Epoch 2

Epoch 2: The First Quest to a Better Life

'Ude, are you sure we are on the right path?'

[Of course! I will notify you once I find a tribe.]

He sighed and continued walking. Using a long and thick branch, he is swating the tall grass on the way.

Earlier...

'Ude, what is the first quest? I'm ready!'

[Generating the First Quest...]

[Quest:Find a tribe within the day.

Reward: Brick Recipe

Failure: Death]

'Death?'

[Staying a night outside the tribe is very dangerous, especially for a sub-beast.]

"Then let's go!!" He immediately stood up and was about to run when he realized that he didn't know where the tribes were located.

"Ude, help! Can you tell me where the nearest tribe is?"

[There are 5 large tribes, 85 medium tribes, and 148 small tribes on the Gaia continent. But the exact location of the tribe is undetermined. Sorry, Tang Tang! ಥ⁠_⁠ಥ]

"No worries, there are 238 tribes in total. It is impossible not to find at least a small tribe, right?" He said this not only for Ude but also for himself.

Isn't the penalty too brutal? Death for the first quest failure!? Then the reward is the brick recipe only?

Is the recipe useful? Aren't bricks made of clay? Why need a recipe?

He sighed.

The usefulness of the reward can only be determined at a later time, but the penalty cannot be ignored.

[I will set up a 100-meter-radius detector around you. It can detect if there are monsters or a tribe within the range. You only need to walk around, and I will notify you once it detects a monster or a tribe.]

"Okay!" He picked up a long, thick branch and started to swat the tall grass.

That was more than two hours ago.

The time in this world is much longer compared to Earth. Earth has 24 hours per day; Gaia has 36 hours per day.

Gaia also has four seasons: dry, rainy, hunting, and winter. But like the day on Earth, the year in Gaia is much longer. 3 months of dry season, 3 months of rainy season, 4 months of hunting/harvest season, and 4 months of winter. Total of 14 months a year.

Even the life span of the people here is much longer. They can even be up to 500 years old.

Almost everything here is much longer and bigger compared to Earth.

From Plants to Animals.

Now he wants to know if their d*cks are much longer and bigger too. Most Asian men only have an average size, which is not satisfying at all.

"Hehehe." Just imagining it makes him drool.

[You look scary, Tang Tang! (⁠｡⁠ŏ⁠﹏⁠ŏ⁠)]

"Don't mind me! I'm just looking forward to staying in this world."

[...]

"Anyway, you said earlier that there are five large tribes. What are they?"

[Winged Tiger Tribe, Winged Wolf Tribe, Winged Bear Tribe, Winged Python Tribe, and Merman Tribe.]

"All of them have wings?"

[Some tribes don't have wings, like the Merman and Whale Tribe, since they reside on the sea.]

"I see.."

He is about to ask another question when he notices a large fruit on a vine not far away. The vines are hanging from a tall tree with big branches.

"Can you help me get the fruit? I forgot that I haven't eaten since last night; now I'm starving!!"

[Sorry, Tang Tang, but I don't have a physical body.]

The fruit is hanging, but not too high, and the closer he gets, the clearer he sees the fruit.

The fruit is bigger than his head; it is shaped like a peach, but it is purple.

"Can you check if the fruit is poisonous or not?"

[Yes! But you need to touch it first.]

"Okay!" He tried to shake the vine where the fruit was hanging, hoping that the fruit could fall easily.

A vine is thicker than his arm. He then tried to pull it several times just to make sure that it wouldn't snap. Tang Tang picks up a small, sharp stone and starts to climb the vines.

The vine is rough and has small thorns. Thank God that he is still wearing the clothes from yesterday. A black turtleneck shirt, topped with a black long cardigan and black trousers, was enough to cover his whole body. The only conspicuous thing are his white bear slippers.

When Tang Tang reached the fruit, he touched it first and asked Ude to check if the fruit was edible.

[It is edible.]

[No poison was found!]

[No toxics were found!]

"Good!" Using the sharp stone earlier, he cut the stem of the fruit and let it fall to the grasses below.

Tang Tang slowly slid down the vine.

He picked up the fruit, put it on the big leaf, and cut it open using the sharp stone.

A sweet aroma and juice flow out of the fruit.

Without a second thought, he ate it happily, savoring every bite.

'So sweet!!'

He keeps eating until he is full. After eating, he wrapped the half of the fruit left with a leaf and was about to walk again. But before leaving, he looked up at the vine, feeling disappointed that he could not get another fruit to eat. There are still three big fruits hanging.

"If there's no time limit in the quest, I would like to stay here and eat more fruits," he said as he started to walk.

