Chapter 25: Tragic Stories
(POV: Jin)
We all sat at a single wooden table, with an oil lamp burning in the middle.
Night had fallen outside, and we used such a lamp to create a cozy atmosphere among comrades.
(Note: It's always DARK, but the time had passed sunset.)
Most of the dolls outside had already lost their minds or preferred to use their rest time to sleep. These conditions forced us to become some sort of friends.
Something like comrades-in-arms, and it wasn't all that bad.
In a way, I preferred this to us being just a military group that dedicates 100% of our time to training and honing our skills.
Of course, Gilbert made sure our skills didn't rust since those at this table were the core of the group, but he also made sure we grew closer.
There's no harm in adding another reason to fight besides freedom…
"We used to do this every time a new member joined our group. We stopped due to some circumstances, but Lyra forced us to come this time," Gilbert said, his eyes clearly tired. I remembered he had a hunting job tomorrow.
"If your story isn't interesting, it's going to be really bad for you!" spoke Asher, a burly man with a semi-shaved beard, and some of his hair had already turned white with age.
If I had to guess, I'd say he was around his fifties.
Everyone looked at me at that moment, and I felt some hesitation.
No one knew about this story except maybe Loana, and even she didn't know many details.
Because of the paranoia that had grown inside me, I didn't want to tell anyone about myself for fear that this information might be used against me one day.
I couldn't think of a way this information could be used against me, but I didn't want to take the risk.
Fortunately, they noticed my tension, and no one insisted.
"Since you're so hesitant, I'll start first." Asher spoke again, his presence here really benefiting me.
I had spoken to him several times before, but I didn't know much about him.
I only got close to Lyra and Gilbert, leaving Asher and Elara without much effort. Just some casual interactions here and there.
<
I wasn't a main character like some people here, but my story has a few interesting points.
Since everyone except Jin has heard this story, I'll make it as brief as possible.
–
I lived in the east near the coast. My father enjoyed looking at the nearby Mountain every morning at breakfast and telling me stories about it.
I grew up knowing the sea and its dangers. My mother taught me how to avoid the sea and how to swim if I ever fell in. She used to tell scary stories about it daily.
On the other hand, my father taught me a lot about fishing with the intention of making me like him one day. He taught me how to handle nets and steer boats.
My father and grandfather were fishermen, so you could say I came from a humble family of fishermen without much status.
On a random day, a storm unlike any other hit our modest village, making the sea more turbulent than ever. Many boats capsized and were wrecked even on the shore.
Fortunately, my father decided to stay home that day, but his heart couldn't accept the fact that our only fishing boat would be destroyed, as it was our main source of livelihood.
So, he grabbed his coat and hat and ran out of the house, trying to drag the boat onto land as much as he could.
When I heard the news, I rushed out to catch up with him, but it was already too late.
No one saw my father after that day. Maybe the waves swallowed him, and a sea monster ate him, or maybe he drowned in some random place.
Perhaps he's now on a deserted island, probably dead because of his old age.
(Point of View: Jin)
We all sat at a single wooden table, with an oil lamp burning in the middle.
Night had fallen outside, and we used such a lamp to create a cozy atmosphere among comrades.
(Note: It's always night, but the time had passed sunset.)
Most of the dolls outside had already lost their minds or preferred to use their rest time to sleep. These conditions forced us to become some sort of friends.
Something like comrades-in-arms, and it wasn't all that bad.
In a way, I preferred this to us being just a military group that dedicates 100% of our time to training and honing our skills.
Of course, Gilbert made sure our skills didn't rust since those at this table were the core of the group, but he also made sure we grew closer.
There's no harm in adding another reason to fight besides freedom…
"We used to do this every time a new member joined our group. We stopped due to some circumstances, but Lyra forced us to come this time," Gilbert said, his eyes clearly tired. I remembered he had a hunting job tomorrow.
"If your story isn't interesting, it's going to be really bad!" spoke Asher, a burly man with a semi-shaved beard, and some of his hair had already turned white with age.
If I had to guess, I'd say he was around his fifties.
Everyone looked at me at that moment, and I felt some hesitation.
No one knew about this story except maybe Luana, and even she didn't know many details.
Because of the paranoia that had grown inside me, I didn't want to tell anyone about myself for fear that this information might be used against me one day.
I couldn't think of a way this information could be used against me, but I didn't want to take the risk.
Fortunately, they noticed my tension, and no one insisted.
"Since you're so hesitant, I'll start first." Asher spoke again, his presence here really benefiting me.
I had spoken to him several times before, but I didn't know much about him.
I only got close to Lyra and Gilbert, leaving Asher and Aelara without much effort. Just some casual interactions here and there.
<
I wasn't a main character like some people here, but my story has a few interesting things.
Since everyone except Jin has heard this story, I'll make it as brief as possible.
–
I lived in the east near the coast. My father enjoyed looking at the nearby Mist Mountain every morning at breakfast and telling me stories about it.
I grew up knowing the sea and its dangers. My mother taught me how to avoid the sea and how to swim if I fell in. She used to tell scary stories about it daily.
