Following close behind the two strangers in black, the man looks around once again.
Just one night ago, he was still spending every single minute worrying about his survival. For as long as he could remember, he was always living on the edge, gritting his teeth just to go through another day.
But now? There were no monsters in sight, no ruins to dive in or avoid, no fight to look out for,...Only a transparent blue sky, a bright sun, and normal people walking around without a care in the world.
He wasn't sure when he saw them the first time around, but now he was certain. He was definitely an alien in this land.
Even now, his heart was restlessly beating, expecting a plot twist to happen any minute as he approached the fancy-looking car. That little hope, however, was also crushed mercilessly by reality.
'Am I dreaming right now?'
The man turned to look at the car. As a matter of fact, he doesn't even know what a car is, having never seen it in his life.
And while the concept itself was somewhat foreign to him, he kept it to himself out of habit, not asking any questions at all.
Examining the "car" closely, he thought its design was peculiar but still better than the simple bandwagon.
There were proper covers from all sides, with what seemed to be doors and windows to peek outside. The front seats were equipped with mirrors, allowing for an easier time to look behind. Headlights and backlights were also present.
The object with the closest resemblance he could recollect was what they called a "jeep", though the image itself was unclear in his head.
'Now that I think about it, maybe that was a car as well.'
The mysterious woman named Jane, who approached the so-called "car" first, grabbed what seems to be a door handle and pulled it open with ease.
"Can I really?"
"Yes, go ahead." Jane nodded as she entered the "car".
The man was fascinated and did the same, leading to another discovery.
Apparently, there was some kind of springy system in between to allow the handle to return to its original spot after he released or push it back. He thought it was somewhat similar to the cocking handle on a gun, which he used to pull countless times.
'This...'
Sitting down in the car, he could feel the cool air breezing his skin, contrary to the outside's warm heat. This was yet another thing that bugs his mind. If he were to describe it in words, it would be that he accidentally entered a lich's lair.
Scanning the car's interior, he was impressed with the level of detail. The chairs were coated in a black leather coat, while a grey carpet was spread below his feet. He could also see a couple of small ventilators and some kind of glass lighting with words in the front, alongside a circular object with a logo that Jane held onto. Looking down in the middle, there was a lever and some letters he can't make sense of.
"You look like you never rode a car before."
"!"
The other man named Joey, who stayed silent until then, startled him with a rough voice. He didn't expect to get figured out so easily, especially when he had a trained poker face.
"Ah, I'm sorry if I were being rude, but the way you darted around curiously reminds me of a child."
'He's sharper than I thought. And he's bold too.'
"Do not worry. I won't judge." Joey shook his head dismissively "On the contrary, I will help you with any problems and questions while Jane drives. As long as it's within my authority."
Joey, sitting next to him, wasn't particularly big or small, but a closer look suggested a well-trained body, unlike other pedestrians. His mana flow is also more stable, but nothing eye-catching.
On the other hand, he was showing such a sincere attitude the man was rarely met with despite this being their first meeting. It may have been simple formalities for Joey, but the man somehow found it to be rather endearing instead. Especially when he could sense no ill intentions coming from Joey himself.
Judging him to be a non-enemy for the time being, the man prompted.
"I'm not exactly experienced with...'car'...yes."
"I see. Well, if it's just that then it's good."
"So do I have to keep in mind anything?"
"Right. First and foremost, strap yourself in tight with the seatbelt. See this tongue right here? There should be one next to your left."
"Yes, I have it here."
Spotting the "tongue", the man pulled it up, surprised by the elastic belt hidden beneath.
"Good. Look to your right now. See the red buckle? The one with a little mouth?"
Glancing to his right hip, a little box could be seen comfortably half-buried into the gaps.
"Pull the tongue and insert the metallic head into the buckle's mouth."
*Click
"Nice. Now tighten your belt, as much as you can. Normally, you can let it loose a bit...but..."
*WOOSH
A pen flew at high speed straight into the seat and bounced off, only slightly grazing Joey's cheek.
"I swear I could hear flies buzzing 'round here."
"E-eek."
From this moment alone, the man managed to get an unclear implication. Something really bad was about to unfold.
"You guys are done, right?"
"W-wait!"
"No more waiting, Joey! I'm the driver! I say when we drive!"
Right after pressing the blue-lit button, she pulled the level fiercely and step on the pedal hidden below energetically, producing a huge roaring sound. It was at this moment that Jun instinctively knew why he needed to tighten his seatbelt.
"HEREEEEE WEEEEE GOOOOOOO-"
===
A black fancy car ran through the city at extremely high speed, unbothered by all the other vehicles on the road. It was dodging obstacles left and right, taking many unexpected turns that catch other drivers off guard.
At first sight, one would assume somebody was drunk driving or illegally racing on the streets.
'Man, this reminds me of when I held onto that big bird's leg.'
His body was shaking violently, his muscle trembled at the pace of a car drifting every chance it got. Meanwhile, Joey has already passed out, his mouth foaming as his body entered a seizure.
'My condolences, Joey. You've done well surviving until now.'
Seeing how traumatized Joey was, one could only imagine the horrors of having to travel like this everyday. For that fact alone, the man offered his utmost sympathy for Joey's brave spirit.
"Is it fine to leave him like that? He seems to be in bad condition."
"It's fine. He's used to it..."
As if something suddenly came to mind, she forcibly stopped the car by the side of the road, flinging both the man and Joey forward.
It was thanks to their seatbelt that they didn't hit their head.
"Did I turn off the stove?"
"Ugh, argh..." Barely keeping himself from vomiting, Joey groaned "THIS AGAIN?"
"Yes. What if I accidentally burn my house again?"
"Urgh...You didn't...even use it...this morning!"
"Oh, that so? I was so sure I forgot something."
Gripping tight onto Jane's chair in desperation, Joey begged
"Just…hurry up and get there so I…can get out of this hell early!"
Out of nowhere, a foreign accumulation of energy from above dawned on the man. At the same time, several strange red screens popped up in front of him, warning him of the impending danger.
[Portal Detected!] [Portal Detected!]
[DANGER!] [DANGER!] [DANGER!]
"Joey, what is-"
Glancing at Jane and Joey, the man could see their face has already stiffened up as they hurriedly exit the car.
'So it's not just me.'
The man followed them out through Joey's open door, finding that both have already gotten ahold of their respective weapons.
'Fast-'
*BOOOOMMM
Suddenly, a fat orc fell down from the sky, crushing the car with extreme force. The explosion sent the man rolling for several meters into the vacant road.
"....."
Rains of goblins followed right after, surrounding the pair in an instant. From the looks of it, the pair were both outmatched and outnumbered.
"Please stay back, Mr. Returner. We'll take care of this."
The man felt skeptical looking at them.
They were both putting on a brave front when in truth they were trembling with nervousness. It was reckless, a contemptible bravado worth commending.
'You should have ran in the first place. What's with the need to preserve the life of a man you just met?'
"### ### ######!"
A goblin approached him from behind, but the man was quicker. Avoiding the backstab, he grabbed its head and slammed it into the ground, producing a crisp sound.
"#### ## ####"
"...."
"###### ######### #########!"
Pinning it down with his knee, he seized its primitive stone axe and delivered a clean chop.
*Splurt
"One."
The man wiped off the blood that splattered onto his cheek, staring blankly at the blue screen in front of him.
[You defeated a Goblin. +15 x 1.5 EXP]
"What the heck is this thing?"