Under the clear blue sky, the tall green grass swayed as if dancing to the melodious rhythm of the wuthering winds.
Among this dancing grass, a lone rabbit hopped along the tall whiskers of grass before coming to a stop and nibbling on a particular herb it stumbled upon.
It sniffed the air, its ears raised in case of any predator that was lurking.
Finally, after confirming it was safe, the rabbit lowered its head and began to eat.
SWOOOOSH!!
A flash of silver shone through the air.
A tiny throwing knife the size of an index finger flew narrowly past the rabbit's head.
CHUNK!!
In fright, the rabbit jolted upwards and dashed away into the grass.
"Fuk!" an annoyed voice called out from the grass.
The source of this thought was Crow as he revealed himself nearly 20ft (6 meters) away from his crouching position in the tall grass.
The boy walked over and plucked up the small throwing knife.
"At this rate, how am I gonna pay this guy back?"
The boy looked out towards the verdant fields with a sigh, feeling the wind rippling against his face, 'In the end, that potion only makes me owe him more.'
Crow glanced down towards his leg, which was as good as new, yet still wrapped in gauze as an added precaution.
'If I'm to live in this world... I have to be strong. I- I can't stop here, it's just a game, it's just a game, it's just a game,' the boy continued to inwardly repeat to himself as he ventured on to hunt for any prey.
After what felt like hours and hours of walking, Crow delved onward, unsure of where exactly, especially after trying to escape with Lóa the previous day.
Even after a new day, the sky was beginning to tint once more, and he felt like he was no closer to town. 'Looks like I'll have to find a place to rest soon. Sigh, I really wish I had a bed, even one covered in grime…'
The boy gazed up at the tranquil blue sky, his eyes now slightly dimmed, 'It's been 2 days since coming out here, am I… really gonna live in this world?'
He spread his hands out and ran them through the tall grass beside him, 'What does that mean for my body in the real world?...'
Yet, as Crow walked, a crippling sensation came over him.
One so paralyzing and so fear-inducing, he felt his breath slow.
'Huh?'
He gazed around, yet besides the rustling green grass and the tinted orange sky where the quiet winds blew, there were no other sounds.
'Strange…'
Crow came to a stop, cautiously looking around for anything out of the ordinary.
'It's one thing for it to be quiet, yet… there's no sound at all. Not even insects.'
Yet as time ticked by for about 5 minutes, it seemed like even the wind grew quiet as if paralyzed by the atmosphere.
There was nothing out of the ordinary yet, but Crow, trusting his senses, still chose not to take a step forward until he figured it out.
'There!' he screamed in his mind.
A flash of yellow.
No, it wasn't a flash.
It was 2 slim orbs with black slits staring right at him, yet scary of all is that hidden between the tall grass, those slim yellow orbs were quadruple the size of his head, leaving it up to the imagination to decipher the true size of this beast.
Crow held his breath, holding eye contact with this creature whose gaze seemed to hold an archaic wisdom.
The 2 held eye contact for what seemed like centuries, yet as the sky's comforting warm glow began to further dim, the cold choke on Crow's body grew ever-tighter.
BUM
BUM BUM
The boy could feel his every heartbeat slamming against his chest, trying its best to calm his nerves as sweat pooled down his entire face.
RUSTLE.
Finally, Crow moved, taking a single step back.
Yet it was no sudden movement; it was one in which he slowly lifted his leg while bringing it back, taking about 1 minute just for a single footstep.
Another minute passed, and he took another footstep, and the process repeated all until he had taken nearly 50 steps away, and by now the sky was giving off its last hues of purple warmth.
By now, Crow felt that suffocating feeling had alleviated, but now he had no hesitation in his mind; he chose the exact opposite direction and sprinted off, making sure to get as far as possible before nightfall.
By the grace of whatever power was watching the boy finally found his way to the village gate just as the last sparks of light went out, revealing the 2 guards stationed.
They looked inquisitively at the boy who came to the entrance and stumbled onto all fours, gasping for breath.
They both gave each other a look, as shaky-handed Crow revealed his exploration pass to the 2 guards.
The 2 clicked their teeth upon seeing it expired, but seeing the state of the boy, they knew he didn't have it easy.
So begrudgingly, they let him in.
Crow slumped through the streets, hit by intense exhaustion, yet having seen the acts of cruelty that occurred here on these streets, he knew better than to rest here.
Finally, he made his way to his location and let out 3 firm knocks on the door.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
KLACK
The sound of unlocking came from the other side to reveal the towering, cloaked figure whose mere presence brought tremendous pressure.
"You're back."
It was a matter-of-fact statement, not one of delight or surprise, merely as it was.
"Yes, I'm back-"
Yet, before he could finish, he was interrupted: "Let me see the spoils of your hunt."
Crow smiled dryly, "I… I have no-"
He was interrupted once more, "Then let me get the items I gave you back."
The boy could only inwardly sigh as he took out the throwing knife.
Yet, as he did so, the man's gruffy voice called out, "Anything else you have on you?"
Crow froze as he looked at the man whose crimson eyes seemed to analyze him from underneath the robe.
The boy thought of the flower he received from Lóa, safely tucked away in his bag.
"No." The boy responded as the figure continued to stand there.
"Hmmmm…" The robed figure was in deep thought.
Crow stood there in silence as the robed figure analyzed the throwing knife and contemplated in silence.
Memories of that player being incinerated flashed through the boy's mind, keeping him stuck in place.
After 10 minutes, the robed figure spoke up again, "You'll need to pay back your debt."
