Chapter 4: Truth Be Told

It’s been fifteen minutes of walking through this deep forest, and a hit of nostalgia fell into me, as if I’m back on being a woodcutter.

“Um, may I ask your name?” I asked him with hesitation.

“Just call me Dan.” he then replied.

“Wait, like the wandering legend Dan The Hermit?” I looked at him with surprise. “Some villagers said to me he was a Mercenary Elite Wizard, and was deeply opposed against the Golden Order, haunted by the council making him an enemy of the whole country, but because he is powerful in his own right, no one can catch him till this day.

“Yep, that’s me alright Haha!” Dan said while laughing joyously.

Wow for a solitary person like him, he seems happy and lively even though he’s a hermit.

“Nice to make your acquaintance, Svend.” Dan said, and offered his hand for a shake.

I gladly shook his hand, and smiled.

“How did you know my name?” I asked him.

“Let’s just say I’ve always wanted to meet you.” he then suddenly stopped to his tracks. “Speaking of which, were finally here.” Dan said while staring at a clearing.

And now in front of us is a small forest clearing, a typical view of landscape, but I noticed a huge boulder of rock near the middle, its surrounded by three different tall trees trapping the boulder in the middle and making a triangle angle, all over it are covered with thick moss implying it hasn’t been touched for ages, we then got closer as we stepped towards it.

“Gravity Lift” Dan said suddenly, when we got close to it.

The huge boulder then slowly lifted up from the ground, floating in the midair and below it revealed a passage down into the ground.

“You go down first, I’ll follow.” Dan insisted.

I then approached the hole, and started coming down from its ladder, Dan followed shortly as the boulder blocked the entrance. And as I stepped down on the ground, there is a long narrow passage of tunnel that is being lit by columns of torches attached to both sides of the walls until its end. Dan finally got down from the ladder.

“Please follow me.” Dan said, leading the way.

And as we got to the end of the tunnel, I just noticed that it has a wooden door, Dan then rustled into his pocket and entered a key into the door, and as we stepped in, I was amazed of how huge the room is, it’s a pill shaped room and at the center is a group of bookshelves looking like a small isle of library. The ceiling is high from the room floor, and its walls are made from the protruding roots from the trees above the ground, and on the floor are equipment’s of what you could expect a wizard would own.

“Wow…” I said in amazement, as I looked around the huge room.

“Amazing isn’t it?” Dan said with a smile.

He then stepped towards a sack of fruits and threw me an apple.

“Here, eat this and take a rest, I know it’s been a long and tiring day for you, but we shall speak later about the earlier incidents just so we can clear things up.” Dan offered.

After my short nap, I stood up to stretch my body because of the hard floor, and I approached Dan arranging something on the bookshelves, longed for answers as to why he saved me, we then sat on each chair and talked face to face by the table.

“Why did you saved me back there, and why risk your life trying to save a nobody like me?” I finally asked him.

“I was there watching the event from the shadows, and considering it was Lennard who set you up, I knew it was gonna be a rough day for you.” Dan revealed.

“Tssk, I still don’t understand, and how did you even know the exile thing was all a bluff?” I asked him, still confused.

“I’ll be frank with you Svend, you’re right about why would I save a nobody like you, and to be honest I was hesitant at first, but because it’s a plan of the Golden Council, I might as well ruin it, I’m being considerate here not a hero.” Dan said straightforwardly.

“Well whatever it is, I owe my life to you Dan, and I can’t thank you enough for it, though by morning I should be going far away from this region to find a new job and home.” I said.

“You’ll die for sure if you do that now in your current state, have you already forgotten what that Lennard warned you?, and even if you escaped to another country you’re just a rat crawling through an alley filled with cats.” Dan said to me with seriousness in his eyes.

“But what should I even do?” I looked down on the table feeling stupid. “It’s like my fate was to die on that day if it wasn’t for your interference.” I said to him while looking down.

“Because it is your fate Svend!” he slammed both his hands on the table. “And to tell you the truth, you’re an NPC to begin with!” Dan revealed with his eyes wide open.

I slowly looked back at him, surprised of not knowing what his talking about.

“Excuse me, NP what?” I asked him with a raised eyebrow.

“NPC means Non Player Character, basically your just a side character in this world Svend, and I’ll be glad if you just listen to me and consider what I’m about to offer you, it can be harsh but it’s the truth!” Dan said, while he looked at me straight into the eyes.

“Okay I will listen to you, but please be patient with my ignorance.” I said, with hope back in my eyes.

“You want to thank me for saving you right?” Dan asked suddenly.

“Well of course I must, and considering of your hospitality, I will do anything!” I said with a smile.

“Okay then, if you really want to thank me, then you should stay tomorrow because we have many things to talk about, I will sanction you out from the NPC barrier, and I will mold you into something better and stronger.” Dan suggested, smiling back.

“Yes, I have to agree to that even though I’m still confused Haha!” I said, laughing.

I then offered my right hand and once more we shook hands into agreement.

“I can see great potential in you Svend, you just need to realize and break out of it, and with training you shall be reborn into something greater than what you expect, though it will take some time, patience and especially commitment!” Dan said with a grin.

“I will do everything to get stronger, so bring it on!” I said, smiling.