Ethan observed as the woman he had saved slowly began to stir. She emitted low groans and shifted her body, occasionally tilting it, causing her eyelids to flutter. Ethan had a clear view of her face from his vantage point.
Knowing that it would take some time for the woman to fully regain consciousness, Ethan decided to be patient and wait. During this time, he used a bit of soil from the ground to clean his hands, wiping away the blood and vomit. He then took another handful of soil to bury his own vomit.
After a few moments, the woman slowly opened her eyes. Ethan remained silent, simply observing her. Upon awakening, she remained strangely quiet and continued gazing at the sky. Ethan figured that she must still be processing the terrifying experience of almost being devoured.
Ethan couldn't comprehend the exact sensation she had endured, but he knew he wouldn't want to go through the same ordeal. Seeing the woman still covered in blood, he decided to give her some time to collect herself.
Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long before the woman's attention shifted away from the sky. What happened next could have been anticipated and unexpected at the same time—she began to cry.
Ethan was taken aback and uncertain about how to respond. It seemed as if the woman was unaware of his presence. Or perhaps she knew but chose not to acknowledge him...
"Isn't she overreacting?" Ethan initially wondered, but he quickly dismissed that thought. After realising the magnitude of the woman's experience, he understood that it couldn't be brushed off easily. The game they were in was too realistic, and the pain felt within it was just as real.
Ethan himself still felt the ache in his body and the sting of a small mouth injury, but his martial arts training had somewhat numbed him to the pain. Yet, even with his resilience, he couldn't fathom the sensation of almost being eaten alive.
Realising this, Ethan gave the woman some time to compose herself if she was able to. If she couldn't, it would be his signal to leave the area and venture to another location in search of more information about this world.
Fortunately, the woman's cries remained quiet, unlikely to attract any nearby animals. Given that magic seemed to exist in this world, Ethan wanted to avoid any potential encounters related to it. It was a relief to see that the woman's mental strength was commendable, as she stopped crying within just two minutes.
After her tears subsided, she used her hands to prop herself up from the ground and sat up, turning her gaze towards Ethan with a smile on her face. Both of them remained silent for a while, simply observing each other.
"She's beautiful," Ethan silently praised the woman in his mind. It was the first time he had taken a moment to appreciate her appearance, even with the blood on her. She was still striking, but Ethan's focus was not on her beauty. It hadn't saved her from the clutches of the dead wolf.
"Thanks for saving me," the woman spoke softly, breaking the silence between them. Ethan responded with a nod, contemplating how to proceed with questioning her, as that was his current priority.
From the slight trembling in her voice, despite her attempts to appear brave, Ethan could tell that she hadn't completely overcome the near-death experience. This garnered a degree of respect from him. Regardless of her mental strength, she appeared to be holding herself together.
Encouraged by her composure, Ethan decided to ask his questions without further hesitation. As soon as he opened his mouth, the first question that came to his mind emerged.
"When the wolf attacked you, did you really think you'd die?" Ethan began, but before he could finish his words, the woman swiftly replied with a confident "yes." Her unwavering certainty shook Ethan, leaving him slightly unsettled.
He wanted to believe it was all just a game, but now even he was unsure. He was starting to consider the possibility that this was reality, as no game company would dare create such intense experiences for players due to the potential backlash it would provoke.
Such events could lead to the company's closure. Although they possessed the technology to make it possible, Ethan doubted anyone would be foolish enough to use it in this manner, apart from creating a generally realistic appearance.
After posing his initial question, Ethan proceeded to ask another, knowing he had already begun the line of inquiry.
"How did you get here?" he inquired, recognizing the significance of this question. He hoped to determine if his own experience mirrored that of the woman. As she began to speak, some of his suspicions were confirmed. The woman turned out to be a player, though not a professional one. She was more of a casual player who happened to be lucky enough to become a beta player. Like Ethan, she entered the game through a VR headset and found herself in a hut, just as he did.
Interestingly, her experience mirrored Ethan's in several ways. After creating her character, her hut also shook, creating an eerie similarity. As she ventured out of her hut and walked into the forest, she came across a gruesome scene—a wolf feasting on the remains of what appeared to be another human. Recalling this moment, she fell silent for a while, trying to suppress the urge to vomit from the horrifying image.
From her account so far, Ethan was able to confirm a few things.
Firstly, his situation was not unique and likely applied to all gamers in this world. Secondly, he discovered that someone had already died at the hands of a wolf. The woman didn't need to say more for him to piece together the details of her journey and how she reached this point.
What remained uncertain was whether the death of the gamer she encountered was a real one or not. Unfortunately, there was no way to know, and Ethan had no intention of using himself as an experiment.
