Alain wasn’t so nosy as to read every line in this boy Renald’s diary. He skipped through most of the early parts concerning his first love or who among the cast members of his show had terrible acting. He found the most recent pages and discovered something interesting.

I found it! This hole leads me to the outside world! Now I can finally go on my adventures! Mom and dad fight all the time. I can’t stay here anymore. I feel terrible at home. I can’t bear that smell anymore. Ever since that smell arrived in our house, mom and dad have been acting crazy! They don’t love me anymore! I can’t take it! I can’t!

I managed to go outside and go back in again. I was almost discovered by a scary giant. It was frightening! But everything was so beautiful! The plants, the skies, everything!

The theater has been selling out for weeks now. People say my performance is incredible. I love acting, but I don’t know if I can do it anymore. Mom and dad have been pushing me to go to rehearsal every day. I don’t have time to do anything else.

I have decided to go outside and go somewhere else. I want to live for myself. I will gather the supplies and go out tomorrow.

SOMETHING CRAZY HAPPENED TODAY! I was being chased by a Kashik and fell down into a hole near the river. I found a crystal shining a blue light and the light disappeared after I touched it. The Kashik managed to squeeze its body into the cave and I was almost eaten by it. But after I accidentally touched it, it stopped! And the Kashik started obeying my commands! This changes everything! I traveled super far outside but with the Kashik’s help, I can go back to The Sanctuary really fast. I decided to go back and forth carrying supplies to the cave so I can travel farther.

Snow and I have become best friends (that’s what I decided to call the Kashik!). I named him that because of his white fur (they’re so fluffy!). His eyes have two colors: yellow and blue! So cool! He also brings me a dead Rakus sometimes to eat but I don’t know how to cut the meat and cook them so I usually let Snow eat them.

Mom chased me around the house with a knife today. She was mad because I told her I want to quit the theater. Why won’t she love me anymore? I want to go back to how we were before.

I have decided to leave for good today. I will leave my diary here as a record as to why I disappeared and I hope this makes mom and dad go back to how they were before. I’m sorry. Goodbye.

Alain’s mouth gradually opened wider and wider as he read through the diary. He could not believe what he was reading. This kid discovered a way to tame the giants!? And judging from his tone and how he left the diary here, he doesn’t seem to be making it up. Alain reasoned in his mind. This is absolutely insane! I must find this kid.

But where is his secret passage to the outside? I can’t let anyone know about this. If I tell the guild, not only will they discover the passage, they’ll know about the tamed giant as well! If I am capable of taming a giant, then perhaps I can gain enough power to take my revenge. Alain started rummaging through the box. Inside, he only found useless junks and toys. Where could it be?

He stood up from his crouch and looked around the room. He opened every drawer and swiped every toy. He even ripped some drawings from the wall. After almost giving up, he noticed one of the wooden floorboards seemed peculiar. Alain crouched down and managed to lift the broken floorboard. Underneath, he found a piece of paper. The paper was a map showing a very rough diagram of the first floor with an ‘x’ that reads ‘here!’.

I must thank this kid later for being so terrible at hiding things. Alain thought. But could he have gone too far for me to catch up? Maybe. But I have no choice but to find out myself. Alain folded the paper into his satchel. He also tidied up the room to restore it to its original state as to not leave any evidence behind. He went downstairs to find Sara, Renald’s mother, waiting for him at the bottom of the staircase.

“Did you find anything!?” Her voice was hopeful.

“Not really. I think your kid was probably lying about going outside. I’m sure he’ll return himself later. If you’ll excuse me, ma’am. Thank you for your time,” Alain passed by her without even glancing at her face.

The mother clicked her tongue loudly. “Useless! We are screwed!”

Alain left the house. Behind him, he could hear the mom throwing tantrums and screaming at her husband. The commotion brought a small crowd outside the house. They were busy gossiping about Renald’s parents.

“Young Giantslayer, why were you in there?” An elderly woman asked Alain.

“I was trying to investigate her son’s disappearance. Unfortunately, I didn’t find any useful information,” Alain answered.

