Friends!

He felt energy inside his body. His vision cleared, ears popped and the colors of the world seemed to become more highlighting.. as if he was living in a faded world and suddenly crossed the veil somehow. Was this the level up? 

His 10x Exp reward sure was something. It made him jump 6 levels for licking one pussy. 

Rowan looked towards the hut in the middle which was theirs from the one in right which was Selina's, where he was right now. Rowan found five kids (teenagers) of various heights loitering around the entrance of his house hut laughing amongst themselves.

One of them noticed Rowan and drove others' attention towards him. Rowan also stepped out of Selina's hut and walked towards them on his own. Meeting the group somewhat in the middle. Damian once again looked at his house hut, trying to listen if his supposed mother was there or not. There were no sounds though, maybe she went out for a while.

"Come on, We are going to our usual place.." Said one ugly looking kid with black hair.

"It's your favorite place.. Isn't it.. hehe.." Added another equally ugly but short guy.

"Walk behind us.. We are getting late.." Said the one who looked the oldest and seemed like the leader of this merry little band.

"Where are we going..?" Rowan asked.

He didn't really care about any of them, most likely they were just brats doing nothing good or important. However if they were going outside the village he also wanted to go and see what difference level 10 from level 4 had made in his body. They were bullying him so it was not a good idea but he could ditch them once outside if they got on his nerves. 

"Shut up and just follow us.." Barked the short one.

"Is it outside the village..?" Rowan asked again to confirm.

"Yes, Ulug. You know our special place.. Don't you..?"

"Yes, of course." Rowan lied. There was no point telling this group of fools that he had no memory.

And so they walked through the village. Rowan had notified Selina before going so they wouldn't look for him. The people in the village were the same as yesterday. Women with no tops and some teens even completely naked. Some men worked, some just talked in a group everyone gave them a look that roughly translated to 'This fuckers are at it again..'.

Rowan had guessed from his family's reactions towards this bunch that they were responsible for all the horrible things that had happened to this Ulug guy, Who's body he was occupying currently. Just like the condition he was in when he first got into this world, tied to a tree.

Past the main gate with the guards and the green field surrounding the village they continued going through the forest filled with blue trees and weird looking vegetation. 

The people looked almost the same as earth then why does the wildlife look so weird..? Is this the effect of their supernatural powers..?

Rowan thought about the world he was thrown into as the group approached a valley of a kind in which a cave was carved out of the stone naturally, the scenery matching some kind of high budget sci-fi movie. The group walked near the entrance and finally stopped. The big guy turned around and looked all of them in turns finally settling his eyes on Rowan.

"Ulug.. Go inside and get the fruits without whining for once.." Said the big guy pointing towards the cave.

"What's inside..?" Rowan asked.

"The fruits.. and the monster..." revealed the ugly black haired one.

"Monster..?" Rowan had yet to see a monster in this world. Are they really monster-like monsters or just animal-like creatures..?

"Yes, now go without wasting any more time or I will give you my stone fist.." The big guy said annoyed at Rowan.

Rowan just looked at him, confused as to what stone fist he was talking about. However right in front of his eyes the big guy's right hand turned to stone up till his elbow as he raised it in a fist to show him.

'Ahh that stone fist..'

The other four also activated their powers, smirking at him like some B grade movie villain's henchmen. The ugly black haired guy had sparkles of tiny fire in his hands like a broken lighter, the short one had some weird glowing moss like grass appearing in his hands while in the other two; one was summoning weak air Rowan guessed, making a light breeze while the other one was moving his shadow trying to scare Rowan. However Rowan was not impressed at all. These were the lamest power he had seen in any fiction.

Maybe those stone fists would hurt and if that glowing moss was poisonous he would be scared but it wasn't anything that harmful. Rowan thought about making a run for it but decided against it. 

But he was also not entering any scary caves with monsters in it.

"No thanks. I will not be going in." Rowan said casually.

"What did you just say.. Huh..? You coward..?" The big guy yelled loudly.

"I will not be going, You are the one with stone fists. You go in and hit it." Rowan reasoned.

"What's with him today..?"

"Has he lost his mind..?"

The other started murmuring as the big guy got angrier and angrier. Finally having had enough the big guy took a step back and swung his stone fist at Rowan's face with full force. However it was way too slow. Rowan dodged and gave a right hook of his own, which connected perfectly to the slow moving big guy's face. Making him fumble backwards a few steps in shock.

"What the..?"

"Did he just hit him..?"

The big guy spat blood on the side and glared with fire in his eyes towards Rowan. Then he balanced himself and charged again at Rowan with full force of his big body. Rowan had learned martial arts as a student and after a lifetime of not using it he could execute the moves perfectly in a body better fit to perform them. Yet he did not want to fight a full fight with this stone hand guy and his minions.

And he didn't have to.

With a wild roar a four legged monster with a body of lion, face of alligator and a tail made of snake rushed out of the cave and chomped off the head of the big guy with a stone fist. The other four screamed and ran like hell and so did Rowan. The monster wasn't bigger than a big husky but his various parts added in his length and height. Fortunately for Rowan, the monster left him alone and ran behind the other four on its four legs.