to Sarum

[lukavminaev]

“So, how far is Sarum?” after long pause since we start our journey, I finally decide to ask her. Well, I am not a person who can hold a long conversation. I ask her because I am rather curious for her silence since we left the city. We just barely passed Windsor Greatwood and about to face an endless scenery of grassland and she still hadn’t spoken. Even I notice her about dripping sweats, she still refuse to give any words. I sighed in anxiety. Who would have thought a person can change so quickly even just for leaving the city. I could have sworn, her attitude is more cheerful when we still struggled about preparing our luggage, and now she just giving me silence treatment. I am sighing again and then signaling her to stop.

I take my seat on a nearby rock and produce a bottle of water from my inventory, and then drink it with my heart content. She stands before me, moving her curly hair from her forehead with her fingers. She takes a look toward far away land across the savanna, looking to the hazy illusion of unseen destination. A sudden breeze blowing through us, pushes among her long skirt which is now swaying, following the wind. Her fingers trailing behind her ear, and then advance toward her waist, disappear inside her bag. If only this is afternoon, I will invite her to lay on the grasses beside me and enjoy the breeze. Well, who doesn’t like a good nap?

“Here” I give her the bottle, since I found her too much struggled on searching inside her bag. Whatever she want to finds, I don’t know. Beside, I think the weather is hot enough for someone to prioritize water over other things. So, I thought my water will helps, which she takes without too much consideration, smiles, and puts the bottle head on her lips. Bits by bits the water run down into her throat, makes the usual glug sounds along with some of her voices. Ah, the voice. Now I heard it again after so long waiting. I even have a thought that she slowly becomes mute. Well, not a bad omen or anything, I just try to understand her situation. The journey may still long, and I don’t think I can manage the situation unless I know her condition first, at least for now, I want to hear she speaks again.

She stop drinking, and now shaking her head with a rather cherry attitude. Her sweats run down and shown more clearly after she finished, gives the impression of her protected skin color behind her thin layered brown blouse. I caught the smile when she gives back the bottle. There is still some water inside, but I decide to keep it for our next stop. I don’t know how far we will walk. Hmm, although I have suggested her to take the horses before, she insists to walk until we arrive at Sarum. She had been using the time to babble instead, and said it was for the sake of lore. Yeah, lore, or from players perspective it should be ‘quest’. I have finished the first part, which she said it was just an introduction, and must move for the next part in Sarum. We can casually use the horses instead, but she want to drag me into some location first. Really? A bonus quest from Lander? I don’t know if something like that exist, nor I know usual MMORPG to begin with. She also said that her involvement in my journey to Sarum is one of requirement for her service to show me the way in there later, which Grandgrand immediately gives me hos OK thumb and casually wink. Meh, now that I am here, I don’t want to think about that again for at least several days later.

“So? you still haven’t answer my question yet” I casually throw the closed bottle back into my inventory when I said that. No creatures around us so far in my view, so I think it relatively safe to take a quick rest before continuing our journey. I don’t mind if she decides to answer my question with rather long explanation. However, it turned out to be rather strange sequences. First, she was approached me with smile, and then put her point finger on my lips. Second, she shook her head while closing her eyes. Third, she jumped around and chanting tralala. Meh, I know what she meant by the first two. What I don’t know is why she did that. The third sequence was rather discouraged me to ask her more. I have seen enough strange people, and I don’t want to breed another. So, rather than adding more questions, I just put my usual meh expression and stand. I grab her waist and put her on my side, facing the savanna, and then continue walking. Well, there should be some reasons why she gives me such treatment, but from my guess, our journey will be long enough, so I think she will let me know when the time comes.

I have walked about four or five steps when I suddenly notice that there is no steps sound behind me. I let out long sigh, and turn my face behind. As I thought, she refuses to walk. Bothered by my previous act maybe? Hell. I don’t think I can handle her spoiled behavior until the end of this journey. “Come on” I wave my paw when I said that, and then continue walking, ignoring her attempt to answer. It should be obvious that she will chases after me. This journey is what she was proposed anyway. And there she is, with her footsteps approaching behind me. Wait, isn’t it a bit more faster than normal.

I turn my head, only to suddenly meet her body. I let myself fall on my back, following the momentum. She hugs my head tightly, blocking my view. “Missy, our journey will still long right? Are you sure you want to spends your times like this?” I lay with bot hand spreads on the grasses. With my eyes blocked and she refuses to talk, I shouldn’t know what will be her answer. I have aware about Lander body’s durability, so I just guess that she want to prolong our resting time. I don’t mind. Although she should communicate it with me, so I can more understand her preferences.

I am waiting for her answer. She still in firm with the position and refuses to move. I take my time enjoying the sensation of grasses under my hands, swaying, waving them along with the breeze. Slowly but sure, I can sense her chin rubbing my forehead, which I think she is currently nodding. I am sighing again, and then stand. I pull her body and put it on my side again, and then pat her head. “Since Missy is so energetic today, how about Missy shows me the way” I smile, and she also smiles, we both smile and then gradually turned into laugh. Without long pause, she escapes from my hand, and then running, jumping around toward the vast grassland. I can hear her happy voices, and just let out small sigh. I cross my arms on the back of my head, and then follow her.

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Words : 1228

[lukavminaev]

How far is Sarum anyway? The sky has gotten darker and I still don’t find the sign of tall structure across the vast area we are currently heading. The slow and rhythmic dance of tall grasses sometimes confuse my directional instinct. I just try to focus toward the Lander girl who is currently walking ahead, leading our journey. We have passed several trees and succeed avoiding enemy’s encounter since this is still broad daylight and no surprise attack so far. Although I don’t know how long it will stands, since I don’t have record about monsters in this area. I was just avoided anything that looked strange lately, or some creatures with visible enough hp bar. I has been telling her if there was anything strange enough in our direction, since as adventurer at least I have my detection skill to rely on. Sometimes, I just close my eyes and let my ears twitching, capturing the sounds. 

Her legs are stepping on the grassy road. The grasses have damped the sounds softly. I look at the back of her figure. A soft white autumn flower, with her petals swaying, following the dancing wind. Nyeh, I am sleepy, and these tall grasses keep pulling me away from my consciousness. It is like walking toward a shaded dot with a hazy vision. The heat gives me more reasons to rest rather than burns my passion. Ah, maybe keeping my adrenaline pumped for sudden encounter was more tiring action than what I imagined. I twitch my neck in quarter circle left and right, and then stretch my body upward, try to relax my muscles around my backbone. The journey is waaaaay to idle since we have been avoiding the encounters lately. Hell, why I hadn’t think about searching for party member back then. There should be one or two players that interested for clearing the quest together, and I won’t be guarding alone like this right now. Now what can I do will be around minimizing the encounters by avoiding them and keep ourselves alive. Well, what can a mere tank do in front of a field boss for example? I just hope no such thing like that will occurs. I am no tracker, and my best detection skill right now is –hearing aptitude– which somewhat unintended for detecting enemies. I cannot safely assure that we won’t encounter anything dangerous until we arrive at Sarum. 

The figure in front of me is getting more visible. I am now fully awake after realized that any sign of danger I detect will have more possibility of bringing death. Hell no. from what I have figured so far, this cheery girl will death and cannot be resurrected since she is a Lander. Even I can delay the danger with my death, I will be resurrected in Abbey’s cathedral and that will be too much far from here to safe her. Yeah, even the probability is low, I will try to avoid the encounters. She will be alright. That words keep chanted inside my head like a pray. The thought about a very human live is now in my hand gives me a strange feeling. Sure, this world is about sword and magic so far, but there is normal human like her that can die. Also, I cannot always calculate what will happens later, even with somewhat fixed game mechanic. I haven’t explore all of the area inside this world yet, and also knew that there is always probability included even the damages are rather fixed. It will be more difficult on the area I never explored before. 

