Ugh, my head!

A throbbing headache awoke Ash. He stood up groggily as he struggled to maintain his balance. With one eye closed, he found himself still inside the forest.

He blinked a couple of times and looked left and right. A translucent window with a blue hue was currently in front of him, blocking his view.

_____________________

Quest Completed!

…

Your level has increased by 1!

…

[Close]

_____________________

Dozens more windows were stacked right before him and he felt a slight irritation somewhere deep inside.

I get this strange feeling that I was insulted all the way to the ancestors of my ancestors.

Ash blinked a couple more times, and it finally occured to him where he was. His pupils dilated as he quickly dismissed the translucent windows and ran with all his might.

With his meager memory, he backtracked all the way down when he reached the crossroads.

A small path leads to the forest area where Ash remembered the monkeys came from.

I’ll never return to that part of the forest again.

He turned around and made a new path. Ash strayed away from where he trekked before and just entered the undergrowth. He pushed forth as he walked in the direction he suspected Appletown was.

This time, he didn’t encounter anything dangerous, but he was still vigilant and dart his eyes from time to time with his fluffy ears perked up.

Since coming to this world, I’ve been reckless, impulsive, and quick to judge. I don’t know if these traits are the remnants of the previous owner of this body or not. I need to be calm and collected.

After a few minutes of constant walking and caution, Ash finally saw the river, which led him back to the periphery of Appletown, where he finally saw the three-meter stone walls. He can finally put his heart at ease and finally think about his encounters.

My first kill for this world was unexpectedly a rabbit called “Rabbidt." The grizzly bear didn’t count since it fell off the cliff. I was half expecting it would be slimes or goblins if there were any nearby.

When I think about it, I couldn't help but compare the two instances. Why did the rabbit give better experience points than the huge bear? The bear was supposed to be stronger and tougher. What’s the difference?

After reaching the hunter's camp Ash immediately halted as he could hear someone talking.

He slowly took a peak from inside the undergrowth and found talking and laughing.

After a few more steps, he found that old man from yesterday along with a two others he couldn't recognize.

They appeared to be in there mid-thirties. One man and one woman where the latter donned a huntress' attire while the man was exposing his muscles with an open brown leather vest.

Ash didn't want to delay his return or else Lucy and Martha would notice so he took a short detour and traced the camp around to continue his return.

The bear gave a quest, while the rabbit didn’t. Did it just register as a random monster and not a boss monster? Also, the Grizzly Bear quest gave out different rewards depending on its completion. The Rabbidt only gave out exp and didn’t drop anything.

I'll check what I received later when I’m safe in Lucy’s room. Moving on. I need to find out how I can trigger quests. I need to use the interface to its full capabilities!

It was hard at first, but the more I use it in wider areas, I can feel my brain twitching or something. When I overuse [Telekinesis] I’ll obtain headaches. This particular headache lasted longer. I can still feel it throbbing. Aw.

Did I fall too hard back then? My head is literally just a foot away from the ground. How hard could I have bumped my head to cause this much pain?

It is fortunate to see my health regenerating.

Anyway, I’ll consider what happened a successful first test! I want to test this more, but. I have another skill to use.

[Telepathy] was the second skill he got after using most of his unassigned stat points. Based on the skill description, it could allow him to talk to anyone as long as they’re within a limited range.

Huff. Huff.

When he arrived, Lucy was still closing her eyes as she made a stance. She appears to be concentrating about something while Martha was nowhere to be seen.

I guess I was only unconscious for a couple of minutes. I think I still have time to test [Telepathy].

To test it, he needed to find a target. He jogged himself to the group of houses and saw people passing by.

The day was already in full swing, and as he could see, people were getting busier and busier with the festival coming. He noticed there were more people than yesterday.

I wonder what this festival is for.

He wanted to know more about the place, but aside from scouting, he couldn't think of anything else to learn more about this world.

Books.

I swear, I had almost read the title, but I lost consciousness just after the letters rearranged themselves. With my higher intelligence stat, I should be able to read it now.

Arriving in this new world just yesterday, he considered himself a noob.

Ash took a detour and found an inclined-looking tree stuck to the top of a building with three floors. The first floor was made from stone, while the second and third were made completely out of wood. From the outside, it looks like an inn, with the wooden mug symbol hanging at the entrance.

Ash climbed the inclined tree and was on top of the roof of the house. With his enhanced senses, this place was too noisy for him, but thanks to his time for adjustment, he could now discern and filter sound to his liking. For now, he kept it to five meters. But this time, it is not about hearing.

With his enhanced sight, his eyes swept throughout the area and got the preliminary layout of Appletown.

If I use the town square as the center, my home with Lucy and Martha is directly south of the town.

