《Yep, I really hate this world》 Chapter 1 Man, I hate this dumb story. Another wannabe protagonist who just magically gets transported to another world Why the hell is this dumb genre so popular???!?!?!? It¡¯s like ruining all creativity in the world. These clich¨¦, corny-ass stories are sprouting up everywhere and people just eat them up. Ahhhhhhh, why did they have to become so popular! It¡¯s like can¡¯t there be a limit on escapism. Do you really have to be so bored of your life so much that you want to start everything over in a setting that caters to you? I don¡¯t get it. The people who like this stuff must be like the dullest people in the world. Wait, hold on a second. Why don¡¯t I start my own wannabe novel about a guy getting transported to another world. Hell yeah, bet I can easily get popular riding this current. I won¡¯t even have to put in that much effort, What an easy way to get some money. Lol, I¡¯m a genius. These were his last logs on the message board before he disappeared from the world. . .. ¡­. ¡­.. ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ He stared at her. She stared at him. He stared at her. She stared at him. He stared at her. She stared at him. The baby dragon released a sleepy growl. There were two people seated at a table, drinking tea. The room seemed to expand forever, the crystal floor shining translucently, giving off an atmosphere of emptiness and silence. The baby dragon rustled on the man¡¯s lap, making itself comfortable. ¡°So, let me get this straight. I got transported to another world in order to help you defeat this demon lord.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°This demon lord awakened after a millennium and proceeded to destroy all your major heroes. You people devised a plan to ask other worlds for help. Through this, you stumbled upon our world where you discovered the internet.¡± ¡°As I told you.¡± ¡°Through tremendous research and effort, you people found that there was a community who enjoyed tales of people traveling to other worlds.¡± ¡°Yes, it was quite a shock to us that there were multiple stories detailing our exact circumstances. To think a world existed where people could create such an accurate detail of our life, the discovery was¡­¡­. well disturbing if I¡¯m being honest. It felt as if you people had been observing us for centuries, and then to think you people viewed it as fiction, we were truly at a loss.¡± ¡°Yea, I guess it must have been quite a surprise to see us taking your guys lives as an entertainment value.¡± ¡°But that also came to be our salvation you know, so in a sense we are also grateful for it.¡± ¡°And after finding this community, you decided to establish relations with them and start a program where you would teleport those people here.¡± ¡°Yes, we contacted them, but they didn¡¯t believe us so we decided to bring an individual here. When we did, it¡¯s like there was a new spark in his eyes. He was ecstatic to be able to do this. We were all astonished that he believed everything so quickly and was more than eager to do this.¡± ¡°Yea, I bet he was. It¡¯s not like those types have anything better to do with their lives¡±, I muttered under my breath. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Ah nothing, I was just amazed at how fluffy Tya is here¡±, I said as I stroked her smooth, azure fur. ¡°Awwwrrrppph¡± ¡°That¡¯s her favourite spot to get rubbed on. She¡¯s truly a delight, isn¡¯t she? I was surprised at how quickly she warmed up to you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yep, you¡¯re the first person that she has taken a liking to¡± I couldn¡¯t help but give her an extra cuddle after hearing that. In response, Tya nuzzled her head in my stomach. Too adorable! ¡°Anyways, so this is where it gets kinda confusing. Your organization decided to teleport people that are interested in this sort of stuff, right?¡± ¡°Of course, we by no means wish to inconvenience your people. We were panicking so much on how to even make a deal, how to convince your people to help us. When we found this community, we were excited that there existed people who understood us and truly wanted to do this¡­¡± She paused for a bit. It seemed as if she was having some sort of trouble speaking her mind. Well, if she¡¯s uncomfortable with something, it would be rude of me to press on. I decided to drink some of the tea before it went cold. As I brought the cup, a thought flashed by mind. Wait a minute! What if this leads to a dumb misunderstanding!!! How many times have I criticized those protagonists for being air-headed doofuses and I¡¯m about to do the same thing. Doesn¡¯t it look like Miss Clara is glancing at me? She¡¯s probably wondering how to approach me on something and I¡¯ve decided to leave her alone. What is wrong with me? Gah, Ask her before the subject changes you idiot! I gulped and looked across. ¡°Please Miss Clara, if there¡¯s anything troubling you, do let me know. I don¡¯t think it would be wise to create misunderstandings between us with the current situation being as troubling as it is.¡± Miss Clara looked relieved. It seems my guess was right. She wanted to talk to me about something personal. ¡°Well you see¡­¡­. how do I put this? Your personality is quite different from what I expected. I imagined you would be a more¡­. rude and intolerant individual¡±, she uttered with an awkward smile. So that¡¯s what it was. Of course, she would think that that when you consider everything. It¡¯s not like I was the politest person online. ¡°Ahahaha, I can¡¯t blame you for thinking like that. After all, I do have a reputation for not leaving the nicest comments. Hmmmm, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m really that angry or mean as a person, I think I just have a low tolerance for things I find annoying. It¡¯s just a trait that just sticks with me I guess?¡± She gave a troubled expression. ¡°I see¡­¡­¡­. well I can¡¯t say that¡¯s a very good explanation but at least you aren¡¯t a troublesome person. And you have been very patient and understanding so far. But still, you shouldn¡¯t just give in to your anger like that you know, it¡¯s not a very healthy way to live life¡±, she said, chiding me. Ah, it felt like my mother was scolding me. It really is an embarrassing thing to admit. But wait, that means she knew about my message logs! ¡°Miss Clara!¡± She jumped at my sudden exclamation. ¡°What happened? Are you okay?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry for the exclamation. Miss Clara, you thought I was a rude person because of my messages, right?¡± ¡°Yes, what of it?¡± ¡°Then it makes no sense. You told me how you selected willing candidates for this, but there¡¯s no way you could have thought I was a good candidate for this! What gives?¡± She traced the teacup with her fingertips, looking like she was trying to make heads of the situation herself ¡°Well, you see, initially we thought that as well. But the thing is other people vouched for you.¡± ¡°WHAT?¡± ¡°They said that you would not only be a valuable asset but that they were your friends and said you had a furious passion for these things. They even mentioned how you would be angry at first, but that would only be because you¡¯re terrible at stress-handling¡± I was slack jawed. I didn¡¯t know what to say. This is a joke, right? Who the hell would do something like that? Wait. No way. I felt my stomach starting to churn. Those assholes. There¡¯s no way right. Right? I glanced at Miss Clara. No malicious intent could be felt from her. She truly looked as if she didn¡¯t know where I was going with this. ¡°Urrph¡± I felt a slight nip on my hand. I looked down to see Tya gaze at me. Her eyes shone brightly, as if reassuring me and telling me to stay calm. I wondered if dragons could tell how their master was feeling the same way a dog could. But I¡¯m not her master. Wait, none of that matter right now. But Tya somehow had managed to ease my tension a bit. ¡°Thanks, Tya, you¡¯re truly the best¡± I petted the back of her head. ¡°Eeeerrrrphh¡±, she squeaked. It seemed she really liked that spot.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°You know, I¡¯m quite jealous of you right now. I¡¯ve been wanting to pet my cutie Tya for a while now but you won¡¯t hand her over, will you?¡± Clara said, a mischievous tingle present in her voice. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t help it. She¡¯s way too adorable.¡± I had my suspicions for a while now. I had to confirm them. ¡°Listen Miss Clara, just asking but who was it that told you about me?