Four Days Later
Time had passed since we brought the ox back to camp, and showing it to everyone had sparked excitement in the group. Over the next few days, we went back out in search of another one and, fortunately, managed to tame a second ox. These oxen were proving invaluable—not just for their strength but for their ability to be summoned and unsummoned at will, just like in the game. That feature alone made them worth their weight in gold. They didn't need food or water, and they never seemed to tire, which sped up our travel significantly.
With two oxen in tow, James, myself, and two others from our group set out for Yew Wood, looking for Tier 4 materials. The journey, which would have normally taken two to three days, was cut down to just a day and a half, thanks to the oxen's endurance. Once we arrived, James and I took up guard duty while the other two focused on gathering materials. The area was rich with wood, and while there wasn't much in the way of ore or stone, we still managed to gather a respectable haul.
During our watch, we encountered a few boars and wolves. They weren't much of a threat, and we were able to dispatch them quickly, which provided us with good hide and meat for future use. But just when things seemed to be going smoothly, the atmosphere changed.
"David, do you hear that?" James asked, his voice low as he scanned the tree line.
"Yeah," I replied, drawing my bow. "Get ready."
I gave a quick hand signal to the others, alerting them to stop gathering materials and get into position. The sound of approaching footsteps grew louder, and moments later, two men on horses emerged from the dense foliage.
"Well, I didn't expect to find people out here," said one of the men, his tone casual but his eyes sharp.
I narrowed my gaze, my bow still drawn. The fact that they were on horseback was a red flag. Horses weren't easy to come by, especially this early on. Normal people who didn't understand this world wouldn't wander around with such ease. These two were different, and that made them dangerous.
"Who are you?" asked the second man, his voice more direct. "And what are you doing out here?"
"Who we are is none of your business," I replied, keeping my bow aimed at them. "And what we're doing isn't your concern."
James noticed my tension and unsheathed his sword, readying himself. I didn't want to resort to violence, but in this world, without laws or rules, trust was a rare commodity. For all we knew, these men could be scouts from a hostile group or worse.
"Whoa, easy there," said the first man, raising his hands in mock surrender. "We come in peace. We're just exploring the area, looking for more horses."
I didn't lower my bow.
"Look," the second man continued, sensing the tension, "you're the first people we've seen in days. Our group landed in this zone after the big shift. We met some folks who knew about the game and helped us out, but they sent us out here to gather more horses."
He didn't seem to be lying. His story made sense, but there was still the possibility that they were scouting us out for a future ambush. Regardless, I eased my grip slightly and lowered my bow—though I wasn't letting my guard down.
"You guys keep gathering materials," I said over my shoulder to the others. "We'll handle this."
The men on horseback glanced at our oxen with interest.
"I see you've got some decent mounts," the first man remarked. "And you're gathering Tier 4 materials, huh? Not bad. I'm Adam, by the way. And this here is Josh."
I didn't return the pleasantries. "Well, Adam, we're busy, so if you don't mind, you can go on your way."
Adam's easy smile faltered slightly at my blunt tone, but he didn't push back.
"We're not looking for trouble," he assured. "Like I said, we're just out looking for horses. But I'll tell you what—why don't you guys join our group? We've got a decent setup, and if you've got more people back at your camp, they can join us too."
I raised an eyebrow. Josh looked at Adam as if he'd lost his mind. Clearly, this wasn't part of their original plan. It seemed like an honest offer, but joining a larger group meant complications. Conflicts could arise, especially when it came to leadership and resources.
"And why would we do that?" James asked, his tone cautious.
"The more people together, the higher the chances of survival," Adam replied smoothly. "And it looks like you've got some knowledge about this world, or at least someone in your group does. We've got strength in numbers, and there's safety in that."
While it was true that a larger group meant better chances of survival, it also meant more mouths to feed, more egos to manage, and more risk of internal conflict. I wasn't interested in that. My goal was to reach the black zones, where we could farm valuable resources and establish a hidden base. But I didn't need to share that with Adam.
"We'll think about it," I said, knowing full well that I had no intention of joining them.
Adam and Josh exchanged glances. They could tell I wasn't fully on board, but they didn't push it further.
"Our group is camped in the top right corner of the map," Adam said. "If you change your mind, you're welcome to join us."
With that, they turned their horses and rode off, disappearing into the trees.
As soon as they were out of sight, James turned to me, his brow furrowed. "We're not really considering joining them, are we?"
"No," I said firmly. "We need to get your family first, and then we're heading for the black zones."
James looked at me like I was crazy. "Dude, we can barely handle a solo dungeon in a blue zone. Going to a black zone is basically a death sentence."
"Not if we're smart about it," I countered. "If we can get enough people trained up, we'll be able to handle black zone dungeons. We just need a solid group—a healer, a tank, a DPS, and a ranger. That's the bare minimum."
James sighed. "And where are we supposed to find all these people? Let alone get them trained up?"
I pulled out the book again, looking for answers.
[Q: How can I get to the black zones?
A: The black zones are on a different continent, similar to the game. There are two ways to reach them:
Travel by boat. The swamps and snow mountains are the closest regions to the black zone continent.
Find a ruined portal. By making offerings, you can be transported to the black zones. The number of people traveling will determine how many offerings are required.]
I scanned the map for any signs of ruined portals. After a few minutes of searching, I found several ruins scattered throughout the map. They looked like they had been long abandoned, but they could be the key to getting us to the black zones without needing a boat.
"We'll check out those ruins after we get your family back," I said, showing James the potential locations. He studied the map, still skeptical but knowing that this was the best plan we had.
"Alright," he agreed reluctantly. "But we'll need more people if we're going to survive the black zones.
I nodded. "We'll start training more of our group once we're back. And then… we'll make our move."
The path ahead wasn't going to be easy, but if we could pull this off, we'd have access to some of the best resources in the world. It was a gamble, but in this new reality, taking risks was the only way forward.
To Be Continue…