I can see a river of people numbering hundreds coming and going southwest from the town square.

I assume that area has the marketplace or the town’s entrance. Rows Housed surrounded the town square, especially in the northwestern area.

Maybe weapon shops and smithies were located there! I can’t wait to take a look! That's a lot of smoke coming from the northeastern side, and it’s messing with my nose.

Achoo!

Ash then left the area and gently walked to the other end of the roof to look at people down below. He can see a lot of pedestrians wearing different types of medieval clothes.

He could differentiate fighters from normal people due to the armor they wore. Some had full metal breastplates, and some only wore a single pauldron on their left side. Some have their bows slung at their backs.

I don’t see any mages.

He remembered the unforgettable glowing magic circle with complex geometric patterns and undecipherable glyphs he had seen before he arrived here, which had a majestic aura.

Maybe mages are rare and would be hard to find in a place like this. I’ll find them one day, but for now, it’s time!

…

“Sigh.”

Being a thief these days, I’ve been standing here for more than 3 hours now and still can’t find a single target! Me! Ian Busher will become the best Masterthief these human lands will have to offer!

The secret to my success is in the way I choose my targets. First rule! Find expensive-looking stuff! Now where... there! I can see an expensive-looking robe! That man must be loaded. Ha! Let me guess: a son from a low-ranking household or maybe a son of a rich merchant. Snot is still on the nose, a certified newbie!

Ian Busher then walked slowly towards the young man who was standing outside of the inn. He was about to put his hand inside the small slit on the side of the expensive robe but walked away in a chill way.

Fck, fck, f*ck! He has a guard nearby. He wore a single cheap metal shoulder guard, but it didn’t hide what’s below!

He saw bulging muscles that threatened his life if he stepped even an inch closer, it would be the end of him.

Now onto the next target. Ian Busher will settle now for a pocket change. It's just the first day. I heard this festival is going to last for the whole week. My opportunities will rain by then.

Ian Busher then walked to the other side of the inn and found a man with a black cloak and a hood lowering himself down to the eye level of the little boy in front of him.

The little boy looked starved and was about to pass out as he reached out his hand to ask for something.

The man with the black cloak then took his pouch from the left slit of his robe. He handed a single silver coin to the kid.

“Thank you, kind sir! May the celestials bless you!” The little boy received the money and ran towards his friends, who were also asking passing people for coins. They looked at the hand of the kid who showed them the single coin as they jumped for joy. They then ran in the direction of the bakery.

Hah! One of the easiest targets in my years of experience is the goody-two-shoes! They would be more preoccupied with helping others than guarding their valuables. I would be long gone by then!

The brack-robed person was still looking at the child with half of his face hidden by the shadow of the hood; the other half only exposed his lower jaw, free of hair.

He was about to stand back up when Ian Busher bumped into him and fell.

“Watch where you’re going, old man! You’re not from here, are you? You better behave, or I’ll tell the guards about you!” Ian Busher went around the old man and continued walking. The hooded man didn’t stand up and only looked down.

Hah! Easy. That’s what I said! Those types of people are E-A-S-Y!

Ian Busher tossed the pouch up in the air and would've made a smooth, stealthy getaway when suddenly...

[You!]

Huh? What? Ian Busher stopped in his tracks, failed to catch the pouch on time, and fell to the ground.

In a deep voice, the voice continued. It was so close he could feel someone just standing right behind him.

[I SAW YOU.]

Ian Busher turned around by instinct and found the black-robed old man was already standing. A head taller than him, menacingly, gazing down and staring directly into his eyes.

“Aah!” In a surprise, Ian Busher bolted and left the pouch on the ground, leaving dust flying on his tracks.

The hooded man who was left alone looked at the running youth, disappearing into the sea of crowds. He took his eyes off and landed on his pouch. He picked it up and darted his head around, looking for something.

A few more seconds later, he looked up to the roof and found a small dog looking at him.

He gave it a nod, and it too ran, clearly frightened.

“Sir, I have booked two rooms from the inn behind us. Our luggage has been stashed. The town's exploration is open for the schedule if you so desire.” An older voice came from behind the hooded man wearing clothes that resembled those of a butler.

Without turning around to face the old man, the tall man with a black cloak replied with a deep voice. “Thanks, Ed. I think I have a good feeling about this town. I can feel it. My opportunity lies here.” The large man with the brown hooded robe curled the corners of his lips slightly. He turned around and went inside the inn.

A few meters away from the inn's entrance, above the rooftops.

How did he know I was there? I thought I would be safe from gazes if I scouted from an unseen location. Wait, he did try to turn around for a while before looking up at me. But what’s with the nod? Did he know it was me? But I’m a dog!

