Valenius trudged through the forest, burdened by his weighty swords and bow, a small bag that Val had given him.

In frustration and confusion, he wondered why Val hadn't provided a larger bag or at least a sheathed sword carrier that he could sling over his back or wear on his side. Yet, all he had was this small bag, containing just a bit of food.

As goosebumps prickled his skin and the wind swirled around him, Valenius felt the chill seeping into his bones, leaving him cold and numb.

A sense of panic gripped him as he felt his heart slowing down, a sensation that struck him as odd.

Before he departed, he regretted not checking the gauntlet to check his destination.

Frustration mounting, he dropped the sword and tapped the device, hoping for guidance. Yet, as his fingers traced its surface, his fingers were too numb to use the gauntlet effectively, and he abandoned the attempt in frustration.

Retrieving his sword, he pressed on through the dark, eerie forest, much like he had done countless times before.

Despite his flagging energy and rising panic, he propelled himself forward with sheer determination, driven by the faint hope of finding shelter.

Finally, his eyes alighted on a cave, a glimmer of hope, and he hurried towards it.

Once inside the cave, he sat down and investigated the gauntlet. Without delay, he accessed the map, where he found over 30 symbols representing Val's safe zones.

However, most of these areas were obscured by clouds, revealing no details. Valenius speculated that significant information might be hidden there, waiting to be discovered.

Trusting Val's guidance, Valenius scrutinised the map for any locations mentioned, particularly one approximately 2km north of his current position, near a nearby town.

Despite the chill creeping into his body, he contemplated the journey.

Although the destination wasn't too far away, he lacked the energy to make the trek. Deciding to rest, he sat by the fire, absorbing its warmth as he contemplated his next move.

He thought about Val being unconscious, and then about Val attempting to kill him, and why Val insisted on leaving now with little warning.

Valenius wondered if he stayed, something terrible could have happened.

So, it was in his best interest to leave.

Valenius knew he made the right decision, yet he still wished Val was around, as Val was the only one who truly understood him and what was happening.

Now, he found himself all alone. Valenius tossed and turned, his eyes drooping as he felt himself drifting off to sleep.

In the morning, Valenius went to look around the cave for any suitable branches to craft a handmade sword carrier, so he wouldn't have to carry them by hand anymore.

Once he had gathered the necessary pieces, he left the cave and headed towards the first village called Lalieno.

Consulting the gauntlet, Valenius felt a mix of excitement and nervousness as he pondered what his first quest would entail.

He wondered if it would be something as seemingly trivial as saving a cat or perhaps he would be directed to a mysterious cave containing a secret sword with extraordinary abilities.

Valenius chuckled to himself, acknowledging that he might not yet possess the skills to fully utilize such a weapon, given his likely low level of experience.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

As he walked through the village, it resembled a farming community akin to medieval times. #

Fields stretched out in the background, burdened with crops that weighed heavily on the land.

Man-made sheds reminiscent of those in the abandoned village dotted the landscape.

During his stroll, he noticed a blacksmith working openly, skilfully wielding swords and crafting them.

The rhythmic clanging of metal against metal echoed through the air.

Then, he caught a whiff of food, a tantalizing aroma that made his stomach rumble.

Though he couldn't fully identify the scent, it piqued his curiosity, prompting him to try it.

He had no money, as I mentioned earlier.

He probably needs to earn some money, so he needs to find out how to do that and gain some supplies.

Maybe the game will guide him to what he needs, considering why he is here.

Since the game brought them here for a reason, he needs to find out what that reason is.

So, he approached a hooded person—a brown-hooded figure with scattered shrouds, dusty palms, and dusty feet—sitting next to a wooden cottage.

Valenius then asked if there were any job opportunities available, but the person looked at Val with a confused face and told him to get lost, expressing no desire to be bothered.

But Valenius ignored the man and continued, asking, "I’m not from around here..."

The hooded figure tilted his head, his green eyes glittering as he moved towards Valenius.

"What do you mean you’re not from around here?"

Valenius started to stutter as he spoke, "Sorry, I mean I’m not from this town and need to get food and supplies. Do you know how I can get jobs to earn money?"

The man rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath, then simply pointed to the far left in the middle of the town where there was a stand for written notes, like a notice board of some sort.

Val walked over to the board and began investigating the notes. Of course, there was the usual request to save a cat from the trees first, but Valenius, being spontaneous, wanted to do something else.

He looked around and noticed a note starting to catch fire.

Valenius quickly extinguished the flames before they could damage the note.

Despite the edges being melted away, he managed to read the message:

"There is a scroll hidden deep within a hidden cave, left here as part of this village's history. If the scroll is found in good condition and returned to me, I will offer a new skill to learn. But be warned, there are dangerous predators like wolves, so be careful."

The note concluded with a location: "Find me in the cottage next to the botanist's with a red door. Safe travels, and I hope to see you soon. -E."

So Valenius started to walk in the direction left of here, and the sun was setting, making it difficult for him to see.

But he kept walking, drawing his sword from its sheath, and he could hear the rustling of leaves and the sounds of footsteps approaching.

Suddenly, he turned around towards the noise and saw a small wolf baring its teeth and glaring at him, its blue eyes gleaming in the darkness.

Valenius quickly dodged the wolf’s attack, anticipating its move.

As the wolf lunged again, Valenius swung his sword, narrowly missing its target and only cutting strands of the wolf’s fur.

The wolf retreated into the dark forest, but soon another wolf emerged from behind and bit Valenius.

Valenius screamed in pain as he swung his sword, driving it into the wolf’s side. The wolf collapsed to the ground, whimpering and limping.

Even though Valenius was nearly killed by the wolf, he didn’t like it. It seemed in pain and he felt sad that he had done it.

He then remembered the question Val asked about whether he had ever taken a life, and that if he hesitated to do so, it could be the end of him.

Valenius didn’t even think about Val’s advice when he instinctively attacked the wolf, but now he saw it was probably in pain and couldn't bring himself to kill it.

However, he kept thinking about Val’s warning. With that in mind, he grabbed his swords and stood up slowly and approached the wounded wolf.

The wolf just lay on the ground when it saw Valenius approaching and it closed it’s eyes not moving.

Valenius knew what he needed to do. After killing the wolf, he fell to the ground in tears.

Taking the sword from the wolf, he quickly dropped it, shaking.

It was the first time he had taken a life, and it filled him with misery.

He hoped he would never have to do it again, except in self-defence.

Wondering how he would survive without Val, Valenius walked back to the cave, thinking about the mysterious scroll.

***

Eleantra arrived at a stone castle where she was met by Olenius.

Olenius shouted, “Did you find out why the boy was here, and how did he survive the Linsonus attack?”

Eleantra glared at him, her voice dripping with distaste as she responded, “I told you not to attack. We need to know why he is here, and I didn’t intervene because Val was with him. He’s the one who saved him.”

Olenius responded, “What does Val want? I fear what will happen if they team up. I wonder what happens to this world — I will ensure the new boy won’t survive much longer.”

Eleantra shouted back, “Our master wants him alive!”

Olenius said “his fate in death is now decided, and I will make sure he won’t live much longer. And you won’t stop me, Eleantra.”