Chapter 2: The Mage and the Suspicious Farmer
After suffering for a long time, his breathing thankfully calmed down. After his blurry vision cleared, Menachem got up.
The ground was black, and the trees and vines that stretched out in all directions were leafless. A thick fog billowed, limiting visibility. It was a desolate forest, as if a wildfire had recently been extinguished.
‘I barely made it out, and this is what I get……’
Suddenly, he stuck out his tongue and started walking in circles. It occurred to him that even fog was moisture. He walked around like a fool for quite some time.
Until he made eye contact with a man standing by a tree, looking as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have.
Menachem, who had frozen in place, put his tongue back where it belonged and faced the man. He was a man with a Western face, who looked to be in his late forties. He wore a large cloak, a shirt, and cotton pants. The wooden staff in his hand looked like something a mage would have.
Menachem felt a chill as he saw the man raise his staff and point it at him. His current appearance was definitely closer to a monster than a human!
Menachem stretched out his arms and shouted in a cracking voice.
“Wait! Wait a minute! I’m a person!”
The man hesitated, then replied without lowering his staff.
“A zombie that talks? And with such a charming voice.”
“I’m not a zombie, I’m a person. I know it’s hard to believe. But I don’t know why I look like this either.”
“Give me proof. Where are you from, and who are you?”
Menachem almost blurted out that he was from another world. But after thinking about it again, he thought it would be better to hide such an important truth for now.
“I don’t know. I woke up here, and I don’t remember anything.”
“Wow, that’s a really convenient excuse, isn’t it? If you say that, even a murderer caught red-handed could be innocent, right? I woke up, and there was a knife in my hand, and this person was lying on the ground!”
He was right. Menachem didn’t have many options, and he chose to continue with the same claim with an innocent expression. It would be the worst outcome to die from messing around while knowing nothing.
“It’s a really suspicious situation, yes. But it’s true! I’m a person.”
The man clicked his tongue and replied.
“Look, listen. I came here because I sensed a unique but powerful magic, right? But the magic I feel from you is at the level of a country farmer? Then you’re definitely not a Lich.”
“Uh, yes. I guess so.”
“Then the answer is clear. The Lich created you and cast a spell to temporarily allow you to speak. It’s trying to make me lower my guard by talking to me, while the Lich itself hides in the fog and ambushes me. How about it, sounds plausible, right?”
*Kwa-du-du-du-du!*
Suddenly, a loud noise like the earth being overturned was heard. The next moment, a black-stained tree branch stretched out from the fog and attacked the man.
As if he had expected it, he turned towards the branch and held out his staff.
A burning circle appeared in the air, blocking the branch.
*Thwack!*
Unlike its appearance, the burning circle didn’t split apart like real flames. Instead, it effectively blocked the branch with a dull thud.
*Whoosh-*
The branch was engulfed in flames from the point where it collided with the circle. The fire spread at a tremendous speed. The branch wriggled like a tentacle and then retreated into the fog with the sound of a whip cracking.
Menachem, who was watching in bewilderment, screamed inwardly. Wasn’t this a situation that seemed to shout ‘Your guess was right’ to the mage?
The man, despite being attacked, shouted in an excited voice.
“Ha! See, I was right? You damn zombie bastard. No, you’re just a puppet, aren’t you? Where are you hiding, Lich!”
The burning circle disappeared as the man swiped his staff through the air. He tapped the ground with the tip of his staff.
*Thwack! Whoosh-*
The fog was swept away as if an explosion had occurred around the man. Finally, the attacker’s form was revealed about twenty meters away.
Standing among the dead trees, it was indistinguishable from other trees at first glance. It looked like tree branches were intertwined to coincidentally form a human-like shape, but upon closer inspection, a clear sense of disparity was felt.
Where legs should have been, tree roots were tangled, and they wriggled and moved as if sliding. The roots looked like a lump of intestines.
Its waist was long, and its arms reached almost to the ground. Its hard, mask-like face had no nose or eyes, only a large knot hole. It was probably its mouth.
This monster, which looked like the embodiment of a tree’s nightmare, was over four meters tall from the ground to the top of its head.
The man tilted his head with a puzzled look.
“A Dryad? A Dryad of the Dead Forest.”
The monster, called a Dryad, stood still and stared at Menachem. It had no eyes, but it definitely looked like it was staring.
