The journey out of the forest was anything but smooth.
Every five minutes, we were attacked or ambushed by wild animals or monsters like goblins, slimes... your typical so-called "tutorial enemies." After the fourth wave, I started to get suspicious. Was this kid Kel really just an innocent boy? Or was he actually a Black Eagle agent leading us through a monster-infested path on purpose?
But then I looked beside me.
Kel was shivering in the bushes, clinging to my sleeve with tears in his eyes, while Bob handled the monsters like he was doing extermination quest. Yeah... no way this kid was acting. Either he was the most committed spy in existence, or he really was just cursed with the worst luck ever.
But of course, the one who actually benefited from all this chaos was Bob. The monsters were basically walking experience points to him.
"Ohhh yeah, baby! My Sword Set skill just leveled up, sweet!"
He pumped his fist in the air after wiping out the fifth wave of monsters like it was a training drill.
Kel and I emerged from our hiding spot in the bushes and walked over to him.
"Wow, you're really amazing, Uncle Bob! The way you went swoosh, swishhhh!"
Kel waved his arms wildly, mimicking sword slashes with an invisible blade. His eyes sparkled with admiration, a total contrast to the tears he'd had just minutes ago.
"This? Pffft. This is nothing, kid!" Bob puffed out his chest and planted his fists on his hips like a smug superhero. "Those monsters were no match for me, the great hero!"
"Waaah!" Kel's eyes sparkled even brighter, practically glowing with admiration.
I just rolled my eyes at the interaction.
"Kel, is your home still far?" I asked, brushing a leaf off my shoulder.
"It's just around that tree there! After that, we'll see the town!"
He pointed toward a row of tall trees not far ahead.
We followed him, and after several more minutes of walking, we finally reached the forest's edge, and stepped into a wide, open region that looked almost like a rice field back in our world. Kel's face lit up with joy, and he took off running ahead.
We followed a dirt path that rose slightly from the ground, cutting cleanly through the field. From here, I could see everything clearly: the vast expanse of farmland stretching into the horizon, distant mountains partially veiled by clouds, birds soaring across a vivid blue sky. Workers dotted the field like ants, tending to the crops.
Such a tranquil view... almost like a painting.
This was such a change of pace from the busy, chaotic city life of my previous world. The last time I saw a view like this was during my childhood, back when the fields still existed, before they were swallowed up by buildings and malls.
As Kel ran ahead of us, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. I remembered the carefree days of my youth, running through open fields with my friends, without a single worry.
Ah... growing up really sucked.
Ten years of so-called "adult life" had gifted me nothing but a pile of responsibilities, commitments, dwindling time with friends and family, barely any left for myself. Not to mention the endless loop of rent and taxes due every month.
But that kind of pressure didn't seem to exist for my friend walking beside me. Speaking of which, Bob looked absurdly happy, his face split into a wide, almost drooling grin. He was making weird motions with his right finger, tracing invisible patterns in the air like he was playing with a holographic touchscreen.
"What are you doing?" I asked, pretending not to be interested.
"Hehehe... I'm checking out the skill selections. There are so many skills I can choose from now that I leveled up!"
"Ehh? So you get free stat points and skill picks after leveling up?" I asked, recalling my forced crash course in RPGs thanks to Bob.
"Yup! And there are literally thousands of them. Oh—wait, can you see the panel too?" he turned to me, eyes wide.
"Nope. You just look really stupid waving your finger around like that," I replied flatly.
But truthfully, I did want to see that panel. So this was the life of the isekai'd, huh? Choosing skills with every level-up, facing the ultimate dilemma: power, utility, or cool factor?
So jealous.
"So, what skill did you pick?" I asked.
"I don't know yet… So far, I've only got the passive skill Sword Mastery, which boosts my compatibility with swords. I want to pick an active skill next. I don't want to rely too much on my Hero Grace skill, I'm saving that for emergencies," Bob said, slipping into full gamer mode.
"Ughhh… it's so hard to decide. Alan, help me out here. I've narrowed it down to three. Which one would you pick?"
I sighed, already regretting asking.
"Alright, hit me with it."
"First: Rising Slash: slash the enemy and send them flying. Second: Dash Slash: a dash forward and slash combo. Third: Parry: counter enemy attacks with a slash."
"Hmmm… do you really want me to decide? Why not just go with the one you like?"
This guy. Always pulling me into his indecision crisis. Just like that one time he made me pick between two limited edition waifu figurines at the mall. I told him to buy both, and he acted like I'd solved a world crisis.
"Please, Alan…" he begged with puppy-dog eyes.
I sighed again. "Alright, fine."
After thinking it over, I picked Dash Slash. It felt versatile—both offensive and useful for retreating if needed.
Bob's face lit up like I'd handed him a divine relic.
"Looks like all those gaming lessons I gave you really paid off," he beamed, eyes sparkling like a serene lake.
"Yeah, thanks for the praise," I replied dryly.
I still remembered when he forced me into online games, even giving me his self-made game guidebook. I lasted just a week though. Too much grinding. Too many people calling me noob.
"Alright, I've unlocked the skill. Want me to demonstrate it?" Bob asked, suddenly taking a stance, right hand hovering near his left hip, right foot forward, like a samurai about to draw his blade.
"Not here, Bob!" I hissed, glancing around as we passed by townfolk tending the fields. A few of them waved at us warmly.
I waved back and gave Bob a side glance. "Don't go causing a scene."
"Hmph, fine," he muttered, clearly disappointed.
But his mood flipped in an instant. His eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. "Alan, look! A town!"
Before I could respond, he took off jogging like he'd just spotted a rare loot drop.
This guy… seriously. A piece of work.
I couldn't help but smile as I picked up the pace and joined him and Kel on the trail.