The cave was hidden from view and nestled in the middle of the rocky hill, opposite the sea entrance, and completely surrounded by thick vegetation.
Ash carefully sneaked out of the cave and looked through the small gaps between the leaves and branches of the plants.
Under the rocky hill lay five pyramids. The largest pyramid stood proudly at the center, while the four smaller ones were positioned at each corner of the largest pyramid. Palm trees and clusters of tropical bushes filled the spaces in between the pyramids.
Around the entrance of the pyramid, there were groups of people gathered, talking and moving about. Trucks and jeeps were parked close to the entrance, forming a small encampment.
The people spoke in a language unfamiliar to Ash. Though he couldn't understand it, he was certain it was one of the languages from his own world, perhaps Spanish or French? He wasn't completely sure.
The men were dressed in green military uniforms, and a few of them wore red berets as part of their attire.
Some carried long-barreled automatic weapons, while others had gun holsters strapped to their sides, ready for use.
'They look just like the bad guys in movies about smuggling illegal goods,' Ash thought, a slight grin appearing on his face.
He lowered his binoculars, turned away, and quietly retreated back into the cave.
'I don't need to deal with them. They're probably just one of the player groups,' he muttered to himself.
"Game Map," he muttered.
When the screen appeared, he examined it for the Quest locations he needed to complete.
'Hmm... Kulam Cave is much farther to the north. The Oriental Hotel is closer than it looked from the sea,' he thought. 'I should head straight to that Hotel.'
He closed the Game Map screen, carefully exited the cave, and began sneaking along a narrow path running along the side of the hill, concealed by plants and vines.
Before long, he reached the edge of the hill. The tropical plants had grown so dense that he had to push and squeeze his way through them, struggling with every step.
As he approached a small road, the loud roar of a vehicle suddenly came from his left. He quickly ducked down and hid among the broad leaves, trying to stay out of sight.
A Jeep drove past him with carrying three passengers dressed in green military uniforms.
'I have to be cautious and avoid walking too close to the road,' he thought. He hurried across the road and didn't stop until it was time to eat his lunch.
After finishing his meal while perched on the branch of a tree, he resumed his journey without delay.
After walking for about two hours, he finally arrived at the Oriental Hotel.
The hotel was a small, two-story building. Its walls were damaged in several places, and tropical plants had grown around it, spreading across the exterior and blending the structure into the surroundings. At first glance, it hardly seemed like there was a building there at all.
He carefully approached the hotel, keeping an eye on his surroundings for any signs of movement.
'Looks safe enough,' he thought.
He climbed through an open window and quickly hid behind the sofa nearest to the window. From his hiding spot, he studied the interior of the hotel.
The interior was decorated in a Victorian style. The sofas and chairs, made of dusty velvet-covered wood, stood alongside tables and thick carpets, all layered with dust. An antique reception desk stood prominently, while dull paintings hung on the walls, adding to the old-fashioned atmosphere.
Feeling satisfied that the building was safe, he stepped out of his hiding spot and began cautiously searching each room in the hotel.
Every room was covered in dust, with large wooden canopy beds, matching tables, and chairs that resembled the furniture at reception. Thick carpets covered the floors, and dirty curtains hung over the wide bedroom windows.
The kitchen and storage room were just as dusty as the rest of the hotel. Several pots hung neatly on the kitchen wall, while a few damaged sacks of flour and potatoes were strewn in one of the corners.
'Looks like there's no other player here,' he thought with relief.
Then he approached the final room he hadn't checked yet, the hotel's office, which was located at the far end next to the reception area.
He was surprised upon entering the office, which was entirely free of dust. Papers were scattered across the large mahogany desk that stood in the center of the room.
A computer, along with a pen and ink, was neatly arranged on the desk. The wooden shelves, filled with papers, were spotless as well. A large mural adorned the wall behind the chair, and a sack tied with a rope rested in the corner of the room.
This room was a sharp contrast to all the other dusty rooms in the building.
Without waiting any longer, he began searching for The Supreme Magus' Grimoire.
He opened the desk drawers, examined the wooden shelves, and checked the cupboards, but the grimoire was nowhere to be found.
Then he sat down on the chair, deep in thought. 'This is a Finding Object game. I probably need to solve a puzzle before I can get the grimoire.'
Not willing to give up, he opened the desk drawer again and took out a hairpin and a small bolt.
He placed the two items on the worktable in front of him.
'Maybe I should just gather the things that seem out of place?'
He walked over to the small table beneath the window and picked up a coin and a broken penknife from its surface.
Carefully, he placed the new items alongside the others on the worktable.
He then stared at the collection of objects on the table, but couldn't figure out the puzzle. Frustrated, he sat back down and absentmindedly fiddled with the broken knife in his hands.
His eyes drifted to the bolt, and a sudden realization struck him, the bolt might be the missing piece from a broken blade.
He tried fitting the bolt into the broken blade, and it worked!
But after that, he was stuck again. He had no idea what to do next.
"Ugh. In the original Hidden Object game, you can't interact with places or items unless they're part of the puzzle. But here, I can pick up everything, and now I don't know which items are useful and which ones aren't," he muttered, frustrated, slumping back in the chair.
"Maybe I'm just not good at solving games like this..." he grumbled to himself.
Just then, a sudden thud echoed from the second floor, snapping him out of his thoughts.
He gasped quietly and quickly slipped out of the office, finding cover behind the sofa in the reception room.
He froze as he heard the sound of soft footsteps echoing from above. The steps grew louder as someone began descending the stairs.
Peeking cautiously from behind the sofa, his eyes widened. It was a woman, or rather, a young girl, dressed entirely in black, making her way down.
'A girl?'
Once the girl reached the first floor, she paused briefly, scanning the area, before heading toward the office.
Ash quietly stood up and positioned himself behind her.
As he got closer to her, he then swiftly covered her mouth and restrained one of her hands behind her back.
The girl let out a muffled scream and struggled to break free.
"Shhh. Don't scream," he whispered into her ear.
The girl nodded slowly.
He loosened his grip and let her go, and immediately drew his sword, pointing its sharp tip toward her neck.
Seeing the sword, she froze with her body trembled slightly and her eyes fixed on the blade, which hovered just ten inches away.
Now after able to see her clearly, he took in her features. She had a shoulder-length red hair, freckles scattered across her face, striking green eyes, and full pink lips.
"Who are you?" Ash asked. "What's your profession?"
The girl quickly responded with a shaking voice, "M-my name is Maya. My profession is The Thief."