We cleared out the rest of the floor without running into hybrids, but I did have my first encounter with orcs at the gatekeeper room.

  They were green-skinned with smashed noses and stood at least three times as tall as goblins. Their bodies were blocky, solidly-built and muscular. The look of intimidation was further accentuated by the tusks protruding out of their lower jaw.

  I was more impressed with the gnolls.

  Dropping from a shadow on the ceiling above, I landed in the middle of a circle of five orcs. They all had their bulky backs to me making it look like I was hemmed in by giant green boulders. I took down two of them with stabs in the back before the others noticed.

  They weren’t as sharp as gnolls.

  One of them turned its lumbering frame toward me, swinging its sword down at me. I had time to take in my surroundings, and sidestepped both the incoming sword and spear. My black blade sliced off a pair of arms holding a spiked club midswing.

  They were slower than gnolls.

  The club and the severed arms splattered against the stone floor. Mist of blood sprayed in the air as the orc swung its stumps about, filling the room with its ear-splitting scream.

  They were definitely louder.

  I wheeled around the disarmed orc and stabbed upwards through the eye of the spear orc. As I spun, I formed a blade through the fabric of my shroud and lacerated the throat of the last one.

  I finished off the armless one still stumbling with a quick stab to the chest. The screaming ceased.

  Perhaps I am biased. They died just the same.

  Points of light rose from their corpses, and again I was siphoning bland tasting Soul Points. This time, I had gotten three from the five orcs. That, along with the rest of the kills on this floor brought my total to:

  Would that be enough to hold me for a while? Does being a higher rank mean I lose Soul Points faster?

  So many questions that I have no answers for.

  Despite it tasting bland, I did feel more solid now after absorbing the points like my being was more grounded in the world, instead of floating about. But still, there was a part of me that wanted to taste something better.

  I licked my lips.

  The others had just finished off the backline of orc archers. I walked over to help them loot the still-warm corpses, and gained another Soul Point as lights from the dead drifted over to me.

  Gorian stowed a couple of magic stones and some gear into his magic storage bag. “Alright, we got a good haul. More importantly, we managed to clear level four in just one evening.” He gestured to a door by the side wall. “Let’s get some rest before we continue down to the halfway point. I want us to be ready.”

  —

  At the campfire, I brought out my cutting board and the fresh ingredients from the kitchen. This time I went with a simple fare of pasta noodles with beef and vegetables. The tender meat and the crisp cabbages filled the air with an inviting aroma as they simmered in my [Magic Stove]. It hardly needed any seasoning.

  As usual Serina made tea to pair, but the others had brought along a small wooden keg of beer. Apparently, they had anticipated that I would cook.

  “You know, I could have stored the beer for you and kept it chilled.” I offered as Gorian sipped from his mug. The foam from the beer left a white ring in his beard.

  “Bah, lass, you already did more than enough.” He forked some noodles into his mouth. “This food is divine, like we’re eating at some fancy inn.”

  “Yeah! You’d make some lucky fella really happy someday!” Justin exclaimed between slurps of his noodles. He froze, realizing what he said. “Not that… a Lady like you should be… a house wife… or do any work…” His words sputtered in his mouth.

  I laughed lightly, gazing into the warm flames. “It’s fine, I wouldn’t mind working. Being a chef would be nice. I like working in the kitchen.”

  “I’d go eat where you’re cooking, all the time,” Justin said, raising his bowl to me.

  “Like you’d be able to afford it,” Serina chided him.

  “If it does happen, I’d make sure everyone can afford it.”

  Since it’s just a fantasy, I’d want Maman and Papa to be able to eat that kind of food.

  “Joan…” Serina uttered.

  “Then I’d like to eat there as well.” Zadina said from her quiet spot at the fire.

  “As do I… if you would have me.” Kamuel added timidly.

  —

  I was sitting on my bedroll after dinner. Gorian was at watch this time, tending to the fire while everyone else was already in their own bedrolls, snoring.

  In my hand was the oilcloth-bound book, the one with English words on the spine: Aaron(Not a hero!)’s Diary.

  My trembling fingers carefully peeled away the oilcloth to reveal the first page:

  — Aaron’s Diary: Entry 1, a month in —

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  I never kept a diary before, but I have to write some of this shit down before I go insane. Anyways, it’s been a month since I was taken to this world, and it’s officially goddamn awful.

  First thing you notice is the smell, everything and everyone in this village smells like wet dog and rotten cabbage. It’s awful. I can’t get away from it. I think it’s seeping into my pores!

  The next is the food. What they’re feeding me isn’t bread! It’s so hard that I think I chipped a molar on it. And there’s sand in it. I had, like, one slice of sausage since I got here, and the cheese was like a rock as well! Even the water tasted bad. They’re trying to poison me!

  They also work me to the bone! The old hag yelled at me to herd the sheep every day before the sun even came up. I barely get any sleep. All I get is a stick to shove them along, not a sword in sight. And that old man forced me to shovel shit the rest of the day. First horse, and then human! My entire body is sore. I think my back is broken. I’ve been shoveling shit for so long, I think I’m beginning to smell like it.

  — … —

  The list of complaints droned on. He sounded whiny, but I could relate.

  Wisps of nostalgia stirred in me. I encountered the same things when I first arrived in The Hundred Years War, waking before sunrise to feed the animals, shoveling dung out of barn stalls, stooping for long periods to weed the fields.

