Feeling prepared and ready to go, Marc headed straight to the merchants he had to escort. Meeting the other adventurers was not on his to-do list.
After sharing pleasantries, the caravan began its journey toward its destination.
The ride was boring for Marc, as they made frequent stops to either feed the horses or the adventurers. Marc always thought adventurers were supposed to bring their own food, so this surprised him.
The journey was from the city of Silion to a town called Gilamesh, with the fastest path leading through Mt. Nis, which was known for its dangers. They chose this route because the caravan was late in its delivery, according to the merchants.
In Mt. Nis, the road was bumpy and narrow, just wide enough for the caravan to pass through. This was where the real journey began. However, on the first day, Marc felt paranoid, unsure if the path was safe or if serious danger lay ahead.
In the game, Mt. Nis was depicted merely as a mountain inhabited by bandits. But in reality, the issue wasn't just the bandits; it was that killing bandits was often seen as the right thing to do, as they were considered the scum of the world. However, Marc had never killed a human before, and the thought had never crossed his mind. He could send them to the city guards, who would deal with them, but that felt like indirect murder.
Confused but too much of a loner to ask for help from the other adventurers, Marc decided to deal with any issues when they arose. Halfway up the mountain, night fell, and everyone decided to rest. Strangely, they were attacked by monsters more frequently than usual, which was odd. While it was expected for monsters to attack, this seemed excessive, and the other adventurers took notice.
The highest-ranking adventurer, a man clad in damaged armor, confronted the head merchant. As an E-ranked adventurer, his authority prompted others to follow his lead. Under pressure from the adventurers, the merchant leader revealed that they were not simply transporting goods to Gilamesh but were instead carrying a cursed tool. Cursed tools, while similar to magical items, were made from demonic energy and had the potential to drive the user insane or even kill them. Worst of all, they were all soulbound items banned by the church, which naturally frightened everyone present.
While cursed tools were generally considered dangerous, if used correctly, their downsides could be mitigated, boosting the positive effects. The advantages of cursed tools—such as increasing all stats fivefold or granting invincibility at the cost of the user's blood—made them tempting for players, leading to their frequent use.
Marc snapped himself out of that line of thought, reminding himself that this was not a game; in reality, death meant permanent loss—there was no respawning or saving progress.
Despite that, he still believed it would be advantageous to acquire a cursed tool. He just needed to find a way to do so. The item was locked in a magically sealed case, making it necessary to either mount an attack or steal it sneakily.
Figuring out the best approach proved difficult, so Marc eventually gave up and focused on the quest instead. While everyone else went to sleep, Marc continued his routine of sword practice, mana enhancement, and skill training. Since he would be asleep during the day and had to keep watch all night, no one paid him any mind.
Another day in this world passed, and Marc found himself missing his old one just a little. He remembered that Leigard's return had a skill allowing one to create an inner world; Marc thought that when he reached that realm, he would model it after his old world.
**Fun Facts:**
Monsters are ordinary animals that evolved from absorbing excessive mana, unlike demonic beasts, which use pure mana from the atmosphere.
Silion is both the name of a human empire and its capital city.