Laguna ran through the forest, panting. The night air was still cold, but the atmosphere around him felt different. The wolf that had been chasing him had now disappeared. He didn't know how long he had spent in the ruins, but it all felt like a strange, vivid dream.
When he reached the spot where he had left Julia, he felt surprised to see her. He was preparing the cooking equipment with a calm attitude. Her face remained calm. She seemed unaware of how odd the situation was for Laguna.
"Julia, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting," Laguna said, trying to catch her breath.
Julia turned her head and frowned. "Long? You've only been gone for about 30 minutes. And why are you so disheveled? Did you fall while chasing your prey?"
Laguna was silent for a moment. How could only 30 minutes have passed? It felt like hours had passed since he had been in the ruins. Only then did he realize that time had stopped while he was there. Maybe it was the effect of the place, or it was something related to the eyeball that was now inside him.
Laguna shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I was just a little careless earlier."
Julia looked at him with suspicion but said nothing more. She went back to her work, checking the ingredients she had prepared.
At that moment, something strange happened.
Words appeared floating in the air above Julia's head without warning.
[Name: Julia Loveheart]
Race: Human
Skills: Housekeeping S, Cooking S, Accounting B, more...
Attribute:
Str: 2
Vit: 4
Agi: 4
Int: 11
Wis: 17
Luk: 84
The stunning sight left Laguna in shock. He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes. He wondered if this was an illusion or if he was just too tired. But the numbers and words remained, as if floating in the air, visible only to him.
"Julia, do you see something strange?" he asked, trying to make sure.
Julia stared with her hand on her chin. "Did you hit your head when you fell, Master?"
Laguna denied it without hesitation. "No, no. Forget it."
He immediately turned around and walked toward the forest, but after only a few steps, he stopped. Julia was watching him with a sharp gaze.
"Master?" she said in a sinister tone. "Do I have to hunt this time?"
Laguna shook his head, signaling his disapproval. "No need; let me do it. I lost my arrow when I fell earlier. I'll get a new one in the carriage."
After grabbing the equipment he needed, Laguna returned to the forest. He walked quite a distance away from Julia before stopping in a clearing. There, he dug a small hole in the ground, lined it with leaves, and poured water into the hole. He looked at the puddle he had made. His face looked messy. Then, something surprising happened again.
Another letter appeared above his own reflection in the water.
Name: Laguna Ashford
Race: Human
Skills: Magic Engineering EX, Invention Mastery S, Alchemy A, and more... Attributes:
Str: 7
Vit: 5
Agi: 6
Int: 27
Wis: 37
Luk: 17
Laguna's eyes widened. "So I have status, too?"
He looked at the numbers. The skills that appeared were consistent with what he had learned and trained in up to that point. But one skill caught his attention: Magic Engineering EX.
"What is this? Is it related to what happened in that place?"
He also looked at his attributes. He compared himself to Julia and realized that regular humans might have traits below 5. Their strength was above average. But what confused him the most was Julia's Luk which reached 87.
"What is this luck?" he muttered. "So far, I don't think Julia is luckier than me..."
He started to stand up. "Ah, forget it; I have to hunt. It seems like thinking on an empty stomach won't help at all."
Laguna stepped quietly through the forest. After a while, he saw a small rabbit in the distance.
Just like before, the animal's status also appeared.
[Rabbit]
Attribute:
Str: 1
Vit: 51
Agi: 10
Laguna was surprised and began to understand it. Even animals had statuses that he could see. But what was even more surprising was that, as he prepared to aim with his arrow, he saw something strange.
A faint shadow of the rabbit moved to the side, avoiding his arrow before he even released it.
"What is this?" Laguna thought. "Is this what Alfred called Future Sight?"
When he was learning archery, Alfred told him about a legendary archer. This archer could predict the enemy's movements before they even moved. But he never thought that he could experience such a thing.
Laguna adjusted his aim, aiming at the spot where the rabbit would jump. With a deep breath, he released his arrow.
The arrow flew, and in an instant, the rabbit sprawled on the ground.
Laguna stared at his arrow in awe. "So this is how this ability works… I can see my target's possible movements before they move."
He picked up the rabbit and prepared to return to Julia's place. As he walked back, his mind kept thinking about the possibilities of this ability.
