The Box: Fate
Chapter 8 — Morning Before the Hill
The soft flute like melody continued flowing through the quiet night The moonlight covered the hills and the silent road while the sound moved gently through the sleeping camp
Kataki sat calmly beside Zanaki while holding the jar of wine
Zanaki kept playing the leaf flute while looking at the sky
The sound was peaceful and strangely beautiful
After a moment footsteps approached slowly from behind them
Murasaki had woken up
She walked toward them and sat down nearby while listening to the melody
That tune is beautiful she said quietly
Zanaki stopped playing and looked at her with a grin
Thanks I learned that trick a long time ago
Murasaki looked at the jar of wine in Kataki hand
I want to try it too she said
Zanaki raised an eyebrow
You sure
She nodded
I have never tasted something like that before
Zanaki handed the jar to her and laughed softly
Careful that stuff is probably older than all of us combined
Murasaki took a small drink and made a slightly surprised face
That is stronger than I expected
Kataki watched silently but a faint smile appeared for a moment
The three of them sat quietly under the moonlight for a while longer
Soon the night slowly passed
The sky began turning pale as the first light of morning appeared over the hills
The camp started waking up one by one
Akira stood up first and stretched his arms while scanning the road ahead
Axel Hatanaki woke up with a grin
Morning already he said
Mikochi jumped to his feet with energy like always
Aaron Moses quietly checked the surroundings to make sure no monsters had approached during the night
Sharky Bee adjusted his jacket while observing the ox cart and the road ahead
Kuro and Kyoshiki both stood calmly as if they had already been awake for some time
Joel and Monk Fish began preparing themselves for travel again
Zanaki stood up and clapped his hands
Alright everyone time to move
He looked toward the mountain path ahead
We should reach a village soon and we still need to prepare breakfast
Then he laughed slightly
And we will probably run into more monsters on the way
So everyone check your skills and status carefully
Look at how many experience points you gained
Make sure you understand your abilities properly
We did not even get the chance to eat anything yesterday
The players nodded and began checking their status one by one
Some looked surprised by the new information appearing before them
Akira studied his carefully
Axel Hatanaki looked excited while examining his abilities
Murasaki quietly analyzed her magic skill
Aaron Moses checked his strength and defensive abilities
Sharky Bee seemed curious about his own skill
Mikochi looked thrilled by the numbers increasing
Kuro and Kyoshiki both examined their status calmly without saying much
Joel and Monk Fish focused carefully on understanding their power
Kataki stood slightly apart while watching everyone
Then he finally spoke
Our Game Master did not give us ordinary powers
If we are supposed to defeat the seven bosses then our abilities must be far greater than we realize
He looked toward the mountain path
That is why everyone should understand their skills properly
If we fight intelligently the battles ahead will not be as difficult as they seem
The group listened carefully
Every player understood something important now
This world was not just about survival
It was about learning how to use the power they had been given
The ox cart slowly started moving again toward the mountain path
Seventeen players walked forward together
The road to the village was waiting
And so were the monsters hidden along the hill path