The portal left him in the middle of a path.

In fact, it's more like a path rubbed out of the grass by the hooves of a grumpy bull. The road is uneven and narrow, winding along the edge of an ominous forest. Pine-like trees are dozens of feet tall and straight and uniform like soldiers. The branches of their blue-green needles are so tightly intertwined that very little light reaches the forest floor, which is as dark and eerie as a moonless night.

On the other side of the road there is an even more pleasant landscape: a pale sea of grass, rolling lazily like waves in the wind. The sun was shining and the birds were singing, and it looked like the perfect place to relax and have a picnic.

There's just one problem: giant pink slugs.

Everywhere he looked, they polluted the landscape. They were the size of a large dog, with thick slime shimmering on their bodies, and they squirmed leisurely out of the forest, across the road, into the meadow.

This scene made Sev shudder. Why? Why did the people who made this game decide that this creature was a good idea? Until now, he has been enjoying the scenery, but these slugs completely spoil the good atmosphere.

"Hah!" A rough cry came from nearby, startling him.

He turned and walked towards the meadow and noticed a tall woman with flowing blonde hair. She stood knee-deep in the grass, her right arm covered with a shield, and a sword in her left hand. She swung down at something in the grass. “Hya！“

Sev tilted her head, trying to figure out what the hell she was doing. She took a step back and let out another mighty shout.

"Thea, Attack!"

Her sword stabbed downward, as fast as lightning.

Chirping! “！

He couldn't see what the sound was, but when she raised it, a large cloud of slime dripped down the sword like snot. Seeing this scene, he couldn't help frowning. Now he understands exactly what is happening. There's only one thing here that produces disgusting slime, and that's definitely not grass.

The woman shook the slime off the knife, apparently not worried, and went to find her next target. She doesn't seem to notice that she has an audience, or if she does, she doesn't care. She killed another slug, just like she'd been in the pest control business all her life. It made him wish he could have this kind of confidence like her.

On the contrary, he was now in the middle of the road in a strange place, and he had no idea what he should do. Should he try to kill some slugs as well? The thought made him uncomfortable. Even though the stuff was disgusting, he had never hit or hurt anything before.

You coward. You can't do anything on your own.

His shoulders tensed and his teeth grinded together. He began to walk, but the quiet voice remained. It sounded exactly like his sister, Carly.

"I'm not here to be liked," he muttered. He's only here because his uncle wants him to try the game. That's all. As long as he does this, nothing else matters.

He continued walking, and eventually the shouts of the female warrior disappeared behind him. More than a few times, he had to bypass the pink slugs who decided to cross his path. None of them paid attention to him, and that's fine – he didn't want anything to do with them either.

It didn't take long for a large town to appear in the distance. The buildings are distributed over the grassland, all are single-storey buildings, and the roofs are sloping. Smoke rose thin from the chimney and drifted to the sides in the gray mist over the town.

As he approached, he noticed a man standing in the middle of the road. The man wore a leather cuirass over a dark green long-sleeved tunic . A sword hung from his hips, and the wide leather sheath was just over his knees.

Plug was curious. It's like seeing characters from an Arthurian movie. Even the town behind him fits this theme. It is mostly made of log walls and thatched roofs, but the largest building in town is made of stone. It is the heart of the town, and other places are built around it. Anyone with half an eye will know that this is an important place, like the mayor's residence or something like that.

"Wow, out-of-towners!" The man crossed his hands over his broad chest and looked at Severance sternly. As soon as he spoke, the word "Guard" appeared on the top of his head.

Sey stared at the floating word, both curious and slightly humiliated. It's kind of cool to see this guy's name, but isn't that a bit redundant? Who else but the guards would block the way to town? Actually, cross this out. This guy could also be a thug or a robber. Severance looked at the defender cautiously again. Can he believe the floating title, or is it a hoax? He didn't want to be robbed in the first twenty minutes of the game.

"What, did I grow a second head? Why is everyone stunned when they see me? The guard threw his head back and looked up, as if to check for something on his head.

Startled, Plug didn't know what to say. He was just looking at the man's name. The last thing he wants is for the Guardians to notice and comment on it.

After an awkward silence, he spoke the first thing that came to mind. “K

What is AKO? “

"You don't know --?" The guardian paused, then let out an exasperated tsk. "Of course you don't know. Karako is what pulls our wagon. If you pay attention, you may see one around. “

In this case, it is conceivable that it is something similar to a horse. He didn't know what else could pull the carriage.

He looked at the guards and saw that the town was bustling. A lot of people were wandering around, most wearing general leather armor and a few wearing simple tunics and robes. From this distance, he couldn't tell who the player was and who was the original inhabitant of the town.

"What is this place?" He asked.

"This is Ascension," the Guardian said. "If you want to enter, you'll have to pay a fee."

"Fees?" Sey took a wary step back. He knows it. This guy is a robber. Why else would he extort money from players?

"Of course." The guard's eyes narrowed into a slit. "Do you think we're going to open our home to you outsiders for free?" "Well, no......"

