Warmth spread over my body, making me stretch comfortably. I tightened my grip on the blanket, wrapping myself snugly, unwilling to wake from this heavenly warmth and comfort. But the noisy chatter reaching my ears forced me to open my groggy eyes. All I saw was darkness, with a faint, dim firelight shining through a crack. Was this heaven? Or had I returned home? Was everything just a dream, a very realistic dream? A surge of pleasant surprise filled me, and I sat up abruptly, only to find a thick layer of something covering me. The warmth I felt earlier was mostly thanks to it.
I felt it with my hand. From the touch, it seemed to be a blanket made of animal fur or something similar. I wasn't sure if it was real leather or artificial. Following the faint firelight, I looked around.
First, the place I was lying on was also covered with a layer of fur. It was precisely because of these two layers of comfortable, soft fur, above and below, that I had slept so soundly.
Second, the place I was in was very small. Judging by its shape, it should be some kind of tent.
Just as I was carefully observing my surroundings, the crack where the firelight came from was suddenly pulled wide open. A figure squeezed in, almost completely blocking the widened opening. Because he was backlit, I couldn't clearly see what the figure looked like, but judging by his massive physique, he was at least much taller than me, probably over 2.5 meters.
My god, it's a waste for someone like this not to be in the NBA.
"Young man, you're finally awake! Hahaha, that's great!"
A loud, thick, and hearty voice suddenly rang out beside my ear, making my ears buzz.
However, hearing his voice, I temporarily let go of the anxiety in my throat. At least he could talk, and I could understand him. From his voice, he didn't sound like a bad person.
"Doug, I told you not to yell like that all the time. Look, the young man inside must have been scared by you." From behind the giant, another voice came, steady but with a hint of a chuckle.
Doug, that was probably the name of the giant in front of me.
"Bullshit, Lars! When has my voice ever scared anyone?" Doug roared again, like thunder in my ear. I covered my ears in pain. God help me, I hoped my ears would still work later.
...
...
It was night. Four people were gathered around a small bonfire. The damp wood thrown into the fire crackled and popped. Four long shadows stretched out, becoming indistinct in the distance.
Sitting to my left and right, on the left was the bald giant and tenor, Doug. His hair and beard were completely shaven, his head was bare without a single strand. He had tattoos on his face, making it hard to tell his exact age, but he looked to be somewhere between 25 and 40. On my right was the other person Doug had just mentioned, a middle-aged man named Lars. He had a one-inch beard and short hair, and his well-fitting leather armor looked remarkably neat and clean even in this desolate Prairie. If he didn't speak, he exuded a steady and substantial aura, but once he opened his mouth, you'd find he was actually quite a humorous uncle.
Finally, sitting opposite me was also a giant, named Geoff. He was only slightly shorter than Doug, and his head was also clean and shiny. If not for the different tattoos on their faces, you'd really think they were printed from the same mold.
My ears were still buzzing, but I could hear sounds now. I tugged at my ears, trying to make them feel better from the ringing.
Ignoring Lars's playful gaze from across the fire, which seemed to say, "See? Is this the voice you said never scared anyone?", Doug looked at me with an apologetic expression. He knew his booming voice was quite powerful, he just hadn't expected my little body to be so sensitive.
I smiled dismissively. They had saved my life; how could I fuss over such a small matter?
The most pressing matter was to quickly figure out where I was. Although I knew I might have transmigrated, seeing the three of them dressed in a style completely different from my world, I realized I still found it hard to accept this reality. I wasn't as strong as I had imagined. In this strange world, with strange faces and strange surroundings, a sense of isolation, cut off from everything, always enveloped my heart.
"My name is Doug, future Barbarian hero." After a period of silence, the talkative Doug finally couldn't help but speak. He thumped his chest muscles, making a drumming sound, and lowered his voice, trying not to irritate my ears.
"Paladin Lars, pleased to meet you." The uncle who had just chuckled at Doug sounded very solemn when stating his identity, his tone filled with unconcealed pride.
"My name is Geoff, also a brave Barbarian warrior," Geoff said in a deep, muffled voice from across the fire.
"My name is Wu Fan."
Paladin? Barbarian? Suppressing the turbulent waves of surprise in my heart, I said, feigning calmness.
Wu Fan? The other three exchanged glances, as if understanding something, and smiled in perfect understanding.
The big guy, Doug, had a straightforward personality. He first patted my shoulder with what he thought was a light touch, but it was strong enough to almost knock me to the ground to eat dirt.
"Little guy, judging by your appearance, you should be a Druid who just completed your Job Advancement not long ago. You've got quite the courage, running into the depths of the Wilderness all by yourself!"
"Haha, I thought it wouldn't be a problem, but I got lost without realizing it."
Druid? I suppressed the unease and panic in my heart, deliberately scratched my head, avoiding a direct answer to his question, and said, pretending to be embarrassed.