¡± ¡°Well, there was more than one. There were actually 3 of them.¡± My face darkened. It was those assholes. ¡°If I remember correctly, there usernames were; NightmareKaiser, GeoEnigmaEX and where_dem_thicc_elves_at¡± Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Yep. I should have known those assholes would do something like this. Of course, those good-for-nothings would have nothing better to do than this type of stuff. I could feel the anger boiling inside of me. But I also felt acknowledgement for my actions. I guess this was karmic retribution. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have gotten into all those flame wars over which anime was superior. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have tried to raid their guild and mess with their loot farming on Nova-Ultima. But to be fair, they also tried to mess with me all the time as well. Huh, I guess we somehow became fated enemies along the line. Who knew the internet could give birth to such bonds. I¡¯m totally going to murder them if I have to do this saving the world bullshit. ¡°Listen Miss Clara, I¡¯m gonna make this clear. Those guys set me up, all to get me here.¡± ¡°What! Why would they do something like that? Though, that would make sense of their suspicious behaviour but still¡­¡­on what ground are you assuming this?¡± ¡°Well you see, I may not be on the best terms with those guys. I may also hate their very existence. I may even consider them the accumulation of what¡¯s wrong with the media in our world. You know, the garbage type otakus who decide to abandon the real world in pursuit of a fake happiness¨C¡± ¡°I get your point! Jeez, it¡¯s no wonder they would do something like this¡±, Miss Clara¡¯s smile had turned into a frown. ¡°I thought there was something up with them but if only the board had listened¡­¡± Those guys really were dumb. How could they not have considered the obvious solution to their plan. I couldn¡¯t help but smirk as thought up my brilliant plan. ¡°I believe the solution is really easy, Miss Clara¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Well, obviously just send me back.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°You heard me, it¡¯s really simple. If you brought me into this world. Just send me back.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Hey, do you really think I would be so upset if I could simply do that.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. I¡¯m an idiot. I felt too embarrassed to respond. Tya struggled out of my lap and flew into Miss Clara¡¯s arms. ¡°Wow, even Tya thought you looked like a complete fool right now.¡± Tya had now settled in Miss Clara¡¯s lap. ¡°I realise I sounded like a complete idiot. But how did you expect me to know that? Besides, I also wish to know the reason why?¡± ¡°Acting so smartly, doesn¡¯t help you look less like a fool. But you do have some sort of point.¡± Hah. What do you think about that Tya! A pretty good rebound I¡¯d say right? Tya looked completely disinterested. She seemed to be absently playing a piece of thread that stuck out from the chair. Tyyyaaaaa. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll need more than that to win Tya back.¡± She started stroking her fur, and only now did I realise how painful it was to watch someone else pet her. ¡°To answer your question, we simply don¡¯t have enough energy to send you back. It¡¯s easy to teleport you here as we simply delete your body there and reassemble it here. But it¡¯s harder to forcefully send your body back the way it came from. We would have to go against the flow of energy that brought you here and visualize your location at the same time, which is too demanding.¡± ¡°Is there no way to obtain the amount of energy required to send me back?¡± ¡°Well, there is one way¡­¡­¡­.¡± I could tell from her tone that it wasn¡¯t something I would like. Well, how could it be worse than having to go on a journey and fight a demon lord. Wait, I really shouldn¡¯t be thinking this right now. Damn it. Now that¡¯s going to be the solution she¡¯s going to suggest isn¡¯t it? I could only release a sigh and accept my fate. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You defeat the demon lord.¡± I knew it. ¡°If you defeat him, the energy released can be captured and used to power your trip back home.¡± Oh fate, you sweet, sweet mistress. ¡°I realise this may not be what you expected but I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s the best solution for you.¡± I really have to do this, don¡¯t I? ¡°You won¡¯t be alone. There are so far 6 other heroes that we have summoned. You could team up.¡± Oh yea, lets team up with the guys I was planning to kill earlier. Wait a minute, what if¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. An idea started to form. ¡°Mr ________, what is your decision?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Eh¡± ¡°Why are you making that sort of expression? You told me this was the best solution.¡± ¡°Yes, but I expected at least some retort or complain from you.¡± ¡°Never mind that, I can¡¯t be bothered to do.¡± ¡°I see¡­. In that case, let¡¯s move on to the next or should I say last step.¡± ¡°You mean, granting me a wish¡± ¡°Yes, as long as it¡¯s in our limits or can be manifested, we will give each hero one wish. To enhance your parameters, grant yourself a mystic weapon, or an ability unbeknownst to the world, it is up to you to decide. It¡¯s the least, we as guardians of this realm can give to you heroes who would become our champions of justice.¡± I see. Like a flower blooming, my plan was starting to become more and more solid. ¡°Before, you can be granted your wish, let¡¯s start the ceremony.¡± Okay, let¡¯s do it. Miss Clara rose from her seat. I followed her actions. She snapped her fingers and the chairs and table vanished. Now we were just standing in an empty room. But for some reason, the room started to elude a heavier aura. It took me a second to realise that the aura was emanating from Miss Clara. ¡°Now then, Sir _________, I will ask you a final time, are you prepared for this?¡± A gust of wind blew, the heaviness of her words could be felt. It was overwhelming. The aura emitting from Miss Clara was something I could never put in to words. This wasn¡¯t like before. She was asking if I was truly ready for this. A part of me felt nervous, intimidated but I knew this was the only way forward. ¡°Yes. I accept it.¡± ¡°Then in the name of Elria, the light of heavens and Denaxia, the twilight that cascades our existence, through our devoted reverence to the creator, we grant this soul, the right to walk the path of the just, to uphold our enlightenment and restore the sanctity of this world. Now soul from beyond, what is your wish?¡± Now or never. I¡¯m going to take down the demon lord. He won¡¯t know what hit him. ¡°My wish is to have a gun.¡± ¡°A what?¡± ¡°I said it. I want a gun.¡± The aura vanished, leaving a very confused Miss Clara. ¡°Did I hear you correct? You want a gun?????¡± ¡°Well, not just any gun of course, I have conditions.¡± This time it was her who sighed. ¡°You truly are a unique individual to say the least. Let¡¯s hear it. What are you trying to do?¡± ¡°Miss Clara, do you realise what the greatest problem you guys have is? Heroes. I can¡¯t blame your heroes for trying their hardest and failing but those that came from my world probably just want to escape to another world. They want to experience the fiction they adore so much, camaraderie, taking down rare beasts, obtaining sacred weapons, journeying towards a final goal. Me, I just wanna kill this demon lord. One hit, one kill. I just want to back home as soon as possible.¡± There was a dumbfounded look on her face, one of confusion and bewilderment. ¡°I want a gun. Give it like I don¡¯t know some sort of Divinity EX+++ ranking, allowing me to kill anything with one hit. Oh yeah, also I want to be the only able to use it, and it can¡¯t leave my side. Also, give me full gun handling mastery. As well as unlimited bullets. Those bullets also should have the Divinity EX+++ ranking on them too.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡°I see, I see, so you want a gun so powerful that no enemy can stand against it and then you plan to just shoot the demon lord. The being that has brought devastation to more than half the world. The being who sneers at us, and laughs at our futile attempts. Hehehehehehe that would be pretty funny. What I wouldn¡¯t give to see what sort of dumb expression he will make, as he realises that he lost to a single bullet. It would be the perfect revenge for demolishing and defecating on my precious temple. I might finally have a chance to make him pay.