Daniel emerged from the cave. The sun's rays greeted his dark hair and began to caress his body with pleasant warmth. The air temperature here was mild, and the humidity was pleasant. The weather was perfect - not too hot, but not cold either. The wind no longer hit him in the genitals, and his heels were finally protected!
Daniel looked around, but saw nothing but greenery. It was a tropical forest: bushes, trees, huge leaves - he had seen it all before. He had flown through here several times when he was in ghost form.
Of course, any other person in his place would have been lost, not knowing where to go. However, Daniel didn't need to know which way the sun should rise, where the west, east, and so on were in order to find his way.
First of all, he simply didn't know that. Does anyone among ordinary people even learn such things?
Secondly, he knew this island better than anyone else among the players on this island because he had surveyed and flown over every bush and every tree here. Despite suffering more than anyone else due to being summoned first, Daniel now understood that he had the greatest advantage among all the players. He knew where he needed to go and all the fastest routes.
Now he only had to choose where he needed to go. And Daniel didn't have to think long.
The choice here was obvious - the beach.
`I'm sure most players thought the same way and probably headed there. After all, I need to meet other players. However disgusting and horrible it may sound, I can't simply ignore the feeling of desire that is gradually increasing in me. I think I'll be able to find a girl who would prefer to mate with me rather than go crazy and lose her mind.`
Without wasting any more time on contemplation, Daniel calmly moved forward. After taking a few steps, he abruptly turned around and stared at the volcano with a cold expression on his face. Daniel raised his hand and showed his middle finger to the volcano.
"Fuck off."
Daniel turned back and continued walking forward, moving away from the volcano.
`That was the most obnoxious thing I have ever experienced in my life. I hope our paths with this damn volcano will never cross again.` Daniel thought with a cold expression on his face, pushing aside the bushes in front of him.
He knew where to go and calmly followed the path, occasionally looking around. Two things he couldn't know were where the monsters were and their nearest lairs. And the second thing was how long it would take him to reach the beach on foot. Of course, flying was one thing, but walking was completely different. He could estimate the approximate distance, but he didn't know what obstacles he would encounter along the way.
`If we exclude all obstacles, it will take me about ten hours to walk there. That's quite a lot. Of course, the desire meter will most likely not reach 100%, unless a projectile suddenly hits my genitals... But it will definitely exceed 80%, so it would be nice to meet a girl during that time who would easily go along with me and would mate with me without any tears and tanrums. I won't try to convince anyone to do it. Let them all go to hell if they think I'm ready to sink to that level.`
So far, everything was going smoothly. There were no monsters in sight. No traps around - the ground beneath his feet didn't fall. It was even unusual for Daniel. Everything was going too smoothly. But experience had already taught him that every time he thought everything was going smoothly, something bad would immediately start happening.
However, after half an hour of walking, to his surprise, Daniel discovered not monsters, but a Safe Zone?!
[You have entered a Safe Zone, Abandoned Wayfarer.]
[Monsters cannot enter Safe Zones.]
[In Safe Zones, players can rest and replenish their energy.]
The zone was not fenced off and did not differ much from the surrounding area, except that there was a bonfire in the center of the zone. This time, there were no statues or anything else in the Safe Zone. Only a bonfire with a lonely stump standing a meter away.
So this time everything seemed simple. I wonder how this zone protects against monsters? There is no wall or anything similar here. It seems that because of the system, the monsters simply cannot enter here.
Daniel approached the bonfire and touched it. The bonfire instantly flared up, and its flames rose and increased several times for a moment.
[Player Daniel Grey touched the bonfire of the Abandoned Wayfarer.]
[A new fast travel point has been unlocked!]
[Total unlocked points: 2/50.]
`Hm, not so bad. I just need to find 48 more points, and I will definitely get some hidden prize. I hope so. That would be nice... Huh? What's this?`
Suddenly, Daniel noticed that there were several blood stains on the ground near the bonfire. And they were relatively fresh. And there was blood not only near the bonfire. It was not as fresh, but dried blood was also on the stump and several spots nearby.
Some blood on the ground was dried, and some were fresh. Besides the blood, there was a small gnawed bone lying on the ground near the bonfire. It was about two or three times larger than the gnawed bone he had in his inventory. Daniel touched it, and a message popped up in front of him.
Item: [Gnawed Bone of a Mountain Monkey.]
Item Type: Trash.
`Huh? Does this mean that there is another player nearby? Or was he here but then left?` Daniel pondered. He thought about waiting for another player for a while, but if the player had already left, he would be wasting his time.
