Chapter 2: Back to the starter village
The old man led the way down the winding path. The sack was now effortlessly slung over Riku's shoulder. The sun was still high, bathing the treetops in gold, but a quiet stillness lingered in the air — like even the wind held its breath here.
As they passed through the wooden archway marking the entrance to the village, Riku slowed.
The sight before him was... sobering.
There were houses — but they looked tired. Walls chipped and patched with straw, roofs sagging with age. Dust clung to the dry dirt road like it had nowhere else to go. A broken signpost hung lopsided over a faded message board, once meant for posting adventurer requests and town updates. Now it displayed only torn parchment and dried leaves.
And the people...
Not many.
A few elderly villagers sat under the shade of a tree, fanning themselves with wilted straw. A pair of children, barefoot and skinny, peeked out from behind a wooden fence, their eyes wide as they stared at the newcomer.
Once, this village used to be lively — the kind of place buzzing with new adventurers, clumsy questing, and noisy excitement.
Now, it was a whisper of what it had been.
"...This is the starter village?" Riku muttered.
The old man gave a hollow chuckle. "Aye, long ago. We used to have young ones here, running around with wooden swords, dreaming of dragons. But fewer come now. The guilds stopped sending quests. Kingdoms moved their borders. No one cares about the bottom anymore."