CLA.S.S NEUTRAL: Stranger Is Coming

Way to Kavarnak. Karharadantar. Halt.

I had hoped to go to Narylna, but I had been afraid, like a fool. Why? What had I been scared of? Who could hurt her now? After all, I'd knocked those bastards back into their world. I hoped they would correct themselves or find another game.

The villagers would protect her, and they had seen what I was capable of. After killing the immortal wanderers, I had become a kind of hero in their eyes. I had even heard some fictional stories about me—that I was a knight or an ancient mage.

In reality, I was more of a slowpoke and deserved the achievement of the same name as well as the achievement 'Idiot'. She would certainly take offence at me now. Anyway, when I returned to Oblivion, I would immediately visit her because I was pretty tired of being alone.

I needed to communicate more with people. And 'others'. Although taking into account that I chatted with foxes, mushrooms, salvins, and even my inner voice, I had had certain success already.

I also needed to find a sword master somewhere and ask him to teach me fencing. As well as the fact I needed to find a mage, and a cartographer, and someone else who I hadn't figured out yet.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your thoughts," the gatekeeper said in a completely ordinary voice. "The journey to the castle will take two days, so I'd like to talk to you and ask a couple of questions."

"Well, I don't mind."

"Can you tell me where you came from?"

This man wasn't simple; I would never be able to simulate such a raspy voice. Did he really try with its help to delay the fulfillment of the king's task? Had I again been dropped into intrigue?

"Hmm... honestly, I've never seen strangers think so much that they completely forget about the world around them."

"It happens to me sometimes." I scratched my head, and then it dawned on me. How did the chief know my name? Could he see it? Another mystery.

It would be necessary to find detailed information about such clever NPCs. I'd better put it down in my diary, not to forget. "I apologize for this, but it's caused by the trauma I received during the transition between the worlds." I began to lie since I didn't want to tell this man the truth about me. "I don't remember my home world, so I can't tell you anything about it. However, before appearing here, in Rainea, I passed through another world, which is called Karharadantar.

"At first glance, this is a completely uninteresting and deserted world, where a bright white luminescent with deadly rays touches the dead earth, trying to find life and take it away.

"There are silvery stones everywhere in that world, sometimes covered with white sand. There is no water at all. The intense heat hurts any traveler that decides to go Rainea via it."

This man listened to me, his mouth dropping open. I decided not to disappoint the royal spy or 'gatekeeper'. "However, this world transforms when the white star prepares for sleep and hides behind the horizon.

"There day and night divide time equally among themselves. There are no seasons there, so when the white light rays say goodbye to the silver stones, following the star, hiding behind the horizon, everything starts changing.

"From under the stones and sand, thin stalks of local plants creep out. Their silver leaves straighten, exposing the mirror surface to the star light. Everything starts to flicker, and total darkness only intensifies the glare of the starlight.

"A little later, amazing creatures appear. They look like thin cats with sharp little mugs, large smooth ears, and long thin legs. Their tails are a little more than half the length of their bodies.

"These beautiful creatures have wonderful sapphire-like blue eyes, in which there is never anger but only curiosity.

"You should have seen how they try to scare strangers, whom they are afraid of, despite their big size. A lot of thin spikes come out of their smooth bodies, which turn them into ordinary cats, but it looks so funny that it's impossible to restrain smiles.

"Some say that people-like creatures live there, but, unfortunately, I walked along a rather deserted road, and I didn't meet any other inhabitants of this wonderful world.

"I'd also like to add that all life in that world has a metallic origin, that is, they are quite different from us, but they also breathe air…"

"Boss, there is a… corpse here," the guard escorting us said, but the gatekeeper didn't pay attention, choosing instead to dive into the magic of the world I had invented. "Boss…"

"I've heard you. I'm not deaf. I'm coming." Kurbakht stood up, grunting and muttering something about great problems, and then he approached the guard. I went after him.

It was getting dark, but still the light was quite enough for the guard to see a corpse in a ditch. I came closer and grimaced at the sight. The half-gnawed peasant's remains had probably lain there for a couple of days, maybe more.

It was hard to look at this. I didn't even know that there was something like this in the game. But I immediately noticed fangs marks and some rather large claw marks, and a shred of gray fur, barely peeking out of a half-torn pocket. I could also feel the barely perceptible smell of alcohol.

I began exploring the neighborhood using 'Search for Death', but there were no other bodies. However, there were some strange footprints—they were dark, with three clawed thumbs. They led along the road bending both to the right and to the left.

Skill Observation increases, current level: 8

"This is very sad," Kurbacht said as he crossed his arms. "Put the body in a bag. The dead guy, I assume, comes from the village of Downhill. We'll reach it at nightfall, and then we can let the poor man be buried in the cemetery. Who do you think killed him?" he asked me.

"It must be a werewolf," I answered and explained why, making the gatekeeper think about it. To distract him from pondering, I continued, "I'd also like to ask you a question."