Crow's heart pounded. 'Damn, I expected as much, but even then, with nowhere else to go, I wouldn't have been able to go far in this town while in debt to this… individual. Let's see what he wants.'
"How can I pay off this debt?"
The robed figure's eyes analyzed the boy. The figure lifted his arm and poked at the boy's skinny bicep. A trace of disgust shone in his eyes, "Weak."
Crow gave a dry smile, "O-okay-"
"You'll work for me from now on, miss a single day, and I'll sell you as a slave.
Every day you'll man the front of the store. I'll take care of 1 meal a day, and you'll have your own room, but you'll receive no pay."
The words spoken by the robed figure came out so quickly that it was shocking, yet Crow held on to every detail, his eyes widening and his body nearly collapsing onto the floor in exhaustion and relief, yet he continued to stand up straight, and he lowered his head and let out a quiet, "Thank you."
The robed figure simply walked away as if not hearing him, and Crow tagged along behind.
That night, the robed figure showed the boy around the shop.
There were 2 floors of the shop, with the 1st floor being for work and the top floor being the bedrooms.
Regarding the 1st floor, it was standard for a weapons shop.
The front desk they walked past was stocked with weapons for customers to buy, but the robed figure, of course, explained that the premium equipment was in his own room upstairs and only he, as the owner, was allowed to access it, which Crow nodded in understanding.
As they walked past the counter and into the back of the store, which was divided by a crimson curtain, Crow's eyes widened at the sight of the crafting area of the shop.
There was a whole list of tools and equipment: anvils, hammers, and furnaces, among other tools, on the right side of the room.
There were stairs on the left of the curtain that led upstairs.
After getting a tour of the bottom floor, Crow was shown to his room.
Upstairs, there was a narrow hallway thin enough to fit 1 person at a time, and 3 rooms were up here, with 2 wooden doors on the sides across from each other, with 1 metal door at the very end of the hallway.
'The hell is in that room?' Crow thought to himself, yet he also abided by the saying "Curiosity killed the cat" and knew some questions shouldn't be asked, so he was quietly led to his room, which was the door on the right.
It was a simple room with a 1-person bed opposite the door, alongside a window with blinds to the right of it.
The wall had a wooden chair and table setup to the right of said bed, directly in front of the window.
By now the robed figure had left, and Crow couldn't help but surmise to himself, 'All things considered, it could be worse… plus a meal included. For someone stranded in a game, I definitely got a decent start…'
The good news was that he at least had a steady foothold.
So, after locking his door and now with exhaustion fully taking over, without even changing his clothes, the boy collapsed into bed and drifted off into sleep.
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[That Same Night In Another Part Of Town...]
Within a tavern bustling with Players and NPCs alike chattering, skin colors and gears of all assortments could be seen as waitresses with ample cleavage served customers with wide grins on their faces, with the tavern owner behind the bar showing an even wider grin.
The Blessed had truly been a boon for their business.
However, on a higher floor of said tavern with multiple bedrooms spread throughout, a different energy was brewing.
"You're telling me you died?" A group of 5 players all stood within a bedroom with 2 beds and 2 windows in front of each, allowing the colorful orbs in the sky to cast their faint rays into the room.
The voice that spoke was a beastkin with blue fur and black stripes.
Among them was a slin with grey skin, white spiky hair, and red eyes that was frowning with displeasure, "Boss, that girl was strong."
A white skinned, slin woman armed with a bow and brunette hair tied in a ponytail taunted, "Strong enough to kill you? Pshh, pathetic! Dying to an NPC, especially after I softened her up for you, soft ass!"
"Oh, would you like to test how soft I really am?" The gray slin unsheathed his dagger, a murderous gaze in his eyes amongst a wide grin.
"Gladly!" The female archer replied as she reached behind her back for her bow.
RAWRRRRR!
A tiger's roar shook the group, stunning them and causing them all to turn slowly towards the beastkin who stood there with his arms crossed.
"Enough. Now continue," he motioned towards the grey slin who scoffed at the archer before sheathing his daggers and continuing, "I'm almost certain the girl is dead, she expended all her energy to kill me so she wouldn't be able to take care of the poison."
The beastkin nodded as he heard these words, "Mm, and the other who was with her?"
The grey slin frowned, "I don't know... I was killed before I could get him."
The beastkin's brows furrowed in disappointment, seeing this grey slin quickly spoke up, "But! Being that far out, there's no way he can get back to the town. Heck, I'm not sure I would've been able to after how far I chased."
After the grey slin made his point, the room was silent as the beastkin's mind churned.
"Hmm, okay. Now that you've died, you've most likely lost a level, and with guards already cracking down on NPC killing, we'll need to be most efficient these next few days."
"Got it!"
"Ayai, boss!"
"Ezpz"
"Sounds like a plan!"
Sounds of affirmation echoed across the room before the beastkin shot the grey slin a stern gaze, "I don't think I need to tell you I'm disappointed you didn't finish that NPC."
The grey slin's eyes widened as sweat began to form on his forehead.
The beastkin continued, "Yes, that NPC has most likely been taken care of, but what we're doing is going against the town rules, and if any of the NPCs know we've done and spread it. We won't be able to progress out of this town."
The group's eyes all widened, many now shooting a hateful glare at the back of the grey slin.
The grey slin feeling the sharp gazes on his back hurriedly responded, "Don't worry, boss! I'll keep an eye on it."
The beastkin nodded his head at this, "Good, best to have no witnesses."
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