isn't there a tutorial at the start?!?

man. like there's like so many things that i wanted to say but, if i told them to you without any explanation then they'll just sound like it's coming from a mouth of a mad man. but i hope you still believe me. even now i still have a hard time swallowing the crap that i have seen, a small part of me still wanted this just to be a dream, no like really, i wanted to deny this whole situation. i really, really, really, really really, really, really wanted it to be just a another dream. a very vivid dream but than how the hell do i explain the stinging pain in my hand. if i recall correctly, isn't there a trope about this??! usually the main character would just pinch there cheeks to wake up from their dream. a measly amount of suffering to just wake up, but the pain, the sensation. felt more real than any dream i had could even replicate. 

it's worse than any paper cut i had, more painful than anything i could nor you even imagine. any words that accurately describe this harrowing, scorching, horrible, pain that radiates from my hand is non existant. but i could only bear this pain while running from those horrible monster that caused this wound. round and small, unassuming at first glance, even their demeaner was passive and docile. even some people could even say their "cute" but their neon color skin was a blaring and a obvious sign of danger. if i think about it more than a second. i would probably come to the same conclusion after i realize what they were.

as one of those disgusting and putrid ball of blue and yellow blob was approaching me, i regarded those things with zero threat as i curiously held my hand to it, maybe i still thought this was a dream, or maybe this showed how stupid and gullible i am. i really can't tell which is which, if i was being honest... 

when i touched its surface my hand instantly flinch and drew back from the yellowish blue blob like touching something hot. your brain instinctively moved, a action without reason, only your sub conscience could only understand. bringing my hand to see it. i couldn't find the reason why but my instinct was blaring alarm bells in my head as i gaze at my hand. what i saw instead of my five fingers was replaced with my index and middle finger and a mangle piece of meat that looked like it's my thumb. i stared at it blankly, at the same time when i realized what happened to my hand, the pain, like someone pouring lava over my hand, it felt like someone was putting a scolding hot needle in my hand and repeatedly pulling and putting it back inside every second. pain so agonizing it felt like someone was pouring acid inside my hand after carving my hand into a unrecognizable mess. god. i hope i had passed out from the excruciating pain, but looking back. i was pretty lucky that i hadn't passed out. if i did than, i think there wouldn't even a corpse would be left to mourn. my parents won't even see their son's dead body before burring me. but than again, i can't imagine how my parents is going to react if they saw my current condition. 

when i was writhing on the ground and my consciousness was fading, something moved in the corner of my eye. clutching my decimated hand, my head blared another alarm, more urgent and desperate than the last. reflexively throwing my left hand, but that one action alone saved me. as i felt my left hand touch something, another volt of pain assailed me. from one motion my body lost it's balance and i topple over and landed on the ground, not being able to know where up and down is, my orientation was flipped, as i desperately recover from the fall. i placed my left hand to have a support as i start to stand up but. the pain from earlier wasn't my imagination as i landed face first on the grass field. i glanced down in confusion, realizing what caused the pain and the reason why i failed to get up. a stump replaced itself instead of my left hand, another wail came out my mouth as i looked on horror at my two (previously) hands. looking around my eyes was tinged with red as the pain threatens to take my consciousness. the unassuming blob of ocean blue that i touched now has something inside it's translucent surface. three finger that is being slowly dissolved in acid and a hand that has fresh blood still leaking from it's stump. like dripping blood on to a surface of water, its slowly diluted the see through blue into a murky and deep red.

i wanted to cry, i wanted the pain to go away, i wanted this dream to end, i want my mom's arm wrapping around me, her warmth and her assuring words that could knock any anxiety away. but those were my earnest wish, my honest and unfiltered wish, but now as i ran, with wild abandoned, i ran and ran, not even looking back i ran. i abandoned everything as i made my escape, the pain was still there, still giving waves of ungodly amount of agony and suffering to my brain. i couldn't help but cry as i desperately ran, running with two of my feet without regard to my surroundings, i wanted to run away from those detestable creatures, i wanted to go back home. crying out, i yelled profanity to every god i know, the pain that radiates all over my body, i wanted express my pain to fate. so unfairly, and cruelly put me into this horrible situation. if there was a god, than that god is dead, if god is what people say, than my current situation is inconceivable. i wasn't a good person but i wasn't a horrible one either. than why am i being tormented like i'm the most horrible being that ever lived? this is utter bullshit. complete nonsense. i refused that a god nor fate existed. i'll live with this idea until the day i die...

