<<...User under hostile threat! Advised to take immediate measure...>>
'No shit…Sherlock.'
Scott obviously wasn't expecting a proper reply from who or whatever was on the other side of the tree when he'd called out. But he wasn't expecting complete silence either. No, that wasn't exactly right. Scott did hear rustling in the leaves in the tree when he was moving away. The way the sound seemed to 'move' from lower to higher branches, Scott instinctively 'know' someone…or something probably had made its way up to the topmost branches. The movement was subtle enough that he was ready to dismiss it as a bird, but he knew jungle cats were also capable of moving with such grace and finesse. And if it really was such a predator, provided they existed in this world, he was in graver danger than he'd initially surmised.
He had mentally prepared himself for some kind of reveal from whatever was lurking on the other side of the tree, but he wasn't counting on a dark blur streaking past like a serpentine arrow, and the near-immediate feel of cold steel against his neck. He'd been in plenty of dangerous situations, especially in the past decade. He'd been held at gunpoint, threatened with knives, even threatened with a freaking bulldog mastiff once. He'd somehow managed to come out on top on all those occasions. Maybe because in all those scenarios, even when he was at a disadvantage, his attacker, or people threatening him, wasn't really ready to kill him at a moment's notice. Yes, the gun's barrel had been pointed at him, the fingers were on the trigger. But Scott knew it wasn't easy to press that trigger when it counts. To REALLY commit to taking a life. And he was able to take advantage of that brief delay, that split-second hesitation in them. However, right now, he was at a severe disadvantage. This situation was vastly different from the ones he'd been in. The assailant this time was ready to kill him just because he'd...done what exactly? Trespassed? Was at the wrong place at the wrong time? Caught him on a bad day?
However, even though imminent death loomed above his head, Scott tried hard not to snort at the way this apparently masculine …creature - judging solely by their voice, he could be wrong- delivered the threat. There was something juvenile and humourous about it. Scott wanted, really wanted to give a smartass response. But figuring that'd probably get him killed, he calmed down and settled on a neutral reply. "My name is Scott…I'm…obviously not a threat to you. And I am not a …mage." He wasn't, right? Even though he had stats depicting 'Essence' and 'Recovery' which was apparently required for him to channel the magical force that this realm contained, he himself did not have any such spell, or knowledge of, inside him. At least, not yet. For now, he wanted to make sure not to aggravate this 'hostile threat' as his System had very helpfully tagged.
No being a smartass Scott. No running your mouth.
"You go around judging people by whether or not you want to kill them at a moment's notice? That's a dark outlook on life, wouldn't you say?"
Well okay, maybe he couldn't resist running his mouth just a little.
The words were out before he could contain himself. It couldn't be helped. The despair and cynicism he had been mired in for so long, would do that to a person, make you disregard the gravity of serious situations because deep down, you realize you stopped caring a long time ago. For Scott, it wasn't at that stage yet, but if he didn't get any actual answers to what the hell he was doing here in Athionia sometime soon, that future wasn't too far away. However, even though Scott was being a little flippant, he wasn't a complete fool.
"I am just a normal human, in an abnormal situation. I know you can kill me at a moment's notice. You know that too. Since we've established that, care to move that blade away from my throat and crotch so I can answer all your questions without the fear of losing my life, or manhood, or both?"
***