Aki arrived at the western gate on a horse-drawn cart. When the cart rolled to a stop, he hopped off, paid the driver, and headed toward the guards standing at the entrance. He handed over his adventurer card; the guards glanced at it, nodded, and pushed the gate open for him.
The Western Village resembled the Eastern one—but only at a glance. The layout was different, the buildings slightly older, the people quieter, and the air smelled faintly of tilled soil. Aki walked through the village until he reached its far edge.
Ahead stretched a long dirt path cutting through a huge open field of crops—rows of wheat, beans, and vegetables swaying gently in the breeze. Far in the distance, barely visible through a light haze, stood the massive forest he was heading for.Aki sighed and started down the path.
After several minutes of steady walking, he rubbed the back of his neck. [Aki lazily]:" Cynth… don't you have, like, a flight spell? Or a teleportation spell? I'm already tired of walking this far." [Cynth]:" Suck it up, you'll die to those skeletons if you can't handle a stroll to a forest." " Easy for you to say. You're not the one using actual legs…"
Up ahead, he spotted a lone giant tree standing beside the road—the only tree in the entire stretch of farmland. [Cynth]:" Oh, I almost forgot. You also have a quest system. It'll give you missions at random—things you can do for extra rewards. Sometimes the rewards are specifically designed to help you in whatever situation you're in." [Aki]:" So, like… if I'm falling off a cliff, and I complete a quest mid-air, you're telling me I might get a parachute?" " Technically... yes." [Aki smiling]:" Alright. So I should probably stop being surprised when I get insanely convenient rewards, huh?" Aki chuckled under his breath and kept following the dirt path toward the enormous forest looming in the distance.
As Aki continued down the dirt path, the giant tree grew larger and larger until he could finally make out someone resting beneath its massive shade. A man lay slumped against the trunk, peacefully asleep. He had dark brown hair, worn leather wraps on his arms, and clothing typical of a frontline brawler but way cooler. An adventurer…? Aki wondered. He stepped closer—then froze.
A boar emerged from the tall grass ahead. Its tusks were cracked and jagged, and patches of its body burned like molten coal. A Fire Boar—and from the size of its flames, a high-level one. It crept toward the sleeping man, embers falling from its skin. Aki's eyes widened. [Aki]:" Hey! Hey—wake up!" He broke into a sprint, shouting louder and louder. The boar's ears twitched at the sound—and it suddenly charged straight at the sleeping stranger. Aki instantly used Flash Step, his body flickering forward in a burst of speed—but he was still too far.
[Aki, yelling]:" Mr.! Wake up!"
The man's eyes snapped open—one eye only—and Aki caught a glimpse of a sharp, light-blue iris. In the split second before the boar collided with him, the man calmly rose to his feet and extended a single hand. With a swift, almost lazy motion, he grabbed the boar by its snout mid-charge. The flaming beast squealed. Then the man slammed it into the ground with brutal force. The impact sent dust flying and carved a small crater beneath the corpse. Flames guttered out instantly.
Aki skidded to a stop, stunned. His system screen popped up:
[Fire Boar – Level 14 – Defeated]
Level 14!? He one-shotted it like nothing… just who is this guy? The man dusted his hands off and strode toward Aki. [Guy, shouting casually]: "Hey, kid!" He reached him and extended a hand. [Guy]: "Thanks for waking me up before that thing turned me into roast meat. Name's Soe. Level 20, Iron-rank elite adventurer." Aki blinked in realization—no wonder he handled the boar so easily. And finally, he'd found one of the adventurers assigned to the mission. Aki shook his hand.
[Aki]: "I'm Aki… Aki Toshiba. Nice to meet you." Soe smiled, already turning toward the distant forest.
[Soe]: "Anyway, thanks again, kid. But I'm kinda busy right now." He began walking off. Aki jogged to catch up, quickly explaining his theory about the skeletons and what might be controlling them. Soe listened with a serious expression.
[Soe]: "I thought it was strange too. Skeletons don't organize themselves unless something's giving orders. If your hypothesis is right, those two siblings might be in real danger." His expression hardened.[Soe]: "We need to move. Come on!"
Without hesitation, he grabbed Aki's wrist—and the two sprinted straight toward the towering forest.