[We can still go back in the future.]

"Yeah!"

After 10 minutes, a giant black snake with five horns slowly wrapped its body around the trunk of the tree. Its protruding head reaches for the fruit and eats it in one gulp.

[(⁠;⁠ŏ⁠﹏⁠ŏ⁠)]

"What's wrong, Ude?" Tang Tang asked when the blue panel slightly shook.

[Nothing! Just walk faster, TangTang. You only have 8 hours left. (⁠๑⁠•⁠﹏⁠•⁠)]

"Okay!"

____________

[There is a two-horned monster 52 meters on the north and two one-horned monsters 36 meters on the right.]

"Okay, then let's go to the left."

This routine has continued several times for two hours now. Ude will tell him where the monsters are, and then he will go in the opposite direction.

"I'm so tired, Ude!"

[You can do it, Tang Tang ⁠ଘ⁠(⁠ ^∆^⁠ ⁠)⁠ଓ]

He sighed.

This forest looks endless. He didn't know if he had already traveled far from where he came from, but he knew that he had already been walking for almost 5 hours and still had no tribe in sight.

"Earlier, I wanted to find at least one of the five big tribes to guarantee my safety, but now I don't care anymore."

[Tang Tang! You can always find another tribe if you're not satisfied in the future. They treasure a sub-beast in this world. No one will mistreat you!]

"Then I wish that we can find a tribe soon. I really want to rest."

Even though Tang Tang is already tired, he still keeps talking to Ude while looking around.

This is his first day in this unfamiliar world, and he doesn't know if he can live properly in this place.

He is neither smart nor talented. There is nothing special about him; everything he has on Earth is the result of his hard work and perseverance.

At the age of 10, his parents divorced. His mother left him with his grandmother; at that time, his grandmother was sick and couldn't take care of him. His parents didn't even leave a penny to support him.

The last 10 years of his life feel like a joke. They have never been doting and loving parents from the start, but he can't believe that they will just abandon him like that.

Because of that, he started working as a dishwasher in a cafeteria after school so he could buy food and medicine for his grandmother.

When his grandmother becomes better. She started to work again, despite her old age, just to support him.

She is also collecting scraps, bottles, boxes, and anything else that can be sold in the neighborhood.

But he still continues to take part-time jobs while going to school because he believes that studying will give him and his grandmother a good life.

He plans to graduate from a good university, find a stable and highly paid job, and buy their own house. But his grandmother died two years ago. She didn't even see him graduate from high school.

After high school, he studies day and night so he can pass the XXX University entrance exam and get a scholarship. He wants to be a painter, but instead of fine arts, he takes nursing.

A nurse is currently sought after abroad. That's why he chose the course.

But in the end, all of his plans failed. He died, and now he is in this world.

He sighed for the nth time.

[Tang Tang!]

"Yes?"

[A tribe has been detected! (⁠~⁠‾⁠▿⁠‾⁠)⁠~]

"Really? Where?" Tang Tang becomes energetic after hearing Ude.

[85 meters on your right!! (⁠☞ﾟ⁠∀ﾟ⁠)⁠☞]

After knowing the direction, Tang Tang ran hurriedly.

He is so excited.

When he had a glimpse of several tents ahead, he stopped and hid behind a tree.

[What's wrong, Tang Tang?]

"Wait, I'm nervous!"

[Why? ತ⁠_⁠ತ]

"Is there a way to find out what tribe they are?"

[I can check what tribe they are. Move a little closer to their tribe for me to scan.]

"Okay!" Tang Tang walked further until he almost saw the entirety of the tribe.

Tang Tang saw countless tents. There is a big space in the center, and a few people can be seen walking.

He again hid behind a large tree.

[Scanning..]

[Ding!]

[Quest Completed!]

[The reward will be sent to you!]

Information on how to make bricks and all the tools needed that can be found in this world started to flow through his mind.

'It is indeed useful!'

While waiting for Ude, he crouched down behind a bush.

Then he heard someone talking.

"₹èlæîœ ¶Ωμ b¿"

"£№€±· ü0øã!"

'What is that?! He cannot understand anything!'

He moved to hide more in the bushes, then, using one hand, hugged the wrapped fruit and covered his mouth with another.

"Œïú èä¢№."

"Shhh.."

After a few moments, the voices faded, and the chirping of insects could be heard.

He is not ready yet.

He can't even understand their language. How can he communicate with them?

He then stood up from the bush and patted his trousers. He is about to peek again into the tribe when something appears in front of him.

"AHHHHHHH!!"

'UDE! UDE!!!!'