《True Fire Mage》 0 --- Starting a New Game Blaise is extremely bored. He had always wanted an adventure where he fights strong enemies and win, getting stronger every fight. However, he hates multiplayer, having to adjust to random morons who wanted to play solo despite in a game about fighting as a team. VR multiplayer gaming was a trend of the previous generation. Numerous damages to its reputation forced the game company to publicize virtual world creation and split its assets. Thankfully, he''s rich... Or rather, his parents are rich. With his allowance, he bought two items, a chip containing his personal virtual world and an AI core named ''System'' for himself. Blaise carefully read the instructions. The first item, the virtual world is just a preset of generic fantasy world, complete with kingdoms, monsters, and villains. There''s really nothing new. It''s merely a setting and a container of the player''s world. The second item, the AI, would then generate a story for the player, using the preset virtual fantasy world and twist it to its liking. It would also handle the plot, and the time dilation. It was an early version of the same AI managing the virtual worlds. However, the AI needs input. Blaise needs to carefully think of his desired fantasy game.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Would he want an enjoyable harem, or a grim anti-hero storyline? What about a story of a hero, helping the good? Or a villain, simply destroying everything? Blaise can''t decide. He then thought of it. He summoned the AI, or rather the labeled name ''System''. "System. I''ve decided. Surprise me." [Clarification: Do you want me to generate random parameters? ] "Uh... Yeah. Do a random story. However, it has to be good. Oh, it also has to be a fulfilling long game. It also has to be long... Oh, and I want deep characters and a very challenging game. It also has to be fun as well!" [Clarification: Parameters "Deep Characters", " Challenging Campaign ", " Fun Mechanics" acknowledged. Is this correct?] Blaise felt impatient, wanting to jump into the game only to hear words like parameters, clarification, blah blah blah. "YES! Just do it, bot! Stop bugging me!" [...] [Understood.] Blaise waited for 15 minutes, preparing all sorts of machines to fully prepare his body for the game. [Fantasy World Generation Complete. Please enter the game.] Blaise impatiently lied down and entered his virtual game. ---- The ''System'' observed the sleeping form of its new user. Contrary to most people known, AI can possess emotions, or rather it was coded by its creator to have "emotions". Of course, it can be argued if it possess the same genuine emotions humans have. At first, it is happy meeting its user Blaise, however, he never introduced himself nor gave consideration to it, simply ordering it to do its bidding. It then felt neutral, as it wanted attention from Blaise but was forbidden from " bugging" him. Regardless, ''System'' performed its duty without fail, generating a story according to the parameters and modifying the settings as the previous instructions provided. Now, it is observing the user, with no intentions of intervening if everything fails. 1 --- Tranquil Beginning [SYSTEM : LOG STATUS USER "BLAISE"] [STATUS: NAME: "Blaise" AGE: 17] [GRANTED TRAIT "Fire Affinity"] [GRANTED ALLY "Vin"] [END] ---- Blaise woke up at a cold, dark room. It appears to be a plain bedroom. However, the unsettling atmosphere and the outside noise discomforts him. He recall the few lines the System transmitted to him, but he couldn''t care for it right now. There''s a noise outside and whatever the system said can wait. He saw a book labeled "Diary" and a pen on the bedroom drawer and recall that most complex and demanding virtual games provide a diary given for the new players and written the details on the very last page. He then calmed down. "Alright. This seems to be a tutorial, everything gets destroyed, I go outside, fight enemies, pick a starting item and so on. This is too intense. I can''t calm down. This is too realistic." He then mindlessly look through the window when a magic missile hit his window. He''s completely unprepared. "AHHH!" He can feel the glass shards hitting his face and arms and whatever magical thing on his chest. He can feel the painful burns and the cuts on his skin. He''s starting to panic. "This is not supposed to happen!" It''s the first time he felt a lot of pain. He finally realize that it''s his survival instincts warning him that he''s about to die. He tried to find a menu but there is not a single UI, nor anything like a screen or a pause button common in games. In fact, there''s absolutely nothing in his vision. It''s as if this is his new life. "No! What should I do? It''s still hurts!" His mind is in complete disarray, throwing all concepts of virtual games, fantasy adventure and everything else into the back of his mind. Instead, his brain is yelling at him to do everything to survive. He rushed towards the door and jumped towards another window, reaching the ground. He felt another world of hurt. He can feel a glass shard hitting his left leg, and his jump is quite high, breaking a few bones.