Something is repetitively making a noise, must be an alarm. Ugg, leave me alone! I had a tiring day yesterday! Where's the snooze button? Oh, I forgot, other world, right...
I fumble around, then realize where I am. I soon become alert thanks to diligently training my 'wake up quickly' ability for the last six months. I can hear someone repeatedly knocking on the door.
"Adam?" (Lily)
**Yawn**
"Oh, it's Lily, I'll be there in a moment!" (Adam)
I jump out of bed and prepare to change out of my pajamas, then realize that I'm wearing my only suit of clothes. I should get more clothes today, my current ones stand out. I stumble over to the door and open it, behind, is a beaming and seemingly refreshed Lily. This is cruel, I slept horribly last night and the world's trying to rub it in my face.
"Do you have any plans today?" (Lily)
"Nope, just getting a change of clothes and looking for a job I guess." (Adam)
"What kind of job are you looking for? The only acceptable job I can think of for people like us is hunting." (Lily)
"Oh, there was that too, right. I doubt there are many potential employers based on the looks I got yesterday. Also, I'm unlikely to find a job in academics in this small village." (Adam)
"I didn't realize you were a scholar, but I agree, it would be impossible to find a job in that here. Don't worry about the looks though, half of them were probably because your attire." (Lily)
"True, where can I buy a change of clothes?" (Adam)
"Most people make their own clothes here, but you could try buying some used clothing or hire one of the women of the village to make you some." (Lily)
"I see, any idea how to find someone who has used clothing?" (Adam)
"Oh, for that you can use the request board in the dining area downstairs. It's based off the Adventurer's Guild's request boards, and similarly you can post anonymously. This inn is the gathering place of all the village's people, so you should get a response by the end of the day." (Lily)
Eh heh heh, the Adventurer's Guild, huh? Jeff mentioned it briefly before but I wasn't sure if I misheard. Looks like it's a thing here. Maybe I'm destined to become a demon hunting, dragon slaying, adventurer... But I can't see it, and I have no cheat ability either.
I follow Lily's instructions and post the request in the dining area, after paying Anna a small fee. My current clothes are getting scratchier and more uncomfortable by the minute, and the stares I get don't help. I hope this request reaps results.
"I'm going to go hunt now. You said you needed a job so, want to come with me? You're an excellent distraction!" (Lily)
"I'll pass!!! I have no weapon, nor training in how to use one." (Adam)
"I'm kidding! Those wolves are a rare occurrence around here, I'll only be hunting small game today. Just preventing their escape would be a big help." (Lily)
Okay, well, since she's basically offering me the only way an unskilled guy like me could possibly make money here, I'll agree.
"Oh, then I guess that would be for the best, thank you." (Adam)
Lily smiles and begins leading me to the woods with a skip in her step. I feel pretty awful right now for fooling her into thinking I'm a light elf, but since it's making her happier that way, this should be for the best. I wonder if there really is any biological difference between a light elf and a human? She seems basically the same.
As Lily rushes toward the edge of the village the wind blows her hair to the side. Uh oh! She has pointy ears! How could I have overlooked this! I don't have pointy ears! Has anyone discovered me yet? Thankfully, my messy haircut is long enough that it covers the tips of my ears, but this could put me in a difficult situation someday. I'll have to come up with a countermeasure.
I follow Lily through the trees, staying as quite and alert as I can. After a short while she starts signalling to go around to the other side of a clearing. I don't see anything inside the clearing, but I trust her instincts. After circling around I see her ready her bow, aiming for a small shrub about half way between us. I think I can see some small movements in the shrub, I hold my breath.
**Whizz**
Her arrow shoots through the air and nails the shrub, but at the next moment a small creature zooms out of it. It makes a beeline towards a spot about 30 degrees to my right. I can't let it get away! The entire reason I'm here is for situations like this! I push off the ground with all my might and charge toward the creatures destination.
But, it was not to be. As I rush forwards, the creature dodges around me, but that wouldn't be a problem normally. The reason it is a problem, is because I'm moving much faster than I ever have before, in the worst direction. Directly beyond the initial destination of the creature, stands a tree. And that tree, is about to receive a human body slam. Which will win? The massive tree with a three foot diameter? Or the daring young man about to smash into it? The outcome is obvious. I do my best to turn and shield my head mid flight.
**Thump**
"Ouch! Ah, my arm! This stinks! What the hay was that!?" (Adam)
I rub my stinging arm as Lily rushes over.
"Are you alright? Why did you slam into that tree?" (Lily)
Why? That was obviously not intentional! There must have been some sort of gravitational anomaly! How in the world did I move like that?
"I'm fine, just a little scratched up. Ahhh, sorry, I let the game get away!" (Adam)
"Good, and don't worry, it didn't get away. That was just it's death struggle, the arrow I shot hit it's vitals. You sure you're fine?" (Lily)
She walks a short way and picks up a dead rabbit with an arrow through it's lower body, which was on the ground. It's probably not worth mentioning, but the rabbit has a horn on it's head, weird. Seems like she was properly hunting, while I was injuring myself for no good reason. I can feel my face burning from the shame, but there's nothing I can do about it now.
"Yeah, I'm fine. What happened to me just now?" (Adam)
"What do you mean? You used body reinforcement magic and ran into a tree, right?" (Lily)
Body reinforcement magic? I didn't do anything special though? I just jumped as normal.
"Uhhh, yeah, sorry about being unusual." (Adam)
"Don't worry about it, even experts lose control of their body reinforcement magic sometimes. It's one of the easiest to use but most difficult to control after all." (Lily)
Easiest to use, but hardest to control? Why's that?
"Why do you consider it to be one of the easiest to use, but hardest to control?" (Adam)
"Well, it's easy because everyone uses body reinforcement magic throughout their day to day lives. It's completely natural to use it, whether you receive training or not. On the other hand, since it is so natural, sometimes it activates unintentionally. Are you not used to using it?" (Lily)
"Something like that." (Adam)
I get up off the ground as I consider her words. So it seems I have magic as well, that's convenient, but apparently everyone can use at least this much. I'm glad I'm not disadvantaged though, that would be frustrating.
We continue our hunting and manage to collect six more horned rabbits. By the fourth one I get pretty good at controlling the body reinforcement magic. It seems to active when I'm really tense, basically steroids on steroids. Once it activates my strength is greatly amplified. I've learned how to roughly tell when it's activated, and how to measure the strength I put into my actions. I'd say this was a successful hunting trip, I learned a lot and got stronger. But, the more I learn, the more confused I get, this world is very strange.
As the sun approaches the mountains to the west, or rather what I assume is west based on my earth logic, we return to the village. I hope someone is willing to sell me their used clothes, otherwise I'll have to stay in these sweaty ones another night.