Filed to story: A Bullied Boy Died: A Mafia King Woke Up In His Body
“We’re camping here for the night; one more day to the Culdao Peaks.” The gruff man, who doubled as the driver, motioned to a rest area that other travelers had used countless times. It was a clearing in a forest a bit further away from the main road but still big enough to have ten people sleeping in comfort.
Kyle did not set up any equipment like the rest of them, simply sitting on the ground and leaning against his backpack, observing the surroundings.
Some stars were clearly visible, though the constellations were all far different from what Kyle could recognize.
Is the orientation different, or am I truly in a different world? Kyle still couldn’t believe he had reincarnated in a different world, having grown up in the Galactic Era, where science dominated.
In any case, he could not read the stars-space travel in his former life was all done by A.I. star trackers that automatically did the calculations. He was not trained as a navigator either. However, he could see that the Milky Way Galaxy was not visible at all, a faint pinkish hue enveloping the background instead. It’s as if there was a veil past a certain limit, the true distance of further stars unmeasurable due to the masking of color.
I’ll figure it out when I gain more resources and power. Kyle turned his attention back to the passengers. The three merchants were still bickering over the arrival of the inquisitors, making Kyle regret not having bought the headband that supposedly silenced the environment.
“They are a feisty bunch, aren’t they?” one of the other passengers remarked as he sat down next to Kyle. He flicked his hood off, revealing glossy black hair slicked back and a small scar across his nose bridge. He held out a hand, offering a handshake. “Name’s Orthon, mercenary heading back to Culdao Peak. You?”
“Kris. I’m an herbalist, looking for new potential medicine there.” Kyle shook Orthon’s hand briefly, noticing the calluses on his palm and the unmistakable mark of a sword wielder.
“Oh, without an escort? Could get pretty dangerous.” Orthon sized up Kyle, looking at his cloak and equipment, his eyes landing on the Aero Shoes for a while.
“Those three merchants seemed to be doing fine without any help.” Kyle noticed Orthon’s gaze but did not react. He eyed a repeating crossbow slung across Orthon’s back, loaded with bolts. It was extremely luxurious and ornamental-almost as if it were meant for nobility. An interesting violet mark was painted across its body, shaped like a demon.
“Of course, they got escorts! Me and my buddy, Troy.” Orthon motioned back toward the last passenger, who simply nodded as he re-tied his bow, checking the tension of the string. “It looked like a simple job; both of us were already heading that way, so we just grabbed some easy money along the way.”
“How much was it?”
“Oh, not much. Just three hundred rakels per person. Barely enough in total to buy a Strength Potion, but enough to survive if you know where to buy your food in Raktor. Why? Interested in hiring us?”
“Perhaps. I’m looking for native Euria Seeds.”
“Hmmm.” Orthon scratched his chin. “I know they are in the Culdao Peaks, but I don’t know where the largest concentration is. You might want to ask around in town.”
“Thanks. I’ll give it a shot.”
“No worries, mate. If you ever need help, just head down to the tavern and ask for me or Troy. We’ll be around for a month or two. Gonna go for a quick wee.” Orthon patted Kyle’s shoulder before leaving into the bushes, causing Kyle’s eyebrow to twitch at being touched.
Kyle watched Orthon leave, shifted his backpack a bit further away from the campfire that was just set up and laid down to try and get some rest.
“Mr. Grayborn? Want any soup before resting?” the gruff man called out, but Kyle acted like he was sleeping soundly.
“Hey, I’ll gladly take his portion if he doesn’t want it.” One of the merchants scooped a bowl quickly and gulped it down, burping with satisfaction. The gruff man also drank the soup, with Troy watching them intently.
Soon, they fell fast asleep, the rumbling of snores echoing through the rest area. Troy pretended to sleep as well, waiting for the merchants to be in a deep slumber. As soon as they did, his eyes slowly opened.
Time to make a move.
He slowly got up and turned his head, looking into the forest, before signaling with a soft whistle three times. Slowly realizing something was wrong, he glanced around the area.
Where is Kris Grayborn? His backpack is still here. Did Orthon make a move first?
Wary, he retrieved his bow and was about to walk out into the treeline when someone suddenly dropped onto him from above, slamming him onto the ground with both knees pinning his shoulder blades.
“ARGH-” Troy screamed, but a ragged piece of cloth was stuffed into his mouth, muffling the sound. Unable to turn around, he felt five hammer strikes hit his body at different positions of his limbs, causing him to yelp in pain.
Kyle walked off to grab a rope from his backpack, while Troy immediately spat out the cloth and tried to stand up, pulling out a knife sheathed in his belt and aiming it at Kyle. Kyle did not react, simply walking toward Troy with the rope.
Before Troy could move a single inch, the delayed pain from the neon red arctech hammer kicked in, causing him to scream again. Kyle immediately lunged forward and grabbed his cheeks, toppling Troy’s head into the ground with a loud thud and knocking him out.
Despite the screams, the merchants and driver did not wake up, barely budging.
Drugged by the soup… Kyle tied Troy up and dragged him into the treeline, hiding his body in the bushes. Kyle waited at another position, planning to ambush anyone coming.
After a few minutes, two men and Orthon walked out of the treeline toward the campfire with large grins on their faces. “We’re getting rich today, boys! Check the merchants for any emergency response devices. Can’t have them calling them on us.”
The two men complied, moving forward, when suddenly Orthon grabbed them by the shoulder. “Wait! Something isn’t right! Troy and the new guy are missing!”