort of loon, a madman. But after listening to what he had to say, it seemed more like a joke than anything else. Axel chuckled to himself as he entertained the notion of conversing with someone who apparently came from another world. Yet, amidst his amusement, a thought crept into Axel's mind.

With his sense of logic being shattered these past two days, maybe John Smith was telling the truth. Maybe he was from another world. Maybe he would be the one to bring down the barriers and free everyone. Axel looked back at John, who was now laughing hysterically, repeatedly proclaiming that he was the chosen one or that he had finally done it. Then again, Axel could not shake the nagging suspicion that maybe the guy just really did hit his head too hard.

Before Axel had the chance to walk away, John Smith called out to him, "Mark my words, Axel. If that is truly your name. You will rue the day you disrespected me and attempted to manipulate me for your own gains. I will seek my revenge! But right now, I must build my own group! I will free any slave girls that I happen to come across and liberate them from their captors! Farewell for now, Axel. When we meet again, it shall be on the battlefield!"

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John Smith ran off deeper into the city. Axel just stood there bewildered, unsure of what had just occurred, the morning sun beating down upon him.

Maybe Fen actually put something inside that potion he gave me yesterday. Maybe I'm just hallucinating, Axel thought.

Axel rubbed his temples and let out a deep sigh. It was far too early in the morning to deal with things like that. Instead, he chose to ignore the encounter, chalking it up to it being another oddity in this new world, and continued walking to the gates.

As Axel crossed the gates into the forest, a familiar notification popped up on his screen.

[New Quest Available]

Stepping to the side to take a closer look at the quest, he couldn't help but chuckle as another man had to raise his voice to disperse the accidental barrier of newcomers that formed in front of the portal.

[Quest]

[Exterminate: Pig O' Battle]

Objective:

Eliminate 50 Pig O' Battles(0/50 slain)

Rewards:

100 points

Pig O' Battles? What a strange name.

Axel journeyed down the dirt path alongside the other early birds, armed with weapons that ranged from bows, spears, and axes. Most of which were made out of wood just like his [Wooden Training Sword]. How the sword had held up all this time after all the bashings it had conducted was beyond him, but he was grateful for its durability.

As Axel skipped past the giant blue crystal, he observed others interacting with their screens and vanishing into nothingness. Continuing down the dirt path, Axel was certain there were no pigs in this area, if there were he would have encountered one yesterday. With that thought in mind, he continued down the path, curious about where it would lead him next.

His answers were quickly answered as another blue portal, smaller than the one that bordered the city, came into view. Just like before, he could see what lay beyond it from the sides but was unable to walk around the portal. An invisible wall blocked his path. Curious about what lay beyond, and hopeful for the chance to complete his quest, Axel walked through the portal. Coupled with the others whom he had silently walked alongside with.

As Axel stepped out onto the other side, the scenery remained unchanged. More forests, people, and the same dirt path that stretched out deeper into said forest. The only difference as he journeyed down the path was the brief flashes of light erupting from the woods off the path, accompanied by horrified screams. The chilling cries sent shivers down his spine, leaving him to wonder what sort of abilities could the Pig O' Battle possess to elicit such reactions.

Axel stayed on the dirt path, till he finally reached the crystal and entered a sub-world. Maybe he should have joined a more populated one instead of his usual preference for solitude. While being alone gave him peace, not knowing how strong his enemy was and lacking any kind of knowledge about the abilities it possessed did not sit well with him.

This time even more so, as the shouts and flashes left much to the imagination. But, he had done it before and he would do it again. Axel just had to assess the situation and come up with a plan. That's what he always did and that's what he would continue doing, even before entering the barrier. Although the quality of his plans left much to be desired. Most of the time.

With both weapons gripped tightly in his hands, Axel ventured off the dirt path and into the forest to hunt his prey. It did not take long for him to encounter a monster, but it was something he did not expect.

Axel was expecting a pig, maybe even something battle-themed or battle-adjacent, but in front of him stood a monster that was not pig-like in the slightest. It was a deer with fur as brown as the bark of a tree, and antlers that glistened in the sunlight.

The sight of the glistening antlers was what made Axel blink a few times, just to make sure that his eyes were not fooling him. The antlers took on a crystalline appearance, with shades of cerulean and aquamarine. It was as if an artisan had taken a beautiful gem and carved it into the shape of a set of antlers, before embedding them on the head of a deer. It was a spectacle to behold.

The majestic creature had spotted Axel and cocked its head in curiosity. However, Axel couldn't help but notice a subtle change in its demeanor—a twitch of its ears and a cautious glint in its eyes. He gripped the handles of his training swords even tighter, anticipating a potential attack.

The crystal-like antlers that were already reflecting the sunlight, like water dancing within a river, started to glow. Gradually, the brightness intensified, causing Axel to shield his eyes with his hands. He could hear the approaching footsteps of the creature charging at him. With nothing more than sound to guide him, and maybe a bit of instinct, Axel used a combination of [Block], [Copper Body], and [Strength Boost]. Bringing his hands down from his eyes, and forced to seal his eyes shut, he used his swords to shield his body. Even with his eyes still closed, the light was overwhelmingly bright. Bracing himself, Axel awaited the impending impact as the charging beast drew nearer.

As the deer's hooves collided with his swords, Axel held himself firm against its charge, preventing it from knocking him over. However, the force abruptly disappeared, catching Axel off guard and causing him to stumble forward.

As the brightness gradually subsided, Axel opened his eyes, albeit slowly, no longer blinded by a light as intense as the sun. Looking around, the monster was nowhere to be seen, it had disappeared without a trace.

Well, that explains the flashes and shouts. Axel thought, rubbing his eyes to ease the residual strain.

That deer is clearly not a pig unless deer are pigs in this world. Axel shook his head. Pretty sure that was not the Pig o' Battle I had to defeat. I hope.

Cautious of any more surprises that may leap out from behind trees, Axel warily walked back onto the path and followed it to the other end, where he hoped the Pig O' Battle would lurk. Based on his very limited knowledge and understanding of the world, it seemed it was a one-monster type, one-zone situation.

Thankfully, as always, the dirt path remained clear of any monsters. However, unfortunately, it was also devoid of any other people. Axel couldn't help but wonder if he should have opted for a more populated sub-world. Proceeding with caution, he soon found himself facing yet another portal.

Stepping through the portal, Axel found himself back in the same forest, seamlessly returning to the main world.

Axel continued down the dirt path towards the crystal, hopeful that this area contained the monster he needed to eliminate. His prayers were answered as he could hear the unmistakable grunts and squeals of a pig, followed by the usual yells of fellow newcomers.

Axel's stroll became a jog as he excitedly sped his way to the source of the sounds, not even bothering to enter a less populated sub-world. Turning a corner, the sight of numerous pigs met his eyes. Miraculously, there was no one else in sight facing the monsters.