Thisworldisruledbyskills.Yes,that''ssomethingIcanbecertainof.HavingbeenbornbythedivinepowerofgodIdonot haveanyrealparents,oranyassociationwithanybodyinthisworld,butIdostillhavethepowerofobservation.


    HavingbeeninonevillageandonelargertownIfeellikeIunderstandthisworldalittlebetter.Firstofallthereslevels,then theresclassesandbothofthosefactorintothelastimportantthinginthisworld,skills.


    Skillsmayseemlikemagic,buttheyarefundamentallynotthesamething.Mostimportantly,whatpowersskillsandwhat powersmagiciscompletelydifferent.Maybeskillscanbeusedthroughthesamepowerthatallowedmetobebornintothisworld,I''mnotsure.Anyways,magicrequiressomesortofnaturalenergy,whileskillsarealmostlikeblessingsofthegods. Anyways,magiciscompletelyseparatefromskills,asmagicisnotclassboundinany way.


    Ofcoursethatwasconfusingatfirst,becausethemageclassdoesexist.


    Yeah,thataboutsummarizesallthereasonsastowhyIamalooser.Ihavealevel,butIhavenostartingclass,Ihaveno classatall.Inthisworld,exceptforafewexceptionslikethenobles,everybodyhasthesamestartingclass,"Peasant."


    Ihavenoclass,that''swhyIhavenoskills.EssentiallyI''manobody,completelyworthless.Youwouldthinkthatifagod revives youintoanewworldhewouldgrantyousometypeofpower,butno!Ofcoursehecursesmewithahandicap.


    Allthosefactshaveculminatedintomyowngrandreasonforwanderingintothisgiantforest.Thisforestiscalledthewitchesforest, somebelieveittobecursed.Pinetreesstandtallhereandaminusculeamountoflightbreaksthroughthegapsbetweentheleafsaboveme,butitstillfeelsratherdim.


    Theatmosphereinthisforestisthick.Soundsofbranchessnappingandfootstepsthroughtheundergrowthcanbeheardthrougheveryinchofthisforest.Beinghonest,itcanmakeyouprettyparanoid,butIcan''tbetooconcernedaboutanyofthat.


    Truly,ifbanditsattacked meI''dbedeadinaheartbeat.Ididdoboxinginmypreviouslife,butI''mnotsurehowwellthat transferredwithme.Moreimportantly,boxingwasn''tmadetofightagainstswordsandspears.Itsnotananswerofthepeasantstothearmiesofthe rich,likemanyothermartialartswere.


    MaybeifIhadpracticedKarate,orsomethingelsethatroseoutofneedforawaytofightbackagainstarmedopponentsIdbeoffalotbetter.Nottobrag,butbecauseofallthestaminatrainingIhadtogothrough,Iamprobablyreallygoodatrunningawayatleast.


    WhyamIhere,somebodymightask.Afterallthisjustscreamslikesuicide,butthat''snotthecase.Well,Iheardarumor,aboutanoldwitchpracticinginalchemyandblackmagic.Apparentlyhercraftsaresoungodlythattheresnoskillwhichcanrecreateherworks.


    ThisiswhyIamsocurious.Ifskillsarebackedbydivinepower,thenifshedoesn''tuseskillsshemusthavefoundawaytobecomestrongindependently.Awaytomatchandmaybesurpassskillswithoutthegiftofbeingabletoutilizedivinepower,that''swhatI''mafter.


    Apparentlythatwitchwasanevilwoman.Shewasanoutcast,shunnedbythechurch.Whilesomeinsistthatitwasanactofmercy,otherssaytheonlyreasonsheisstillaliveisbecausetheholyPaladinsofthechurchcouldn''tharmher.


    Obviouslyyouwouldn''thearanybodyexclaimsuchthingsoutloud,afterallthatwouldbedoubtingthepowerofgod,whichIhonestlydo.


    Ijourneyahead,buttheresnocleargoalinmind.ItsthemosthaphazardjourneyI''veeverdone.Idon''tknowwhichdirectionIshouldheadtowardsandIdon''tknowwherethewitchevenlives.AllIknowisthis;theremightbeawitchlivinginthisforestandifshedoesIcanfindher.


    Yes,goingoutherewasstupidofme,butIfI''mgoingtobeuselessallmylifewhatwasthepointofbeingrebornanyways?Right,therewouldhavebeennone.


    Ikeepventuringforth,throughbushesandovertheundergrowthIadvancesteadily.Thisforestisbig,biggerthananyotherplaceI''vebeentoyet.Notowncouldevencomeclosetothegigantismofthisforest.I''vebeeninhereformaybetwodays,advancingtowards''somewhere''everyday,withnoluck.


    ButIhaveastrangefeeling.IfeellikemaybetodayisthedayIwillseesomethinggrand.


    Whatsthat?Icanhearariver,probablyasmallone.Imustbesomewhatclose,otherwiseIwouldn''tevenbeabletohearthewateratall.


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    Ishouldmovetowardsit,refillmywaterandifI''mfeelingbravetrytocatchsomefish...Well,wewillseeaboutthatwholecatchingfishthing.