I cannot take my eyes away from her, looking at her, from behind. I can only see a fragile, shattered flower, in front of me. Should I say something to her? Maybe, a warning? Nah, maybe it’s just me being too cautious, afraid that the only flower in my hand will shatters, blows with the wind. It is so easy to take away some lives from low level monsters, and so now I am afraid of my carelessness that my usual life or die combat will really take away her very life. The wild place outside city will always being a very dangerous place for Landers, like their freedom to explore the vast world has been taken away. The fact that I am thrown here as adventurer now seems like farce to them. For guiding them through this dangerous world, now sounds like a duty.  

She is stopped, and now busy looking around the places. Her hairs sway left and right, like a curious kitten. I want to smile, but my mind now rather alerted, makes it harder to enjoy the moments. Whatever it will be, I should always be her shield, protecting the only precious life of her with my immortal status. Meh, what a vast world. To think I arrive to a moment like this. Something that usually comes out from media or when someone traveled too far toward dangerous places in real life. I am now amused with my finding, but still rather protective since my bid coin is too high to put on the gamble table. The very life of human. So, I try to push away my urge to fight, and prioritize more on safety. Biding her life for such stupid selfish curiosity of mine doesn’t felt right for me. It is better to stay cautious and keep the field in check. Yeah, that’s should be the proper manner. 

A small dead branch hit my forehead and bring me back from my deep thought. She is now standing, kicking the ground and looking at me with grumbled expression. Her finger pointing at the rubles not far from our place. I walk toward her while looking at the rubles, and notice there is a rather large hole on one of them. “Want to rest again?” I still rub my forehead when I said that. She shakes her head, and then points up to the sky, a crimson sky, then she close both of her palms together and put her cheek on the back of it. “You want us to spend night there” I am now crossing my arms in front of me. She is nodding in enthusiasm, like I finally understand her long life desire. I walk toward the rubble, followed by her. “Hmm, there is only one direction for others to notice us” yeah, that should be. The other thing that will signaling our location would be the firepit, but that would be temporary as long as I am awake. I give her a thumb and say “Yep, it seems safe” ah, I hope to. 

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Words : 1111

[lukavminaev]

I am walking around the place to collect dry woods while try to memorize the landscape, leaving the girl alone in front of her rubles made cave. The hole is big enough for two not so tall persons sitting together, but even with her height, her hair will rubs the top of cave when she stands. From outside, it almost like a wall was fallen and has been split into two caused by the obstacles under it, made overall structure now is like a stone roof. The structure us much farther than other rubles around, so the back of it presented as the end of rubles in this area, pointing farther from the Windsor Greatwood. It’s not a large area. These rubles are more like a set of decoration from far away, similar to the usual ruin with all of its greenery. However, it is still better rather than an open area, at least to hide. 

It looks like the girl likes it. She check every surfaces of the cave and then disappears inside it. A sudden small worry hits me, suggests me to change my direction, following her. But nah, I have checked through the small cave and found nothing suspicious, and so the area around it. As long as I can keep my detection on the possibility of incoming dangers from outside, I think I can guard her. The open area is wide enough to see from far away. There are several places that hidden behind the small hills, protecting unknown creatures behind it. I am aware of them, and keep my eyes if there are some stray creatures marching to this place. From the situation, we are currently like two small fishes on the center of a large bowl, fearing for something that climbs up from outside. Yeah, I shouldn’t take my guard down.

I am passing a large ruble from the side, hiding the cave behind it. This is the second one I found since patrolling, makes me worry if there will be some creatures that use it as their hiding place, hiding before launching their attack toward us. Nah, maybe I am too overestimating their intelligent. Then again, I don’t know the maximum potential they can do. I try to calculate the possibility of their attack from this ruble, assuming they are similar to some carnivorous animal in real world. Well, it’s better to prepare than sorry. Since I cannot guarantee the battle will go well in this situation of us. So far, the rubles is hard enough to climb, assuming the enemy will have humanoid body, but it is easy to keep an eye to the cave entrance from here and then sneak from the side. I knock the ruble to check it hardness, maybe I can burst through with my fist? Hmm, maybe I can’t. I keep checking the ruble as the other similar ruble I have discovered before, and then a loud noise shrieking from the cave. I jump out from the ruble and then dashing quickly toward the cave entrance. Is it… my fear come true? What the hell. I thought I have checked the inside carefully and found nothing suspicious. There shouldn’t be any danger. There shouldn’t have to be. I refuse this logic. I quickly turn at the last obstacle and make my way toward the entrance, and then I find… her.

She is looking sharply, with furious expression on her face. Her hand is griping so hard to a large cut tree branch she uses as stick, swinging it toward a pile of wood. Nyeh, “come here… let me do this” she shifts her gaze, slowly, returning to normal state, and then falls, sitting on the bare flooring. Did she finally calmed down? Then, that’s better. I take a sit near her, and open my palm. She looks at me for moment, and then hands the stick to me. “You know, it’s better when you are talking. I cannot understand such indirect method” she turns her head toward me, looking at me. I can see confusion on her expression, so I continue “like, just say ‘Lukav, I can’t use this large wood to make fire. You should cut it to pieces first’ and so I will know what to do” I break the stick in my hand, put it to one place, and then take another wood, repeat the process. She still in silent. I don’t know what reason she has to keep that attitude, since she never talks to me about it. Well, I know there are several things that I can never change for various reasons, but at least I can behave the way she want around her for exchange, so we can understand each other more. I take the next wood and break it, putting it on group with other broken branches while turn my head toward her. I find her curling, looking at the pile of woods, staring blankly. Does she need to think that much for finally talking like usual? Well, I don’t know what made her to come to that decision in the first place, suddenly becomes mute. All I have done so far was just providing her with the support I can do, accepting her mute condition and continue moving forward with it. However, the degree of danger I found this time giving such uneasy feeling that this journey won’t go as easy as we planned.

Windsor forest already darken when I am out to put the woods and about to start the fire. These amount should do for tonight. I separate several wood for fire and others for spares. The fire started slowly, burning the dry leaf. I turn the wood so it will also burn the wooden part and make ember, and let it spreads among the spaces between woods. The girl comes out from the cave and take a sit near me. I return the flint to her, which she immediately puts it back to her bag, and let her lay on my shoulder. I take my time checking the surrounding with my skill. There is so much spaces between us and the previous forest, also I don’t know how far is Sarum. Imagining myself in bird eye view reminds me that we are such a small entity in this vast world, where there will be always things that out of our control. As a creature with very much ability to destroy, at least what can I do for now, is use them to protect.

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Words : 1087

[lukavminaev]

The sun has changing its phase, creating a calm yet beautiful gradient on the horizon, followed by the breeze that also changes into more cold, forcing the girl to curl more rounded, trying to keep her body warm. She still lays her head on my hand, with her eyes closed. I let her be, and keep my eyes to the fire, drowned in thought. I just smile when I take a peek and found her enjoyed expression. Well, I know how is felt, and that’s also why I like this feature of mine. Sometimes I cross my arms on the back of my head and use them as pillow. A handy pillow, since almost my whole body has similar feature. Therefore, I don’t mind when sometimes random person suddenly uses me as a portable pillow. 

A cracking noise from the burnt wood pulls me back from my thought. I take another wood from reserve and add it to the fire. Ah, is it that time already? I am back to my normal sitting pose and close my eyes, capturing every sound on my surrounding as much as I can. The normal sounds of breeze that eventually flown through us. The sounds of grasses that rubs again each other. The sounds of nocturnal animals that begin their activity. The faint sounds from monsters that strayed from their usual patrol route. I try to focus on the latest sounds, which may serves as the sign of danger, separating them from other sounds. The sounds may not come from monsters, and I can mistake them for something else. They are more like the disturbance from the current harmony from the sounds of nature. I can gauge only two of their directions, whether they come nearer or farther from the first time I have check them, but that cannot be classified as good detection skill. Monsters have many variations in substance, shape, and size. Sound alone can only give me clue how far or close the distance, without knowing what kind of monsters they are.  

