Chapter 2 - Artemis

As Link picked up Gae Dearg and prepared to test the weapon's abilities, a loud roar echoed through the jungle. 

"Rooo!!" 

The sound sent shivers down his spine. This howl was unlike any animal he knew. 

'Could it be… a monster in this world?' 

Lost in thought, Link failed to notice the hint of sadness woven into the roar, as if a creature was crying out in pain and fear for its life.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, chaos unfolded. 

"Rhoouuuu!!" 

A commanding voice rang out, "Get ready to shoot! Stop him before he escapes into the air again!" 

"Yes!" 

The voice belonged to a goddess, surrounded by her loyal Familia of female warriors. 

They were united in their mission to hunt down a powerful dragon.

With precision, the women raised their bows and aimed at the dragon soaring above them. 

Their arrows struck true, piercing through the membranes of its wings and grounding it. 

Without its ability to fly, the dragon could only crawl forward on its legs, its growing wounds deepening its ferocity. 

It let out a furious roar, stumbling deeper into the jungle as if seeking revenge.

Soon enough, it crossed paths with Link—the unfortunate human who had just arrived in this world.

"A human!?" 

The girls hunting the dragon gasped in shock. 

In this remote forest filled with monsters, what was a human doing here? 

"No! You—get out of the way!" The goddess with beautiful blue hair warned him urgently. She swiftly nocked an arrow from her quiver and readied her bow, praying that she could slay the dragon before it harmed Link.

Despite her intentions to save him, Link stood frozen in astonishment as he faced the massive creature charging toward him. 'A dragon?!' he thought incredulously. 'Is there really such a thing in this world?'

The dragon lunged at him with deadly intent; there was no time for hesitation. With fierce determination in its eyes, it bore down on him like an unstoppable force. 

Behind it were the adventurers trying to contain it; there was no escape route for the beast except straight ahead—toward Link.

In that moment, everything around him seemed to slow down as death's aura enveloped him. But just as quickly as that feeling came over him, survival instinct kicked in and eclipsed all other emotions. "Damn it!" With that singular thought driving him forward, Link swung Gae Dearg with all his might, spinning it in an arc just before the dragon's jaws descended upon him.

The spear pierced deeply into the creature's neck and throat at that critical moment. 

Almost simultaneously, arrows shot from behind him—fired by the goddess—striking true and turning part of the dragon's head into smoke before it finally collapsed into a black crystal that fell to the ground.

With its body dissipating into nothingness but for a piece of stone left behind, Link stumbled forward under its weight and fell to the ground. As he looked up, he was captivated by a dazzling blue light—a sight so beautiful that it held his gaze.

"Well? Young man, how are you? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?" The goddess spoke softly as she approached him gracefully.

"Thank you," Link replied quickly while trying to regain his composure. 

"But I'm fine—thank you for saving me." He winced slightly from where he had landed but was relieved he hadn't fallen flat on his face; that would have been disastrous for his appearance.

"You're welcome," she said with a gentle smile. 

"Your bravery in facing that dragon is commendable. However, you must be more careful next time; it's too dangerous for ordinary people to wander alone in these woods. Where is your home? Perhaps we can escort you back."

Link hesitated; this wasn't Earth anymore—where could he call home now? For a moment, words escaped him.

"What's wrong?" she asked gently.

"Um… actually…" After thinking quickly, he replied hurriedly, "I want to become someone like you! So I left home and am preparing to go…"

"Are you going to Orario?" The goddess interjected knowingly.

Orario? That name struck a chord within Link—wasn't that from an anime called Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Could it be that he had transmigrated into this world? And standing before him was none other than Artemis!

"Yes! It's Orario!" He exclaimed excitedly. In Orario's labyrinthine city lay opportunities for strength and adventure!

Artemis regarded him thoughtfully and said softly, "Should I call it coincidence or luck? We just completed our commission to hunt that dragon and are about to return to Orario." Her expression softened further as she added, "If you can abide by our agreement, I can take you with us."

"Thank you so much, goddess!" Joy surged through Link as he stood up eagerly. Not only would traveling with such powerful allies reduce his risks significantly—but more importantly, he had no idea how to navigate this vast forest alone!