Chapter 5 - Leaving the Cabin

The increased regeneration of Alaric's wound made a huge difference. He felt much better mentally for having a moment to chill with his fishing, and at the same time, the wounds he had in his body were way better, too.

He had a bucket with water next to him to place the fish inside. Alaric fished around 6 medium-sized fish.

When Ashley came to check on him and saw the many fish, she was actually surprised by how many he had caught.

"You may have the talent for fishing," she said, "that's better than me."

One of the few things that Alaric enjoyed back on Earth that actually required him to do some work was fishing. He didn't see himself as a master fisher or anything like that, but he was decent enough.

"Thanks, I guess. I think this is enough for us for today and tomorrow," Alaric said.

With the fish he got, plus the animals Ashley hunted, they had enough food for two days. Alaric was starting to see how bad it was not having a way to conserve the food.

Ashley had to hunt every single day and look for smaller animals because she couldn't store the big ones. There was no electricity, and the island wasn't a frozen place that had a natural way of storing food.

"Knowing some ice magic would be nice…" Alaric thought.

The only problem was that he was on an island, and there was no way for him to learn anything. Alaric could only hope that his mysterious system would give him something useful.

The rest of the day was quiet. They just made things to eat, bathed in the nearby river, and organized the cabin.

Nothing too interesting was happening, and for Alaric, that was perfectly fine. He was safe and could relax, free from the stress of having to strive for good grades and learn useless spells every day.

He still remembered how miserable his time at the magic school was, and that was just for a few days. Alaric couldn't imagine spending years there studying those things and still having to fight for the kingdom's army for several years.

Anyway, the part he most looked forward to was the night, as it meant he could take a good nap and relax. Alaric lay down on his makeshift bed and slept like a log, not hearing anything that was happening around him.

He woke up to Ashley nudging him. "Come on, sleepyhead. Today starts earlier because we're going to have to stop by town."

Alaric slowly opened his eyes, grumbled a bit about being woken up early, and then, when he finally accepted his fate, he stretched.

Ashley woke him up much earlier than the other day.

"Why are we going to the town anyway?" Alaric asked, "I thought you lived in this place precisely to avoid returning to town. Did something happen?"

The first thing he thought was that something had happened to Ashley's family, or perhaps it was a special date that she had to return.

It was something like that.

"I have a good friend who is celebrating her birthday today. That's why we are going there. I return every year to see her," Ashley said.

She was not returning for her family, apparently. Alaric asked, "And does she come here to see you?"

To his surprise, she did.

"Yes, many times throughout the year, but it's not like she has the spare time, you know. She works in her family's restaurant next to the beach."

Alaric got excited when he heard the last part. He already pictured himself lying down on a beach chair, feeling the breeze while drinking some alcohol. It was the perfect way to relax.

But the only downside of that was the actual walk to the town. It required Alaric to move and exert himself. That was hard for someone so out of shape like himself.

Ashley even warned him about it. "It will take us a while to get there, and it will be tiring. Let's eat first and then pack up."

The breakfast was already done when Alaric woke up, and he woke up early. Ashley woke up really early to do all of that.

She wanted to ensure they wouldn't be late. The journey to the town would take them many hours, so if they lost some time during the morning, it would mean they would have to walk at night, and that was dangerous.

"How hard is the path there?" Alaric asked.

"It's probably safe like no magical beasts will show up to kill us, but it's far, and we have to climb. That makes it way more tiring."

"I am used to it," Ashley said, "but I think you are not the athletic type."

Ashley was right. In both lives, Alaric was not the type of person to exercise much. He was skinny, and a long walk would certainly destroy his legs. Not to mention his cardiovascular system, which wasn't prepared for it.

But what could he do? Staying in the cabin alone wasn't safe. Between the two, Ashley still could defend herself better than he could.

Also, despite his laziness, Alaric wanted to see the town and the beach and talk to other people. He could find a way to get out of that island, or he could find a place to live. Staying in the middle of the forest wasn't exactly great.

"I can live in a remote place once I am strong enough at least… In town, I'll be able to sleep with no worries and increase my mana!" Alaric thought.

Ultimately, that was what he wanted. A safe place to sleep and do all the activities that also increased his mana. If he stuck to it, it was only a matter of time until he got strong enough to become a one-star mage.

After eating and packing up, Ashley closed her cabin, and they both left. She was leading the way.

Alaric saw the notifications on his system saying that he was working too hard. He found a way to turn it off. It gave him some peace.

Ashley had said that the path toward the town would be safe, but she was wrong.

Halfway, a magical beast came from the forest to attack them.