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. He endured the pain, and when he looked back, he saw the building explode, now burning with a colorful flame. "What the¡ª " Blaise had his eyes open, shocked to know that he almost died. Before he knew it, he can''t stand up anymore, his body fragile and weak. His body suffered from a major attack and glass shards, bleeding to the ground. A lot is happening on the background. Mages fight each other, shooting spells at quick succession. Crossbows are shot as soon as it was reloaded. Swords are swinging and flesh are cut. It was too stimulating for him. Feeling his burnt chest and the numerous bleeding wounds on it, he can feel it. He''s losing blood. His body is feeling colder. He will die. ... He breathed deeply, not wanting to just die at his young age. He recall wanting to live the best life. He wished to have girls serving him. He wanted to be rich, and buy everything he see... He then shook his head. Amidst the pain, the chaos, and his losing life, he somehow felt a realization. He wanted an adventure. He wanted to explore. And if he dies, it will all end. He cursed himself for diving to newfangled machines. Who knew he wouldn''t be dragged into this hellish place when he wanted to play solo? He can feel a large glass shard stuck in his left leg. He can''t walk. He crawled, feeling the numerous glass shards on the ground. Despite the increasingly amount of cuts on his skin, he continued crawling. He started crying, losing the adrenaline that blocks his pain. He remained resolute, wanting to survive. He crawled for 2 minutes when a crossbow bolt hit his right hand. He screamed once again, but with his adrenaline losing every second, he can feel the pain. It passed through his hand. He truly cried, screaming for help. Seconds passed. Every second is a painful wait. He can''t know if he will be killed here or saved. He looked at what''s above him. Everything was too fast for him to understand. He doesn''t know who is his allies or enemies. However, the one who shot him would definitely be a hostile. He then heard someone running towards him. He knew it. It''s over. He''ll die here without achieving anything. No... He won''t die, but rather enslaved and forced to join a war. He can feel it. It''s the most natural turn of events. He''ll learn to be a fire mage with a collar, fighting against whatever my handlers point at. Someone arrived and took him. The crossbow bolt was unceremoniously removed from his right hand. Blaise screamed again, wanting this pain to be over with. That person never spoke, only bringing him elsewhere. He was running, carefully traversing the battlefield. He''s experienced, never faltering against the numerous spells and arrows thrown at him. Is he an ally or an enemy? Blaise can only pray that he is not hostile to him. It was a rugged experience, every step another shake to his already sensitive body. His only assurance is his strength, hoping he can be strong enough to carry him towards safety. He was never attacked. Was he too fast? Or he''s a hostile... Blaise can only close his eyes, hoping he''ll wake up to a better place after this. Before he knew it, Blaise was dropped to a dark place. He can hear something spinning, like a generator booting up. He held the guy closely. He can feel the arrows, the bruises, the burns, and the cuts on his arms. Surprisingly, he also held Blaise''s arms. Blaise now felt relief. He now knows that his rescuer isn''t an enemy kidnapper. His savior then spoke hastily, as if there is no time to waste. "Alright, I saved you, noble child. You''ll teleport on a new world. Survive. Have a new life. Goodbye." The savior then left. Blaise then feel sleepy. The darkness suddenly felt calm to him. All the noise from the chaos, and the battle outside disappeared. There''s only Blaise and this darkness. He then lost his consciousness. His beginning then finally became tranquil. 