I died—or at least, I thought I did.
Slowly, my senses crept back, dragging me out of the suffocating void. My body ached like I'd been hit by a truck, and a sharp ringing filled my ears. I groaned, shifting slightly, only to hear an awful squelch beneath me. Cold, damp, and disgusting. The nausea twisted in my gut, but I clenched my jaw, forcing it down.
Somewhere nearby, birds chirped, their songs piercing through the haze clouding my mind. I blinked against the blinding sunlight filtering through the branches above. Trees. A forest.
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- Level 1: Axel Millo
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- HP: [██████████░] 87/100
- MP: [▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒] -1/0
- STA: [█████▒▒▒▒▒▒] 35/100
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- Options: [Inv | Skills | Quests]
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I was lying in mud. My clothes were drenched, sticky, clinging to my skin in the worst way possible.
"Agh…" I muttered, pressing a shaky hand to my temple. "Wha—ugh. Where…"
I pressed my palm against the ground, trying to push myself up—only for my arm to buckle beneath me. My face smacked into the mud with an undignified splat. I gritted my teeth, breathing heavily. My limbs felt like they were filled with lead. My body refused to cooperate.
Exhaustion pulled at me like an anchor. I had insomnia—sleep never came easy for me. But right now? Right now, I could probably sleep for two days straight.
I tried again, forcing my trembling arms to push off the ground, only to collapse once more. My cheek smeared into the dirt, and a frustrated groan escaped me.
"Come on…"
Using what little strength I had left, I crawled to a nearby tree, dragging myself up against the rough bark. My chest heaved as I wiped my sleeve across my face, clearing away the filth.
My gaze swept the area. Trees stretched in every direction, their dense foliage filtering the sunlight, making it hard to tell what time of day it was. The air was crisp, clean. No city smoke. No distant hum of cars.
"Forest?" I muttered, blinking. My stomach twisted. "There's no forests in the city. Where am I?"
Then, my brain caught up. James… it had to be his joke or something.
I turned sharply, scanning my surroundings. "This a prank?" My voice wavered despite my attempt to sound firm. "If so… not funny, James. And no, this is not sarcasm."
Silence.
My back pressed harder against the tree. My breathing turned shallow. I had to have been unconscious for a long time. Whoever brought me here had some serious explaining to do.
Then there was that… eye. And those—things that shot from the ground, grabbing me.
A chill ran down my spine. Just a few meters ahead and slightly to the side of the road, stood a statue of a man wearing a helmet, one fist raised triumphantly as if celebrating a hard-won victory. At the base of the statue, a plaque bore an inscription in English: 'And then Lkarvos, God of Strength, punched her back into the realm she came from.'
This was either the most elaborate prank ever—or I was dreaming.
"Hello?" I called, my voice cracking with something I refused to name. "I… this isn't funny."
I took a shaky step forward, but my legs buckled, forcing me to stumble back against the tree. My head spun, vision blurring at the edges. My stomach lurched, and before I could stop it—
I doubled over, retching into the dirt.
"Oh, fuck," I spat, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. "Ugh… man."
My breathing was ragged as I forced myself upright. I grabbed a low-hanging branch to steady myself, my knuckles white from the grip. Slowly, my legs remembered how to work. Each step forward felt like walking on a tightrope, my body threatening to collapse at any moment.
"What… where—what? How?" My voice barely formed the words.
Then, something brushed against my leg. I dismissed it at first, assuming it was just a stray root or a thick vine. But then—it touched me again. This time, I looked down.
My heart stopped.
A two-headed dog stood before me. One horn jutted out from each head, sharp and menacing. Its fur was jet black, its eyes deep crimson, gleaming with something unnatural—something hungry. Its tail flicked, and at the tip, a small fire crackled, burning without a care in the world.
"Oh… oh, shit." The words barely escaped my lips.
A surge of adrenaline ripped through me as I turned and ran.
Pain? Gone. Dizziness? Vanished. Every muscle in my body focused on one thing—getting the hell away from whatever that was.
I crashed through the underbrush, pushing aside thick bushes with shaking hands. My foot caught on a hidden rock, and suddenly, I was airborne.
I landed hard, tumbling onto a dirt road that sloped downward in a jagged path. Trees loomed on either side, the dense foliage swallowing any hope of an easy escape.
"Need to run. Need to run," I gasped, forcing myself onto my hands and knees.
Behind me, the monster emerged from the trees, stepping onto the road with eerie calmness. Its burning tail swayed, its eyes locking onto mine.
