Chapter 4: A farmer’s life 4

“W-what happened?!” Suddenly having realized that I’m no longer in-game, I get out of the VR capsule.

Still not understanding why I got logged-off, I recall what happened in the game yet again. With that vivid scene still fresh in my mind, I felt sick to my stomach and had rush to the bathroom. Reaching the bathroom, I immediately puked everything inside my stomach. I continue puking until I could puke no more. After a while, I drank some tap water and went back to my bedroom. Without much strength left with all the puking I did, I felt very tired so I decided to sleep for a while. I wished that I wouldn’t dream of those horrid ants but unfortunately it won’t be fulfilled.

~~~~~~~~~~~18HOURS LATER~~~~~~~~~~~

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!”

I suddenly woke up while shouting. Needless to say, I dreamt of being eaten by ants, no I had a nightmare about getting eaten by ants. I had nasty sweat all over with an equally nasty headache. Looking at the clock near my bed I realize why my head hurts. Apparently I slept for over 18 hours! The headache I’m feeling is likely from extreme hunger since I only ate breakfast yesterday and it came out immediately after.

“I remember falling asleep at 11am, and it’s now 5:23am of the next day…I should wash up and get something to eat” I again went back to the bathroom that’s connected to my bedroom, while on the way I glanced on my VR capsule but clearly food is the immediate concern

After washing my face, and brushing my teeth thoroughly, I head to the kitchen. I took out some processed readymade food from the fridge, heated it inside the “super warmer” (latest microwave) and took out some milk. I decided to get some bread and jam. It was a little too much for an early breakfast but since I haven’t eaten for a whole day, it was just right.

Finishing everything, I cleaned up the things I used such as glass, spoons and forks. I also needed to throw away the accumulating trash which consists of lots of containers for readymade food. The way trash is disposed have improved drastically over the years but the act of bringing it out and putting it in a specialized container didn’t change. There are homes with automated systems for this but my apartment doesn’t, so I needed to go outside. I reached the container, opened it, put a bag filled with trash inside, and then closed it. On the cover is something I didn’t notice earlier. It was something small, about the size of a small grain of rice with six legs. Since it was very small, it’s probably the reason I didn’t notice it earlier, but definitely it was……..an ant.

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Yes…I screamed like a girl and ran away. As pathetic as it looks and sounds, that was the only thing I could do. Seeing that ant made me remember my nightmare which I forgot because of hunger and it also made me remember what happened on Royal Road. I just barely stopped myself from puking my guts all over. It took me 2 hours before I could calm down.

“Right….it’s just an ant….a small ant…..haaa….ha……ha…..nothing in reality could be that big…right…no ant can kill me ………” I tell myself this while panting heavily……after I get myself together again, I decided to take a bath to further calm myself.

I soaked in the bathtub for a long time. I decided that ants are just ants and that there is nothing to be afraid about them. Only after convincing myself of this did I leave the bathroom. Feeling refreshed after a bath, I decided to watch some T.V, making sure to avoid any nature channels.

“T.V on, KMC games channel” after I say this, the T.V quickly turned on and set itself on a gaming channel about Royal Road. On the screen was some player leading a large group, fighting some monsters that looked like giants.

“Hahahahha look at the size of those things. Those players just look like toys being kicked around. Yep, compared to those giants, ants are nothing!” after watching giants slaughter thousands of players, I completely forgot my fear of ants for the moment. I continued to watch this show for a few hours until it ended with the giants killing everything that wasn’t the size of a giant. It was quite interesting because near the end, the giants started to do a formation and suddenly, ice covered the land killing any survivors. After watching how it ended I looked at the time on the T.V and saw that it was already 12:10

Since it was past 12, I decided to get lunch since I was getting hungry again. All in all I finished eating at about 12:45 and decided to log back in to Royal Road to see what happened to my avatar.

“Log-in, Username: Riyen, Password: *************.” Light filled my surroundings and instantly pulled me into the world of Royal Road

Returning in-game, I open my eyes and the first thing I see is a turtle, a really old looking turtle looking straight at me.

“Nnnn…the young hyuuumen…..you have finally regained consciousness” says the turtle in a very old sounding voice

Since the turtle spoke, I quickly concluded that it was from the Beast people. Well seeing as it was also wearing what can be called as clothes, it was a no brainer. I looked at my surroundings and saw that I was in some kind of tent made from….”skins” Looking closely, it seems they were skins of beasts, lots of different kind of beasts. I thought for sure that I would be at New End because I ended up dying, but it seems it wasn’t the case since I don't recall seeing tents there.