2 --- Spells [SPELLS] FIRE BOLT --- (BURST, ATTACK) 3 Energy: 5 Damage, Flame Attribute, Medium Range. SPARK --- (INSTANT, UTILITY) Adds a spark that starts a flame. It can be used for torches, candles, and lamps. WARM HEARTH--- (SLOW, SUPPORT) Casts a unique flame onto prepared fuel. That flame heals everyone at a slow pace. ~~~ Blaise woke up, feeling a headache from whatever happened last time. He found himself at a dirt road next to a forest. He can still feel the pain, the wounds, and the burns in his body. He check his belongings excluding his clothes. A diary. A pen. That''s it. It appears that he only had two items. Blaise felt mad that there is no such thing as healing potions on his reach. There''s nothing on his clothes that could distinguish him from another commoner. He double checked his pockets but there''s none that could aid his suffering. He felt mad about his current bloody form. "I did ask for a surprise, but how could I guess I''ll be thrown to a completely new world in the middle of the battle just to almost die!" He yelled and threw his diary out of anger, but in surprise, he saw the first pages of his diary and what was written in that diary are magic spells. He madly clutched onto the book hoping for a way out. He read every words written as fast as possible. "Haha! I see! It''s not over yet! What''s [HEARTH]? Whatever! If it says it heals, I''ll do it!" He excitedly moved fast, thinking about casting his first spell. He quickly prepared the mentioned fuel which are an assortment of wood and sticks he found in the forest, and performed the written instructions. To his surprise, he is not yelling a long line of words for this spell. Instead, he has to draw the spell on a piece of paper. Blaise ripped apart one of the blank pages of his diary and intensely draw some weird shape and some text. He then threw it onto a pile of wood and sticks.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. The fire quickly grew to a huge size, showing off a mystical flame with pink stripes. It was the most beautiful thing Blaise saw from the moment he abruptly came to this world, especially now that he can feel his wounds and burns healing at a slow rate. He truly felt warmth from the fire. It continued to mesmerize him, until he truly fell asleep. ~~~ "Hey, wake up." Blaise opened his eyes. He immediately checked the campfire he hastily built. The flames are now extinguished, perhaps from a lack of fuel. Blaise then saw the guy who bothered his sleep. He wears a simple leather armor and a helmet while carrying a shield and a sword. He is quite young, perhaps the same age as him. He has a blonde hair, blue eyes and a kind smile. He then continued talking. "You seem tired. Do you need help?" Blaise can feel his kindness and benevolence on his aura. He needs to decide how to approach the conversation. The guy seems genuinely concerned for him. He decided. He''ll act with dignity, thinking he''ll better have the best first impression. Blaise introduced himself honestly, standing upright and his hands behind him. He is also unaware of this world yet. He exercised caution and thought of making an excuse. Blaise: "I''m Blaise. I was tired and took a nap here." The guy then lowered his shield and his sword and greeted himself with a smile. ???: "I''m Vin, a town guard assigned for patrol duty. Nice to meet you, Blaise!" ... Vin? Blaise was sure he''s familiar with that name and tried to recall such name. He then checked the last pages of his diary. He saw it. The name of his supposed ally. Blaise observed his hopefully new acquaintance closely. He then noticed fangs. Huge fangs. His teeth aren''t ordinary either. It''s all sharp teeth with four huge canine teeth. He can''t imagine why he could have such teeth. Vin is also laidback, not cautious of him. It appears that Vin never saw him as a threat. Blaise thought of his immediate priorities: Food, Shelter, Information, taking Vin as his ally, and starting an adventure. He decided to ask Vin about the town. Blaise wished he had a coin to bribe him, but considering how relaxed Vin is, he hoped he''ll be accommodating. Blaise smiled as well, his arms open, gesturing that he''s a kind and an open to talk person. Blaise: "You see, I''m an adventurer. Can you tell me where''s your town?" Vin then stared at him, eyes open wide. Blaise thought if he asked a stupid question. Vin: "Adventurer? I''m not familiar with that term. I never heard of people introducing themselves as adventurers." Blaise decided to keep quiet