They are my Friends

I look to the sky, it seems we have a couple of hours left before dusk. We're still on the road; earlier we took a break at a bar to have something to drink, all while keeping an eye on our cart filled with fruits. I'm surprised by Daichi's endurance in pulling the cart along. We are in the final stretch to one of the northeastern cities.

They explain that this city is one of the capitals of the three empires that rule the world. Zuheinholm has several cities around it; six small ones at each of its corners.

“In addition to the six external ones, there are the six inner ones,” Daichi explains with a smile for some reason. “The drink I'm going to have tonight is beyond description.” Now I understand why he is happy as we approach the city. He seems to stare into nothingness, muttering and daydreaming that he is holding a cold drink in his hands.

“In the center, there's another wall even taller that encircles… you can think of it like the King’s Private country.” Yuki adds to the conversation. “Inside the inner circle is the capital and the castle. It's about 200 quillemetters.” She looks at me and sighs; someday, she won't need to provide further explanations. “It's… very, very long. You can't see it; it's beyond the horizon.”

“Ahhh, I see. But how do people move around?” I glance back; the initial wall is getting smaller, and we've covered quite a distance. “Walking all that everyday, can’t imagine.”

“There are different vehicles, animals, and portals, all determined by levels, money, or hierarchy.” Yuki finishes explaining, as Daichi seems quite exhausted and out of breath.

“And what levels are you?” I ask; surely there must be a way to know their levels, but I don't want to overwhelm them with questions.

“I'm level nineteen. It gets a bit complicated to move up to level twenty, but I'm in no rush. I'm fine where I am.” I wonder why he gave this extra information, I only ask about his level. Did he clarify that because of the difference between his level and mine? I look at Yuki to learn hers and she sighs.

“Level thirteen… I had some issues.” She doesn't provide any more details, and seeing her discomfort, I won't press for more. It's incredible that Daichi is already level nineteen.

“And are we… level one in hierarchy?” I ask curiously, looking at Daichi, who's the highest.

“No… we're hierarchy zero, and poor,” Yuki responds curtly. “That's why we're collecting fruits like pack animals. No offense, Daichi.” She must be exhausted from walking so much and from hunting many of those wolves. This time Daichi doesn't say anything; he focuses on pulling the cart to get there faster.

I think about my abilities; I don't understand why I can't see them. Is it because of my memory loss? I'm barely level three and I only have four points to allocate to my stats. I have to choose between Strength, Magic, Speed, or Defense, without any idea what to do. I'll wait until I have more points and more practice; I don't want to rush and end up unable to backtrack.

My right hand isn't hurting and everything seems normal. But in the Equipment window, I can still see my avatar's right hand glowing. I'll ask them later; I don't want to drive them crazy with questions.

I see Daichi sweating profusely and breathing heavily; he must be running on fumes. I stop wasting time thinking and I position myself beside him to help pull the cart. He silently nods in gratitude.

The first structures of the inner city are now visible; soon, we'll be able to rest and Daichi can have his drink.

Upon reaching the gate of the town, we see three guards who allow us to pass easily. We head straight to complete the delivery, which is conveniently located near Daichi's favorite bar.

Upon entering the delivery location, it appears to be a huge house with gardens and stables. I'm amazed by the dimensions of this place compared to the other houses, bars, or businesses that I saw on the way.

The security here seems even tighter than the three guards from earlier. As we enter, we don't go to the main house; we are redirected to the side, leading us to a cellar or stable where we unload and weigh the fruits.

A man who seems to be in charge introduces himself and starts giving orders. “We'll finish weighing them in a few minutes to determine the payment.” The employees obeying him have tired and gloomy faces, worse than even Daichi's.

Seeing that it's going to take more than just a few minutes, I decide to sneak away to observe this enormous place. There are several trees of various colors, manicured and well-cut grass; everything seems perfectly neat.

I follow the path until I can see the large house that I assume is the main one, with multiple windows and grand doors, exuding luxury. The path leads to an empty area where no one is around.

I think I notice something on the ground, but before I can get a detailed look, I feel a strange aura, or rather, I recall a sensation, maybe something nostalgic, but not in a good way; it's hard to describe.

I turn around, there's nothing and no one there. I turn forward again, then back. I begin to feel dizzy. As I turn around again, I collide with something and bounce onto the ground.

Looking up in pain from the impact, I realize that the pain in my rear is nothing compared to the fear emanating from the dark-cloaked man with a shadow aura hiding half of his face. He holds a staff, though I couldn't quite see it, I think it glowed with blue energy for a moment

I can feel my heart beating fast, I can’t move and avoid his gaze.

His presence paralyzes me; I can't get up, his gaze exudes absolute hatred. My hands begin to tremble, I can't speak or articulate a word. I start to sweat, wishing I could escape and hide, but I can't, I'm utterly helpless.

He takes a step toward me, making my heart stop for a moment.

“Here you are,” a soothing angel voice says from behind me. “You like going off on your own, huh?” I recognize the voice without needing to turn; it's Yuki, thanks to Everything she is here.

Daichi is also there; his large, warm hands lift me, releasing me from the paralysis the man's presence inflicted. “I've got you, don't worry.” I look at him and allow him to support me, his serious gaze remains fixed on that man. Yuki is by my side, unwavering as well, she does not take a single step backward

The man turns around and seems to teleport forward with each step, heading toward the largest house. Daichi lets go of me and I thank them. “Do you know him?”

“Nope,” he says, cracking his neck. “How about some cold drinks? I'm pretty hungry. The fruits were good, but they didn't fill me up.”

He starts walking to the exit. “And Kai, check your stats, you may level up.” Indeed, I did, but it only was one level, one single level. I’m not even level five!

“Not even the slightest idea who he could be, but we won't let him intimidate you,” Yuki says confidently and firmly. She's my new hero. “Let's get out of this dreadful place.”

I glance at where the man was; there are several blurry marks carved into the stone floor. I have more questions every day, but one stands out among the rest: What the hell did just happen?