Chapter 3 - What do I do now?

John stood there confused and silent, thus the older villager lifted his head and asked, "do you not understand the importance of that silver amulet there?"

John took another moment honestly a bit captivated with how the amulet was allowing him to understand what the villagers were saying. After taking a moment he admitted that no, the amulet wasn't originally his. He tried explaining that the amulet belonged to this unconscious guy, that was back at a hospital that he worked at, but the villagers had no clue what he was talking about.

"No matter, if the amulet is in your possession, then it shall be your amulet. The amulet knows who and what it decides to choose," the older villager said before pushing the idea aside. "First tell me your adventures that brought you to this land, hero."

John was taking aback, but went through the basis of what happened straight from the start of his day, to the point that he stumbled onto the village.

"You are lucky to be alive. Most cannot say they have seen the Karen and live to tell the tale," the older villager said. "You shall rest here for a few days before deciding your next course of action."

John didn't know what to say. He honestly just wanted to wake up from whatever nightmare this was and be back home, however the longer he waited for this dream to end, the more he felt like this wasn't just a dream.

"Is there any other place around here that you know about that may have some more information about this amulet that could help me get back home?" John asked incredulously.

"I doubt anyone around here has information that can help you get home, however I know someone in the Loan Nation. It's about 200 km from here. The man is a jeweler. Perhaps he can look at the amulet and tell you more than you already know."

John was feeling hopeless, but it was a start. He'd rest at this village and perhaps talk with some of the other villagers. Stock up on some resources, and then head out to whatever this Loan Nation is. But who calls their nation "Loan Nation". Sounds tacky.

"This is Daemen," the older villager said pointing to the smaller villager with a weapon, "and behind you is Krillax and Steve. They will take care of you while you're here. If you need anything personally, you can come to my tent or send a request to someone for the headmaster. That is typically what everyone here calls me."

"Wow this guy is definitely the type to binge some Harem anime and manga's back home. I guaran-f*ckin-tee it," John thought to himself.

John followed Daemen out of the tent and to a smaller tent near some of the shop-like tents.

"This is where you'll stay for the time being. You will be brought a change of clothes, and if you would like Steve will escort you in the morning to our springs to wash up. As a guest to this small village, everything shall be free to you, compliments from the headmaster. Unless you need more, I shall take my leave," Daemen said.

John acknowledged and thanked for the hospitality. He laid down on the handmade bed-mat and closed his eyes. "I really hope this is a dream, but honestly... It could be worse." John felt himself getting sleepier and sleepier fading out. He would normally have so much to think about, but for now, let's just worry about one thing at a time. Before he knew it, he was out cold.

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John woke up feeling very groggy and weak. He tried to speak, but his throat felt like sandpaper. As he stretched he heard a commotion outside. Before heading towards the exit, he scooped up the amulet and headed out. Before leaving he peeked out the slit of the exit and saw several women villagers talking with what looked like Krillax and Steve.

"You should have seen him. He barely said a word or moved a muscle cuz he was scared sh*tless. I swear he smelled of piss before we even got the headmaster's tent," Krillax said.

"Oh yeah. He looked like he was about to cry before he pulled out the amulet, like what kind of hero is he?" Steve replied.

"I doubt the amulet even chose him. He probably stole it off of the real hero and is trying to run around and get free service. Last night when questioned about the amulet's story, he looked like a stone statue. He'll get what's coming to him in due time," Krillax said.

Daemen walked up to them and said, "It doesn't matter if he was chosen by the amulet or not. The headmaster has decided to offer him hospitality as if though he is the hero. Just keep on eye on him and let's hope he leaves sooner rather than later. Besides the headmaster plans to send out a telepathic message to the Loan Nation notifying them of the hero. They have better resources than we do in figuring out if he's a fake. And if he is, he'll be punished by the fullest extent.. Death."

John was both pissed, and scared. He certainly didn't steal the amulet and wasn't some crook, but the amulet certainly wasn't his. If he goes to the Loan Nation and they realize that he's not the hero, he could die. Things have gotten out of hand, but at least John knows a few things. 1. He's not truly welcome at this village, and if pushed the wrong way, someone here might try to deal with him themselves, and 2. He wasn't trusted.

"The situation has gotten a sh*t ton times worse and I haven't even had breakfast. What do I do??" John thought to himself.

He could just run away, but then where would he go? Certainly the headmaster would assume that John is a bad guy and notify the Loan Nation, so then where would he go? Would he become a national criminal if that happened? It's too risky, but what if he just left and didn't go to the Loan Nation. It wouldn't be suspicious, and he wouldn't be tested and wouldn't have to risk being put to death. But who knows how much walking before he finds another village, and that village may not be as welcoming as this one. The only option I have is to build up my reputation here as much as I can, and figure out how to fully utilize this amulet before heading to the Loan Nation. But that could take months or longer to do that.

"I don't have the luxury of worrying about stupid risks. It's all I have so it's what I'll have to do." John said out loud.

John stepped out of his tent and headed over to where the group was talking and greeted them trying to hide the sourness to not let them know he was listening in.

"Hello, if it isn't too much of a bother I would like to wash up, and perhaps have some food and water," John said.

The girl villagers all stared at John with eyes of interest and fear, while Krillax ordered Steve to do as John ordered. As Steve guided the way for John, John tried asking a few questions.