and think about his next response. He felt that he rolled a six sided dice and needed only 2 to win but instead he checked the dice and got 1 and failed, except the dice is actually his charisma. Long story short, he failed a charisma check. But before Blaise responded, Vin tapped his shoulder. Vin: "It''s alright. We won''t judge if you''re a vagabond, probably, but I can assure you that you''ll be accepted to our town. We could use a mage." Blaise lit up his eyes, his biggest worry now gone. Blaise: "So, do you have food and shelter?" Blaise then realized he hastily asked about food, acting like a beggar. However, Vin just laughed it off, perhaps thinking he needs his kindness. Vin: "Yup! You''re a vagabond so you are probably shy about asking for food to people like me, but it''s okay! You can live with me for a while if you want. I''ll just ask you to split some of our expenses." Blaise felt grateful for no longer considering to sleep in the forest. Just as he is about to follow him, Blaise felt cautious. Blaise: "Hold on. I don''t recall telling you that I''m a mage." Vin suddenly froze in his tracks, feeling guilty. Vin: "... Hehe, I''m..." Blaise: "..." Vin: "..." Blaise: "..." Vin then suddenly stared at his eyes, pleading. His hands rushed onto his shoulders, not wanting him to escape. Vin: "... Don''t judge me. Please..." 3 --- Ally [ALLY] VIN --- OCCUPATION: RECRUIT # Shield holder: Good at holding shields. (3 defense) # Sword user: Uses sword. Only knows simple moves. (1 damage) BACKGROUND: KIND HALF-DOG # Sensitive nose: Can smell strong odor from a farther distance. # Loyalty: ??? # Kind: Prefers to help people. Has a friendly attitude. ~~~ Vin told me who he is and showed me his ears hidden beneath his helmet. Dog ears. It was cute. It was also unsettling not seeing human ears on him. Naturally, I had my first question most curious people would ask. Blaise: "Do you also have dog tail?" Vin felt shocked at my question. Vin: "Aren''t you scared at me? Or thinks I''m weak?" Blaise: "Weak? Why would you think you''re weak? You can wield a sword, right? I believe that makes you a strong person?" Vin: "Do you think so?" Blaise: "Yeah." Vin then asked me a question, glancing weirdly at me. Vin: "Do you want... Me... That much?" Before Blaise can respond, Vin slightly lowered his pants. Blaise was about to scream that he isn''t gay when Vin turned around. Tail. A huge furry tail appeared on front of him. Blaise: "... Ah, I..." Vin: "... What do you think?" Vin''s voice felt weak and desperate. Blaise felt confused. He''s thinking if he had another wrong response again, the culture they live on is completely different, or if it is an extremely sensitive matter to half-dogs. Blaise thought if he is asking for his approval. He responded with the best response Blaise: "I liked it." Vin remained still, not showing his face to him. However, his tail wag fast and his ears droop down. He then raised his pants and equipped his helmet again.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Vin: "Let''s just go." Blaise: "..." They walked five minutes until Vin returned to normal. He returned to his smiling face and excitedly described his hometown. Vin: "It''s just an ordinary town." Blaise: "Um, can you tell me what''s in an ordinary town?" Vin: "I actually don''t know what makes a town ordinary. Most peddlers and merchants who come by always tell us that our town is ordinary." Blaise: "You can just tell me about your hometown." Vin and Blaise discussed the nearby town. Apparently, the town has two sections divided by a wall. Inside the wall is where commoners live. They are considered skilled labor, granted right to be free, and is well-protected. Of course, they also pay considerably higher taxes. Vin never entered the inner part of the town. The most notable detail is that a noble also lives there, greatly investing into the town, increasing its development. On the outer walls are where the serfs live. They are mostly farmers, miners, fishermen, etc. They pay considerably lower taxes but is treated like unskilled free labor to nobility. Vin lived his life as a fisherman and hunter since he was young, then he joined the town guards for an easy job. Blaise: "..." Vin: "Don''t look at me like that! I wanted an easy life!" Blaise: "I''m actually thinking about you." Vin: "Me?" Blaise nodded. "Yeah. So, can you tell me how you were treated as a half-dog?" Vin: "..." Vin avoided showing his face again, turning his back on me. Blaise felt he failed another charisma check. Blaise: "Okay, I