Chapter 10- Time to Take a Trip

Hello everyone, it's the author. Ray is busy packing his bags, it seems he has grown tired of this place and is leaving for some grea- Ow.

Hello everyone, sorry for the interruption. It's Ray talking now, yes, I am packing my bags. No, it's not that I've grown tired of this place. But it seems that since my fall from 'heaven', I haven't actually looked around this game world. Ironically, even though everything tries to kill me. It's still quite a beautiful world. Don't worry, you're coming along.

"Ok Lewis, you're the boss now. Take care of things while me and Maya go scouting around the area."

"Ok boss! Trust goblins! We love village!"

Ah, I do believe Lewis is actually the most reliable of the bunch here. I suppose Maya has her uses as well, but still. As a leader she lacks certain traits, like perhaps being me. Hue hue.

"But why can't I go!? I want to follow!"

"Because you need to stay behind and repair what you broke!"

"But Rolf can do it by himself, let me go with you please!"

"Elizabeth, you're getting on my nerves here...Do I need to show you how strong my punch is?"

"N-no. I'll pass! I'll be a good girl!"

"Yes, yes you are. Now be an even better girl and go help Rolf, small fingers are needed for delicate work."

Good god, Maya has certainly learnt some 'persuasion' skills. Reminder not to mess with her on this trip. Alright, food, water, a sack to put them in and I'm all good. Maya apparently didn't need any such thing as she had learnt how to feed off the land so to speak. I really hope she doesn't pull off one of those goblin hunt and kill techniques in front of me, it would give me nightmares.

"You know Maya, you don't have to follow me. You can stay and take care of the place."

"Well, it's the first time I'm able to leave the village and also after being with you a while. You need a firm hand to pull you back."

"Well well, little Maya is all grown up. You sure, you don't need to pack up anything?"

"Yep! The goblins have trained me well, I could show you one of their 200% certain death techniques!"

"Uh, let's not ever use that unless we're in trouble, ok?"

You know, after many years of playing RPGs and various fantasy chess type games. Goblins are usually like pawns or beginner grinding monsters. These goblins are pretty damn strong, natural selection must've thrown their brains somewhere though since they are lacking in that department.

"No promises, you never know what kind of scary things are out there. I'll be there to protect you!"

Well, that puts some of my heart to ease. I've gotten accustomed to being on the cusp of death, it's basically like regular life. 1 health is not so bad, so far, hitting my leg on the table. Getting punched by Maya. I'm still alive. Theoretically, I should be dead after all those but I'm not.

Authors note: Still need you for the rest of the story.

It feels like some great being in the sky wants me to live on for reasons I do not know. But I won't argue, I like living and today, I'm going to enjoy life!

"Come Maya, we're going to Ted's starting city first. It's apparently called Rockhelm and there are a lot of other people like me there."

"People like you?"

Oh right, Maya doesn't know we come from a different world. She just knows we're strange people and I'm the strangest one because I fell from the sky.

"People...similar! To me! Yes, that's right. People as smart and great as me!"

"Ah..."

Maya could only give a dead-panned stare at Ray, may nature grant him the ability to be humble. In silence, Maya clasped her hands together and prayed silently for him.

Thus, the two left the village and went along their way. This world was quite different from the real world, there were natural animals like deer and all except more mutated in some way. For example the deer here had 6 legs and were highly aggressive. As Ray found out the hard way,.. his back may never bend the same.. alongside them were RPG monsters as well. Things such as slimes, goblins, griffons. It's like they took earth and threw an RPG world onto it.

Other than the local wildlife, the landscape was full of trees, lakes and mountainous areas. A very clean, beautiful place. According to Ted and Elizabeth, they found the game extremely beautiful and realistic. Little do they know it's just another world, I'm sure people will eventually figure it out. Not everything can be attributed to epic game design.

As we come back to our two favorite characters, after a 2 hour trek under the shade of the trees, they take a break. Ray pulling out apples to eat while Maya had gone off hunting.

"Even though we've been walking for so long, it's like I can keep walking. I feel...great and also hungry." Ray bit into his apple, definitely tastes like a normal apple but it is incredibly tasty.

"Help! Someone help!" A strange man's voice came from deeper in the forest, clearly in distress.

Oh what the hell? Someone's in trouble, is it a time for the great Ray!?! Cue action music anddddddd nope. Not my problem.

Ray went back to eating his apples and waiting for Maya until...

"Ray! Help!"

"Someone help us! We're dying!"

...Damn it Maya.

As Ray raced through the forest, he was greeted by a most awkward scene involving Maya and Strange Man. They were both stuck inside a large pit and around the pit were strange creatures, with one eye, four arms and two legs. The UI told me they were called QuadClop(15), at level 15 and with the large pack surrounding the pit. It was probably safe to say, if I ran in there I'd be dead.

The pack was staring down at the two, drooling profusely. I think it's safe to say, they want to eat them. Oooh, I can use that.

Ray, grabbing an apple from his sack, proceeded to throw it at one of the QuadClop's head. A light bonk noise was heard as it tumbled slowly towards their feet. The entire pack of them turned towards the apple and immediately began diving for the apple, wrestling and punching their way through each other.

Seems they don't take sticking with the pack very closely, well if it's just like this. Take it all! Ray flung more apples far away from the pit and the pack took off, fighting and trampling over each other as they went on their violent way.

Ah, if only all things could be solved with food. Life would be much ea-

"Ray! They're gone, come pull us out!"

"Help us!"

Sigh, can't I think in peace at least.

Authors Note: No. Suffer.

Ray found a long thick vine and lowered it down to the two and letting them climb up. "Quickly before they come back."

As soon as the two climbed up, they immediately ran for it. Heading towards the dirt path Maya and Ray were travelling on before. As soon as they got some distance between them and the QuadClopses, Maya and Strange man dropped to their knees, too tired to run anymore.

"I think we're far enough from those monsters, we can take a break if you guys want." Ray did not feel as tired as normally as he should have been and only stopped for the two to rest.

Hmm, it seems that my body is getting stronger, although the stats display still says everything including endurance is at 1. Hmm, maybe I don't follow all the game rules...

"I-I, *huff* thank you brave man, tell me what is your name."

"Oh, well then, my name is Ray and this is Maya we come from a village in the west."

Best not to reveal too much about where we come from.

"Ah my saviors, if you hadn't come in time I might have been eaten by those hideous creatures. I am Augustus Lamonia of the great Lamonia merchant company. I would like to invite you two to my humble abode in Rockhelm, which is just a short distance from here."

"Ah, we were just heading there. We would be honored to accept your hospitality."

"Very well, I will lead the way! Follow me my saviors!"

Ah, nothing says a great start like a rich merchant offering us a place to stay.

But little did Ray know, fate had other plans for him...

To Be Continued