  I remembered complaining just as much during those early lifetimes, but no one understood me, so it must have seemed like I’d gone mad.

  It seemed like he could speak the language, though, which would’ve made a huge difference. I remembered Papa lashing out in frustration as he threw words at my uncomprehending face. He had turned completely red, and his fists were shaking, but there were tears in his eyes.

  My fingers traced down a few more lines.

  — … —

  Oh, and the worst, is going to the bathroom, especially at night. There’s just a hole in the ground, in a freaking shack! No toilet to sit on, nothing. And the smell makes your eyes tear up…

  — … —

  The words made me chuckle. I had an even worse time going to the bathroom. Like Aaron mentioned, there wasn’t a room, just a shack at best, and a hole in the ground, like a pit trap in the dark.

  But I was also a different gender, so I had no idea what to do. I didn’t even want to look at myself down there. My hygiene back then… wasn’t good.

  The absolute worst was my monthly cycle. All I remember of the first time was me screaming my head off at the sight of my bloody linens, and then wailing out loud when the cramps twisted my stomach.

  Maman was patient with me though. She didn’t berate me for being a crybaby; I remembered the warmth of her hand squeezing mine.

  Maybe I was lucky…

  This guy sure wrote a lot for his first entry. Guess he had a lot on his mind.

  — … —

  So how did I end up here?

  Well, I was really into this game called Hearts of Flames: Zero – Embers of the Chosen, which was a JRPG with relationship mechanics. My friends all called it a “Waifu Game,” but it actually has a fun combat system, and it’s a prequel to Hearts of Flames, an otome game aimed at girl players.

  — … —

  Are otome games Japanese dating sims for girls?

  This world did have Japanese elements: that Foreign Lord, his daughter Ayaka, and the katana. But that told me nothing about the kind of game this was.

  What’s the role of the Villainess in an Otome game?

  — … —

  I was really good, like, for real. I cleared all the dungeons quickly and picked up all the Waifus. Literally all of them were into me. Took a little bit of an exploit, but you had to do it.

  Just as I was about to finish the game with all of them, I was zapped right here. The horrible part was that I was reset to the very beginning.

  I had to start from the hero’s village at level 1! And they changed my name back to the default.

  I told everyone I’m Aaron, but they insisted on calling me “Lark.”

  That’s the dumbest name ever. Is everyone here deaf?!

  I can’t wait to get out of this hellhole. When am I going to run into the Princess or the Saint?!

  — … —

  He ran an exploit as well. Was that the common thread? Did people who ran cheats get summoned into game worlds as punishment? It sounded way too excessive, though maybe not in this guy’s case.

  Did Steve use to think this way as well? I didn’t think so, but I couldn’t be sure.

  I skimmed a few entries ahead. It was nothing but rants and his attempts at skipping work. He just got progressively angrier: at the game, at his situation and everyone around him. Insults filled the pages. He didn’t seem to even try to connect with anyone in the village.

  Then I stumbled upon this gem.

  — Aaron’s Diary: Entry 20, Four months in —

  Finally managed to kill a wolf that was hunting the sheep, with a stick! I used one of my hero class abilities. Heroic Might is the bomb!

  I got the Beginner's Hope bracelet, at least, that’s what it was according to the UI. I fiddled with it a bit and got the inventory slots working.

  So I showed it off at the village, but everyone blew me off!

  I mean, this shows I’m a HERO, you idiots! You just have to take me to the fucking Lord!

  Some of the little kids were impressed by me making items disappear and reappear, and taking a few punches due to my now MASSIVE hp. But the girls were just skin and bones, all dirty, and everyone smelled like always, shit.

  I just need to get to the Lord’s manor. Once he finds out I’m a hero, I’m sure he’d give me the cream of the crop of all the sexy maids. A little harem of them. I’d be surrounded by their sweet perfume and nice clean…

  — … —

  Bam!

  My hands slammed the book shut. The words made me feel dirty.

  If a scumbag like him got anywhere close to my girls, I’d kill him instantly. Whether he was from the modern world or not, I wouldn’t care. He’d sully my maids by just looking at them.

  If this guy was still alive, I hoped never to run into him.

  “Everything okay, Lass?” Gorian asked, stoking the fire with a stick. “Found something bad in that book?”

  “Just… another awful person. A drop in the sea.”

  “Another, eh? At your age...” He shook his head. “No, I’m sure somehow, you’ve seen your share.”

  I glanced behind at the bundled forms on the ground.

  He must have sorted things out with Zadina and Kamuel while I was gone. That nudge earlier said it all.

  “Thanks… for talking to them.”

  Gorian snorted. “Hah, lass, it’s my fault you’re here in the first place. I had to strongarm Winthrop, really hard.” He pulled out his pipe, lighting it with the burnt end of the stick. “I was desperate, you see, and when I saw you taking on those bandits, I had to.”

  A hint of despair tinged the glow of his soul. My tongue pulled back. I was glad that I wasn’t hungry any more.

  “I’m here because I want to be here.”

  “You should get some rest, lass. It’s late.” He took a drag on his pipe, and puffed out smoke.

  “You’re a good leader Gorian.”

  He cares.

  I unclasped my cloak, slowly slipping feet-first under my bedroll. “And I’ve seen my share.”

  A few rings of smoke curled from Gorian’s lips. He chuckled. “Lass, if you ever open that eatery… I’d like to eat there as well.”