¡± I guess, she isn¡¯t really too fond of him. ¡°So, ummmmmm, does that mean you¡¯ll grant my wish? Or wishes I guess?¡± ¡°Yes. I will take all your requirements as a single wish. It maybe unorthodox but then again you are a special case. The other heroes treated this as some great goal to accomplish but you just view as an annoying chore. It truly is intriguing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because they are lost in their ideal fantasies.¡± Miss Clara could only give a wry smile at my comment. ¡°While I don¡¯t quite get your animosity for your peers, I do hope you will at least try to get along. Your journey won¡¯t be a short one by any means.¡± ¡°Huh? No, can¡¯t you just teleport me to the demon lord. I¡¯ll just shoot him and finish this mess.¡± ¡°If such things were possible, we would not be in such a dire strait to ask people from another world to help.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry, my bad.¡± ¡°We, as guardians, have rules to follow. We cannot bend fate directly.¡± ¡°That actually does make sense.¡± ¡°Now then. Let¡¯s grant your wish.¡± Miss Clara started a chant. Light bubbles started to appear from around us. I could feel the particles being absorbed in to my body. Soon, the particles surrounding us started to become a single light. It started to get blinding. I couldn¡¯t help but cover my eyes with my arms. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªEtrium¡ª¡ª¡ª And the lights dispersed. Uncovering eyes, I looked to see a basic handgun floating in a bubble. Is this it? I reached into the bubble and grabbed it. It felt more normal than I expected. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to style it according to something from your world. It adds a unique flair, I would say.¡± As I played around with it, I couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Is this really that powerful?¡± ¡°You were the one who designed it.¡± ¡°I know but when you consider a divinity weapon, I guess I expected something flashier. But I think I honestly prefer it this way. Don¡¯t want to stand out too much.¡± ¡°I have modified the gun to automatically generate a bullet every time you wish to fire.¡± ¡°Now, that¡¯s awesome.¡± ¡°So then, Sir __________, do you wish to change your name? All the previous heroes did so, saying something like it would be embarrassing for people to call us by our usernames.¡± ¡°Oh yea, that would be pretty dumb. Let¡¯s seeeeee, how about Cyrus. Sounds pretty chill.¡± ¡°Sir Cyrus it is then¡± ¡°Now then, I believe it is time for me to send you on your way.¡± ¡°I see, then this is goodbye for now Miss Clara. I¡¯ll probably see you later at some point.¡± ¡°Indeed, I do hope this will not be our last meeting.¡± ¡°ERRRRRRRPPPHHHHHH¡± We both turned around to witness Tya fluttering towards us. Tya landed at Miss Clara¡¯s feet. ¡°Eeeerph. Errrph Erph Errphhhh. Eruuuuph.¡± She seemed to communicating to Miss Clara. She turned around to point at me and then looked directly back at Miss Clara. Wait a minute. Is this what I think this is! Does Tya want to travel with me?! ¡°It seems you have understood Tya¡¯s intention. I never could have seen this coming.¡± She knelt down and picked Tya up by the arms. ¡°Tyyaaaaaa, do you really want to go on this journey? Are you that bored of me already?¡± Tya¡¯s response was several licks on the nose. ¡°Ohhhh, you adorable sweetie-pie, I wish I could hold you and never let you go. But you¡¯ve really taken a liking to him, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Errph Errph.¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t say no to you. Not when you look at me so longingly. Huummmm, okay, I¡¯ll let you travel. Oh! hehehehehe, oh you silly girl, stop with the licking. Oh my, it¡¯s getting too much for me to handle.¡± Watching Tya¡¯s assault of happiness was a site to behold. I started feeling bad at the thought of taking her away from Miss Clara. But those feelings were overcome by the happiness at the thought of travelling with Tya. She might turn out to be the only good thing to come out of this mess. After finishing her assault, Tya sauntered over to me. I picked her up in my arms. ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t believe you actually want to come with me. Well, I¡¯m not going to pretend that I¡¯m not the happiest person right now. Well then my trusted and charming companion, I believe it is time for us to leave.¡± She twitched her nose and gave a gentle growl. ¡°I must say, you two certainly make a pair all right. Now then, please get ready to be teleported.¡± ¡°Farewell, and Tya, may you two always be protected by the light of devotion¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªElmetra Disunomo¡ª¡ª¡ª I started to get lighter and lighter. I closed my eyes and held Tya tightly in my arms as I prepared for something to happen to me. But nothing did. I felt a nip on my hand. I opened my eyes to see what was happening. A rich green meadow. Birds chirping. A gentle breeze. The sight in front of me could only leave me wondering at what just happened. I never expected any of this. I thought I was going to be teleported in front of some temple or some landmark. Where am I, anyway? I was told to head towards the Central City but this didn¡¯t look like anywhere near human civilization. ¡°Errrph¡± ¡°Oh. You¡¯re right Tya. I guess standing around isn¡¯t really gonna help us. Let¡¯s see what we can find.¡± And so it started. The adventure of a man who wanted nothing to do with this world. With a gun that had a Divinity EX+++ rating and an adorable baby dragon companion, he set off in this land. ¡°Oh yea, I¡¯m totally gonna murder those guys if I ever come across them.¡± Chapter 2.1 The breath of fire cascaded them, yet they stayed still. Not one of them flinched at the monstrous flare enveloping their very beings. The largest of them, raised his greatsword and with a single swing, dispersed it all. There were 3 of them. One was a short fellow doused in a mysterious cloak. The second one was tall and well-built, his body encased in a dark, gleaming armour. The third was slim and lean, wearing armour that could have been passed off as plain steel were it not for its shine. ¡°Woah, looks like this dragon thinks its hot shit or something¡±, the steel armoured man snickered as he swept away the remaining embers. He turned around to face the huge, looming figure behind them. Sheathing out his sword, he pointed it straight at its eyes. ¡°Okay, listen up, you good for nothing, over-sized lizard. It seems today must be the unluckiest day of your life, for now you have to face me, the gallant and valiant Matthias. I shall end your pathetic existence with a single swipe of my blade. Forsake those treasures of yours and I may just spare your life!¡± The dragon roared. Fire lurched from its mouth, dousing him completely, yet the man hardly seemed threatened. ¡°Hahahahahaha, is this the mighty draconian breath that everyone fears? How pathetic! It¡¯s no hotter than steam from a water bath.¡± The man stood there, sneering with a smirk plastered all over his face. The short one sighed. Ever since they had come to this world, his ego had gotten even bigger. ¡°Yea but that¡¯s all because you wished for an armour that¡¯s immune to all damage.¡± ¡°Shut up! My talents are more than just this armour I wear.¡± ¡°Sure sure, then why don¡¯t you face this dragon without it. I¡¯m prettttyyyy sure you can just equip normal armour and fight like a normal knight.¡± ¡°What! Are you stupid? Do you realise how much of a disgrace it would be to the gentle Miss Clara if I threw away this gift she granted me?¡± Huge, blistering winds bellowed through the cave and threw away the two bickering comrades. They turned around to face the dragon. It was now flapping its wings, getting ready for flight. Both of them looked at each other and realised it would become a nuisance once it got into the air. The tall one, seemingly exasperated at his comrades¡¯ actions, sighed. ¡°Listen, if you two are done with your banter, lets finish this before it gets messy. Gaius, secure him before he gets even higher, I¡¯ll end it with one strike.¡± ¡°Gotcha.¡± The man known as Gaius started a chant. Two earth arms emerged from the ground and started to extend, heading towards the dragon. The arms gripped the dragon¡¯s wings and started to bring him back down. The dragon started to struggle, flapping its wings but it was no use. