First Encounter
The silent attack of a beast that fell without a sound.
Thanks to my last-minute awareness, I was able to react narrowly.
Thunk—!
"Argh... What's this now all of a sudden?!"
I wriggled on the ground, blocking the beast's snout with the metal rod I had been holding for self-defense.
Even with my strengthened physique, I couldn't push the beast off me with its weight bearing down.
"Grkrrrr..."
Saliva dripped from between its jaws as it gnashed on the metal rod.
It probably only thinks of me as its next meal.
"Ugh... Disgusting."
Despite the reinforced protective gear on my upper body and arms, which had become tattered and lacerated from the beast's claws, I calmly considered my next move.
I was taken aback by its sudden lunge, but to me, filtering out the fear and pain, it was akin to a gripping game.
Therefore, I could respond immediately without making any mistakes due to tension.
Twisting my hands that were bracing the metal rod to the side, I created a brief gap, swiftly grabbing the handle at my waist with one hand.
Whoosh—
"Krghhh—"
Without hesitation, I plunged the knife into the beast's neck.
Whether it was due to infusing my meager magic with "Magic Affinity" into the knife or not, the blade pierced deeply through its thick skin.
With one hand, I held back the snout with the metal rod, while with the other, I continued to jab at its neck with the knife.
Fortunately, the creature weakened after being struck in a vital spot, allowing me to endure somehow.
How long had the fierce battle lasted?
I gradually felt the strength draining from the beast's body.
"Ugh... Huff... It's finally over."
After making sure it was truly dead with a final check and confirming it, I stood up from my spot.
The beast was a black leopard.
In the dark night, it wasn't easily noticeable, and it was fortunate that I had noticed it in advance and prepared myself.
I averted my gaze from the leopard and checked my own condition.
My torn clothes and equipment, along with the visible wounds and bloodstains all over my body, were apparent.
I was a mess, to say the least.
Fortunately, the wounds were healing in real-time.
While my protective gear was in shambles, it prevented any serious injuries.
"Staying here any longer wouldn't be a wise choice, I suppose."
Between the disturbance caused by the fight with the leopard and the scent of blood likely spreading, it was best to leave quickly.
I washed the bloodstains off my body in a hurry, even though they wouldn't completely come off.
Accelerating my pace, just as I was about to leave.
Was my luck still holding up?
I saw a light from the other side of the trees.
Approaching cautiously, I realized it looked like a small village nestled within the forest.
'I've been thinking it was just nighttime since I've been inside the forest, but it seems it's not yet time to sleep. Judging from the people wandering around.'
It was my first encounter with the inhabitants of this world.
Though I was in a disheveled state, I tried my best to appear presentable as I made my way towards the entrance of the wooden fence surrounding the village.
Due to the late hour, the gate of the wooden fence was closed, and there was no one guarding it.
As I pondered what to do, a man's head popped up above the fence.
"Who goes there?"
Relieved that there was someone, I composed my voice and answered.
"Hello. I got lost in the forest while traveling and ended up here. Could you please accommodate me for just one night in the village?"
"Did you come through the forest alone at this late hour? The forest where those beasts prowl?"
Oh...
I had only encountered one black leopard, could the forest really have been that dangerous?
I sighed in relief, realizing how lucky I had been.
"Oh... Yes, fortunately, I was able to escape unscathed after a lot of trouble. Though I ended up a mess. Haha."
I awkwardly chuckled and quickly replied.
The middle-aged man who had disappeared momentarily, after scanning my disheveled state, reappeared behind the village chief.
"Right... I heard the story, young man. You got lost while traveling and ended up here?"
"Yes, sir."
I replied politely, trying to look as harmless as possible.
The old man, who had been examining me, smiled kindly and spoke.
"People like us should help each other in difficult times and live together. Have a good rest."
With a creak, the middle-aged man who had accompanied the old man immediately opened the gate of the wooden fence.
I expressed my gratitude and went inside, politely greeting them again.
"Thanks once again for your kindness."
"Oh, well, it's late, so go in and rest quickly. We have a few empty rooms in our house, you can stay there."
The old man received my thanks with a kind smile, but the middle-aged man didn't show much of a reaction.
'He's quite an irritable one.'
I thought to myself as I followed the old man, engaging in various conversations.
As I had expected, the old man turned out to be the chief of the village.
I could also tell that the forest I had passed through was more dangerous than I had thought.
Encountering only one black leopard in such a forest, and the village being not far away, were both strokes of luck.
"I'm Malcolm. And what's your name?"
"Ah! My name is Hans."
Before I knew it, we had arrived at the chief's house, the village being small, so it didn't take long.
"You can rest in this room. You've been through a lot, so have a good rest."
"Thank you so much. I wonder how I can repay this favor..."
"Well, if you're grateful, you can chop some firewood for us tomorrow."
"Yes! I'm confident in my stamina. Just leave it to me!"
Eventually, the chief left, and I was alone in the room.
Though it was a bit dusty, it felt like paradise compared to spending the night in the forest.
"Phew..."
Finally feeling at ease, I took off my backpack and removed my tattered clothes.
