Tom took a deep breath, a rasping sound in the silence of the cave. The flickering firelight danced across his face, highlighting the lines of exhaustion around his pale eyes.
"The Kingdom of Rusi, where Veninburg is located," Tom began, his voice quiet but clear, like a librarian reciting history he knew by heart.
"It was founded around 900 years ago by Peter I. He was the First King of the Kingdom of Rusi. Its territory dominates the western part of this island, from the coastal tip to the border of the central Black Forest."
He paused for a moment, gathering his strength.
"Across the Black Forest, in the center of the island," he continued, pointing eastward with his index finger.
"Stands the Kingdom of Ferman. They are also a human kingdom, famous for their heavy cavalry and strict military discipline. The Kingdom of Ferman and the Kingdom of Rusi are always at odds, vying for influence and resources in the Avalon Sea. Skirmishes and naval battles are common occurrences."
I absorbed that information. Two rival human kingdoms, separated by the Black Forest.
"Then, in the eastern part of the island," Tom pointed in another direction. "there is the Kingdom of Eisenhall, home to the Dwarves. They are master craftsmen, tireless miners. They don't care much for human politics, as long as their trade in iron ore and precious metals isn't disturbed."
"And in the south," his voice grew quieter.
"there is the Kingdom of Konigsberg, the territory of the Demi-humans. They share a direct border with the Kingdom of Ferman, and the two are sworn enemies. Border wars happen almost every year between them."
He looked at me sharply, letting me digest the information.
"And finally," Tom concluded, "along the southeast coast and the small surrounding islands, there lies the Republic of Vanisia. A nation focused on maritime trade between the Isle of Avalon and the Continent of Athanasia across the sea. They are master sailors and merchants, and their navy is the strongest on the Isle of Avalon."
"Five great powers," I muttered, trying to map it all out.
"Two human kingdoms in the west and center, Dwarves in the east, Demi-humans in the south, and a merchant republic in the southeast. All on one island."
"Correct," said Tom, nodding weakly.
I looked at Garren and Dina. "So you guys are... adventurers from the Kingdom of Rusi?"
Garren nodded. "We are registered with the Veninburg Adventurer's Guild. We take all sorts of jobs, from escorting merchants, gathering rare herbs, to... well, hunting monsters like this."
"Adventurer's Guild?" I asked. Again, a very familiar concept.
"Every major city has one," Dina explained.
"It's the place where people like us look for work and information. They also assign adventurer ranks. The three of us are still D-Rank, the second lowest rank after E."
"That's why we took this Direwolf mission," Garren chimed in with a bitter tone.
"A C-Rank mission. We thought we could handle it, to rank up. Turns out we miscalculated."
I fell silent, processing everything. Guilds, ranks, missions... this system was exactly like the fantasy worlds I always imagined.
"Dina," I asked, turning to her. "You said earlier you ran out of mana. Are you a mage?"
Dina seemed a bit surprised by my direct question. "Yes... I am a mage. My specialties are wind and fire magic."
"Can everyone use magic?"
Dina shook her head.
"Not everyone. Magic isn't something everyone can learn."
Dina paused, as if searching for the right words. "Every living being in this world, from humans to monsters, possesses energy called 'mana' within their bodies. Think of it like blood, a fundamental part of life itself. Of course, capacities vary. Some people are born with deep 'pools' of mana, while others only have small 'puddles'."
"But," she continued, her eyes now looking at me seriously.
"having mana alone isn't enough. To be able to use it, to shape it into Spells... you have to be born with 'magic talent'. Most humans, unfortunately, do not possess that 'talent'."
Dina sighed. "However, there are some races where almost the entire population is born with said talent. The Elf race, for example. Or Demons. And of course, the descendants of the Dragon Lords."
Dina looked at me again, this time with a softer expression, as if sensing my worry. "But don't worry, Liam. Even if later, for instance, you check your talent at the Adventurer's Guild or wherever and the result is nil, don't be sad. I don't know how you've survived this long in the Black Forest, but remember: magic isn't everything."
"You can use the mana energy inside your body for other things," she continued, pointing at Garren who was sharpening his sword with a small stone beside the fire.
"Like Garren over there."
Garren lifted his head, grinning. "That's right, kid. I don't have a single drop of magic talent. But I use my mana to strengthen my physique. Channeling that energy into muscles, bones, and senses. We call it Martial Arts."
He thumped his broad chest with a fist, producing a solid thud. "Even if you turn out to have no talent for magic later, you can become a warrior like me, or a knight. There is always a way for those willing to try." His smile was wide and genuine.
"Although magic isn't everything," Tom interjected from where he was leaning, his voice flat but carrying weight.
"Having magic talent makes everything easier."
"Hey, Tom! Don't say things like that!" Dina scolded, pouting.
"What's wrong with it?" Tom retorted, coughing lightly.
