Nyx awoke with a start and jumped up.

I will escape this time!

That's when she noticed that she was no longer in the back of a wagon. She wasn't even tied up anymore. The sound that had awoke her, a chicken crowing, could be heard again outside of the building she was in.

Chickens? Where am I? Was I out so long that they already sold me to someone?

Her heart pounded in her chest and she took in her surroundings. The room was poorly lit, but she had been in one of two small beds. One of which was made up, and hers, which had the scratchy wool blanket was against the wall with a window to the outside next to it.

Upon examination of her clothing, she found that she was in a soft cotton nightgown, and she saw a pile of folded clothes next to the bed where she had woke up. The clothes were the ones she had been wearing in the wagon. She walked the couple feet over to the end table and put her hand on the clothing.

There were toys strewn across the floor and she saw that the other bed had a small collection of stuffed animals sitting atop it.

This looks like a little girls' room. The last thing I remember was being beaten and dragged back to that awful carriage before I activated my special ability.

Nyx raised her hand to her head and brushed her wavy hair out of her face. Her bare feet felt cold on the wooden floor, and she knew that she must have been rescued from those slavers, but by whom? Her stomach grumbled loudly, but she did her best to ignore it. She quickly changed into her original clothing and seriously considered climbing out the window.

She walked over to it and ran her fingers across the grainy wood. It still amazed her how real everything was in this virtual world. She was stuck here, forever. That thought still stung deeply, but she made herself focus on the task at hand. So far the game had been less than kind to her. Shouldn't she just run while she had the chance? The people who saved her must be good people, though.

Nyx’s ability, Stasis, had the major downside of placing her in a state that was similar to that of a sleepwalker, but it had preserved her sanity, which she surely would have lost if she had to endure another moment in that cage. Her body was on a kind of autopilot for a duration that she set in return for a short burst of increased stats relative to how long she remained in stasis. Essentially the lights had been on, but nobody had been home the whole time. She had no memory at all of what her body had been doing this whole time. Considering she had been captured by slave traders, she wasn't too disappointed to have that gap in memory, but it was all very confusing to wake up in a strange place and not have any memory of it.

She had set the duration of the Stasis to be one day before they were to arrive at their destination after she had been captured during her first bundled escape attempt and beaten within an inch of her life. The slavers had been pretty free with their tongues up in front of the wagon while she had nothing better to do than listen. She silently vowed that she would grind some levels and if they hadn't been killed already, she would make sure that they got what was coming to them.

She had arrived in the middle of a field when logging into this world. After reaching a nearby farm, she had been told the closest town had been Elivaster, and that it was to the south. She had just been getting started, still level 1, when they had snatched her up from the side of the road. Nyx hadn’t been given any starting gear to fight with and so she was easily taken.

This whole experience has been a nightmare. I fucking hate this place. They never even gave me a chance to succeed in this world. No tutorial, no weapon, nothing. I had zero chance.

The only thing she had going for her at all in this world was the ability that she had been given. Initially, it didn't seem as though it was very overpowered, but her opinion had changed on that after having spent all this time in a vegetable-like state.

When she had originally tried using the ability to escape, it had run out too soon and so she was easily captured after what was less than a ten minute chase through some fields, she hadn't wanted to make that mistake again, and when the began to beat her, she put herself in that state.

Nyx had no idea if they would take care of her in that state, but someone must've been at least giving her water. She was glad they hadn't just thrown her away. Slave girls must be worth a good amount of money. She had also hoped that when she came to, they would think she was still broken somehow, so she could get the drop on them the next time they took her out of the cage.

For sure someone saved me. There's no way those bastards would have sold me to someone who would leave me free like this and not in another cage or something. I wonder if that elf that was captured before me was rescued as well. If she was, then why isn't she here, too? I hope she’s okay.

In the end, her stomach made the decision for her. She hadn't eaten for so long that it felt as though her stomach would burn a hole right through her center. Someone had to have been feeding her something, as she hadn't lost any weight, but she was still starving.

She silently cursed the developers of the game for putting in hunger mechanics, and made her way slowly to the door leading out of the room. Hopefully, the people who had saved her would also be kind enough to feed her for free as she had no money at all.

The hallway outside the room was much warmer and she edged her way out the door. She wondered if it was early. Don't roosters crow at sunrise, or do they do that at other times of the day as well?