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re not going anywhere, my friend.¡± With a burst of energy, the two earth arms crashed the dragon to the ground. The dragon was not given a single second to raise its body up, as the large man rushed forward, the greatsword glistening amongst the dust and earthen debris. With a leap, greatsword held high above his head, he brought it down. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªDragonSlayer Art 4: Reverent Strike¡ª¡ª¡ª A burst of light surrounded the greatsword and with a single strike, the dragon was beheaded. ¡°Nice KO my dude¡±. Matthias gave a thumbs up to his dark companion. ¡°Ah, it was nothing. Though, it doesn¡¯t feel good doing that. I guess a living monster is different from an rpg monster after all.¡± ¡°I worry about that attitude of yours. Dude, WE ARE HEROES. Ultimate warriors. Look at us, we hella hypeeeeeee.¡± ¡°Ugh. I get it. No need to shout like that. Keep your excitement to yourself. And maybe spend less time preaching to the enemy about your might and prowess.¡± The three traversed through the cave. They had heard of a legendary dragon, guarding immense wealth. Not being able to contain their excitement, they rushed off immediately. ¡°Woooooaaaaaaahhhhhhh. LOOK AT ALL THIS GOLD.¡± The two watched as Matthias ran forward and jumped into the heaps and troughs of gold in front of them. ¡°You know Gaius, sometimes it seems hard to comprehend all of this. I still wonder if I¡¯m actually in a coma imagining all of this.¡± ¡°I get you man, but if this is some dream, I hope to never wake up. You should take a page out of Matthias¡¯s life and chill more. Geronimoooooooooo.¡± He watched Gaius jump and join Matthias. ¡°Well, I guess pondering the mysteries of our existence is a lower priority than swimming around in gold. Hold up, you guys.¡± And with that, the three of them basked in the gold, living their lives to their fullest. Laying around in the gold, a thought occurred to Gaius. ¡°Oh yea, don¡¯t you guys think that _____________ would have arrived by now?¡± ¡°Pffffffffffftttttttttttt, oh I completely forgot about that guy. Oh my god, I can¡¯t wait to see his dumb ass. We totally have to find him.¡± ¡°How are you so sure that he even made it?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s only one way to find out. Ohhh, I can¡¯t wait to mess him up. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Come on, let¡¯s pack up here and get moving. Let¡¯s head to the central city. We¡¯ll know for certain if he¡¯s here. It¡¯s gonna be so much fun seeing his dumb face.¡± ____________________________ His black hair swayed in this wind. An average build with an average height. A perfect nose. Or so he had been told by his Grandma. Cyrus had set off on his journey. With his trusty companion dragon Tya and a gun that could obliterate anything, he had a goal. To defeat the demon lord. To be able to return to his world. What a noble quest, it was indeed. Which was why he was robbing a traveller of his belongings. Truly a just hero. ¡°That¡¯s right, hand me half of all your rations and all your travelling gear.¡± Training the gun on him, I made sure he was incapable of any sudden actions. ¡°Make any sort of movements and I won¡¯t hesitate to obliterate you.¡± ¡°Please sir, I¡¯ll gladly split my rations with you but if you take away my equipment, I¡¯ll be completely lost.¡± ¡°Shut up, I didn¡¯t ask you for any comment. Just hand over your stuff if you don¡¯t feel like dying.¡± Tya was resting on a tree branch, watching this all play out. She couldn¡¯t help release a dismal growl at her master¡¯s actions. Seeing her master act so despicable was really unbearable. She was disappointed in him. She would keep in mind to reprimand him later through her nips. ¡°All I have is this compass and map. Here you go, just please spare my life!¡± Sigh. Dealing with this guy was making me more depressed. Somehow seeing him whimpering and begging me for his life was making me feel like I¡¯m the bad guy. Oh wait. I am the bad guy here, huh. I felt some guilt as I took the stuff from the guy. I remembered Miss Clara telling me how she would teleport me at a temple near the central city. Yet somehow, I had ended up in this prairie field. I had no idea where I was either. Ahhhhhh, couldn¡¯t luck just be on my side for once. Would really appreciate it ya know, O Mighty One in the sky. ¡°Hmmmm, looks like everything¡¯s good. Well then, you have about 10 seconds to get out of my sight.¡± ¡°YESSSSSSSIRRRRRR!!!!¡± I watched him bolt off. Wow, I guess the flight of fright reaction is a pretty crazy thing. Looking around, I decided to head towards the forest. It will be safer to relocate before taking a look at that map of his. ¡°Come on Tya, let¡¯s get a move on.¡± Tya leapt off the tree, stretching her wings, smoothly glided on to my shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s try to go a little deeper in the forest. Not too deep of course, just enough so we can¡¯t be spotted by anyone directly--¨C¨C¨CAh!¡± All of a sudden, Tya rushed at me and clamped down on my shoulder. ¡°Hey, that hurts! Ouch stop it! Not another one! Okay okay I get it, you¡¯re mad about the guy I robbed right? Wait don¡¯t nip me again! Is that a yes nip or a no nip? Ah¨CStop with the nips already! I know that what I did was¨C¨C¨C God not another one! At least stop biting at the same place! Fine I promise not to do it again. That¡¯s good enough right?!? Ouch what was that one for! I apologised now right? You¡¯re just enjoying biting me now aren¡¯t you!¡± Tya released a contented growl, seemingly satisfied with her discipline. Leaving my shoulder, it seemed she was in the mood to fly for a while. That little devil. Rubbing my sore neck, I decided that we had walked deep enough to be by ourselves. Sheesh, she really didn¡¯t hold back with the bites. I¡¯ll have to keep in mind to not upset her too much in the future. Resting on a tree stump, I decided to examine the stuff I got from that wimpy traveller. The rations he had given were basic. A few bread rolls, a piece of cheese, some biscuits and dried fruit. A flask of water alongside the map and compass he had mentioned. First things first, let¡¯s examine that map of his. I remembered some of the basic blessings that Miss Clara had given me. The ability to read and speak this world¡¯s languages was one of them. I crouched down, spreading the map on the ground.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see here¡­¡­¡­.¡± The central city was located clearly, on the western side. Earlier, I remembered seeing a sign post indicating a town called Glendall. Now to find it on this map. It took a while, but I managed to find it. Lucky me. Glendall was east of the Central City. Meaning, once I reach Glendall, it should be a straight-forward journey towards this Central City. Hmmmm, what about distances though? Nothing was mentioned on this map. ¡°Oh well, it seems like Glendall is the first step to go.¡± It seemed the sun was starting to go down. There¡¯s no point of travelling at night and this place seemed safe enough to camp for the night. Looking around, I found it. A perfect tree. Tya watched her master hoist himself up the tree. She watched him fall down a couple of times, wondering what was he after. Did he realise how comfortable trees were? She released a squeal of joy. After all, there wasn¡¯t a single human she knew who could truly appreciate the wonders of the tree. ¡°Hah hah¡­, what are you so excited about Tya?¡± Finally, managing to climb the tree, I looked at the happy-go-lucky dragon in front of me. How convenient, must it be to fly. It was too dangerous to sleep on the floor. Who knows what sort of beasts might lurk around in this forest. I managed to find a tree with sturdy branches, strong enough to support me. I could never have imagined I would end up sleeping on a tree. I looked below, wondering how much it would hurt me if I fell off during the night. Tya landed directly on my stomach. Oof, you could give a little warning, you rapacious beast. It seemed my discontent didn¡¯t bother Tya one bit. Releasing a yawn, she decided to curl up and prepare for sleep. Well, this works, she gets a cozy bed and I get this bundle of warmth and fluff. Not a bad deal, at all. Looking at the sunset, I wondered what else awaited me. Oh well, better get some rest. The night past by peacefully. After indulging myself on some of the rations and watching Tya hunt down her meal of sparrows, we were all set. Tracing back my route, I came out of the forest and headed towards the sign post. It had a clear arrow, pointing towards the left with the labelling ¡°Glendall¡±. According to the compass, Glendall appeared to be towards North. Checking with the map, the direction matched up. This took away the presumption of a tampered sign. I realised I was taking too much energy and time on needless precautions. Hiding in woods, sleeping on trees, double checking everything. But in a world like this, I¡¯d rather be safe than sorry. I ain¡¯t gonna be no noob who falls into some dumb trap in volume 1. ¡°Let¡¯s go Tya. Our destination is the town of Glendall.