You two spend the rest of the night talking to one another, and you learn a lot about human civilization and the kingdom beyond the forests. Tomorrow arrives without you realizing, and before you know it, Darius is already getting ready to leave for the capital.

You stand by the porch and hover over him, gutted but happy he'll return to the place he belongs.

"Darn," he scratches his head as he puts on his plain white mask. "We ended up chatting all night huh."

"You sure you no want sleep more?" you refer to the bags under his eyes.

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm on a tight schedule. I'm set to arrive at the kingdom three days from now. If I waste any more time, I'll miss that deadline."

"Oh... alright..."

Your sharp ears droop a little. This is your first time saying goodbye to a tangible existence. You wish to speak to him more, but know that it would not be right to keep him here to sate your curiosity.

"Well, I'd be lying if I said it's been a pleasure," Darius snidely remarks, "but that does not mean I regret meeting you."

You nod, wrenching out a smile as he steps off the porch. Your friend is suspicious of his movements and observes him by your side.

"Ah... I almost forgot," he takes off his backpack and digs through it, pulling out a fancy-looking tome and offering it to you. "Here. A parting gift."

"W-what?" you are taken aback by his sudden kindness. "I can give you book to trade—"

"That doesn't make it a gift anymore does it dummy?"

The man shoves the book into your arms and solemnly stares off into the sunrise, crossing his arms.

"The probability of us crossing paths again is practically nonexistent. So, you can have that to remember me by."

"Remember? Why you want be remember?" you inspect the book cover and see no title.

"Because that's what it means to live. To leave your mark on this world."

Your eyes widen at his words. Could this be the answer to the quest you were given?

"That's what it means to live..?"

"But of course! We all die someday. And when we do, what's left behind is our legacy. You elves may live a tad bit longer, but you're still in a race against time, no matter how far away the finish line seems."

You flip through the book and see illustrations accompanied by detailed descriptions of the kingdom; cities, towns, and villages, all populated by crowds of people who walk and talk like you.

You can't help but gape at these detailed illustrations, it's almost as if you're there.

"It's a book we use to show the lesser races how wealthy our nation is. I was to give it to the local tribes as part of a diplomatic mission, but as there was a slight communication breakdown, I didn't get to use it."

"This... nation of people..."

"You'll probably have a better time getting through to them than me... if you ever run into them."

You look up at the tall masked man and beam, "Thank you!"

"No problem," he casually replies. He rivets his gaze on the cautious Mystfox beside you and tells him, "Keep her safe. This neck of the woods isn't meant for habitation."

Your friend barks at him as if to accept his request.

"By the way, I never did catch your name," he turns to you one last time. "Mind telling me now?"

You're stumped. Your name has never properly been established. You've always called yourself me, or I. Then, you think back to a passage in your journal.

"Nameless Seer," you quietly answer. "My name is Nameless Seer."

"Nameless... Seer..?" he repeats with a skeptical tone. "That's not so much a name as it is a title. Do you mean to tell me you have no name?"

"No, that is my name. Nameless Seer is my name."

He scratches his head and chuckles. "I'll never understand you elves," he turns around and strides away.

You and your friend watch as the man's silhouette shrinks with every step—this scholar who barged into your life and taught you all about civilized society. And as the distance between you increases, you feel your chest tighten.

"Goodbye, Nameless Seer!" he bids farewell with his back to you.

"Good... bye..."

The stars align in that instance, and you receive an alert.

You've maxed out your「SPEAKING」skill!

Talent Unlocked: Universal Tongue

Description: You're fluent in every language. This also affects your ability to read foreign texts.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

You scurry to the edge of the hill and see Darius between the trees. With all your strength you call to him in his mother tongue and he swings back, astonished by what he hears from your lips.

"We will meet again!!" you cry at the top of your lungs. "Definitely!"

The man stands stock-still, stunned. And he can't help but smile at your sudden fluency and soul-lifting optimism.

"What a weird girl," he says to himself, disappearing into the forest.

You turn to your friend and give him a big dopey grin.

"Do you think my feelings reached him, Mystfox?"

The animal looks at you and tilts its head. Even a Universal Tongue can't bridge a conversation between two species.

"Well then," you hurry back to your house, "now that he's gone."

You hastily take out the letter from your bag and sift through it. As you've acquired an understanding of all languages, you swiftly check to confirm the veracity of Darius' translation. His claim of the author's death, you just cannot believe.

To Whom It May Concern,

If you are reading this letter, then I have already passed on. The wilds have claimed me, and I have been freed from this mortal coil. Do not go looking for me, for it is my will that I perish here.

I welcome you to take the items from my camp though. You will find a better use for them than I. Before you leave though, I do have a request, if you're willing to fulfill a dead man's wish.

I'd like you to report my death to a woman by the name of Abigail Bertram, in the village of Estherglade south of here. Just ask the townsfolk and they'll point you in her direction.

You can't miss her—her beautiful locks of blonde hair are like a golden whirlpool that'll suck you in.

If you can carry out my request, I'd be eternally grateful...

You read through it once more.

And again.

And again.

The sky darkens and you are still fixated on proving Darius wrong. Not out of a sense of superiority, but out of an inability to rationalize the act of taking one's own life.

The man explained it to you yesterday, the concept of death and being no more. You are wholly aware of mortality though, that is not the issue.

The issue is why one would actively search to end this meaningful existence. It goes against what Darius said about doing all you can to leave behind a legacy. The hypocrisy is vexing. And you try all you can to glean a different meaning from this letter.

But no matter how many times you reread the parchment, you can only see the blood it is stained with.

What it means to live—your understanding of that diminishes as you slowly accept the truth.

Your blood runs cold, and a mix of confusion and grief fills your heart. Your eyes well up with tears, and they stream down your face as you desperately search for an answer. In learning every language, you too have come to learn the pain these words hold.

And you weep to yourself. Tear stains blot the paper and your friend is quick to comfort you.

He wraps himself around your leg as you continue to cry. Knowing you can no longer meet the man who's provided you with so much, hurts you to the core.

But that is the fate of the nameless seer. In understanding what it means to live, you are to understand what it means to die.

As midnight rolls around, you stop crying. The moon reaching its peak marks the end of the 7th day you've been in this world. A week that has effectively flown by.

You memorize the letter by heart and wrap it again.

"Abigail Bertram..." you remember her name. "I'll find you, and I'll learn of my savior through you."

Little by little, you have bent to the winds of change. And you look at your friend, who has his chin on your boots.

"We'll just have to live enough to make up for his wasted life."

You close your left eye and check your skills thus far.

< Skills Tab Unlocked Skills Progress Talents Reading 98/100 Speaking 100/100 Universal Tongue Listening 97/100 Observing 100/100 God's Eye Smelling 26/100 Walking 86/100 Running 65/100 Jumping 19/100 Short Blade 11/100 Blunt Resistance 21/100 Poison Resistance 23/100 Cold Resistance 58/100 Water Resistance 21/100 Cooking 10/100 Cleaning 31/100 Foraging 100/100 Outdoorsman Farming 100/100 Green Thumb Fishing 12/100 Taming 51/100 Crafting 31/100 Fire Magic 19/100

"I've got a ways to go, don't I," you sigh to yourself.