The noises have escaped my detection range. Seems like they are back to their usual course, whatever they are. I finally let out my breath in relief. At least, I can assume that we are safe for now. Although this skill is just an enhanced version of normal hearing sense, I am glad I can use it now. Of all time, I don’t think I can get any better use of the skill than what I am doing right now. In this kind of situation, it’s better to have good detection skill. Hmm, I am really need a scout or tracker right now, but I am out of the city and I don’t think I can encounter any of them right now. I look at Lander girl beside me. She is still curling, burying half of her face under her crossed arms. She is sure sleeping peacefully, ignoring the sounds of nocturnal creature that rather disturbing the calmness of night. That should be a nice lullaby, but I don’t think I will have that kind of luxury right now. That is why I am happy for her. At least, she can enjoy her sleep.  

I move the girl slowly, carefully to not make her awake, and then prepare her bag as her pillow. She lets out a cute sleepy voice when I put her head slowly on the bag. I caress her hair, smiling, thinking about what she is dreaming right now. This night should be a nice night for her, and I will keep that as much as I can. I stand and then walk toward one of surrounding rubles, begin my patrol. I still need to check normally, in case my hearing skill didn’t work as intended. I can feel a faint warmth from the rubles when I touch them. That should be what left from the past noon. I put my palms on it and enjoy the difference of temperature. (Yawn) this would be the time when I usually go to sleep, but not right now. I will think about sleep when I am sure the area is safe.  

I have come to the next ruble, but I still can’t find any sign of danger. Ah, are we really safe now? I am glad if that does the fact. I can finally back and move the girl into the cave, and then take my rest. Ah, if only this situation will be that easy. But no, my luxury is not the biggest priority right now. There is something I need to protect, there is someone’s live that I need to keep it safe. There are always dangers somewhere, lurking in this vast world. Monsters I never meet before, field trap, even dangers from Lander or player itself. I should be able to block all of them, so they won’t hurt anything I want to protect. With my sturdiness and immortality, at least that’s what I can do for them. 

Sudden creeping sounds made me alert. The sounds came from somewhere near my current position. I keep checking the distance. In case the sounds moving nearer toward the cave. However, I detect nothing. Suddenly a silence. I cannot hear any movement near me, and I cannot see it. Everything around me looks like a normal scenery among rubles. Just rocks, and green leaves sprout out from wild creped vines. No such thing like a burly monster furiously looking for meats. The area itself is darker, but I can still see it with my night vision. The moonlight will help me to locate if there are reflective objects around here, but I cannot spot anything except the usual landscape of ruin like the other places I have visited before. Hmm, maybe that was just the wind tricked me, nothing dangerous. But still, the sound itself can give me such alert, maybe I need to be more relax and calm my mind so I can properly patrol. I rub the fur on the back of my head, and turn my direction back toward the cave entrance. 

And then, that sounds again. A creeping sound, like a big creature with more than four legs, with exoskeleton body. I stop my feet and listen again, the sounds, that so similar as the real world creature, but more louder. I clench my fists as the sounds come nearer and nearer, crawling toward me. There is no mistake. They are living creatures, not a mere wind. I bend my body and my knees, prepare for the impact. The sounds are already behind me. I jump and turn my body. “Ha!” 

Nothing… just like before, I don’t spot anything on the usual landscape. Rocks, leaves, and vines. Hmm wait, these rocks, I don’t think they are here when I passed that location before. 

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Words : 1139

[lukavminaev]

These rocks still refuse to move. I have been watching them for long, but I didn’t capture any single movement. They are still static on their place. I will fail to notice if I don’t suspect them before. Their appearances are too similar to the other rocks around. I am not surprised if they will actually successful on launching surprise attack to us, if not because I have wandered around this area. Wait, if they actually have intention to launch a surprise attack, then there is possibility that our hiding place is currently in danger. Tch, and I have left that lander girl alone. However, that will only be danger if these rocks are actually living creature. 

After waiting still for a couple minutes, I am about to abandon the idea of these rocks are actually alive, but then, one of them moving. I swear, I have seen them moving. I just about to lift my foot, but one of them suddenly changes its position. Now, that is suspicious. I take one-step closer, waiting if they will move, so I don’t need to check them manually. I just don’t want to feel stupid for suspecting a group of rocks. I add one more step, but they still refuse to move. Nyeh, am I that confused to suspect some rocks are living. I am about to jump toward the cave entrance, but on the moment I move my foot, I can hear them. Those rocks start moving again. There is no mistake this time. They are actually living creatures. I am pressing on my right foot’s toe, collecting my momentum with my bended knee, and then I jump, let the foot rotating to front, up, and then back, starting one of my skill animation –Aura Kick– which immediately slams my foot to the ground and cause a blast of energy pressure. 

The skill works as expected. The pressure from the blast is resonating through enemies, inflicting some damage and taunting them. Now, the enemies should shift their attack pattern. They don’t need to hide their form anymore, and start crawling with their legs, rushing toward me. I should be able to check their information panels by now, but I don’t think it’s the right time. We have come to close range combat, and that means… manly battle. I grin, and clench my fists, prepare for contact. I don’t need to wait for long before some of them closing the distance. The rock is large enough to confuse me from a rolled boulder, which tramples everything along the way. If not for the fact that they are now showing their legs, I won’t think of trying to block them as I do right now. They are fast, like usual crawling creature. Their size which bigger than normal makes them much faster on approaching.  

My body is ready. I have prepared all the bullets and kept my stance firm with my fists on the side as the trigger. One of spider like monsters with huge stones on each of their back has come to attacking range. The monster moves its legs flexibly and swings its body sideway, then quickly raises its front leg. The animation is fast. It almost like a zapping thunder when the monster swings its blade diagonally down toward my shoulder. I have successfully dodge that attack and the blade-like leg now stabbed to where I stand before, but the second monster do the same and successfully lands a hit on me. It’s hurt, but I use the momentum by swinging my left fist to the monster. It hits perfectly, since the monster’s body is large enough and it is so close in front of me. However, another monster has raised its leg like a scythe and then swings it. The move created an after image when the blade is almost hits me, I have jumped backward create the distance so I can prepare myself. Tch, damn that blade, it sure is hurt. Also, their bodies are hard as rock. I wonder if I did cause a decent damage when I hit the monster before.  

I have moved far enough, so I can see the cave entrance. My worry has gradually lifted when I saw the girl is still enjoy her sleeping with no one other than her there. I sure need to move her in, before the air’s pressure begins to drop and contains more water vapors. Well, it’s bad for health. I just feel I need to do it, since it has been becoming my habit when I was in real world. Girl’s body is usually fragile, and so the elder. Although I feel different here. I have slept outside on the tree branch but I never have any significant sickness even now. This adventurer body sure is sturdy. Once again, I am glad I was thrown here as adventurer, not as Lander.  

Knowing the girl is safe, I turn my focus back to the marching stone spiders. I grin, knowing that I don’t bear any burden on my shoulder, and now I can fight with my heart content. Since they were stopped on linear position before, they are now march also in linear position. It’s good. I activate both my toggle skill –heated combat– and –beatdown– that cause a surge energy raised and engulf my body. I jump backward again for the last time and release the mid-range skill –zoom attack– that elongate my arm and hit one of them. This is not because I am desperate for the oncoming attacks, where they are about to arrive at attacking range again. I bend my knees, ready for the second impact. They are closing, and about to start their attacking animation. I release my next bullet –aura saber– that hit each of them evenly. The skills works as intended. My –heated combat– toggle before amplifies the power of –aura saber– multi target attack. I continue beating the previous monster that suffered from –zoom attack– skill and bring it to dead. 

My HP has fairly run down and my MP is about to pass half of the bar. The monster is sturdy enough to withstand physical attack, but I have used to do dodge and beat combo with my character build. There are still two monsters bombarding me with their attack. I have inflicted some damages to them with my previous multi target attack. It’s not hard to bring them down with bonus damage from –heated combat– and the –beatdown– skill is now working. I am focusing on building damage for one target only, until the monster is beaten. And then, I use my amplified fist to bring down the last one. Nyeh, I have done well for surprise attack. Maybe because I have fought similar monster before. Hmm, their legs count is different, and they don’t launch special attack like some other monsters. However, the monster this time is sure is hard to punch. I wonder if I can inflict better damage if I can find a good weapon to battle a rock type monster, or maybe I can forge it. Yeah, I am a blacksmith anyway. 

