Chương 11: The Highlands. (Arc 2: Road to The Misfit City – Begins)

(Arc 2: Road to The Misfit City – Begins) There were two doors in front of me, and I had to choose one of them. If I hadn't, the knights would've killed me by now. I chose the opposite door that the knight pointed at. Because it was the right choice. It doesn't matter to me who is lying and who is telling the truth. I know this door was the one that leads to The Highlands. The choice was only to ask one question to one of them.

'If I were to ask that knight, which door leads to the highland. What would he point to?' I framed the question in such a way that, whatever the answer was, the knight would have pointed towards the trap door. If the knight that I asked was lying, he would say the other knight was lying and point to the trap door. If the knight was telling the truth, then it meant the other knight was lying, and he would've still pointed to the trap door. When I asked that question in the first place.

Both the answers pointed towards the trap door; that's what I hoped to achieve. Finally, I was about to leave this cave. Beyond this path lies The Highland. The corridor to the exit stretched towards an arch-shaped exit. Light poured through it, too bright. It caught my eye and momentarily blinded me. I was finally out of this mysterious cave. I made it. The color blue was painted across the sky. Grass stretched endlessly, as far as I could see. There were no unusual trees, no strange oversized plants.

Just an open plain. I breathed deeply. It felt like I somehow crossed the dimension to another planet. Two different sides of the planet were divided by a fifteen- thousand- foot- high cliff. Suddenly, I heard a voice behind me. I turned back, and the cliff exit sealed itself behind me, making it harder to locate. If I were to come here again, I'm fairly certain that finding it would be nearly impossible. I am just glad that I made it out. I thought that nightmare was never going to end. A flicker.

The display popped up. MYSTERY LOG QUEST COMPLETED: PROVE YOUR MIGHT LEVEL UP: LEVEL 18 EXPERIENCE POINT: +15 (TOTAL EXPERIENCE POINTS: 45) THE USER HAVE UNLOCKED AN UNIQUE SKILL. UNIQUE SKILL: FRACTURE POINT"Fracture point?" I mumbled. UNIQUE SKILL: FRACTURE POINT FRACTURE POINT USES ANALYSIS BASED ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE SPECIMEN AND CREATES A PIN POINT TARGET KNOWN AS THE FRACTURE ZONE.

"So, I can just target their weak points by this? That's really useful." But of course, useful skills like this... unlock when I'm on the other side. I think for now, I'll just hold off on upgrading my stats. I turned back and looked up the cliff.

"Scar, I'll find a way for you soon." Just hold on a little longer… I walked down the path to the misfit city. THE NEAREST CITY: THE MISFIT CITY DETECTED. DISTANCE: 10. 3 KILOMETERS Still ten kilometers to go. The path was too peaceful and too quiet. By now, I would've run into some trouble. I thought that's what my life was. For once, I felt this peace just trekking down the hill. But something felt strange. There was no wind, no insects, no animals or plants. Nothing.

I did try to find food and water, but I found nothing. Just the yellow grass stretching endlessly. Some of the lands were dried up, forming cracks and breaking apart. The landscape just changed entirely. On the other side, there was no problem with food and water; in fact, the fruits were too big. Bigger than the size of a watermelon. My stomach started to growl. I opened my inventory and opened my bag, pulling out what little I had left from the elderwilds. I had to find the misfit city. Fast.

Time passed as I walked for a few kilometres. I saw the city in the distance. It was built on the northwest side of the outskirts. I could see a river near the city. At that moment, I felt relief. Finally, my search for the city had come to an end. The journey I went through was unsurvivable, yet I was alive. I kept moving toward the city, but something felt off. I had found a campsite. Right in the middle of nowhere. Abandoned. The smell, something metallic, I recognised it.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The scent of blood came nearby. I scanned the ground, and the land was covered with visible footprints, too many. Followed the footsteps and found the trail of blood, the body dragged across the land. Someone was attacked right here. Something felt wrong. I'm being watched. I knew I wasn't alone here, and someone was here as well.

"I know you are hiding out here. Somewhere." I heard the rustling of leaves just behind me.

"Come out now," I said. I held the axe in my hand and extended it towards the bush. For a moment, nothing happened.

"I won't say it again. Come out now!" A figure stepped forward. Raising both of his hands in the air.

"Easy there. I don't mean any harm." He said. I didn't lower my axe.

"Who are you?"

"I'm just a traveler, passing by."