Then—a sound. Something was approaching.
On the dirt road, just beyond the bend, a cart drawn by a horse appeared, its wheels creaking as it rolled forward. It was just like in those old western movies. Who would even use that as a form of transportation? And why?
A man sat slumped in the driver's seat, reins loose in his grip. His head bobbed slightly—half-asleep.
This was my chance.
"Help!" I screamed, waving my arms frantically. "There's a monster! Help!"
The coachman jerked awake, the reins slipping from his fingers. His hand flew to the sword at his belt, his eyes darting wildly.
I stumbled to my feet, nearly falling again as I rushed toward the cart.
"Help!" My voice cracked. "Please, there's a monster—it's chasing me!"
The man squinted down at me, his face twisting in confusion. "What in the blazes happened to you, boy? You're covered head to toe in mud!"
I gasped for air, barely able to form a response. "I—monster!" The words tumbled out, raw with desperation. "Two-headed thing with a flaming tail!"
The coachman's expression softened slightly, though he still kept a firm grip on his sword. "Two-headed dog with a flaming tail, you say?" He gave a low chuckle, shaking his head. "You mean a Trododle?"
"I don't know..." I muttered, my voice shaky as I stared at the creature. "What is that?"
The creature trotted down the dirt road, its four paws kicking up dust. It wasn't massive or tiny, just about the size of a regular stray dog you'd see wandering the streets. But still, the sight of its two heads and the flickering flame at the end of its tail had my nerves buzzing.
When it got about four metres from us, it stopped and began spinning in circles like a playful pup. I raised an eyebrow, glancing at the coachman for an explanation.
"Everyone knows they're harmless," the man chuckled, shaking his head. "How did you not know that, boy? And where did you get that strange uniform you're wearing?"
"I didn't..." I stammered, confusion plastered on my face. "I don't know?"
With a grin, the coachman hopped off the carriage, dusted off his worn-out clothes, and casually approached the creature. Crouching low, he reached out to pet its heads, and the beast rolled over, exposing its belly like a domestic dog begging for scratches. The coachman rubbed its stomach as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Either I'd somehow missed the news that we'd discovered a bizarre new species or I was trapped in the most realistic nightmare of my life.
The coachman was a man in his forties, with a rugged face framed by a bushy beard and hair that had streaks of grey running through it. He wore a long, buttoned coat, weathered boots, and a wide-brimmed hat that shaded his stern eyes. His outfit was like something from a different era, which was a weird fashion choice.
"What happened to you, boy?" he asked, his gaze shifting back to me. "You look like you've been through hell."
"I... I saw something weird in the sky," I blurted out, trying to piece my thoughts together. "And then—I was in school? Where am I?"
He narrowed his eyes. "Oh, boy, you really are a strange one."
I looked around, hoping for some familiar landmark, but there was nothing. Just an endless stretch of forest surrounding us and a narrow dirt road cutting through it. Birds chirped from the branches above, the forest alive with sounds that felt foreign to me. I wiped more mud from my face, turning away from the coachman as I took a deep breath, hands on my hips in frustration.
The creature—this two-headed dog—suddenly bounded over to me, nuzzling my legs like a cat and circling around me playfully. I stood rigid, afraid to make any sudden movements that might trigger an attack, my eyes locked on the beast.
"I..." I muttered, turning back to the coachman with uncertainty in my voice. "Where are we? I don't remember a forest anywhere near the city."
"You're far from the city, lad," he replied, his tone softening a bit. "Are you a survivor from that village? If so, the gods must've been watching over you."
"Village?" I repeated, trying not to sound completely clueless. To avoid raising suspicion, I nodded slowly. "Yeah. I'm from that village."
"Poor kid..." He sighed, walking to the back of the carriage and pulling away the blanket covering the rear. "Maybe you know some of these folks?"
When he yanked the blanket off, my stomach twisted at the sight. At least ten bodies lay there, lifeless and pale, their clothes stained with dried blood. Some had deep gashes across their torsos, others had limbs severed, and one man's neck was cut so deeply it seemed barely attached. Flies buzzed around the gruesome scene, their relentless hum making me want to hurl.
I staggered back, my face going white as I pressed a hand to my mouth to keep from gagging.
"Too much for you?" the coachman said, his voice softer as he pulled the blanket back over the bodies. "Sorry, boy. Any of them your folks?"
"N-no," I managed to choke out, swallowing hard to keep my composure. "Who... who did this?"