"Haha, indeed, a newborn calf doesn't fear a tiger! You've got the spirit I had back in the day!" Doug continued, patting my shoulder with his fan-like big hand.
"Ha... ha..." I steadied myself, almost falling headfirst into the fire from the pat, and forced a smile.
"Your Strength is too low, kid. That won't do. You need to eat more meat!" Seeing my body swaying desperately like a small boat in turbulent waves under his giant palm, Doug pulled out a large piece of Dried Meat from somewhere and shoved it into my hand. Then he took a piece himself and chewed it heartily.
I took the Dried Meat and found that it weighed at least 4 or 5 jin. This showed Doug's appetite was extraordinary.
"Doug, that's not fair. You're an 11th-level Barbarian. Even a 30th-level Druid might not be stronger than you in Strength. This young man looks like he's level 5 at most. How can you shamelessly compare Strength with him? Tsk tsk..."
Across from Doug, the kind Uncle Lars couldn't stand it anymore. He looked up, shot Doug a disdainful glance, and continued.
"If you've got the guts, why don't you compare Mental Strength with the young man?"
Lars looked at Doug with a playful gaze, as if hitting a sore spot. Doug lowered his head dejectedly and ate the meat in large mouthfuls without saying a word. Even without seeing his expression, I knew he was quite depressed at that moment.
"Wu Fan, don't mind Doug, that blockhead. Everyone has their strengths. Although Druids are a bit average in all aspects, they are also one of the most powerful Classes," Uncle Lars encouraged me in a gentle voice, warming my heart.
"Right, Uncle Lars, where are you heading now?" Seeing the right moment, I quickly put down the small piece of meat I was gnawing on and asked. No matter how hungry I was, I couldn't enjoy eating with so many questions bottled up.
"Oh, you don't know? We're on our way back to the Rogue Encampment."
Lars looked at me with a puzzled expression, making my heart skip a beat. Then, as if remembering something, he said with sudden realization.
"Oh, look, I forgot you were lost. It's natural you wouldn't know the way."
Lars's reaction made me wary. It seemed I really couldn't speak carelessly. If I hadn't told him I was lost, he might have become suspicious of me.
Wait, what did he say? Rogue Encampment?? My heart surged with massive waves, and I couldn't even hold the piece of meat in my hand steady. It dropped to the ground with a plop.
Paladin, Barbarian, Druid, Rogue Encampment... My god, I finally knew where I had transmigrated to. This was clearly the world of Diablo!
"Wu Fan, what's wrong?" Lars, who was beside me, saw my undisguised dumbfounded look and patted my shoulder, asking.
"Oh, oh... nothing." Startled by Lars's neither light nor heavy pat, in my haste to hide my surprise, I quickly picked up the piece of meat from the ground. Ignoring the dirt on it, I lowered my head and gnawed fiercely, burying my shocked and contorted face against my chest.
Seeing me pick up the piece of meat from the ground and eat it – which was originally a move to hide my reaction – Lars nodded in appreciation. Not wasting any food. Although his actions were too reckless, running into the depths of the Blood Moor alone, it seemed he still had the makings of a brave warrior.
"Cough, cough..." I ate the Dried Meat too quickly. Its dry taste made me choke.
Suddenly, a Water Flask was extended towards me. I didn't care whose it was and quickly grabbed it, gulping down a large amount. Only then did my throat feel comfortable. I looked up and saw Doug and Lars looking at me with amused expressions. The one who handed me the Water Flask was the quiet Geoff.
"On the surface, Geoff doesn't seem like a Barbarian; he's always cold. But his passionate heart is undoubtedly in the Barbarian style," Lars explained with a smile. Geoff also awkwardly grinned, revealing a smile that was uglier than crying. It seemed he really wasn't good at expressing himself.
Not long after, Lars and the other two began to assign watch duty times. As for me, they pushed me into the tent, citing my weak Constitution as the reason.
Over the next few days of travel, I got to know the three of them better.
Doug, Level 11 Barbarian. Hearty and straightforward personality, with the typical hot-blooded and reckless style of a Barbarian.
Geoff, Level 11 Barbarian. Seemed to be related to Doug. Quiet and reserved, with a calmness that was very different from most Barbarians.
Lars, Level 12 Paladin. Steady and wise, but his mouth was completely unlike what a Paladin's should be. He was merciless when mocking Doug and was the leader of this small group of three.
As for their reason for venturing deep into the Blood Moor this time, Lars said they wanted to try their luck and see if they could find some Equipment that added Fire Resistance. They had already accepted the Quest to kill the Countess, and without Fire Resistance Armor, they wouldn't be able to handle the Countess's overwhelming sea of fire.
But unfortunately, from the Cold Plains all the way back to the Blood Wasteland, they hadn't managed to find a single suitable piece of Equipment. The three of them were reluctantly preparing to head back to the Rogue Encampment to rest and reorganize – they had been out for over three months already.
(end of chapter)