I walked down the dusty road, the sun beginning to set. My stomach growled, reminding me I needed a place to stay.
"Where can I possibly find a place to stay in?" I murmured to myself as I narrowed my sight trying to look for a possible way out of the forest.
Right! Now I just realized, I don't have my glasses, yet, my vision seem pretty clear... I guess coming here isn't that bad after all.
I had to find a village or an inn soon. I also needed information about this world. If this is actually real, or I'm just having a realistic dream.
As I trudged along, I heard rustling in the bushes nearby. My heart raced.
Was it a wild animal?
I quickly ducked behind a large tree, peeking out cautiously. The rustling grew louder until, finally, a small round animal come out.
It looked like a cat, with soft fur and a pleasant appearance.
I let out a sigh in relief.
"Just a cute little creature," I whispered to myself.
I stepped out from my hiding spot, smiling at the little animal. As I got closer, I realized there were many of them, all just as adorable.
I bent down and petted one. It purred sweetly, nuzzling into my hand like a pet.
"Wow. This thing is soft..." I said, laughing a bit. "I've never seen animals like this before."
I continued to talk to the creature, feeling more relaxed. But then, a sudden scream shattered the peace.
"Stay away from it!"
My head snapped up, eyes wide with confusion.
I saw a woman sprinting towards me, her long hair flowing behind her, and a sharp glaive in her hands.
Who is she?
Fear gripped me. Was she coming for me? But then I noticed her eyes were fixed on something behind me.
Before I could turn around, I felt a sharp pain in my neck. The sweet creature had turned into a vicious predator, sinking its teeth into me.
I screamed, clutching my neck as blood poured out. The pain was excruciating, a burning heat spreading through my body, making me sweat and tremble.
I fell to my knees, vision blurring.
Through the haze of pain, I watched the woman reach me. She swung her glaive with deadly precision, cutting down the creatures that had turned aggressive. I was already squinting my eyes seeing her take down several at once.
My world darkened, the last thing I saw was the woman fighting to protect me.
I slowly opened my eyes to the sounds of crackling fire. The first thing I saw was the warm glow of burning wood. I looked around and noticed it was dark.
It's already midnight. I wonder what time is it?
Holding my head in dizziness from the long nap, I immediately felt the pain in my neck. Remembering what had happened, I touched my neck and felt some crushed leaves on it.
As I was feeling it, a voice from behind startled me awake.
"Hey, are you awake? How are you feeling?" It's the woman who saved me!
I turned slowly, "I... I'm okay, I think," I replied, wincing a bit. "My neck still hurts, though."
When I saw the woman, her black hair are now tied up. She is beautiful but looks intimidating at the same time. I noticed a band on her left arm.
She must have hurt herself while fighting the creatures that almost killed me. Now I feel bad because of it.
She looked at me. She must have noticed the guilt in my eyes that made her immediately hid her arm and sighed.
"Don't worry about me. Think of yourself first." She looks serious now.
I nodded, trying to sit up straighter. "The pain has subsided," I said, though it still lingered. "What about you? Are you okay?"
She waved off my concern, adjusting her bandage. "It's nothing," she said. "Just focus on getting better."
I rubbed my neck, still feeling the leaves.
"Why did you go closer to that creature?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.
I looked down, "I thought it was just a cute animal, I had no idea it was dangerous."
I don't know but she suddenly laughed a bit when I said that.
She then explained, "Those are craters, you fool!" She shook her head, "They might look adorable but they have sharp fangs with venomous saliva. This venom could kill you in just a short span of time, that leaves on your neck are ferming guinna leaves, these can dissolve the venom in minutes. Luckily, the venom didn't go deep into your wound, or else you'd be all purple and a feast for the craters by now." She then smirked at the end of her sentence.
I couldn't believe what I just heard. I glanced around, taking in the reality of the situation.
Does that mean I could actually die in here?
The woman saw the fear in my eyes. She knelt beside me, her expression slightly softened.
"Hey, are you really okay?" she asked again. "You have nothing to worry now, you're lucky I was there." She smirked a bit, giving off slight arrogance.
"Yeah, thank you. I owe you my life." I said, agreeing to what she said.
Her eyes widen a bit. She chuckled. "You must be one of those idiots from Division nine, acting all tough just to win this quest. How pathetic."
I furrowed my brow, confused. Division? Quest?
I looked at her, trying to make sense of it.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"What's your name by the way?"
"Ethan, what about you?"
Her brows creased.
"Ethan? What a strange name," She said, confused. "I'm Nyhiel."
"What's that thing you said earlier? Mind if you explain?"
I leaned closer in curiosity and asked .
She blushed slightly and averted her eyes, a brief pause hanging in the air before she responded.
"We're on a quest," Nyhiel began, "It's part of The Trial of Ascendance, a prestigious competition held annually to determine the most worthy knights. During this quest, participants must find an Arthexia egg and protect it until the round's conclusion. But it's not just about finding the egg, we must overcome various challenges and adversaries along the way."
I nodded, starting to grasp the gravity of the situation.
"What will happen if we passed?" I asked, still confused.
"We will be part of the official participants who may be granted not only the honor of serving our kingdom, but also the ability to wield magic, a power reserved for the most skilled and deserving knights." She finished.
My eyes widened a bit in what Nyhiel said, recalling fantasies from the books I've read, I realized that this world isn't just some plot you could read in a book.
If I have already become one of its characters, then I must at least do my part. I need to have a bigger role in order for me to unveil the truth, or else, I would get myself killed.
Nyhiel told me to wait here for a bit. She said she would look for something to eat. I tried offering for help but she refused, saying that I might only slow her down and get myself killed in the middle of the woods. Although I tried my best to assure her, in the end, I realized, with my situation now, she might be right.