“Where am I? And um what happened to me Mr. Turtle?” asking the turtle seems to be the fastest way of gaining information so that’s what I did

“Nnnn…..you are in the village of Darsheen young hyuuumen, and I am the Elder of this village….Turth-ahn, you have arrived here two days ago now, on the back of a……wounded animal…..” says the turtle who introduced herself as Turth-ahn. When I heard the name, the turtle’s gender can also be seen beside her name in the info window that popped

Village of Darsheen? I quickly opened my personal map to see where it was located. On the map I saw a very small dot located on an area with green color. Seeing that my current location was the place I went through so much to reach made me first, shocked, second extremely happy! I finally arrived at the land I bought!

“Village of Darsheen is located on this place here on the map right?” after checking my map 3 times, I then showed it to the old turtle

“Nnnnnnn….yes that seems to be correct young hyuuumen….anyway about the animal that brought you here…would you like to see him?”

“Hmm? Animal? You mean my horse Ollie? He’s okay right? Since he did manage to bring me here, I wanna check the place first” I say this to the old turtle. I was too excited to see my land to worry about the old horse

“Nnn...He is okay now but….he is still injured hyuuumen...you should see him first” says the old turtle.

It kinda seems like her attitude somewhat changed but I decided not to mind it. Not paying any more attention to the old turtle, I quickly went out of the tent. It was quick because the exit is quite visible. Once I head out, what I saw left me speechless…

“………………………….The hell is this?” is the only thing I said before I started running around the place.

I quickly go around the village. It didn’t take long because the village is pretty small. I was getting looks from different type of beast people because it seems I was the only “human” in the place. While going around the village, I look at the surrounding land and all I can see is the same thing, nothing. There was nothing around the village except for rocks and the earth itself. No grass, no trees, no grazing beasts just nothing. I decided to go outside of the village and run as far as I can go. After a certain distance I saw a river but it was the same. There was nothing growing near the river.

“What the fu** is this! This is nothing like the one in the viewing crystal. That Grud! He tricked me!” I took out the crystal from my inventory and looked at it again. I can see a great fertile land in the crystal along with a map which shows its location.

The location is the same as my personal map but what’s here is different from what’s in the crystal. So there is only one conclusion. Grud somehow managed to trick me! There is no other explanation! I then head back to the village to get Ollie and return to New End

“Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!” I kept repeating this until I reached the tent of the old Turtle. At the entrance is the old turtle which seems to have been waiting for me

“Elder turtle…where’s Ollie? I need him so I can get back to New End” not even bothering with pleasantries, I quickly say what I wanted to the old turtle

“Nnnn? Return to New End? With that wounded animal you call horse? I thought you are just a little too young, hyuuumen. I did not know you are stupid as well” says the Elder

“What did you say you old turtle?! Just take me to where Ollie is!” I was already pissed at being tricked so my patience is paper thin. After I shouted at the old turtle I suddenly notice the villagers looking at me with pure anger in their eyes.

It seems I made a very big mistake here. Looking around I see several beast people getting close. It was clear that they intend to want nothing but kill the one who insulted their elder. I didn’t bother trying to make excuses and just resigned myself to being killed since it was clear that I did something wrong

“Nnnnn…….that is close enough! you equally stupid youngsters….Did the “Great God” not give us the ability to reason and not just let our wild emotions get the better of us? *Tsk*...*tsk*...now you young hyuuumen, follow me…..I will take you to your “horse” Nnnn….”

“…………..thank you" I don’t know why the old turtle stopped the other beast people, but I was thankful for it

I then saw the old turtle smile a bit so it seems she heard my “thank you”. I was also quite embarrassed about having to be saved by someone I just insulted and shouted to so I decided to be more polite. I know I will really get killed if I didn’t watch what I say next time

“Nnnnn….in here…” the old turtle lead me to the back of the large tent that seems to be her home. It took a bit of time since we moved at a turtle’s pace but I didn’t complain. There was also another beast person near the place

“….thank you again for leading the way and taking care of both Ollie and me” while glancing at the other beast person I entered the tent where Ollie is at.

