Chapter 5 : First Contact

A sudden, silent attack by a predator. I barely managed to react in time, thanks to catching on at the last second.

Crack—!

"What the... What's this all of a sudden?!"

I rolled on the ground, jamming my metallic rod into the jaws of the beast that had pounced on me, trying to fend it off. Even with my enhanced physique, I couldn't shake off the beast pressing down with its weight.

Growl—

Drool dripped down as it gnashed the metal rod between its teeth, clearly seeing me as nothing more than a meal.

"Ah... Gross."

Despite the protective gear and arm guards I wore being shredded by the beast's claws and my body being covered in wounds, I calmly searched for a way to respond. The sudden appearance had startled me, but filtered through my fear and pain, it felt almost like an immersive game.

Thus, I could respond without panic, twisting my hands to create a momentary gap and swiftly reaching for the handle at my waist.

Stab—

Roar—

I drove the knife into the beast's nape without hesitation. Perhaps because I poured all my meager magical power into the knife using "Magic Affinity," the blade pierced deeply through its thick hide.

While pressing the rod against its jaws with one hand, I kept stabbing its nape with the knife in the other. Luckily, hitting a vital spot seemed to weaken it enough for me to hold on.

After what felt like an eternity of struggle, I sensed the beast's strength fading from its body.

Panting heavily, "Finally, it's over."

I made sure it was dead with a final check and stood up.

The predator was a black panther. It was hard to spot in the dark night, making it clear how fortunate I was to have noticed and reacted in time.

I inspected my condition, noting the torn clothes and equipment, along with the visible bloodstains. A total mess.

Luckily, the wounds were healing in real time. Though the gear was damaged, it had prevented serious injuries.

"Staying here any longer isn't a wise choice."

Considering the noise made during the fight and the spreading scent of blood, it was best to move on quickly.

I rinsed off the blood as best I could and hurried away from the scene. It wouldn't clean off completely, but it was better than doing nothing.

As I hastened my steps, was luck still on my side?

A light appeared through the trees ahead. Approaching cautiously, it looked like a small slash-and-burn village.

"Seems like it's still not bedtime, seeing people around. Thought it was late because I've been in the forest."

My first encounter with the inhabitants of this world. Despite my disheveled appearance, I tried to make myself presentable and headed for the palisade's entrance.

The gate was closed, and no one was guarding it at this late hour. While pondering what to do, a man peeked over the palisade.

"Who goes there?"

Relieved to find someone, I composed myself and replied,

"Good evening. I lost my way in the forest while traveling and ended up here. Could I possibly stay for just one night?"

"…You crossed the forest alone at night? The one filled with wild beasts?"

"Ah… Yes, it was quite the ordeal, but fortunately, I made it out alive, albeit a bit worse for wear. Ahahah."

After an awkward laugh and hasty reply, the middle-aged man scanned my battered appearance, then told me to wait and disappeared beyond the palisade.

"They're pretty cautious. But I guess that's expected in a village hidden in the forest."

It made sense they'd find me suspicious, especially with my unusual attire.

After a short wait, the man returned with an elderly person, presumably the village chief.

"So, I heard you've lost your way while traveling and ended up here, young man?"

"Yes, that's correct, sir."

Replying politely and trying to appear as harmless as possible, the elderly man gave a kindly smile and said,

"We ought to help each other out in tough times. Feel free to rest here."

Creak—

The middle-aged man opened the gate for me, and I thanked them, entering while greeting them courteously again.

"Thank you once more for your kindness."

"No need, it's late. You should rest, there are some spare rooms in my house."

The elderly man returned my greeting warmly, though the middle-aged man showed little reaction.

"That one's a bit prickly," I thought, following the elder and engaging in light conversation. It turned out he was indeed the village chief, and I learned more about the dangerous forest I had passed through.

Encountering just one black panther and finding the village not far off had been lucky.

"My name's Malcolm. And you are?"

"Ah! I'm Hans."

Upon arriving at the chief's house, which didn't take long due to the village's small size, Malcolm showed me to a room where I could rest.

"Here's where you can sleep. You must be tired, so rest well."

"Thank you so much. I don't know how I'll ever repay this kindness..."

"Well, if you're grateful, you could help chop some firewood tomorrow."

"Yes! I'm quite confident in my strength. Leave it to me!"

After Malcolm left, I was alone in the room. It was a bit dusty, but compared to sleeping in the forest, it was paradise.

With a relieved sigh, I finally relaxed, setting my backpack down and stripping off my ruined clothes. The top was beyond salvageable, as were the equipment damaged by the panther's claws. Still, better than nothing, I supposed.