A few minutes ago, when Ash was observing someone to test his [Telepathy] skill, he noticed a peculiar man wearing a brown tunic bigger than the man’s size. He was behaving oddly by looking in different directions, then stopped and pretended to do something else.

One moment, he walked towards the person who wore an expensive-looking robe and unnoticeably stretched a hand out just to stop midway, attempted to walk it off, and turned to the other side of the inn.

What? He was going for that man's pockets. Did he decide it was risky and wasn't worth the risk? But still! He's a thief!

Calm down, just yesterday, you thought Lucy was a dognapper, then you thought that Martha killed the original Ash. Don't be rash in your judgment, Ash; you just got your human intelligence back. Be calm and…

A few meters from the suspicious man with the brown tunic was another man with a hooded robe. He just finished giving out a silver coin to a street kid when...

He just bumped into that hooded person and took that person's purse, or was it a pouch? He is a thief! Hey, stop! Oh right!

[Psst!]

Woah! I can also hear what I say when I use Telepathy. Isn't that my old voice?

Ash was a bit fascinated by hearing his human voice from his previous life, but not that deep or suave. Just a voice from a mundane adult man who died unknowingly and is not trying to get the attention of the thief, just so he could test his new skill.

These new skills I'm getting are weird, why don't I have anything physical or magical?

The thief with the brown tunic stopped tossing the pouch midway and dropped it, spilling some silver and copper coins out. He looked left and right, looking bewildered at the possibility of being caught. But he only saw people talking, coming and going. He can't see anyone looking in his direction.

It reached him, yes! He heard me, haha! It's effective! Ash thought to himself as he kept himself hidden over the roof. His head was poking out, gauging the thief's reaction. He waited.

I thought the skill couldn't reach him. I guess the man with the brown tunic is almost two meters tall. That means his height saved me from going down to get the required distance for my skill to take effect. I guess if I use this skill, my only target is the head and not the whole body. Let me try something different.

[I-SAW-YOU!]

Ash used [Telepathy] on him again, but this time he used the most menacing and deeper voice he could muster.

The man in the loose brown tunic spun his head and turned his body frantically. Searching for whoever was talking to him.

So I can combine [Telepathy] with [Misdirection] and speak with a deeper tone, and it worked! I made him believe that my voice was coming from behind him, leading him to turn to his back.

There’s no way that he would know I’m hiding up here!

The hooded man was already beginning to stand up. Wow, he's huge! He must've been over three meters tall! What an enviable height! I was not even near six meters in my previous life.

The man in the loose brown tunic screamed in fright and ran away, dropping the pouch accidentally.

The man in the hooded robe retrieved the fallen pouch and returned it to his inner robe. He then looked from side to side.

He didn't notice me, right? He's not even my target. The man with the loose brown tunic was already gone; it was time for me to.

Suddenly, the hooded man looked up, exposing half of his face, and gave a light smile and a humble nod.

[Lloyd Everfrost sent you a friend request.]

! ?

Ash's eyes bulged out as he turned around to escape!

Run, little legs, run! He went over to the other side of the roof, traced his way back to the tree, and hit the ground in a sprint. He was okay, so he continued running.

How did he know I was there? I thought I would be safe from gazes if I scouted from an unseen location. Wait, he did try to turn around for a while before looking up at me. But what’s with the nod? Did he know it was me?

Also, what about the friend request? Why would you send a friend request to me? But I’m a dog! Wait, calm down, Ash. You used two different skills this time, without mana. Even if the hooded man was a mage, he shouldn't have sensed me, let alone pinpointed my actual location! Also, even Martha and Lucy can't see the interface. Lucy accidentally sent me a friend request mentally, and I accepted it. Wait, the hooded man turned around for a while, which means he wasn't sure. Did he know someone had helped him? But how did he know? I'll just ignore him for now.'

Bump!

"Hey! Oh, shi—a big white rat! Oh, it's just you, Ash."

Ash bumped into someone. He was so preoccupied with panicking and running around he didn't see he was already in the group of people inside the town square.

Some are gathered around the massive wooden construction with a sculpted female statue standing on top. It was then place over a carriage like wagon, similar to a palanquin but with the statue occupying most of the center.

Ash bumped into Bert's right leg who was was also near the wooden masterpiece.W

What did you just say?

Woof!?

Ash gazed up at the tall man who he had just bumped.

If I remember correctly, his name was Bert.

Hey Bert! Why aren't you with Martha and Lucy? I thought you guys would train together.

Arf? Arf! Arf!

While Ash barked, he redirected his gaze at the wooden sculpture, fascinated by the wooden sculpture's sheer size especially when looking from his perspective.

