The morning sun gave some meager light to the forest, yet not enough to wake Junk up.
He was greeted by his cat jumping on his face and licking his face.

Augh, what’s this soreness on my neck… Rasta was still asleep in Junk’s pocket. Right I slept like a log on the tree trunk.

I see Rasta is still asleep. I’d better be careful to not wake her up, I hate it when someone wakes me up for no reason.

The cat had done as instructed and woke Junk up at the early hours of the morning. He had fallen asleep early in the evening.

Dwarf and cat went ahead on their journey, while their new companion slept.

Just as Junk was stepping over a particularly thick root, the cat snarled. Then as the snarl woke up Rasta, a louder sound of breaking branches ensued.

A wild rogue lion horse wood appeared!

The horse was a brown colour on four stiff legs that were hanging above the ground. Reaching the ground were four black wheels and releasing a terrible noise of friction.

On the shapely posterior the bizarre creature had a lion head that roared upon being stared at. Accompanying the horse and riding on it’s back was a skeleton clad in a yellow robe, in its hands it held a metallic shield and a candle.

It rested the hand holding the handle upon the horse’s arse.

And as Junk stared at it the creature’s horse head spread into two.

The wild rogue lion horse wood also known as RLHW#1, passed over the uneven forest ground at full speed, bumping over the roots all the way. It swayed left, right, up and down. Its head bobbed at the same time.

The now awoken Rasta rubbed her eyes and started laughing.

“W-What is that!” Junk was more amazed and frightened, but he could not ignore its high speed approach.

The horse heads opened their mouths and a sharp glint appeared.

*whoosh*

Two arrows sailed through the air, the metallic screech of the RLHW#1 intensifying.
“Shit!” It was the last thing Junk could say before the arrows came his way.

An arrow barely sailed past Junk’s head, but the other arrow hit it’s mark.

Junk’s heart.

Yet by some manner of magic it did not penetrate.

The arrow got stuck inside the wood, that appeared over the pocket and did not manage to pierce through.

It seemed that I got saved by Rasta.

“Epp! T-that was close.” The vampire Alrune covered her eyes, the arrow got way too close and combined with the abomination made her mind short-circuit. The cat quickly attacked using its water blade attack.

The blades were upon the horse in an instant. The lion bellow the candle let out a great roar.

When the water blades passed the creature, it was gone. Junk hearing the screeching of the wheels quickly turned his head.

Using the training he did with his master Junk casted water droplets and freeze at the same time. They turned into a hail of icy spears.

The horse did not slow. It turned around and charged with the lion head facing forwards.

The lion’s eyes glowed red and the fire from the candle released a buzz.

The fire grew and in but a moment spread into a wide cone shape. The fire melted the spears and charged towards Junk.

There was no escaping the wide fire from the horse’s arse.

How can I dodge this! This the end! Junk was in disbelief, how was he even supposed to know about its detestable prowess. It was unbelievable, an isekai death so lame and boring?

Then came the flash of fire, a meow was heard. Junk felt like he was still in one piece.

“...”

Inside the smoke there was only silence. Junk felt hot air akin to steam rise up into the air past his face.

“I’m still alive! I’m still alive.”

Rasta peeked out of the pocket, she did not see the horse anywhere but the cat was also missing.

“Where is it?”

Junk looked around and not seeing anything he bluffed.

“Above!”

He quickly turned to the sky, just in time to see the horse carried away by a giant bird. It looked like a dragon, now that Junk thought about it.

“Watch out!” Rasta yelled in surprise, she saw a shape approaching from behind.

“Huh?”

Junk was too slow to turn and felt a great pain in his head.

He fell down onto the ground and when he tried to rise he fell back down again. He was completely stunned.

“It’s the horse’s skeleton!”

The yellow robe wearing skeleton lost its candle and judging by the fire in its eye sockets, it was pissed. It had loved that horse the most!

It had struck Junk with its shield and was trying to do so again.

Junk could not rise and it hit his head. This time it hit Junk right in the face.

“Fuck”

The pain allowed the dwarf to move again. Rasta was too scared and covered her eyes, she did not like violence and did not want to see her new friend Junk get beaten up.

The skeleton cackled and roared in hate.

Junk quickly rolled on the ground and got some distance from the skeleton, but the movement made Junk leave the golden hammer behind.

“Oh yeah? You think you’ve won?!”

The skeleton executed a stunning shield bash in a moment, despite being prepared Junk could not respond in time.

“Arghhh! Stop spamming!”
And the skeleton executed the bash again and again. It was shamelessly using the same move over and over again.

Junk got hit in the face time and time again. One of his eyes was swollen and he was swaying almost knocked out.