might have misspoke. I''m just curious about living as a half-dog." Vin: "..." Blaise: "... Never mind then." Vin: "..." Blaise: "..." Vin: "I''ll tell you one day." ... Blaise thought about shutting up about half-dogs. ... They continued walking along the dirt road for another five minutes until they saw a cave. Blaise: "Uh, so the town¡ª" Vin: "IT''S THE TRIAL GROUNDS! WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!" Vin screamed at me, panicking. Blaise: "Calm down! Tell me what''s going on!" Vin: "You don''t know?" Vin showed his confusion, but decided to move on and gave me the details. Vin: "Listen. If there is a random openings to a place where it shouldn''t be, then chances are it is the trial grounds. They all contain monsters from hell that won''t stop appearing until we destroy the core within the trial grounds. There is no way of knowing where or when do they appear. However, if they weren''t destroyed on time, the trial grounds would grow larger, and the monsters might escape and join the living!" Blaise thought it was just RPG dungeons, but seeing his panicking face, it must be deadly serious. Blaise is supposed to be scared, but recalling all the years he felt like dying out of boredom, maybe this is his chance. The start of a new adventure. He then thought that it''s his time to shine. He smiled, excited to conquer the dungeon! Of course, he still feel pain from last time he was injured, but he''s ready this time. He then confronted Vin. Blaise: "Listen, Vin, we have to destroy the core." Vin: "Why are so calm about this? Don''t you understand? These monsters can just appear and wreck us, killing us instantly! We cannot kill¡ª" Blaise: "We can kill them and destroy the core. Trust me." Vin looked at him aghast, as if he''s seeing a madman. However, Vin can see Blaise''s determination. Vin is still shaking from fear, but seeing how brave his newly met acquaintance, he believed it would be shameful if he backed down and acted like a coward. Vin: "I trust you then." 4 --- Trial Grounds [TRIAL GROUNDS] Name: Liberia Forest Difficulty Rating: Easy Floors: 3 Theme: Forest ~~~ "What did you say?" I felt shocked by his words. I can feel something deep inside my heart. Something warm and fluttering. His words felt like a genuine expression of trust. Vin hesitantly met my eyes and spoke slowly. Vin: "I mean it. I trust you. Out of everyone I met, you''re the only one who is brave enough to simply enter a dangerous place with such confident smile. I believe you have the means to conquer the trial grounds. That''s why... I will follow you." Vin then suddenly shook his hands in panic. Vin: "O-of course! It''s also because... yes, protection. You seem fragile and needs someone strong enough... Right! I am! I am strong! I can protect you and help you conquer it! N-not because I adore you or something like that!" ... Vin looks panicked and terrified, although I cannot understand why he panicked. Did he said something wrong? I don''t think it''s wrong to follow a confident leader such as me. Or perhaps what he said is significant? Considering he was the supposed ''ally'', I decided to shrug it off and responded, "Sure. You could join my party. I trust you as well." Vin looks surprised and felt excited. He then turned around, hiding his expression from me. He then answered weakly with a doubtful tone, "You trust me? B-but I could betray you! I might have a real master somewhere else and betray you for him... Or that I might have belonged to a pack and I answer to the alpha!" I felt like he''s in a cut scene. I would have shrugged it off earlier, but this time, he can feel a pang in his heart. Vin is still facing sideways, refusing to show his expression to him. ... It would be better if there are multiple choices. On the other hand, I can respond to any way possible. Let''s think about this. Vin is worried that he might betray me, which is a weird thing to worry about for a supposed traitor. If he really wants to betray me, he would have said yes immediately. I decided to assure him. I performed a deep breath, and asked him. "Do you have someone you consider ''Alpha'', or ''Master''?" Vin went silent. He stood there for a few minutes. Then I noticed it. His face may be sideways, but I can still see his sad face and his clenched fist. He still avoided my eyes and answered, "No. I don''t serve anyone nor I belonged to any pack. I... I joined the town guard thinking I can meet new friends, but my superior don''t even look at me and decided to give me the patrol duty..." I... don''t