From the window, she knew that it had been light out and that she was on some kind of farm, as she could see a barn nearby, but it was hard to tell the time of day as she couldn't see the sun. The game's interface didn't seem to work at all other than to show her some notifications and her status page.

Maybe she could unlock more stuff later? A clock would have been a nice basic thing for those assholes to include, but she guessed that they wanted things to be as real as they could be while still having a leveling system. She crept forward and winced when a floorboard creaked loudly under her boot. There was no sounds of life ahead of her so she breathed a sigh of relief before continuing onward.

When she came to a small living room with an open kitchen, she didn't see anyone right away. There was a lingering smell of some food coming from the kitchen and once again her stomach grumbled loudly. While she debated on whether or not to go steal some food, the door swung open with a slam and a little girl ran into the room.

Nyx stared at the girl in shock and received what was probably a mirrored look in return before the girl turned around and dashed out the door.

Crap! I need to get out of here right now, don’t I?

“Daddy! The girl is moving! Come see!” she heard the little girl yelling to someone outside.

Should she run back to the room and out the window? There was no time. A man stepped inside the front door before she could run, followed by a kind looking middle-aged woman and the little girl hiding behind the man's legs. Her body was still tensed and ready to run, but it really didn't appear that these people were bad.

If they aren't going to kill me, then maybe they can tell me what happened and how I got here.

The man looked a bit intimidating at first glance, but he was probably just worried about his family's safety. No one could have known she wasn't some kind of murderer or criminal due to her vegetable state, so could she blame them for being wary? She forced a smile onto her face.

“Hi. My name is Nyx. Thanks for taking care of me. By any chance could you tell me how I came to be here?”

They stared at her for a moment before the man responded.

“It’s good to see that you have recovered,” the man looked her up and down. “My name is Jayse, and this little one is Aerie. You don't have to be frightened of us. Have a seat and I’ll tell you what I know of what happened to you and how you came to be here on my farm.”

“Thanks.” Nyx took a seat in one of the chairs in the living room and put her hands in her lap. The hand crafted furniture was sturdy and well made. It wasn't the most comfortable furniture in the world, but the blanket hanging from the back of her chair was nice to lean against. Jayse sat down in a rocking chair across from her and told her everything he knew over the next several minutes.

After he was finished, she quietly digested the information that had been given to her.

Astoria… as in the town in Oregon from The Goonies? Probably not a coincidence. She must be another player. What are the odds that we would both end up captured by that Red Lotus group? This game has a sick sense of destiny. Seems like she’s a good person though. I definitely want to help her rid this world of those creeps if I can.

“When were they last here, again?”

“They were last here about two days ago. I hope they’re all right,” he said.

“You think they might still be in the town? How far is that from here? Maybe I can go meet up with them.”

“Are you sure that you want to be going off alone? You’ve been through a lot and you should be safe here. I’m sure the others will come back for you soon.”

“I’d feel better if I could help them in some way,” she didn’t mention that she would feel a lot safer with another player nearby so she could have someone to relate to rather than hanging out with some NPCs, no matter how realistic their AI was.

The front door opened and an an older girl who was maybe just a few years younger than herself came in and shut the door behind her, leaning against it.

“Dad, there are three soldiers outside asking for you.” The girl's eyes darted over to Nyx for just an instant.

“Do you have any weapons in the house? Maybe a sword or dagger or something?” Nyx asked.

“No, nothing like that. I have a bow, but it won’t do us much good against trained soldiers. I’m just a farmer and the worst I have to deal with is wildlife trying to get at my livestock. I have an axe near the back of the house for chopping wood, it could work as a weapon, but I think it'd be best if you hid instead of trying to fight. We don't know what they want yet. Rodia, take her back to our room and if it sounds bad, get out using the window, take the girls with you to our shelter.

I don’t care what he says, I have a distinct feeling that those guards are going to be trouble somehow. I won’t just stand by and do nothing. I will fight. I’m never going to let myself be taken again.

She let Rodia lead her to the back of the house and they quietly huddled behind the door listening. She was prepared to activate her ability, she wasn't a trained fighter, but she would be far stronger than the average person. She strained to hear the conversation that was taking place. She had already missed the beginning of the conversation.

