POV - Tobias

Walking toward the light down the hallway, I discovered it was only a castle window. The type of castle window without glass that allows arrows to fly through them.

Glancing outside, there seemed to be a massive chasm leading deep into the earth. Fog gathered enough to prevent anyone from seeing its bottom. Further beyond the chasm was a forest, a massive bright green forest stretching far into the distance.

Strangely, I could spot the outline of people. Not one or two people, but a massive group of people searching the edge of the forest for something.

What the hell? How are there so many people?

Actually... can ‘analyze’ work from this far away?

Attempting it, I quickly discovered it worked.

{Leon Timothy – Extremely weak, engage at will}

Similar results appeared for everyone in the group. They were all weak, which is extremely puzzling.

These results don’t make any sense. According to ‘analyze’, they’re as weak or weaker than that tiny weak spider from earlier.

How have they survived this long?

“Rin, have you seen this?” Calling back toward Rin, who had unfurled a map onto a table.

When Rin didn’t respond, I strode over toward her to look at the map with her. It seemed to be a map of the surrounding area considering the chasm and forest is on it. Various words from Rin’s language were written on the map.

Over the past year, I had gotten Rin to teach me a few written words from her language. I only recognized one word on the map, though. The word for ‘Easy Difficulty’.

“Is this Easy Difficulty?” I confirmed with Rin who was leaning over the map.

Rin replied, “Specifically, the Second Zone of Easy Difficulty.”

We were teleported into Easy Difficulty? Huh… that does explain why those people are so weak.

“Anything else interesting written on the map?” I said, walking back toward the window.

“It shows the location of the temples in the zone. Even if they are still undiscovered, I doubt they’re worth exploring though.” Rin explained somewhat distracted.

Peering out toward the group on the edge of the forest, I asked. “Does it show the exit beacon?”

Rin stated plainly, “It’s far away. At least three months journey.”

*Sigh…* Three months? That’s a massive waste of time.

“Any idea on where everyone else was teleported to?” I asked without much hope.

“It doesn’t say.” Rin replied folding up the map and walked to the window to look outside with me.

We simply stood together in silence watching the people in the distance as the wind tickled our faces. It’s peaceful here, the Residential Zone hadn’t felt as peaceful as this place does.

As the wind died down, I finally asked. “I don’t suppose you have any ideas on how to get across that chasm?”

Rin simply shook her head. “Presumably there’s a exit somewhere.” She said before pointing toward the group. “They’re looking for somebody called Bai Xiaobao. Apparently, he stole something from them.”

Attempting to judge the distance, I came up with a rough estimate. About two hundred meters away.

Rin can hear them from this far away? Over the wind and other noises? Her wolf-ears are impressive.

No wait… didn’t I analyze a ‘Bai Xiaobao’ earlier.

Moving closer to the window, I analyzed people until I found him again.

{Bai Xiaobao – Weak, engage cautiously}

Yeah, that’s him the person in the center directing the search.

Pft, he’s hiding in the group that's searching for him. Not only that, he’s directing the search. Bold move, little guy.

Wait, engage cautiously? He’s consider weak, yet analyze is recommending to be careful fighting him? That can happen?

Somewhat curious about him, I turned back toward Rin and asked. “He stole something from them?”

Rin closed her eyes and focused for a while before replying, “Some people are shouting about stolen items, others are stating he’s a public menace, one is claiming Bai Xiaobao put a glitter bomb in his underwear.”

Bursting into laughter at that last one. What could’ve led to that? This Bai Xiaobao seems to be an interesting person.

Rin stared at me with a strange expression. Probably confused as to why I found it funny.

I responded by pointing toward the person directing the search and said, “That’s Bai Xiaobao.”

Rin said slightly astonished, “He’s leading the search against himself?”

“Yep. Interesting guy, right?” I rhetorically asked, turning away from the window to search for a proper exit.

