The first thing Rhax noticed when he woke up was the darkness in his left eye. It was not dark, no, that would mean it was a color. It was like nothing was in his left eye socket.

He immediately jolted from his lying position; he moved his left arm to his face. It was kind of awkward, but his right arm was all bandaged and it hurt if he moved it. He touched a bandage on his left face side, a bad feeling started to grow inside him.

He quickly scanned the room, there was a one sized bed, the one he was on right now, a chair and table, and a mirror!

His injuries forgotten, he threw the cover from his body and limped his way to the mirror. His face appeared in the mirror, he looked like shit. His face was bandaged. His neck and right shoulder were wrapped in thick white bandages. Rhax didn’t care about that, the only thing he cared about was his face and why can’t he see from his eye. Because even though there is a bandage over it, he would be able to see the color black. But he doesn’t see anything, it is like his eye never existed…

He took a deep breath and using his left hand, he started to unwrap the bandages from his face. The once white bandages were getting redder and redder with every layer.

Finally, when it was the last layer, he took a deep breath, calmed himself and unwrapped.

The first thing that caught his eye was the scar, it was a ghastly thing, it went from his forehead to his chin. It was a straight line. It was still an angry red and looked like it was about to bleed at any time.

He then saw it, his left eye, the scar completely went over it. He felt that something was wrong, but he didn’t think about it much.

So, with a great will, he controlled his eyelid to open. His eyelid slithered open, the scene Rhax saw would probably haunt him for the rest of his life.

When his eyelid completely opened, it showed…nothing. There was nothing inside his eye socket, he could literally see the tinder pink flesh instead of his eye.

Rhax closed it immediately, He felt his stomach tremble, he felt like he was going to vomit. He looked to his right and saw a bin. He ran to it and threw up. Or at least tried to, he realized that his stomach is empty. He may have eaten in the real world, but he hasn’t eaten in Ethea since he came here.

After another round of throwing up air, he felt a little better and wobbled to the bed. He then noticed the window on the right wall. He saw the night skies and the stars and two distinct shapes. It was very hard to see with only one eye, as he can’t see anything from his left side.

He looked upwards toward the twin moons that circle Ethea. Luna and Mona, they are called. They were both like a white gem in the dark night skies.

“Thank god, it is nighttime, so everyone is asleep, I hope.” He murmured. He didn’t want anyone to see him in his current state, he was still in panic and looked like shit.

He breathed out and positioned himself on the bed again, he can’t sleep now, but he will try.

It was then a blue screen appeared in front of him.

[Due to the player’s condition all of the prompts couldn’t show up.]

Rhax was confused, his condition? He then remembered that before he lost consciousness three system prompts appeared indicating he got 3 points in Strength, 3 in Stamina, and 2 in Dexterity.

The blue screen disappeared, then another one appeared.

[Congratulations! Player has reached Level 2!]

Rhax was stupefied, then it also disappeared and then another one appeared.

[Congratulations! Player has reached Level 3!]

This was madness! He leveled up with two levels like it was nothing. But then he remembered how he killed a Direwolf while being a level 1 and without good equipment. He’d bet his one good eye that 90% of players would’ve died.

Rhax waited with a big smile on his face for the third prompt indicating his new level up. But nothing came after the blue screen disappeared.

“Didn’t I get 3 points in Strength and Stamina and…2 in Dexterity? So that’s how it works!” Rhax almost shouted, but he immediately shut his mouth with his left hand. He was excited, he figured out the leveling system, it was fairly simple. When a player gets one point in each attribute then they would level up. It was simple and effective.

He then remembered something and in his mind he said. “Stats.”

Then a blue screen appeared in front of him.

[Name: Marcus (Rhax)

Level: 3

Class: None

Strength: 13 (Average human: 10)

Stamina: 9 (Average human: 10)

Dexterity: 7 (Average human: 10)]

“God damn, my stats are ass. Why do I have both Stamina and Dexterity lower than normal people?” He murmured to himself after seeing his stats. But then he remembered that he didn’t train, nor worked with his hands, he was an average Joe in society, you can even call him a geek.

“Why is my Strength this high? Could it be because of my build?” That was the only explanation, he hasn’t put a foot in the gym for 6 years now. It wasn’t like he didn’t want to go and work on himself, but he didn’t have any motivation. He was alone, wasn’t interested in a relationship and didn’t care about what people thought of him. And when these 3 ideas collide with each other you get zero motivation.

After he dismissed his stats, he got up from his bed. It was late at night, he was hungry, and he didn’t want to get back to sleep. So, he limped his way to the door and opened it. It creaked like hell, indicating that it hasn’t been open in a long time.

‘Maybe this was a guest room?’ He thought to himself while stepping out of the door.

In front of him was a hallway, it was 6 meters from start to finish. He looked and saw that there were three rooms on either side of the hallway. It didn’t need a genius to know that this was the rooms of Olivia, Adam and their parents.

So, he tiptoed toward the stairway that went downwards. Midway, he noticed that his feet were bare on the cold stone. A shiver went throughout his body. But he continued on, he was trying to not wake anyone. But it seems that his actions were in vain.

“Ahm.” He heard a manly voice from his blindside, he immediately turned in a panic. He put his hands in a protective stance. The memories of the Direwolf attack were still fresh in his mind.