“Listen, old man, we’re just looking for a group of four girls. Three of them were seen in town just the other day and escaped. According to the warrant I received from my superiors, there is also a fourth girl that was travelling with them. They are all violent criminals. We have two witnesses that have stated they saw four individuals on horseback headed in this direction recently, which means the fourth girl is hiding out somewhere. We've already checked the other farms, yours is the last, now step aside and let us do our job. If you don't comply, I've been given the authority to burn your farm to the ground. We're going to search the house, and then the barn and other outbuildings one by one whether you agree or not.”

“I told you before, I haven’t seen anyone out in this direction in weeks, certainly not any strangers. Lord Garland would not stand for this behavior from his soldiers, you should be ashamed of yourselves for threatening to destroy my home!”

“Garland is a filthy criminal. He’s no longer in charge. Are you going to move and let us inside, or do we need to move you?”

“By the king’s laws you have no right to enter my home!”

“Just shut up and move!”

Nyx heard some struggling noises and then a thud. The little girl, Aerie, started to let out a cry but her mother clamped a hand over her mouth and shushed her.

“We need to go. Jayse is tougher than he looks. There’s a hidden storm cellar in our barn for emergencies. Please, help me get the girls to safety.”

“Okay. We need to move fast.” Footsteps could be heard down the hallway. They would be searching room by room. It would be mere moments before they got to the room where they were currently hiding. Nyx helped Rodia get the older girl out of the window first, followed by Aerie. Rodia went next, and Nyx took up the rear. Just as her feet hit the dirt outside the door creaked open and she could hear voices again.

“I don’t know why Lord Dane cares so much about finding these girls, anyway.”

“Orders are orders. We aren't paid to think. This farmhouse looks to be clear, we should head back and then work on searching the outbuildings.”

“We’re going to burn this house to the ground as a lesson, anyway. That old man is hiding something. Maybe not the girl, but there’s something suspicious going on here,” a third voice said in a commanding tone.

“Isn’t that extreme, sir? I didn’t sign on to burn down people’s homes. I want to uphold the law. There's no evidence. He just didn't want us trashing his home.”

“You’ll do as your told. Go light the torches.”

They stopped listening at that point and ran towards the barn at full speed.

This isn’t right! These kind people are going to lose everything just for hiding me. I have to do something.

Just as they ran past the wood pile, Nyx took a moment to grab the woodcutter's axe that was sticking out of a large round of wood. She heaved it up over her shoulder and continued to follow the others. Once they were all inside the shelter of the barn, Rodia spoke, “It’s just a house. We can rebuild. It isn’t worth your life, dear. Help me move these piles of hay over just a little,” she pointed to a mound of hay that was in the far corner of the barn surrounded by various farming tools and equipment.

The kindly woman handed her a pitchfork and they moved the pile slightly to the side revealing a hidden cellar door beneath. Rodia grabbed a lantern off of a hook and quickly lit it before leading the girls down some stairs.

“I’m not going. I will help Jayse and try to save your farm if I can. Besides, someone has to be up here to hide the cellar again, and I won't let it be you. If the worst happens... I don't want them to be without parents because of me.”

She could see that Rodia wanted to tell her go down the stairs, but she nodded at the logic of her words. “Bring him back to us, okay?”

“I promise that I’ll do everything I can.”

She hefted the heavy double bladed axe onto her shoulder and accessed the reserved stats she had saved up from her stasis ability. She could immediately feel in her strength as the axe felt light in her hand. She could swing this thing with ease now. She swung it a few times to test her newfound strength.

I can do this. I’m now twice as powerful as I would normally be. I can fight. You have to be brave if you want to survive in this shitty world.

Taking a deep breath she went to the barn entrance and peeked out. Three guards stood before the house talking. She couldn’t hear what they said, but one of them was lighting torches.

I need to move before it’s too late.

She stepped out of the barn with the axe at her shoulder and shouted, “Hey, assholes! You looking for me?”

The men all turned toward her at the same time. “Go get her!” the man with the voice that had wanted to burn the farmhouse down commanded.

Here goes nothing. If I die, at least it will be on my own terms, doing the right thing.

Two of the three soldiers walked in her direction without even an ounce of worry on their faces. She didn’t have any skill in using axes, or anything for that matter, but she could swing the thing around and move quickly. The thing was far from a battle axe that people see in the movies, it was just a regular double headed axe with a small head and sturdy wooden handle.