John: "Hey, how big is the Loan Nation compared to this village?"

Steve: "It's several times bigger. It's a whole kingdom, and has several villages bigger than this one inside."

John: "Do you know if they have work for a doctor? I may need to start some work to survive while I find a way home."

Steve looked at John a bit surprised by this question.

Steve: "You're a doctor?"

John: "Yeah. I would've had to go to school for almost 12 years, but I graduated early and only went for 6 years."

Steve stopped and looked over at John with hopeful eyes.

Steve: "Does that mean you can heal anything?"

John: "Well, I wouldn't say that, but I know more than the average person about healing others, and maintaining health I suppose."

Steve walked up abruptly to John and started dragging him in the opposite direction.

"Hey what's going on? Where are you taking me??" John spat out.

"We are going to my house. My sister. She's been very sick. You can help her."

John was about to protest, but this would be his way of building a reputation. The least he could do is check her out.

John was half guided, half pulled to the entrance of one of the mud houses on the outskirts of the village. He waited for Steve to enter and followed after him. The house was pretty small, only having what John could assume was a two room house, with a very terribly made table. Steve took John to the other room, and there he saw a woman laid down covered in thick wool blankets. Steve knelt down before his sister and tried waking her up, but John motioned for him to stop.

"If she's as sick as you say she is, it'd be best if we let her sleep. Move aside and allow me to take a look at her," John said.

Steve moved aside and John knelt down and took a look at her. She was shivering, yet she was burning to the touch and sweating. She looked very lethargic, and John could probably guess that she has a runny nose considered how red and irritated it looked.

"She has most symptoms for a common cold, or flu. I don't assume you guys have medicine or anything of the sort around here?" John asked to Steve. Before Steve could say anything, John stood up shaking his head and said, "You stay here with her. I'm going to take a look back in the forest and see if I can find anything." Before John could hear a response he had exited the house and was heading to the exit of the village.

"I could leave and never come back," John thought to himself. However hard he tried to convince himself to leave while he still can and just never come back, he couldn't get the thought of Steve's eyes full of hope that his sister could heal up. There's only one massive issue... John was a doctor.. not a pharmacist. He doesn't know how to make flu medication, but he would certainly try. It shouldn't be too hard to find some anti-inflammatory herb and mix it with some pain relief herbs, which should work well enough to allow her body to heal naturally.

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2 hours passed since John left the village, and he wasn't any closer. He did however find herbs that smelled like bacon and another that secreted a liquid similar to honey. John started contemplating more and more about just leaving and trying his luck with another village, but he still couldn't find himself abandoning Steve and the others. Even though they all do think he's some crook, and were pretty close to ending his life when he first entered the village.

John took a break, sitting against a fallen tree log. He pulled out his amulet and looked around at his scenery. All he could feel was contempt and despair for having been sent to his foreign world.

"Why can't you just tell me what or where I'm supposed to go?" he asked the amulet.

"What do you wish to know?" a random voice said inside John's head.

John looked around frantically. There had to have been someone close by who heard his question. Perhaps someone who could help and wouldn't treat him like a prisoner.

"Who's there?" John asked out loud.

"You are. But I suppose you mean me," the voice replied again. The voice was a very robotic, computer-like tone.

John just kept quiet and continued to look around him. His heart rate started to increase, and he just fell to his knees.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no. I'm going crazy, aren't I?" John asked himself in desperation.

"Well I suppose if you keep talking to yourself like that, some might consider that you are crazy," the voice replied. This time John caught eye of something. As he heard the voice talk, the amulet was lighting up in sync with what was being said.

"Wait, are you the one talking? Like the amulet in my hand right now?" John asked incredulously.

"Well, I'm certainly not enjoying my life was a few mojito's now aren't I?" the voice replied sarcastically. "What the f*ck do you think is sending the message to your brain? The Karen that's slowly sneaking up on you about 12 feet away?"

John shot up and turned just in time to catch the Karen beast making it's way over to John. John without hesitation, started running for his life.

"You know that by running, you only agitate the beast more," the voice said to John.

"SO WHAT!?! AM I JUST TO STAY STILL AND LET IT EAT ME???" John screamed as he ran.

"That's what most do, but you know what's most strange? Most people never encounter the Karen beast once in their life. It's a very rare encounter, but here you are on your second time 2 days in a row," the voice replied.

John's pace started slowing down, and he could feel any moment now he would be eaten up whole, and that'd be it. There would be no going back home, finding a charger so that he could charge his phone and continue playing candy break. John after a sudden surge of despair, just dropped to his knees and closed his eyes shut waiting.

1 second.

2 seconds.

5 seconds passed and nothing happened.

John slowly opened his eyes and looked up.

"Am I dead?" he asked to no one in particular.

"Not even close," the voice again replied.

John looked around and didn't see any beast. Before John was about to ask the amulet what happened, he heard a massive bang a few feet away from where he was. He turned to look at what fell, and after the dust settled he saw the Karen beast dismantled to it's core. It looked as if though it fell from a hundred thousand feet drop, but that'd be impossible. Right?

"What happened amulet?" John asked.

"Well when you decided to drop and give away you're life, I waited for the Karen to get about 10 feet away from you, then launched it out into the stratosphere. I'm surprised it came down, and so quickly might I add," the voice answered.

"Bu... But how could you do that?" John asked.

"It's pretty simple. I did it with magic," the amulet responded.