“Hey Ollie, get ready, we’re heading back to New End. I was tri…………..” I didn’t manage to finish what I was saying when I saw Ollie and the state he is in and just stared

Ollie is sitting on the ground covered by fur skins. He looked really weak and has a lot of injuries. The worst of them are the ones on his neck stretching down to his chest and on the left side of his stomach. They were clearly very deep. On the wounds are leaves and some kind of green paste. Seeing Ollie’s wounds I immediately rushed to him and then I remembered what happened that day when we were surrounded by ants

“Ollie….*sob*..*sob*…thank god your okay…” is the only thing I could say while crying. I clearly remember Ollie saving me from the ant that pulled me down and also how he charged at hundreds of ants without fear

*Unicorn Corp. seeking more realism in the virtual world made huge innovations in Royal Road. Other than how realistic monster and people in the game are, they also improved one of the most basic things that people, monsters, and Npc’s usually show. Their emotions. Things like getting embarrassed, getting angry and more importantly their happiness are clearly shown by their avatars. Monsters also clearly show their fury and also how they cower in fear against stronger enemies. The senses are also heightened to a shocking degree. But there are also problems. With how much realistic the world becomes, the drawbacks are also quite immense. Being too realistic means that the fear and shock you experience is also quite severe. Because of this Unicorn decided to put an option to reduce the realistic levels that players can freely use. They also added a ton of safety programs to ensure the well being of the users.*

I was crying and stroking Ollie’s head when the Elder turtle and the other beast person came inside the tent. I didn’t pay them much attention and couldn’t care less if they mock me for stupidly crying for a horse.

“Nnnn….It seems you are not as dumb as I thought young hyuuumen…also it is clear you will not be leaving with your “horse” anytime soon”

“………….I can’t ride Ollie while he’s in such a state…….what are these leaves and green stuff Elder?”

“Nnnn…those are herbs used to clean the wound and stop bleeding young hyuuumen…”

Knowing that they’re medicine eases my mind a bit but I still need to see how Ollie really is so I called out Ollie’s status window

“Open Ollie's status window”

Status Window[quart=Name,Species]Ollie,Horse[/quart]

[quart=Owner,Class]Riyen,Farm Horse[/quart]

[quart=Level,loyalty]100,Max[/quart]Health1600/3000Status(weakened state) (injured) *Healing herbs applied*[quart=Strength,Agility]200(100),100(70)[/quart]

[quart=Vitality,Stamina]250(150),400(150)[/quart]

[quart=Intelligence,Wisdom]80,0[/quart]

[quart=Luck,Defense]100,100[/quart]Skills

- Sprint

- Tackle

- Unwavering Courage (passive) (Depends on Loyalty)

I quickly see that Ollie’s Hp is only a little above half of what it should be. Seeing that he’s condition seems to better than I thought finally made me relax. I was also quite surprised at how high Ollie’s level and stats are. A normal horse’s level is capped at 100, this includes farm animals while a warhorse is capped at 400. If special conditions are triggered then their level caps are increased and they also get a new class, but that’s very rare.

“Haaa..I guess I won’t be able to go back to New End now…DAMN IT! That GRUD!! AND THOSE DAMNED ANTS!!! Ah…sorry about that Ollie…..here eat this, I know it isn’t your fault so just rest here…” seeing Ollie get surprised at my outburst made me instantly shouting. I also gave Ollie an apple that was saved in my inventory

“Nnnn….young hyuuumen…those wounds…we speculated what might have caused them…and now you just said “ants”…..would you tell us what happened?” hearing the word ant seems to have made the Elder turtle and the other beast person a bit uneasy

Seeing them getting worried, I then tell them what happened. I told them about how the ants ambushed me and the mercenaries I hired in a forest. I also told them about the land I bought and how I got tricked and that’s why I shouted at the Elder earlier.

“………I’m sorry for shouting Elder”

“Nnnn…..I now understand how you feel young hyuuumen…you mentioned a crystal that showed what the land you bought was like, did you not? I would like to see it…”

“Here” I didn’t mind showing the crystal to the elder since it would make my earlier outrage seem more justifiable if they realised how much I got tricked. What the elder said next is totally unexpected I even stopped breathing altogether

“Nnnnnnnn……Ah this scenery is truly nostalgic….young hyuuumen….you did not get tricked…no….maybe you did……but the land you say you bought truly is the same place as what is inside this viewing crystal” the Elder says this while handing me back the crystal

“How is that possible?! This place is totally unlike what’s inside this crystal! No matter how you look there are no similarities at all!”

