My Guardian System: The Trader

Of course, Jem would listen to it. It was his reliever, after all. He just hoped that the good news was enough to compensate for the bad news, though he doubted it. Jem was attentively waiting for the trader's words.

<Isn't the forest one of the main hunting grounds for food?>

Asked the trader in which Jem nodded in agreement.

<The good news is since the host is in the forest, there is a high chance that the host can find more valuable items around. There are many herbs and plants that the host can gather to heal his wounds and injuries. The host can also get sap in the trees and plants. But if the host preferred drinking blood over tree sap, then it's up to the host.>

Right.

He could find lots of resources here. However, as expected, the good news wasn't enough to satiate the bad news!

"Is that only?" Jem inquired, somewhat discouraged.

<Well, isn't that a good thing?>

It is. However, it wasn't enough! He wanted to scream. He wanted more! Like for example a hidden key to open a secret door to exit this place.

"In this case, dying is the easiest way to escape in these hardships, huh," while muttering it, he suddenly recalled his grandfather's words.

'My grandchild, don't forget that hardships are what makes a man a true man. Never forget my teachings as they will help you one day.'

Jem bit his lip while tears started to rain down from his eyes.

He missed his grandfather.

Many times he wants to give up, but he perseveres whenever he recalls his grandfather's teachings. They were the most precious things to him, more precious than any expensive jewelry, stone, crystal, clothes, foods, etcetera.

They were like powerful amulets that prevented him from dying. Once again, after recalling his grandfather's words, he forced his worn-out body to get up and continue in this bleak journey.

Ugh!

Jem groaned when the pain attacked him once again.

'Just a little more.' He thought.

He could only rest if he dies, but it wasn't now, not today. Jem found his resolve.

When he scanned his body again, he noticed he was bloody all over.

But soon, he paused for a moment, perhaps remembering something.

Perplexed, "Wait, trader!" Jem called out.

After seeing the blood, suddenly, he recalled something from the trader's words just now.

<Yes, host?>

"What do you mean-- if I preferred blood over sap?" He asked in a shaky voice.

<Ah, that? Well, because the host regained back his consciousness from drinking the beast's blood.>

"Eh!?"

"What? Really?!" This news astonished him more than any other.

<Yes, host.> After saying it, the trader started recounting all that happened when Jem was not himself.

"Ou, so that happened," he muttered with a hint of bewilderment. He never thought that he would continue wandering around and continue slaughtering the beasts while he was unconscious. More on that, he even drank blood. This was a very unexpected event in his life.

No wonder there was an awful smell at the tip of his tongue. So it was the blood. It looks like his thirst was much worse than he thought.

Though, his most concern was the fact that his body continued traveling around when he wasn't even conscious. How did it happen?

"Trader, what do you think is the reason that my body moved on its own?"

<Hm, perhaps it was your strong desire to survive, host.>

Right. It was a vague answer. But the trader had a point. While he was about to ponder the other possible reason, the trader suddenly urged him.

<Look ahead of you, host!>

Reflexively, he followed as the trader said without a slight hesitation. When he glanced ahead of him, he gawked on the spot. There, he saw a beast attacking another beast.

Wait, the beast looks familiar to him. Wasn't that the baby beast he hostage?

"What was happening?"

<After the host drank the beast's blood and before he regained his consciousness, a system notification appeared, alerting the host of a new passive ability.>

"Ou!"