Chapter 6: First Fight
Alex made his way towards the river. It was only about 3 miles from Jane's house, which was located near the forest due to her husband's work as a woodcutter.
The river was larger than Alex had anticipated, though the current was slow. Still, it was too big for Adrian to swim across.
Alex searched the area but found no clues. He decided to follow the river upstream, hoping it would lead him to something.
This proved to be a good decision, as he soon discovered a broken bridge spanning the river.
"Did he go across this bridge? It's possible, unless he drowned in the river. I hope that's not the case. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been tasked with rescuing him," Alex thought, before starting to cross the fragile wooden and rope bridge.
Alex had experience with dangerous terrain and had crossed similar bridges before. However, as he walked across this one, he realized just how precarious it was.
"Woah!"
"Woah!"
"Woah!"
As he stepped onto the wooden log, it tilted on one side. Feeling the bridge's instability, he leaped to the other part of the log.
"CRUNCH!"
"THUD!"
His legs slipped as the balance shifted, and they broke through the log. Yet, he managed to maintain his balance. Using his military tactics, Alex climbed back onto the precarious bridge.
Alex, heart pounding, cautiously moved forward. Each step was a gamble, a calculated risk. The river rushed below, a silent, indifferent witness to his perilous journey.
He reached the middle of the bridge, the most unstable part. The creaking and groaning of the wood intensified.
A sudden gust of wind swayed the bridge, and Alex felt a surge of Anderline rush. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and focused on the task at hand.
With a burst of adrenaline, he dashed towards the other end. As he neared the safety of the bank, a final, desperate struggle ensued. The bridge groaned, threatening to give way. Alex lunged forward, his fingers clawing at the solid ground.
With a final, Herculean effort, he pulled himself to safety. Exhausted and shaken, he collapsed onto the riverbank.
A satisfied smile crept across his face. The moment had awakened the same thrill he'd felt during his time in the Army, when he'd faced similar dangers.
He finally felt truly alive after his sudden retirement. "This is my life, this is what I'm made for," he thought.
Throughout his career as a Special Military soldier (SMS), Alex had embraced danger as a part of his daily life. He loved his job and the risks it entailed, as they gave his life purpose.
"Let's find where that kid is," he said, looking at the dense forest with a single path leading in. He decided to follow it, searching for any signs of life or clues, but found nothing. "Let's go further then."
He ventured two more miles into the forest and caught a whiff of a foul, blood scent. "There's something here," he muttered, unsheathing his axe and tightening his grip.
He moved cautiously, his senses heightened. Suddenly, a knife flashed through the air, grazing his cheek.
Alex's instincts kicked in as the bushes around him rustled.
"Gui hui hum hum,"
"Gui hui hum hum,"
"Gui hui hum hum,"
strange, guttural sounds echoed through the forest. Four goblins, their faces contorted with malice, emerged from the undergrowth, armed with knives and spears.
Alex stared at the green, dwarfish creatures with pointed ears, their words unintelligible to him. A battle was imminent as he griped his Axe.
Alex, undeterred by the menacing goblins, prepared for the fight. He raised his axe, its sharp edge glinting in the dim forest light.
The goblins, sensing his resolve, charged forward, their weapons raised high.
The first goblin lunged, aiming for Alex's chest. With a swift movement, Alex parried the attack, the axe clashing against the goblin's knife.
The goblin stumbled back, surprised by Alex's skill. The other goblins, seeing their comrade's failure, hesitated for a moment.
Seizing the opportunity, Alex launched a counterattack. He swung his axe with all his might, cleaving through the air.
The goblin closest to him was caught off guard, and the axe buried itself deep into its chest. The creature let out a high-pitched shriek and collapsed to the ground.
The remaining goblins, now terrified, turned to flee. But Alex was too quick. He chased them down, dispatching them one by one. As the last goblin fell, silence returned to the forest.
Alex, panting heavily, stood amidst the carnage. The battle had been fierce, but he had emerged victorious.
A smile crept across his face. This was how he wanted to live his life within the game: fierce and undeterred, brutal and free.
"Jane didn't tell me about goblins," he muttered. "Even the task notification mentioned beasts, not goblins. What's going..." He took a few steps forward, but his momentum was abruptly halted as the ground beneath him gave way. He plummeted downward at a terrifying speed.