Aaron stood frozen, his eyes wide with awe as he stared at the massive wall stretching high above. At least ten meters tall, the stone structure was a testament to the sheer scale and strength of this world's architecture. Beneath it, the ground was stained deep red, evidence of battles past, where both monsters and humans had shed blood.
Through the main gate, carriages rumbled out steadily, each packed with people. Most were armed, their grim expressions suggesting they knew all too well what dangers lay beyond the safety of those towering walls.
A few steps ahead, Alice turned and noticed Aaron standing motionless, gazing at everything like an overexcited tourist. She sighed and pressed her fingers to her forehead in mild frustration.
"He's always so distracted..." she muttered under her breath.
Then, without waiting for a response, she called out sharply, her voice cool and firm, "Aaron! Are you coming or not? If we waste any more time, we'll be stuck out there for the night."
She paused, letting the warning sink in, then added more seriously, "Monster activity spikes after sunset. And we're not just talking about stray creatures, wolves, nocturnal beasts... especially the wolf pack. You don't want to face them right."
Aaron snapped out of his thoughts and gave his head a quick rub, feeling a bit embarrassed. His cheeks warmed as he realized he'd been staring too long, lost in the moment.
He looked around again, still amazed by everything, the giant walls, the bustling carriages, the people armed and ready for danger. It felt surreal. These were the kinds of things he used to read about in fantasy stories, dreamt about late at night, never imagining he'd one day stand inside such a world.
"This is all... real," he whispered to himself, eyes filled with wonder. The buildings, the magic, even the monsters, it was overwhelming. And thrilling.
As he jogged to catch up with Alice, his mind buzzed with thoughts. For the first time, the line between fantasy and reality had completely vanished, and it left his heart racing.
As they walked along the road, Aaron's eyes drifted to the side. Neat rows of crops stretched across the fields, swaying gently in the breeze. Farmers moved carefully among the plants, tending to them with quiet focus. A few soldiers paced nearby, their eyes scanning the surroundings. Their presence added a sense of alertness, a reminder that even peaceful places could turn dangerous in a heartbeat.
Soon, the path brought them to a small stone bridge arched over a narrow stream. Clear water flowed calmly beneath it, part of the famous White River, known for its shimmering surface and gentle current. Aaron slowed his steps to take in the view, the natural beauty offering a brief moment of peace.
Then, breaking the quiet, Aaron tilted his head slightly and asked, his voice tinged with curiosity and mild confusion, "Alice... do you know where we'll run into slimes?"
Alice came to a halt, turning to face Aaron with a neutral expression. "Slimes usually appear in places where there's a lot of elemental mana," she said calmly.
Aaron blinked, clearly confused. His eyebrows scrunched and his mouth opened just slightly, as if to ask, but no words came out. His clueless expression was enough to make Alice sigh quietly to herself.
"Why is he always so lost?" she thought. "Next time, I need to find someone who actually understands the basics."
Still, she chose to explain.
"See that stream below the bridge?" she pointed, her voice taking on a more patient tone. "If the mana in the water becomes strong enough, it could form slimes. They'd be water-type, since they'd be born from the energy in the river."
Aaron looked down at the flowing water, now trying to imagine slimy creatures bubbling up from the depths. It made him nervous. But also… curious.
"So places with strong elemental energy basically decide what kind of slime appears?" he asked, still working it out in his head.
Alice nodded. "Exactly. Water, fire, earth, wind… wherever mana pools, the environment gives birth to its own kind of monsters. Slimes are just one of the simplest examples."
Aaron's face lit up with wonder. His eyes sparkled as he took in everything around him, still trying to process how this world worked. The rules here weren't anything like the world he came from, common sense didn't seem to apply at all.
His thoughts drifted to something odd: how were slimes even created? In school, he'd learned that reproduction was something living things did, animals, plants, even humans. But slimes? Were they truly alive? Or were they just blobs of mana and magic shaped by the environment?
That question stuck with him, tugging at his curiosity. He frowned slightly, trying to wrap his head around it. But he didn't speak up. He'd already made himself look silly more than once today, and Alice didn't seem to have much patience for his confusion.
"Better to find out later", he thought. "I need to read more books… maybe then I'll stop feeling so clueless."
He took a deep breath and continued walking, quietly determined. This world might be confusing, but he was going to learn it piece by piece.
Half an hour had passed since they left the city walls behind.
Now, they were deep in the wilderness.
The trees grew freely in all directions, their leafy branches forming a messy canopy overhead. Some were tall and ancient, while others looked young, with slender trunks and fresh green leaves. The path beneath their feet was soft, covered with patches of short grass that swayed gently in the breeze.
Tiny wildflowers bloomed here and there, yellow, blue, and white spots dotting the greenery like nature's quiet decoration. Their scent mixed subtly with the fresh forest air, calming yet unfamiliar.
Aaron noticed small animals darting through the underbrush. Rabbits with twitching noses hopped through the grass, and squirrels scrambled up trees, their fluffy tails flicking playfully.
It was quiet… but not silent. Birds chirped from above, and the rustling of leaves added a soothing rhythm to the walk. The wild was alive, not just with danger, but with beauty.
Aaron couldn't help but feel a growing sense of respect for this world. Even outside the walls, surrounded by untamed nature, it still felt magical.