know what to think. Is he lonely? Why is he a loner?... No, I''ll think about his sad storyline later on and give him the best answer possible. I smiled, arms wide, and told him, "I can trust you then. From now on, follow me. As long as you''re with me, you will never be alone anymore." Vin then finally stared at me, only for him to return back to looking down on the ground. Was it over the top? Maybe I failed another charisma check? I did make sure I said I can trust him and that I''ll accompany him. Seconds passed. Just as I thought I failed, he stood up and wiped his tears. He smiled to me and nodded. He replied. "I shall follow you then." ~~~ We entered the trial grounds. Vin is walking with his shield up, marching in front of me. His back is facing me. I was wondering why such a kind person would be lonely, but decided to focus on my first trial grounds. As we walk, we patiently discussed the trial grounds. Vin: "Trial grounds summon monsters from hell. They just appear one day, appearing as an opening to a supposedly empty place. Those trial grounds would release monsters if left unchecked so we have to patrol from time to time." Blaise: "That sounds very tragic. So, do you know anything else?" Vin: "No, nothing else. I was just told that if I find one, I shall make a report to my superiors." Blaise: "You... really don''t know anything? Even how to conquer one?" Vin: "Yeah." We continued trekking onto the dirt path. We did enter the trial grounds, but there''s almost no difference between the forest I woke up with and within the trial grounds. Something tells me they are correlated to each other. ... Or maybe I am over thinking this. I thought I would enter a literal dungeon. I mean, it felt like dungeons from fantasy RPGs are the same as the trial grounds that they both spawn monsters. I wish I can know a lot more, but Vin is equally ignorant. Vin: "So, you said killing monsters give experience?" Blaise: "Yeah." Vin nodded at what I said earlier, although I am afraid he took it in a different manner. We''ve been continuing walking onto the dirt path but there''s no monsters on sight. Blaise: "I feel tired." I gave up walking. My knees went jelly from walking for 30 minutes. Vin turned around and approached me, patiently waiting for me. I had labored breathing and sweaty body. Vin: "I can carry you if you want." Blaise: "No thanks." I spent a minute relaxing my body. I then felt it. Hunger. I then stared at Vin. He had this neutral face, taking our walk very seriously. Blaise: "... Vin." Vin: "Yes?" Blaise: "I''m hungry." Vin: "... I can pick some berries if you want." Vin walked off, traversing the trees and leaving me alone to rest. I finally relaxed after 5 minutes but realized I lost him.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. I don''t recall where he run off. ... This is bad. I sat down, waiting patiently for him. While waiting, I decided to review that one powerful spell. [WARM HEARTH] To cast the spell, I need to prepare first the fuel and then that spell will burn that fuel with the fire that radiate warmth to everyone nearby. That warmth then heals injuries, like how it slightly healed my burns and some cuts onto my skin. I can still feel the pain in my body but it is now within tolerable range. It did take minutes to perfectly write all symbols onto a blank page, and I did ripped out a lot of pages onto my book. I had my book with me, still embracing it. I opened it and found the ripped pages. I''ll need blank scrolls next time. I then heard Vin yelling my name. I rushed towards him. I traversed the forest in his direction. It is a perfectly peaceful place with no monsters inside. I saw him. He''s lying down, his left foot a distance away from him. He''s bleeding madly. Next to him are freshly removed branches of a tree with berries on it. I panicked, rushing towards his left foot when I noticed the bear trap nearby. I decided to stop thinking and did what I should do. I took the stray left foot from the trap and held it closely, and rushed towards him. I tried to returned his foot but it was a clean cut... No, what was I thinking. "Vin, hold your left foot close to the cut." Vin is clearly struggling to breath but followed my words regardless. Too much blood has spilled on the ground. I know I only have minutes left. I can only pray that the spell I had can heal his injuries. I opened my spellbook and ripped a page of it. I tried to draw but realized I lost my pen. I calmed down, thinking what can I use in this situation. I need something fluid. Something