She just hoped it was sharp. She would have to aim precisely in order to land a killing blow. The guards weren’t exactly decked out in plate armor or anything, just what looked to be boiled leather and steel skullcaps. The two approaching her were equipped with swords and had shields on their backs. The leader, who was watching the scene play out, had a halberd strapped to his back.

“Do you think we’re firewood or something, girl?” One of the guards laughed at her.

“Put the axe down and come quietly. If you do, maybe we can spare this man's farm. If not, then we will have no choice but to not only burn the farm down, but kill that lying farmer as well. You don’t want that do you, girl?” said the other.

The guards stopped about a dozen paces away from her, awaiting her answer. Nyx gritted her teeth in frustration. She didn’t want to be taken again, but also didn’t want to be the reason that those kids lost their dad and their home in one day.

The people in this world were too realistic to think of as NPCs. In fact, she was likely not much different from them since her real body was dead. She was just code like them now, wasn't she?

Nyx weighed her options, and decided that now would be her best shot at freedom. She didn’t trust the word of these soldiers, anyway. Their leader had sounded like he just wanted to burn the place down no matter what they had found because Jayse had resisted. They would kill Jayse and his family for hiding her, no matter what they said.

“I won’t be going with you, and you will not be harming any more innocent people!” she said defiantly and readied herself for combat.

The guards shrugged and unsheathed their swords. “It’s not like she will be able to resist, anyway. Look at her, she has no armor and no real weapon. Not only that, but a girl her age is likely to have no combat experience at all. Lord Dane is wasting resources sending us after someone like this. Just how violent of a criminal could she be? The other three seem to be the real threat.”

“It’s not our duty to worry about things like that. We follow orders. Let’s get her.”

The soldiers advanced and Nyx decided that she would take that smug look off the mocking one’s face first. The guards spread apart a little to give each other room to fight and drew their swords.

Nyx burst into action and charged at her intended target. A look of surprise came across the smug man's face when he saw how fast she ran. He swung at her weapon, probably hoping to cut the wooden handle in half, but she quickly dodged to the side and swung her axe with all of her enhanced strength at the man's center like she was chopping down a tree.

The head of the axe slammed into her target and bit deeply. The man dropped his sword and screamed in pain as she ripped it free. He fell to the ground and while keeping an eye on the other opponent who was now charging her, she brought the axe down on the prone man's exposed neck.

One down. Two more of these assholes to go.

The second man had removed the shield from his back and held it out in front of him as he came in, thrusting his sword at her. It caught her just barely on the side as she spun to the side and brought her axe towards him in an arc. He shoved his shield into the blow and she staggered backwards slightly. The third guard, the one with the halberd, was on his way to aid his companion. She needed to end this before he could join the fight.

The guard with the shield charged her and got in close, and spun, trying to backhand her with the shield, but she grabbed it with one hand and yanked him towards her hard. He was thrown off balance and she let the haft of the axe slide through her fingers until she touched the axe head.

In one swift motion, she brought the blade up to the man's throat and shoved it into his windpipe. Blood sprayed all over her and she shoved him away from her. He fell to the ground gurgling at her feet.

If I can take care of the last guy, then they'll be safe. You can do it, Nyx, ignore the pounding of your heart, and focus! The leader is probably stronger than these two, or at least it’s likely that he is. I have to be careful.

“Looks like you’re a lot stronger than you look, girl. Those weaklings didn’t stand a chance,” he sneered at her. The man spun his halberd in a flashy move as though it were a quarterstaff before settling into a fighting stance. It had a half-moon axe on one side and spikes on the top and rear of the weapon.

This one is going to be trouble. The reach on that weapon is going to put me at a huge disadvantage.

She didn’t have time to think more, however, as the guard sprung into action stabbing at her with the top of the halberd as though it was a spear in a quick motion. She didn’t have time to dodge and the tip of the thing caught her in her left shoulder. Pain exploded in her brain as she jumped backwards.

At least he hadn't hit anything vital, but her arm would not be as easy to move anymore. Blood seeped out of her wounds and the health bar dropped faster than ever now. She cursed aloud and continued to back away as the man stabbed at her from a distance. She needed to get close.

In her enhanced state she had a lot more vitality than normal, so while the wounds looked bad with blood drenching her clothes, she could still continue the fight for a while at least. The wounds hurt like hell, though. She was moving a little slower now as well.

