Chapter 10: Plans

Forest Valley – Night
The Lanba lay still. Around it, the company worked, several fireplaces have been created, blades were drawn, tools passed from hand to hand. One dwarf is bandaging Tayo's wounds.

Buck stood near the beast, considering how to properly skin it. Suddenly, the creature stirred, tail twitching.

A human with a curved sword stepped forward, but Buck raised a hand.
“Let him do it,” he said. Then turned to Tayo. “Hey, come complete the job.”

Tayo realizes what Buck is gesturing at. He walks over but stops.

“I can't,” he said after a pause. “I don’t feel like it. You do it.”

Buck shook his head. “If we finish it, its magic will be wasted. But you're a gamer. This is your shot to raise your power.”

Tayo hesitated… then nodded. “Okay,” he whispered. He drew his knife once more and approached the Lanba’s head.

With a tap on his neck, his dashboard flickered into view—Level 14, HP: 48%.

Just as he prepared to strike, the Lanba’s eyes snapped open, and it spat a stream of sizzling green acid. Tayo ducked instinctively—the attack missed him by inches, searing a tree trunk instead. He didn’t hesitate now.

He drove the knife deep into the creature’s eye.

The Lanba thrashed once, then went still forever.

Tayo stepped back, relieved that it is over. His eyes flicked to his dashboard.

Nothing.

“My level’s not going up,” he called out. “It’s the same!”

Buck scratched his chin, pretending to think. “Ah. Forgot to mention—it needs to be done with a magical item.”

Tayo was about to flip out. The other company members were now approaching the lanba to begin their work of skinning it.

Buck just laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “Relax. You’ll get your moment. We’ve still got work to do.”

Forest Valley – Day

Sunlight lit the clearing as dwarves hoisted the shimmering Lanba skin. The beast’s remains had been picked clean, and now it was time for rewards.

Buck handed Tayo a bow similar to the one at the workshop.

“One bow, as promised.”

Tayo took it. He was happy, he finally has a weapon. But he gave Buck a suspicious glance.
“What about arrows?”

Buck shrugged. “Make them yourself.”

Tayo raised an eyebrow. “How?”

Buck sighed and tossed him a quiver. “Here. You’re welcome.”

Tayo turned to the now-skinless corpse.

“Can you lend me a magical item?”

“The bow is magical,” Buck said. “Try it.”

Tayo nocked an arrow. The tip shimmered with faint light. He loosed it at the Lanba’s carcass. As it struck, the body began to disintegrate, glowing embers lifting into the air like fireflies.

The level on Tayo’s dashboard rises, from 14 to 16.

He smiled.

Gentle Rose Inn, Remoni – Day
Laughter echoed through the Gentle Rose Inn, mingling with the scent of roasted meat and freshly baked bread. Jim sat at a corner table, smiling easily as he chatted with a red-haired NPC whose eyes sparkled with intelligence. This was the same NPC with whom he locked eyes with at the breadline.

Tayo, now sporting faint stubble and fewer bandages, paused near the exit. He spotted Jim and made his way over.

“Jim!”

Jim looked up, startled, then grinned. “Ray! You're alive! Join us.”

Tayo shook his head. “Sorry, I can’t. I’m heading out.”

He nodded to the NPC. “Hi.”

“Hey,” she replied.

“Changed your mind yet?” Tayo asked.

Jim groaned. “Not this again. Look, things have finally settled down here. To be honest… it’s not that bad. The professor did deliver on a few of his promises.”

He glanced at his date. “Some of it’s even better than real life.”

Tayo arched a brow. “Are you serious?”

Jim shrugged. “More than you think.”

Jim changed the topic of conversation. “Is anyone accompanying you?”

“Nah, it’s just me,” Tayo replied.

“Okay, I do know a few folks planning to leave in a couple of days. I might tag along.”

“You should,” Tayo said. “Anyways, got to go. Be safe.”

“You too. Say hi to Henry,” Jim responded.

“Sure.”

Jim gets up and hugs him. Then Tayo turned and left.

Town HQ, Rainit – Day
The hall was loud and crowded, people shoulder to shoulder, all eyeing the bounty posters hanging near the counter. Some are distraught by the number of calamities that require resolution while others see an opportunity.

Regardless of what camp they belong to, when Tayo entered, they instinctively parted. The tattoo on his neck marked him as a player—a warrior.

He strode to the counter, where a sharp-eyed receptionist gave a nod of respect.

“Welcome, sir. What do you need?”

Tayo didn’t hesitate. “I would like a mission please.”

