Valenus' eyes flickered open and shut, catching glimpses of being helplessly carried over someone's shoulder into the depths of a dark forest.

Valenus vision was clouded and intermittent, barely registering the growl of a creature and the piercing gaze of eyes in the forest before darkness claimed him again.

Abruptly awoken by a splash of cold water, Valenus gasped, his eyes widening as he scrambled backwards towards a tree.

A muscular, blonde man with his hair tied back stared down at him, his expression intense.

Panic set in for Valenus; his heart raced, his body ached, and the taste of blood filled his mouth.

Valenus noticed bandages on various wounds across his body, clean and well-applied.

Trembling, Valenus confronted the man. "What do you want? How did I get here?"

The man's dark blue eyes flickered past the dancing flames of a firepit before meeting Valenus'. "I saw Xanisin, or so I thought, running along the cliff. We don't allow intruders here and shot to scare it. We didn't realise you were in its mouth until you were thrown from it, disappearing into the thick mist below."

Valenus leaned heavily against the tree, his gaze fixed on the man dressed like a character from his favourite video games, clad in a black gambeson with a padded chest, and a sword next to the man. Noticing the resemblance helped Valenus relax slightly.

"Do you know how I survived the fall? What is Xanisin?" Valenus asked.

"You survived because Olinatus, the mist dragon, chose to save you, for reasons unknown to us," the man replied. "As for Xanisin, it's a shapeshifter—or perhaps a mage."

"A mage?" Valenus interjected, recalling the woman in a cell that transformed into a crow amidst the smoke.

The man raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What do you know about mages?"

Valenus answered, "I don't know much. I once saw a woman vanish in a puff of smoke, turning into a crow."

"Hmm," the man muttered, gazing intently at Valenus. "And where are you from?"

"I'm from Earth and what is your name?" Valenus replied.

The man nodded. "I am called Salintus, and I suspected you were from Earth. I have a proposal. If you share information about your world and what you know of ours, I can help you learn skills to survive here."

Valenus hesitated. "Why should I tell you about Earth? You might attack it."

Salintus chuckled. "We can't reach your world. Only the game entities here can. Your knowledge is valuable. Others from Earth have helped us craft tools for survival. For instance," he said, lifting his sleeve to reveal a high-tech gauntlet. Pressing it, a light displayed an image of the map and two dots flickering.

Valenus, impressed, whispered, "Cool,I doubt I can help. I am not very good with technology”.

Salintus smirked while staring at Valenus through the flames. 'You'd be surprised by what you know. I once came across a man from your world who was weak and careless, and he thought the same. But as he adapted and understood more, he helped us create amazing tools like the one I just showed you. So, maybe now you won’t be of much use, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be in the future. Since Olinatus the mist dragon saved you, I'll help you for the short term. What is your name?'"

"It's Valenus," he replied.

Salintus responded, “I will bring you to somewhere safer, but we must rest for the night so your wounds can heal.”

As Salintus spoke of bringing Valenus to safety, exhaustion overtook him, and Valenus collapsed into unconsciousness, the last image in his mind being Salintus' smirk, illuminated by the fire's glow.

Notes from the Author:

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