Rasta was crying in the pocket, she was frozen in fear and wished that she could help Junk. But she was too weak.

He would have to win the fight himself.

Junk’s hands were swaying, he could not even make a fist. The skeleton unleashed the strongest shield bash ever and sent Junk flying into the air. He spun and fell down landing on his back digging into the earth, before coming to a stop covered in rubble.

Junk’s eyes closed, the beating was too much. He saw himself when he first came into the world. The devastation brought upon the dwarfs by the Empire.

He felt the first time when he appeared upon this world, then how he found some pants, the golden hammer, and he saw it. The wrench!

The skeleton towered over Junk, it rose its shield and charged its attack. This time it would be the final skull breaking shield bash.

Rasta screamed out in fear, her face coated with tears.

The skeleton’s shield came down. The very air parted before the mighty blow.

A loud sound ensued, the air scattered at the contact. A shockwave was released and spread out blowing the leaves from the surrounding trees.

The shield pushed down the skeleton roaring, but it didn’t budge. It was stronger. It did not care about the shield. Junk looked up at the skeleton, one eye half opened, but both were glaring bloodshot.

Then it moved. The skeleton broke into tiny bits.

It was the wrench.

Then the shards of the skeleton scattered into the wind. The wrench shined with a metallic glint.

“This is my wrench.”

Added Junk, as he put the wrench back into his trouser pocket. He was exhausted and felt like he was… Well, bashed in the head with a shield many times.
Rasta climbed out of the pocket and put her tiny hand onto Junk’s cheek in worry.

“Junk! Are you alright!”

*cough cough*

“Yeah… Just a bit bruised tho.” His head was very swollen and the eye wasn’t looking good.

It was already midday and the sunlight reached Junk’s eye, which made him wince in pain. Junk looked terrible and it made Rasta feel even more guilty and sad that she could not help him.

“Don’t worry… Let me just drink this potion.” Junk grabbed a healing potion and drunk the blood red liquid inside.

“Arg… Fuck!”

Junk felt the pain from his nose rearranging and his jaw being reconnected. His swollen eye also followed and healed.

The effect was surprising to say the least, it seemed that his master did not leave him with any ordinary potions. Pom didn’t spare any coin in regards to these three healing potions. There was an antidote inside the bag as well.

After healing he opened the map and checked the compass. There we go at least we aren’t completely lost. Then he was very thirsty, it seemed that while the potions healed without leaving a scar they did not replenish the lifeblood or sated thirst.

“Man… What I’d do for some good mead...”

He casted water droplets twice and drank the water.

“Still thirsty… Must have lost a lot of blood...”

Rasta eyed him, the blood that was on his now healed body was looking delicious.

“Um… Could I have some of that blood? I will give you some of my nektar after, before it dries!”

“You have more of that nectar!? Deal!”

Junk let her have her fill of the blood droplets that were extracted from the wounds by the potion, when it healed him. Then he was given the best drink, brewed by the flushed girl.

He was finally refreshed and restored to full strength, the afternoon sunshine made the struggle feel like a dream, then the lukewarm feeling coming from his worn muscles made the dwarf feel like satisfied. The day was very productive and no troll monster was going to ruin it.

Except, well… A troll. A real big green troll.

Junk was rushing through the forest at full speed. He had re-summoned his water cat, he still had one summon left, prepared to have the cat guard at night today as well. But it wasn’t going well.

The troll was pretty fast albeit just a tad slower than Junk. But it just crashed through the trees, while Junk had to weave between them.

“Wheeee~”

Rasta was cheerful, they had evaded death successfully before and she was still a bit intoxicated by the amount of blood she had drunk.

“Not so fun when you need to keep running!” Junk squeezed in between the deep breaths.

“We aren’t ready to take on a troll!”

Junk used droplets, once onto the ground then casted freeze. The ground froze and the troll slipped. Its speed combined with its weight stunned it after it crashed head first into the ground and hit its jaw.

Junk gave it the slip.

Now that they got away with Rasta and the cat, Junk only had two water droplets for the day and two casts of freeze. He was also saving one cast of the water conjuration for the night.

The troll grumbled and if it had a keyboard it would have smashed it to bits. Junk had blocked it and it would have to go home hungry, back into its mom’s cave.

After the three or so days spent on the journey from Tom’s Snuffle Fluff, Junk would be approaching a village of demonic barbarians. It was stated on the map to be neutral territory and that it was biggest adventurer’s hub in the area. Junk would rank up there and do some quests, he would also have to grab some supplies. Either way it was in the way towards Gilara and he needed to increase his prowess. The last few days taught him more about the world and strengthened his resolve.

He would learn about monsters, learn the way to fight, get experience and return to clap some buttcheeks.