as i uttered those words, my body started to feel heavy, and a pain that was different form the one that racked my body, a stinging numbing pain, the pain in my hand is even started to feel numb, like tv static, my body felt disconnected with my mind, but yet my view kept changing, the motion of my foot as i step forward felt off, like lagging behind my thought, my leg didn't respond immediately, like being in space my foot lingered up the air for an unnatural amount of time. and then my leg slowly moved so agonizingly slow that when my leg would reach the ground those things would be right behind me. waiting for me, waiting until they pounce on me. that thought alone spurred me on like a wild horse, desperately placing my foot down, i hasten my movement with all my might. 

everything after that was a blur, a fragment of those memory would pop up occasionally when i was still recovering, although faint, i still remember falling down, the sensation of my leg being cut off, the pain from falling chin first. and then i saw something far in the distance, it looked familiar although i couldn't even remember or even recognize what was in the horizon. and then i lost consciousness. the image of my mom flashed in my mind. weird, when i thought this was when i was supposed to die, the last thing i saw was my mother, huh. odd... 

an unexplainable feeling lurched in my heart as my vision was covered by darkness, the only thing that was in my mind was__________

" hey mister, mister, mister. you still alive? " 

" candie, stop it his still sleeping. do you want the boss to yell at you?"

" wah, im just checking on his condition. "

" still recovering, don't try to move the body too much. "

" hmmmm, didn't you use your healing magic on him, sis? your healing is the best in the country. so i thought he would immediately wake up after you use your amazing spell. "

" my ability has their limit candie. and my healing magic will not be the best either. and by the way candie. can you stop spouting those crap around?!?! your the reason why we ended up in this situation!!! "

" ha ha ha, big sis is flustered. you look like a red dragon fruit. do you want to be cooled sis? my ice magic can cool you off in no time flat. "

" candie, if you don't cut this out, i'll tell the boss that you were the one who kept eating our emergency rations. " 

" whaaah- cmon sis, pleassssse don't tell her, i promise i wouldn't annoy you so, please "

" okay, okay candie. i wouldn't tell boss. "

" really!!! your the best sis. "

" but this point forward, you'll follow to what i order. "

" k, sis what ever y- whaaaa!?! what do you mean?!? that wasn't part of the deal at all!!!"

" not ready to sign the deal? than you had to deal with our bosses wrath. sucks to be you candie "

" your so meannnn, like really sis, your meannnn!!! " 

" yeah, yeah keep your mouth shut before you get scolded by our boss. "

" nghh, you tricky witch. hmph i guest i have no choice than. i'm going to follow whatever you say for now, but i wouldn't for long. you hear that sis!!!"

" yup totally. and by the way, candie how's his condition? " 

" Huh, why do i? " 

" i'm going to tell the boss that you- "

" whhaaaa, okay, okay im gonna check. sheesh sis is so prickly. " 

in my weaken mind i felt i was hovering in space, being suspended by an invisible force, i was a head drifting through space, being unbounded by any chains and idly floating in the air. like a leaf in a river. the violent stream swayed my body, hopelessly being carried away by the tide, not being able to put up resistance and was swape under the surface and never hoped to see the light again. in this deeming world, i could only think, to think is to have a conscience, so i realize i was thinking, realizing i existed. grasping at the only thing that's keeping my consciousness aware of it's own existence. i struggle feverishly to hold on to my deeming intelligent, but than a cacophony of noises accompanied memories that i have no recollection of. 

like someone calling me, i heard a voice, all around it reverberated in my skull, all alone in the dark, this emptiness was filled with those voices. familiar and warm voices, no it was beyond warm, it ignited my whole body. a warm and comfortable feeling swept my whole being, being caressed by it. i couldn't help but to reach out to it. i slowly held my hand to the source and then my whole vision was light by a brilliant that can over shadow the sun's aurora. my hand reach was accepted by two soft mounds, they were fat and was filled with warmth, i could spend my time just caressing those elastic and soft water balloon. they felt amazing to touch, as i drowned in bliss i heard a familiar voice, like the one from earlier. but this time they were louder, like a thunder in the sky, the voice roared.

