Chapter 4 Exploration

The Next Morning…

Sunlight filtered through the treetops like pixelated gold, casting long shadows over the newly built fortress. Birds chirped, mechanical arms harvested crops in rhythm, and the note block gently played a lo-fi remix of Sweden.

Alex stood at the central map table in the common room—now covered in scribbles, compasses, and three mugs of lukewarm synthetic coffee.

The others filtered in, bleary-eyed, dirt-streaked, but very much alive.

"Alright," Alex said, slapping a map down. "It's time we explore."

Riley rubbed his eyes. "Define explore. Like... casual walk in the woods, or 'discover ancient empires and maybe anger some gods' kind of explore?"

"Yes," Alex replied.

Kael grinned and leaned on the table. "We've been in this forest for a day. Monsters know we exist, and we haven't met a single NPC, player, or merchant. I say we go find civilization. Village. Kingdom. Even a cult would be a social improvement."

Dane raised a finger. "I vote cult. I've got the robes packed already."

"Of course you do," Riley muttered.

Alex ignored them. "We need intel. Resources, trade partners, maybe even allies. Or at least people we can awkwardly threaten into giving us bread."

Kael nodded. "Or we learn what biome we're even in. This place is too quiet. Too clean."

They all turned to the central map Riley had been auto-generating via drone scouting. It showed dense forests in every direction, broken only by a river to the west and a mountain range far to the north.

"Do we go together?" Riley asked. "One strong group? Or split?"

There was a silence.

Then Jax entered, fully geared.

And by "geared," it meant strapped. Multiple modded rifles slung across his back. A bandolier of enchanted swords. An RPG launcher with shark teeth painted on the side. A glowing datapad strapped to his wrist. Even his boots looked like they were made from dragon hide.

"I'm going solo," Jax said, dropping a survival bag that thunked like it was full of bricks. "Already packed. Food, water, weapons, memes."

Riley stared. "Why do you have three sniper rifles?"

"Sniper triangle."

"What does that even mean?"

"You'll understand if you're ever flanked by giant bees."

Kael crossed his arms. "You sure about this? We're surrounded by unknown variables. Magical anomalies. Murder squirrels. You don't want backup?"

"I got backup," Jax replied, patting his oversized grenade pouch. "And a shovel I named Regret."

Dane saluted. "Godspeed, lone wolf."

Alex sighed. "Fine. But radio check every 1 hour. If you don't report in, we assume you fell into a portal or made friends with a war golem again."

Jax smirked. "No promises."

Alex returned to the table. "That leaves us. Two pairs. Two directions."

Group One – Alex and Riley

Route: North, toward the distant mountains.

Objective: Scout from high ground. Look for signal fires, ruins, or signs of life.

Risk: Mountain predators, rough terrain, ancient ruins.

Group Two – Kael and Dane

Route: East, following the river.

Objective: Find trade routes, possible fishing settlements, or outposts.

Risk: River beasts, unstable ground, Dane.

Kael looked at Dane. "Try not to kill anything unless it tries to eat us first."

Dane grinned. "No promises. But I packed marshmallows, so it won't all be blood and fire."

Riley had already slung a pack over his back, checking gear. "If we run into civilization, we blend in. We don't talk about spawn menus. We don't reference memes. We don't say anything that makes the locals think we're cursed."

"So… lie?" Kael asked.

"Yes," Riley replied.

A Few Hours Later…

The gates of the base creaked open as the two scouting teams stepped out—one into the rising hills of the north, the other along the winding river trail. Behind them, the base loomed like a fortress out of place, quiet for now but bristling with defensive traps and makeshift towers.

Somewhere far ahead, Jax was already moving through the brush, silent and alone, a shadow with a blade and a plan.

Alex glanced back one last time, then turned to Riley. "Time to find out what kind of world we landed in."

Riley adjusted his pack and grinned. "I just hope it doesn't find us first."

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The forest stretched out in every direction—endless green pierced by jagged roots and knotted trunks, the kind of wilderness that hummed with old, quiet danger. Sunlight filtered through like gold dust, but it didn't warm the ground beneath Jax's boots. The earth here held secrets.

Jax moved like a ghost through it.

His weapons were gone—visibly, at least. One by one, he had loaded them into his GMod inventory. Not that he could explain the science of it—this was chaos logic, after all. A swipe of his hand, a flick of concentration, and the gear faded into a pocket dimension only he could access. Like storing murder in a cloud.

He left behind the hulking armor, the shark-mouthed RPG, even the enchanted Shovel named "Regret." In their place: a plain traveler's cloak, boots wrapped in animal hide, and a walking staff that looked convincingly mundane until you realized it was reinforced with carbon-laced steel.