Rin stayed, staring out the window. Before joining me in searching for an exit.

POV Swap – Third person.

[Easy Difficulty - Second Zone; Year 2, Day 99… around ten minutes earlier]

Atop a boulder nearby the massive chasm on the edge of a forest was a brown-haired Chinese teenage boy named Bai Xiaobao. Surrounding the boy was a large group of easily one hundred people.

“This is the final straw, we can’t allow the phantom thief to continue.” Bai Xiaobao shouted voice full of anger and indignation. “Search everywhere, I saw him run in this direction!”

A group of around a hundred people that surrounded the boy began searching every nook and cranny furiously.

“The phantom thief stole my underwear!”

“Your lucky, he put a glitter bomb in mine.”

“He stole tier 9 monster meat from me!”

Outcry occurred from various furious people as they called out their complaints and grievances.

“He’s a public menace, we’d be doing the world a favor by getting rid of him. Find him!” Everyone shouted some phrase of agreement.

Someone called out, “I put a tracking artifact in one of the twin-tailed chickens he stole! According to the receiver he’s in the area! Fan out. He can’t get away this time!”

If anyone of these people were to choose someone who had the largest grievance with the phantom thief, they would choose Bai Xiaobao who stood atop the rock. He was the phantom thief's first victim. All his clothes and artifacts had been stolen and he was left outside in the wilderness to die.

At least, that’s what they believed.

Bai Xiaobao jumped off the rock and joined the search. However if someone looked carefully, they would notice a new addition, the body of a twin-tailed chicken, left behind in a spot Bai Xiaobao searched.

Despite this, the boy was the loudest advocate for catching the phantom thief. Constantly yelling and full of indignation. Even directing the search efforts at times.

Suddenly, one of the people called out, “My ability finally refreshed, the phantom thief’s name is Bai Xiaobao!”

“Bai Xiaobao, that’s a Chinese name! Keep an eye out for someone Chinese!” Someone contributed.

Everyone searched with renewed vigor ignoring the Chinese Bai Xiaobao in their midst, who they knew as Zhang Wei.

After all, how could they suspect someone who had suffered as much as the boy had at the hands of the phantom thief? He’s the most vocal critic against the phantom thief.

Eventually, somebody found the dead body of the twin-tailed chicken. "The tracked twin-tailed chicken! Quick, everyone search this area!”

A new frenzy of activity occurred for several minutes before dying down.

Eventually, someone cried out frustrated. “He must have escaped! We were so close!”

“Damn him!” Another yelled.

Bai Xiaobao persuaded, voice full of frustration and anger, “We can’t give up, he might still be in the area!”

Someone patted Bai Xiaobao on the shoulder, saying. “The phantom thief is probably long gone at this point. We’ll get him next time, Zhang Wei.”

Another person patted his other shoulder, “Let’s head back to the village. We’ll catch Bai Xiaobao next time.”

Bai Xiaobao's determined voice rang out, “No, I’ll search by myself if I have to.”

Thus, Bai Xiaobao was left alone at the edge of the massive chasm of Easy Difficulty.

When everyone else had returned, he muttered. “Why do you all have to be so bloodthirsty? It’s not my fault, I was just so hungry and that glitter bomb was a complete accident. I'm lucky I lied about my name and was too embarrassed to correct them later.”

“How do you accidentally set off a glitter bomb in someone’s underwear? Were they wearing them at the time?” A male voice inquired from behind Bai Xiaobao.

Bai Xiaobao turned around, afraid of the sudden voice and completely astonished someone was nearby.

Bai Xiaobao quickly realized it wasn’t a villager. It was a dark-haired man, who wore a brownish jacket with a light-green shirt beneath it. His golden eyes were filled with mirth and had large grin spread across his face.

“Who are you?” Bai Xiaobao asked as he glanced about considering his escape options.

“Ah, right.” The man replied, scratching his head before doing a slight bow. “Tobias Amadeus Jr. at your service. Nice to meet you, Bai Xiaobao.”

