Chapter 7: Discovery?
In his dream, Orion found himself back on earth, standing in the park. There, he saw his 7-year-old self sitting quietly on a bench, his deep black eyes observing from a distance as families strolled or sat nearby laughing, playing, and sharing moments of affection.
A father playing with his 8-year-old child pretending to be a monster...
A 10-year-old girl pats her dog, saying 'good boy' before throwing the ball while her family cheers her up.
A kid licks his ice cream with a smile and satisfaction before thanking his mom.
A man on the phone conveying his love to his child while holding a gift with a smile plastered on his face.
Near him, a couple was imagining their future family full of smiles and sweetness, like there was no tomorrow.
Orion remained silent, vividly recalling how, in this very spot, his former self longed for a family with warmth, a smile, sweetness, and love.
The same as the kids who were playing, laughing, eating, and hugging their parents.
.
.
Early the next day!
Fu!
Orion stared blankly at the ceiling as the first ray of sunlight spilled warmly through the gap of the window.
The dream he just experienced brought back his childhood memories, the simple wish, desire, and the things he lived through.
He raised his hand to his temples with a wry smile. "It sure brings back memories but now that I traveled through another world, the things I wish and desired are now completely filled."
"Sure, it may not be full of happiness due to the current environment, but as a simple orphan, experiencing love and care for the first time is what matters the most."
Like many others who had wishes and desires, he would gladly accept a trade.
At least his seven-year-old self didn't know much.
Orion rose calmly to his feet. Though the dream brought memories of his past life, it did not negatively affect his emotions. Instead, it ignited a quiet determination that burned brightly in his fiery eyes.
With determination, he again engaged in a simple routine.
This time he tried to exceed his limits and understood that he can now do one thousand push-ups, sit-ups, and squats.
It exceeded his estimates.
After contemplating, he deduces that the orb may have been passively enhancing his body, just like how it removes the impurities. The slight strength was growing, maybe by an hour or a day.
Orion wasn't sure how much the orb enhanced his body, but one thing was certain: after acquiring it, his appetite had grown significantly. The fruits and rations he received during the journey were insufficient.
He became a true gluton!
During the journey, not only did he listen to the advice and learn to control his emotions, but he was also able to embrace his little fear from the 'orb,' at least to the surface level he was now trying to interact with it.
It's just that the 'orb' did not respond to his will, leading him to believe that its mystery and power might lie in passive physical enhancement, the vision of a hunter-beast, and its negative effects may be becoming a glutton.
Well, Orion surfacely thinks so, since the 'orb' did not show much power except for the trial that almost killed him.
This made him invest more attention to the development of his orb and thought of taking notes of things.
Now that he arrived in Crimson City, he knew he had a lot of things to do, like paying a visit to Mr. Dave's shop, registering in the Hunter's Guild, finding a cheap house to settle, and earning more money.
Half an hour later, Orion cleaned himself up as he went downstairs, choosing to experience a meal in the inn's cafeteria.
As he entered, he was greeted by a vibrant atmosphere where guests were engaged in lively conversation or downing their morning alcohol, voices echoed with remarks like, 'That really hit the spot.', 'I'm telling you, it's real.', 'It's really scary out there.' and 'I'm going back to Bluemoon City to earn another bucket of gold.'
Different guests, different reactions and interests...
But what truly caught Orion's attention were the two middle-aged men: one thin dressed in merchant attire and the other fat adorned with gold and gem ornaments, exuding the appearance of a wealthy local resident.
He perked up his ears as he took a big bite of the juicy fried meat.
munching...
.
"Wait, are you for real? Another beggar died?"
"Come on, I'm telling you, the city has become even more dangerous." *Bang* "I knew that beggar. He was a 'rat' I've been nurturing to gather things for me, just this morning when I was about to see him. I saw the guards flocking in the meeting place, and that beggar is..."
The man dressed in merchant attire showed a difficult expression. "Anyway, his expression was inscribed with fear with a slit throat. What's more, he was hanging in the alley."
"From what I heard from the guards, he was not the only victim this time, as there are five more."
The fat man involuntary leans on his chair upon hearing more victims. "Seriously? What the hell is happening? I swear the city is getting more dangerous by the day. Is the city lord not going to take action? Won't he hire hunters to deal with it?"
"Who knows?" the merchant chug his alcohol before continuing his word. "However, it's certainly going to cost the city lord some money."
As he silently listens, Orion once again reevaluates the danger in the city, remembering his father's stories about monsters and killers.
The city was also a forest, where hunters lurked for their prey.
It was both a safe and dangerous environment...
'Another victim and the killer had not been caught; seriously, how is the killer even evading or silencing its victim on such a silent night?'
The killer is quite a fearsome man or monster.
Orion cleanly finished his breakfast with various thoughts as he paid an additional fee for the eight extra meals.
Just as he walked out of the inn, he saw a few carriages and the residents going left to right and right to left, traveling into the bustling streets.
Whether young or old, poor or wealthy, they were going to their destination.
There were different vendors attracting customers and items displayed in buildings.
The buildings had two to three floors and were made of stone bricks that had higher qualities and more vibrant colors, far different from the village houses.
The roads/streets, on the other hand, were pave with uneven stone slabs.
The scene before him had drastically changed. a stark contrast to their gloomy arrival as the resident wore a smile on their faces while holding their child or groceries.
Taking a small parchment from his pocket, "Black-Owl Shop, Lane Street market."