"Why are you following me?" Suddenly, I heard a voice. WHOOSH My perception detected a wooden spear coming right at me, from another direction. My teeth clenched, my body moved back. My instinct kicked in. The spear went through right in front of my eyes, under my nose. It went fast. I felt the wind of it against my skin, in a nick of time. It was too close.

"Well… well… well. You got some nice reflexes." The man came out from hiding. The man stepped out. He had a massive muscular body, a scar on his nose, a wooden club on his shoulder, and he wore a dark brown outfit which used to be ancient. I had noticed those outfits before, back in Elderwilds, Aeris and her group had worn those outfits. He caught me off guard, waited for me to get distracted, and attacked when the time was right. But he wasn't alone. A figure came out from the left, then to my right. Behind me.

Figures stepped out one by one; they hid themselves well. A group of bandits. Ten of them. I clenched my fist, gripped the axe tighter in my hands, and took a fighting stance, cautiously looking at all of them.

"Are you really that stupid. You can't possibly think of fighting all of us." He said, chuckling. He is not wrong; I am outnumbered. One against ten are not the odds that I expected. My heart raced. They could attack me from any direction.

"I tell you what, I cut you a deal. You drop all that you have with you, including that axe of yours. And I might just let you go." The leader said. A choice, but there is no guarantee that they will let me go. The trail of blood stains. Dragged all across; they are no ordinary group of bandits. They are killers. Judging by the trail, it was fresh; they've killed someone, or they are holding someone as a hostage. I am sure a group like this won't just let me go that easily.

But I don't have a choice, I'm the one who is surrounded and outnumbered.

"If I do that…" I said slowly.

"You'll let me go? You won't attack me or follow me?"

"Exactly," He smirked.

"If you know what's best for you. You will hand over all the things you have been carrying. And we'll let you walk away." I hesitated, He has the upperhand, playing the numbers game. I can't do something stupid; they can attack me anytime. But they aren't.

"Okay." I dropped my axe.

"You can have it." I raised my hands.

"Wise choice." The leader said. It felt like the only choice to make. I can't fight these odds. The leader nodded his head to one of his men.

"Hey, you… Go and bring everything to me." The men walked to me, shakily picked up the axe, and gave it to the leader. The leader's eyes went cold.

"What's this?" He swung his club around his ribs, CRACK. knocking him across the tree.

"I said bring all of it." He rubbed his foot against his chest. The man's hands came up defensively, legs were kicking in the air. Nervously shaking.

"Please don't hit me, I swear it was the only thing that she had." He said.

"Tschh…" He gasped.

"What good are you?" He kicked right in the ribs, sending him crashing against the tree.

"Arghhh." He tried to scream but couldn't. This is how he treats his men. He walked straight at me. Eyes stared right at me, cold, dead. I swallowed hard. I know that look, those eyes, they are of a killer. I've seen those before. When my mom and dad died. I happened to look at the same eyes under that mask when they left them for dead.

"Are you mocking me…" His eyes didn't blink, not even for a second.

"Or do you think this is a joke?" My chest tightened, and I felt the same pressure back when my parents died.

"Look, seriously. I don't have anything on me." I raised my hands. He put his club on my shoulder around my neck.

"I'll give you one more chance. Give me everything that you have, or else." His voice lowered.

"I really don't have anything with me. I left everything back there... At the camp." I said. For a moment, he just stared. Then he turned his head and nodded.

"Hey, you two, go and bring her stuff here," he said.

"Wait!" I said quickly.

"Your men wouldn't find it. It's better if I go with them." He turned his head towards me and gave a death stare.

"What are you up to?" He said, looking in my eyes.

"Nothing, really… You can send your men. If they can find it, then you can keep it." I said.

"Go!" He said. Two of his men went straight to the abandoned camp, towards the tent. A few minutes later, they returned. Empty-handed.

"Boss, we couldn't find anything." The leader walked to me, and grabbed my collar.

"What game are you playing? Where is it?"

"I told you, your man wouldn't find it. I could show them." I said.

"You think I am stupid. You think I don't know what you're up to." He said"Please just believe me, I can show you. You can keep everything. Just let me go."

"Boss," another bandit called.

"We have a problem. You need to see this." The leader shoved me back and pointed his wooden club at me.

"If you so much as try anything," He said, looking me in the eye.

"I will kill you."