The guard nodded politely. "Exactly. If you want to go any further, you'll have to pay a crystal. “

A piece of crystal? Sev doesn't have such a thing. The only thing in his inventory is the guidebook and the cleric's staff.

He shook his head. "I don't have any crystals."

A flash of contempt flashed in the guard's eyes. "Of course not. None of you have. Well, you can at least make yourself useful. I see that you don't even have any armor, so I'll assume you're not a warrior. Am I right? “

"I'm a pastor," Seff said. He didn't like the obvious disdain shown by the Guardians. It tingled him, like a familiar old itch he couldn't scratch.

"Yes, I've seen some of them." The Guardian spread his arms. "Well, I'm not going to ask you to kill the worms. Rather, "

"Nest worms?" He almost choked. "You mean those pink things?"

The mere thought of holding those things made his brain stagnate. It didn't even manage to pull over to the side of the road: it just slipped to the side in thought, and sat there, spitting out big blobs of black disbelief. "There's nothing cute about those slugs. He would rather kiss porcupines than touch those slugs.

"That's what I said, yes." The Guardian's expression darkened, as if he had been physically insulted. "Like I said, you can go to the northern forest and find some twisted buds."

Seif eventually managed to get his brain back up and hastily reversed course. "Yes. Okay, so, what are those pods I'm supposed to be looking for? “

"That's exactly what they sound like. Just inside the forest, there is a vine that grows along the trees. Look for twisted pods. Unless you're very dizzy, it's hard to miss. Bring me five. “

Quest received: Pick 5 twisted pods for a chance to ascend to heaven!

"Did you hear that?" The Guardian roared. "I'm not going to repeat myself."

Seif grinned. "Yes, I see. I think. “

His attention shifted to the forest. It's like an eerie cemetery, waiting to devour the next victim. Should he go in there alone? Into that strange and alien place? What if there were bears there? Or something weirder than a pink slug? There could be anything lurking in that place.

The wind blew past him, running gently through his hair, ghostly fingers running across his face. He tensed, and a pure panic leaped down his throat. Alone.

He never did anything alone. Either his mother was hovering over his shoulders or Carly was staggering in front of him in 4-inch heels. As much as he hated it, they were still there.

But this time they are not here. He thought he would be grateful and even relieved, but now that he had to walk into the forest alone, he found himself hesitating. How sad is that? It made him feel useless.

"What's going on now?" The Guardian asked in a disgruntled voice. "If I didn't know, I'd say you've seen a few Krako, because that face of yours is exactly what they look like."

Seif ran a frustrated hand through his hair. It's just a game. This means that he won't get hurt and won't die – not really anyway, and the system will tell him what to do if he gets lost. Maybe. So in that sense, he should be fine, right?

"It's all right," he said softly, more to himself than to the Guardian. "I can do that."

"Okay." The guardian pointed in the direction of the woods. "Then you can go. Guy who is delaying time. “

He saw the blonde player walking towards him. Her sword and shield were gone, but the absence of weapons didn't affect her confident stride. She looks a lot like a Viking warrior, with some of her hair braided at the back, showing off her strong chin and blue eyes. She wasn't smaller than him either.

As she approached, her eyes flashed at him. She nodded solemnly. Taken aback by this gesture, Sef didn't even think to return the favor to her. He just stared at her, or more accurately, at the white letters on her head: Tranquil Ali

It seems that somehow, just by meeting people, he can know their names.

When the Guardian tsks, he realizes that he is standing in the path of the blonde, who is waiting to see the Guardian. He muttered an apology and hurried away, heading out for the dark and ominous forest. Just seeing this scene filled him with apprehension, but surely the guardians wouldn't give him an impossible task, would they?

He only needs to pick five twisted buds. How hard can this be?

When he entered the forest, he realized that it was not as bad as he had imagined. It was still dark, maybe a little gloomy, but far less terrifying than he expected.

Tiny rays of sunlight penetrate the canopy overhead, creating rare spots of light. The forest floor is covered with a thick bed of conifers, but occasionally a plant grows tall and skinny, desperately reaching out to those rare rays of sunlight.

It took him about three seconds to realize that there was absolutely no sign of a grape-like plant here. Nor does anything look like a pod.

"Of course not," he muttered. That's too easy.

He glanced back, observing the bright sunlight seeping into the edge of the forest. It seems that he will have to venture deep to find these twisted buds.

He kept walking, skirting the huge trunk of a tree that was enough for him to hide behind. A burst of birdsong accompanied him, though it sounded sad rather than cheerful. Woo--woo. Woooooooo It's like an owl warning him.

This is not an owl, but a family of terrifying monkeys that rise high above. Who knows what's lurking up there?

Seif kept an eye on the forest floor, examining every patch of greenery he came across. None of them looked as the Guardians described. After a few minutes, he slowed down, wondering if maybe he had missed it.

He looked back at the way he had come. The edge of the forest was gone, replaced by the same scene before his eyes. Tree. There are many more trees. His heart sank, and he slowly turned around.

"I didn't get lost. Tree. They didn't reply, but something above his head made a sad little whine.