¡± ¡°Errpphhhhh¡± With Tya¡¯s valiant cry, we set off on the path. ____________________________ In the pub known as Twisted Branches, two companions were discussing a matter over their meal. ¡°Hhhheeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy¡± ¡°Matthias keep your lousy arms to yourself¡± ¡°Liisssteeeennn maaannnnn, the hellll is up vit this. Dat ass haznt even shown up. WHAT THE HELLLLLLLLLLLLL!¡± ¡°First of all, quiet down! You¡¯re making a scene for no reason¡± ¡°But bububut buttttttttt I was so excited to meet him. I had made so amny plans to mess with him. But he dididmt even show up. ITT SUCCCKSKS¡± At this point, people had started to look at them, Matthias¡¯s loud booming voice was one thing, but it seemed due to his previous ventures in the pub, people had already started to dislike him. The only reason he was allowed was because of his wealth and status. Gaius, pulled Matthias by the ear and forcefully made him sit down. ¡°Listen here, I¡¯m not going in to get caught up in your messes. Just quiet down. If you don¡¯t shut up, no more alcohol you GOT IT?¡± ¡°Fine finifffe fineeeeeeeeeeee but why are a you so okay with it? I thought you were looking forward to him.¡± ¡°I was. But I¡¯ve also got a life. I¡¯m not gonna cry and lose myself like you. So what, he probably got his ass handed to him. He probably met a bandit or a goblin and shit himself.¡± ¡°Hahahhahaha, that¡¯s so true. That guy totally would just shit himself. He acted so big online, criticizing everything but he¡¯s nothing more than a giant baby in real life.¡± ¡°You mean like you are if someone takes away that enchanted armour of yours.¡± ¡°Huh, what yous say sumthing?¡± ¡°It was nothing. Just looking around at some stuff.¡± ¡°But maannnn, I really wanted to screw with him. Thisi sucks soooo muuuucccchhh. I had planned to make him pay fur everthing he said. That ass¡­. All thddat bullshitit talking he did, all those insults at mer waifus, I¡¯d planencd to make him pay so mjuch.¡± ¡°Just take another quest. Who cares about him. This world is so awesome, you can do so much. So go another quest man¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°After all after after all AFTER ALL, THAT PRINCESSS STILLL WONNNT ACCEPTP MEEEEEE¡± ¡°What dude, quiet down! People are seriously looking at us now. I¡¯m sorry guys hahahaha, seems like my buddy had a little too much to drink!¡± A large, burly man came over. Gaius groaned at who it was. The pub owner. Muscles popping out of everywhere, with the shine of his bald head, he truly looked like the ultimate macho man. ¡°Yeah, it seems like your buddy has had too much to drink. Strange, considering how much he was shit talking my drinks last week.¡± ¡°Well you see uhhhh¡± ¡°2 minutes. Get your friend and his drunk ass out oy my pub. No one here can stand his bumbling cries anymore. Either we have to listen to his tall tales of his adventures or his dumb cries for attention.¡± ¡°OHHHHH well uif aint mista baldy talkiinn. Dududue should feel honoured I EVEN COME TO THIS SHIT CREEK. HWO YO think tUMMMMFFF¡± Gaius used both his hands to cover Matthias¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m so so so sorry for this idiot¡¯s words. We will leave immediately¨C¨C¨C¨C¡± ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry you¡¯ll leave alright.¡± Picking both Gaius and Matthias up in each arm, the pub owner flung them through the open door. A huge crash was heard as the two bodies collided on the pavement. ¡°Don¡¯t ever show your sorry asses here again.¡± Gaius groaned from the collision. What the hell. Due to him being in the same party as Matthias, his reputation was also starting to drop considerably. This absolute moron. Ever since they had come here, he had gotten over his head. He would brag about himself to no end, hit on any woman he fancied, act like a total prick. And since they were chosen heroes, they had gotten everything they wanted. Aristocrats allied themselves with Matthias, entertaining him to use him in their politics, women swooning over him just for his fame and money. It had all built up his ego to no extent. Gaius wondered what the future held in store for him at this rate. The only person who would tell Matthias to his face how much of an idiot he was, was the second royal princess. She was the only one who condoned his actions and refused to get along. Of course, Matthias only saw this as a challenge. After all the countless light novels he had read and animes he had watched, he only thought of her as the stubborn princess who would fall in love with him over time. And that did not seem to be the case any time soon. ¡°Imma head too Eden. You commess too?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to that brothel. You do realise that the only reason they entertain you is to drain of your money, right? And in your current drunkness, they¡¯re gonna end up bleeding you dry.¡± ¡°Who careeeeeezz. Iz awesome ther. Sooo many baabezz. Hehehehe, Iamaam swimmm in breastzzzz¡± ¡°Suit yourself. I¡¯m going home.¡± But his companion wasn¡¯t paying attention. He was already staggering in the direction of the high-end district. Gaius only sighed and went the opposite direction, towards the housing district. ¡°But still, I didn¡¯t think ___________ would kick the bucket so early. I thought he was a smarter guy.¡± ____________________________ Cyrus was feeling great. He had finally gotten some luck on his side. On his journey to Glendall, he had stumbled onto a caravan heading towards there. The farmer and his grandson had offered to take him with them and even going as far as to offer them lodging for the night. The grandson, Jay was proud of his town, telling me all about it on the way there. ¡°Here we are Sir Cyrus. This is the peaceful town of Glendall.¡± ¡°Huh, looks like just one of those stereotypical opening towns in JRPGs.¡± ¡°What do you mean Sir Cyrus?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing, don¡¯t worry about it¡± I was still uncomfortable with that title. Turns out, only royals and high-level officers would have pet dragons. Seeing Tya, they had automatically assumed I was a high-level officer. Well, it made explaining a lot of stuff easier for me. Going through the town and meeting people, Glendall turned out to be a little, humble town hosting a small group, engaged in their daily lives. After reaching the farmhouse and taking a much-needed bath and dinner, it was time to bring up my plan to go to the Central City. I joined Old Man Jerry and Jay sitting around the fireplace. ¡°Haha looks like you got some spunk back in ya sonny.¡± ¡°Yes sir, a bath and a warm meal was what I needed to get up again¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± He offered the bottle to me. ¡°Dis is good ol¡¯ merrywine. Freshly brewed here, ya ain¡¯t gonna taste anything like it.¡± ¡°Thank you for the offer sir, but I don¡¯t drink.¡± ¡°Dats dere a shame.¡±, he muttered as he took another swig. I looked across to see Tya and Jay playing together. They were playing a game of fetch and every time Tya managed to successfully catch the ring Jay would throw, he would reward her with a sugar cube. Of course, that greedy furball would entertain the boy for food. ¡°You should be careful, Jay. If you feed her too much, she¡¯ll get too heavy to fly like that.¡± It only took a second for Tya to cannonball herself into me. Oof, what the hell! I guess the species doesn¡¯t matter when it comes to women and weight. Placing Tya in my lap, I turned to Old Man Jerry. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m thankful for your hospitality but I have a journey to complete. You see, my destination is the Central City. Could you tell me the quickest way to get there?