Valenius strode through Lalieno village, adorned with upgraded gear such as a brown leather breastplate and a razor-sharp short sword. He also improved his gauntlet, reducing its weight and enhancing its functionality. He organised the map within the gauntlet, employing colour-coding and diverse icons to mark visited, planned, and suggested areas of exploration. Glancing at his map, he noted the completion of most village quests and surrounding territories, yet realised he had not ventured too far beyond.
The quests that he completed range from minor tasks like rescuing a cat from a tree,—to gathering ingredients from a nearby northern town to help cook for the locals. Despite these endeavours, there’s been no sign of any guiding character or sign of what the game expects of him.
Valenius grows more accustomed to this world. As he gazes down at the map, he notices the clouded areas yet to be explored. Valenius’ chest tightens at the thought of visiting the areas Val suggested.
As Valenius finally contemplated leaving the village, he kept encountering neighbours who tried to grab his attention by shouting his name and vigorously waving their hands.
Quickly pulling the hood of his cloak over his head, he attempted to evade their notice, hurrying back to the sanctuary of his home. There, he let his swords and equipment clatter to the ground before removing his cloak and armour, and then he lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, lost in profound reflection.
He wondered what lay beyond this place—would he reunite with his family? Following that, he looked at his body. He noticed newfound muscles and felt his fitness improving, all while possessing more wealth than he could spend within the confines of this village.
Soon, he knows he has to leave this place, but he’s very reluctant because he has no one—no Val, no Salintus—to guide him. Yet, he knows he must leave, yet he stays in this boring town because it’s safe.
Valenius turned to the side and stared at the piece of parchment lying within his view. Then he realised he had yet to visit Val’s safe zone. Quickly, he turned on his gauntlet and checked the map to see where the closest one was. To his relief, it was north of his location, 15 kilometres away. Even though Val had told him to go there when only necessary, Valenius felt his curiosity increasing.
Valenius made plans where he needed to buy a horse and other supplies for his journey. After he finished planning, he felt his eyes getting heavy as he drifted off to sleep. In the morning, he gathered up his gear, went to the village to buy the horse, and then set off on his way.
As he walked through the eerie forest, he heard shuffling through the trees and murmuring, sometimes overlapping voices. Then, there was silence, only the wind rustling the leaves and the cawing of crows above. Suddenly, movement in the trees intensifies. He swiftly drew his new short sword from its sheath. The noise ceased as a figure peeked from behind a tree, gazing at Valenius before darting away. Before he could react, a hand clasped over his mouth, and he caught a whiff of a surge of chemicals that coated his mouth. Gasping for breath, he stumbled and collapsed to the ground. While consciousness momentarily slipped away, he glimpsed black boots and a long black jacket looming over him, before darkness consumed him.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
As Valenius woke up, he was in the same area he was before, but this time it was Salintus holding, looking at Valenius’ new sword.
Valenius was unable to break free as his body became restrained with ropes tied around a tree. Glaring at Salintus, he shouted, “Why am I tied up? Why did you knock me out? You know I am not a threat?”
Salintus returned his gaze to Valenius with a stern expression and replied, “Back then, you weren’t a threat, and you were on the brink of death when I saved you. But now, seeing you equipped and stronger raises my suspicions. You’ve made significant progress in a short time, which leaves me questioning why and how. When you stumbled upon my people, I couldn’t risk them getting hurt, so I intervened and rendered you unconscious to understand your motives and how you’ve advanced so swiftly. Once you answer a few of my questions, I will decide what to do next.”
“So, what has happened since we last saw each other, and how did you become so strong and acquire better equipment? And why did you come in this direction?”
Valenius paused, said nothing, and just stared, glaring at Salintus. Despite Valenius’ attempts to wiggle free, the tight ropes continued to cut into him. In a bitter voice, Valenius reluctantly let out a heavy breath before speaking, “Fine, if you must know. I nearly got killed by this dragon-like creature that flew in the air. Someone wanted to kill me. But before the monster could kill me, a man named Val, who is a person from my world, saved me. Val showed me how to use that sword, trained me, and guided me. He suggested I undertake a quest in hopes of...”
Valenius paused, about to mention that he hoped the game would provide guides to lead him to the reason why he was brought here. However, he remembered Val’s warning about not knowing Salintus’ true intentions. Now, with him tied up and knocked unconscious, he couldn’t be sure if he trusts him.
Valenius quickly thought about what to say next and spoke in a more relaxed tone, or at least tried to force one. “Val just advised me to go to these villages for quests, to obtain better gear, and to practice for survival in areas that aren’t very dangerous at the moment.”
Valenius was about to mention Val’s hiding place, but again, he didn’t trust Salintus. Instead, he concluded, “That’s all. I’ve done all I can in the Lalieno village, so I just moved on to the next.” He ended by explaining, “That’s how I’ve been spending my time— doing a lot of quests, gathering coins, and playing it safe.”
“Okay, let me go now. Please release me?”
Salintus hesitated and grunted, “I still don’t trust you. Why do we cross paths again in this vast world? I don’t come across people too often, especially when I see them more than once. But encountering you twice in a short period is very suspicious to me.”
“It makes sense, or at least what you said makes sense, but I don’t believe in coincidences.”
Sensing this, Salintus rifled through Valenius’s, but all he found was food, water, and spare clothes. While Salintus rummaged through the bag, Valenius extended his arms and playfully danced his fingertips near his pocket.
Valenius felt Val’s letter in his pocket, and to Valenius’s relief, Salintus hadn’t yet found it. Even though Valenius thought the letter might not be important to Salintus, it held significance to him as a reminder of his world.
Val gathered a bit of courage and spoke, ‘So, what will you do to me now?’ Salintus simply stared into the flames before turning his gaze back to Valenius. ‘I will leave you here and let fate decide what to do with you.’ With that, Salintus returned his gaze to the crackling fire, enveloping them in silence.