On the other hand, my father taught me a lot about fishing with the intention of making me like him one day. He taught me how to handle nets and steer boats.
My father and grandfather were fishermen, so you could say I came from a humble family of fishermen without much status.
On a random day, a storm unlike any other hit our modest village, making the sea more turbulent than ever. Many boats capsized and were wrecked even on the shore.
Fortunately, my father decided to stay home that day, but his heart couldn't accept the fact that our only fishing boat would be destroyed, as it was our main source of livelihood.
So, he grabbed his coat and hat and ran out of the house, trying to drag the boat onto land as much as he could.
When I heard the news, I rushed out to catch up with him, but it was already too late.
No one saw my father after that day. Maybe the waves swallowed him, and a sea monster ate him, or maybe he drowned in some random place.
Perhaps he's now on a deserted island, probably dead because of his old age.
It was late in my teenage years, I woke up that day and started at rank F+.
I joined a merchant ship as I had to support my mother and younger siblings now. I earned a good wage because of my high physical strength.
I sent enough money to my family, and with what was left, I invested in myself to become stronger.
About fifteen years later, my mother died of some illness. I couldn't attend her funeral because I was too far from the east at that time.
And the news reached me a month after her death anyway.
I was at rank B by then, the strongest in the merchant crew I spent half my life with. I was clearly talented to reach that level despite the few resources I invested in.
If I were the son of a wealthy family, I might have been at rank S…
The rest isn't very important. We were attacked by a group of pirates, and I was forced to join them because of my strength. I spent ten years with them, during which my level increased significantly.
One day, after reaching rank A+, I stumbled upon this place, and the rest is known.
<<>>
(POV: Jin)
I looked at Asher with some amazement. This definitely didn't seem like just an ordinary story for an unimportant person.
In this era, pirates at rank A+ are extremely rare, and that's because the Three Races Council usually doesn't allow them to reach that level.
And the twists in the story are quite strange.
At that moment, Elara, who was a little far from me, spoke. He seemed to be about my age.
"I was just a poet working under some noble. One day we stumbled upon this place. The noble died, and I was captured."
Very brief…
"I'm next!" Lyra spoke to change the strange atmosphere immediately, and I focused on her a little more.
'What kind of person was she?'
<
Unlike Asher, my village wasn't near the sea, but there was a lake not too far from my home.
We lived on the edge of a forest in the north near the borders of west. My father was a bow and arrow maker, selling them to the many hunters in the area.
He would sometimes offer them at significant discounts in exchange for buying meat and hides at a cheaper price. He was quite smart. I often went with him to gather materials from the forest. Making ropes and bows with him was my hobby since childhood.
As expected, I loved using the bow a lot. Fortunately, my father didn't mind much. He even taught me the basics.
He had many training targets, placed there for hunters to try out before heading into the forests.
Since guns were incredibly rare in border villages and not very suitable for the Awakened, we didn't face any economic problems.
My father allowed me to set up floating training targets at the nearby lake and practice my archery on them, even if it was a bit wasteful.
That greatly improved my skills. I was Awakened around the age of fourteen and made sure to develop my skills from then on.
Around the age of twenty, I heard about an archery competition in the east, and the fastest way to get there was by sea.
This was because of the many mountains and forests separating the north and east.
My father gave me enough funds to go and sent me off with some motivational words.
Unfortunately, the captain of the ship was a high-ranking doll consumed by addiction. He led us unconsciously to this island, and there's no need to recount the rest.
When I arrived, I was at rank C+.
For some reason, I was chosen as a high-ranking doll. perhaps because of my appearance. I spent several years on the upper island, which was much worse than here.
I was forced to eat and consume countless resources to increase my rank quickly, but it was at the expense of my talent.
This tree has the best resources in the world for leveling up, but it consumes talent in return.
Those who rise more than three ranks using these resources can never reach rank S- no matter how much they train in their life. Only the sacred fruit can raise the level without taking anything in return, but it causes addiction.
<<>>
(POV: Jin)
A harsh reality indeed. A bright, ambitious girl turned into a disfigured, hopeless woman in just a few years.
Compared to me, the people here had more things to look forward to outside.
Asher to reunite with his younger siblings, and Lyra to achieve her dream or at least return to her father.
Elara didn't say much, but I'm sure he had someone outside too.
Gilbert spoke at that moment.
"I was a rising swordsman in the central city. They called me the Morning Star and Morning Sword for my talent. One day, I went out to hunt pirates, followed a certain group to this island, and fell into a trap.
I should be at rank S+ at least now, but this society has ruined me a lot.
Fortunately, I didn't consume any of those materials that Lyra was forced to. Once the restrictions placed on us are lifted in two months, I will regain my talent and continue my journey."
Everyone finished telling their stories, and only I remained.
There was no other choice. Everyone here trusted me with their stories, and I couldn't simply refuse.
That would only spoil the harmony between us, and it would negatively affect everything around me.
Since I sat at this table a few minutes ago, we were no longer just strangers.
We became something more.