¡± Both Old Man Jerry and Jay looked at each other. Did I say something weird? Jay looked at me, with a perplexed expression. ¡°Sayyy Sir Cyrus, you¡¯re really not familiar with this area, are you?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t really say that I am.¡± ¡°But still¡­. You should at least¨C¨C¨C¡± ¡°Jay, pipe down now. You¡¯re being rude to our guest. The Central City you say? Ya know Sir Cyrus, I don¡¯t mean to offend ya or anything but you say you¡¯re an officer but you aren¡¯t exactly wearing their uniform or even carrying their badge. So what I¡¯m tryna say, is dat you aint exactly really assuring.¡± ¡­¡­What do I do know? I managed bullshit them and make them believe that I was a high-level officer but now they needed proof. I looked down to see Tya giving me a disapproving glance. Well I bullshitted my way here, it¡¯s time to bullshit some more. ¡°Actually you see, ummmm originally I was with my squad and due to an accident¡­..we got separated. When I woke up, I was uh stripped of all my belongings. Most probably, some bandits came across my unconscious body and robbed me. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t have anything on me right now. Umm it seems when I fell, I hit my head a bit and I still feel kinda fuzzy so if I say something weird, please don¡¯t mind it.¡± Holy shit. That was bullshit level 10,000. There¡¯s no way they bought that made up excuse. It¡¯s so inconsistent and full of holes. Actually, this might be bad for me. They might even turn me over to the guards. I glanced at Old Man Jerry to see if he had bought it. He scratched his head and looked as if he was trying to make sense of what I just said. ¡°Hmmm Hmmm I see. That really is unfortunate. I¡¯m sorry for doubting ya.¡± What. ¡°Yea yea and why didn¡¯t you tell us about your head injury. We would have taken you to the town doctor.¡± ¡°Oh well, I didn¡¯t want to trouble you guys. You know, since you guys did so much for me. Plus, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ll feel better after a good rest. Haha, yep, that¡¯s all I really need.¡± ¡°Oh-okay if you so Sir Cyrus¡± Holy shit. It worked. Never expected things to go so smoothly. Is this what it feels like to be one of those low tier protagonists that have the plot always work in their favour? ¡°So, what¡¯s the best route to get there as fast as possible? I would prefer to get there in around 2-3 days, but even a week-long journey is all-right with me.¡± Again, the two exchanged an awkward glance amongst themselves. Just what did I say to cause such a response. It was Jay that responded this time. He sheepishly scratched at his arm as he spoke. ¡°Sir Cyrus, I think it¡¯s good if you show yourself to the doctor. Your injury might be more serious than you think.¡± ¡°Wha-What makes you think that? Have I said something that truly weird?¡± ¡°Well, I mean you journeyed all the way from the Central City to here with your squad, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose I did. What¡¯s that got to with anything?¡± It almost seemed like he was embarrassed for my sake with the way he was responding. They were looking at me as if I had gotten something very basic messed up. As if someone like me, should never have been able to make a mistake like this! Wait a minute, did I screw up somewhere??? Jay looked straight at me with an apologetic smile. ¡°Well then, you should obviously know that a trip from Glendall to the Central City is 3 months long. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.........................................................................................¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­......................................................................................... ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­......................................................................................... Mother******. Chapter 2.2 3 months. 3 whole months. What the hell. He realised that this journey wouldn¡¯t be a walk in the work. But come on, 3 months just to get to the starting line. How absurd is this! Shouldn¡¯t all this stuff be taken care off by those guardians governing this world! And here I thought I had the protagonist¡¯s luck on my side. ¡°HHHHhhhhhhhhuuuuuuaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhh¡± The ghastly moan cut his thoughts off. ¡°Oh yea, I forgot about you guys. Sorry, my bad.¡± He was surrounded by them on all sides. Their bodies composed of rotting green flesh hanging on to bones with the thinnest of muscle strands. Rancid stench emitting from their bodies, the empty gaze being shone in their eyes. Truly the definition of the word putrid in every sense. Zombies. The first one lunged towards him, like a rabid beast, the only thing it being able to comprehend would be the fresh meat in front of it. Thus, he missed it. Or it would be more accurate to say he ignored it. The small metal shard that made contact with his body. Ignoring the foreign object, it tried to move forward. But not a single step could be taken. For the zombie had already disintegrated. There was a silence. Though, it only lasted for a mere second. The zombies were brainless, hopeless fiends that knew nothing other than the hunger for flesh. Yet, they still preserved a single instinct. The instinct of a pack. They realised that the zombie in front of them no longer existed. Thus, a single unanimous decision was created between the five zombies. Let¡¯s gang up on the prey. If one could not reach the prey, then many should be able to do so. Truly, an act only capable of the mindless monsters. So, the group of zombies would descend on the single man. Cyrus was not in a good mood. As if the 3-month setback was not enough, he had to take on meagre quests for the village in order to gain money. Taking on a pack of wild wolves attacking travellers. Scaring off bandits. A blood lusted bear. Today it was zombies. They had been emerging from the graveyard, north of the town. Apparently, some noob mage had been trying to practise necromancy, failed and then ran away and the village head had requested him to clean up the mess. What a pain. The zombie lunged forward, his dead eyes focused on Cyrus. Yet he was not worried in the slightest. A single trigger was pressed and within half a second, the zombie disintegrated. Easy-peasy. But what he didn¡¯t expect was the zombies would unify into a group. With a quaking cry, the group of five zombies ran at him. I see¡­ so they decided to all gang up on me. Cyrus calmly focused on the frontrunner zombie and blasted him. There was a 2-second delay on the bullet regeneration so he had to avoid a direct confrontation. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªGunslinger Art 2: Vitalize¡ª¡ª¡ª He felt himself reimbursed with energy, his entire body felt to get hotter, the adrenaline surging though him. With the boost, Cyrus dashed off, making sure the zombies were following him. Training his sight, he shot the zombie protruding out of the left side, and made way towards the half-collapsed oak tree on his left. Running up the diagonal crossed tree, he took a leap in the opposite direction, straight towards the zombies. Another bullet was released, and with it the third zombie fell. 3 down, 2 to go. The two zombies, perplexed, took seconds to realise that their prey was now behind them, the direction they had came from. The time it took for them to turn around was the time taken for Cyrus to shoot another zombie. A snarl erupted from the final zombie as it ran towards Cyrus. He withdrew a dagger and threw it at the zombie, aiming for its legs. As the zombie fell, all he had to was release a final bullet, eliminating the group of zombies. He was not a fan of any of this but had to admit that these little quests were helping him get used to the gun and his gunslinger skills. In the beginning, he wasn¡¯t even aware of his skills. It was the act of taking down the wolf that had caused them to initiate. It had been an extremely out-of-of-the world experience for him. It felt as if someone had just put fresh information inside his brain. All of a sudden, he just knew he could activate a special ability. He noticed how his reflexes had improved and how his body would naturally adjust to him when shooting or running. Later on, he realised what he was experiencing were probably active and passive skills. He remembered asking to be able to master the gun but didn¡¯t expect himself to gain a class and skills. Man, if only we had such a system in the real-world, life would be so