**

The meeting room felt tense despite the warm light pouring in through the high windows. General Rowen stood by the head of the table, his arms folded, while Marie and two other soldiers waited in silence. The doors creaked open, and Charles entered alongside Hiro. Charles was carefully carrying a rectangular object draped in cloth.

He set it down gently.

Charles pulled the cloth free, revealing a crystalline cube—the same kind used by Gotar at the world’s unveiling. Light pulsed faintly from within. Marie lifted it, but as soon as it touched Rowen’s hand, the glow intensified.

“Are we calling all gamers?” she asked.

“No. Only those who are level fifteen and above.” Rowen replied.

Marie hesitated. “Including Frank’s group?”

“They’ll find out anyways,” he replied. He continues, “Item activate. Message: To Warrior Class Gamers.”

The crystal cube’s color changed to a soft blue.

**

Henry was seated at a long table, carrying on a conversation with several gamers.

Then they heard sharp beeps, like the ping of a phone. Heads turned at first but then they realized that the noises were coming from themselves and then each of them reached for the side of their necks, the location of the tattoos.

Tayo stood at the edge of a field, his bow already drawn. He loosed an arrow, piercing a grotesque bird clean through the chest. It tumbled from the sky. It’s flock scatters.

Then he heard, a beep chirp softly from his side.

He tapped the side of his neck and summoned his interface. The message unfolded in bold text:

My name is General Rowen. Three days from now, we’ll be meeting at Monsra to discuss how to proceed in this world—

The message extended below, but before Tayo could scroll down, a weathered human NPC hunter emerged from behind him.

“Thank you for your help,” the man said earnestly. “Please accept this as a token of our gratitude.”

He handed Tayo a scroll. Tayo accepted it and unrolled it. It was a map, detailed with rough terrain and hand-drawn symbols, outlining a portion of the land unfamiliar to him.

“Thanks,” Tayo said again, tucking the map into his satchel.

**

In what looked like a lab we see a dark and grotesque bird being examined by Naori one of the faceless NPCs that was at the opening ceremony.

On the table we see vials containing a blood red liquid. He uses a pair of tweezers to remove a metallic shard from a bottle. It's the same shard that Yugen gave Gotar.

He then picked up the bottle and pours the bright liquid within on the bird.

At first the dark spots on the bird start to disintegrate and Naori looks hopeful but then it starts to rock its cage violently, behaving erratic, then finally the bird disintegrates.

Naori heaved a sigh of great disappointment. Whatever is infecting the animals won't be so easy to get rid off.

A goblin burst into the room. “Naori, the boss requires your presence.”

**

Despite it being midday outside, the cavern was pitch-dark except for flickering torches lining the walls. The sound of metal on stone echoed throughout as dozens of kilobons moved in coordination. Some practiced with newly-acquired weapons. Others packed vials and enchanted items into sturdy crates. The mood was industrious.

In another corner of the cave, we see Gotar inspecting a new sword. Another of his subjects, a goblin stood in front of him, trembling. Gotar's body is scarred with dark patterns like a disease. A bit similar to the patterns on the grotesque birds.

Naori entered, carrying a folded cloth. Gotar raised a hand, silencing the goblin mid-sentence.

“Gotar,” Naori said quietly.

He opened the cloth, revealing the shard. Gotar took it.

“Any success?” the Chimera warlord asked, his voice a deep growl.

Naori shook his head. “Not yet.”

Gotar’s gaze darkened, but he gave a curt nod. “Continue.”

He turned back to the goblin. “Report.”

The goblin resumed, speaking first in the Beast tongue. “So unfortunately, we were only able to recover one teleport item. Eleven magic swords. Five emerald potions. But unfortunately... there were no emerald rings.”

Gotar’s voice sharpened. “Did you find the sword?”

The goblin swallowed hard. “N-no, my lord. It wasn’t there.”

“Have you found Ea?”

“No, my lord. It may be that Yugen has already claimed it.”

A draft of air pulled in the goblin and Gotar caught it by the neck and began to choke it. He lifted the goblin off the ground. Everyone in the cave started feeling short of breath, some began to breath heavily and deeply while some other began to cough. The air had thinned. Gotar switched to the common tongue.

“Yugen doesn’t have it yet. You find Ea then you find the sword.”

He let the goblin collapse to the floor. Then, the air returned to normal, and the suffocation stopped.

Gotar turned to Naori, his voice quieter now, though no less dangerous. “Can you do that?”

Naori nodded. “I can,” he said. “I’ll find it.”