The last monster has been beaten. I shove my fists one after another instinctively, reminding myself that I have been hitting on rocks so far. I let out long breath with my heart content after all the monster losses their leg’s power and drop, and then shattered into bubbles. Come to think about it, where was they came from. I don’t detect any of them until they are so close. Were they… have an intent to attack us, knowing that we are vulnerable on this area? The suspicious reason forcing me to use my hearing ability again immediately, but no, they are not anywhere marching like before. Once again, I let out long breath. 

I arrived at my previous sitting spot near the fire, opening my inventory panel. My finger stopped around HP and MP potion, waiting in agony, trying to decide if I need to drink them if there will be next sudden attack. 

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Words : 1344

[lukavminaev]

I am still in my sitting position when the girl wakes me up. It seems like we are still safe, and I was spent myself sleeping while sitting throughout the night. I stretch my arms and yawning, and looking around the place. I don’t have to think for long before agreeing that we are still truly alive, since dead adventurer won’t be turned into sleeping corpse in this world. That also the reason why I smack my forehead now, guilty for fallen asleep while I intended to kept my guard up last night. Yeah, what if those monsters actually intend to attack us. Well, I didn’t check their status panel so I don’t know their personality. “Ahahahaha” I laugh at my stupidity, and also glad that we are still alive. So, those monsters last night had no intention to slaughter us. I was the one who enter their detection range, and made them curious about my appearance inside their territory. They should have respawned after I was back last night. I don’t think they still retained their memories before they die, since they haven’t launched any follow-up attack, even until this time. From the looks of them that time, I can guess that they are a wary type monster, or sneakily attack monster? Nah, I never encounter that type before. Their attitude when they hide while walked toward my position was what made me think that they have been trying to check on me without making me wary about their location, or was they about to head somewhere and didn’t want to be detected? I have no idea, since I can’t communicate with them, like some other adventurers. 

I press the wood to the rest of living ember to turn them off, leaving a continuous long smoke’s trail all the way up, until it disappeared to the air. I take a glance to the girl which is now jumping, turning her body, and about to do a stride walk, leaving the place. “Hold on” the girl is about to go to the direction where the enemies appeared last night, and so I hold her hand, stopping her to go further. Well, I don’t want her to walk toward an obvious dead place. The girl stopped, annoyed, and start shaking her hand to try to get out from my grip. “Now, now, I have fought some large spiders like rock there last night” I point my finger when I said that, raising one of my eyebrow. “You might want to avoid that” I try to smile, happily, trying to show her that I have no ill intention. Yep, I am still cannot get used to be misled by people who think that I am an evil person from my character appearance. I have a quite trust to the girl in front of me since I have known her at the city back then. I just afraid that her changing attitude also changes her opinion about me. 

The girl looks at me, and then looks at respawn location. Her curly hairs twirl back and forth, as she shifts between me and that location repeatedly. I want to comment for that, but I don’t think that will be appropriate for we are now. Although, I still like the cuteness and cannot hold my smile when I saw that. Then she stops, and back looking at me, slowly, her eyes trailing from my eyes, to my shoulder, to my arm, and stop at where our hand connect. I raise my brow, and she starts shaking, pressing my arm with her other hand. Her face, which now buried behind her curly hair, hidden from view. I release my grip, don’t want to make it more difficult for her, and let her running to the side from her original planning direction. Hmm, am I being a bad cat again? I don’t remember she had a phobia for being held at hand, or was I also mistaken that time?  

I quickly get up and start chasing after her, following her circling route toward the original direction she intended before. She is not that fast, since she likes to jump around while moving. Ah, I don’t understand what in her mind right now. I will just do my job, keeping her safe as best as I can. With this, we have been moving much farther. I still don’t know how far is Sarum, or are we heading toward Sarum after all. By watching the smoke and Windsor Forest from afar, I know that we are still moving on our previous direction, farther from the city. I don’t know where is Sarum. I just guess that the place is somewhere on far end of this direction. I am still walking, tailing the Lander girl. Now that I think about it, she sure knows where she is heading. There should be something behind it, along with her sudden decision to be mute. Although, I can’t say that she is mysterious, since in this world, everything seems new to me. Even though I have explored and grinded myself to this level, there will always be something I never saw before. I don’t know where she will lead me, but I can’t help to get excited by it, and enjoy that I still understand that the world is still vast. 

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Words : 888

[lukavminaev]

“Whoa…” now that I arrived right in front of the gradient, I am very glad that I have traveled this far. This adventure is no longer like a grinding challenge, but more like a journey to explore this amazing world. I have seen this place from far away before, and amazed for how different the scenery here compared to what I have been through so far. It almost like the place itself serves as the end of this vast grassland, or more likely desolating itself from the rest of scenery. This should be the work of magic. I have never seen this kind of scenery so far. Well, I have seen similar scenery like the gradient between winter forest and rain forest, but not as fast changing as this. It almost like different season popped out outside its usual place. 

I squatted right in front of where the scenery changes, extending my arm toward the grasses, to feel the sensation with my fingers. It felt normal on my fingers like usually is, but somehow it felt more fresh than normal. I enjoy the sensation that I rather familiar of it. Ah, that’s right, maybe I just spent too much time inside rain forest. The fresh air, the green herbs, the dark healthy ground, I have become too familiar with all of them. That maybe why I feel the grasses felt different. Of course, outside their outer appearance, which rather taller than usual grasses that live on highland. Something I always enjoy watching since they are usually different from eastern plantation. I probably would never have thought about the difference in grasses, if I didn’t notice about some unusual trees that stand behind them. Those trees alone is enough to give the impression for me to feel that I have arrived at another place, different than highland. I look toward the girl beside me, who is currently staring blank upward toward the tree branches. Something telling me that she is indeed familiar with this scenery, reminiscing with her thought. I am still sitting duck when my eyes locked to her. Really? A highland girl in this scenery? That’s so unusual. Meh, then again I don’t know how anything about her background. 

The girl suddenly moving to the side, still outside the boundary created by the gradient, walking along the line. I don’t think I can question anything to her now, so I just stand and follow her. Her eyes still have that cheery light, and with her jumping happily like that, I can’t help but smile. What a cheerful person. I can even imagine that she can find happiness anywhere she will be. ah, it looks like we have arrived to a small and shallow plains area, with the usual tree I’ve seen in Windsor. The tree is huge enough to protect us from the heat of sunlight. I stop walking as soon as I feel my body being pounded by two tiny arms. She is right in front of me, without looking at me she suggests me to wait on my position. Hmm? Is this the place where she wanted to go? I lean my body back and moving one-step backward, and then cross my arms in front of me. She must felt that her arms lose their target, so she turns her head toward me. “We…” “Sssssh” she looked annoyed, when she put her finger in front of her lips, telling me to shut up. Which made me pretty much clear that this place is indeed her destination. I raise both my arms on my sides and shake them, and then put both of my palm on my mouth. Will she understand? I don’t know anything about sign language and I doubt she knows, these all silent acts things were just her unusual acts. Maybe her antics or her fetish, I don’t know. I think she will speak again when the time comes. 

She just giggles gleefully and makes a thank you move with her lips without voice. I let out small laugh without sound and then nod. Well, if this task of her completed, then can think about our way to Sarum without any more distractions. As long as we are outside the safe zone, I cannot put my guard down. Moreover, I also need to protect her, like what I am doing right now. I follow her with my eyes, while still keep standing with both of my palms on my mouth. She walks farther, passing one, two… no, several trees. Just how far will she go? Now I am worried about her safety with our distance right now is too long. I know this is her decision, but before I know anything about what actually happens, I can’t help but getting worried about her safety. She finally stop in front of a tree, so far but I can still see her. I use the moment to active my hearing skill again. I detect two monsters, but those monsters were already spotted by me back then when we were about to arrive here, and those monsters are currently far away behind me now. I shift my scanning direction, but I cannot find any monster in front of me, nothing, not even one in my detection range, which made me surprise. I start to listen more carefully, doubting my previous scan, but now I start to hear a voice. Her voice. 