"you perverted halfling!!!"

 another surge of pain wracked my head, something close to a branch in appearance, but the weight behind it was brutal, or was it the person who swinged it? i inquired another injury, this time a concussion, a head spitting headache and a migraine simultaneously. as i saw stars floating around my head, a girls face peaked out in my peripheral, having rosy cheek's her eyes was moisten and looked at me, with confused eyes and a frowning mouth, the necklace that wrapped her neck complimented her rough and tomboyish look, but the most notable appearance were the wolf like ears perched on top of her head. this sight gave another shock as this was the first person that i had made contact after coming to this world.

" candie, what's that?!? did something happen to the halfling? "

 a small tooth peaked out her lips as she talk. another girl showed her face to me, looking concern as she looked at us with a scrutinizing gaze. her eyes swiped between the two of us, trying to glim any clue from our expression. having scar's all over her face, her gaze seemed to be wiser and sharper, but what caught my attention was those wolf ears. like twins, their faces were practically the same, well except for the scars on one of their faces

" w..what the, where... where am i? " 

powering through the throbbing pain, i tried to stand up but my legs didn't move. panic enveloped me as i tried to move every limb in my body, thankfully my hands still can move. looking down at my body it was being coiled by white snakes. moving my hands to examine my body i found out it was being wrapped in layers of bandages, touching it with my hand i could tell immediately that the wounds beneath was still healing. my memories are slowly coming back, but i was still recovering from the concussion from earlier so it couldn't be help that i didn't remember anything.

" halfling, you're still recovering, no need to injure more of you. "

" sis, he touch, he touch... touch my... "

both simultaneously talk as if trying to compete with each other, my scrambled mind couldn't focus on one.

" halfling, are you injured in other places if you do than i'll heal you "

" sis are you even listening?!? that pervert-halfling just groped my... my..." 

standing in front was two girls, the older one had ebony black hair, braids framed her scar riddled face, over her body was a robe with stitches, trying desperately to cover the holes that sprinkled the corner of the worn out cloth. carrying a staff that looked similar to a branch. its cheap appearance was felt by just gazing at it, and her side was a pouch with varies plants and herbs stuffed haphazardly, the smell of herbal medicine lingered strongly from that spot, even just looking at it, my eyes are starting to water. wiping my eyes i met the one who presumably hit me, having a short cut hair, it looked more of a mob cut than anything if i was being honest. a silver necklace decorated her neck, trivially i tried to look if their wolf ears was their actually ears, and as far as i know i could only see their animal like ears sitting on top instead of the human ones.

wearing a loose fitting shirt that exposed her shoulder and belly, it emphasized speed and ease of movement, while wearing a simple pant that cut's off to her knee. she looked more prepare to enjoy her vacation than her other companion. although for some reason she was glaring at me like some kind of pervert? wait didn't she say something about a pervert-halfling. it doesn't actually refer to me is it? not even being refer to as a human kinda hurt me, but more question raised in my head as my memories finally came back to me... 

"wait... who are you?"

i meekly asked the two in front of me, by just seeing how they treated my wounds, i can tell that they weren't trying to harm me, but still. i was still worried and endless anxiety plagued me. so i agonizingly squeezed those words out.

"hmmm? my bad, we didn't properly introduce ourselves. my name is alizth. i'm part of the adventures guild, i'm a healer and a herbalist. and next to me is-" 

"wait a sec sis!!! are you just gonna ignore your sister's call for help?!? and why are you even introducing yourself!?! this perverted-halfling just touched me?!?!"

as if she was feed up with it, she exploded not only on me but her sister too, that ear piercing howl that she let out, made me plug my ears, but those words made me think.

"wait- by chance, this 'perverted-halfling.' are you referring to me? "

tilting my head to the side, i pointed a finger to myself to emphasize my question, a part of me was still confused, but i felt there was something was missing. i couldn't explain it fully, but is like forgetting some important detail or going in a room and forgetting your purpose for going there. while i pondered this inexplicable feeling in my head, the girl that was throwing a tantrum suddenly turned to me, cheeks flustered she looked with an unexplainable expression on her face.