Instead, Daniel decided to carefully examine the blood on the ground again. He was most interested in the fresh blood. Daniel was not a detective, but even without deductive abilities, he could guess that the player had left here no more than an hour ago. If so, Daniel could try to catch up with the unknown player simply by following the bloodstains on the ground.
`The main thing was for the tracks not to only be in the Safe Zone.` Daniel stared at the ground intently and left the Safe Zone with a calm expression on his face. Fortunately, the tracks continued. Although they led to the right, not straight towards the bitch where Daniel initially headed.
However, when it came to priorities, meeting another player was more important. And it didn't matter to Daniel whether this player was a female player or one of the five suspects. The main thing was that this player was relatively intact and useful to him.
Surviving together with someone else increased his chances significantly, especially if that someone else was strong. And judging by the bones near the Safe Zone bonfire, Daniel could easily conclude that this unknown player would at least not be a burden to him and would be capable of surviving on his own.
After all, unlike some others, this Player killed a Monkey, not a Macaque...
Suddenly, Daniel noticed that the bloodstains on the ground had increased, and there were signs of a battle here. A cracked stone lay on the ground. One of the trees was damaged. The grass on the ground was too trampled, and multiple tracks were visible.
Daniel tensed up. If the unknown player was being chased by monsters... In short, Daniel's desire to find the player suddenly decreased.
He stopped and seriously considered whether he should continue following the tracks of the unknown player or stick to his original plan, which was to return to the Safe Zone and continue heading towards the shore from there.
It was a difficult decision. Surviving with another player would be much easier, especially if the player was strong.
Even if the player was weak, in the end, Daniel could use the player as cannon fodder in moments of monster ambush and deadly danger.
Though, of course, these were just Daniel's thoughts. He didn't really know if he could use other players and throw them to the mercy of the monsters, and honestly, he didn't have much desire to find out.
"A stone knife." Daniel said with a calm expression on his face. A virtual window immediately appeared in front of him.
Crafting time remaining: [13 minutes 42 seconds.]
Daniel covered his face with his hand. He needed to make a decision. A choice. And it wasn't an easy one.
`My weapon won't be ready for another 13 minutes. I don't know exactly how many monsters are chasing this player. I don't know the condition of this player, but judging by the blood, he is severely injured and likely on the brink of death. In hand-to-hand combat, I can barely defeat a macaque. But what if this player is being chased by something scarier and there are many of them? No matter how you look at it, even if I come to help this player, I will be useless and won't be able to help him at all. Well, it's decided then." Daniel's logic and reason guided him.
He abruptly turned around and took a few hurried steps towards the Safe Zone, but then unexpectedly stopped.
Undoubtedly, his mind and logic clearly pointed to the truth. It was the right decision: there was no point in going where he was doomed to die in vain. Moreover, it couldn't be ruled out that the unknown player had already met his end and Daniel would find nothing there but the corpse of that player...
However, his feelings... instincts and heart – they all cried out inside him, demanding that Daniel turn back and help the unknown player.
This was the second thing that strained his relationship with his father – his impulsiveness.
Daniel ran. He ran to the right, following the bloodstains on the ground.
Perhaps, of course, this unknown player was already dead. Perhaps he was on the brink of death. Perhaps he was being chased by a horde of monsters, but there was also a chance that this player had escaped the pursuit or somehow defeated them all. Yes, the probability of that was very low, but at least it existed.
But all of this was self-deception. Daniel knew that he was running there not because of that probability, but for another reason... He simply couldn't do it... Abandon a person without even attempting to do something. He did it not out of kindness, but simply because he was very afraid of the guilt that would be more painful and horrifying than any pain inflicted on him on this island.
`What an idiot I am. I'm sure that before I die, I will deeply regret choosing this.` Daniel thought to himself.
Daniel ran ahead, not slowing down for a second, following the bloodstains on the ground, and finally he stopped. The bloodstains on the ground abruptly disappeared.
Daniel emerged from the bushes and saw a wounded naked girl with dark green hair and determined violet eyes in front of him. Her body was covered in severe wounds and cuts. She was extremely pale and on the verge of losing consciousness.
But that wasn't the worst part of the current situation. The worst part was that the girl was surrounded by five monsters, three times larger than Mountain Macaques in size.
Their height was approximately 120 centimeters. Each of the monsters stared intensely and ferociously at Seraphina. Darkness emanated from their eyes. Externally, the monsters resembled monkeys to some extent. Their bodies were not just covered with a layer of stone like Mountain Macaques; this layer of stone was completely covered in sharp protrusions.
A message immediately appeared in front of Daniel.
[Monster: Mountain Monkey.]
[Rank: Threat.]
`Fuuuuck. I knew it...` Daniel thought to himself with dejection.