"Goblins," he said flatly. "Poor sods never stood a chance."
"Goblins?" I asked, disbelief hitting me like a punch. "You're serious?"
"Yeah," he replied. "We didn't think this part of Nu'tar had goblins... but we were wrong."
"Nu'tar?" The name didn't ring any bells, and my confusion must've shown on my face.
He raised an eyebrow, almost amused. "You really don't know the name of the country you're living in? You've got more than a few screws loose, boy."
"I..." I began, but my head spun again, and I shut my eyes tight, trying to keep it together. "This doesn't make any sense."
"Must've been through quite an ordeal," he said, hopping back onto the carriage. "Come on, get in. You shouldn't be out here alone in your state."
"Y-yeah," I muttered, grateful for the offer. "Thank you."
As he reached out to help me onto the carriage, he gave me a small nod. "What's your name, lad?"
"Axel Millo," I replied, my voice still trembling slightly.
"Mortan Catren," he said, offering a weathered smile. "Nice to meet you, kid."
"Likewise."
As the horses began to trot along the dirt road, the rhythmic clopping of hooves pulled me from my scattered thoughts. I tried to piece together what happened back at school—how that giant eye in the sky stared me down, then the black hole opened beneath my feet, dragging me into its depths. Beyond that, everything went hazy, like a fading dream I couldn't quite grasp.
The coachman reached into a worn sack beside him, pulling out a sandwich stuffed with tomatoes and cheese. Without taking his eyes off the road, he held it out to me, waiting for me to grab it.
"Thanks," I said, taking the sandwich and biting into it. The taste was surprisingly good, fresh and comforting. "It's delicious."
"Wife made it for me," he said, a hint of pride in his voice.
I nodded, chewing thoughtfully. "She's a great cook."
His eyes flicked toward me, curiosity creeping into his expression. "You ran away from that village, didn't you? Where're your parents?"
I hesitated for a moment, then lowered my gaze. "They died a long time ago."
He paused, the lines on his face softening. "Oh... sorry to hear that."
"It's alright," I replied. For some reason, his empathy made me feel a little less on edge. "So, this place... Nu'tar, right?"
"Yeah, Nu'tar," he confirmed, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm not from around here," I admitted, glancing out at the endless stretch of trees surrounding us. "I'm from... well, far away."
"Oh? How long have you been here?" he asked, giving me a sideways glance.
"Just shy a month," I lied smoothly, hoping he wouldn't press for details.
"Gotcha," he said, nodding. "Where are you from?"
"Oklahoma," I answered. "Born and raised there."
"Huh? Where's that, north?" His brow furrowed in genuine confusion.
"Y-yeah. North." I said, forcing a nervous smile.
"Ah, makes sense," he muttered, dismissing it with a shrug.
Panic began to simmer just beneath my calm facade. Even a kid in elementary school would know what America's states are, yet this guy had no clue. That was a big red flag, a sign that I might be farther from home than I'd ever imagined. I needed to find a way out of this mess, fast. Nu'tar… where exactly was that on the map? Was it a whole other country? Or maybe a state I hadn't heard of? Biology clearly wasn't the only subject I struggled with.
I directed my gaze back to the road, trying to ignore the unsettling thought of the bodies piled up behind us. The universe seemed to have a twisted sense of humour, throwing me into this chaos with no lifeline.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a piece of paper peeking out from the coachman's sack, dangling slightly in the breeze. It looked like a map of some sort.
"Hey," I said, swallowing another bite of the sandwich. "Mind if I take a look at that map?"
"Hmm?" He glanced at me, then nodded, reaching into the sack and handing over the folded paper. "Sure, here you go."
"Thanks," I said, unfolding the map and studying it closely.
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- NOTIFICATION
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- Location Discovered: Un-a Forest
- Map Updated!
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+ XP Gained: 5
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- Current XP: 05 / 100
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- Progress: [█░░░░░░░░░░░░]
╚════════════════════╝
My eyes widened as a translucent box appeared in front of me, its text hovering just within my line of sight. And judging by the coachman's lack of reaction, he couldn't see it at all.
"What in the world..." I whispered, my voice trailing off in disbelief.
"Everything alright, boy?" the coachman asked, giving me a curious look.
"Uh, yeah," I stammered, quickly folding the map and forcing a shaky smile. "Yeah, it's nothing. Just thought I saw something, that's all."
He gave me a slow nod, clearly unconvinced but choosing to let it slide. As he turned his attention back to the road.
"God," I whispered to myself. "What is this…"