"Thanks, little buddy," he said, even though the slime couldn't hear him anymore. It was all inside him now.
Crack! The big centipede was breaking the rocks. It was getting through!
Ken knew he had to do something. He felt different now, stronger. He put his hands out, and the air got hot, even hotter than before. But this time, it felt... good. Like he was in control.
The centipede came through the broken rocks, its many legs moving fast. It came at him, mouth open wide.
But he was ready. He didn't just make heat this time. He made fire! A big blast of fire shot from his hands, hitting the centipede right in the face.
It screamed, a horrible, high-pitched sound and ell back, its body burning. It moved around wildly, trying to put out the fire, but it didn't work.
Ken kept the fire going, watching the monster burn. He felt sad for it, but he knew he had to do it. It was him or the centipede.
"Don't bother, that fire will not stop burning." He said with a smile on his face, he knew he had won.
After a while, the centipede stopped moving. It was just a burned, black mess on the ground.
He snapped his fingers and the fire vanished, somehow this made him feel tired, like something was being drained from his body.
"Okay," he said to himself. "That was... something." He looked around not sure which way to go but at least he felt more confident which now. "Power is awesome."
He started walking, not sure where he was going. He just knew he had to get out of the forest and find out where he ended up.
As he walked, he practiced his fire power. He made small flames in his hands, then bigger ones. He made the air shimmer with heat and even made a little ball of fire that floated in the air.
"Not bad," he said, smiling. "I'm getting the hang of this."
He walked for a long time. The forest was quiet, except for the sounds of strange birds and insects. He saw more weird plants, and sometimes he saw small animals, but nothing as big as the centipede.
Finally, he saw something different, light. He was getting to the edge of the forest!
"finally."
He walked faster, excited to see what was on the other side. He came to the last trees and stepped out into... a huge field.
It was a big, open space, with tall grass and colorful flowers. In the distance, he could see mountains. The sky was a bright blue, with strange, fluffy clouds.
"Wow," he said, looking around. "This is... beautiful."
But then he saw something else. Something that made his heart beat faster. In the middle of the field, there was a town. A real town, with buildings and roads and... people!
He started running towards the town. He had so many questions but the main one is where he was. The closer he got, the more he realised, the town was a lot bigger than he expected. "Holy shit, look at those walls, what are they trying to keep out?"
As he approached even closer, he saw two men wearing armor standing guard. He immediately came to a stop, 'maybe this isn't such a good idea?' He wanted to turn and leave, after what happened before, his trust issues are very high. But on the other hand, this one the best chance to find out more about this world.
He stood at the edge of the field, studying the guards. They wore metal armor that gleamed in the sunlight, with some kind of crest emblazoned on their breastplates. Each carried a long spear and had a sword at their hip. They looked professional, serious – definitely not the kind of guards you'd want to mess with.
He touched his side where the slime healed him. The skin felt normal now, though there was still a faint blue tinge beneath the surface. He could feel the creature's cool presence inside him, like a gentle reminder that he wasn't alone in this strange world.
"Okay, think this through," he muttered to himself. "I could try sneaking in somewhere else, but those walls look pretty solid. And if I get caught..." He shook his head. The last thing he needed was to start a fight with an entire town of armed guards.
The direct approach might be his best option. After all, he looked human enough, and his clothes, though a bit torn and bloody from the centipede attack, weren't too outlandish. Maybe they'd just think he was a traveler who'd had some bad luck on the road.
He took a deep breath and started walking toward the gate, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. As he got closer, he could see more details of the wall – it was made of massive stone blocks fitted together so precisely you couldn't slip a knife between them. Strange symbols were carved into some of the stones, glowing with a faint blue light.
The guards straightened as he approached, their hands tightening on their spears. One of them called out in a language he didn't recognize, harsh and guttural.
"I don't understand," he said, raising his empty hands. "I'm just a traveler. I got... lost in the forest." It wasn't exactly a lie.
The guards exchanged looks. The taller one said something to his companion, who nodded and disappeared through a small door beside the main gate. The remaining guard kept his spear pointed at him, maintaining a professional distance.
Minutes passed in tense silence. Ken could feel heat building under his skin – an automatic response to stress – but he forced himself to stay calm. The last thing he needed was to start glowing or accidentally setting something on fire.
Finally, the second guard returned with someone else – a woman in long robes decorated with similar glowing symbols to those on the walls. She had silver hair despite looking young, and her eyes... Ken blinked in surprise. Her eyes were solid gold, without pupils or whites.
She smiled at him and spoke, but this time when the words hit his ears, they seemed to reshape themselves into something he could understand: "Welcome, stranger. I am Senna, a translator for the city of Kenaz. We don't often get visitors from beyond the Twisted Forest."
He tried to hide his shock at suddenly being able to understand her. "I'm Ken. And honestly, I'm not sure how I got here. There was an... incident, and I found myself in your forest. Had a bit of trouble with the local wildlife." He gestured at his torn clothes.
Her golden eyes studied him intently. "Ah, you've had an encounter with one of the Shadowspine Centipedes. Yet you survived despite your mana level. Impressive." She tilted her head slightly. "Oh, what an interesting body you have."
Ken tensed. How did she notice? He'd been careful to keep his wounded side turned away from view.
"And those close, too modern for this world... are you perhaps from the modern world?"
Ken was ready to run, things were getting dangerous fast but she raised a hand reassuringly. "Peace, Ken. You're not the first outsider to find their way here, though it has been many years since the last. The barriers between worlds have grown thin again." She turned to the guards and spoke in their language. They lowered their weapons but remained alert.
"You must have many questions, come. We'll get you cleaned up, fed, and then we can discuss how you came to be here – and what that means for both our worlds."
He hesitated for just a moment, then nodded. Whatever was happening, whatever this place was, he needed answers. And something told him this silver-haired woman with golden eyes knew a lot more than she was letting on.
As the massive gates began to swing open, he felt the slime shift inside him, as if it too was curious about what lay ahead. "Yeah," he whispered. "I wonder what we've gotten ourselves into, little buddy."