Sighing, Ethan let a series of thoughts race through his mind. However, his current circumstances didn't allow for deep contemplation, so he decided to ask another pressing question that piqued his curiosity.
"The potion you took," Ethan began, and the woman nodded in response. He continued, "What level was it?" He wanted to ascertain if his inventory situation was common among players and if the items held any value.
The woman didn't take long to reply. "It's a level two common-grade potion," she stated, adding, "Actually, every item in my inventory is level two common grade."
Upon hearing this, Ethan couldn't help but mutter, "Fuck!" Her response revealed a few more insights to him. Firstly, it seemed that the items in the "newbie package" of the game were given to players randomly. Secondly, his item wasn't particularly valuable, especially compared to the woman he had saved. It likely wouldn't have been potent enough to bring someone back from the brink of death.
The third realisation dawned on him: this woman was lucky. In fact, she could be called a lucky star. She had narrowly escaped death from the wolf's claws, encountered Ethan who was able to kill the wolf before it could kill her, and possessed a healing potion that saved her from certain demise.
This was what people referred to as luck.
True luck.
However, Ethan didn't let it affect him too much since, in the end, she had still come dangerously close to dying.
It appeared that the sword he used to defeat the wolf was also a level two item. Perhaps that explained why he was able to dispatch the wolf in a single strike due to its rarity. Unfortunately, the woman, being a casual gamer in a sense, didn't deserve the sword she possessed.
[Level 1 Warrior]
These were the words that hovered above her head in blue as Ethan focused on her.
With this in mind, Ethan decided to ask his final question before leaving the area. He realised it was dangerous to linger in one place for too long, especially considering the content of his quest—to survive. A single wolf should not be the sole reason for him to endure three consecutive days.
"Do you, by any chance, know where other players might be?" Ethan asked, not harbouring much hope for a positive response. However, to his surprise, the woman provided an answer.
"My hut was on relatively high ground, and although this area is unfamiliar due to the wolf chasing me from where I initially started, I observed a grouping of many huts in that direction," she stated, pointing towards a specific location. "It's possible that there are many players there."
Upon hearing the woman's words and gazing in the direction she indicated, Ethan's sombre mood brightened slightly. "Thank you," he expressed his gratitude before promptly getting up.
Now that he had rested enough, it was time to leave the current environment. He was aware that the blood of the wolf and the woman could attract more monsters. However, before departing, there was one important task he had to complete—the looting. As a gamer, whether novice or veteran, it was only natural to claim the spoils of victory.
Under the bewildered gaze of the woman, Ethan made his way to the slain wolf. Confident that the animal was dead, thanks to the experience points he gained, he placed his hand on the corpse and attempted to utilise the basic method commonly used in VR games to add an item to his inventory.
After touching the wolf's body, he mentally called for his inventory, fixating his eyes on the wolf's remains. Before his eyes, the wolf slowly dematerialized, signifying a successful acquisition. Satisfied with his loot, Ethan nodded and was about to check his inventory when he heard a voice from behind.
"Mister?!" Turning around, he saw the woman he had saved standing up hurriedly, fear evident in her eyes. However, the fear didn't seem to be directed at him. "Mister, do you plan on leaving?" she asked, her voice slightly trembling.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Ethan thought to himself, wondering if the woman was thinking clearly. Nevertheless, he chose to respond. "Yes," he curtly replied, brushing off the dirt from his hands.
"Please, can you allow me to follow..." Before the woman could finish her request, Ethan abruptly interrupted her. "No."
What a joke. She was likely going to ask if she could accompany him, and he had no intention of allowing it. His instinct to save her had guided his actions, but the reason she had ended up in that dangerous situation in the first place was her own incapability, just like any other average human.
Ethan was embarking on a quest for survival, facing whatever awaited him in the next two days. Having someone who seemed like they could be killed at any moment would not assist him in fulfilling this objective. It was not a matter of cruelty on Ethan's part, but rather one of caution. If the woman were to follow him and nothing untoward occurred, it would be fine.
However, if she accompanied him and an unfortunate incident took place, she would likely become a burden. For both their sakes, Ethan had no intention of moving with her. He preferred to go alone, as he typically did in VR games, or with similarly capable individuals like Sarah, rather than with players like her—a "casual" gamer.
After firmly expressing his position, Ethan was ready to leave the current environment behind. He had already risked his life to save the woman when it was unnecessary, and he considered that to be the end of their interaction.
However, just as he began to move, the woman called out to him, uttering words that caught his attention. "Mister! Please don't leave me alone! I'll give you anything just to stay with you a little longer! Please!" she pleaded, her voice trembling, as she approached Ethan.
Ethan observed her but remained still. The woman's words reverberated in his mind.
"She does have something I could use," he muttered, his perception of her shifting as numerous ideas crossed his mind.