“Hello, it’s Alex here again--this journey has been so lonely. I may die of loneliness!”

I truly, genuinely want a companion.

After I finally reached the highway, I seemingly got lost along the route; it’s been around seven days since then, and I still haven’t reached any form of Human habitation.

But, I did get some skills: Sprint, 3D Maneuvering, Jump, Sing, Camping, and strangely, Washing. However, all of these skills are grayed out because I haven’t allocated any points to them.

I seem to have learned Sprint, 3D Maneuvering, and Jump after the second Meteor Shower; but overlooked it because of the confusion.

***

On the 8^th day, I finally found a village-like place on the Wide Area Map.

I sprinted towards it, but there’s no presence of people, according to the map. I wonder if they are taking refuge somewhere else, or if it got destroyed and everyone died; I feel a slight twinge of guilt at that thought--I would hate to murder an unknown number of innocents, including children, because of playing around.

However, if they were taking refuge, they should have come back.

Since it’s been over a week.

Before long, I reached a junction in the road, which is where it split off and headed toward the village; and there stood a crude signpost by the roadside. A meter-and-a-half tall post nailed into the ground with a board a attached, the destination is written with some form of ink.

“Uhh, I can’t read it…”

Something is written there, but I can’t read it at all--at least, it’s very different from all the languages that I can recognize from the real world. In fact, it reminds me of some of the fantasy languages from Dungeons and Dragons.

I keep the Map on maximum magnification, showing a wide area.

While feeling slightly irritated, because I can’t read the long awaited clue, I focused on the junction on the map--there was no real thought behind it, but it seems that I accidentally hit a bull’s eye this time.

“’Welcome to Eniki Village’, ‘Seryuu City - 32km’, ‘Kazo Kingdom - 105km’--I can read it…or rather, it’s in English!” I laugh and shout to myself, throwing my hands in the air.

The pop-up display appear above the map, appearing to now be written in English; it seems like it may be an effect of All Map Exploration.

Cheers for exploits!

For the time being, Seryuu City seems to be the closest city near here. But, lets go to the village first--I know that no one is there, but it will give me the chance to look around--alright, I will be honest, now I am so close; I am slightly worried about meeting people.

There might be hidden things at the village as well--if this is a dream, there must be something like a hidden quest. If--this is a dream-. I am a little unsure, since you can’t normally sleep in dreams.

The village coming into view pulls me from the rapidly darkening thoughts, about how if this isn’t a dream, what it may mean for me. I may have died from overwork and appeared in a different world.

Ahem, the village is visible on the other side of the field; which had appeared a short distance from the signpost.

Between the road I am on, and the village, extend fields that look like they have been abandoned for a year or more.

A world of weeds--even from this distance I can see that many of the houses look like they have been burned down--every house has one thing in common: the roof has been burned off.

Judging from the position of the village and the damage, I guess that this village was abandoned or destroyed because of Dragons attacking.

There don’t seem to be any visible bones laying around, but many miscellaneous things like baskets, wooden hoes, and other farming tools are scattered around as though the owners dropped them and ran.

As I started at the tools laying around, and though it’s too exaggerated to call it a revelation, I got an idea.

“If I got the Washing Skill from doing random laundry. Maybe I’ll get something if I dig into some of the farm land?” With these words, and a feeling of doubt, I picked up a hoe and dug into the weeded ground--carefully carving up a row and displacing weeds, pretending that I was a farmer.

>>Skill: Farming Acquired.

With a noise, the Log appeared as expected.

My gamer soul began to shout, and I decided to farm skills--trying many other things.

With a quick motion, I bend down and pluck what appears to be a vegetable peeping out between the weeds.

>>Skill: Harvesting Acquired.

It’s a bit fun.

Even so--isn’t this Easy Mode?

I am getting Skills much too easily.

Come to think of it, what is this vegetable?

Is it spinach?

As I stared at it, a message box appeared, saying: “Hisaya Grass; leafy vegetable -- it is seldom eaten raw, usually either pickled or processed into a condiment.”

Yeah, that’s overly convenient alright, it seems that this is another function of the Map.

With a grin tugging at my lips, I tried pulling out some weeds.

>>Skill: Weeding Acquired.

Seeing that I couldn’t do much more in the field, I walked across it and found an axe leaning against a burned out building. Picking it up, I walked to a nearby tree and began to chop it down.

>>Skill: Lumberjack Acquired.

Hmm, I wonder what I should try next, I have many ideas.

I pick up a stick and write a mathematical formula on the soft dirt ground: 1 + 1 = 2.

>>Skill: Arithmetic Acquired.

If this is okay, let’s try something a little more difficult.

E=MC^2

>>Skill: Lost Knowledge Acquired.

The famous theory of relativity is considered lost knowledge?

Though I would rather get some form of Magic or Energy skill instead.

This time I begin doodling stick figures in the ground.

>>Skill: Painting Acquired.

…Real painters would be mad.

Next I drew a simple Tic-tac-toe game.

>>Skill: Gaming Acquired.

What the heck is a Gaming Skill?

With a shrug, I sharpen the now blunted stick with a Lizardman stone knife that I took from storage.

>>Skill: Carpentry Acquired.

>>Skill: Weapon Creation Acquired

>>Skill Improvisation Acquired.

Three skills for one action…Nice!

Game breaking, but nice.

I take out some Lizardman leather and wrap it around one end of the stick.

>>Skill: Leather-Working Acquired.

I’m rapidly running out of ideas, so I begin wandering around to find inspiration; I discovered a cemetery, with what looks like a small shrine to some native god.

With a shrug, I joined my hands and bowed towards the statue sitting on a pedestal in the middle of the small shack--before taking out the Hell Water Bottle, I pour out some water, and take the last of my jerky out and place it on the ground.

>>Skill: Prayer Acquired.

>>Title: Devout Believe Acquired.

Well, I didn’t know what I was expecting; but I didn’t intend to get that skill--

Well, I seem to have gotten every Skill that I can think of, and I was starting to get tired of it--so let’s leave the village.

Walking down the highway, I see that the sun is beginning to set.

Going according to the directions on the signpost, I begin walking toward Seryuu City; when the sun completely sets, I wait for a second for my eyes to adjust, and begin to sprint down the highway.

When the sky begins to lighten, dawn approaches, the Map showed the entirety of Seryuu City. Unlike Eniki Village, there are a lot of people.

“Finally, Finally there is civilization!” I say to myself, finding that I tremble a little with excitement, with expectation towards meeting people--ignoring the thoughts, and minor fear, that flash through my head.

It’s been such a long dream.