Bert then glanced behind him and explained. "Beautiful isn't she? I first heard of her from the stories of my grandfather. Not a lot of people knew the goddess at the present time. Thanks to Her who has been protecting the Barat kingdom long before being renamed into Mistranos by the Soren."

There was a hint of reverence in the archer's gaze as he looked into the eyes of the statue.

Then I guess she failed in her protection.

Ash thought inwardly as he observed the statue. It's not what I meant, but it's good to know. So the name of the kingdom which Appletown is a part of is the Mistranos Kingdom. But was it under what empire? So this person is a goddess? What's her name?

"Sigh, so in this year's festival, me and the other few like-minded locals decided it would be great for the young people of this town to know who she truly is."

Like I said, sigh. I forgot they couldn't understand my bark. I overestimated you, humans. What the!? Why did I consider myself a dog just now? I'm also a human!

The group of bulky people built the wooden statue from scratch and gathered around it. Most of them have bigger muscles and bodies. The group lifted the statue from the ground. Bert distanced himself from Ash and went to the onlookers. There are also others like him talking to other parts of the crowd.

"Good day, people! Forgive me for disturbing your day, but we need to get through. Please make way, and I assure you we will be done in a jiffy. Please make way!"

The people looked at him and murmured amongst themselves, but they still moved when they saw the giant wooden statue coming towards them.

"Heave-ho! Heave-ho!" The bulky men left the town square and went through the gap which the crowd created.

The palanquin was big enough to occupy two sides of the road along with the dozens of men around it and was light enough to be carried only with manpower. With a few dozen men, they slowly lifted it inside what seemed to be a warehouse near the town square.

The people who remained just watched the warehouse for a moment and continue with their day. Some tried to follow but were blocked by Bert and the others. So they just dispersed and went back to what they were doing. It's going to be a topic of discussion during their lunch or something.

Bert then started to walk towards somewhere.

Right, their training should start right about now.

Curious Ash decided to follow him as was already done testing out his new abilities. With the only thing left is to consolidate and analyze his gains, but he decided to leave that when he's alone.

As he followed Bert, he tried to ponder.What could be Bert's role in their training when he's a Green Archer? It's much cooler than Healer.

With Martha asking him for help with the training, maybe he's a decent fighter. But not stronger than Martha.

What's he going to do? Try and shoot them?

Bert squinted his gaze as he turned around and eventually looked down. He saw a small white dog was behind him.

"Ash, I didn't see you there," Bert thought about it for a moment and continued walking.

After they exited the town square, Bert started the conversation, "You're fetching me, weren't you? Your owners are lucky to have a smart dog for a squire or maybe a messenger is the right word."

Hey, I'm not a dog, I could try and become a squire if that's a class, but I'm especially not an messenger! We are in a symbiotic relationship. I will hunt for some food sometime in the future while Martha and Lucy eat them!

Arf! Arf! Arf!

"Bwahaha!"

Bert gave Ash an amused glance who was walking along with him and wiped a small tear.

"It's good to have a companion to talk to. I'm hoping that Martha will warm up to me one of these years."

So you are aiming for Martha! She's way out of your league, buddy! Well, she's also out of my league, especially when I'm in this body, but still, I won't stop you. I think you're a decent guy, but in the end, it will still be up to Martha. I'll just be neutral.

Arf, woo... Arf! Arf.

"Ash, oh, Ash, if you were not talking to me, then I think I'm just crazy."

Rumble!

The friendly chat was disturbed by a slight tremor. Bert turned his gaze to the source. He dashed the other road away from the source which was the path towards Martha's cottage. In in the blink of an eye, leaving Ash behind.

So fast! Bert where are you going!?

The sound was inaudible to normal people's hearing as they continued on their day around him. Ash heard it on his own and the way Bert reacted, he did too.

But why is he going that way!?

He then turned to Bert, and he too wore a serious expression as he redirected his attention to the source. When he remembered who was there his brows furrowed.

Lucy!

Arf! Arf! Arf!

When he turned back in attempt to get Bert's help, he was long gone in the river of pedestrians.

Ash clicked his tongue internally as he cursed Bert to trip on his sprint.

Ash turned around and then ran as fast as his stubby little legs could carry him. With his tongue sticking out, he traversed the town. And back to the sparsely grouped trees. He went inside the cottage but found no one there. There was also no sign of the area where the supposed explosion took place.

Phew, there are no dead bodies, and that's good, but where are they?

Ash then went out to the back and looked for Lucy near the giant tree just behind their house and found no one.

Boom!

Another loud explosion took place, but this time Ash can now pinpoint the location. He turned around and faced the forest just in front of him.

Lucy, I'm coming! I can protect you now!