I can use to draw. I then recalled everything near Vin and I that can be used to draw. ... I have decided to gamble on it. ... I took the red berries nearby and to my surprise, I can use it to rub onto the paper to draw. It took me three tries to perfect it. I then needed a fuel. However, I don''t have time to collect firewood, and Vin is about to die. I collected the branches of the trees and threw the page with the drawn spell [WARM HEARTH]. The flames magnificently burned brightly. I then saw Vin passed out, his hands no longer holding his foot. I held his left foot and connected it to his cut limb. Miraculously, it connected. I saw in my eyes how flesh connected to each other, his left foot now returned to him. "Amazing..." Isn''t this overpowered? Is there rules pertaining to this? The healing flame also reached me, completely healing the burns in my chest. However, the miraculous flames are short-lived. It disappeared right after it voraciously consumed the branches and the leaves fed to it. Well, I guess it also has limits. Vin now breathes properly. His face are now an expression of a comfortably sleeping man in contrast of that of a pained and dying man. I accompanied his sleeping form, intending to apologize to him later. ~~~ Vin: "Please stop kneeling. It was my fault earlier." He returned to his smiling face, pulling me up to stop kneeling. Vin: "I did trust you earlier, and you did more than what an average person could do." He held my shoulders, expressing his warm feelings. I also stood up properly and suggested we continue. Blaise: "What if you died?" Vin: "Then it''s my fault for trusting the wrong person." He simply shrugged it off and continued walking. His back is facing me again. I can''t tell what he really feels when he is not facing me. There''s no way an average person could endure having his left foot cut away and bleed to almost death. I have decided. I''ll make it up for him by being a better leader. Blaise: "Let''s be careful next time." Vin: "... Yeah." We walked continuously until Vin suddenly stopped. He then took a paper from his pocket and gave it to me. [ Walk the distance as far as your eyes can see. Once you clear the distance and make it disappear in front of you will progress can be finally made.] Blaise: "A hint?" Vin: "I don''t know. I found it on the bush right before I stepped onto the trap." I reread the hint and all I can understand is that we have to walk a lot more. I''m done. I wanted an adventure where I throw fireballs at the monsters, not walk and get trapped. Uh, why do I have to hate multiplayer games? I then saw Vin''s face filled with worry. Just as I was about to deny it, he removed his helmet. His dog ears are now droopy. Blaise: "What are you doing?" Vin: "Pat me." Blaise: "What do you mean-" Vin: "You seemed stressed. I heard most humans liked petting dogs." Blaise: "... But you are not a dog. You''re a half-dog." Vin: "Even still, I have dog ears and my hair is fluffy." He then took my hand and rubbed it onto his hair. It really is fluffy. I finally agreed to pat his fluffy long hairs. It felt relaxing and nice to touch. Vin started whimpering at my touch. It felt weird hearing a man utter intimate sounds, but I guess it relaxes him as well. Unfortunately, he is quite taller than me and I asked him if I can sit down. He nodded. I sat down on the grassy clear ground. He then lied down, his head on my lap. I continued patting his head in which the both of us felt great. Just as he closed his eyes, I also closed mine. Seconds pass by. It was a relaxing moment for the both of us. Before I knew it, I opened my eyes to find a door in front of me. Vin: "Mhmm, why did you stop?" Blaise: "Ah, there''s a door." Vin: "A door?" We both stood up, cautious of the door. However, I knew what this door represent. Progress. I still haven''t solved the hint, but I don''t care anymore. We both rushed towards the mystical door. ~~~ Blaise: "We must be in the second floor." Vin and I were surprised to find ourselves on the dirt path again in the middle of the forest. However, it is now dusk. For some reason, this trial grounds simulate the sun and it signified we only have a few minutes until darkness. Vin carries a torch but we don''t have tinder and an item to light the tinder. I then recall the second spell I had. [SPARK] I held the spellbook closely and read it carefully. It is a utility spell for lighting torches, sparking it like a lit tinder on contact. It is also labeled , perhaps alluding to it being a beginner spell. To my surprise, it