Ugh, my head…
It was good that Hans landed safely on the ground, but he immediately clutched his head and collapsed. The headache from the penalty of Time Deceleration was much worse than he had imagined.
He had only used it for a brief moment, yet here he was, with a headache so intense he couldn’t fathom how he had once used Time Deceleration for so long. With a sigh, Hans got back up.
Perhaps it was because he hadn’t used Time Deceleration for that long; thankfully, the headache didn’t linger. Still, the question remained: how was he going to escape this forest? Hans clicked his tongue.
He knew that Orcs were ignorant, but he never imagined they would drop him like this. Did the warriors who had participated in the Festival of Warriors do the same thing?
Thanks to that, Hans couldn’t help but feel that the already low first impression score of the Orcs had plummeted further. However, he didn’t have time to escape into reality. He moved.
“Aberka’s Forest, huh.”
Hans didn’t just ride a wyvern to get here. He had asked Dezra a bunch of questions. Dezra, who took a liking to Hans, willingly answered all of his queries.
Using the valuable information he obtained, he would escape this forest and make the Orcs his allies. Of course, he would also need to keep the Twelve Tribes and Orcs in mind, but that was a story for later.
According to Dezra, this forest was death incarnate. Every creature dwelling in this forest was hostile to intruders. For instance, that vine’s sap over there.
Even if the sap was edible outside and it was of the same kind, it couldn’t be consumed here. Why? Because it was poisonous. Dezra called it the Will of the Forest.
In other words, Hans was in a situation surrounded by enemies all around. It was already tough to find basic food. Naturally, escaping the forest was going to be hard.
Dammit. Did I think too easily?
Hans couldn’t deny that he had lost his marbles. At this rate, it might be better to fight and win directly. He felt so lost it was unbelievable.
But soon, he swallowed that thought. Spilled water is just spilled water; regretting it won’t change anything. So he moved forward. It was that mindset that had brought him here.
And he would continue to move forward. As Hans walked, he noticed that despite being surrounded by trees and grass, a cold north wind was blowing continuously. It wasn’t shielding him.
Well, since the forest rejects intruders, this isn’t surprising either. Hans raised his head and looked around. Surprisingly, everything surrounding him looked similar.
No kidding.
He felt like he was walking through a maze made of mirrors.
Seriously… where the heck am I? Was it the snow piled in the forest? Or the intense light close to white? He didn’t know the cause, but he recognized one danger.
He had heard that if a person stayed in a room that was nothing but white, they would eventually go insane. He still couldn’t tell if that was true or false, but…
Now that he was experiencing it firsthand, Hans thought it might be true. He didn’t know where he was. He didn’t know how much time had passed. Finally, Hans used his ability.
Huff, huff…!!!
His head hurt. Even without using Time Deceleration, Hans was dizzy with pain. The forest’s environment was attacking him. If he hadn’t used his ability…
Perhaps Hans would have fainted here. Was this what Dezra meant? That those with weak mental fortitude are quickly devoured by the forest. Certainly, he was far from being strong.
Maybe it was different for others, but he couldn’t help but recognize it. Training alongside others made him aware of how weak he was. Every time he thought about it, he couldn’t help but wonder. Without abilities, who am I?
Nothing at all, right?
He hated depending on that disgusting power.
So the Commander position…
…What was I thinking again?
Hans blinked. Beyond that, he couldn’t pursue any other thoughts. It was also due to the influence of hypnosis, but more importantly, the scenery around him suddenly transformed in an instant.
Just a moment ago, he had been in the forest. But the moment he used Time Stop, the trees and grass disappeared, replaced by a dilapidated temple.
No, it couldn’t even be called a temple. The grounds were in ruins, filled with remnants of stone scraps and broken statues. It was more accurate to call it a ruin that used to be a temple.
Stunned by the sudden turn of events, Hans could do nothing but blink. He had merely used Time Stop, and yet the forest scenery changed abruptly? Even magic has its limits…
No, no. This isn’t the level of magic.
The knowledge from the stagnant waters in Hans’s mind sparked to life. There existed a place called ruins in this game. It was a system similar to a dungeon. If you enter and defeat the boss inside…
You’d obtain legendary items and a system that strengthens players. One reason this game is called an RPG is that it has a growth system.
Compared to other adult games that throw it in as a side note, this game integrated it as a main content element. Some even included a rather intense fight and win scenario.
However, ruins were places where conditions had to be unlocked. According to the game’s setting, the sages from the past, who foresaw the current situation, left this crystallized power to train the chosen ones.
But can I really do this right now?
Hans pondered. Although he spoke at length, ultimately, the ruins were power-up events prepared for the protagonist of this game. If he didn’t engage with the ruins and the numerous growth contents accordingly…
Then the only ending that followed would be everyone’s defeat to the final boss, the Demon King. Or, if not that, a dull normal ending.
No… Good endings weren’t particularly different from that either. However, Hans changed his mind. Aberka appeared as a region in the game, and while it was physically visitable…
Ruins had never been implemented in this region in the game. But if that’s the case, inconsistencies arise in the setting. The ruins were prepared for the chosen ones by the sages who foresaw this situation.
In fact, following the story in the game, you naturally encounter the ruins. The annoying task of clearing it aside, he remembered there were 17 ruins prepared for the protagonist.
In other words, this wasn’t a ruin prepared for the protagonist. So why on earth does this ruin exist here? Hans’s mind was now a chaotic mess.
I guess I have no choice but to try.
“What do you think is the hardest thing to overcome in this world?”
Hans raised his head. He saw something rising from the crumbled remnants. It slowly assumed a human form. But even before it fully took shape, it spoke to him.
“Strength? Or fear?”
His vision shook violently. Just facing it made Hans feel like he wanted to run away right there. Fear? Terror? No, it wasn’t something that could be referred to with such pathetic words.
It was something primal. Run away immediately if you don’t want to die. But paradoxically, that very fear held Hans’s legs in place. Then, it appeared before him.
Its arms seemed to have flesh clinging to it, its face was gigantic like a rock, and it even wore glasses. But that wasn’t all. Its belly was protruding, making it look like an uncle.
“The scariest thing is myself.”
“…”
“So, how about it? Are you prepared to kill yourself…?”
“Die!! Trash!!!”
It was instinct. Being severely betrayed by something one had genuinely loved. That trauma from that moment drove Hans’s body into action. Even if it was just a game.
He had truly loved it. Everything he had done. But now that the source of his pain stood before him, he couldn’t contain his anger. Hans instinctively moved his body.
It tried to move as well. It was a tester of opponents. It copies everything from its opponent and makes it its own. But even that wouldn’t pierce the essence of this current opponent.
Of course, if the opponent had been another being, there would have been a chance. The power of Time Stop was that magnificent. However, sadly, his opponent was himself. Time Stop wouldn’t work on him.
Hans’s sword pierced its heart.
The shattered remnants rolled across the ground.
Eventually, what remained was a single sword.
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