The dragonewt and I observed the orange flames, crisping the twigs bone-dry. The warm wave touched my hands as I scooched beside the campfire. I looked around and spotted the river continuing to travel down the coast, with my blood flowing alongside the fishes. The splashed created a sentimental tune, as if I was listening to calm gush coming from an ocean.

As the clasping of the wood rings in my ears, the humanoid creature turned his face to me.

“I am but a mere merchant.” The dragonewt exclaimed as he beckoned his hands to his basket beside him.

Upon opening the casket, a variety of goods welcomed my eyes. Dozens of knives blinded my eyes from the sight of the pointy edges on the blades. There were many red and blue potions and drugs mixed with the flasks, enough to cater a battalion during a mission. While looking at the top of each item, laid a sheet with its corresponding price in exchange.

“I can offer you goods with these exceptional products.” The seller gestured his hands.

“I do not have any money right now. But thank you for the offer.” An apologetic gleam escaped from my lips as I turned his offer down and shook my face.

However, the dragonewt never felt fazed by my actions. The merchant knew I lost everything without asking me anything since he found me here, floating in the river. He assumed I was a villager from the town and ended up here surviving the blast.

Upon understanding my circumstances, he offered me a few coins and placed them on my waiting palm.

“Keep it, my dear child.” The tradesperson exclaimed as he stood up from his seat.

I went blank while I caught my widened eyes staring at the few pieces of coin clanking in my hand. There was not an event that I deserved to get paid, especially for something I never did, so I sprinted towards the merchant and attempted to return his sum.

“That money is for you,” the reptile gave me a reply while pushing my arm back to my chest.

I persisted in returning what was not mine. I went towards the front and insisted on giving back the coins to the trader, knowing that it was wrong to give a stranger money who knew nothing about them.

“That money is for you,” the merchant repeated his lines and continued trudging to the gushing lake.

As he journeyed forward to the uncharted land, the flock of crows circled him. I thought that these flying creatures were there to terrorise him, and I was correct. Once the black-coloured birds pecked the unfortunate man, my feet raced in his direction, wanting to repay the debt.

But the lizardman disappeared without a trace. The ravens fluttered skywards, revealing the space where I last saw the man.

“Why are you helping me?” My words became muzzled as I shouted my concern, hoping that I could hear the dragonewt for the last time.

“You are one of us, an NPC.” The voice of the merchant echoed through the forest, mixed with the silence of the evening.

The darkness of the night consumed his figure as he disappeared within the mountain tracks, together with the panicking birds. I could not chase forth since my bones and muscles had yet healed to their original skin, and I did not know where to find the mysterious bloke.

Lost in thought, I rested my head on the log and slept for the time being. I was unaware of my surroundings, thinking that the creatures circling me would not harm my unconscious body.

Fortunately for me, I woke up without a single scratch on my skin. As I glanced at my sides, the grizzly level fourteen bears and level two-horned rabbits felt scared approaching me. These animals acted as if there was some force obstructing their path to me.

The neighbours always told the children to avoid such vicious creatures, and that memory rang inside my ears. Among their guidelines, I needed to sprint when I encounter such a beast blocking my way. I prepared myself for racing away from the stream, but the beings turned their bodies around and left me at peace.

“Something does not feel right.” My chest pumped two hundred beats per minute, showing my anxiety about the scene. If these mighty creatures pounced on me right now, I would never have to see the light for tomorrow.

I discerned below and checked my scars and injuries on my lower limbs. My eyes scanned my skin while hoping nothing terrible happened to me.

Much to my surprise, I recovered throughout the night with a single night’s worth of sleep. I have never felt better in ages, not until now.

I gave out a stretch to my legs and expected a searing pain gushing through my tendons, eventually opening my wounds. But the thought never showed its results, as I saw my skin still intact with my body.

However, the idea barged inside my head and recalled the gore image of my sister Clementine. Somewhere along the woodlands, I heard a distant cry of a child asking for help.

The memories were still fresh inside of me, haunting my sight wherever I went. Clementine’s eyes gawked at me, begging for me to help her from the miserable state brought by the monster.

The warm sensation of my blood slid over to my arms, causing it to create a puddle of scarlet liquid on the ground. I did not notice my nails were piercing the insides of my hand as I strolled at the extensive part of the region in the forest.

I recalled the occurrences that happened to me before landing here inside an unknown place. The rectangular monitor appeared from the sky and reported everyone to wait for further instructions and the heroes defending the town.

But the monsters had already appeared inside the lake and took the lives of both of my parents. After a while, several adventurers spotted the villagers running away from the setting. Some warriors were unfortunate enough to mind their end, while others fought back against the impending forces of the horde.

The adventurer who never helped us and ran away was one of the few reasons my sister got killed by the monster. His image of running away lingered inside my mind, wanting to kill that coward mercenary.

Apart from the wanderer, I noticed a border appearing from my eyes before falling from the cliff. The crimson screen warned and notified me about an instruction that I did not follow.

“Warning, please evacuate to safety.” I walked towards the forest while mumbling the sentence.

As I mentioned the phrase, the screen appeared yet again in front of me. It did not have the scarlet paint covering the board, but an azure hue greeted my orbs. With a high-pitch sound, I welcomed the screen back.

[Welcome, Red Riding Hood] A monotonic voice resonated through my ears. But as I spun around, nobody was there to address me.

[I am your system, and a guide to serving you from here on out, Master Red.] The sound alerted me again, but I stood on my ground and faced the anonymous voice.

“Where are you?” I croaked.

[I am inside your head, Master Red. You cannot see me, but I can see you.] As if proving its claim, the system revealed a model of a girl that looked like me.

As the coloured illustration twirled, foreign words materialised at the side.

“What are these words?” I asked with my eyes, studying the alien terminologies that I had yet heard of from my lifetime.

[You do not know these status points since you are an NPC, not a player, Master Red.] The automated voice continued to explain as it revealed six status information to me.

[These are the status data about you and its corresponding meanings. Each time you level up, you will get the chance of becoming stronger, Master Red.]

[STR or Strength corresponds to your physical damage against monsters. This status boost is effective for Warrior, Assassin, Thief, priest, and other classes.]

[Vit or Vitality will increase your health, defence, stamina, and physical resistance.]

[DEX or dexterity will increase your physical damage, critical damage, and critical chance, speed, evasion, and hit rate.]

[INT or intelligence will increase your magic damage, arcane pool, and magic defence against harmful magic against you.]

[LCK or Luck increases your chances of getting optimum results in a random number generation, an algorithm for treasures, gifts, and rewards of each quest or missions you accomplish.]

“I do not understand,” I confessed as my eyes gyrated in my sockets.

[You do not have to learn all of this information at once. Take your time, Master Red.]

I placed the strode to the mushy soil tickling my feet. The slippers I used to wear got destroyed into pieces after falling from that cliff, leaving me barefooted in these lands. I could not abandon such a valuable item, considering Clementine gave this pair as a gift to me.

“Can I ask you something, system?” I struck a conversation to the eerie voice in my brain, hoping to receive any wisdom and knowledge about the world I thought was factual around me.

[Ask away, Master Red.] The system replied with an even tone.

“What are the blue and red screens appearing in my vision?” I gestured my hand and tried my best to illustrate what I saw back then.

As if the system knew what I was doing, the machine-like voice replied. [Those events are Missions and Quests sent by the game developers.]

“A game?” I repeated.

[Yes.] With the system’s curt reply, I stopped in my tracks and digested what I heard.

But before I can even have the time to think, the scream from before became louder inside my ears, begging for anyone’s help.