much easier. Giving the graveyard one last look, he head off back to the town, another task completed. As he approached the village, he struggled to come up with a solution to this situation. He had been earning a fair amount of money with the jobs he had been doing around the town, but nowhere near enough for a 3-month journey. Collecting his payment from the mayor, he head off for Old Man Jerry¡¯s farm. He had been kind enough to let him stay with him until he figured out what to do. Having nowhere else to go, he had graciously accepted his hospitality. Man, I seriously need to come up with something. This is almost pathetic now, I thought I had everything figured out when I thought about wishing for this gun. Can¡¯t believe this is all how it is coming down. With a sigh, he entered the home, hoping inspiration might hit him at some point. The moment he opened the door, his ears were hit with a very gregarious and booming laughter. What was the sound? What monster of a being could possibly have such a laugh! He entered the living room, and was greeted by the sight of an enormous man with a feisty beard sitting with Old Man Jerry, having a blast. ¡°Ah, welcome back, Cyrus. I would like to introduce you to my good friend, Gorgos¡± ¡°Hah hah, Nice ta meetcha lad. The names Gorgos as ya heard, head of the G-ARMS Merchants at yah service¡± Cyrus¡¯s hand was grasped by the man¡¯s large burly hand and thought his arm would rip off at the sheer amount of force Gorgos was shaking his hand with. ¡°Hohohohoho, Jerry was just telling me about ya. What¡¯re the chances you¡¯d just walk in!¡± Taking a seat, Jerry explained how Gorgos was his old travelling companion from back in the day and about the adventures they went on together. After Old Man Jerry retired and took over his old folk¡¯s farm, Gorgos decided to start his own trading agency. He had came over to personally oversee a procurement of some rare herb that grew in this area. ¡°And that¡¯s ma story, young Cyrus. Wah hah hah who¡¯d have thought I still had it in me to make such a journey.¡± I thought about this turnaround. Could this be a way out of my predicament? What if I asked him to take me with him? As I was entertaining this thought, Gorgos burst the bubble. ¡°Now then Cyrus, there ain¡¯t no point of thinking about such things. Anyone could tell what you¡¯re thinking with that expression ha-ha. Ol¡¯ Jerry told me about your problem. However, my agency ain¡¯t located anywhere near the central city.¡± ¡°Haha, well it was too good to be true.¡± Seeing my disappointment, Old Man Jerry spoke up. ¡°Now now, while it¡¯s true Gorgos can¡¯t take you to the central city, all hope isn¡¯t lost.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right sonny, you can¡¯t just give up so quick.¡± What did they mean? Old Man Jerry took out a map and spread it on the table. Tracing a route, he rested his finger on a city near the sea. ¡°Now look here, Gorgos resides in the northern trade city known as Asperios. However, the main route from here to Asperios utilizes the same road required for the Central City.¡± He concluded, pointing his finger to an intersection. This wasn¡¯t bad. Around 3/4th of the journey could be carried out with Gorgos, and I would have to travel by myself the rest of the journey. The odds seemed pretty good. ¡°I see, so this way I can get go about the majority of the journey with Gorgos. And around the end, I¡¯ll have to split off and continue on my own. This does seem doable.¡± ¡°Indeed, with the money you have collected, you can afford a horse, so you could go on about the remainder by yourself to the Central City.¡± Gorgos stood up, stretching his back. ¡°See see what did I tell you everything would work out just fine. Oh yes, you will still have to wait two days for my crew to finish gathering and packing up the herb stock.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. I¡¯m already grateful that you would be willing to let me travel with you.¡± ¡°Any friend of Jerry is a friend of mines to be sure. Now, I have to go and check up on my crew. Twas good catching up with you Jerry. Cyrus, let¡¯s meet again in two days.¡± Two days. That¡¯s more than enough time to prepare everything I might need. With the new boost of energy, I set out to make preparations for the journey. ____________________________The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Miss Clara was evaluating her current situation. She had never expected an anomaly like that to occur and whisk Cyrus away. It wasn¡¯t like her to make an error like that. She was worried about the stability of their realm, the stress of all this summoning might be placing on their world. But the council wouldn¡¯t listen. They would do anything to accomplish their goals, those stubborn fools. What are we even doing? They had summoned 7 heroes to this world so far. The first one, the person who helped them make the summoning system was currently investigating their world. However, it seemed that they were currently occupied in researching something about their world, marking them off the mission to kill the demon lord. The second one had simply disappeared, and they had been unable to locate or contact him. It was extremely alarming in the beginning with the council panicking to find his whereabouts. But now they had given up. They simply gave up on trying and assumed he was dead. It was easier to deal with, after all when assuming the person is dead. Goodness, this divine council truly cared about nothing but themselves. As long as they could summon more heroes, who cared about the previous ones? The third one was well¡­diligent to say the least. She had been watching her go on about her journey but it was as if she was enjoying the world too much. She would stop at every village, help them with anything, complete any requests. While she was glad that the girl truly wanted to help their world, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she even remembered that she had a goal to take down the demon lord. Every time they would talk, she would tell Miss Clara with bright eyes to not worry and rely on her. How she would do everything she could to save the world from danger and protect everyone. However, her progress rate was too slow! But she couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell the young lady to not help people and aim for only the goal. And then those 3 came. They never expected 3 people to be summoned at once. But they had adapted extremely quickly. And they were ecstatic and full of passion. It was different from the girl before them. It seems these people were dedicated. And they were. They took on quests, climbing up the ranks of adventurers. Taking down some of the most powerful monsters and even defeating 2 of the demon generals, they had certainly made their names. However, their ethics were to say less than what was expected from heroes. From riches to rare items, they plundered all. They acted, to put it lightly, like total assholes. Especially their leader, the one who named himself as Matthias, was probably the worst offender. Hitting on women, boasting on how he was chosen by the heavens, he considered himself the strongest. At least I understand why Cyrus hates them so much. And then came Cyrus. The man who had came here accidentally and had no interest in helping them other than to go back to his world. She was wary of him. There was no way to predict what he planned to do or how to do it. But Miss Clara reasoned with herself. Tya liked him, he¡¯s the first human she had ever shown interest in. So, he couldn¡¯t be that bad. Let¡¯s believe in him and see what happens. She had been extremely happy when they had encountered Gorgos and found a way to reach the Central City. As it currently stood, only 4 of the heroes were actively planning to engage the demon lord. Cyrus had been right on that point, that summoning people here and entertaining them had made them believe in their own fantasies too much. She only hoped that Cyrus would be able to hold back his anger and compromise with the aforementioned trio. Who knows, they might become good companions and build trust amongst each other. After all, is that not what a journey is about? Only a peaceful and kind woman such as Miss Clara could come up with such an optimistic outlook. But Miss Clara hopeful wishing would remain exactly as that, just hopeful wishing. ____________________________ Emergency Rations. Check. Snacks for Tya. Check. Rope. Check. Map. Check. Compass. Check. Knife. Check. My Divinity EX++++ gun that can destroy anything in one hit. Check. Everything was prepared. Gorgos and I had made a deal to buy one of his horses. When we would reach the intersection, he would hand over the horse. I had made sure everything was in check. No matter what, I did not want to deal with any other trouble. But I knew that was wishful thinking. As if life would ever be that easy. But that doesn¡¯t I¡¯m not gonna be prepared for whatever this world intends to throw at me. Bring it on, you accursed world. ¡°Oh, I like that look in your eyes young Cyrus. Hoho, it reminds me and Jerry, how energetic you youth are.