Wearing a dusty black cloak that had weathered the elements for far too long, Pip began his descent from the mountain where he had spent the last two years. As he walked, his mind drifted back to his memories: 'If I remember correctly from the books, there used to be a massive bridge connecting the Upo's Kazuna Island to the human realm. But I have no idea if that bridge even still exists.' Pip set out to find the path leading to civilization. He wandered all day long. His stomach rumbled with hunger, and his legs grew heavy with exhaustion, forcing him to finally call it a day. Sitting down on a patch of green grass now shrouded by the night sky, Pip sighed to himself: 'It seems the bridge was destroyed a long time ago. I've been searching since dawn and haven't seen a single trace of it.' Fortunately, Pip had packed a few potatoes. He devoured them ravenously, emptying his supplies in no time. Full and exhausted, he curled up on the grass and fell into a deep slumber—the longest sleep he had ever experienced.
When he finally woke up, he gasped in shock. A small dog was happily munching on the last of his reserved food. Panicking, Pip snatched his small bag away. He peered inside, his heart sinking as he realized the pup had completely cleaned him out. Angrily, he glared at the dog, and the dog stared right back at him. Four eyes locked onto each other. Yet, Pip couldn't bring himself to do anything to the creature. After all, it was just an innocent little puppy, nothing more. He began to wander around, searching for a way to cross the ocean and reach the human realm. Having eaten its fill, the little dog followed closely at his heels. After a while, the puppy suddenly turned and bolted in a different direction. Driven by curiosity, Pip followed. He chased the dog all the way from the shore to the mountain peak. Panting heavily from exhaustion, he saw the puppy standing at the summit, barking loudly as if pointing out a direction. Pip looked toward where the dog was barking. A magnificent bridge made entirely of solid ice materialized before him. Pip froze in sheer disbelief; he never imagined it would be located so high up.
In truth, many years ago, before the Upo clan was wiped out, they had constructed this bridge to trade goods with humans. But when the humans betrayed them, the Upo were forced to destroy the original bridge and rebuild a hidden one atop the mountain peak. It connected the summit to a nearby river in the human realm—a place humans never knew existed. Pip stepped onto the bridge, his legs trembling from the terrifying height. Taking slow, careful steps, he traversed the massive distance until he finally reached the human domain. Upon his arrival, he was utterly astonished by the bustling city. Humans bustled about, and strange vehicles like cars and futuristic spaceships zoomed through the air. Pip marveled at everything like a child discovering a new world. Pulling his hood down tightly to conceal his identity, he cautiously blended into the human crowd. Looking around, he realized the place he used to call 'the human territory' was vast beyond imagination. Spaceships streaked overhead, and the lively chatter of people eating and drinking overwhelmed his senses.
Wandering through the city, Pip accidentally spotted a bar flashing with vibrant, seven-colored lights. Intrigued, he walked inside. However, he quickly realized that behind its dazzling exterior lay a grim place filled with thick cigarette smoke and gambling. Feeling a bit intimidated by the eerie atmosphere, he nervously approached the counter. A bartender spoke to him in a language he couldn't understand. Seeing Pip's blank stare, the employee assumed he was a foreigner and switched to English. Pip still didn't understand a word. However, what truly caught his eye was a map hanging on the wall. Though language was a barrier, Pip figured gestures would work just fine. He pointed directly at the city map, but the bartender looked completely bewildered. Pip pointed again, but the man was still struggling to guess his intentions. Frustrated and helpless, Pip leapt onto the counter, bolted straight to the wall, and snatched the map right in front of the bartender's eyes. He sprinted out of the bar, running a great distance before stopping to inspect the map. Although the written words were complete gibberish to him, he could easily decipher the symbols. He noticed a building marked with a currency icon. 'Ah, a coin symbol must mean a place for trading, right?' he thought.
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Following the map, he soon stood before a towering skyscraper. Peering up at its majestic architecture, he marveled at its grand scale. Just as he was about to step inside, a security guard blocked the entrance. 'Please present your identification,' the guard ordered. Pip stared blankly. The guard repeated louder: 'PLEASE PRESENT YOUR IDENTIFICATION!' Pip still couldn't comprehend, and despite the guard repeating it multiple times, the communication barrier remained. Ultimately, the guard refused to let him enter. Dejected, Pip turned away. As he walked, he heard loud shouting from a shop next door. A shopkeeper was screaming, 'Get out! You owe too much money!' before kicking a man out onto the street. Though Pip didn't understand the context, he felt a twinge of pity for the man. Looking up, Pip noticed an axe symbol on the shop's sign. His eyes lit up. Back on Kazuna, an axe symbol always represented a blacksmith. He immediately stepped inside.
The interior was chillingly gloomy. The wooden floorboards were worn down by time, and the decaying walls were barely holding together. Pip walked in and pulled the Orc eye from his bag. The shopkeeper gasped in astonishment; Orc eyes were incredibly rare in the human world because Orcs were notoriously difficult monsters to defeat. Using hand gestures, Pip pointed at the eye and then wrapped his hands around his neck. The blacksmith instantly caught on and gave Pip a thumbs-up. Relieved, Pip sat down to wait. With skills honed from forging hundreds of blades, the blacksmith crafted a small necklace with incredible speed. Within an hour, Pip received his item. He gripped the necklace tightly as its item stats flashed before his eyes:
[ Item: Red Eye Necklace ]
- Attribute: Earth
- Ability: Boosts the wearer's physical defense and grants Fire Resistance for 5 minutes.
Pip was thoroughly surprised by the stats. 'Five minutes of fire resistance will be absolutely vital when facing fire users,' he thought to himself. He bowed to thank the shopkeeper and turned to leave. But just as he reached the exit, the blacksmith suddenly shouted. Confused, Pip looked back. The shopkeeper was aggressively pointing at his palm, gesturing that Pip hadn't paid. Still not understanding, Pip decided to make a break for it. He bolted out of the store and ran a safe distance away before stopping to catch his breath. Gazing up at the blue sky filled with cotton-like clouds, he marveled at how beautiful it was. Suddenly, a violent gust of wind swept past, knocking his hood completely off his head. His crimson skin and distinctive Upo features were instantly exposed to the world.
The nearby citizens gasped in terror, pointing fingers at him. 'Is that... an Upo?!' Whispers and murmurs erupted instantly. Suddenly, someone bolted to alert the authorities, screaming at the top of his lungs, 'THERE'S AN UPO REMNANT HERE!' Pip couldn't understand the words, but he knew trouble had found him. Sure enough, a squad of police officers surrounded him from all sides, drawing their weapons. 'Get on the ground or die, you lowly Upo scum!' they commanded fiercely.