He noticed how his hands were trembling, he then felt a warm hand on them. Calming him. “It is okay, there is no need to be afraid.” He heard the same gentle yet firm voice.

Finally, after calming down, he looked at the people in front of him. They looked to be in their twenties, maybe 26-27, the man had black hair and icy blue eyes. He was muscular, very muscular, he was around 190 cm from Rhax’s estimation. He was a huge man; his hands were all scarred with cut wounds and burn marks. Rhax knew him immediately, he was the children’s father. He had a concerned look on his face. Now looking at him more closely, Rhax estimated that he was at least 30 years old.

“Are you okay?” The woman that was holding his hand asked again. He looked at her with one good eye, the father completely disappeared from his vision after he shifted his eye.

She was short, 160 cm, he thinks. She had brown curly hair and brown eyes. She was a fairly pretty woman, wasn’t the prettiest he saw in his life, but she was pretty, no one can disprove that. Rhax noticed that they were both wearing their sleeping attire, and he understood that he woke them up.

“Yes…. I’m okay, thank you. I’m sorry for waking you up.” he apologized.

“Don’t mention it, also, I see you saw what happened to your face. I get that was the reason why we heard the squeaking noise coming from your room?” The father asked him with a smile.

“Shush, Peter. It is not the time for your jokes, tell me, Rhax, are you hungry? You haven’t eaten in 1,5 days.” The mom scolded her husband, Peter.

Rhax nodded his head. “I was actually going down to see if I can find anything to eat.” The mom lit up at his admission. “Give me 2 minutes I will change and I will make food for us, it is almost dawn, so it will be early breakfast.” She had a big smile on her face as she skipped inside their room.

“She really seems excited about cooking.” Rhax commented.

“Tell me about it, if I leave it to her, I will be the size of a bull by now. Julia really likes to cook.” Peter laughed, Rhax joined him only to not feel awkward.

They then walked down stairs; the house wasn’t that big. But it wasn’t small by any means. They went to the table and sat opposite each other.

“First of all,” Peter began, “I have to thank you for saving my daughter. Without your help then she would have been Direwolf's dinner. And you even lost an eye trying to protect her. Tell me what you want and if it is in my power, you can have it.”

Rhax decided to build a good relationship with these people so he said. “No, really, it was nothing, Olivia is a good girl and without her then I wouldn’t have been saved. I would have probably been dead by now.”

After thinking, Rhax asked. “By the way, how did you find me? Did Olivia run to the city to bring you or what happened?”

He was honestly curious about the whole deal, the last thing he remembers is the smell of blood and the heavy Direwolf on top of him.

“No, Olivia ran to the main road, and there she found some City Guards who were patrolling. She swears that the Guards stood there for a minute dumbfounded when they found you and the Direwolf’s body. They then carried you here and a priestess came and healed you, at least she did what she could.” Peter explained with pride in his words, pride in his daughter for doing the right thing and coming back and not running off.

“What about Adam? Where was he?”

Peter laughed. “Oh, that little brat was so scared of the idea of his mother punishing him that he ran all the way here, he then remembered you and his sister.”

Rhax couldn’t help but laugh. “What happened to the Direwolf’s body?”

Peter had a smirk on. “Don’t worry about that, I claimed it as yours, as you were the one to kill it. If you don’t mind, I would make you something out of it.”

“I don’t think you can make a weapon out of it.” Rhax laughed.

Peter also joined in the laughter. “Ah, you misunderstand me Rhax, remember I’m a Blacksmith, a Blacksmith does not only make weapons, but other things as well.” He winked; he then didn’t say anything.

Julia came down stairs, she was wearing a blue dress, it was a modest thing. But it was pretty. She went to the kitchen which was a mere 3 meters from where they sat. “So, Rhax.” She addressed him. “What are your plans?”

The question startled him; he definitely can’t do shit with his current condition. “I don’t know, I initially wanted to become a warrior, maybe even an adventurer, but it will take some time for me to heal, so I will hold on for now. But that is the only thing I’m good at, swinging a sword and killing things.”

A silence took over the house, the only sound that was heard was the sound of the bacon sizzling in the pan. “Were…were you a mercenary?” Julia stuttered.

Rhax wondered why she looked stiff, and Why Peter looked on edge. He replayed the sentence he said in his mind and understood. ‘Damn me, I accidentally did something that would seem dangerous again.’

He thought about how to answer the question, what was he? He is a player, but he can’t say that. “Yes…you can say I’m a mercenary, but I only get hired to hunt beasts.” That was the best answer he could come up with. But it seems it did the job as both Julia and Peter relaxed.

Silence took over the atmosphere for another few minutes before Peter broke it. “Tell me, Rhax. You seem strong, would you like to work in my shop? I will give you 2 silvers a week. And you can live here with us.”

Rhax was prepared to refuse with a retort like: Like hell I would be a Blacksmith.

But he stopped himself, he didn’t want to offend Peter. He thought about it, like really thought about it. He was practically homeless, broke, and had to find something to do until he was level 10.

Speaking of leveling, Blacksmithing can make that happen, he will use his Strength, Stamina and Dexterity while working. Thus, easy leveling, and he will get a home and 2 silvers. This was an absolute win.

So, his choice was made, Rhax smiled at Peter. “I would love that, looking forward to working with you, Boss.”