As Rey was enjoying his stargazing, he was brought back to reality as he felt the cart roll to a stop. With the help of Harris and Rory, Rey was able to stand on his feet for the first time in hours. Looking around, the first thing Rey noticed was the old farmhouse they stood in front of. It was made of large, clumsily shaped bricks and even had the mortar exposed, but it still had it's charm. If Rey has to hazard a guess, Harris likely but this farm himself.
To the left of the farm was a wooden fence which looked like it surrounded a surprisingly large garden, full of different fruits and vegetables that Rey had never seen before. To the right side of the farmhouse stood a barn of sorts which sounded as though it housed a plethora of different animals, but Rey couldn't begin to guess which by the foreign sounds they made. Behind the barn was an expansive field of grass that he assumed the animals munched on, and a distance away from the fenced garden was a forest much like the one they traveled through for hours.
One thing Rey didn't notice as he looked around as far as he could were neighbors. Clearly Harris liked to have his privacy. But, it was clear now why Rory was so eager to get to talk to Rey. The poor girl had to be lonely.
Speaking of his angelic savior, Rey took his first glance at Rory in her full glory, and Rey's suspicions were confirmed. Rory was a total bombshell. With a height of about 5'2, her short stature only made her perfect hourglass figure more pronounced. With a stunning face, generous bust, wide hips, and soft thighs any man would love to suffocate between, it was clear to Rey why Harris was getting bombarded by suitors even in the middle of nowhere. Rey doubted that even a king wouldn't take an interest in her.
As if she could feel Rey staring at her, Rory blushed heavily and began nervously fiddling with the sides of her light blue dress which had white ribbon tied around her waist. She was like the image of a perfect wife, which made Rey wonder why this amazing girl wasn't married yet.
Feeling a light smack on the back of his head and hearing a light giggle from Rory, Rey looked over at Harris, only to be far too shocked to complain about being hit. Harris was completely jacked! Harris was clearly a human, but he stood at around 6'5, nearly matching Rey's impressive new height as a lion Beast Man, which he learned is called, Beastian, in this world.
Harris had a bald head, the same striking blue eyes as Rory, and a thick, grey braided beard that made him look like some old Viking warrior. Dense muscles were piled all over his body, as even the plain tunic he wore threatened to burst at any simple movement he made. Even the veins that bulged as his muscles flex were intimidating. It was clear now to Rey how Rory managed to stay safe and pure despite her having so many suitors. He was sure that anyone who even looked as though they were thinking of getting too forceful with Rory would be crushed easily by Harris.
Rey also confirmed another thing in his heart, which is Harris is anything but just a simple old farmer.
"Stop flirting with my granddaughter and go lay in our guest room while I go fetch the Healer. If you keep standing there with your jaw to the floor, you're likely to get more injuries." Harris said as he gestured for Rory to guide Rey into the small farmhouse.
Though some might take Harris's words as a form of being caring, to Rey, it was more like a veiled threat.
'Even though she's fine as hell, I can't let my dick get me in trouble with this old bastard. He's definitely giving off 'Hidden Boss' vibes.' Rey thought to himself as he sighed in his heart. Even though he'd love to take a bite out of the sweet girl, Harris would definitely force him to marry her first, and he definitely didn't want to settle down as soon as he came to a whole new world with tons of new races and beauties for him to meet.
Heading inside the farmhouse, the inside was just as simple as the outside. They entered into the living room which had a worn green couch, a large rocking chair Rey could tell belonged to Harris, an old looking fireplace in the corner of the room, and wooden table in the middle of the room and a bookcase built along the wall behind the couch. It was full of rolled parchments but did have a few books that Rey was interested in reading.
The rest of the house was equally as simple with a small kitchen just past the living room, and separate dinning room adjacent to the living room, a bathroom and three bedrooms, including the guest room where Rey will be staying for the foreseeable future. Walking into the guest room, Rey wasn't surprised to find only a bed, a small dresser, a desk and window to look out at the wide grasslands.
Still, just because it was simple, didn't mean that Rey wasn't completely grateful. If it wasn't for Harris being a kind man and helping him, he'd either be dead or sleeping out in the woods with God knows what kind of beasts that lurk in it.
"Go ahead and lay down and Healer Jory will be here in a few to fix you up. She doesn't live far. I'll be getting dinner ready if you need me." Rory said with a soft smile.
"Kind, gorgeous and you can cook? No wonder you have so many suitors, you'd make a perfect wife." Rey joked as he began sliding off his robe with difficulty, but Rory was blushing too hard to notice his struggle.
Currently, Rey was back to wearing nothing but his tight black tank top that hugged his lean muscle and abs, and his short grey shorts that didn't leave much to the imagination. He was in too much pain as he crawled into bed to notice Rory staring holes into his clothes. Realizing what she was doing, she rushed off to make dinner, hoping to get the troublesome thoughts out of her mind. This was the first time she's been this close to a man besides her grandpa.
As he laid in the bed, staring at the white ceiling of his room, this was the first time since he's come to this world that he could be alone, take a breather and not be so on edge. In this moment of peace, the reality of his situation finally settling in. His old life was now gone, and though he doesn't remember anything or anyone, if he had people back on earth, he'd never get a chance to see them again.