I could not accept what the Elder said. You could not even compare the two. The scenery in the crystal was a place so fertile that the difference between them is like heaven and hell. But seeing the Elder with a composed look, I was starting to fear what she will say next

“Nnnn…..Yes…it is hard to imagine that this place ‘once’ looked like the place in that crystal….but I am sad to say that this is the truth. If you arrived here 8 months before, then you would have seen the exact same scenery as that crystal…”

The Elder then proceeded to tell me what happened 8 months ago. It was a pretty short story; 8 months ago the place was overflowing with life but then the “Calamity Ants” came and ate everything. She then told me that it would take 20 years before anything could grow again and that after 50-70 years, the ants will come back to eat everything once again. This was the cycle of life in Vermillion continent. She also told me that the Calamity Ants are the greatest predators in this continent. They are capable of killing everything they can catch and that there are four known types of ants. Hearing this story, I completely lost all strength in my body and just stared blankly at the Elder

“Nnnn…Lep-ahn….you heard what the hyuuumen said…ready your men and scout the forest where the ants are at…it is odd that they would return so early just to eat a place they missed…even odder is that there are Black Ants with them…you will also need to head to New End and join Dug-ahn with wiping the ants…”

“Yes Elder, my people are always ready. We will head out as soon as possible” replied the beast person

Somehow hearing this exchange brought me back to reality. Especially the part about heading to New End

“Wait! You said you’re heading to New End? C-can I come along? I really need to head there please!” I started pleading to the Elder and the beast person

“Nnnn….what do you say Lep-ahn? If it is within your power, would you not take the young hyuuumen with you to New End?”

“……………………if it is your will Elder, I will comply” says the beast person after staring at me for a while

“Please! I promise not to be a burden and will follow whatever you say!”

“Nnnn…the only problem now is how you will get to New End young hyuuumen….your horse clearly is not fit for a journey….”

“Doesn’t this place have horses I could buy or rent?”

“Nnnn? Unfortunately no…..your horse is the only “horse” in this area…hmmm….maybe….can you ride a kairiri young hyuuumen?”

“A kairiri…YES! Even if I can’t I will ride it……”

“Nnyahahahha….is that so…we will talk to someone and ask if we can borrow a kairiri young hyuuumen…follow me”

“Bruuhuhuuuhu”

“Just rest Ollie. I’ll be back soon” Seeing Ollie trying to stand, I instantly stop and calm him down. Seeing that Ollie won’t try to follow anymore, I head out with the Elder

The Elder headed to another tent at the right side of her own. This tent seems to be owned by a beast person that looked like a kangaroo. The beast person called Lep-ahn follows silently at the side. Now that I get got a good look at Lep-ahn, I see that he looks like a leopard or a jaguar.

“Nnnnn…….Krium…..are you busy?”

“Elder, Not at all…please come in” after getting permission, we entered the tent. This one seems to be a bit smaller than the elders but with even smaller tents at each sides

“I have obtained some rockfruits….please have some”

“Nnnn……don’t mind if I do”

“Elder it is rare for you to visit so what can I do for you?”

“Nnnn…….you see…..”

The Elder then proceeded to tell Krium the reason for her sudden visit. They talked for a while especially about the ants that have been seen nearby. I just listened quietly only speaking when Krium or the Elder wanted to confirm something. After a while they finished their talk with the Elder asking Krium if he could let me borrow his kairiri

“hmmmm……if the Elder herself is asking this from me then I will not refuse…but I hear that you’ve never ridden a kairiri before hyumen. It is very difficult to ride one even for those who have experience so I am a bit reluctant to let you take one of my precious kairiris. And now we add the threat of Calamity Ants…”

“……..I understand your worries sir Krium. If you won’t let me borrow one, then how about I buy one of your kairiris?”

“Hmmm? A single kairiri is very expensive hyumen. If we use your gold, then it would be 1 million for just a youngling. An adult kairiri would cost you 5 million. Do you have that kind of money now hyumen?”

Hearing how much a single kairiri costs is quite shocking. A single adult costs more than my own land! Right now I barely have 220k gold left so clearly I can’t even buy a chick…those mercenaries each owned a kairiri but it only took 1000g to hire them, now I realize just how much of a discount I got from Claudia.

