Chapter 3: Chapter 2 – Groundwork

"Hmm hmm hmm♫♪" I was humming the opening BGM of my favorite mobile game while trekking through the forest on the direction the stick fell on. I think it has been at least 3 hours that have passed walking, I'm already bored seeing all these trees and greenery.

"What a dilemma... Haah-" I sighed to get rid of the bad vibes inside me, but it seemed it was of no use. 

Now that I think about it, what's my plan when I find civilization or at least people? I don't know if we can even understand each other language wise. I'm gonna hope that my language is automatically translated to them just like those novels I liked reading, but it's probably better to assume the worst case scenario. 

My clothes are also from my real world counterpart. I'm gonna hope I can sell this to a random clothing shop and exchange it for normal clothes in this world. Ahh, I'm hoping too much, not good. Let's just try our best and see what happens.

"... Hmm?" While I was off in my own little world, I noticed 4 men with shabby armor and weapons on their hips scanning the forest, maybe looking for something.

Are these the so called adventurers I see a lot in novels? Looks like there is indeed hope for me yet, the stick paid off, I smiled and put on my best face and approached them.

"...!!" (Adventurers)

"Hello! Can you understand me? 你会说汉语吗？日本語喋りますか?" (Solarice)

For now I tried speaking in English, Mandarin, and Japanese. Hopefully they'll understand one of them.

"..!!" (Adventurers)

3 of the adventurers got wary and proceeded to do their fighting stance.

"Woah woah woah, friendly! friendly!" I put up my arms in the air to show no resistance.

One of the adventurer who looks like their leader judging from his equipment didn't get wary stepped forward while smiling.

"Sorry about that, my boys just thought you were preparing a spell. We're a bit cautious you see." (Adventurer Leader)

Oh good, looks like English can be understood properly. I sighed a breath of relief.

"Ahaha, it's ok. I also understand from your perspective. Can I ask some questions?" (Solarice)

"Well, about that. You see, we're on a bit of a tight budget and schedule. And we see this elf looking person just going out of his way to show himself to us. With no equipment on him even. What luck, looks like we got ourselves a jackpot boys, look alive. This one should sell for a lot." (Adventurer Leader)

Immediately after that all of them took their stance and prepared to attack me. Oioioi, 4 against 1? Isn't that a bit unfair? Also these guys were apparently bandits judging from the way the leader spoke. God damn it, just my luck.

Also he said I look like an elf, my character in the game was that of an elf with a golden hair, pale skin and red eyes. So this is what I look like huh.

"Err... Can I get a handicap perhaps?" (Solarice)

I smiled wryly and scratched my head,  Haah- Seems like I need to get through this encounter one way or another. I snapped my finger twice near my ear again to calm my nerves. I took a stance and prepared myself to fight.

"Okay, I hyped myself up. Let's do this, shall we?" (Solarice)

Hopefully I can try my best just to incapacitate them. I may be forced to use forbidden and desperate techniques, but hopefully the master will forgive me for this. Though I won't know because he's on the other world.

---

Bandit Leader POV

This is weird. This is definitely weird.

"Is this guy insane? Taking on 4 like it's nothing for him, this guy is definitely weird." (Bandit Leader)

I had to emphasize that craziness of his because the moment he took a stance, the air instantly got deadly and I gulped unconsciously.

Could it be we took more than we came for? That shouldn't be possible, this guy is alone with no equipment and there's 4 of us. But why is my instinct telling me otherwise? Whatever, too late to think about it now.

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"Surround him boys!" (Bandit Leader)

"As if I would let you!" (Solarice)

As soon as he said that, he wedged his way onto us and proceeded to do a neck chop into a heel drop kick instantly turning the fight into a 3 on 1 scenario.

"He's fast!" (Bandit Leader)

We didn't even have time to react to that speed, and what's up with that power? I don't know any elf who has training in unarmed fighting. What has this world come to?

We proceeded to do a coordinated attack and got a hit on him. 

"Nice! Keep it up boys!" (Bandit Leader)

"Oww... So this is what getting cut through flesh feels like huh..." (Solarice)

So he says but I bet he's getting scared now. I smirked and prepared my stance once more.

"Boss this is weird! My cut didn't go through him properly!" (Bandit A)

"What?" (Bandit Leader)

"Not the time to be talking amongst yourselves don't you think?" (Solarice)

He dashed up to the guy who just spoke and punched him in the solar plexus turning him unconscious and foaming in the mouth.

He then proceeded to ran up to my last underling and kicked his stomach with his knee and followed up with a back throat chop.

Our advantage was gone just like that.

"Now then, it's just you and me left. It's a fair fight now no?" (Solarice)

What about this is a fair fight? This guy is a monster! I gritted my teeth and just came at him. With a battle cry I charged at him and immediately fell unconscious.

---

Solarice POV

"Huff... Huff... Huff... That was intense... and slightly dangerous..."

I tried to do master's teaching of only forcing one person at a time to fight and it seems it worked out.

"Good thing all of them only wielded swords and nothing else."

For now I incapacitated all of them but, what should I do next? It's not like I know where the city is located. Ah, I know, I'll loot them and see what they have. They're all bandits anyway, might as well bring good stuff I would need. 

After 5 minutes, I found coins, some sort of ID card, and a map. I checked the map and thanked the leader that he put where the forest was. I wonder what he was trying to find here? Anyways looks like the closest city is pretty near the direction I've been going.

"Now then.." I stole the sword of the leader and proceeded to behead them all of them. Why kill you ask? Well I have this thinking of disposing everything that will probably trouble me in the future. I am not so kind of a person that will let anyone go evil or not the moment they cross my path. 

I am not a hero of justice, nor a villain. I just want to live my life slowly and steadily, without hindrances in my way. Also, this is one of my theories, but I don't think I'll level up or gain any proficiency if I don't kill things.

"The country of Evalescence and the city of Thundara huh, what a weird name." Since this will probably be my base of operations for the coming years, having a city be called by a spell will probably confuse me. Oh well, time to move forward.

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