The upper garment was beyond use, and the damaged equipment from the beast's claws was no better.
Still, it was better than nothing, so I wouldn't discard them.
"I was aware of it when I came in... but it's quite fascinating to experience it firsthand. Unconsciously understanding and using their language."
As I wiped my body with a towel, I realized that all the wounds had completely healed without a trace.
"Rapid Recovery" was truly a helpful ability in many ways.
"Magic Affinity" was quite useful too.
After tidying up, I unfolded my sleeping bag on the old bed and lay down.
Since I arrived here, I had fought a beast and had conversations with the inhabitants of this world.
"Yeah, I'm doing fine. The conversation wasn't strange, and the chief's reaction wasn't bad either."
Gazing at the ceiling, I raised the corners of my mouth, forming a soft smile.
"Mind Hub" might have been helpful here too, but I could smile quite naturally.
After a while of smiling at the ceiling, I closed my eyes, attempting to enter a dormant state.
***
I opened the package and took a bite of the chicken.
"Chicken is still the best."
As soon as I sent my avatar to the other world, I ordered some chicken, but it didn't arrive until I had completed various journeys.
Well, it was only about 20 minutes in Earth's time, so it was unavoidable.
'Other than that, it's really nice. I can comfortably explore this world while taking a warm shower and tearing into some chicken.'
Another avatar, 'Heinz,' took over from 'Hans,' who had been sent to the other world, entering an intense training mode.
I needed to be prepared in case of an unexpected situation.
As I quickly finished the chicken and cleaned up, I could feel that morning had arrived on the other side of this world, where I had been in a dormant state.
"Hmm... Then should I try to gather some information about how the world works?"
I strolled to the computer and began to browse various sites.
My journey in this new world could be enjoyable even while using the internet.
***
Although I was in a dormant state with my eyes closed, I wasn't completely blocking out all my senses.
When I felt the outside getting brighter and people starting to move, I opened my eyes and got up.
Of course, even avatars needed proper sleep to rest their brains, but this night was for adjusting to the time difference, so this much was enough.
"Good morning, Chief."
"Yeah, Hans, did you sleep well?"
"Yes, thanks to you, I was able to spend the night comfortably."
After exchanging greetings with the chief as he came out of the room, I went to the backyard and took a quick wash.
"There's not much to offer, but please eat a lot."
"Thank you so much for providing me with food."
"Hehehe, it's about helping each other and living together. You can help with the village work a little later."
Though the meal consisted only of potatoes or hard bread and soup, it was satisfying to have my first meal in this world.
Though it didn't seem like they cooked at home, when I inquired about it, the chief replied, "As an old man living alone, people around here help with meals every time. It's a much-appreciated deed."
The villagers seemed to be more tightly knit than I had expected.
Or perhaps it was just that the chief received special treatment.
During the conversation, talk about myself naturally emerged.
"Come to think of it, I've never seen those clothes or equipment before. Where did you come from?"
"Ahaha, I just like unique items. As I wandered around, I gathered them one by one, and that's how it turned out."
"Oh... When you travel alone, isn't it tough?"
With a vague description of my adventurer persona that I had prepared in advance, I disclosed that I had lost my way while wandering aimlessly.
Subsequently, I naturally asked if there were any other cities nearby.
"Hmm... An old man living in a remote village wouldn't know much. I heard there's a small city if you go east, though."
Although the answer was not definitive, I decided to aim for the east for the time being.
It was better than wandering aimlessly without any destination.
I planned to leave the village the next day and decided to help the chief with various tasks around the village that day.
I needed to gather at least some basic information before I could safely grow in this world.
It was an opportunity for me, who still didn't know much about this world, to approach the natives and gather information.
I filled the water tank in the backyard, chopped firewood, and also helped with the repairs of the village's wooden fence.
"Mr. Hans, could you pass me that rope over there?"
"You've got some stamina. What kind of work were you doing before?"
I worked with other men from the village, trying to engage in conversation as naturally as possible, and had several discussions.
"I see. So, the hunters are in charge of the external interactions? Is there a specific safe route, by any chance?"
With plenty of stamina, it wasn't particularly difficult, and I saw this as an opportunity to train myself further, so I kept working without taking a break.
"You've worked hard today. If you're leaving early tomorrow, you should rest well. How about a final drink?"
After finishing the day's labor, washing up, and entering the house, the chief brought out a bottle of liquor along with the evening meal.
The alcohol content was quite strong, but it didn't threaten my rapidly recovering liver, and it suited my taste better than I had expected.
Enjoying the pleasure of drinking the liquor of this world, I eventually realized that quite some time had passed.
Since it would be troublesome to wake up late the next day, I reluctantly tidied up and entered my room, slipping into my sleeping bag.
Unlike the previous day, I had adjusted to the time difference and with the right amount of labor and alcohol, I was able to sleep deeply this time.
***
I stopped the game I was playing, closed my eyes, and focused. Heinz, who had been doing squats at the gym, also stopped and closed his eyes. …
The connection with the avatar Hans in the other world was lost.