“No…….I won’t be able to afford even a young chick…” I dejectedly say

“Nnnn….Krium no need to be that way…I did say that the young hyuuumen will travel with Lep-ahn so your kairiri will be safe. Now if the only problem is whether he will be able to properly ride one. Let’s not waste time and just see for ourselves Krium”

“*Sigh* Very well Elder. I will bring one out hyumen. If you can’t even ride one then forget going to New End today and just wait for your horse to get better”

“Alright” I agreed since that’s the only thing I could do. I’m not confident at all, after all, the only thing I remember was getting thrown off a horse the moment it moves. Riding a kairiri which seems to be more difficult will be an impossible challenge.

With zero confidence, I waited outside Krium’s tent along with the Elder and Lep-ahn. It didn’t take long for Krium to arrive with a kairiri. Seeing this kairiri made my zero confidence go into negative numbers. It was bigger than the kairiris of the mercenaries and it looks 3 times more ferocious. It was pretty clear Krium wants me to fail and give up.

“Are you ready hyumen? You just need to ride this guy and run a lap around the village, pretty easy right?”

“Right…..” easy my ass, you clearly picked the hardest one to ride……

“Haaaaa…..I’ll try my very best…no matter what happens, I appreciate all the help you gave me Elder”

After saying all I need to say, I approached the scary kairiri. This guy has been looking at me right from the very start and its gaze looked even fiercer the moment I started to approach him. Bum 1 said that kairiris will trample you to death if you stare too much since they hate it but I decided not to look away from the gaze of this large kairiri and look straight without breaking eye contact. Managing to reach the kairiri’s side without getting trampled means I passed the first hurdle. Now I just need to ride him around the village once, which is easier said than done.

“Okaaay….here I go!” with a shout I somehow managed to successfully get on the saddle on the kairiri’s back

“Hoh…I didn’t expect that he would be able to actually get on Skuld’s back. Anyway hyumen do you know how to command a kairiri to move?” asks Krium who seems shocked that the kairiri even let the hyumen get close, let alone ride him

“Yeah…..I travelled with mercenaries that have their own kairiris before….if I remember correctly you’re supposed to say da-um? WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” The moment I said the “go” command, the large kairiri instantly ran with unbelievable speed

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!” I instinctively lowered my center of gravity while I hold on the reins of the kairiri as tightly as I could while screaming. It was clearly faster than a horse but I somehow manage to steer it around the village

The large kairiri only needed less than five minutes to run around the village. It could have done it in half the time if I manage to control it properly but it was already a miracle that I didn’t fall off so I didn’t complain. (I didn’t know it at the time but my Riding Skill was already beginner level 8 because while I was out, my avatar continued riding Ollie for several days until it reached Darsheen village)

“Pretty impressive hyumen….even Krium could not ride Skuld and yet you managed. You just need to make sure to not scream and we will reach New End without problems” for the first time Lep-ahn actually talked to me and even praised me but what he said about Krium made me stare at the old kangaroo

“Eh? You can’t even ride this fellow yet you used him to test me?” I looked at Krium with incredulous eyes

“Ah…well, you see…it’s not that I can’t ride him…it’s just that I prefer to ride other ones….I do have 3 of them you see…” Krium started making excuses but no one present believed him

“Nnnn….well it seems he passed the test Krium. You won’t need to worry about your kairiri if he rides Skuld there to New End. Since the day is nearly over they will depart tomorrow morning. Young hyuuumen you are free to stay in my tent for the night”

It seems the Elder didn’t even let Krium to try and make other excuses and quickly headed back to her tent. I just took a quick look at Krium and the kairiri then followed the Elder. Lep-ahn went another direction so it was just me and the Elder heading to the tent

“Nnn…you did well young hyuuumen…make sure you get a good rest because you will need it”

“Yes…thank you for your hospitality Elder…I don’t know how to repay you for all your kindness especially for taking care of Ollie.”

“Nnnn…don’t mind it hyuuumen….when people are in need, it is natural to help them…you’ve been surprising me ever since you woke up so it was pretty interesting and that is payment enough young one”

We reached the tent but I still could not say anything back to the Elder turtle. There seems to be another turtle inside but this one didn’t even try to talk to me. The turtle just handed me a bowl of soup filled with stuff like beans and grass and a glass of water then left. I didn’t mind the turtle’s attitude since the “event” of me shouting at the Elder of the village is still fresh from their minds. I quickly ate the tasteless soup and drank the water. I visited Ollie to feed him but it seems it’s already been done so I just gave him another apple then went back to the tent. After lying down on the fur bed, I logged off

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I made sure to log back in just before daybreak on Royal Road. I thought I was pretty early but the moment I step outside of the tent everyone is already packed and ready to go. Even the kairiri “Skuld” is all set for travel.

