Book Restoration System: Savior Of The Forsaken Legends [BL]

Auri watched the man (who was already fully clothed by the way) and studied him closely from behind the bushes.

Even from a distance, he could feel an air of superiority coming from the man. His posture, his movements, and even the way he ate his fish gave the impression that he was someone of high importance, or at least someone with a noble status. The blond hair was already a dead giveaway, but that could be just his preconceived idea of what a noble would look like based on the media he had consumed back on Earth.

Nevertheless, this man could be his fastest ticket to the nearest town. But he didn't know if the man was approachable. For all he knew, this man could be a serial killer with a pretty face, so he will just observe him for now.

Auri sat patiently next to a shrub of wild berries and watched the man ate his lunch from across the lake. He already had a fill of wild berries, but when he caught a whiff of the freshwater fish, the man was grilling, his stomach growled again.

"Mmm... I want some grilled fish, too." Auri whined as he wiped his drool. "With soy sauce and lots of fresh tomatoes. Ahh... This is crazy. I want to walk over there and beg him to share me his food."

The smoky fragrance continued to entice him like a bait, trying to lure in a bigger fish. If he let himself be swayed, he might end up being someone else's food instead.

When the man started gathering his things and prepared to set off, Auri moved as well and followed the man as discreetly as he could. He kept his distance, making sure not to alert the man with his presence.

But then Auri noticed something. The path the man was taking was going up the mountain, not down.

Auri paused and cursed under his breath. "Damn it! Do I have to climb up the mountain again? But I'm already halfway down."

The thought of going back to the starting point made his calves scream in protest. He didn't want to go back to the temple at the top and start over again. But if he were to stop now, he might lose the only person who could lead him out of the mountain.

Auri took a sharp breath in as he contemplated his choice. Maybe he should just reveal himself to the stranger and ask for directions. That way, he won't have to waste any more time and risk exhaustion by following the man around.

What was the worst that could happen to him, anyway? The man could be a friendly fellow and he was just being an idiot for acting overly cautious.

Having made up his mind, Auri took a step forward and continued trailing after the man. But as soon as he reached a denser part of the forest, the man had disappeared.

"Where did he go?" Auri asked, looking around. "Damn, he was fast."

Auri was about to cast [Realm Chronicle] to see if he could get a glimpse of the place's latest memory when something cold pressed against the side of his neck. He froze.

"Who are you?" a deep, commanding voice asked him from behind. "Why are you following me?"

Auri swallowed, dropping his makeshift staff to the ground as he lifted his hands slowly in a wordless sign of surrender. "I-I-I mean no harm, sir. I came here in peace."

The system flashed a sudden notice about passive skill currently being in effect, allowing him to understand the language of this world, but he ignored it.

"State your business." The blade pressed harder. "Who sent you?"

"N-No one. I was just w-wondering if maybe I could ask you some directions? I'm currently lost."

"You spy on me while I bathe and follow me around like a rat just to ask for directions? I don't believe you."

Auri's face reddened. "I-I didn't mean to spy on you while you take a bath, I swear! I just saw you by accident, but I'm not sure if you are approachable, so I thought I'll just observe you first. Please, don't kill me! I swear, I am not an evil person!"

The man scoffed. "That's what an evil person would say."

Auri only gave a squeak as the blade continued to hover dangerously beside his neck. He could feel the man's eyes studying him, weighing his words, until he finally deemed him harmless and withdrew his weapon.

"You are lost, you say?" the man asked, suspicion still present in his voice. "Are you an adventurer? Don't you have a map?"

Auri staggered away a good distance before shaking his head, pressing a hand to the place where the blade had touched. "I don't have one."

"You venture into the mountains without a map? Are you a fool?"

"It's not like I asked to be here."

"What did you say?"

"I said I lost it." Auri cleared his throat. "The map, I mean. So, can you help me?"

The man gave him another stare, his piercing sea-blue eyes scanning him like an airport's full-body scanner behind the black mask covering half his face.

"Where do you plan to go?" he asked.

"The nearest town?"

"Which town?"

"Whichever is the nearest," Auri answered and received a deadened stare. "I wish I knew the names of the towns nearby, but I honestly have no idea."

"You are not from here, are you?"

"Uh... no."

"Where did you come from?"

"If I tell you I'm from another world, would you believe me?"

The man exhaled sharply as he sheathed his sword. He turned away without a word and continued his trek up the mountain.

"H-Hey, wait!" Auri called out, running after the man. "Where are you going? I thought you're going to help me?"

"I never said I would."

Auri's jaw dropped in disbelief. "What the—hey!"

The man ignored him, and Auri had no choice but to follow. He already wasted time and energy following this stranger. He won't let him walk away that easily when he's the only person who can lead him out of the mountain safely.

"Are you trying to go to the temple on top of the mountain?"

That stopped him in his tracks.

The man faced him again, his masked almost slipping away. "You knew about the temple on this mountain?"

"Well, duh, that's where I came from," Auri said, as if that should be obvious. "And I'm on my way down until I bumped into you."

Something in the man's expression changed. Although it was hard to tell since he was wearing a mask, there was a flicker of something in his eyes—like hope—until it vanished, just as quickly as it appeared. 

The man flashed him the tiniest smirk and said, "Tell me about the temple and I'll help you find the safest path out of this mountain."