The man made an incomprehensible expression. He looked back and forth between Menachem and the Dryad and then spoke to Menachem.
“Hey, what are you? It’s staring at you? I’ve accumulated a fair amount of knowledge, but I can’t understand this situation at all.”
Menachem swallowed his saliva and faced the Dryad. He was tense, ready to run if it showed any signs of doing something.
But nothing happened.
A strange standoff continued. The mage was the first to speak.
He said to Menachem.
“I’ve been thinking, Dryads don’t attack people unless they’ve destroyed their territory or are extremely hungry, right?”
He glanced at the Dryad and continued.
“But it attacked me. But it only attacked once and stopped. So it must not be hungry, right? And it’s staring at you? So then, wouldn’t the conclusion be that it’s angry because an undead entered its territory?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the man pointed his staff at Menachem.
Menachem raised his arms to his shoulders with his palms open and shook them vigorously, saying,
“No, wait a minute! If that were the case, it would have attacked me!”
The man didn’t listen to Menachem.
Four flaming arrows were created in front of the staff. Just before Menachem could move his feet to dodge,
The sound of digging into the ground was heard again.
*Kwa-du-du-du-*
Seven branches sprang out from the ground in front of the Dryad and rushed towards the mage. The mage gasped in surprise and fired the flaming arrows at the Dryad.
He tilted the end of his staff diagonally towards the ground. A popping sound was heard, as if a wind-filled ball had burst, and the mage’s body floated backward and flew away.
*Swish!*
But the branches didn’t stop and chased him. The flaming arrows disappeared as they collided with a black energy near the Dryad’s body.
The mage gritted his teeth and stretched out his staff in mid-air. This time, a burning circle large enough to cover his entire body appeared.
*Thwack, Thwack, Thwack, Thwack! Thud-*
The circle blocked five of the branches, but it couldn’t withstand the sixth one and was pierced. Two branches pierced the mage’s shoulder and thigh like awls.
“Ugh!”
The mage groaned in pain. The branches returned, and the mage crashed into a tree as he flew. He slid down and landed on his buttocks, collapsing sideways.
Menachem ran towards the mage. He was thinking all sorts of things in his head.
‘Does the Dryad attack whenever I try to use magic? Or is it just when I do something hostile? This mage tried to attack me, should I help him? Honestly, I do look very suspicious. What if I leave him alone, he dies, and the Dryad attacks me?’
The mage was lying on his side, looking up at Menachem. Bewilderment was reflected in his eyes. He was holding onto his staff, but he didn’t seem to have the strength to lift it.
He hurriedly shouted.
“Hey, wait! I’m sorry! Don’t bite me!”
Even then, as Menachem ran without stopping his thoughts, something came to his mind. A flash of insight close to enlightenment.
“Shut up! I’m trying to help you.”
Menachem grabbed the mage’s arm and closed his eyes. But the eyes of his mind were wide open. Energy flowed from his mind, flowing through and enveloping his entire body.
The mage’s eyes widened.
“What is this……? How is your magic power increasing when you’re not drawing it from anywhere?”
When the magic power filled Menachem’s body, it flowed through the arm he was holding onto the mage. The mage tried to resist but changed his mind. He judged that relying on this person was the right thing to do to survive in this situation.
Menachem’s magic power instantly enveloped the mage’s body. All of this happened in a matter of seconds.
The mage saw Menachem’s closed eyes open. Radiance was pouring out from Menachem’s pupil-less eyes.
The next moment, the mage was standing in a world where everything was blazing like smoke. He had heard about such a place when he was receiving magic education in Freikeps.
The Immaterial Realm.
A place that overlaps with the Material Realm, but where beings of the Material Realm cannot go as they please. The term Immaterial Realm was, in fact, just a forced word temporarily attached, and not much was known about it, and therefore, it was a dangerous place.
‘He intentionally entered the Immaterial Realm! And even brought me with him? What the hell is this zombie?’
Menachem’s hand was still holding the mage’s arm. Menachem nodded at the mage and immediately soared into the sky.
They flew through the air like a launched arrow. Menachem found the point where the forest ended and headed there.
The mage was in awe of the reality where he felt neither wind resistance nor physical limitations, but Menachem was desperate. He had already experienced the painful backlash that came after doing this.