Still, the fact that he lost his memories of his old life could be seen as a blessing. Now, he didn't have to be bogged down worrying about family, friends or a lover he may have left behind. Even his past regrets would no longer hang over his head. He had a completely new slate with this world, something that most people could only dream of. Still, even with his lost memories, he still could tell to his core that he was definitely a lover of fantasy in his past life and often dreamed of his situation, as tons of experiments that he wanted to try were now buzzing in his head, the first being meditation.
Though he couldn't sit up properly thanks to his broken ribs and damaged organs, he knew instinctually that meditation could be done any position, as long as you can clear your mind. Taking a deep breath, Rey pushed all of his swirling thoughts to the back of his mind and began trying to clear his mind.
Though he messed up a few times, the image of Karrick chasing him troubling him every now and then, through trial and error, Rey was finally able to clear his mind. With his mind clear, Rey noticed something that he never did before. Flitting through the wind, all around him, as thick and plentiful as the air itself was what Rey could only describe as some sort of sensation, but energy fit better in his mind.
Abruptly, Rey's eyes shot open, as there was no way a massive nerd couldn't connect the dots to figure what he just sensed through meditation. 'Mana! I just fucking sensed mana, which in every lore there is, I'm one of the elites who can do magic! Fuck yeah!!!' Rey nearly blurted out loud in excitement
Like most gamers, Rey of course played with different classes just to switch things up every now and then. But, there were three classes that always had a special place in his heart, first of which was Archer or Ranger, for when you want to stab the hell out of someone but they're far away. Next is the Battle Monk, as they were one of the few classes that let him fight with a staff like he trained with as a kid. The 'Vicious Reed' martial arts is very intense and demanding as it covers a wide range of combat, so he needed a class that let him play and keep up with his training, which is the whole reason he got into VR gaming.
The last class was his favorite, Mage. Just the thought of conjuring a single spell that is powerful enough not only wipe out whole armies, but be able to change the literal geography of a map, sent chills down Rey's spine. And if the game offered enough freedom to not lock the players in classes and let them in a sense build their own custom class, Rey would always build some form of a Battle Mage. Being able to cast long range spells and bonk someone on the head if they get too close was nearly intoxicating for him.
Eager to sense mana some more and hopefully kickstart his journey to being able to use magic, Rey fought down his excitement and resumed his meditation. Soon enough, he felt the mana swirling around once more. Sensing the mana around his body gave him the same sensation as a cold glass of water on a hot day, or a hot peppermint tea during the winter. It was the most refreshing feeling he's ever had. Better than a breath of fresh air.
As he was absorbed in sensing mana, Rey lost track of time. It wasn't until he felt his body shake abruptly that he was brought back to reality. When he open his eyes, Harris was standing over him with a puzzled expression.
"Damn, lad, I thought you went and died on me. Can anyone be that heavy of a sleeper?" Harris ask as he stepped back, folding his massive arms over his chest.
"Harris, how many times have I told you not to shake injured people like that?! What if you made his injuries worse. Also, he wasn't sleeping, he was mana sensing. Still, for someone with a Mid-Commoner level of Cultivation, the mana was unusually active around him." said an older woman standing next to Harris, giving him a disapproving glare.
The old woman was definitely a looker back in her day, as she had an elegant beauty about her that would be difficult to match. Her long white hair with streaks of red, was neatly done into a single thick braid that hung over her shoulder. She was of average woman height and it was impossible to see her build under the long, thick blue robes she wore. Rey was willing to bet his last dollar that this old woman berating Harris was the Healer, Jory.
But, it was what she said about Rey sensing mana that really shocked him. And this was not the first time that someone called Rey a Mid-Commoner since he came to this world. Feeling clueless, it was time Rey got some answers.
"Mana sensing? Mid-Commoner level? What does all of that mean?" Rey asked, earning a shocked look from Jory who turned to Harris for answers, but he just let out a heavy sigh.
"The boy has amnesia, Jory. Doesn't remember a thing besides his name. I was hoping you could help fix that too with your magic." Harris said, slowly shaking his head.
"Hmm, that's troubling. Even with all of the wonders we can do with magic, the matters of the mind and soul are still beyond our level of study, as far as I know. Still, I can at least fix up his broken body, but my conditions for the service have changed." Jory said, giving Harris a look that said to not waste his time fighting her on the subject, as she would get her way.
"Ugh! Come on, Jory! I can't go offering more coins with the King increasing taxes thanks to that damned war. Look, Rory seems to have a soft spot for the lad, can't you do me a solid this once?" Harris asked, looking like a child asking his mother for a cookie.
"I don't want your coins, Harris. Everyone knows how stingy you are with them anyway. No, the condition for this service is that this young man becomes my new apprentice and learns the art of Healing under me." Jory said in a tone that said she won't take no for an answer.
"What?! I was going to train the lad here on the farm! If he and Rory do end up together, he has to be strong enough to protect her if I'm not there." Harris said, as he matched Jory's stare, not backing down.
Hearing that, Jory stepped back and gasped with a shocked expression on her face. "Are you crazy?! You, personally training someone? If you want to kill the boy, I won't let you. This young man is clearly talented to be able to sense mana naturally all by himself, and I won't let you break him with that crazy warrior training you do!" Jory said with her hands on her hips, looking like a wife berating her husband.
"I can do both!" A sudden voice interrupted the argument, only for them to turn and see Rey forcing himself up despite the pain.