My initial reaction, after the relief, was: "Huh? Is this an ancient village or something?"
I observed every detail of the village. From the outside, the sun gilded the thatched roofs, arranged irregularly, like a handful of brown mushrooms sprouting from the earth.
A thin wisp of smoke lazily rose from a few homes, blending the scent of burning wood with the dampness of the surrounding forest.
The village perimeter was marked by a crude palisade made of bamboo trunks tied together with hemp ropes.
I walked forward with firm, determined steps, unaware of what awaited me. At the entrance, a moss-covered wooden torii discreetly signaled the presence of a small Shinto shrine, a symbol of spiritual protection.
Once past the torii and the fence, the village revealed itself to be more lively and complex than it had initially appeared. The paths were made of packed earth, winding between wooden and clay houses topped with thatched or bark roofs.
Upon entering, a message resounded.
\[You have completed the "Daily Quest: Find a Safe Place."]
\[Curses Exorcised: 1]
\[Completion rewards have arrived.]
\[Would you like to confirm?] (Y/N)
To be honest, I wasn't expecting that. Initially, my intention was to head to Tokyo, thinking I'd be safe there. I never imagined completing a quest just by entering a village.
If I'm safe here, then there's only one explanation: the village is protected by a barrier. But if there's a barrier, how did I encounter a curse?
I stopped pondering and said, "Confirm."
Tti-ring
\[The following rewards are available.]
Reward 1: Full physical recovery.
Reward 2: Four additional stat points.
Reward 3: Period-appropriate clothing.
I slightly opened my mouth upon seeing the third reward. As for the second reward, I quickly understood—it was due to the curse I had exorcised.
"But what's going on with this system? I already have clothes." I calmed down. Until now, I hadn't encountered a single person.
I wasn't very tired. However, that didn't mean I didn't need to recover.
As soon as I confirmed, a gentle blue aura enveloped me. It was a strange sensation, like waking up in a good mood and taking a bath for a special day. The blue aura slowly dissipated, and I felt rejuvenated, as if I had just been born.
"Okay, let's move on to the next step." I smiled and shifted my gaze to the floating stats window. It displayed simple information about me, mostly corresponding to those of Sung Jin-Woo when he received the system, but... that won't last.
Name: Shin Hasegawa
Level: 1
Class: None
Title: None
HP: 100
OP: 10
Fatigue: 0
\[Stats]
Strength: 10
Vitality: 10
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 10
Sense: 10
(Points available to distribute: 4)
\[Skills]
Passive Skills
- (Unknown) Lv. Max
- Grade appraisal Lv. 1
Active Skills
- Black flash Lv. 1
I understood what the "Black Flash" skill meant. It was probably due to the charged strike I had delivered to the curse. But I didn't really know what the other skill meant. Indeed, in the blink of an eye, my clothes changed. I didn't know why the system wanted to offer me clothes. One thing's for sure: in my previous life, we didn't wear these kinds of clothes.
As I was about to distribute the stat points and discover my skills, I heard a hoarse and raspy voice addressing me.
"Hey you, you're new in the village, aren't you!?"
I pretended not to hear and started walking. Another voice, just as annoying as the first, rang out.
"Hey, kid. We're in charge of guarding the village. We have no choice; we must take you to the chief, whether you like it or not."
I remained calm with my innocent face and turned to see two burly individuals, both about two meters tall, arms crossed. Our clothes were almost identical.
If one were to describe them, they'd be the ancestors of Todo Aoi (physically).
As if expecting me to follow, they walked ahead, and I followed them.
"They didn't even ask me any questions. Don't they have the right? Is it their chief who's supposed to answer?" I pondered. To me, humans were creatures unlike any other. I was kind in high school, but that didn't stop others from being harsh with me.
---
We ventured deeper into the village, where inhabitants bustled about. Like me, most men wore short robes with hemp hakama (loose trousers) in brown.
Others wore short-sleeved jackets tied with simple ramie cords. Some walked barefoot, while others wore straw sandals.
I understood why the system had given me these clothes. What would people say if they saw me in beautiful, completely different attire? They might say a god sent me.
What I didn't know was the era I was in, as the system had clearly made me understand that I was in another time.
While I was deep in thought, simultaneously following the two "guards," I bumped into a tall girl who fell to the ground.
"Sorry, forgive me. I didn't see you." I panicked and apologized, helping her up.
"Huh, what's that?" I rubbed my eyes to make sure it wasn't a hallucination: writing floated above the girl's head.
It displayed "Grade 2."
The two individuals I was following looked at us without saying a word.
"You didn't see me, huh? Yet, I'm tall, so you can't miss me." she said. Initially, she wanted to scold me, but when she saw me, she limited her words.
Her voice didn't seem familiar, but her appearance did. She seemed mentally immature, physically tall. She had fair skin, long black hair, and thick eyebrows. She wore an open haori. I must be older than her.
"What's your name?" I asked her.
"My name is Yorozu. We'll certainly meet again." she replied, continuing on her way.
I froze completely. I couldn't believe it, but it was obvious.
"Yorozu!? So, the era the system mentioned is the... Heian period." I stood still, questions swirling in my head, and at the same time, I was excited.
The golden age of exorcism, powerful sorcerers who could raze a city, invincible. Sorcerers who could plan over a thousand years. Powerful families.
Thoughts began to flood my mind. In my previous life, before falling ill, I loved adventure. I even wanted a virtual reality that would project me into an anime universe. Until my death, I hadn't gotten what I wanted.
"Is it due to my patience that I was chosen?" I began to wonder.
While I was lost in my thoughts, one of the escorts tapped me on the shoulder. "We don't have time to waste."