Equipping his cloths instead of putting them on sure saved him a lot of time. Joe pondered how could he ever lived without that ability. He chose his leather cargo pants, something he made a while ago. A plain cotton shirt and a light leather vest. +3 vest that is. Just in case.

With a flick of his fingers the items appeared on his body. Quite recently slurped clean body.

“There you are.”

Savile stood by the village gates.

“They’ve been waiting for you.”

“They?”

“The village elders.”

His memory buzzed and churned and…

“Funny. Feels like I forgot something.”

No, that could not be. His memory wouldn’t allow it. Maybe…

He browsed through his journal. All the recent pages were there so perhaps he just been too paranoid lately? Well, whatever. Shrugging his arms joe went through the gate and towards the village center.

“Look ma, look! Bald people! Why do they have no fur?”

A furball with arms and legs sticking out of it and no taller than Joe’s knee pointed at him. It looked cute.

“Stop that! It’s impolite…”

The troubled mother hissed and with her ears plastered against her head. She grabbed the little squirt by the scruff and soon after both of them disappeared inside the nearest house.

Joe didn’t mind. To him all the demi looked like… no. not like animals. Neira made sure he couldn’t think of them as such without hating himself for what they did. But still the demi…

“Look ma, look! Bald people! Why do they have no fur?”

A furball with arms and legs sticking out of it and no taller than Joe’s knee pointed at him. It looked cute.

“Stop that! It’s impolite…”

The troubled mother hissed and with her ears plastered against her head. She grabbed the little squirt by the scruff and soon after both of them disappeared inside the nearest house.

“Huh?”

Joe stopped and stared backwards. Haven’t they… Just a moment ago?

“What? Something the matter?”

He stopped so abruptly.

“I’m sure the kid never saw humans before. Don’t pay it any mind.”

Joe cast one more look around. He could swear he saw them already.

“Déjà vu, huh.”

He shook his head. He had too much stress lately. Too much stress and too many tentacles.

The village elders were waiting for them by the pond. Even though their words were hushed and out of the reach of his ears, Joe already felt the tension in the air around them.

“Ah, be welcomed oh honorable hero!”

Savile snorted as they bowed deeply before them.

Joe ignored her.

“Yeah, yeah. Yada-yada. Just get to the business. I don’t do hero. I do delivery boy. What do you want? The villagers aren’t starving anymore right? The quest is complete, right?”

The last part he spoke as if to someone else aside from the elders.

“Well, that is…”

The village chief looked at him troubled.

“No… no! I refuse!”

Ignoring his protests a screen popped up and confirmed his worry.

Starving Village quest part II shined in gold letters with a slight reddish tint.

“Hey you!”

Joe screamed.

“Old geezer! This is cheating! I did not agree to do any sub-quests!”

But no answer came.

“ starving village… yada-yada… no more food… must move… desert… monsters… Oh for fuck sake how am I supposed to move the entire village?!”

Still, no answer came. Instead, an ominous female voice announced in his head.

Twenty four hours remaining.

Joe howled and stormed away from the alarmed and somewhat baffled village elders.

“Honorable elders,”

Savile inclined her head slightly.

“Please pay him no mind. He’s but a man of gods.”

“Ah yes…”

Her remark brought some understanding to the face of the village chief.

“That sort tends to do that. Once more if I may express our deepest apology. Again we must put our faith in your hands.”