¡± ¡°AWWRPH¡± ¡°And how could I forget about you, fierce and noble dragon¡± Tya¡¯s tail wagged furiously. She seemed really pleased by that compliment. I wondered if letting Tya come with me had been a good decision after all. She had grown so egotistical, I wonder if Miss Clara would even recognize her little cutie pie. ¡°Well then, Cyrus it would be best if you would get your stuff aboard and settle in the front caravan.¡± Heading Gorgos¡¯s words, I decided to make way to the front caravan. Placing my stuff and making sure Tya had a comfortable spot, I decided to take a seat, but heard a certain voice. ¡°Sir Cyrussssss!¡± Looking outside, I noticed Jay and Old Man Jerry were walking towards me. Climbing out, I greeted them. ¡°Hey you guys! I guess this will be our last time talking to each other.¡± ¡°Indeed it is. It has been a fun two weeks, hasn¡¯t it? An officer like you must probably be used to the large, glorious cities of the Capital but I hope you found our little town comfortable.¡± ¡°Sir Cyrus, I hope you tell everyone about how cool our town is! Sure, we may not be as sophisticated but I bet you won¡¯t find any place that can serve us a shepherd pie as delicious as ours. And I¡¯ve heard the city is always noisy and crowded, but our place is so calm and peaceful. And and¨C¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry Jay. I won¡¯t ever forget this place. And you bet I¡¯m gonna brag about that shepherd pie. Who knows I might even come back someday, bringing back more people with me to taste that wonderful specimen.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sir Cyrus. Oh, I also made this as a farewell gift for Tya. Do you mind if I can give it to her?¡± Hearing her name, Tya flew out of the caravan immediately. Ever the greedy munchkin you are. ¡°Hehehe, here you go Tya, I spent a lot of time making this so you better take good care of it.¡± It was a navy-blue bandana with her name written in a curved style at a corner. Jay gently tied it around her neck, in a neck-scarf style making her look like a little dragon bandit. Tya was in surprise. She had never imagined that she of all people could wear clothes. She flew around in circles, amused at how the handkerchief would stay on and flutter in the wind. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could sew, Jay. Where were you hiding that skill?¡± ¡°Well¡­actually I can¡¯t. I asked a friend to help me and in return she made me spend an entire day with her, catering to her wishes.¡±, Jay answered with a wry face. ¡°But you know, seeing Tya enjoying it so much, it was worth the sacrifice.¡± ¡°Well, thanks on behalf of both Tya and me¡± ¡°Urrrpph¡± Tya showed her gratitude by constantly pecking Jay. ¡°Ohahahahaha stop it Tya, thaaahahat really tickles!¡± Enjoying the sight of those two¡¯s final play time, I turned around to thank Old Man Jerry. However, it seemed he realised what I was going to say and cut me off. ¡°Now now, I know what you¡¯re gonna say and let¡¯s avoid the sappy farewells. All I did was give you a place to stay and some food. Anyone would do that for any traveller.¡± ¡°INDEED, ANYONE WOULD DO THAT WOULDN¡¯T THEY OL¡¯JERRY! BAHAHAHAHAHAHA¡± With a resounding clap on Old Man Jerry¡¯s back, Gorgos burst out laughing. It was kind of scary that this giant man could pop out of nowhere like that. ¡°Don¡¯t you fret about this old geezer, Cyrus. Truth is he gets too emotional at farewells, and gets embarrassed when he recalls them later on. You should have seen his face when he had to say goodbye to his momma back when we starting our journey. Hohohoho, that¡¯s a memory I won¡¯t even forget when I¡¯m 100 years old. With a twing of annoyance, Old Man Jerry retorted. ¡°Keep this up and you won¡¯t make it to 70, you great, hairy goofball.¡± It was quite the little scene. From Tya and Jay playing around, to the quippy banter between Gorgos and Old Man Jerry, I took one last look at this town. I would probably never come back to this quaint, little village. I felt bad about lying to Jay but I couldn¡¯t be sentimental enough to care about everything in this world, least not some small village which I hadn¡¯t even interacted with properly. At last, the time for arrival approached and the caravans started to move out. Me and Tya settled down in our caravan, making ourselves comfortable for the journey. That¡¯s right, I probably would never come back to this village but I would also never forget it. After all, it was technically my starting town. Who knows maybe halfway through this whole thing, I might get some quest where I would have to return here. Yep and then I would find out how this little village is actually related to the whole plot and that there¡¯s like some super-powerful artifact sealed here that we will need to confront the final boss. Hip-Hip Hooray for generic JRPG plot! Well whatever wants to happen will probably happen and I¡¯ll be forced to go with the flow as usual. Three cheers for the life of the protagonist! Wow, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m even calling myself the protagonist at this point. Feeling drowsy, I decided that it wouldn¡¯t hurt to take a nap at this point. Being in a near-sleep state, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder. A 3-month journey, huh? Who the hell decided on making such a long prologue? Wouldn¡¯t it be awesome if I could just skip this meaningless stuff? ____________________________ And so, it was 3 months later. They finally faced each other. 3 men, dressed in high-tier armours, their strength and power emitting from their presence as they stood there. On the other side, there was a lone man. He looked like a normal, everyday NPC from top to bottom. But what kind of normal, everyday NPC had a pet dragon, perched on his shoulder and could look at them with such a fierce gaze. The deserted courtyard. The sun gently settling down, signifying the end of the day. The cold gust blowing through them. Yes, this was a clear-as-day standoff. Yet the man was confused. So he turned towards his companions and asked. ¡°Hey, so who¡¯s this guy and why does he look so mad at us?¡± That was the ending point. For the man could not no longer contain his anger. With a glare, he took out his gun, raising it at the man in front of him. ¡°So first you assholes bring me to this dumb world AND THEN YOU FORGET THAT I EXISTED! YOU¡¯RE ALL DEAD.¡± Yet the final trigger was yet to come. He may have been full of rage but he also realised that murder was not a solution to his situation. That¡¯s right, this won¡¯t solve anything, he tried to reason with his desire. ¡°Huuuhh, lol You think could kill us. I don¡¯t know who you are but a loser like yourself couldn¡¯t even touch a brilliant and gallant knight such as myself.¡± said the idiot while picking his nose. He didn¡¯t even pick up on the obvious hint the man had just told him about his identity. However, his companions weren¡¯t such idiots. His two companions¡¯ eyes opened wide and their mouths gaped open. Such an effect couldn¡¯t have been obtained from mere words. Right in front of their very eyes, was a standard GLOCK pistol. How could something from their world be present here! Yet that idiot ignored it all. What was going through the idiot¡¯s head, no one could tell. Maybe the sun reflected its few rays in his eyes, making him unable to see the gun. Maybe he was too busy paying attention to the pet dragon. After all, dragons were pretty rare, and he probably had never seen a youngling dragon before.. Who really even cares? Certainly not the man who just picked his nose in front of a man threatening to kill him. And perhaps that nonchalant idiocy could be considered to be the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. Cyrus took a deep breath. Hey, Miss Clara I tried right? I thought that I might be able to compromise. So, you can¡¯t blame me for this. I¡¯m definitely gonna kill that guy.