Chapter 3: The Predicament
Outside the Pit
"Great!"
"My stats are worse than a dog's!"
Hossam felt disheartened after seeing his pitiful stats, though he wasn't surprised. Before arriving in this world, he had been a lazy person who avoided any form of physical or mental exercise. If he had known he would end up in a fantasy world, he might have prepared himself. But the past was the past—what mattered now was the present and future.
"Alright! What should I do now?!"
Clapping his hands, Hossam decided on his first course of action.
"The first thing I need to do is get out of this creepy place! If I stay here any longer, I'll probably have a heart attack!"
He picked himself up and walked into the forest, as it surrounded him from all sides. He had no choice but to pick a direction and hope it was the right one.
With his first step into the forest, a chill ran through every part of his body. It felt as though hundreds of unseen eyes were watching him from the shadows.
Muttering "In the name of God," he pressed on, hoping everything he felt was just his imagination.
Four hours later, at sunset.
Hossam had trudged approximately two kilometers through the vast forest but found no sign that it was ending anytime soon. He looked up, sighed deeply, and said:
"Ugh... How big is this cursed forest?!"
He added:
"I'm exhausted! There were so many obstacles along the way through this damn forest!"
"I don't think I can go any further, especially now that night has fallen."
"I'll camp here tonight and figure out what to do tomorrow!"
Having decided to camp where he stood, he realized that the darkness made navigating the forest impossible. If he continued, he would undoubtedly get lost.
Hossam began collecting firewood to make a fire to keep himself warm through the freezing night. After gathering everything he needed, he realized he had no idea how to start a fire. Back home, fire-starting was far more advanced, but he had a basic understanding of primitive methods—though they were difficult and time-consuming.
"Alright! Let's give it a try!"
Determined, he took two pieces of wood and began rubbing them together. He failed on the first attempt but didn't give up. The second attempt yielded the same result, as did the third. After twenty-three tries, he finally succeeded. Breathing a sigh of relief, he smiled, knowing his persistence and hard work had paid off.
"Ha-ha-ha! I'm a genius—there's nothing I can't do!"
After celebrating his success, Hossam used a large leaf as both a mat and a blanket. Reciting bedtime prayers, he drifted into a deep sleep, unaware that he was being watched by strange eyes hidden in the darkness.
When they were sure Hossam was completely asleep, a mysterious figure with long ears and a radiant, beautiful face emerged from the shadows. Their expression changed from cold indifference to intense anger, transforming their appearance into something ugly and terrifying.
The figure extinguished Hossam's fire, lifted him into the air without touching him, and carried him into the depths of the forest.
Seven hours later
Hossam woke up feeling well-rested, only to find himself tied to a large tree by strange vines.
"Damn it, what happened? Why am I tied up?..."
Looking around, he noticed peculiar homes and muttered:
"What are all these strange houses?"
Suddenly, a head dangled in front of him and shouted:
"Aha! You're finally awake, human!"
"Ahhh!"
Startled, Hossam exclaimed:
"Who are you?!"
"Who am I? You dare call me 'who'? I'm a girl, you idiot!"
Relieved, Hossam said:
"Oh… You scared me… Sorry if I offended you. But who are you?"
The girl replied:
"Who am I? Are you joking, human? Can't you tell by my ears?"
"Sorry, I can't."
"Hmph... You humans are truly experts at lying and deception!"
Confused by her hostility towards humans, Hossam examined her ears more closely. He immediately thought of the elves he had read about in anime and manga. Unable to believe his eyes, he asked:
"Are you… an elf?"
"And what else would I be? Listen, human, your pathetic human tricks won't work on us anymore. We've been deceived by your kind for thousands of years. Try something else."
Hossam immediately recalled the stories he had read, where humans and elves were always at odds—either because humans enslaved elves or due to some cursed love story involving an elf queen and a lucky human.
Muttering to himself, he said:
"Ugh... Thousands of years, huh? Just my luck. Why couldn't this be one of those peaceful times?"
He raised his head and asked:
"Alright, so what happens now? What are you going to do to me?"
"We're going to execute you, of course."
Hossam turned to the voice and saw a man in black clothing resembling a ninja, who repeated himself:
"We're going to execute you, of course."
"Huh?! Execute me?!"
Terrified, Hossam stammered:
"Execute me? Why… What's my crime?!"
The man replied:
"Of course, there are reasons for this decision."
"So, what's my crime?"
"Your crimes? Ha-ha-ha!"
"?"
"You've committed several heinous acts. First, you entered our sacred forest without permission. Second, you harmed our trees. Third, you lit a fire. These offenses warrant execution a thousand times over."
Hossam, unimpressed, retorted:
"What? Are you serious? You call those crimes deserving of execution? Are you insane?"
"Say what you will about me, but you won't escape this judgment, you vile criminal."
Seeing the resolve in the man's eyes, Hossam accepted his likely fate with sorrow but remembered his system. He asked inwardly:
"Hey, system, isn't there a way out of this mess?"
[Ding! There is a way, but you need to level up first.]
"How many levels do I need?"
[Five levels.]
"Five at once? How am I supposed to do that? Is there a shortcut?"
[No.]
"Ugh, damn you, stupid system! Do you want me to die?"
"Alright! Think, think, think... How do I get out of this mess?"
Suddenly, a crazy yet brilliant idea struck him.
"Hey, ninja guy!"
"My name is Jack, not ninja!"
"Whatever. I challenge you to a duel!"
"A duel? You? Against me? Are you insane?"
"What's the matter? Afraid of fighting me, you cowardly ninja?"
"What?! Ha-ha-ha-ha! Alright, but what are the stakes?"
"If I win, you'll release me. If you win, I'll accept my execution!"
"Huh…"
Jack sighed and nodded.
"Fine, I accept your challenge."
A wide grin spread across Hossam's face as he thought to himself:
"Hehehe. You'll regret accepting this challenge, fool. But wait..."
Jack interrupted him:
"Alright then. We'll meet in three days to settle this. Prepare yourself for the greatest event of your life. Hahaha!"
"Ugh, damn you."
After their long exchange, Jack ordered a guard to take Hossam to a cell, freeing him from his restraints so he could train and prepare for the duel that would determine his fate.
In the elf village, inside the cell
Hossam sat on the floor, pondering a way out of his dire predicament. With no combat experience or knowledge of training in this world, his situation seemed hopeless.
To be continued…