Chapter 4

"Hod?" I repeated the name, my eyes fixed on the horizon as I stared at the distant storm. From the corner of my eye, the sailor nodded in response, unwilling to say anything else as alarm and dread washed over me. "I-...It can't be."

That couldn't be right. The moment I heard the name, recognition sprang into mind, only to be met with confusion. Hod had just been a background city in the game, one that was scarcely mentioned except in passing. It served as the hometown for a few characters, before ultimately being destroyed by some government experiment related to the villain. Some of the protagonists, as well as the main villain, had been born in Hod, and the loss of the Island was a major part of what had kicked the plot into motion.

Colour drained from my face as I processed that thought. Where... Where the hell was I? If I was witnessing the fall of Hod, then that meant that I was somewhere-sometime-other than in the events of the game. Following the plot, Hod should've been nothing more than a bad memory. If that wasn't the case, then it meant that most of the protagonists hadn't even been born yet, or were just in their early childhood. Heck, even the Antagonist wasn't an adult yet, if I was remembering things right. Unless... that was someone else?

I couldn't remember full. And being unable to remember everything was infuriating.

"...'ve been combing the island for the past few days, searching for survivors like yourself." The sailor's voice came out, trying to reassure me as he pat my shoulder. Or head. Or something, I wasn't paying much attention, at least not until he had physically interrupted my thoughts. My eyes turned up to the man, his words completely lost to me, having missed most of the conversation. He must've taken my confusion as something else, as he gave a solemn sigh before squatting down beside me once again. "Please, come with us. I promise you'll be safe there. You may even find your family or friends..."

My blood froze as he said that. Not right now. Please, not right now.

The last thing I wanted was to find this kid's family. Distant relatives, maybe, since I could get a rough idea of his upbringing if it was second-hand... but meeting his immediate family? Unless his household neglected him, which I sincerely doubted due to that priest's final words, they'd be able to recognize him in an instant. More than that, they'd be able to recognize that something was wrong, that I wasn't him. I mean, I knew nothing about the kid, not even his name, so stumbling onto his parents would've been the worst-case scenario. Not only would they see through any sort of ruse I'd fail to make...

I would've crushed what final hopes they might've had for their kid.

I.. I don't think I'd be able to do that. Killing off their child, taking his place, then finally rubbing the salt in their wounds by letting them know? That was the only thing that would result if I failed in pretending to be the child. Who would be willing to do that? And the other case scenario, if I succeeded in those lies... then they would've mistaken me for him. They would've just accepted it as a miracle, and thanked the Score that their child had survived. Everything they knew about their old child would've been erased by the lie that I would've brought.

Again, that familiar pit appeared in my stomach, driving me sick as I stared down at the ground, my face cold and clammy as I clenched my hand. I couldn't follow the sailor back. There's no way I could risk either of those things happening. And for what? Just because I wanted to join up with the rest of the survivors? Neither this kid nor his family deserved it.

"... You okay?" The Sailor's voice echoed out, snapping me from my thoughts. I stared up at the man again, only to find that he had not moved in the slightest, still squatted down beside me, his eyes level with my own. He must've sensed my apprehension, as he tried to give me another encouraging pat. Ruffled my hair, shaking away some of the loose dirt and grime. "Don't worry. I'm sure your family's fine. Let's go see, okay?"

No. No, it was not okay. I needed a way out. I needed some sort of excuse. My eyes flickered back to my surroundings, turning away from the sailor as I settled my eyes back on the fallen axe-beak. Could I...?

"U-uhm," My voice broke the silence, nervous and filled with apprehension, equal parts faked and genuine as I turned back to the axe-beak, "I-I don't think I should. My mother t-told me not to follow strangers..." It was a flimsy excuse, but it was honestly the best I could at the moment. Nor was it outrageously unbelievable, unlike some of the other things I could've spouted out... And if I was perfectly honest? Well, I might've panicked just a bit.

"I... see." A slight frown appeared on the sailor's face the moment he heard my words, but he didn't seem to object too loudly to them. Instead, he gave out a heavy sigh, and all I heard were a few heavy footfalls behind me as he rose back up onto his feet. "Listen, your mother probably taught you that to keep you safe, but... since the fall of Hod, monsters have been getting a lot more active. It's just not safe here."

Even I knew that. However, just because I knew that didn't mean that I could afford to accept their help. Was I just being obstinate about it? Maybe, but whatever the case might've been, I couldn't accept it; I couldn't even bring myself to pretend. So, I simply remained silent.