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Words: 903

[lukavminaev]

“Ooo mighty forest guardian, I have come to visit you again and bring you an offering” she produces a bundle of fruits and vegetables from her bag, and offers it to the tree in front of her. I can’t see her clearly from this distance, so I just can only guess what she is doing. Her breathing is normal, which gives me impression that she isn’t in fear toward this so called ‘mighty forest guardian’, but rather a calm yet cheery atmosphere, perhaps like when I talk with old friends. I am still wondering if she will actually get her answer. A small breeze flown through us,along with a warm autumn-like feeling, yet calm and steady. The tree’s branches are dancing, following the embrace of wind. This sudden silence between us is filled with the sounds of nature, calmly, inviting to a deep and elusive dream. I still keep my eyes on her, and so my hearing skill to detect if there would be any danger approaching us. The area around is still safe as far as I can detect. The area around the girl however, I hear a footstep. It so faint, as if reflecting the slenderness of the feet of its owner, slowly approaching from behind the tree. “Thank you, but I am no forest guardian. I’ve told you that” a figure comes out. A pure white girl. Her skins are so pale, which even I can see it clearly from my position. She wears an elbow long eastern clothing with the exception of her leather pants and legging, and behind her back is a weapon that I recognize as a great bow, one of weapon that created by woodcrafter. The great bow usually wielded by a person with high accuracy. Not a good weapon for my character. Their conversation still goes on, and I am still listening from my position.

“A strong adventurer followed me from the city, he didn’t do any harm, and yet keep protecting me from dangers. I believe he can hear your request.” Oh so that’s why she refuses to talk to me all these time. That was the quest requirement, something I can imagine to happen if someone plays this game through monitor. Then again, I don’t know very much about gaming. I just compare it with what I’ve heard from fellow players, about playing this game before and stuffs. I am back to observing the scene. The cheery girl waves her arm toward me, signaling me to come closer. I am moving, as the wind has stopped when I take my steps toward both girls. I can see the new girl keep looking at me, trailing my movement, while the cheery girl smiles as if representing her awesome stuffs. I give my gratitude pose and so does she. Now that I’ve came this close, I can see her clearly. Her long hair tied nicely behind her back, and with her sleepy yet calm expression, I can’t even figure how old is she. “Thank you for coming” she said that in a manner that I knew very well in real world. Her hairs fallen on her cheek as she nodded. She doesn’t seem to be bothered by it, and doesn’t even give any sign to fix it. Well, they sat nicely on her shoulder, as if they are destined to be that beautiful. “So, what can I do for you?” both of them raise their eyebrow, confused? Oh right, I never inform them that I can eavesdrop their conversation from afar. I am about to tell them, but the new girl speaks before me, giving me her situation instead. “I give you my gratitude. As you see, I am here, alone, wandering away from my society. I have traveled from place to place ever since, but in the end I always like the forest” she raises her arms, presenting the small forest around her. “This forest is special, I like being here even there are many monsters lurking around” hmm… right. Now I am pretty much understand her background. “I usually hunting alone to get rid of them occasionally, but if you may…” she looks at me in the eyes “would you want to help me decreasing their number?” So, this is the quest. I twitch my eyebrow to signal the cheery girl that I am thankful for her help. She answers it by giving me a light elbow punch. I turn to the new girl again, before it turned into a comedic battle between us. “So, by how much, and are they specific monsters?” the girl smile faintly and tilt her head a little. I think that’s her way to express her happiness toward our interaction. “Please defeat 20 golems around here. There is no time limit, so whenever you done, you can go back to me” alright! Beating some monsters? I am in “I accept this quest” I am flexing my fingers when I said that. “So, can I go now?” “I will wait here Lukav, don’t die on me” “then, I accept your help and wait here as well” yeah, sure. These golems, I wonder if I can beat them all. Since that ‘parasite rock’ monster last night, and this quest, they are all rock type monster. I wonder if I can do something with my fists, since it pretty much hurt to hit them with bare hand. A pair of gloves will do. Yeah, I will sure make them when I can later. For now, this is combat. I wave my arm as I go toward the direction pointed by new girl.

Twenty golems. I will do well. I am burning with this familiar sensation as my target has decided. They are beyond these trees. I can imagine they are waiting to attack, or maybe they have expecting counter attack. This will be my chance to fight with different monsters. My new experience, and so I cannot wait to burn myself in it, expressing my character to the fullest, and start the fight.

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Words : 1006

[lukavminaev]

I have come to the edge of forest, and surely, I can spot the golems immediately. They are actually not hard to spot, since the area is plain. Its vastness is as if the whole world flooded down in front of me. I can see anywhere, and I will meet the horizon. Except from some sparse forests like the one behind me, which serve as blind spot, the golems can easily be noticed with naked eyes. I clench my fist and ready for combat, run toward the stage set by fate, and then stop before I will accidentally enter the enemy’s radar. About the right distance where I can observe them without being noticed. I am aware that I cannot take them all at once. This game world is not in a one man army setting. Trying to pull stunt and draw all of enemies together usually considered suicide. Although there are some rather dare players who like to try pushing their limit and do it. So, the option left for me is to take several of them as much as I can, while keeping in mind about my health bar which I cannot observe during combat. Surely, clicking to open and close menu during combat will be hassle, not that it cannot be done, it’s just I prefer to use my punches effectively without distraction, and keeping the menu open will just be a trouble since I probably hit the menu by accident while in combat. Moreover when I need to take several monsters at once, where my concentration will be divided among each of them. I rather like to test my punches first and see if they will connect, and thus I’ll go with smallest group. 

After not so long observing and comparing, I spot three golems that rather far from the rest of large group, and in patrol toward farther distance than the rest. Great timing. Their positions are rather closer and packed tightly in group. It would be hard to only draw one of them, but this is better than facing more enemies at once. I move behind the trees, which stands in parallel with each other, and serve as the mark of forest end. Not a good hiding place, but I am not a class which good in hiding either. I just move in range which I thought I won’t attract their attention. Well, even if some of them attracted, that won’t be bad either, since it means I successfully separate them from group and can bash them with my heart content. However, for some reason, I prefer they are close, but still separated. This is not because I dare enough to challenge if I will accidentally draw too many monsters than I can handle, this is a matter of play style, as a monk, and as in my build. From the series of skills I have, I think this will be my normal fighting style. The fighting style exclusively for this game world, and I may not able to use it in real world. I turn my direction, when the position of three golems before in parallel with the rest of group now. This will be the farthest I can pull, if they are attracted with my charge, without disturbing the rest. I rush in straight line, prepares my bullets and trigger tightly clenched, prepare for the impact. 

The distance becomes closer. I can even guess one of them notice my charge, but I don’t care about that at this point. Between them and me, whether it sooner or later, it will be a war zone. I’ve come more closer. Now I can feel they are about to rush toward me. Good. Let’s collide. Let’s punching all of our feeling against each other. I don’t know if you golems have feeling or not, but I know as bare hand combatant, punching is always good to release our feelings, on a war zone. I’ve come more and more closer, and now we are right in front of each other. One golem which closer from my position already released its left punch. The other two filling the flank, so there is no more space between us. I am still charging, rushing to the other golem and prepare my big bullet. 

I start in frenzy, punching and dodging the golems body and bring them down one by one, after activating my two obvious attack boost skills, –Heated Combat– and –Beatdown– which now engulfing my body with faint aura. I am alone. I have nothing behind me to protect. I can go crazy. The first golem failed to land its fist on me. As expected. With this, I continue to connect my punch toward the second golem. The impact is enough to stop my charge, and I am now dropped, back to my stance. With the enemies within my reach, I release punch after punch toward them. One with obvious wide left hook, trying to connect with the left side of my nape. I duck it, and let it swung above my head. Another success dodge, but not for long since there are still two attacks directed at me, and I can manage to dodge only one of them. Tch, rock again. I wonder how long I have to deal with it. I focus my punches on both targets in front of me, punching each of them one after another, while still trying to dodge. I big wreck hit the back of my head. Gah, I am almost choked, but I still manage to flip forward and start one of my skill animation –Aura Kick– which giving the shock of vibration and makes two golems in front of me destroyed, flown into bubbles. “Damn you” I turn toward the golem behind me, and take my revenge from its previous attack. The golem is not just stood there as I unleash my punch, but rather attack me back with his right punch, which I gladly accept and connect my own fist toward its head. The golem also destroyed as its HP down to zero. 