I need to do something different or I'm going to die here.

Nyx threw the axe at the guard who jumped to the side, startled. She darted to the side and scooped up one of fallen guard's weapons. She gripped the shield in her injured left arm and swung the sword once to get a feel for it. It wasn't as heavy as the axe, so she could move quicker.

The guard had recovered from the shock of an axe flying through the air at his head and advanced towards her again, swinging the halberd's axe-like blade in a wide arc. This time she was fast enough and brought the shield up, bracing for the impact. The halberd connected and knocked her slightly off balance, but not so bad that she couldn’t recover.

In a quick motion, the guard retracted his weapon and stabbed at her again. She spun to the side, narrowly avoiding being skewered. She had to get in close, or he was just going to wear her down. She had higher stats, but her stamina was far from infinite.

He seems to be almost as fast as I am, and equally strong. Not only that, but he's trained, and I'm not.

When he swung the weapon at her again she blocked it and then she dropped her sword and with lightning quick reflexes grabbed the shaft of his weapon, yanking on it with everything she had. He only moved forward a couple steps, but he had foolishly let himself be put off balance.

It would be enough, she smashed her shield as hard as she could with the injured arm directly into the man's face, sending him flying backwards onto the ground. She heard the crunch of the enemy's nose breaking upon impact.

Blood spurted out of his nose and she didn't hesitate to move in. She climbed atop him and shoved the edge of her shield down onto his windpipe. He grabbed at her, struggling to throw her off, but she was too strong.

She pressed all of her weight down onto his neck and the metal ate into the man's neck. Blood blossomed into existence and the man flailed wildly, but still she didn't relent. She kept him pinned until he died and then flopped off of him to the side and onto the ground.

Nyx's heart was beating a million times a minute and she gasped for air. She had just killed three enemies all on her own, at level 1! She stared up at the sky for a moment or two as she let it sink into her. She was alive! They weren't going to take her away again! Not ever!

I need to go check on Jayse and the others. This will probably cause even more trouble for them, but at least Jayse will live.

She looked down at herself and saw that she was covered in gore, but it seemed like the bleeding in her side had stopped already. It still hurt like hell, though. The wound in her shoulder was a bit more severe, but the bleeding had slowed as well. Her health bar was steadying.

I just killed three people. Sure, they were bad, or at least two of them were from what I heard, but they probably had families of their own. This isn’t like a regular game, the people here aren’t just NPCs, they’re like real people. I didn't have a choice though, did I?

She walked towards the farmhouse and weighted the moral dilemma in her mind. It wasn’t like at home, this world was one of kill or be killed. Truly a Darwinist experience, survival of the fittest was the rule of this world.

She wiped the tears that had come unbidden to her eyes away. In the real world, she wouldn’t have hurt a fly. Video game violence was always okay, because at the end of the day it wasn’t real.

She would have to harden herself to the realities of this world, or she knew that she would not be able to survive for long.

I will do what I have to do. More importantly, I will do what’s right since apparently even the guards in this world can't be trusted to do so. They were going to burn down this farm and orphan those girls. I did make the right decision, I know it.

She shook herself out of thoughts as she got to the door and deactivated her ability. The increased strength faded from her and the wounds that she had ignored hurt a bit more than before, but it would be okay.

Jayse was lying on the floor, and she rushed over to him and leaned down to check his pulse. He was breathing and had a steady heartbeat. He must have just been knocked out. The bastards were going to burn the place down with him inside! There was a large purple knot forming on his head.

I need to go let Rodia know that everything is okay. Maybe they have first aid supplies or something.

Nyx didn’t waste any time and ran back over to the barn. She opened the cellar door and went down inside. Rodia and the girls were backed into a corner and she held a kitchen knife out in front of her wardingly before she saw that it was Nyx.

“You’re okay! Is Jayse… is he...?" The woman couldn’t complete the sentence.

“He’s okay. He’s been knocked out and he’s on the floor in the farm house. I’ve dealt with the guards, they were going to burn the place down with him inside. Do you have any first aid stuff? He's probably going to be fine, but I'm sure that when these guards don't report back, more will be coming. I’m so sorry that I’ve caused so much trouble for your family.”