“Sorry I woke up late…is there a place where I can get food supplies for the journey to New End?”

“Nnnn…no need to worry about it young one…everything is already set. Food and water is on the bags tied to the kairiri’s saddle”

“Umm…how much do I need to pay for them?”

“Nnnn….there is no need to pay hyuuumen…just make sure the kairiri is safe…though since it is Skuld you will be riding on….he will ensure your safety instead”

Seeing everything prepared for me but not asking for any payment is somehow weighing heavily on my mind. I also see Lep-ahn and three others of his clan carrying spears and bags. It seems those three will be going with us but I recognize them as part of the group that nearly killed me before and they’re still looking at me with anger in their eyes.

“What happens will happen I guess…Elder, thank you once again for everything and please take care of Ollie until I return for him” I started heading towards Skuld after thanking the old turtle again

“Nnnn…young hyuuumen do not worry about him and just take care of yourself….also take this with you, it will help with your travels…”

The Elder handed me a worn out old book. I don’t know how this could help but refusing her would be seen as “rude” especially by those three catlike beast people. I opened the book to see what’s written on it when….

*Ding!!*

You have used a skill book! You opened an old worn out book containing age old knowledge of the beast people. This book will teach you the art of “Pathfinding” the secret skill of the Beast People that allows them to traverse great distances.

Obtained Skill: Pathfinding: basic level 1

“Eh? It was a skillbook? Skill info Pathfinding!”

PathfindingBasic level 1Stamina consumption –0.2%

Movement Increase on roads and paths +0.5%

Pathfinding skill will allow you to travel long distances with less penalty. It will also allow you to find seemingly hidden paths and trails that others have traveled on. Higher levels increases efficiency of traveling and reduces the stamina usage.

Skill efficiency will increase with travel or finding hidden paths and trails then following it. Once it reaches intermediate level, you will be able to track the path that fishes on rivers, lakes and other bodies of water swims on. At even higher levels you will see invisible paths even on the sky.

“Wow…thank you very much Elder! This will really help speed up the journey” I was really happy to obtain such a valuable skill.

“Nnnn…getting to your destination faster is good but make sure to safely reach it as well...also young one…do you want to register this place as your base for now? If fortune is not with you, then returning to this place might be a good idea”

“……? What do you mean Elder? Doesn’t umm the “Higher Power” do that automatically?” hearing that you need to register is a first for me since I didn’t do that at New End…..

“Nnnn....no young hyuuumen…you will need to touch the guardian crystal of the town or village on Vermillion before it can be registered as your new base. If you don’t touch the crystal then if you fall then you will be revived at your last known base”

Hearing what the Elder just said filled me with dread. If I died at that forest before then I would not have re-spawned at New End but at Lipton! I didn’t know this at all!

“Elder…I really don’t know how many times to thank you…if you could tell where this guardian crystal is located then I would like to register Darsheen village as my temporary base”

The Elder then pointed at a pole near the tent. On the pole hangs something like a cage with a small crystal inside. It was a fairly small crystal, about the size of my fist. I inserted a finger between the bars of the cage and touched the crystal

*Ding!!*

You have registered Darsheen Village as your base. If

you die then you will be revived inside the village

“haaaa….I didn’t even know this basic fact….I really owe Ollie a lot since he manage to bring me all the way here….if I died then I would have been revived at Versailles….” After registering I head back to the Elder and the rest of the group

“Nnnnn…I leave the rest to you Lep-ahn…take care of these young ones with you”

“Yes Elder. Everyone! Let’s go!” Lep-ahn orders us to go after bowing to the Elder

I carefully get on Skuld’s back; it seems the large kairiri isn’t glaring at me anymore so it was a bit easier than last time. I then ordered it to go with a gentle “Dahum”. Since the order is correct this time, Skuld didn’t dash off to the distance and I didn’t have to scream which seems to have gained Lep-ahn’s approval

The moment I logged off from Royal Road earlier, I quickly used my PC to find out the commands used for kairiris. I found out that “Da-um” is the order for “Run” and “Dahum” is the order for “Go forward” while “Dakun” is “stop”. Other than the verbal commands, controlling a kairiri is almost the same as a horse. While I was at it, I again searched about lands on Vermillion continent. The info about land on Vermillion continent is still unusually low. I thought that it was because the place was still vastly unexplored but it seems there’s some kind of information lock down going on. Even info about having to register so that the town or village you visit will be your base is non-existent now…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It only took a day and a half of travel to reach the forest where I was attacked by the damnable ants. Whenever I recall that day and those ants, I always end up angry and scared at the same time.

