[...Somewhere in the First Order...]
Within a dense, emerald jungle of giant trees enveloped in vines or hanging leaves, the man hummed to himself while walking.
Despite the colossal insects that clung to the vine-wrapped trees, from elongated centipedes of tough shells to beetles, he didn't flinch at their presence.
["Status"]
[Name: Muyang] [Class: Martial Artist] [Level: 52]
"Boy, I sure am lost..." The man remarked, scratching his head as he looked up while walking.
A scar ran across his nose, with a ponytail descending his back. Despite the humid conditions in the faraway jungled, he wore his black tangzhuang, only with the sleeves rolled up.
"Phew, it's hot, too...Seriously, where even am I?" Muyang questioned out loud while aimlessly walking.
A yawn left the bored man's lips as he navigated the jungle, using the polearm he wielded to part the intrusive vines.
After finding himself still in the thick of the otherworldly jungle, the lost man came to a stop as he sighed.
"Come, Lotus," Moyung commanded, holding his hand out.
[Folklore System Initiated.]
[Summoning: Lesser Sprite, Lotus.]
From a burst of verdant light came a floating humanoid that was no larger than the size of the man's palm.
The tiny creature that resembled a man with butterfly wings yawned, laying on the air while hovering in front of the summoner's face, "What is it, Moyung? I was sleeping peacefully, y'know."
"Oh, give me a break—all you do is sleep! Anyway, I'm sorta...well, not exactly sure where I'm going here—" Moyung begrudgingly explained, beginning to murmur.
"Lost? You're completely lost, aren'tcha?" The small sprite accused playfully.
Moyung conceded, "Yeah, yeah."
"Well, let me at it for a moment..." The winged person said, scrunching his nose in concentration.
While the sprite focused on the layout of the dense jungle, Moyung watched with a bit of impatience. He poked at the sprite's cheek, bringing Lotus to huff and wave his arms in frustration.
"Hey! I need to focus here...!" Lotus yelled before grumbling. "Mm...I can't get a read on this place."
"Seriously? I wonder if it's because this is technically a whole different world from Earth," Moyung questioned.
The sprite scoffed, "Either way, I ain't helping ya here! Now—lemme sleep!"
Just like that, the perturbed creature poofed back out of existence and into slumber.
Moyung scratched his head with a sigh, "Guess I'm outta luck, then."
"Don't play with your food, Chimera," Moyung reminded the beast.
From the martial artist's reminder, the amalgamation opened his mouth as flames rose from its throat. Against the helpless wildcat, the fire poured out from the mythical creature's mouth, properly turning the jaguar to nothing more than a charred husk.
["Tyrant Wildcat defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x1200 obtained."]
[Experience Points: +15000] [85000/200000]
"Good job, Chimera," Moyung praised the beast as though it were a small pet.
The towering creature lowered its head so that the man could give it a pet, to which the amalgamation released a purr that sounded more like steel grinding. With that, the beast was dismissed back to where it came, leaving only trace embers in its place.
'This place sure is odd. Everything is so much larger than back home, and a whole lot more hostile–it's kind of a pain,' Moyung thought, folding his arms over his chest.
Amidst the lackadaisical thinking of the lost martial artist, a rumble through the jungle stirred his focus. It was like a keychain being dangled in front of a cat, catching his bored mind as the trees swayed before some sort of force.
'Sounded like a meteor just landed...What could that have been?' He questioned, hurriedly moving towards where the impact had crashed.
Like a sprinting leopard, he leapt past the wall of bushes and vines with excitement.
"Woah!—" Moyung caught himself, sliding to a stop immediately with a smile.
Right beyond the tall grass was a crater in the jungle, still left steaming from the impact. A bloody paste painted the crushed soil, with a person standing in the center of the newly-made terrain.
"Pyuh—! Barely leveled in time," the voice of the golden-haired figure in the crater huffed.
["Sleuth Status"]
[Seung] [Class: Brawler] [Level: 51]
Moyung decided to wave to the stranger who crash landed in the jungle, "Yo! You good, dude?"
"Hah?" The golden-haired man turned with a raised eyebrow, breathing out. "The hell are you?"
"A survivor, like you. A fellow earthling, stranded in this strange world, like you. Pretty obvious, ain't it?" Moyung playfully answered while patting his staff against his own shoulder. .net
It didn't seem anything he said was taken all too kindly by the strange man who stood in the small crater. The look on Seung's face was like that of a dog ready to bark.
"I still need experience—it's not enough! I need to level up more...! Or that bastard will catch up!" Seung shouted.
"Err, okay? I think you should calm down—" Moyung suggested to the stranger.
Amidst his recommendation, the martial artist found himself leaning back as a fist soared right past his face.
"Oh?" Moyung let out as his hair was brushed by the sudden punch.
As he slipped back and straightened himself out, he found the brawler standing in front of him as the missed blow pushed around the vines.
"So, you're one of those kinds of people? Cowards that hunt others, because they're too scared of monsters," Moyung called out.