“The son is probably better missing. Those parents are terrible human beings. Being an addict is one thing, but taking it out on their child is truly heinous!” She said in disdain.

Indeed they are. Poor kid. Even with my loss, I would never say my previous life was as bad as his. But none of their neighbors here also intervened. Alain shook his head and gritted his mouth. He left the district with a bad taste.

Alain was on his way to his apartment to pick up his armor and weapon before suddenly being stopped by a familiar face.

“What a coincidence, hey Alain!” Jon, a young man with long hair, called out to Alain. “Where are you going?”

Great. Alain sighed. “I don’t know if that would be your business to know,”

“Don’t say that. You know, I really apologize for what I said yesterday. I was just too tired after our battle with the Rakus and was annoyed at your refusal to join me. I’ll make it up to you, what say I treat you to lunch right now?”

Alain raised his eyebrows. Normally I would refuse but I haven’t had breakfast and I need to go outside so I need the energy. If I can use this idiot’s money then… “Alright,”

“Alright?” Jon jaw dropped.

“Alright, Show me the way,”

“Damn! I’ve never heard you say yes to anything before! That restaurant there has decent food. Let’s go,” Jon’s face turned excited and led Alain to a restaurant just across the street. It was a ‘cafe’-styled restaurant so they were sitting out on the street and not inside. They ordered their food and drinks and waited a few minutes in awkward silence despite Jon repeated attempts to start a conversation.

Finally, their food arrived. They both ordered skewered Krinci meat, which was the meat of a docile herbivore mammalian giant that was not that hard to hunt, albeit one would need an entire party as the creature was extremely fast. Their drinks were the juice of giant apples. Alain particularly devoured his food quickly compared to Jon.

“Hey, is it true what you say about your past?” Jon tried asking something serious.

“Are you calling me a liar?” Alain frowned as he continued to eat.

“No! I’m not. It’s just...I would believe you if you said a dangerous giant destroyed your previous settlement. But an elder giant?” Jon said.

“It’s true. The giant talked to us, making him an elder giant. It was also capable of evil and cruelty. I saw it myself. If we ever meet another survivor of my city, they would also echo my claim.” Alain answered as-a-matter-of-factly.

“You know people in the academy make fun of you for that right? Coupled with your overly-serious attitude, they think you’re fabricating a tragic backstory for your make-belief hero’s journey”

“I don’t care about what anyone else thinks” Alain shrugged.

“That’s also your problem! You know, we get it. I get it. I really do. You have lost people in your life. But wouldn’t they be happier in the afterlife watching over you if you’re happy right now as well? Some people genuinely sucks, I know. But some are trying to befriend you genuinely you know.” Jon said passionately.

I don’t like where this is going. Alain’s brown face started turning red. He stood up in a flash. “I’m going. Thank you for the meal.” He started to walk away from the restaurant.

“Hey wait! Alain! I’m sorry!” Jon stood up hurriedly but Alain was too fast. He looked at Alain’s disappearing back empathetically.

Alain picked up his armor and switch-ax from his apartment. He also gathered some supplies with him. He returned to the first floor of The Sanctuary and headed off to a district he had rarely gone to.

The red-light district. The Sanctuary’s dark underbelly. Why did Renald travel to such a dangerous place? Alain did not care to find out now. His mind was occupied with looking for the secret passage. The red-light district was located in the far upper-left corner of the sanctuary. It was actually located inside another room of the cottage that practically separated it from the rest of The Sanctuary as one needed to go through another gate located underneath the giant door. His decked-out gear stood out immensely among the red-light district’s crowd. Thugs were too intimidated to rob him, but prostitutes were familiar with men of his profession. Alain managed to slip away from all of them. Thankfully, the location of the secret passage was on a quiet alleyway far from the main road.

Alain entered the alleyway and saw some trash bins and a small wooden fence blocking the path. He easily jumped across it. He found what looked to be a wooden plank blocking something.

This is it. He lifted the plank and sunlight started to travel inside.