Menachem descended to the ground as quickly as possible and retrieved his magic power. They returned to the Material Realm.
“Ugh! Cough, cough, cough. Ugh……”
Menachem rolled on the ground, writhing in pain. It was a pain incomparable to the last time. Blood flowed from his eyes and nose, as well as his mouth. He couldn’t stand it and lost consciousness.
The mage couldn’t stand up due to his injuries and was lying down. He caught his breath and reached behind his back with his good left arm to open his bag.
Then he took out a leather potion pouch, took a sip, and applied it to his wounds. Once he was done, the mage, now with some leeway, turned his gaze to the unconscious Menachem.
He fell into thought.
◆◆◆◆◆◆
Menachem woke up. When he opened his eyes, he saw a rough wooden ceiling. The pain that had been raging had almost subsided, and now only the familiar pain remained.
The mage, who was sitting next to the bed, leaned forward to see his face and said cheerfully.
“You’re awake! How are you feeling?”
“Yes, uh, I’m fine, but where are we?”
“It’s a farmer’s house a little ways from the Dead Forest. I got rid of all the bugs in his field and asked to stay for a night.”
Menachem grabbed his forehead and sat up. He endured the headache and spoke to the mage.
“You…… You were also seriously injured.”
“I’m still a bit stiff, but I’m fine. I used a potion. Luckily, no bones were broken.”
It seemed like he was talking about the kind of potion that appears in fantasy settings.
“I see. That’s a relief.”
The mage hesitated for a moment, thinking, and then made a serious expression. He bowed his head and said.
“I apologize for attacking you.”
“No, it’s okay. I look like a monster, after all. It was the situation.”
Mages were usually grumpy individuals, but they still had a conscience. He couldn’t help but smile at Menachem’s generosity.
“I’m Elliot, a free mage.”
“Oh, please call me Menachem.”
“That’s an unusual name. I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere before.”
‘It doesn’t seem like a terribly strange name. That’s a relief.’
Menachem inwardly felt relieved and smiled awkwardly.
“Yes, well. It’s a bit unusual.”
Elliot’s eyes sharpened slightly.
“You said you don’t remember anything, but you remember your name and language?”
Menachem closed his mouth. An embarrassed wariness was evident on his face.
Elliot laughed heartily and waved his hand.
“It’s okay, it’s okay! Who doesn’t have secrets? You saved my life, so I don’t care about such secrets. More importantly, let’s talk about the magic you used.”
“Oh, so that was magic.”
Elliot’s face suddenly became serious.
“You used magic without even knowing what it was? And even magic to go to the Immaterial Realm?”
“So that place is called the Immaterial Realm. Yes, it just sort of happened……”
“This is amazing. You somehow used high-level magic to go to another world, suddenly poured out magic power that wasn’t there before, and your body looks like a smoked rabbit, it’s a wonder you’re alive. Do you know how to use any other magic?”
“No, I don’t.”
“I see…… What are you going to do from now on?”
It was a worry he had been thinking about countless times since he was in the cave. ‘I’ll get out of here, and then what?’ He had already found the answer to that.
“I’m going to try to find a way to survive. I don’t know anything about this world.”
Elliot’s expression became worried.
“Yes, I understand that, but you won’t be able to enter a city, let alone a village, in your current state. If you’re truly a normal human, you need to fix your appearance first. Honestly, your current face makes me lose my appetite just looking at it.”
“You’re right.”
“The most likely possibility is a curse, but I don’t know much about curses. How about we go see someone I know?”
“I’d be very grateful.”
Elliot slapped his knee and said.
“Good! Then it’s decided. I’ll guide you. It’s too dangerous a time for someone who doesn’t know anything to travel alone.”
“Thank you so much.”
“What, I should at least do this much for my lifesaver.”
Menachem suddenly asked, as if he had just remembered.
“But, with my appearance like this, did the farmer really let us in?”
Elliot grinned.
“I lied and said you were my familiar. But this kind of lie only works on people who are ignorant of magic. Don’t go around using it carelessly.”
“Right.”
◆◆◆◆◆◆
They talked a little more. The main topic was how difficult it was to deal with Dryads using magic, and Elliot intentionally avoided mentioning Menachem’s personal matters. That was the mage’s own consideration.
