Chapter 13: Domineering mountain
Mitch rummaged through the scattered backpacks, his fingers working methodically despite the exhaustion weighing on his shoulders.
The fabric of his current clothes clung to his skin, sodden with perspiration and stained a deep crimson that had long since obscured their original earthy brown.
The metallic scent of blood mingled with the forest’s pine-fresh air, creating an unsettling contrast.
The backpacks yielded a treasure trove of survival gear: a well-used flint and steel set, its metal surfaces polished smooth by countless strikes; a peculiar metal vessel adorned with a brilliant sapphire that pulsed with inner light; a sturdy iron knife with a leather-wrapped handle; several monster cores of varying grades, their surfaces gleaming with trapped mana; strips of salted jerky wrapped in oiled cloth; a small glass bottle filled with an ominous green powder; some spare clothes; and a folded piece of parchment that crackled when touched.
He stripped off the ruined garments without ceremony, the cool mountain breeze raising goosebumps across his scarred torso. The replacement clothes, a simple cotton tunic and worn leather pants, hung loose on his frame, clearly meant for someone broader, but they were clean and whole. That was enough.
Mitch’s system interface flickered to life as he examined two of the items.
[Glass bottle filled with impurities]
[Water container - Generates fresh water when infused with mana, crafted by a novice crafter]
Unfolding the parchment with careful fingers, Mitch read the contents aloud, his voice carrying a mixture of curiosity and unease:
"It seems that you little addicts keep hiding from my men. You have until the end of the week. Bring the gold, or else I’ll deal with you personally. Signed M"
The realization struck him like a physical blow, the writing was in English, as clear and familiar as if he’d penned it himself.
The people they’d encountered had also spoken English, their words perfectly comprehensible despite this being an entirely different world. I got lucky yet again, he thought, his eyes drifting to the status panel [Divine Luck].