"Besides, what I said is true. Mages are valuable assets to the state. Even those who can only use low-level magic can get comfortable positions in the Royal Magic Department or the Magic Association. Only weirdos like you throw away all those opportunities to become an adventurer."
"I am not weird!" Dina lightly slapped Tom's injured thigh.
"Ouch, that hurts, Dina!" Tom complained.
"Serves you right."
Garren just laughed heartily watching their little squabble.
I smiled slightly.
Magic Association, magic talent, Mages considered valuable assets... this information kept flowing. But one phrase kept spinning in my mind, overpowering all others.
Demon Race!
So they really exist in this world. I wanted to ask more. What do they look like? Are they evil like in the stories? Where do they live? But I had already asked too many questions. I felt bad.
I'll find that info in the city later.
"So... what currency is used in this world?"
Dina chuckled at my question. "What kind of strange question is that, Liam?"
"Stop it, don't tease him," Garren reprimanded.
"I know, Garren. Just joking."
"This world uses Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Copper as currency," Tom explained patiently.
"One Platinum coin equals 100 gold coins, one gold equals 100 coins silver, and one silver coins equals 1000 copper coins."
He paused, then added, "Of course, that's just theory. In reality, the value of each coin can vary depending on which country it comes from and how pure the metal content is. But usually, people only accept coins with purity above 95%."
"How do you tell the difference?" I asked.
"There are tools. Small magic items created by mages to assess precious metal content."
"What about Platinum?"
"Platinum coins are the exception," Tom answered.
"Those are coins only used by nobles, royalty, or extremely wealthy merchants. Their purity is always 100%. At least, that's what the books say. I've never seen one in person myself."
"I see..." I nodded, absorbing the vital information. This would be crucial for using my shopping system later.
I changed the subject. "So, what will you guys do now? After returning to Veninburg?"
Garren let out a long sigh, his voice filled with exhaustion. "First, treat Tom's leg. His wound needs a professional healer, not just your first aid."
He looked at me with sincere gratitude.
"After that... report the mission failure to the Guild, hand over the remaining *Direwolf* pelts, and maybe... look for other work. This mission bankrupted us. We have to pay the mission failure penalty."
I frowned. "Penalty?"
"Yes," said Dina gloomily. "If you fail to complete a mission, you have to pay a fine of 30% of the total reward."
"That... is a cruel rule," I commented.
"It's a fair rule," Garren corrected. "It prevents incompetent adventurers from taking jobs beyond their abilities and endangering clients. It also protects the Guild's reputation."
I nodded in understanding. But I still felt bad. They were going to disband their team because of this failure. And I was holding three Direwolf pelts that should have helped them. Each worth 50 Points in my system. I couldn't bear it.
"What if..." I started hesitantly, "...I give those Direwolf pelts to you guys?"
The three of them stared at me, shocked. "Are you serious, Liam?"
"Consider it payment for giving me basic information about this world," I said with a smile.
"Thank you, Liam," Dina whispered, her eyes tearing up.
"Liam," Garren interrupted, his expression unhappy.
"The information we gave was just basics. You would have found it out the moment you arrived in the city."
"Even so, without you, I'd be flying blind. Maybe I would have made a fatal mistake in the city later. This information is very valuable to me. So, Tom, Garren, Dina... just accept it." I took out the three rolls of wolf pelt from my bag and handed them over.
Garren still looked hesitant. "But we..."
"Garren, you should just take it," Tom sighed.
"It's rude to refuse someone's kindness, especially after he saved us."
Hearing that, I smiled and nodded.
"Alright," Tom said again. "But Liam, we can't accept this for free. Later, after we sell these pelts at the Guild, we'll give you your share. We aren't evil enough to take money from a poor kid like you."
He reached out and gently patted my beanie.
"Alright, thank you," I said, feeling slightly relieved.
"We should be the ones thanking you, Liam. If not for you, our adventure would have ended in the bellies of those wolves."
"We should get some sleep," Garren said, yawning.
"I'll take the second watch. Dina, you're third."
"I already slept in the tree earlier," I said. "I'll take the first watch."
Garren looked at me doubtfully. "You sure, kid? You look tired."
I patted my jacket pocket, where the Glock 17 was hidden.
"I have a better guard than sleepy eyes."
Garren didn't argue. He knew what I meant.
The three of them began arranging their sleeping positions deeper in the cave, using their cloaks as blankets. Before long, only the sound of their steady breathing could be heard.
I sat back at the cave entrance, hugging my knees. The campfire was now just glowing red embers. I stared out into the dark and silent forest, at the two moons hanging in the sky like giant watching eyes.
I glanced at the digital watch on my wrist.
23:30
The night was still long.
I exhaled, white steam puffing out again. I touched the pistol in my pocket, feeling the reassuring cold of the metal.
"Survive," I whispered to the night.
"And maybe... find out if there's a way home."