Rodia gave her a warm smile. “We couldn’t just say no. Helping you was the right thing to do, and I’d do it again. Let’s go check on my husband. Girls, I want you to stay here for a little bit, okay?”

“Mommy! Don’t go! I don’t want to be here, it’s dark and smelly,” Aerie said.

“I’ll be right back, I promise. Judy, take care of your sister.”

“All right. Just come back fast, okay, mom?”

“Don’t worry. Everything is going to be fine.”

Nyx and Rodia made their way back to the farm house at a full sprint and found Jayse still on the floor, but he was beginning to stir. He sat up and rubbed his head where he had the knot.

“Ugh… what happened? Did they leave?”

“No. They were going to kill you and burn down your farm. I took care of them, though. I think that there will be more coming when these guys don’t return, though. Is there a place you can go that’s safe?”

“My sister’s farm is not too far. We could get there in a couple hours cross-country. What do you think, dear?”

“This is a small town, the guards would find us there and it would cause problems for your sister. It will be better for us if we hide in the forest for a few days. It’s unfortunate, but we may have to leave this country and start anew. Lord Garland is a man I respect, and I can't imagine him becoming a criminal. Something bad happened. What happened here today is proof enough. I do have a few gold coins hidden inside the house. We could start over in Triom, we just need to get to the other side of the Serpentine Mountains. If a young girl like Astoria could do it, then I’m sure we can as well.”

“I suppose you’re right. I’ll gather the essentials as quickly as I can. We can be on our way in no time. What should we do about the bodies?”

“Leave them. It won’t make any difference, anyway. People would’ve seen them heading toward our place. We don’t need to waste any more valuable time, I’ll go get the horses.”

“Nyx, could you be a dear and go get the girls?”

“Yeah. No problem,” she replied.

She went outside and left the two of them to their tasks. Before heading to the barn she decided to search the guards. Maybe they had some useful items for her to take. Upon inspection she found some health potions and a total of 8 silver coins and 53 copper coins. She decided that she would keep the sword and shield as well. She transferred the coins into a single pouch, downed a health potion, and examined each of her new belongings.

Steel Longsword • Quality: Average

• Durability: 37/45

Steel Kite Shield • Quality: Average

• Durability: 42/45

Weak Health Potion (4) • Quality: Common

• Effects: Drinking this potion will restore 40 HP over 30 seconds.

Belt of Minor Strength • Quality: Above Average

• Enchantment: +3 to Strength

• Durability: 53/60

The belt was a nice find. It had been equipped on the man who had been wielding the halberd. The belt had a symbol etched into the buckle that was a man flexing his bicep. That was what made it stand out to her in the first place enough to remove it and have a closer look at it. It wasn’t a huge enchantment or anything, but that +3 would turn into a +6 when she activated her Stasis ability.

She fastened the belt around her waist and equipped all of her gear. The kite shield was now strapped to her back and the sword hung at her waist in its scabbard. The belt pouch hung from the other side of her waist and she felt like a real adventurer now. She didn’t have any armor to speak of, but none of their equipment would fit her, so she didn’t take any of that. While she was getting equipped, Jayse had brought the horses around front and Rodia was loading them up with things.

Right. I’d better get the girls.

Only a few minutes had passed, but she realized that she should have looted her enemies later. These people needed to be away from this place, and she had delayed that. She ran over to the hidden cellar and went down inside.

“It’s okay to come out now. Your parents are packing up a horse. You’re going to be going on a trip.”

Judy came out of the corner, followed closely by her little sister and they ran past her to the outside. She turned around and followed them. Aerie let out a gasp when she saw the dead men lying on the ground.

“What happened?” Judy asked.

“They were going to hurt your father and burn down the farm. I didn’t have a choice.”

Aerie ran over to her mom and hugged her legs. The older woman bent down to give her daughter a hug and whispered something to her. Aerie ran off inside the house a moment later.

“Judy, go get some of your belongings. We are going to have to leave this place behind. Grab only the essentials! You can bring one book with you,” Rodia said.

The older girl looked like she was about to cry. She stood next to Nyx and looked around the farm longingly.

“Things were just fine here until all you strangers started showing up,” she muttered under her breath as she walked away towards the house.

I feel so bad for these people. They have been nothing but kind to me. This isn’t my fault, nor is it Astoria or the others'. The Red Lotus and that lord are the problem. I may not be powerful yet, but I vow that I will make this right.