"I know you might not trust me, so why don't I make you a deal, okay?" Every word he spoke only made me feel worse. He shouldn't have had to make so many compromises, try so hard, especially since I wasn't going to fold to any of them. And I knew that he was doing this because he had been genuinely worried, at least if his voice was any indication. But despite this, I could not-would not-respond to his pleas. It took all my willpower to keep my attention fixed forward, not sending the sailor a single look as I stared blankly at the fallen monster.

"Why don't you tell me your name?" But even that didn't deter him. "If I know that, then I'll return to the camp and find your folks. And your friends! Then, when I've found them, I'll send them over to come get you, and everything will be alright. So, how about it?"

... Despite my physical appearance, I wasn't a child. While his words might've given hope to a lost five-year-old, I could tell from his tone that he didn't completely believe in his words. I mean, it was clear how broken this coastal town was, and the chances of survival for anyone at all was pretty low. What were the chances of finding a family and a group of friends completely intact?

Still, what did it say about the man that he was willing to lie to a child, just to convince the brat to not stay in monster-infested ruins? To give false hope, just to ensure that a life was kept? I don't know, but... I'm not sure if I could've done the same in his position.

Regardless, I recognized how hard it must've been for him, and I couldn't help but turn around, my eyes widening a bit as I stared up at him. The moment I showed the hint of a response, he seemed to relax visibly, his face growing just a bit brighter. I had no choice but to answer his questions now... Even if I didn't know the answer myself.

"Uhm... Ah..." I fumbled with the words, trying to buy time. I had no clue what name would fit a lost child, nor could I afford to casually throw something out. If I used one name, would I get confused for someone else? What would I change if that was the case? What if I used a name that was out-of-the-ordinary, or didn't make any phonetic sense? That would only cast more suspicion on me. My gaze fell downwards, slowly settling on my clothes as I tried to... to...

My clothes. They were fancy. More to the point, they had an embroidered symbol on them, as well as a few words scrawled beneath the emblem. I couldn't supply the sailor with my name, but I could still give him a name. I gave a few more confused babbles, childish hesitation that wasn't quite words, as I began fumbling with my jacket. Unbutton, unhook, unstrap... It was surprisingly difficult, and the more I stumbled on the actions, the more childish I seemed, but I eventually managed to take the jacket off.

"What are you... Wait, that symbol... Lephis?" I blinked at the name. Lephis? Was that what those symbols said? That's... good to know, I guess. Still, the name was apparently important enough for the sailor to recognize. I gave a quick nod, not trusting myself to speak, and the man quickly turned back to the rest of his colleagues. "Hey, didn't that butler say that he worked under House Lephis? Someone find him! He'll probably know our little friend here!"

Welp. That backfired horribly. How was I supposed to worm my way out of this?

Apparently, Lephis was a noble house, or something close to it, and the kid was part of that family. How was I supposed to act out that? I mean, I barely knew anything about the kid's actual mannerisms, to say nothing about the customs or culture he must've been raised in. Not to mention the fact that they were going to bring over a servant. Honestly, a servant was the worst-case scenario; It was very likely that this butler-person's job was to know every little detail about the child that I had taken over. Everything that worried me about a metting with the parents applied here as well, only moreso since it was the man's actual job.

... There was no other way around it. I had to escape.

"Isn't that great?" The sailor turned back to me, practically beaming as all trace of his previous worries had faded away. "Just wait here, and we'll get it all sorted out. Okay?"

No, it wasn't okay. But I couldn't exactly say that, so I had no choice but to nod hesitantly, slowly shifting my gaze between him, the fallen monster, and the ruined building around us. Nothing provided me with a solution.

"Really, I'm not joking about this. Be a good boy and wait here; the area isn't safe yet, and we need to see if there are some other survivors. If you're not willing to come with us, then... please, at least stay out of sight, okay?" He pleaded with me, and my chest sank. Despite his pleas, there was no way I would be able to follow his request. I was forced to lie to him, simply nodding at his words, a part of me flinching when I saw his wide smile in return. "Good! It won't be too long. I'll leave one of my men here to keep you safe, though, in case more monsters return. And... take this, just to be safe."

I had no choice but to agree, both to instructions and his gift. The moment I acknowledged his words, the man handed me a glass bottle, a container that was filled to the brim with some sort of glimmering liquid. I wasn't too sure what it was, but I had seen things like it before, similar bottles that had been buried or broken inside that old warehouse from earlier. Before I could ask what it was, however, the sailor answered me.

