Kazuki legs tripped to a root, stumbling he collapsed onto the dirt road, his entire body screaming in protest, the cool night air carrying distant howls of hydra or maybe wolves, they still echoed in his ear as if behind him.
But it wasn't following him.
He had made it out.
He let out a long shaky breath long night-nightmare had shaken him to bones.
"Never again…" he groaned. "Never again will I trust anything with feathers."
His system chimed in response.
[System Notification: You have successfully survived an encounter with a Hydra.]
[Achievement Unlocked: The One That Got Away!]
[EXP Gained!]
Kazuki flinched. "Could you not play by my trauma."
Sighing, he pushed himself up, his hands still trembling protesting but he didn't relent, surveying his surrounding, laying anymore just screamed to invite trouble.
He squinted his eyes, road ahead was dark shrouded by the night, only the pale glow of the moon illuminated the tall golden grass.
In the distance, blurry yellowish lights flickered, smoke curled above the sky, the distant hum of voices carrying through the night air.
Civilization.
Kazuki nearly sobbed from relief.
Ignoring his aching limbs, he forced himself onto his feet and staggered forward. One step at a time. He was too exhausted to think straight, but he knew one thing for sure—he needed food, water, and a place to rest that wasn't teeming with monsters.
His stomach grumbled loudly, interrupting his thoughts.
"Right. Priorities first."
Kazuki dragged his feet toward the wooden sign at the edge of the road, barely able to lift his boots. He squinted up at the words carved into the weathered planks:
[Welcome to Eldenbury]
He blinked. "Eldenbury. Sounds… peaceful." His voice cracked. "Please be peaceful."
The village wasn't large, but it was lively even at night. Lanterns lined the streets, casting a warm glow on stone paths. A few late-night merchants tended to their stalls, while travelers gathered at the inn, sharing drinks and laughter. The scent of roasted meat and freshly baked bread drifted through the air, making Kazuki's mouth water.
Kazuki slowed to a stop, sniffing once, then again.
His stomach clenched.
"...Yeah. That smells like dinner," he muttered.
But then—
Ding!
A bright chime echoed in his head. The world around him slowed.
[Mission Complete: "Survival – Reach Settlement" – Rank: E]
[+200 XP]
[Additional rewards being calculated…]
He grimaced. "Not now—"
[Mission Complete: "Survival – From the Orcs" – Rank: D]
[Reward processing…]
[Mission Complete: "Escape the Hydra (Again)" – Rank: C]
"System, shut up! I barely survived!"
The words had barely left his mouth when a brilliant golden glow burst from his chest.
"...Oh no."
At first, it was subtle—just a flicker, like a young flower at early spring, then it bloomed. His heart skipped a beat.
A golden pulse surged outward, crawling across his skin in gentle waves of light.
Kazuki looked down.
"No. No no no—"
The glow intensified, flaring from his chest like a beacon. Golden light streamed from his body, illuminating the village entrance like a miniature sun.
A sharp chime rang out. Not just in his ears—throughout the village itself.
The world held its breath.
Somewhere in the distance, a dog started barking. Then, silence.
The heavy kind. The kind that settles over a place when everyone hears the same inexplicable noise and collectively pauses, blinking at each other like did you hear that too?
Kazuki stood still, arms half-raised, like a child caught holding a firework that just went off in his hands.
"...Please tell me that was a hallucination."
A window creaked open. A lantern lit. Somewhere ahead, the low murmur of conversation turned into rising chatter.
Then came the footsteps. Dozens of them.
"Oh come on."
He turned slowly, as if moving any faster might trigger another light show. Sure enough, villagers were gathering. Heads peeked out from doorways. A few guards near the square were already on the move, weapons at the ready.
The first to arrive was a broad-shouldered guard in a dented helmet, flanked by two others. Behind them, villagers trickled in, some carrying tools, others just wrapped in cloaks, half-asleep but curious.
Kazuki raised one hand in a slow, deliberate wave. "Evening," he said, voice cracking slightly. "Lovely night for a dramatic entrance, right?"
The guards didn't respond. One narrowed his eyes. "State your name and intent, outsider."
Kazuki's brain kicked into overdrive. "Name? Of course. It's, uh… Kazuki. Traveler. Pilgrim of… Light."
He winced.
The guard squinted. "Pilgrim of Light?"
Kazuki blinked. "...Pilgrim of Light?", as if hearing the words for the first time himself.
Then he saw the growing crowd. The guarded expressions. The torchlight flickering off suspicious steel. Nope. No going back now.
He straightened. Shoulders back. Chin up. Chest puffed like he was halfway through a stage play and had just remembered his next line.
"Yes," he said solemnly, his voice dipping into a righteous tone. "A Pilgrim of Light. From the… Great Pilgrimage of Luganda."
He paused just long enough for that to sound legit.
"Sent forth by the High Seers of Radiance to walk the shadowed paths of this world and… dispel the darkness. With humility, of course."
A beat.
One of the guards blinked. Somewhere in the crowd, a woman gasped.
An elderly man with a flowing beard—who practically screamed Important Lore NPC—stepped forward. "A traveler blessed by the Holy… at our humble village's gates? This is surely a momentous omen!"
Kazuki resisted the urge to correct him. Or run.
The murmurs turned to chatter.
A burly blacksmith squinted at him, arms folded. "So? What kind of divine power we talkin'? Fire? Thunder? Punching trees in half?"
The crowd murmured in excitement.
Kazuki's stomach dropped. Oh no. Oh gods.
Another villager piped up, hands clasped in prayer. "Maybe healing? We've been down a proper healer since old Marda's back went out carrying goats."
All eyes turned to him. Curious. Hopeful.
Kazuki's brain sprinted through mental gymnastics. I can't tell them I throw eggs at people. Or that I summon an exploding chicken.
His lips parted. No words came.
Say something smart. Say something divine. Say something not incredibly stupid.
Then—an idea. Awful. Vague. Perfect.
He placed a hand over his heart and inhaled deeply. His face hardened into the expression of a man pretending not to panic.
"My power…" he began, letting his voice go low and grave, "is one of divine guidance. Of protection. A sacred force not meant to be flaunted."
The crowd gasped.
Someone whispered, "A holy wanderer…!"
Kazuki doubled down. "To unleash it recklessly would be… unwise. Too overwhelming for the unprepared soul. It is a gift I wield sparingly. Out of mercy."
The elderly man gave a knowing nod, beard trembling with emotion. "Ah… the burden of unseen power. Truly, the gods do not grant such blessings lightly."
The blacksmith narrowed his eyes. "So… no demonstration?"
Kazuki closed his eyes with the weariness of a man who had seen too much (and run too far). "Only when the time is right. For now… I must rest. Commune with the divine. And ...eat something that doesn't explode or cluck."
A faint shimmer of system light pulsed again from his chest, almost on cue.
That sold it.
The woman who'd asked for healing gasped. "Look! His divinity still flickers!"
The blacksmith finally relented with a grunt. "Hmph. Guess even holy folks need sleep."
Kazuki gave a grateful, totally-not-wobbly bow. "You are too kind. May the Light guide you… to dinner. Please."
The villagers burst into motion, excited voices rising around him.
"Get the innkeeper!"
"Fetch fresh linens!"
"He'll need bread! And goat stew! And pillows! So many pillows!"
The elder waved him forward with reverence. "Come, noble one. Let Eldenbury offer you our humble hospitality."
Kazuki followed, dazed, barely managing not to trip over his own boots.
Holy crap, he thought. I just talked my way into food, warmth, and a bed… by pretending to be a magical flashlight.
He smiled weakly.
"Please don't make me prove it tomorrow."