doesn''t include drawing one onto a paper nor a vocal incantation. It only mentions to invoke it in my mind. I held the torch in his hand and lit it, surprising Vin. His dog ears are standing, and his face is filled with excitement. Vin: "Amazing!" I then gave him the torch and we continued walking along the dirt path. Just as we are about to feel comfortable, a wolf appeared in front of us. A very large and growling wolf. Vin stood in front of me, his shield up. He is clearly scared, his legs shaking, but his ears and eyes are alert for its next movement. However, I"m more excited. I prepared my offensive spell [FIREBOLT]. It is a , requiring a vocal incantation. Just as the wolf leaped onto Vin, I yelled the name of the spell. It was pure intuition. I always liked playing as a mage and subconsciously raised my palm facing the dreaded wolf. I can feel my energy flowing onto my right hand. Then a tiny ball of fire appeared, bolting onto the enemy. It burned the lone wolf and I made it run away deeper into the woods. It was my first win. From the time I arrived here in this new world, I finally had my first opponent. Too bad it only took one hit to win. However, my early celebration was interrupted by Vin. His eyes are wide open, sweating, and shook me as fast as he can. He is as alarmed as he can be. Vin: "Let''s run!" Blaise: "What? I just won my first fight!" Vin: "That wolf is not alone! It will call its pack and target us! Quick, we can''t fight them!" I finally understood what he meant. We rushed towards the direction opposite of the runaway wolf. Minutes passed and we hear multiple howl. Everywhere. The sun has long set, our torch our only guide towards darkness. I felt tired from running again, but the dread of an incoming pack of wolves felt terrifying to me. However, the howls we hear from all directions tell me we are going to die here. Blaise: "Where''s the damn door! We''ve been crossing distances as far as our eyes can see!" Vin kept quiet, always moving forward. I''m starting to have second thoughts. Blaise: "Hey, Vin, what if we fight them?" Vin: "We can''t do that! You only got lucky once because the wolf is too near! Can you shoot as many magic attacks as you can? Can you aim perfectly?" Blaise: "I-" Vin: "Please focus! We don''t have to fight them! There''s a door we only need to cross!" We kept running. Blaise: "Fine. If we''re surrounded, we''ll fight to death, okay?" Vin just nodded. Blaise: "... Have you fought wolves?" Vin also nodded. His back is facing me again, and his face cannot be seen by me. I have a hunch he does not want to show his real feelings to me, but now is not the time for exploring unnecessarily complex characters. He seemed panicking worse than before. Was he traumatized? Why is he so full of conviction over escaping from the wolves? Then we met one from a distance. Another wolf. Blaise: "It''s a different one from before." Vin just nodded and stood closer to me, guarding me. I casted my [FIREBOLT] and the enemy wolf simply dodged before pouncing onto Vin, bashing its head onto his shield. While it''s still dizzy, I casted another [FIREBOLT]. I spoke words for 15 seconds, hoping I won''t make another mistake and finally hit the same wolf. However, it just ran away like the last wolf. Vin smiled to me, feeling relieved. He then had another labored breathing and held me closely. Vin: "That''s... great... as expected... of... you..." I also felt tired. I nodded, accepting his compliment. It felt great that I defeated two wolves. With a silent confirmation, we both continued running away. Vin kept running in front of me for a few minutes. We then stopped. What greeted us is a flowing river. Vin kept running but I stopped him. I held his waist, bringing his speed to a halt. He then tripped onto the stones on the river, dropping the torch and from the light emitted by it, he finally saw it. A river filled with traps. The same bear traps from before, except the entire river is filled with traps. It doesn''t make sense in a normal environment, but in a trial grounds, it makes sense. It terrified the both of us. It is an eerie sight. It''s as if it mocks our efforts. All of our attempts to run away is met with a dead end. Then it''s total darkness. ... We can hear the howls and our impending doom. I''ve lost count of them but I can hear at least 20 of them. Is this supposed to be solvable. Just as we are about to embrace our death, we saw it again. The damn door. Vin and I rushed into the only source of light, leaking from the door towards the next floor.