"You two go with her, and take that rotting punk over there, to carry her stuff." The two men kicked the man who was lying by the tree.

"Hey, get up, or I'll kill you." The man stood, limping. Walked ahead and right past me.

"Hey, you too... move," one of the bandits said.

"We don't have all day." We walked a few meters towards the abandoned campsite. Good, it's going just as I planned. Just have to find an opening and get the hell out of here. We reached the campsite, and there was nothing, just some burned ashes and a tent, some clay pots, and everything else was empty.

"Alright," one of the bandits said.

"Show us your stuff, will you?"

"Yeah, it's just right over there. By that tree." I pointed them in another direction. It was just enough time for me to blindside them. I cupped my hands and grabbed the burnt ashes. They turned back at me. I threw ashes right in their eyes.

"Argh!" they stumbled, rubbing their eyes. A flicker. The display appeared.

"I wonder why you took your sweet time." UNIQUE SKILL: FRACTURE POINT (DO YOU WANT TO ACTIVATE?) You read my mind.

"Yes" FRACTURE POINT ACTIVATED. WEAKNESS IDENTIFIED: KNEE JOINTS WEAKNESS IDENTIFIED: SHOULDER JOINTS FRACTURE ZONE: ACTIVATED. A precise X-ray vision flashed in front of my eyes. I saw exactly where to hit it.

"Why you, little —" I swept my leg low, and my body turned around. My heels connected to his knee joint, exactly at the targeted area. CRACK. The sound was sickening. He screamed louder and collapsed. Holding his knees with both his hands.

"You're gonna pay for this." He swung his club downwards over my shoulder, I dodged barely. The club hit the ground, while his hands were still grabbing it tightly. He tried to attack me again, this time swinging upward towards my face. I dodged again moving sideways. His teeth clutched with frustration, and then he tried to swing his wooden club again at me towards my face yet again. There's the opening. I see it. I dodged by ducking underneath it and spun my legs around, bent my body to a perfect angle.

Switched my legs, landing the tornado kick right to his shoulder joint. CRACK. The club fell from his hands and made a clunking sound, multiple times as it fell to the ground. He screamed, grabbing his shoulder. I turned to the third man, who had been beaten earlier. The man who was sent to carry my luggage. He was terrified. Trembling. His eyes went cold and he didn't move.

"What… what have you done?" His voice broke.

"I… I…" he mumbled in a low voice.

"Hey you, this is your chance, go run! Before they come back." I said. He did not respond to me.

"Hey, I am talking to you, are you even listening to me." He kept staring at those bodies.

"I said, you can go... you are free now." I spoke in loudly.

"Just run away." He still hadn't moved....

"Fine, if you want to stay, then stay, but I have to keep moving." Suddenly, he picked up the spear, hands shaking. Pointed at me"I can't let you go." He said. I stared at him, "What?"

"I said, you're not going ANYWHERE!" He screamed.

"Hey, keep it down… will you. Don't be stupid, you can escape too." I said.

"And go where exactly?" He broke. Tears rolled down his face.

"Don't you see?" Fear in his voice.

"You can't escape him. Drago is a monster." The man's arms were trembling as he held that spear within his grasp, those steps he took forward were also shaking heavily. Like he had no other choice but to come at me.

"If I let you go…. He won't kill me," his voice cracked. A cold look settled in his eyes.

"He will kill my daughter..."

"He will kill my wife..."

"Do you have any idea, what am I going through huh." He kept moving forward trembling and moving in fear. What was I supposed to do, help him? Or escape this place in one piece? Drago, that was the name he mentioned, that was the name of the leader. He is terrified of him; it seems his family is kept hostage. But should it be my problem? I won't get another chance if I let this go. But my body didn't move; it refused to. He is going to lose his family. … Just like I did. I clenched my teeth and balled my fist.

What are you planning to do, Nova! Don't be stupid, just escape. But if I let this happen again, then I am nothing but a coward who runs away from tough situations. I can't just run away… not this time.

"I'll help you," I said.

"Wait, really… you mean that?" The spear dropped from his hand, and he dropped to his knees. Crying.

"Yes," I walked closer.

"Don't worry." I put my hand on his shoulder. His eyes, I noticed it... they were just like mine, when I was younger and looked myself in mirror. The eyes filled with emptiness and pain. He wasn't just afraid of Drago. He was suffering from the darkness he carried along with him.

"Tell me everything..." He looked at me for a second and then nodded.