Yesh, three down, and thus 17 left. I know the golem may respawned if I stand too long in this place, and so I move toward a rather safe area where golems never patrol to there before, by moving a little to the side from my current area. I take my quick rest observing, and opening my status panel to see how much HP and MP I have lost for only three golems so far, examining if I will continue my charge to the other golems or take my time resting and recuperating may HP and MP instead.   

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Words : 1113

[lukavminaev]

Not really. I can still go on. Moreover, with both my attack boost skill activated, this should be the best opportunity to end the quest fast. Without further ado, I quickly jump and charge toward nearest golem. The distance is not so far, and so this will be good opportunity to continue the combo. There is no other golem between us. This should be a good chance to fight without interruption. The monster also doesn’t take time too much to finally notices my presence, and thus the second wave of charge begun. The –heated combat– skill has ended, and so I am rushing forward toward the next golem only with the bonus from –beatdown– skill, tempted to recharge its timer. One golem is coming, and like a hammer of rock, its punch swung at full speed, ready to crush the target. I am looking at the fist, still within my speed momentum, but I am not thinking about dodging it. I am ready. I take the hit and unleash my own. This time, only one golem. One on one, it should be obvious with our level difference. We both crashed by each other punch. Both of our punches succeed to hit. A large bruise should be appeared on my shoulder right now, as I can feel it itching. I want to rub it, but the situation is more important. I know. Another punch already unleashed and directed toward me, but there is another problem coming. One other golem is currently charging behind the first one. I can’t think about any counter attack, and so I dodge. It success. The punch slip between my shoulder and my back, and with current opportunity, I can only think about one think. This should be the right time to unleash –Bullet punch– and so I am lowering my stance. A glow appeared on my fists as the indication my skill is about to active. I tilt my head toward the golem, glaring, and unleash multiple punch toward it. The other golem has arrived, and about to enter attacking range. The monster is readying its punch when my last –Bullet punch– attack finish the first golem. I sway my body backward, trying to dodge incoming attack. Failed. The punch hammered my upper arm. Tch, this not good. I think five golems are my current limit. I cannot see my status panel because of the risk, but can feel it. Whether is true or not, I have built too much fatigue and so it might be bad if I continue any longer. What if I die, I would be resurrected in London cathedral. The distance is what troubled me. Another incoming attack erases my thoughts. I lower one of my leg, attempting to dodge. Success. The attack swung beside me. I also swing my left hook, which amplified by three golems so far. It doesn’t take time until the fight become close range attack and dodge style, and so the monster’s live is also fade. 

I quickly jump toward the forest before attracting any more monsters. While doing that I try to control my breath, concentrating, afraid if there is another monster jumping from within my blind spot. I turn my face left and right, checking it with my own eyes. This area is safe. This area also safe. I am glad. I let out big volume of air when I finally arrived and without further delay slam my back on a tree. I feel I don’t want to move for a while. My eyes drawn to the distance, observing the rest of golems. Damn, they are too much. I believe their number actually exceeds 20, and five golems I have killed so far will be respawned? Nyeh, like I have time to think about it. I take my HP and MP tablets from my inventory and drink it. These should be enough for another round. I have beaten five golems, and so I feel like I am pretty much understand the way they attack. I am confident that I could take another five golems after gotten enough rest. Hmm, no, five on one will be too risky. I cannot underestimate their attack’s variations, and rely on too much with my built. Even as a tank, I am not in full class tank. I should keep that in mind. 

The vast field seems much nicer when I chew the tablet. I wonder if there is another adventurer who have come this far and fight these golems like me. Hmm, yeah, I have read the news and understand that I am not the first one who adventure this far. Still, when I look around, there aren’t much adventurers using this field as their hunting ground, different than what I saw in windsor. Well, maybe I am not in the right time, and so I don’t encounter them. I take a look back to the forest, wondering what those girls doing inside. Maybe girly things… Well, it isn’t my place to know, and so I don’t want to get distracted right now. I open my status panel to check my current HP and MP. Yeah they are almost back. I am standing, rubbing the area where the golems hit me. Tch, they sure hit hard. Well, no wonder since they are made from rock. I thought I am almost ready for the second wave, and so I stretch my body and do the warming. Squirming too much after suffering too much attack felt like stiffen my muscles. I feel like my muscles is about to lose its flexibility, or maybe just what I feel. Still, I don’t feel very well if I am not loosening them a bit before battle. I am ready. With this in mind, once again I walk toward the battlefield. 

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Words : 966

[lukavminaev]

This is it, the second wave, with another five golems as quota. I am not surprised with my current limit. After leveling for such long time, I have learnt that there is a limit for a character can and cannot do. Well, that is within the game mechanic border, which also what usually players do to simplify their life in this game world. It will be much easier to know how many hit need to make to beat a monster, and that way of thinking is also work, because the current world setting. Here, I am sticking with that format, and that’s why I can dash off without worry. I have arrived not so far from a group of two golems, with another golem not so far behind them, and the other two golems not so far after previous one golem. I have circled the area where the golems are, after I have done with recuperating, and so that’s how I found this advantageous opponent’s formation. This is good, and does well with my combo. I am tempted to start the charge, but I need to nail them first. Of course, I cannot let myself facing more golems than I can hold. That would be unnecessarily increase the amount of damage I must withhold without giving equal damage to opponent. There is no way I can do that without back up from AoT skills which my character built lacks of. This class specialized more to withhold one on one battle with monster, or so what I thought so far. I don’t know about the future skills I can get, but with my current skill set, I can only do that much. 

I don’t think I am good with long range attack, and so it will probably miss if I just try to do it now, or if I have any throwing weapon with me. That’s why I am good with this medium ranged attack of monk, even though it doesn’t have good reach. It still good for buying time. I am walking toward the first two golems, and once again active my –Beatdown– skill. The first familiar aura engulfing me. I unleash my ranged –Zoom attack– as quickly as I arrive in its skill range, and unleash it toward one of them, which I believe with my distance and their current close formation, I will nail both of them, and so the scene rolling as planned. They turn their body, noticing my presence, and then begin to charge. This time, I activate my –Heated combat– skill, and without the further ado, I punch toward the golem I have hit before. With every one of us arrived at our range, the fight become close range combat again. The jabs and hooks swung one after another in front of me, and same as before I can use my previous fight as reference. I have start to learn opponent’s move. More or like, I can memorize it, and use the right counter move I can do. It will go smoothly as planned, if I stick with my pervious fighting preference, but every fighter should know there is always temptations to fight in different way, intrigued to know how much a leveled up character can do. However, when facing a real sized monster, there is still some part of me that telling to handle it smartly. Well, I know it’s not my character to do that, but after grouped with some players, especially players who have played this game since before catastrophe, I cannot help but influenced by them. Roaming around in my own believe doesn’t sound like a good teammate which everyone can easily communicate. I can be myself in time like this, and show my other persona to communicate with people. 

The second golem charged from behind the first one. Its footsteps become louder and louder, burning my fighting spirit, as it tells that I must prepare for the greater collision. The first golem is about to finish, I can count it by how much I inflict damage so far. Of course, I am guessing based on probability, and how I can survived the last encounter. I still need to add a few punches for miscalculation, which can be annoying if I am in pinch. Like this, when another golem is charging toward me, and this golem in front of me refuses to die. Tch, no other choice. I am prepared for the impact and release my own canon –Aura saber– toward them, and so the golem finally exploded. I add few amplified punches to kill new golem, which doesn’t take too much time to explodes. I can still move. I continue toward the other three golems. One golem actually, since the other two are much farther. Continuing the combo, I have successfully nailing the previous golem closer to the next, before finally get my hand on the next golem. Such easy to do, since I am confident with my level difference with the golems. Although, I don’t think it will roll this smooth if I use this combo for monsters near my level, but I still feel good for there are only two more golems left as result. 