"Though I knew about it... Experiencing their language and understanding it unconsciously is something else."

As I cleaned myself with a wet towel, I realized all my wounds had healed without a trace. "Super Recovery" really was a useful skill. "Magic Affinity" was quite handy, too.

After tidying up, I spread out a sleeping bag on the old bed and lay down. It hadn't been long since I arrived, but I had already fought a predator and met the locals.

"Yeah, I'm doing fine. The conversation wasn't odd, and the chief's reaction wasn't bad."

I smiled softly, gazing at the ceiling. Whether "Mind Hub" was helping here, I couldn't say, but I managed a natural smile.

After a while of smiling at the ceiling, I closed my eyes. Despite not having been in this world long enough to feel sleepy, adjusting to the new time zone meant I needed to rest anyway.

Slowly, I drifted into a dormant state.

***

I unwrapped the chicken and took a bite.

"Chicken is the truth," I thought, savoring the taste.

Right after sending my avatar to another world, I had ordered chicken, which hadn't arrived until I managed to settle down and enter a dormant state in that village. Well, only about 20 minutes had passed in Earth's time, so it couldn't be helped.

"And this is really nice. Taking a hot shower and eating chicken while comfortably traveling another world."

Another avatar, "Heinz," was put through rigorous training mode to follow "Hans" into the other world, prepared for whenever he might be deployed.

After devouring the chicken and cleaning up, I sensed it was morning in the other world.

"Hmm, maybe I should do some info gathering to see how the world turns."

I lazily walked to my computer and started browsing various sites.

Traveling another world was entirely possible while surfing the internet.

***

Though I had closed my eyes and entered a dormant state, I hadn't completely shut off all senses. When daylight broke and people began to stir, I opened my eyes and got up.

Avatars, like mine, need true sleep to rest their brains, but adapting to the time difference meant even a brief rest was sufficient for now.

"Good morning, Chief Malcolm."

"Ah, Hans, did you rest well?"

"Yes, thanks to you, I had a comfortable night."

I met the chief as I left my room and went to the backyard to wash up briefly.

"We don't have much, but eat your fill," Malcolm said in a welcoming tone.

"Thank you for providing food as well. I'm truly grateful."

"Hahaha, it's all about helping each other. Just lend a hand with some village chores later."

Though it was just boiled potatoes, hard bread, and soup, considering it my first meal in another world made it satisfying enough. It wasn't home cooking, but Malcolm explained when I inquired,

"Being alone, the folks around here take turns bringing me meals. It's a blessing."

The village community seemed closer than I expected, or perhaps the chief received special treatment.

As we talked, naturally, my background came up in conversation.

"Now that I think about it, your clothes and equipment are like nothing I've seen. Come from far away, have you?"

"Ahaha, I have a penchant for unique items. Wandered around collecting them over time," I replied, hiding my discomfort.

"Must be tough, traveling alone, eh?"

I stuck to my cover story of a wandering adventurer who got lost, casually inquiring about other cities nearby.

"Hmm… What would an old man like me know? I've heard there's a small city to the east, though."

The answer wasn't definitive, but I decided to head east next. Better than wandering aimlessly.

I planned to leave the village the next day, spending the current day assisting with various village tasks.

Gathering even a bit of information before moving on was essential for safely growing stronger in this world. It was a natural way to mingle with the locals and gather intelligence.

I filled water buckets, split firewood, and even helped repair the village palisade.

"Hans, could you pass that rope over here?"

"You've got good strength. What did you do before coming here?"

Working alongside the other men in the village allowed for natural conversations, providing an opportunity to learn more about the area and its people.

"So, the hunters handle all the trade with the outside world? Is there a safer route to travel?"

My physical strength wasn't an issue, so I kept busy without rest, using the opportunity for some extra training.

"After today's hard work, you'll need a good rest if you're leaving early tomorrow. How about a drink to cap off the evening?" Malcolm offered, after a day of labor intertwined with information gathering.

As the evening came and I washed up and entered the house, Malcolm brought out a bottle of liquor along with dinner. The alcohol was strong but not enough to trouble my regenerative abilities, and surprisingly, it suited my taste well.

Enjoying the novelty of drinking in another world, the time flew by as we shared the liquor. Realizing it was getting late and not wanting to impact tomorrow's departure, I reluctantly excused myself and retired to my room, slipping into my sleeping bag.

Unlike the previous night, having adjusted to the time zone and after a day filled with physical labor and a bit of alcohol, I fell into a deep sleep.

***

And so, I stopped my game and closed my eyes to concentrate.

Heinz, who had been squatting at the gym, also paused and closed his eyes.

...The connection with my avatar in another world, Hans, was severed.