"You're probably wondering what this is, aren't you?" A quick nod was all I could supply. He didn't seem to mind, however, and he took out another one, uncorking the top of the glass bottle as he poured out the contents onto himself. "It's a Holy Bottle. I'm sure you've heard of it, since kids your age love adventure stories, but travelers use it to keep monsters at bay. If you're going to be so stubborn and wait here on your own, then the least I can do is give you something like this."

I bit back a frown. Why did he keep helping me? Each gesture of goodwill only made me more uncomfortable... But not once did the man notice my unease. Instead, he gave me a hearty smile, ruffling my hair one last time as he tried to... cheer me up, I guess.

Then, he turned away to leave.

I didn't know what to do.

I had to escape, but at the same time, leaving now meant that I'd be consigning the guard person to failure. Worst than failure, since it would've meant that I, a child, had disappeared under his watch. I couldn't even begin to imagine how badly he'd feel as a result of that. But... would it be worse than what this child's family would feel, once they realized who I was?

Who knows? Either way, no matter what choice I made, someone would ultimately get hurt. The very fact that I was here would change someone's life forever, all because I had the audacity to live. And I had no choice but to live, because I had taken the kid's own chances at life.

... No, I couldn't fall back into that mental loop again. I already made a decision, so I had no choice but to stick with it. Looking at it that way, if my life was already accepted as a fact, then... that meant that hurting someone would also be an inescapable fact. That, in turn meant that it wasn't question of what I should do, but who should I hurt. I mean, ultimately, that's what it all boiled down to. Do I the single sailor? Or do I hurt the potentially-still-living family?

Or I could try to live a lie, and hope that I can maintain it for the rest of my life... I couldn't even begin to imagine how the family would've responded if I failed that.

There was no guarantees for any of them; maybe the family wouldn't suspect a thing. Maybe the sailor was emotionally stable enough to accept failure. Maybe monster attacks were just so common that, something as horrible as children dying to monsters was day-to-day life. And maybe something else happened entirely. However, all of these hypotheticals were useless to me; I had to make a decision. And since I had no information to fall back on, that mean I had to treat this as... a numbers game.

Even though I knew I couldn't view human emotions as a number's game, I was left with no choice but to see it as such. I had to weigh the impact of one man feeling regret, possibly for the rest of his life, against the pain I'd inflict on this child's family should they find out the true circumstances of his life and death. And unfortunately, the first one was lighter than the second one, even if it had potential to condemn an entire life.

Did... did that justification make sense? Maybe not, but the silent ruins around me offered me no other alternative. Was there some other solution I could've taken? Some other way I could've presented myself, or acted? Probably, but I couldn't think of one, and now I'm forced to live with my choice.

Carefully, I began to make my move, peeking from the ruined window as I spotted the guard outside. Fortunately for me, he was more focused on the ruined city around us than the building I was hidden inside, more intent on spotting monsters than fleeing five-year-olds. I retrieved my crossbow and still-bloodied spear-knife-thing, before making my way to the back of the building. There, I found another collapsed wall, one more victim of the tidal storm that had taken this city, and slipped out of the destroyed house without another thought.

The moment I stepped onto the road, a frown formed on my face. While my footsteps were light, they were weren't completely invisible, and I felt my feet partially sink into the mud as I stepped through the waterlogged roadway. It didn't take long for me to realize that they'd be able to track me through footsteps, and now that the skies were relatively clear, I couldn't rely on nature to mask my escape. Instead, I had to rely on subterfuge and stealth, two points that I had no experience whatsoever on. I had to learn. Unable to apply anything practical, I forced the basics into my mind, taking care to keep my sound and visual profile as low as possible. It was a bit easier for me, due to my size and weight, but it was still a taxing exercise.

At least I had something to help tip the scales. Pulling the Holy Bottle from my belt, I paused mid-stride, my attention falling on the glass container as I peered at the liquid contained within. It shimmered, and was bright in a way light was not. Except, it was also bright in that way as well. If that made sense.

I pushed that particular thought aside, quickly uncorking the bottle, feeling the warm tinge in the air well before I saw it proper. That familiar white light rose up from the glass, bleeding into the air, neither completely visible nor completely invisible as I gradually began to pour it on myself.

It tingled, and the air around me tingled as well, a gentle warmth that was almost soothing, especially when compared to everything else I had experienced today. Slowly, I fastened the neck of the now-empty bottle back around my belt, not willing to waste something as valuable as a glass container, as I slowly turned my attention back to the rest of the town.

My gaze fell to the alleyways.