"you... you.. you. you're the one who touched my body!!! how dare you just forget it. especially something so horrible to a young maiden like myself."

touching her cheeks, she was redder than a tomato, it even made me concern for her health. but i couldn't ignore her plea as she started to mumble to herself. thinking back, i vaguely remember her voice, but i couldn't pinpoint where though. like a missing cog in a machine, my mind wasn't able to process her words. while i was engrossed in my thought, "Alizth" without any warning, suddenly hit the mumbling girl with the blunt end of her staff. it made a resounding sound as it made contact with the scalp of the girl. clutching her head the girl cried out in pain but her sister didn't show any mercy as she stood glaring at her like a disappointed parent would. 

"candie, do you think there's a beast folk who would touch your body. i don't think i need to point it out, right?"

"nghhh, sis you may be right, i don't have the chest that beast folk prefer... but... but, this halfling is different!!! i sure he has a fetish for touching young beast girl. im sure he has. so sis-"

" are you even hearing the words you talking? i'm going to be stricter with your discipline, candie. i'm only over looked you're rude behavior cause boss is kind and forgiving."

 "why are you bringing this up? i told. he touched me!!!"

she once again started to caress her cheeks while holding back tears, i started to feel guilty while i looked toward their heated argument. especially at the pitiful look of the girl who said i touch her, even though i couldn't remember, i still felt responsible. 

"man, my dad would kill me if he found out i made a girl cry... ha crap..." 

mumbling things to myself, i failed to notice the two of them were dubiously gazing at me.

" well uhhh... i... i'm sorry, i'm sure those words wouldn't mean nothing if i wasn't sincere. so please accept my apology."

i tried my best to sound sincere although with my monotone voice, it was hard to believe that i was being sincere. so to drive the point home, i bowed my head until it reach the floor. i heard a couple of gasp while i kowtow. 

" what-what, what are you doing?!? stop that. you'll make people miss understand something. so please raise your head, raise it, cmon, before anyone sees us!!!" 

raising my head, i saw a flustered face of a girl with wolf ears, i still couldn't get over it as i stared at it openly. wiping the tears in the corner of her eyes, she tidied herself while stealing glances at me. an awkward silence rested between us, not knowing how to break the ice, i could only think back to my memories. 

" so a... like from earlier, i wanted to apologies but if it startled you than i'm deeply sorry for needlessly worrying you. and i'm sorry to repeat myself. im-"

before i could say my apology, she raised her hand to stop me. she looked at me with composed eyes and said.

"no-no... i should be the one who needs to apologies, and also i'm deeply sorry for hitting you're head."

shifting her body, she gave a little bow, less exaggerated and more polite. i was embarrassed how comically exaggerated my bow was compare to her's. but i was a little surprised with her polite way of speaking that i almost forgot that she was the same person who mercilessly hit me with a staff. 

"i was the one who started it, so theres no need to apologies."

i felt awkward that she wasn't receiving my apology and especially after she even offered to even apologies herself. i didn't even know what to do. cursing my social skills, i tried to initiate the dialogue that abruptly ended, but before i could say a word, Alizth, interrupting when i was about to say something, closing my mouth i listened to her.

"great-great, i'm happy, Candie, that you apologize. but mister halfling, you haven't introduce you're name? haven't you?"

that simple gesture flew over my head while i was caught up in the situation, and figuring why the conversation was in a stand still, i hurriedly try to correct my mistake as i chided myself. 

"alright... my name is Akiri, nice to meet you." 

holding out my hand, i tried to give her a handshake, she stared at my hand with an unexplainable expression. she reached out my hand, couple of awkward seconds of figuring where her hand would go, she was finally able to get it.

"name Candie, i'm a martial mix magic user, and a adventurer like my sister, nice to meet you too."

the feeling of her skin was oddly familiar, the softness and warmness of her palm, gave me a swift nostalgic feeling to my brain. i couldn't puzzled why but her voice also reminded me of someone... wait... warmth. softness. and her voice? wait!!! this can't be...

my mind was trying to figure the thing that was bothering me, but voice of Candie interrupted my train of thought. 

"well.. ugh... so about when you touched me... i didn't like hate it, but i was kind of surprised and hit you so yeah..." 