Well, he needs a new plan. It won't work. It's best to go back the way he came and start over. The guardian says the plants are in the forest. He must have missed them.

He walked a short distance and noticed that the forest had become quiet. The eerie birdsong and the general noise of forest life are gone. Instead, a deathly silence hung like a thick fog between the trees.

Plug stopped, feeling uneasy. Something is not right. He couldn't tell what it was, but if it was the real world, he would get goosebumps on his skin. He peeked through the trees and in the shadows. Nothing.

In fact, he didn't see anything all the time. Because now that he is thinking about it, dozens of nest worms have come out of the forest. Why isn't there anything in it? Did something alarm them?

The more he thought about it, the more worried he became. He searched the area around him again, only to breathe a sigh of relief when the eyes that didn't glow stared at him. Which way out of the forest? He needs to go that way, right now. Something rustled behind him.

Sev turned. He saw a tattered shape towering between two trees, much taller than him. It raised its head and let out an ominous roar. It was loud enough to chill the blood in his veins.

He ran away. In less than a second, he heard heavy footsteps pounding behind him, along with the sound of loud breathing.

It chased him like a freight train. He scrambled through the bushes, trying to keep them between him and the monster. This greatly slowed him down, but also for the beasts that were chasing him. That's right. If he could fight for an extra second before he was brutally bitten to death, he would have accepted it.

Agility +1

The notice flashed in front of him, startling him. He took the wrong path, stumbled a little, and slammed face down into the trunk.

"Ahh He looked back and saw a huge four-legged shape tearing away from him, just a few millimeters away from seeing him and the tree. Another scream rang out in the forest. It sounded like a grumpy horse with a bad cold, and that was exactly the encouragement Severance needed to get back on his feet. He didn't care which way he was going, as long as it kept him away from that terrible beast.

He walked around the trunk of another tree and heard the beast of the forest coming towards him again. It wasn't very flexible, which gave him some hope of survival.

He continued to run until he felt a gentle slope on the forest floor. The trees have thinned out, allowing more daylight to hit the ground. Sparse grass pokes its head out of withered needles. There were even a few flowers, small, crimson, like small droplets of blood scattered on the grass.

The beast rushed up the hill behind him with lightning speed. Severance ventured to look back, what he saw made his stomach constrict. It looked like a cross between a moose and a bull, with some horrible stuff added to it. It has the high legs of an elk, the size and muscles of a bull, and two bony horns sticking out of its nose. Its skin is mottled gray, allowing it to blend in with its surroundings. But now it's outside, and Sev can see it very clearly.

That's not Krako, is it? His mind was filled with unbelievable doubts. Then he decided that he didn't care what it was. It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter when it's going to grind him into a pate.

He rushed up the hill, desperation making him run faster than before.

Agility +1

He walked up to the little red flower and crushed most of it as he rushed over. At the top of the hill, he briefly caught a glimpse of what was below. His eyes widened.

He immediately tried to stop, flicking his arm, but it was too late. The momentum brought him to the edge of a cliff. The hill didn't roll down slowly on the other side. Instead, it is broken and jagged, as if half of it has been broken.

Sev fell, and different screams rang out in the forest. He caught a glimpse of the beast on the top of the mountain and watched him fall. Then, his world became like the drum of a washing machine, tossing and turning as he hit a lump of dirt, bouncing all the way without looking back.

He stopped as his body slammed into the rough bark of another tree. He lay limply on the ground, his vision glowing red. It didn't take him much time to realize that this was a huge warning that he was badly injured.

This was further confirmed when he rolled over and tried to sit up, only to find one of his arms hanging limply over his shoulder. One of his legs was also bent in the wrong way, and long enough, they would send a knight out to meet him.

"What do we have here?"

A gentle, playful voice came from behind him.

Sev was taken aback, it wasn't the first time today, and he turned around. The alarm sounded in his mind, and his every meager instinct cried out for danger, like another giant nightmare creature coming at him again.

But that's just a guy standing there. This is not even a knight.

The man was dressed entirely in black, although his clothes were ordinary: loose trousers and a shirt of all colors, a lumpy sleeveless shirt, and black edging on his ankles and calves. It's very ordinary. Even the features of this person, rich olive skin and black hair soaked in sweat. However, his eyes shimmered with abundant cobalt light, as if they were made of precious stones.

He stared. Perhaps it should not be surprising to the appearance of the people in the game, when they also have a pair of purple eyes. He was just blown away by this extraordinary combination.

"I wonder, how did you manage to stumble upon this place?" The man smiled slowly. It was a completely pleasant smile, the kind that is often given to the flattered.

"I just came out of the forest," he said. His attention briefly shifted to the space above the man's head, as the word Maun had just appeared there in gray.

+1 Intelligence

"That's unfortunate." Despite what he said, the man in black's smile never faded. This struck Severance as strange, but he was distracted by a sudden surge of energy that rolled from his toes to his head.

A soft bell rang in his ears.

Congratulations! You have reached level 2.

These words were the last thing he saw before his world burst into countless white stars. When he regained consciousness, he was standing on a familiar path. And in front of him, looking at him with a very obvious look of shock, was the guard.