She saw that her notification icon was blinking and so she took a moment to open it up and have a look.

Notifications You have gained 360 EXP for defeating 2 level 4 Guards.

You have gained 330 EXP for defeating a level 6 Guard. You have completed a hidden quest: Fight for What's Right!

Bravery means doing what's right even if you're afraid. You have shown that you have courage by standing by Jayse and his family when you could have ran away instead.

Reward: 500 EXP You have unlocked a hidden quest: Destroy the Red Lotus

An underground flesh trading organization that captures young girls and sells them off to the highest bidders as slaves has ravaged the kingdom of Regulus for years now. Unravel the secrets behind this organization and bring it down once and for all. Avenge the innocent and free the kingdom from this scourge!

Reward: Unknown

Do you accept?

Yes / No Congratulations! You have reached levels 2, 3, and 4! You have gained 18 attribute points to distribute.

I can’t believe I gained so much experience! I really think that the only way I was able to defeat those guards at all was because they underestimated me so badly.

Nyx was grateful for the extra experience from the hidden quest. And selected yes on the one regarding the Red Lotus. It was time to allocate her new stats. She wanted to increase her physical attributes because they would benefit her most right now. She didn't have any magic to speak of, so upgrading those magic related stats would be pointless for now. She also never really believed in placing points in a useless stat like luck.

In most games it barely helped at all, and in others it just increased critical strike chance or stuff like that. She would take a hard pass on wasting points there. She placed three points into endurance, three points into agility, and six points into strength and vitality. She felt the effects take place and grinned as she looked over her shiny new status page.

Spoiler: Nyx' Stats Name Nyx Level 004 (1190/1307 EXP to next Level) Class None HP 171/240 MP 150/150 AP 0 Attributes Vitality 16 Magic 10 Endurance 13 Magic Resistance 10 Strength 16 Luck 5 Agility 13 Dexterity 10 Abilities • Stasis

• 14 Hours 12 Minutes of stored power available. Skills

• None

She still had tons of time stored up from her long time spent as a vegetable. She had found a loophole in the system, and now she could abuse it. She closed out the windows and turned to the family.

“Is there anything that I can help you with before I head out? I’m going to go to the town and find the others. That lord isn’t going to get away with this if I have anything to say about it,” she said.

“Don’t throw your life away, girl. How about you come with us? We’re going to start fresh where no one will know us. I can just say you’re my adopted daughter if anyone asks,” Jayse said.

Nyx seriously missed her family and a huge part of her wanted to take the safe route and go with these people. Even so, her experiences so far in this world told her that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to live a simple life on a farm.

Her grandparents owned a ranch and she had spent every summer there since she was little so she knew her way around a farm. It would be so easy to slip into that life and forget about adventuring. She wouldn’t ever be able to return home, and that was heartbreaking, but she didn’t have to throw away her life to seek adventure when there were very real consequences.

“I… wish I could do that, but the others might need my help and they did so much to rescue me. I need to repay them. You are such good people. Thank you for offering to take me with you, it means more to me than you could ever know,” she wiped away a tear that had escaped her eye while she was reminiscing about her grandparents.

“I can’t force you to go, I suppose,” Jayse said. He reached into a pack on the side of the horse and pulled out a blue cloak. It had an attached hood and looked warm. “Take this at least. It will keep you warm. If you insist on going to Oliend, tread carefully on the road and avoid people. Keep that hood up. When you get close to the town take the road leading to the left. It circles around the town and past the graveyard. About thirty minutes walk beyond that is Lord Dane’s estate and if you continue a bit further, then you will reach Lord Garland's home. That is where the others were headed, but I don't know what happened if he is now considered a criminal. I wish you the best of luck, young one.”

Rodia came outside and walked over to her with a small bundle. “It isn’t much, but I made you a sandwich for the road,” she handed over the food that was wrapped in a hand stitched handkerchief.

“Thank you. I’d better be on my way. I don’t think I have long until sunset,” she replied. Nyx took the cloak from Jayse and put it on. The fabric was a sturdy, thick wool that felt as though it would keep her nice and warm if she had to sleep outside or be out in the rain. She smiled to the family and said her farewells. As she walked down the dirt road she turned back to see the family leading the horse off into the field toward the direction of the mountains. I hope they will be okay. She thought as she turned and continued on her way.