After a while, they heard a knock on the door. When Elliot asked what was going on, the farmer outside said in a slightly nervous voice that dinner was ready.
Menachem and Elliot went down to the first floor. It was shabby, but it was quite large for a house where a farmer lived alone. Wasn’t it strange that it even had a second floor in the first place? Because of this, Menachem’s brain started to imagine things as usual.
‘Did several people originally live here together, but they all died from some disease or incident, leaving the farmer alone? Or did they all leave for the city?’
He often doubted almost everything because of these thoughts, which he couldn’t control with his own will. But right now, he wanted to focus on the proper meal he was about to have for the first time in a long time.
The three of them sat around the table. The food was just baked potatoes and water, but to Menachem, who had been starving for an incredibly long time, it looked like a luxurious feast.
He skipped the formalities and grabbed a potato, munching on it with the skin on. To him, who had been chewing on pebbles and licking the moisture from the dirt floor, the well-baked potato was so savory and soft that it made him feel faint.
Elliot watched him with a smile and then turned his gaze to the middle-aged farmer.
“You said your name was Tyler, right? Do you live here alone?”
“Yes.”
Tyler answered and then looked at Menachem with uneasy eyes. He had heard the explanation, but he seemed scared nonetheless.
It was only natural for an ordinary person to be afraid when something that looked like a corpse dried for months in a barren wasteland was eating in front of them.
Elliot joked.
“Don’t worry. He doesn’t eat people, despite his looks. But it’s quite spacious for a house where you live alone, isn’t it? It even has a second floor with three rooms.”
“Several people used to live here. They all left or died.”
Elliot nodded.
“It’s a dark time. The war between the Eastern Kingdom and the Northern Alliance has been going on for years, and monsters and vile bandits are rampant everywhere.”
Tyler agreed with a somewhat uncomfortable expression.
“That’s right.”
“But what if I were a bandit? Why did you take me in?”
Tyler avoided Elliot’s eyes and replied.
“I don’t think you would steal, mage. You could live comfortably if you wanted to.”
Elliot leaned back in his chair and tilted his head as he spoke.
“It seems like you have more to say.”
Tyler was still looking at the ground.
“You could burn me to death with a single finger if you wanted to. No matter who came, an ordinary villager like me would have no choice but to make the same decision. To treat you kindly and hope you leave quickly.”
Elliot stroked his chin with an intrigued expression and said.
“You don’t sound like an ordinary farmer just by the way you talk.”
“That’s impossible. It’s just survival skills that time has taught me.”
And the conversation paused for a moment. Elliot crossed his arms and moved his neck, looking around the building, then took out a small pouch from his pocket.
*Clink.*
Elliot took out a gold coin from the pouch and placed it on the table.
“I’ll pay for the meal with this.”
Tyler replied in surprise.
“Huh? No, there’s no need for that!”
“Kindness should be repaid with kindness. Just take it. Use it if you ever have a chance to visit the city.”
Elliot put the money pouch back in his pocket and got up from his seat. He grabbed a potato and patted Menachem’s shoulder with the other hand.
“Let’s go upstairs. Your sinister face is preventing our friend from eating.”
They were acting as master and familiar, as they had planned beforehand.
Menachem got up and conscientiously took only half of the remaining potatoes. They went up to the second floor, leaving only Tyler with a complex expression at the table.
Menachem entered the room, dumped the potatoes on the table, and said.
“Something’s strange.”
Menachem had been listening to the conversation while violently annihilating the potatoes. He was someone who had been suspicious of everything in the world and had been indulging in delusions since he was in his original world. The farmer’s attitude was definitely strange.
Elliot whispered with a gleeful face.
“Did you feel it too?”
Menachem’s voice also lowered.
“Yes. It felt like he was hiding something.”
“Right. There are three beds in this room, right? The straw laid on the beds is almost new. There wasn’t much dust in the room either. It’s a lie that people left a long time ago.”
“Hmm, maybe his hobby is cleaning?”
“Pfft! Nobody has that kind of hobby. This isn’t an inn. Anyway, I’ve cast the bait, so let’s see how he reacts.”
“Bait?”
Elliot made a wicked smile and shook the money pouch in his pocket.
*Clink, clink-*
“I’m talking about the bait that I have a lot of money. I’m very curious about how our friend will act.”
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