Barely an hour had passed since the incident with the dwarf, which had ended in complete disaster. Froggy was now resting peacefully; he had already internalized the ridiculousness of it all, but even so, this was, without the slightest doubt, the wildest day of his life. Even if he couldn't remember everything clearly, that was how it felt.
—Ah… I really need some pants… —he sighed.
He was lying on his improvised bed, a hole he had dug just large enough to fit himself into. He barely fit inside, but in a way, it was gratifying. He was planning to make another one where he would store the food he got in the future, along with other additions like a stone oven, maybe wrapped with some lava… There was much to do.
—I feel nature… I feel peace…
He took a deep breath, meditating in his thoughts.
—What heat… this place needs better ventilation… —he wiped the sweat sliding down his forehead.
And so, lying on that burning ground, sleep found him. He was tired. He dreamed he was in a vast wheat field; he was wearing pants, and all that hell from before had been nothing more than a distant nightmare. Among the whole field, one figure stood out above all others: a blonde woman whose hair was the exact color of the wheat. She wore a beautiful white dress and stared at him intently.
He didn't know her at all, but he felt it. He had seen that blonde hair somewhere before…
He approached her and leaned one arm against the tree where the woman stood.
—Hello, gorgeous. How are you doing?
—SHH SHH SHH —the woman replied with a strange sound, like something burning.
—What things you say! I can't understand a word!
The woman looked downward. He followed her gaze.
The ground was completely covered in lava.
—Huh?
He jolted awake, sweating and breathing fast.
—What a nightmare… me in another world, ha!
When he looked up, he saw with misery that his nightmare was now his own reality.
He heard a murmur nearby, as if something burning were walking through his shelter. He stood up and took a defensive stance with his knife, looking both ways until the threat revealed itself: a small lizard crawling along the corner of the wall.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
"A new enemy has been detected."
Baby Lava Lizard.
Level: 10
Traits: [Locked]
It was the first time he had seen an animal that small. It seemed like a worthy opponent for him, acceptable, unlike those monstrosities he had faced before. The lizard looked like a tiny dragon, with a flaming tail that vaguely reminded him of a figure he had seen in a series. What was it called?
He didn't care. That little lizard would be his food. He could already taste it. He ran his tongue across his lips and gripped his knife tightly. He had completely abandoned stealth; it was obvious his knife would never stop glowing, so he only had to…
—I've got you!
Jump at it.
But the lizard slipped through his hands. Even after several attempts, it kept escaping.
—Don't move… stay still… that's it… now!
He managed to pin it down for a moment, but the lizard, seeing it couldn't escape his hands, bit him.
—AHHH! IT BURNS! —he let go as the pain struck.
[ALERT: HEALTH DECREASING]
80.5…
78…
64…
The lizard, unhurried, climbed down from his hand to his leg. In the end, it left him scorched, hungry, and burned, sitting on the ground.
It was his defeat.
—Even a lizard…?
This only confirmed it further: he was in hell.
He quickly checked the surroundings in case there were more lizards, but it was useless. There was nothing.
Except, entering the lake again, where the dwarf had been earlier: there were several footprints that looked like boots.
The dwarf had probably brought friends…
It didn't seem like a good idea to stay in the shelter any longer than necessary. He would have to abandon it soon—this shelter he had built only a few hours ago…
Silence…
—No… don't mourn… I know you want me to stay. But I can't… those dwarves will come for me… I can't stay with you.
Silence…
—Don't insist… you're only making this harder for both of us…
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
[Talking to yourself is not good for your health.]
"It is strongly recommended that you seek friends."
—Who exactly do you expect me to talk to, huh? —he replied in a tough-guy voice.
The system did not respond.
He walked to the water and looked at his distorted reflection. He looked at his face, brown hair, and features as attractive as ever.
—This world is broken. The water doesn't fully capture my beauty. What do you think, system?
[EVALUATING BEAUTY]
"Starting… starting…"
—You're taking a while…
[EVALUATION COMPLETE]
"Your beauty has been classified as 1/10."
"World average: 7/10."
"The ugliest known race possesses a 3/10."
[CONCLUSION]
"Your beauty has been classified as ('From another world')."
—From another world? Why?
The system did not respond.
—Perfect… I guess I've got the full combo.
He leaned against the wall, then sighed.
—I'm descending into madness…
[System Recommendation]
"It is recommended that you eat something soon."
—What do you want me to eat? There's no food.
The system began to vibrate.
[NEW QUEST ASSIGNED]
"Defeat magma titan."
Reward: Titanic food, SR class.
—Wow, you really know how to give useful rewards! But… you do know they'll burn me alive, right?
The system kept vibrating. Froggy ignored it until the vibration became annoying.
—Enough! I don't want to be fried alive.
[System – Advice]
"Victory is relative."
—Huh?
"And relativity is victory."
Froggy frowned.
—Does that even mean anything?
"Depends on your interpretation."
He covered his face with both hands.
—You really drive me insane.
A couple of sounds were heard in the distance.
—Now what? You came back for another beating, lizard? This time I'm ready.
He prepared himself to fight. However, there was no lizard—only a group of dwarves crossing the lake with weapons. One of them seemed to recognize him and pointed with a face exhaling terror.
—H-hello?
The dwarves crossed the river quickly. He noticed one carried an axe that looked twice as tall as the dwarf holding it. The fury they showed was no ordinary anger, as if someone had insulted their mother.
Froggy ran with all his strength toward the surface.
—AHHHH! I am a friendly being! Peace, brothers!
The dwarves didn't understand him—or worse, didn't hear him at all.
He emerged to the surface.
The magma mountains were still there.
He looked down from where he had come out: the dwarves were charging toward him in fury.
—I can still…
His knife began to glow.
The titans turned toward him.