“Nice to meet you too?” Bai Xiaobao replied cautiously.

“So… I’m curious, mind telling me the story about how you accidentally set off a glitter bomb in someone’s underwear?” Tobias asked, sitting down on a nearby fallen tree branch.

Bai Xiaobao stood quietly pondering his options before sitting across from him on another fallen tree branch and beginning to tell the story.

POV Swap – Tobias

Bai Xiaobao is definitely an interesting character. He’d make an impressive actor, considering his performance in front of the group.

I’m debating whether to attempt to take him as a disciple. He’s certainly resourceful enough to survive in Hell Difficulty and could potentially acquire an item I need from the First Zone.

On one hand, he’s weak. Extremely weak.

...and Bai Xiaobao is slow. In fact, from a distance I hadn’t noticed, everyone here is extremely slow. It’s like I’m experiencing everything several times faster than they are. Even talking is annoying, I’m having to physically slow myself down to interact properly with Bai Xiaobao.

Also, I wouldn't know how to train someone in this environment. Once we got out of the castle, everything became extremely easy to accidentally destroy. Lightly tapping a tree earlier knocked it down. It won't be easy to train someone when the environment is so fragile.

On the other hand, I’m going to spend three months heading toward the beacon of Easy Difficulty anyway. There’s no harm in attempting to train him. It’s not like I would be wasting any time doing it.

Focusing on Bai Xiaobao's story, which he eventually reach the end of and began complaining in a sorrowful and regretful tone, “… See? It's not my fault he put the underwear on. I needed to dispose of the glitter bomb before Sidney found out. It was the only option. Why didn’t he check it before putting it on?”

Laughing at his sorrowful and regretful tone, which made the story even better.

Well... if nothing else, he’s funny. I like him.

Swiping some dust off my shoulder as I stood up, I smiled at the thought of the various adventures he must’ve gone through to reach this point. “It sounds like interesting times. Are you planning on staying in this zone?”

“I’d love to leave, but everyone from the village would miss me. I couldn’t bear the thought of causing so much mental anguish.” Bai Xiaobao swiftly replied, taking out a twin-tailed chicken from his bag to begin cooking.

A strange expression appeared on my face.

Miss you? Couldn’t bear to cause so much mental anguish? Are you joking? If they knew you were the thief they were desperately looking for, they would string you up.

Aren’t you forgetting the mental anguish someone received from having a glitter bomb in their underwear? Or from stealing their chickens, such as the one you’re planning on eating now?

They’d probably be thankful if you left.

Slightly shaking my head, it doesn’t matter. It's none of my business. If he doesn’t plan on leaving, I won’t force him.

Picking up a random rock from the ground, I began using warding to enchant it. In this situation, it would probably be best to create a defensive barrier on the ground around the stone. Finally, programming the enchantment to activate when thrown downward onto the ground.

With my level of skill, it wouldn’t be of much help in Hell Difficulty. Here in Easy Difficulty though, I can’t imagine anything could break through it.

“Here, I get the feeling your going to need this.” Carefully tossing the enchanted rock toward Bai Xiaobao, who promptly caught it. “If you’re in trouble, try tossing it onto the ground below you.”

Since I’m here, I might as well create some good karma. Judging by Bai Xiaobao's ability to attract enmity, he’s certainly going to need it.

Walking away, I remember something. Turning back toward Bai Xiaobao, who seemed incredibly confused, I added. “Right! It’ll only last for about an hour and only works once. So, I’d recommend in that period of time you figure out another solution to escape.”

Nodding to myself in satisfaction of a job well done, I continued onward. Rin's probably gotten impatient waiting for me, so I should head back quickly.

I'd already walked halfway back before I realized I'd forgotten something. I never told Bai Xiaobao the rock created a defensive barrier.

Well, it probably doesn’t matter. I’m sure he’ll figure it out.