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Words : 866

[lukavminaev]

Continuing to the next two golems, I chain the attack from previous golem toward them. It doesn’t too difficult since I have done it before. Although I am not too familiar with the route and sometimes it more become hassle, I can minimize the risk by jumping lightly from one point to another while still on track. I keep piling up damage and guess the amount of enemy’s HP so I can still have my attack boost and carry it for the next battle with the other two golems, while still try to avoid unnecessary encounter with the other golems. Bending my foot and then retract it to jump and follow the route, the golem chasing me nearer and nearer toward my next two targets. It unleashes its attack back at me every time I stop and unleash my attack. The clash is not too heavy since I can sometimes avoid the incoming attack, which is my class advantage. Clinging only with my agility and small punches, I think I still need to lean too much with my close range skill and self-boosting ability. If not, I cannot imagine how I can balance the fight and hold the enemy with only my thin armor. This is easy enough with the enemies are not coordinated, and so I don’t have to think too much and fight with everything my class have. Although I indeed have experienced the fight with some coordinated kobolds in the underground before, since there is such thing that called kobolds noble who has rank-like hierarchy among them. However, the golems are more like roaming around certain areas with no specific destination to target. Same like the boars, they are just there as far as I can observe. Well, I don’t think I have studied about monster to begin with, but with what I have seen so far, they are behaving like that, and so I can, and players who familiar with gaming can, fight as they are like previous same monster, similar when playing this game in real world. Although there are still part that I cannot understand, me and some players can still survive with this little knowledge. I have heard that some players even try to deduct the very substance of this world and try to manipulate it to bring this world toward the advancement of technology. Well, even in real world there are people that searching the secret of creation. That was normal occurrence. Some are succeed and some are failed, trapped inside the maze of ‘if’ doors. I just carry out what I know and face the monsters in front of me with what I have. At least I can solve the problems that surround me, and let the big question answered by itself when I die. Ah right, I cannot die ‘permanently’ in this world. 

The tension inside me rising as I am closer and closer toward the other two golems, which will be my second break point if I can survive this phase. The timing is right, as far as I can guess the enemy’s HP and by how much punches I have unleashed this far. So, when the other two targets have chasing me this close, I can activate my next area attack ‘Aura kick’ to kill the previous golem, bring damage to the next two golems, and thankfully it runs smoothly. The previous golem exploded and turned into bubbles as expected. Now with two more golems before next break time, I am burned with vigor. Can they see I am smiling? I think so, but I don’t think they even react to my expression. These golems have thick head literally, and I don’t think that will significantly affect the way they are attacking me. However, as human that has capability to think such thing, I am now currently burned with confidence. The next attack is coming. It is a big punch coming down from above. I bend my body, knowing that I cannot flee from this point, and let the stone arm hammering the back of my right shoulder. It’s indeed hurt, like always, but if I let my concentration go at this moment, I may mess up my combo. The other punch is coming, right after the first one. This time, is from another golem. I swing my body right in attempt to evade the attack. Succeed. The swing goes through my left side, hitting the air. Such big swing, it made from stone after all. Looking it this close without actually feeling it, I thought the previous punch that hit me was from another monster. This adventurer’s body is sure tough. 

And so this is my two last bullets. I jump to the side and hit the golem with normal punch, and immediately unleash –zoom attack– to the other golem. Both golem exploded and turned into bubbles. “Fuaahhh” that’s all for this second wave. I can’t advance more, since I know the limit of my HP from previous battle, so I just dash lightly toward the safe area near the forest. It sure hard to finish this quest in one go. It’s much harder than it’s looked. I always want to go full-burst and beat them all like in real world, but I don’t think I can keep on rise up and refuse to lose to my consciousness. In this world, with enough damage piled up, when HP bar reach zero, then it means death, no matter how strong willed the person is. So, I just try to play smart, as ‘smart’ as I can. I am able count the timing to see how much damage I need to pile before the enemy down after the first try. That just the basic thing, and that’s what helps me this far. I know when fighting with group it will be easier since there is people who watch the battlefield for the other members, I have experience it. However I cannot always wait for someone to shows up and help me. After leveling this long, I have encountered many type of players, and so far ‘expecting’ is not the right way to convey my need of socializing. So, I just wander around, looking if there is anyone who needs me. Also keep looking for group quests to boost my level, so I can still participate on even higher quests with higher reward.  

I want to rest my back on the usual spot, but my curiosity tingling me and pull me even deeper toward the forest rather than just resting not too far from the golem area like before. What are those girls doing right now? I know if I meet the requester, more or like I need to be prepared to be questioned for my quest, like how far I have advance. I am sure I can still talk about another topic, which is why I am not too bothered with how I can face her with only my quest half done. However, I feel I cannot think too much about that right now. I notice that the air seems different. I don’t know why, it just how my furs seem stand straight when the faint breeze flown from inside the forest. Is it just me or there is actually these kind of smoke before? The smoke flooded through my feet and then rise up. I thought I just virtually chilled out when the smoke touch my leg’s furs, and it kind of foggy when it rises right in front of my eyes. I shove my eyes and feel a little bit awful with the way the fog disturb my sight. Oooh magic, it sure has its own way to amazes people. I blink several times, trying to clean my eyeballs, but the awful sight still there. Meh, it’s disturbing, yet I can still progress even with low disability. Although it doesn’t hurt, I don’t think I can hit perfectly if this is actually in the middle of combat. The trees are swaying in hazy when I try to look for the route where I have come before. Like in a dream, I walk slowly deeper and deeper to the place of unknown. Who cares. Even if I try to walk back, I don’t even remember where the ‘back’ is. Damn my fuzzy memory, it’s my fault that I have moved too much before. So, my only option is to charge ahead, thanks for my mind still clear, but I think I will really lost to my consciousness if I keep looking this hazy view. The usual grasses give such nice respond when swing my leg. It’s fresh and fluffy, made me want to throw myself and lay my back, forget about the universe problems for the moment. Yeah, just ten golems left, which are half of the quest, and I still need one break after killing five of them. It will be faster if I have someone from specialized class. Now that I think about it, the girl has bow with her. I wonder if I can invite her to party with me. Ah, but she is the requester. It’s like asking help to people to catch the fishes, while catching half it. Meh, I don’t want to hear her saying "I can help, but it will double the amount to kill, and my kill doesn’t count” well, what can I expect. This is her quest after all. But ah… asking her later won’t hurt. By asking her clearly, it will clear things up. 

The fog is still not cleared, and I still walk on and on toward the depth of forest. Am I still walking on straight line? I don’t know. It’s hard enough even to pinpoint where is the front and the size, hell even a person can get lost inside normal forest, although I cannot get lost if it is in normal state. Once I am familiar with the plantation in it, I know where to go and how far I have gone. The plants were my friends in real world. Not that I can talk with them, I just like how they are by themselves. More felt like home. So, I keep touching the trees and try to remember the surfaces with my limited senses. It doesn’t help much, but it’s successfully made me think that I just keep circling with no progress what so ever. Tch, what a way to mess up things. I just want to get rest and have some talks with the girls. Life is hard you know, and men need girls to be intoxicated and feel the burden delusionary becomes lighter. It just the way it normally works, and it works best to someone with high ignorance, which means less stress. Now I cannot find my way in, or my way out. It just fog all around. So I just stop, taking a sit and do my first need. Relax. I have walked so far and nothing attacks me. I assume it’s safe to take a break. “Hufttt” the scene sure is awry, but yeah, a scene is a scene, it just there, even I thinking hard about it or not. Just like a wall. I hold myself to not open my menu and take a drink. I will mess it up, I know it. I control my breath, slowly, and close my eyes. Listening. Now it comes to this, I can try to pinpoint something, something that may gives me clue to get out from this situation. at least, I am trying to advance the progress. Now that I close my eyes, I don’t have to meddle with the hazy view anymore. I know it will be harder to hit and opponent with the eyes closed, but I am not tried to hit anything or anyone this time. I just need to listen. Focusing on certain sound and try to recognize if it is something I know. In this state, the world seems plain, straight from me and the sound, just me, empty space, and sounds. A sound spotted. The location is not so far. I keep listening to it, but then I lower my tension, it just the sound of birds. This –hearing aptitude– ability not really suited for detecting the location, and with this near blind state, don’t know what to project, I don’t expect to succeed on the first try. 