    ButIcantseeasclearlyanymore.Whatisthis,fog?Yes,I''mprettysurethisisfog.I''vebeenthroughthiswholeforest,butIhaveneverseenanyfog.Well,untilnow.Isn''tthatkindastrange?Whywouldfogappearrighthere,rightnow,inthemiddleoftheday.


    Itisinthemiddleoftheday,right?


    Ilookupandunconsciouslynod.Yes,thesunstillseemstobeshining.


    Ibecomealittlecautious.IfIhadaswordwithme I''dbegrippingitshandlebynow,slightlypullingitoutofitsscabbard, readytoslashatanemergingfoe.ButIdon''thaveone,soIjustraisemyfistsalittle.Idon''twanttogointoastanceandwastetime,afterallitcouldjustberegularfog.ButifitwassomethingcreatedbyaskillIwanttobereadytogointoabattlestanceatanytime.


    "Honestly,you''vemadeitreallyfar,haven''tyou?"


    Whatthefuck?Thatwasavoicejustthere,itwasreallycleartoo.Soundedveryfeminine.Well,femalebanditsareathinginthisworldafterall.


    ButamIreallygoingtogetassaultednow,whenI''mwho-knows-how-deepintoaforestthatyoucouldgetlostineasierthaninanymaze?


    "Yeah,itsbeenareallyhardjourney.Hey,ItsokayifyoutakethelittlestuffIhave,buthaveyouheardofawitchthat''ssupposedtolivehere?I''vebeenlookingforherforsometimenow."


    Ithinkmegettingrobbedisunavoidableatthispoint,butmaybeIcanatleastgainsomeinformation.Beinghonest,I''vebeenrunningoutoffood,soIwouldhaveprobablydiedwithinaweekanyways.Comingherewasagambleandtheoddsarefarfrominmyfavor.


    "Awitch,huh?Yeah,IthinkIknowwhoyouaretalkingabout."


    Wait,what?Youdamnfemalebimbobandit,spillthebeansalready!IwishIcouldsaythatoutloud,butIdon''twanttoberobbed,andkilledontopofthat.


    "Really!Yousee,I''veheardalotofthingsaboutherandsoIreallywanttofindher.Iwanthertoteachme,butIdon''tknowwheresheis,soifyoucouldjusttellmewheresheisIwillgiveyoueverythingIown."


    "Everything,huh?"


    Isn''thervoicegettingcloser?Thisiskindofdangerous,isn''tit?


    "Yes,evenmyunderwear.Iswear."


    Letsjusthopesheisn''tarapist.


    Ihearagiggle,averycheerfulonetoo.


    "You''reaprettyfunnyguy!"


    Suddenlyagustofwindblowsthroughthearea.Ibracemyself,eventhoughthewindisn''tstrongenoughtoblowmeoffmyfeetanyways,butitisenoughtomakethefogdisappear.


    WhenthewindsubsidesIlowermyarms,whenafigurerevealsitselfinfrontofme.Awomanwithahooded,blackrobestandsinfrontofme.Herhairisblondandmessy,frecklesonherface.Hereyesareblue,hergazeveryfocused.She givesoffamatureaura,almostintimidating.


    ThefirstthingIdoischeckherstats...Noclass,level82...She-Shesthegoddamnwitch!Yes,Ifoundher.Ifuckingfoundher.


    Ifalldownuntomyknees,suppressingthetearsfromwellingupandfromrunningdownmycheekslikemyfaceisawaterfall.


    Yes,I''msohappy.Ifshewasjustamyth,evenifImadeitoutofthisforestalive,mylifewouldhavenotbeenoneworthliving.Thankyougo-No,actuallyfuckyougod!Butforthesakeofthemoment,thankyougod!Thislife,Idon''twantittobelikemylastone.


    "Didyoureallywanttoseemethatmuch?"


    Thewitchesvoicebringsmebacktoreality.Myfirstreactionistobeghertotakemeasadisciple,soIlowermyhead,no,Itryto.Myforeheadismetwithgreatresistanceandtwoscreamsofpainsuddenlyrunthroughtheforest.


    "Fuck,thathurts."Iexclaim.


    ButwhenmymindclearsIrealize,Imusthavehitthewitcheshead.IgnoringthepainIlookaroundalmostinpanic,untilIspotheragain.Shesonherknees,holdingherforeheadwithbothofherhands.


    Well,shedoesn''thaveanyclass,sothatmusthavehurt,Iwouldknow.Wait,doesthatreallymatter?!


    InahurryIwalkuptoher,theword"sorry"continuouslycomingoutofmymouthlikeI''mtryingtomemorizeawordfromadifferentlanguage.


    "Areyoualright?Ididn''tmeantodothat."


    Atmeofferingmyhelpshesimplywavesherhandinfrontofmyface,anobviousrejecting.Butsurprisinglythatrejectionisfollowedbyanotheramusedgiggle.


    Sheraisesherhead,lookinguptomewhileshestillkneelsinplace.


    "You''reaprettyfunnyguy,aren''tyou?Idon''tthinkI''dmindteachingyouathingortwo.Haven''treallyhadcompanyforalongtimeanyways."