They were probably my best bet in leaving the area undetected, even if they were partially wrecked. Broken buildings served as cover where they could, and provided me a vantage point to assess the situation whenever cover was sparse. So, I made use of the urban sprawl as I slipped further and further towards the edge of the town.

Not that I was sure where I planned on going. At the moment, my only goal was simply to get away. Questions and doubts for the future lingered at the edge of my mind, and I pushed them aside each time they came up, focusing inste-

A violent cry echoed out from the road, as the sound of monster screeches and metallic impact filled the air. Following those sounds were another kind of noise, as the frenzied voices of people rose above the clanging and roars, alarmed yet focused as indistinct orders bellowed out.

It was clear that the sounds come from somewhere down the road, and while I had no idea what it was, I knew that it wasn't anything good. Without wasting any more moments, I quickly dove out of sight, hiding myself away under the cover of a fallen house as I approached the source of the sounds. It didn't take me long to find the source, the sight of a massive squaring off against... people of some kind. I couldn't get a clear view, and forced myself to wait for a better opportunity to present itself, keeping myself hidden among the rubble as I drew closer to the raging battle.

"Watch out!" A male voice rose up, the worried sound of his words quickly interrupted by a loud crash as the monster blocking my view charged out of the way, impacting head-first against a broken-down cart, shattering it instantly in a splinter of wood.

From the husk of a destroyed house, I stared out, my eyes falling on the now-visible sight of three sailors fighting together. There was a man and a woman at the front of their group, both carrying impressive harpoons as they faced off against their monstrous opponent. Behind them was a third man, a bit further back from the close-range combatants, carrying a staff of some kind as he shouted orders at his colleagues.

That explained one side of the conflict, and my eyes quickly shifted to the other side, only to flinch as I saw the oppressive opponent.

Directly in front of the two front-line fighters was a massive crab, nearly as tall as a grown man. And while that might've been impressive, its claws were in a different class altogether, the usual pincers replaced by a thick carapace that resembled forged weapons more than things found in nature. Each of its claws were massive, well over the size of a man's torso in width, covered in a thick shell of natural plating that ran along its entire form. And that ran a long ways, as the form of the claws matched that of a greatsword, easily reaching over two meters in length as the monster snapped at the nearest sailor.

"Get out of the way! It's charging again!" The staff-wielder yelled out to his companions. The two harpoon fighters immediately nodded in response, hopping to either side of the crab as even as they saw the monster's feet kick off the ground.

The monster ignored their preparations, rushing forward to the male spear-user, swinging one arm in a cleaving arc as the force of its attack cleared the road of free-standing debris. It was hardly encouraging, knowing that this island had monsters as ridiculous as that giant crab, but the sailors didn't seem half as worried as I did.

"Good, keep it busy!" The staff wielder spoke, then brought down his staff, his hands gripping the wooden shaft as the air began to... to...

I recognized this. I saw-no, I felt the change in the air. A charge began to build up, circling around the staff-wielder with an invisible force, a collection of sparks that arrayed itself in an elaborate pattern. I wasn't quite sure how I noticed the pattern, since there was no visible light or shape, but... I know somehow that it was there. Then, I felt a rush of adrenaline, a burst of energy rising upwards as the magic-caster began to speak.

"Oh raging wind." Two voices echoed out, the man's voice overlaid with a weave of echoing wind as the air seemed to vibrate at his words. I recognized the magic for what it was, and began committing the words to memory. With each word spoken, the air seemed to crackle, flowing directly into the man before rising out in a flood of renewed energy. "Howl and gather before me..."

As his speech continued, the magic user's teammates changed their tactics, one hopping away from the crab monster while the other gave the creature an angry shout. The crab turned to the solitary spearwoman, slowly bringing its claws back in a very visible gesture as it charged forward again, its legs rushing along the muddied ground with surprising agility as it closed the distance. The spearwoman did not panic, her attention focused solely on the crab's reckless charge, lightning gathering around her spear as she waited for it to approach.

Approach it did, and as the crab brought its claws forwards and downwards, the woman jumped into the fray, closing the distance in a blinding flash as she drove the lightning-wreathed harpoon into the crab's joint. A loud hiss rose up as it staggered back, only to be met with a second attack as the spearman leapt in from... somewhere else. A flame-covered harpoon struck the crab next, knocking it into a daze as both fighters retreated.

"and cleave mine enemies with your blades! Turbulence!"