Blending in was survival. And Jax—despite his aesthetic love for absurd firepower—was very good at survival.

His destination: civilization.

The forest was thicker than the map had shown. No clear paths, no signs of humanity. Only the occasional crow, watching from crooked branches with too much intelligence in its eyes.

Jax didn't like crows.

He moved fast, stepping from rock to root to moss-padded earth, eyes scanning. He passed signs of passage—broken twigs, claw marks on bark, a nest built from frayed cloth and bones. Something else lived here. Not human.

He didn't stop to ask.

By now the forest had changed. Trees grew further apart, moss was replaced with trampled dirt paths. Civilization was near.

And then—hooves.

Jax dropped low behind a bush. A rider passed by, armored, on a heavy warhorse. Blue and bronze tabard. Sword sheathed at his hip. The rider was alone, heading west.

Jax took note of the crest: a winged lion atop a crown.

Noble. Military. Definitely kingdom territory.

He waited a few minutes, then followed the trail.

The trees finally broke.

The sight that greeted Jax was neither majestic nor welcoming—just real.

A city

{Thalmoor}

Jax stood just beyond the treeline, half-shrouded in shadow, staring at the city of Thalmoor with something he rarely allowed himself to feel—awe.

It wasn't the walls or the towers that stunned him. He'd seen more imposing structures in sandbox servers with skyboxes the size of gods. No, it was the weight of the place. The undeniable texture of reality. The smell of coal smoke wasn't an effect; it clung to his tongue. The wind wasn't a line of code reacting to physics—it tugged at his cloak with intent. There was no console here. No noclip. No physics gun. No HUD blinking quietly in the corners of his vision. No player models or prop spam. Just... reality.

This wasn't GMod anymore.

Jax blinked, trying to center himself. The shift had been subtle, gradual—like waking up from a lucid dream you didn't know was a dream until the light hit your face just right. The trees, the dirt under his boots, even the crow that had stared at him earlier—it had all felt like a map. A well-made one, sure. But now?

Thalmoor was something else entirely.

People bustled near the gates—traders with creaky carts, children chasing dogs, guards squinting at approaching travelers. Real people. They had weight, noise, souls. He could feel it. The subtle noise of conversation, the grit of boot soles on stone, the strain in a smith's shoulders as he hefted a cart axle over one arm. It wasn't immersive design.

It was life.

Jax shook his head slowly, a crooked grin tugging at the edge of his lips.

"This is some real isekai shit right here."

It slipped out like a joke, but there was an edge to it—part disbelief, part thrill. He'd glitched through maps, nuked lobbies with admin powers, crashed servers just for the hell of it. But this? This was new game plus in a genre he hadn't signed up for.

With one last breath of forest air, he stepped out of the shadows and headed toward the city gates.

The Gate to Thalmoor loomed taller up close—stone stained with time, iron-banded doors partially open to allow the flow of people and carts. A pair of guards stood watch, both in worn chainmail and crested blue tabards, their expressions carrying the weary patience of men who'd seen one too many smugglers and more than a few idiots.

Jax kept his pace casual. Hood low, staff in hand. Traveler's cloak doing its job.

As he neared, one guard stepped forward, hand resting lightly on his sword hilt. Not hostile. Just protocol.

"Name? Purpose of visit?"

"Name's Jax," he said easily. "Passing through. Might look for work. Might drink myself sideways. Haven't decided yet."

The guard narrowed his eyes slightly but said nothing. The second guard, older, leaned slightly forward.

"You from the East? Don't look local."

Jax shrugged. "From farther than that. Forest's got no border signs."

The two exchanged a glance. The older one raised a brow, but ultimately just grunted.

"You'll need to register if you plan to stay. Head to the civil hall by the square. Red banners, can't miss it."

"Copy that." Jax gave a nod. "No trouble."

The guard stepped aside.

"Welcome to Thalmoor. Keep your hands clean and your blade sheathed."

Jax gave a two-finger salute and walked through the gates, into the pulse of the city.

Inside Thalmoor, the noise swallowed him whole.

Vendors yelled over one another. Blacksmiths clanged and cursed. Children darted between legs. The smell of roasted meat mixed with manure and hot iron. It was overwhelming—and intoxicating.

No scripted NPC cycles. No ambient soundtracks.

Just life, chaotic and beautiful.

Jax took it all in with a slow turn of his head, the faintest grin creeping across his face.

"Alright, Thalmoor. Let's see what kind of sandbox you are."

He made his way toward the civil hall, but something by the gate caught his eye—a notice board, nailed together with old planks and brass rivets, papered with fluttering sheets and wax-stamped postings.

Jax veered toward it.

The text on the parchment was sharp and clear. His eyes narrowed.

It was in English.

