I would like to say that I finally made some friends, but... Right now the trio in front of me is just staring blankly. Apparently I did something super strange.
[Wade?] "Is it really that weird? I just walked in a straight line for a while. And not that fast, either."
[Rick] "Wade... what kind of crazy skills are you hiding? How high is your Stealth?"
[Wade?] "Only Lv5. I didn't use it at all on the walk out of the forest. Oh! Maybe I should have and got some more EXP!"
[Rick] "5!? Sanguine Wolves can easily catch anyone below Stealth Lv80!"
[Wade?] "Seriously?"
Is this is... the power of luck!? If so, I'm putting all my points into LUC on my next level up.
[Elyssia] "Um... What's your level and job, if I may ask? Thought it's only proper to tell you own first. I'm Lv52 and my Ice Wizard Job is Lv40."
[Wade?] "I'm Lv3 and a Nobody."
[Trio in unison] "WHAT !?"
[Wade?] "The three of you are in such perfect unison. You must all be close."
[Tiss] "Forget that. What's a Nobody doing here!?"
[Wade?] "Good fuckin' question, my Lady."
[Elyssia] "Wade, we're serious. It's illegal to enter this forest without being at least Lv50. That's how dangerous this forest is!"
[Wade?] "Huh!? Illegal?"
What the fuck am I gonna do? Are they going to arrest me? Kill me? Torture me?
[Wade?] "I swear, I had no idea! And I woke up here! I didn't choose to enter this forest!"
[Rick] "Calm down, Wade. We're not going to do anything to you. Just... everything you say is so bizarre. None of it makes any sense."
[Elyssia] "Let's try to start over... Wade, where are you from?"
[Wade?] "Uh... Well... I don't know how to answer that."
[Elyssia] "I don't understand. Are you from another country? *GASP* Are you from the Arkz Empire?"
Judging by that gasp, I don't want to be from that place. Maybe they're an enemy to the Dukedom.
[Wade?] "No, nothing like that! I uh... I come from a tiny village. It's in the south. The village doesn't have a name, but there's no monsters to fight. So I never really leveled up until I got stranded here."
[Rick] "I don't know of any place like that... But I can't say it doesn't exist. Well, Wade, how do you plan to make it to the nearest town?"
[Wade?] "Hm? Just walk, I guess."
[Rick] "The path from here to town has nothing but monsters around Lv30 or so. You won't survive."
[Wade?] "Say what now?"
[Rick] "You'd be especially unlucky to encounter the local Named Monster."
[Wade?] "So uh... What do you all think I should do?
[Elyssia] "Oh! I know! Let's take Wade with us to hunt the bunnies! We just don't tell anyone that we brought a Nobody into the forest, okay?"
[Tiss] "I don't want this weirdo coming with us... But it'd really leave a bad taste in my mouth if we just let a Nobody die out here."
[Rick] "I agree. Wade, would you like to join us tomorrow?"
So my options are either go alone and die before I make it to a town, or I can follow this party around and hope they protect me. Seems like an obvious choice to me.
[Wade?] "Please let me join you all tomorrow. I'll try not to slow you all down."
I bow my head to the three of them.
[Rick] "Then let's get some sleep after we finish all this stew. We can start bright and early."
--------
Dawn arrives and the trio breaks down their camp. They move quickly and efficiently. I'm guessing that they go on trips like this a lot to be so used to doing this. Though, they're all mostly just storing the supplies as items. Using the Item Box function makes things convenient.
We walk along the path that leads deeper into the forest and towards the lake. Rick is leading the party. Elyssia and Tiss are walking side by side behind him. I'm trailing behind them.
[Wade?] "So, I've been wondering. Rick, Tissela, what are your levels and Jobs?"
[Rick] "I'm at lv66. I have the Knight Job at lv40."
[Tiss] "Lv53. Magic Archer Job at lv40."
I wonder if Lv40 is the highest level for Jobs. When I finally grow strong enough to see the Jobs list, I'll have to figure that out.
[Wade?] "Oh! You're all so strong!"
[Rick] "Well, both Lady Tiss and Elyssia have a fondness for exploration and camping. We all have a lot of experience going out on trips like this."
[Elyssia] "I just can't but feel the call of adventure, you know?"
[Tiss] "But today is all about Savage Bunnies! Not just any old adventure!"
Tiss' eyes sparkle as her excitement builds.
I feel like I lucked out by meeting these three. Despite some initial rudeness, I think they seem fun and genuine. Hopefully I can learn a thing or two while we're together.
[Wade?] "So where are the Sanguine Wo-"
[Elyssia] "Wade! Duck! Now!"
I quickly crouch low and see both Tiss and Elyssia do the same. Tiss equips a fancy dagger in each hand. I look up and see Rick equip a very gutsy greatsword. He immediately widens his stance and twists his body to swing the giant weapon.
[Rick] "Mighty Sweep!"
As the massive weapon arcs through the air, it is suddenly wrapped in a sort of aura. Orange light emanates it. The light almost looks like flames.
There's a spray of blood. I feel some of it splatter on my back. A couple drops land in Elyssia's silver hair and tarnish Tiss' flawless face. I hear two thuds. A louder and heavier thud behind me. A smaller thud in front of me.
Something rolls along the ground and bumps against my feet. It's the head of a wolf with bloody-red fur.
[Elyssia] "Wade, stay close to Tiss and I. Let Rick fight as vanguard."
I obey and scurry along the ground to get closer to the girls while Rick readies himself to fight. Elyssia, Tiss, and I stand up now and look around. I can't take my eyes off the corpse of the wolf. The thing was huge! Twice the size of any wolf from my world!
[Tiss] "Well we found the wolves."
[Elyssia] "But I'm here for Savage Bunnies, not them. Let's take them all out quickly and get start towards the lake."
[Rick] "Wade, watch carefully. A Nobody like you has much learn from this!"