Their retreat was marked by raging winds, that circular array shattering before reforming beneath the monster, a flurry of green and white winds encircling the crab. And just as the man had asked, the air began to howl, striking the crab with raw force in a visible blades of gleaming green, magical energy converging on the crab. The onslaught lasted for but a moment, each strike punctuated by a shrill cry from the crab, before exploding upwards in a burst of air. A low howl echoed from the creature as it was sent skywards, flying in an uneasy arc for a good few seconds before gravity could finally take hold again.

But gravity was absolute. The monster eventually began to fall once more, leaving a trail of blood and light, the air shimmering with a mysterious gleam as it returned to the ground. A loud crash signaled the crab's landing, and an angry roar signaled the crab's recovery, as the creature slowly rose to its feet once more. And once more, the sailors charged again, showing no signs of discouragement as they prepared another attack.

It was humbling, but... I couldn't afford to keep watching. I had wasted enough time as it was standing here, and while they had initially blocked my path, their battle had proceeded further down the road.

And while seeing their fight had been useful in some small way, it was still something that ultimately went over my head. Lightning and fire spears, wind magic... I had no clue how either of those things even worked, let alone how to execute them, and those weren't really techniques I could learn through observation. More than that, I had wasted time; who knows how long it'd be until that sailor returned with the butler? Leaving that fight behind me, I made my way further passed the city, drawing closer and closer to the outskirts.

I spotted no less than four more battles similar on the way out, each reminiscent of the first as sailors battled against the island's violent creatures.

There was no mistaking the monsters as they flooded into the town, the sailors' hands all but tied as they tried to contain the onslaught. Axe-Beaks, wolves, those crab monsters things... It was clear that the storm brought no shortage of monsters out of hiding, and each battle I spotted gave me a bit more insight to how the people of this world defended themselves.

Unfortunately, that insight did not translate into actual knowledge or applicable skills. I couldn't exactly write down any of the magic-sounding incantations, nor did I understand how they interacted with the magical particles for their activation. No matter how many times I heard those words, and no matter how many times I tried to parrot them, I never got anything more than a vague sensation of airy static.

Likewise, I was completely lost as to how the more physically-inclined fighters could use their weapons the way they did. It obviously involved something similar to magic, since there was no earth-based equivalent to setting your stick on fire with nothing more but willpower alone. But no matter how common the lightning-fueled stabs or wind-cleaving swings were, I simply couldn't understand how they worked. Not only that, but the sailors only fought with staves and spears, which blunted my development with this broken spearhead... Not to mention my own lack of physique.

Still, the information wasn't completely useless. I learned more of how to use spears, which was a disposable hunting weapon in their own right. Likewise, I had learned through some experimentation and observation that the incantations weren't as untenable as I initially thought; It was clear that the activation for magic was based on something other than wording, as each of the magic users I observed all used some slight variation on their spell casting. Some omitted words, and others were a bit more verbose, but all produced a similar effect.

Similarly, my own experience with those air-tingles varied a bit, based on how I spoke, rather than what. Not that that helped much, since I was still missing a very crucial part of the spellcasting puzzle, and I wasn't in a position to solve it. Coupled with the fact that, rather than prose, spell effects in the spell-users' incantations seemed to be based more on how they spoke, rather than what.

... Okay, so that observation might not have been completely helpful, but c'mon! It's not like I'm in a situation to properly observe these sorts of things, at least not in any meaningful way. Even with the effects of the holy bottle, I had found out that I wasn't completely invisible to the monsters, and there were more than a few times where I had to use my crossbow because a wolf had gotten the wrong idea. Fortunately, they were few and far in between, and none of those encounters escalated beyond the monsters growling in my general direction... But the point was, my entire journey still consisted of equal parts observation and hiding away in dilapidated buildings. All things considered, I should probably save the magical study for another time.

It was a good thing that "another time" was rapidly approaching fast. Despite those few close run-ins, I never came into a full-fledged fight with those monsters. There were a few times when they blocked the way, such as smaller packs of wolves or the occasional giant toad creature, but by and large, they were more interested in the noise made by the defending sailors than myself. This constant distraction, rather than any sort of skill in stealth, was how I ultimately made it back to where I had started.

After a few hours since leaving that sailor, I had managed to escape the city, and had made my way back to that little circular ditch that I had woken up in. I wasn't too sure why I had been drawn to that place, at least not initially...

But the moment I arrived at that ditch, I caught sight of something strange.

Something weird, foreign, and utterly nonsensical. Hovering a few meters away from that hole-in-the-ground was a glowing sphere of blue and white light, shimmering soundlessly in the air. And unlike most other things I had seen today, I recognized this particular oddity with absolute clarity.

It was a save point.