Not some rune-scrawl or fantasy gibberish that required a language skill tree or a month of boring study montages. Just plain English, inked in varying handwriting, from careful calligraphy to messy, angry scrawl.

"Huh," he muttered. "Guess the gods of localization took mercy on me."

He scanned the board, eyes flicking across job postings, bounties, missing person notes, and merchant ads. Most were mundane—labor work, rat extermination, delivery of supplies to backwater villages.

But then one caught his eye:

KINGDOM OF ASTRAEUM – OFFICIAL CURRENCY NOTICE

Effective Immediately – Royal Exchange Rates:

1 Gold Crown (GCR) = 10 Silver Stags (SSR)

1 Silver Stag = 100 Bronze Shards (BSC)

1 Platinum Star (PLT) = 100 Gold Crowns

1 Copper Chip (CCH) = 1/10 of a Bronze Shard

⚖️ Platinum Stars are issued only by the Royal Vault and used in high-tier trade and noble houses.

🪙 Gold Crowns are commonly used by merchants, nobles, and adventurers.

🐎 Silver Stags are for daily trade, tavern tabs, and market purchases.

🔩 Bronze Shards are used by common folk for essentials like bread, rope, nails, and herbs.

⚠️ Copper Chips are accepted in rural areas and poorer districts, mainly for bulk cheap goods.

Counterfeiting is punishable by hand removal or execution.

—Royal Treasurer Elandor Vynn

Jax whistled low.

"Damn. They've got inflation curves and everything. This ain't amateur hour."

He reached under his cloak, tapped his wrist once, and his wrist-link—an old GMod carryover somehow still working under chaos logic—blinked open a tiny digital interface for just long enough to take a screenshot.

Snap!

Then, he opened the Group Chat—a locked, quantum-encrypted messaging thread that still linked him to his friends, wherever—or whenever—they were.

📱Group Chat: JIGGLYPUFFS🟢 Status: Active👥 Members: Jax, Alex, Riley, Kael, Dane (recently unbanned)

[JAX] 🧥 (DPS / Arsenal Maniac – Chaotic Neutral)

📸 Image Attached

"Thalmoor. Real ass people. Real smells. I just entered the pilot episode of my damn isekai. Currency board's posted near the gate—check the pic. 10 copper to 1 silver, 10 silver to 1 gold, and apparently platinum exists so things can get worse. Also, no one's tried to kill me yet. Suspicious."

[ALEX] ⚙️ (Tactician / Support – Lawful Neutral)

"Looks like a centralized economy. Gold-to-platinum exchange implies limited liquidity at upper tiers. Verify whether the mint is kingdom-controlled or guild-led. Also, check the Civil Hall's insignia could signal religious governance. Do not sign anything without reading the fine print, and for the love of god, don't flirt with local nobility."

[RILEY] 🎮 (Hacker / Strategist – Neutral Good)

"Holy shit, that board's in English? Either lazy worldbuilding or multiversal localization engine running in the background. Smell any simulated bacon yet? That's how you know you're past the tutorial. Also: you in anime city now, baby. Find the girl with the tragic past and a sword twice her size."

[KAEL] 💪 (Tank / Brawler – Chaotic Neutral)

"BRO. CITY LOOKS SICK. Can you punch a wall and it makes a cool noise? Also try the bread. Bet it slaps. Do they have bread shaped like turtles? Tell me if they got an arena. I'll tag in. I'll tank the whole kingdom."

[JAX] 🧥

"Already bought the dragon-bread. Surprisingly chewy. Also saw a dude forge an entire shovel mid-argument with his wife. This world's got grit."

[DANE] 🔥 (Berserker / Chaos – Chaotic Good)

"LMAO. Found your dumb kingdom. Send server code. I'm logging in. Got a flamethrower mod and a horse named Lawsuit. Bet I can burn down a church before you get your first skill tree."

[ALEX]

"You're still banned from cross-world sync. No more 'testing thermite density on NPC families, remember?"

[RILEY]

"Let him in. Worst case scenario, Jax uses him as a distraction while he loots the mayor's house."

[KAEL]

"GROUP QUEST WHEN? I'LL BRING THE EXPLOSIVES. AND THE SNACKS."

[JAX]

"Let me scout the Civil Hall first. See if I can register as something legal-ish.If they try to make me swear a magic oath, I'm fake sneezing and bolting."

[DANE]

"Coward. Say 'yes' to power and punch fate in the face."

[ALEX]

"Say 'yes' to power after reading the terms and conditions. And if a glowing book asks for your soul, decline politely."

[JAX]

"Got it. Charm the bureaucracy. Then maybe charm the sword girl with trauma. Stay tuned for Episode 2: Paperwork and Protagonism."