If he could see someone's status, it meant he could know their weaknesses and strengths. If he could predict his opponent's movements, it meant he could gain the upper hand in battle. And with Magic Engineering EX, there might be even more things he could do.
Laguna smiled.
"Looks like my life is going to get a lot more interesting from now on."
Laguna returned to Julia's place with three rabbits he had hunted. When he arrived, the tent was set up. The campfire burned with a strong light, offering warmth in the darkening forest. Julia set up the campsite carefully. She even organized the cooking equipment, making it ready to use.
"Master, how about we camp here first before continuing our journey?" Julia suggested as she looked up from the cooking utensils.
Laguna nodded. "Sounds like a good idea."
They began to prepare dinner. Julia expertly skinned and cleaned the rabbits Laguna had hunted. She made a rich spiced rabbit soup and grilled skewers over the campfire. A delicious aroma spread in the air, warming the atmosphere of the night that was starting to get cold.
As they enjoyed their meal, a white wolf leapt from the trees and charged at Julia.
"Julia, watch out!"
Laguna jumped up from his seat, pushed Julia away, and rolled on the ground in a sudden motion. The wolves' sharp claws almost tore through the place where Julia sat just moments ago. Once they got up, more wolves appeared from the dark. Their eyes gleamed with a menacing intensity in the campfire's light.
The white wolf, likely the pack leader, had a wound on one leg. Laguna recognized it as one of the wolves that had chased him earlier.
"Looks like we're in trouble," Laguna said. He checked his waist to ensure his sword was there. Then, he reached for his bow with his other hand.
Julia stepped back, staying alert. It was clear that she lacked experience in fighting wild animals. The wolves began to surround her, crouching low, ready to pounce at any moment.
Without waiting, Laguna raised his bow and took aim at one of the closest wolves. He took a deep breath, focusing on their movements. His vision changed; he saw the shadows of the wolves' movements before they did. It was his new ability, Future Sight.
"Then…"
He adjusted his aim in the direction where the wolves would jump, then released an arrow. The arrow flew fast and hit the jumping wolf in the neck. The wolf staggered and then fell to the ground, dead right away.
The rest of the wolf pack flinched, but instead of retreating, they became even more ferocious. Two wolves charged in from the right. At the same time, another one leaped from the front. Laguna jumped aside to dodge the first attack. Then he twisted and slashed the wolf charging at him with his sword. Blood spurted onto the ground, but Laguna had no time to celebrate his success.
The white wolf itself attacked at a speed much higher than the others. Laguna had little time to dodge when the wolf's sharp claws came toward his face. He raised his arm to block the attack. But the wolf was too strong. It sent him flying backwards, rolling on the ground.
"Master!" Julia shouted in worry.
Laguna jumped to his feet, despite the soreness in his left arm from the attack. The white wolf stared at him with sharp eyes, as if gauging his next move.
"If this continues, I'll run out of energy first..." Laguna thought.
He reached into his Subspatial Inventory. He pulled out a thin steel rope he had found in the ruins earlier. He tossed the rope with urgency to a nearby tree. Then, he ran around the white wolf, holding the other end.
The white wolf tried to attack, but as he moved, he caught his leg in the rope designed as a trap. In an instant, his body staggered and lost its balance. That was Laguna's chance.
With his sword in hand, he jumped and swung it toward the white wolf's neck.
Blood sprayed into the air, and the wolf's body fell motionless.
The rest of the pack watched their leader die. They began to retreat, and then they ran away into the dark forest. The night fell silent again; only the gentle crackling of the campfire reached our ears.
Laguna lowered his sword, his breathing heavy. Julia ran over to him.
"Master! Are you okay?"
Laguna nodded. Scratches marked his body, and blood stained his clothes. He let out a sigh of relief, then looked at the now lifeless white wolf.
"I think we can use the skin," he said with a playful tone, attempting to ease the tension.
Julia could only sigh and shake her head, expressing her disapproval. "I'll prepare some wound medicine for you, Master. Don't move around too much."
Laguna smiled a bit. He sat by the campfire as Julia treated his wounds. That night, they were careful as they rested. They knew the forest was more dangerous than they had thought.