There were always moments when I used to question. If anything was real. Look at your hand and ask yourself if this was a simulation or if I was someone’s imagination. Both situations seemed equally as frightening to me.

“Feel like grabbing a beer later?” A voice came from behind Kael.

“Nah, I’m good,” Kael replied to see the person who was him.

It was a man in his early 30s; this was a scenario he knew very well. The office setting, he and everyone around him were dressed in suits. The person who talked to him, he knew their voice very well.

One of his colleagues stood nearby, his tie dangling loosely. Kael could recall his face without a moment’s hesitation. Yet, as he turned to the voice calling him, recognition slipped away. The features became elusive. It felt like grasping at an image that was just out of reach.

However, that didn’t bother him. Kael probably had forgotten his name by now.

The sharp click-clacks of high heels echoed down the hallway. They grew louder with each step, interrupting his thoughts.

He turned to see who it was. It was a woman. Like his friend, he couldn’t piece her face together. But not being able to identify her face caused a huge sense of dread. That consumed him. Who was she? Is she saying something?

Knock-knock

“Kael.”

Is this her voice? It sounds familiar.

Knock-knock

The blurry image of a woman slowly faded into light, which worried him. He wanted to see who it was, to take a better look at her face; he opened his eyes.

Knock-knock

“Kael, are you awake?”

His eyes went blind for a few seconds before getting used to the illumination that stunned him. Finally setting at the source of those knockings. A door, at the edge of the room being opened as he anxiously stared at it.

“Kael? Are you okay?” A ladylike voice cut through his dazed state. It was Miria herself, standing and holding the doorknob with a worried expression on her face.

“Oh, it’s you.” I assume that was a dream. If so, who was that woman from before?

“Yes, it’s me. Miria.” She paused for a second, entering the door and closing it behind her. “I was worried. I know what happened yesterday, and I’m sorry for that.”

What happened to me? Yeah, what happened to me yesterday? Oh yeah. I died. I’m in a fantasy world… and the elf…

YOU HAVE UNLOCKED THE ABILITY TO USE MANA!

A text suddenly appeared in front of Kael. As he read it, Miria emerged from behind it, walking toward him, which made him a bit uneasy.

“But I’ve said there is not only bad news; Elin mentioned that you can use Mana too.”

I can’t stare at the text for too long; I noticed that she might have one of these too. Letting her discover it would be troublesome for me.

“Yeah, I heard about that. But I’m not sure what this means. I only remember seeing a line appearing out of nothing after…”

“After? After that?” Miria asked curiously.

“She kissed me.” Miria took a few steps back after hearing that, and her eyes opened wide, her mouth slightly parted.

“Are you okay, Miria?” Kael asked, tossing aside the blanket that covered him. To their mutual surprise, he wasn’t wearing a stitch, his nude body fully exposed.

Yet, that wasn’t the most shocking thing for them.

Before Miria could take a closer look, Kael pulled the blanket up to cover himself again.

Kael’s face turned down a bit, ashamed of it. “I’m sorry, Miria. I should have known.”

“Haha.” Kael turned to her again when he heard her chuckle. She had a smile stamped on her face. “What is it?! What are you smiling at?”

“You look so worried. I brought you to this room; I’ve seen you naked already.”

Oh, that makes sense.

“So you’re the one who took off my clothes?”

“No, when I found you, you were already like this.”

What the hell did that elf do to me? I hope she didn’t do anything crazy.

“Don’t fret; you’ll find a few clothes tucked in that wardrobe.” I trace her hand, surveying the rest of the bedroom. It exudes a simple comfort. The bed boasts a sturdy wood frame, dressed in crisp white sheets. Two windows invite the morning sun into the room, illuminating its cozy charm.

Wait, if there’s light in here. That should mean I’m not in that basement anymore.

“Do you like the room?”

“Hmmm, yeah, it looks good. Are we still in that inn?”

“Yes. The second floor of it. I thought it wouldn’t be the best idea to leave your unconscious body lingering around Elin for too long.”

“The way you say it makes things even scarier.”

“No need to worry. I’ve told her you are off-limits for now.”

“For now?”

“Don’t think I can keep her from you for too long.”

“You say that so casually; I thought I was going to die.”

“The last thing she would do is kill you. She needs you to be alive and healthy.”

I guess that makes sense. It doesn’t feel better knowing she’s a maniac. Even if I free myself from Miria, that elf might still stalk me.

“But we have another way to help you deal with her and other impulsive women,” Miria said, stepping toward the door.

“And what is it?”

“You have to learn magic?”

Oh, Great!

“But first, put some clothes on. I also have to show the rest of the inn so you don’t get lost. Our main stuff is back in the basement.”

“Isn’t the basement dangerous? Elin might still be there.”

“Don’t worry, I told her not to cause trouble. Also, if she wanted to stalk you, you wouldn’t be able to hide even in the depths of Hell.”

“Oh, okay, I see it. I’m going to put my clothes on then.”

I got dressed and left the room. As I stepped out of the bedroom, I found myself in a huge corridor with many doors like mine. They were likely rooms intended for other travelers seeking shelter.

Miria, of course, was also there with her arms crossed and her eyes closed, with her back against the wall.

“Ready?” she asked.

“Yes.”

Miria opened her eyes and began walking down the corridor. Kael followed along without saying a word, just observing his surroundings. Until they got to the balcony that overlooked the saloon that he had seen yesterday. She went down the stairs, saying.

“This is our bar and inn. I plan to make it functional someday. First, I need to get some licenses for that.”

“A bar? What made you go with that?”

“I needed to get as far from the capital as I could. Running an inn and a bar seemed like the perfect choice, plus I had always wanted to brew my own beer.” The woman broke into a wide smile as she waited for him to come down. And then he did.

She feels normal so far, except for her occasional comments that sound terrifying.

Kael kept following her all the way back to the basement where he had been yesterday. That sudden realization made him wonder something.

“So the basement was for situations like yesterday?”

“Yes. Very much so. It also hides any mana that enters. That’s why Vyra and I couldn’t go back inside. If our presence disappeared, it would be too obvious we were hiding.”

“Wouldn’t the same be the case for Elin?”

“No, she’s different. She is like a phantom. And you didn’t have mana anyway, so it didn’t matter if it disappeared.”

I swear, if I had never played a game before, I’d be totally lost. But it makes sense. It’s like looking at a wall with a heat sensor. If some of the sources it was tracking disappeared, that would be suspicious.

Miria opened the two big doors at the end of the stairs. Kael saw the huge hall again. It had many passageways leading to other areas.

Miria gave him a tour. To the left, there were two doors that led to separate corridors, both of which were reserved for her party members. Each corridor had two bathrooms.

In the corridor Elin dragged him to, Vyra’s room was right next to hers, and his own room was beside Vyra’s. Inside, it felt similar to Elin’s. The lack of personality wasn’t surprising, given that Miria had recently purchased and remodeled the place.

In addition to these, the basement had a kitchen, a locked treasure room, and an armory. Her party members had a storage room, and there was also a library and an alchemy room. Back in the main hall, two large doors faced the entrance to the basement.

“That should be enough; I think you’ve got a good grasp of how things work here. Now, the room behind those doors is where you’ll be training. Vyra is waiting for you there and will cover the basics.”