Another sound is rather picks my curiosity, it’s not the first time I use the ability to pinpoint the location. I know it is different and worth checking, not like the other familiar sounds. The sound is like something hammering a hard but rather fluffy surface. Hmm, what that will be. It’s not only one, but many. Like a drum band, with harder and not producing good intensity, and the rhythm, it kind of awful and not music like. The ground seems shaking because of it. Wait, ‘drum’, ‘hard but fluffy’, and ‘ground shaking’. Hammering the ground? Who like to hammer the ground and for what? It doesn’t even produce a good intensity for music normally. What if that’s not intentionally to create music? Then, for what? ‘Not intentionally’, ‘shaking’. Those golems damn it. I know it is their walking rhythm, even I never really paid attention toward it. Where are they now? Should I go there? This disturbance if my sight won’t be a good assistance for battle, and so I don’t think I will risk myself to get caught by the enemies. Should I search more for other options? Nah, I have better choice. From my previous experience, it is better to advance to one point before searching for other solution. That way, I am not just stuck in my place, seeking for help to nothingness. I stand, extending my arms and locate my current position. The trees near me has rather curvy but soft surface, with small sprout on one of its branch’s cut. The tall bushes on the other side are much taller than the bushes near this tree. Yep, I know where front and back is, based on the sound I pinpointed before. Now I am facing toward the sound’s source, extending my arms and advance little by little toward it. This foggy view, I try my best to ignore it, rather I compare the reference from what I saw to what I touch, and keep checking if I still facing toward the source of sound periodically. Not that hard. I just need patience, which I can easily forget because I rather excited with the new experience I currently in. Walking in the darkness like this, but yeah, I feeling more ease because there is no significance threat in this darkness, or so what I thought from what I know so far. The foggy air becomes brighter and brighter as my smile. This is ‘progress’. There is nothing more exciting than being inside new experience and then feeling progress. Even I am not a console gamer or computer gamer before, even playing in field will be more satisfying if I feel myself progressed, otherwise I will just felt like doing normal sport. The warmth of sunlight is telling that I have come to the end of forest. I stopped at the last tree I touched, knowing only danger awaits me ahead, and having this situation before going to battle is a bad idea. 

Now what? I still cannot see clearly, and the golems are in front of me, far enough that I cannot detect their advancement toward me. I should get rid of this view disturbance first, but how? I fall my back and take a sit under the tree, trying to listen more. Listening randomly rarely solves the problem, but I think this is the only choice I have now. By ignoring the sounds of golem’s footsteps, I try to track back, far inside the forest. No, I cannot locate anything significance. Either those currently girls stop doing anything that produce significance sound or they are currently out of range. What they are currently doing doesn’t pick my curiosity right now. Even there is still small part of me that wanting to know what happened there, I just feel that I have spent too much time idling, and it may the right time to start another wave. I am tempted to jump forward and charge toward the enemy. It’s time to break more stones. Ah, if only I am in normal state. Come to think about it, I never actually intended in fight with such awful vision. I wonder what it will look like. It such awful back then inside the forest, and that’s just when I try to find a way. Now I am about to face a monster. I wonder what choice I have. With this state, it must be limited. The farther I can do will be pulling out some stunts which depend only with my listening ability, like in movie. That will be awesome, if only I can pull that out. With this new thought in mind I stop listening, and open my eyes. The sudden brightness awaits me. Dang, it such clear… wait, clear? I can see normally, yay. Then, this must be some kind of negative status with duration set up. I want to dig up more, but I caught a stray golem currently charging toward me. I quickly focus an open my inventory menu, reading how much HP and MP I have and then take out a suitable medicines to fill them up. What a fast respond. I just recuperated and it has charged toward me, talk about timing. No matter what, that what fighting is. Without this game mechanic, this kind of encounter will happen more often. The plots for monsters may surprise at first, but for the second time, it will just same as the previous. This kind of mechanic allowing the players to think and apply our solutions the second time we face the monsters. 

I am ready and activated my –beatdown– skill on, and then charge forward to close the distance. It’s not good. I am not close enough to the other golems to chain my combo. In front of me, the first attack is coming. I fully focus to dodge without thinking about counter attacking, but it also failed. Its punch is hammering my arm when I try to shift to the left, while protecting my upper body with it. However this is still within my attempt. The punch doesn’t stop me, and I can still continue moving and slip from the side toward the group. I use my previous experience to gauge the safe distance before back to handle the incoming previous golem from behind. Maybe much farther than I intend to be, but safety is first before the ‘exact’. I have start in mess, and so I don’t know if pushing my limit will be good at this point. The incoming attack hammering like a giant stomp. I have succesfully dodge this second attack, and then quickly activate –heated combat– skill. The monster seems not care about my charge, even when I combo it with –bullet punch– and so its punch once again prepared and launched like a giant stomp. I am also ignoring it and keep piling up more damage. The first part of this combo should be activating and adding more points to my attack boost. So, I keep on dodging as much as I can while still focusing more on attacking and trying to connect my punches. Now that I have my attack boost and my view back, also from my previous two waves, this will also turn good. The close range which I like so much doesn’t dissapoint me. This is MMO level street hand to hand combat, with the difference in size I can ignore of, since it has fixed damage and I also have advantage in more skill to unleash. Well, not that challenging like when facing the same normal human as normal human, but being able to face unusual enemy than normally is in real world, moreover with height difference, this is good experience. I am excited and so unconsciously put a wide grin on my face, even the next big attack will obviously hit me, I know this monster’s time is low. So be it, after I succesfully dodge its attack, while also unleash my attack toward it. The golem explodes and turned into bubbles. 

I jump backward toward the other golems and continue my combo. I intend to continue with only two golems, but there is another golem that located too near with them, and so it also attracted with my presence. Three on one, might be bad. I never tried it before, and so I unleash my area attack as much as I can. The dodging rate is more harder since there are three attack and not much space to me to dodge. Even sometimes they are not attacking at the same time, which I try to use it as advantage, splitting my concentration is much harder. In real world combat, the best way to handle this is to disable some opponents, which I belive in this world it can be done by inflicting negative status. I don’t have that skill, so I cannot apply that kind of real world strategy to this situation. I occasionally change my position trying to distance myself from atleast one golem attack. It will decrease the amount of damage I must hold on. I don’t even confidence that I can count the enemies HP correctly, so I try to focus more on one golem each time I am not using area type attacks which are only –aura saber– and –aura kick– right now. The safe situation should be, two golem attack and the other still on chasing, but I cannot always gain that kind enemies positioning. Sometimes I must bear two attack at once which is hard for my class and equipment, but I can still manage it. I am sure I will be full of bruise after all of this quest clearing done. What will be more harder than getting hit by rocks multiple times. Well, maybe metal. Thinking about getting hit by metal giving me chill, however I can still manage to dodge incoming wide left swing by the monster, and giving it the procedural answer. So far I can still manage to hold the three golems, and I grin widely when the golem I keep pummeling is now died, leaving two more golems. This is good, I can keep up. The other two golems are attacking at the same time without even giving any sign of caring that one of their kinds has been exploded into bubbles, and I can only manage to dodge one of them. Well, they can respawn, so it’s not actually a loss, which is what I can think their train of thought, if they actually have it. I continue to focus on the next one golem like I treated the previous one. This time should be good, or so I thought. 

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