“So this is the place that you were attacked…stay here, I will head on first and see if they are still nearby. Only after I give the signal will you follow, if no signal is given, consider me dead and head straight to New End as quickly as you can”

“Yes Lep-ahn” x3

“……………….”

Lep-ahn with great dexterity and stealth went inside the forest. After a few minutes we see him go back out and signaled to us. Seeing that, we also head straight to the forest. I didn’t expect him to give the signal so quickly so I was wondering what could have happened.

“It seems the ants are no longer here” Lep-ahn says this after we reached him

“Hmmm? Did they move away already?” I quickly ask

“No…ants does not leave an area until they have devoured everything. Seeing as the forest is still here means only one thing. The ants here have already been annihilated”

“Annihilated? Who could do that? It wasn’t that long ago that we got ambushed here….”

“From the scents remaining….it seems it was Dug-ahn and his clan with a large group of hyumens. You said you hired mercenaries but those people never went to Darsheen village. They must have reported back to New End to report. Dug-ahn learning about ants that should not be here must have gathered his clan to quickly crush the ants”

“…..I see…wait…my wagons should be here as well! If the ants were quickly crushed then there should be some of my stuff left!”

I direct Skuld to the place where I remember we got ambushed by the ants followed by Lep-ahn and the rest. I expected to see lots of wreckage from my wagons but there was barely anything there. I can only see small pieces of wood from my wagons and nothing more. I heard that those ants can devour everything….but I didn’t think they can eat so fast that there will be nothing left here.

“Is this the place where your group got attacked?”

“Yeah………All the stuff that I brought with me is gone……I didn’t think those ants would even eat the wagons.”

Lep-ahn then started to look around the area. He mumbles “Hmmm” or “I see” every now and then while touching the ground and the trees nearby. It didn’t take long for him to finish and return back to where I was.

“I doubt the ants ate all your stuff hyumen”

“Huh? Nothing is left here…if they didn’t eat everything then there should at least some trash around since you said Dug-ahn came with a large group to kill……….” I stopped what I was saying because a thought suddenly came to me…If Dug-ahn really did manage to kill all the ants here, then what would they do if they see goods left lying around the place?

“It is as you suspect hyumen. Your stuff must have been taken by them. If it was Dug-ahn, then you have a good chance to recover them since he is no thief. It has been two days since they left, depending on how much stuff they are carrying, we might still catch them on the way”

I look at Lep-ahn and see that he trusts Dug-ahn quite a lot. I also recall the stories of Bum 1 and the rest of the mercenaries about Dug-ahn. They said that Dug-ahn has a lot of pride as a warrior and that he values honor and strength. If this was the case, then I’ll just have to head to New End and recover what’s left. I can consider it a bonus if I can recover some back since I already didn’t expect to find anything after I heard what the Elder said about those ants

“Haaaaaa…It’ll be good if we can…anyway, since the ants are already gone shouldn’t you first report back to the Elder?”

“I can do that afterwards. The Elder said to make sure everyone is safe, and it seems that you would head to New End by yourself if necessary…”

“Heheh….I’ve gotten better at riding Skuld so maybe I’d reach New End safely even by myself…but I really would appreciate the company Lep-ahn…If we’re not gonna rest here, I suggest we get going! Da-um!” I then order Skuld to dash leaving Lep-ahn and the other three

“He is quite in a rush….”

“I wanted to see Dug-ahn fight, too bad we miss it”

“That is true...”

“You three get moving. The young hyumen is already far away”

“Yesss Lep-ahn” x3

The 3 seem a bit disappointed that they didn’t see the legendary Dug-ahn in action but could do nothing since the hyumen is already far in the distance and just decided to run after him

It took another 3 days to reach New End but unfortunately we didn’t see Dug-ahn’s group on the way. After over 16 days I once again enter New End.

To be continued…….