"o, i'm sorry too, i haven't meant to do that... y... you know? it was like an accident. you get me right... but isn't the weather nice today?"

ignoring the fact that i'm in doors, the ceiling only shown a bland and dirty look as it was made of only grey brick. 

fidgeting, i tried to fill the silent space with trivial nonsense. man, small talk isn't my strong suit huh? when i was in middle school i was always the awkward kid who doesn't know how to talk to people to save his life. and now this middle school legacy( like you can call it one) is biting my ass in an unexpected time. 

"hmmm, you remembered what you did right? Akiri." 

"haa... yeah totally, so im really sorry that i did it, i wasn't really thinking you know?"

putting my best poker face, i lied through my teeth. but she wasn't convinced as she stared at me with doubt. 

" you were like touching cheeks and you were saying weird things like " how it feels good to touch it" and " i can keep squeezing it for eternity." you really didn't remember doing those things?"

" i plead the fifth." 

hiding behind those accusing eyes as i run from reality. no like really i swear i didn't even remember, but i had vague feeling of familiarity when she spoke to me but like... fine i guest i should probably connected the dots when we first talk. but still.... i was still half asleep back than. yeah i'm totally not guilty. the ruling is over, the suspect name Akiri is not found guilty. case close... man, i hoped it would end like that. 

while i was playing judge in my mind i saw the two girls starring at me. i meet their gaze and they looked at each other, like having a telepathic conversation. they seemed to have a come to an conclusion as they nodded to each other. 

"mister Akiri, this may be rude but... what specious are you?"

Candie asked me a question, quiet a strange one though but i answered her without hesitation. 

"a halfling, just like you said." 

my sarcastic answer was met with their silent gazes. their doubtfulness was clear to see in their faces. 

"Akiri, if you are truly saying the truth, than why were you fallen on top of the greed plain? the halfling race can only survive in one type of environment. valleys and hill ridden plain like Orchea in the south. those are quite common dwelling for the halfling race, but than why were you in Aoustrol? "

a torrent of question flooded my ears as she mercilessly open her mouth, like a machine it kept moving without stopping. 

"ouch-ouch... your about to make my ears fall off, yikes. can you at least talk slowly, i couldn't answer all of them all at once, so please. go one by one."

i nonchalantly said to it to calm her down, but instead it had an opposite affect. she started to look more flustered from her earlier calm demeaner. her eyebrows furrowed, she was about to go on a tirade. she was cut off...

"calm down sis, it's okay. don't worry i'll be the one who would ask our questions instead alright, so please... Alizth."

putting herself between us, she seems to know how to calm her sister down. after saying those words, Alizth previously angered face suddenly mellowed down into her usual calm and sharp look. 

"sorry about that, she's a magic user, an exceptionally rare one at that. unlike normal users, they need mana to be useful, but she can use her spell even after her mana has run out. but theirs one catch. she can only use healing spells. so she's trying her best to learn a new type of magic so she can actually fight... but she haven't even made any process even after years of studying... so lately her mood has been quite bad, but she hid them with a calm and stoic mask, so if her mask suddenly break, all that ugly feelings can just explode out of nowhere so... please forgive her."

Candie gave me an apologetic expression as she whispered those words to me. i was quiet surprised that she seems to be the one who actually have to calm her down. when i saw them arguing, i thought i figured their dynamic but... what they displayed now is wasn't what i expected. 

"o'no, it's fine, it's fine. i was the one who was being unsensitive, so i'm kind of sorry that you need to cover for me."

"sorry... you said sorry again?"

"hmm, what? did you say something to me?"

i looked at her while i tilted my head to the side. she seems to be mumbling things to herself again... huh it's like a quirk of her. i guess? 

"than mister Akiri, why were you in the greed plain? that place isn't a place where a halfling usually go you know?"

"well if i'm being honest here, i'm not a halfling. i'm a human so yeah. to be honest i still don't know why you were still going on about me being a halfling. yeah maybe i'm a bit short that people still mistake me as a child but still... it was kind of obvious you know?"

telling the truth, well there some truth that's better to be unsaid but i was being sincere and honest, well at least as best i sounded with my dead pan voice. 

" a... a human? " 

"yup, your totally ordinary human, no super powers, no magic, and even cheat skills. just your average joe." 

"mister Akiri. what's a human?"