A Journey no End

Chapter 7

I have been walking around for hours and am still unable to find my way to the next town. According to the map I’m using, the next town is supposed to be located nearby.

Is this map old? Because I do not see any towns around me at all.

I thought and took another look and then I realized something undeniable. The map is supposed to be read horizontally, but I’m reading it vertically.

I’ve been moving on a different path all this time. The sun is scourging hot and I’m not able to go back to the last city I left. The hours of walking went wasted.

Surrounding me is just a sandy place with nothing. My water bottle is already empty. The heat has already exhausted my body. No food left. To be precise, I didn’t bring anything with me, thinking that the next town was just around the corner. As a traveler, I would like to travel with only a few belongings.

Right now, I’m regretting my decision.

“I should’ve brought some food with me.”

I said with a defeated tone.

I have got a long way to go. I had better use my magic to speed up my movement. Going back to the city where I left.

When I was about to use my Lightning speed magic. I noticed something nearby. I hurried and turned my head and saw a big Ferris wheel.

A Ferris wheel in the middle of the desert. This is not true. The heat is making me hallucinate already. I had better go before I pass out in the middle of this sandy place.

I rubbed my eyes to check and look again. The Ferris wheel is still there. It's nearby and I could go to check.

Knowing that there is nothing to lose. I ran toward the Ferris wheel. Closer and closer, I got to see where the Ferris wheel was standing. Other rides were seen and a place brimming with color was discovered.

“Wow! An amusement park in the middle of a desert?”

I was surprised by what I was seeing.

I mean, what kind of businessman would build an amusement park in the middle of a desert? This place would never gonna make an earning with this kind of business strategy. I’m not business literate, but no one will discover this amusement park easily.

*Growl!*

My stomach makes a growling sound.

My tummy is telling me to enter this place. Well, this place is probably the closest place to getting some glass of water or a nice full-filled meal.

The place doesn’t seem to be dangerous. If it does, I’ll go out immediately using my lightning speed. I don’t want to get involved with my vigor going low.

Looking from outside, the amusement park looks silent. I heard no sound coming out.

Are they close? I need water and food. Asking would be fine.

I stepped inside the amusement park and was surprised.

A Frankenstein-like man was standing by my side. His face was shocked, his eyes widened, leading his eyeball to fall and roll on the ground.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

Frankenstein screams with a girly voice.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

I screamed back.

The sound of my scream echoed in the amusement park immediately. The silent amusement park started to make noise. The ground rumbled for a moment. A loud noise of trumpets was heard echoing throughout the whole place.

“We have a guest!”

Our first guest in 100 years!”

“Open the shops!”

“Hurry! Prepare the quest!”

“Whoah, there are so many monsters here…”

I said.

Various monsters are going out and hastily preparing the stalls. They are all in a panic and a brief moment of preparation. The monsters stood in the lane in front of me with smiles on their faces.

They greeted me.

“Welcome to the land of adventures… Evergrande Amusement park!!”

Accompanied with their greetings were fireworks exploding in the blue sky.

Wow!

They all look very friendly. But the one in the center wasn’t a monster. It was a little girl that seemed to be at the age of seven. Wearing a witch-like outfit, she took a glance at me and smiled.

“Welcome to Evergrande Amusement Park!”

She greeted me again.

“I appreciate the warm welcome. I never expected to be greeted this grand.”

“You’re the first in a hundred years to visit this amusement park. Because of that, everything in the amusement park is free. Everything you need and want will be given to you.”

The orc woman said.

“Really?!”

“Of course, we will be happy to give everything to our visitor.”

A demon stepped in. A red demon with two black wings. His horns curled like a goat. I was terrified for a second because he's a demon. But I don’t sense any bloodlust coming out from him.

The little girl turned her head to the demon and ran toward him with open arms.

“Grandfather!”

“Shaymi!”

The two hug each other. The demon carried the girl in her arms and smiled at me.

This is unnatural for me. Normally, little girls would be afraid of the presence of monsters or demons. Making them cry by running, but this girl called Shaymi isn’t afraid of them.

If everything was free today. Then, what am I waiting for?

Time to start and be amused at everything here.

Interested in the various things that I could do in the amusement park, I forget how hungry and thirsty I am.

I look at the rides and things around me.

“What should I do first? There are many things I can’t pick up at all.”

A goblin approached me and, with a poster in his hand, he told me.

“Here, miss cutie… Our amusement park was designed to experience a great adventure. The main quest here is to defeat the four demon generals scattered in the amusement park and face the demon king himself at last.”

“Oh, it's like the hero and the demon king folktale.”

“Our amusement park was created to make that experience real. To make the guest feel that they are the hero of their story.”

I understand… Being called a hero feels nice. It has a nice ring on it. Since I can’t choose…

“I’m going to start with this quest!”

I said and snatched the quest poster from his hand.

Shaymi the little girl walked beside me and shouted:

“New party acquire… Shaymi the mage at your service!”

After her, another two arrived.

“... I’m Mia! The elf archer!”

“... I’m Gogon! The dwarf berserk!”

“Is this necessary?”

“Of course, miss guest… Adventuring with a companion. Creating bonds, romance, and defeating the demon king with the power of friendship. That’s how a hero’s tale is supposed to be!”

The elf archer named Mia replied.

I understand… This amusement park is like a hero's tale.

The orc woman, earlier now wearing a princess outfit, approached me and with an elegant, she kneeled on one of her knees and offered the Reny sword with both of her hands.

“The legendary sword of the chosen hero.”

I play along and bow down. I took the sword from her hand. Lifting it to the sky, it created a Rening radiance. Radiance of hope to everyone surrounding me.

“Adventure starts!”

…

The adventure story… I mean, the hero's tale started.

 Acquiring the legendary sword from the princess, the legendary hero Konoha, on the trip with her great companion. The adventure to the south and destroy the bandits threatening the villagers. The boss of the bandit was surprisingly one of the demons, the band's general of the South. The monster was easily defeated with a “Whoosh!”.

After the defeat of the demon king general in the south. Hero Konoha goes to the east and defeats the demon king general.

Not in a violent way.

To defeat the demon king general in the east. Konoha needs to defeat him in a watermelon-eating contest. The hero, who was already hungry, didn’t hesitate and challenged the demon king general in the contest. Of course, the hero always wins in the end.

(Konoha is extremely hungry. She ends up eating every watermelon. Including the watermelon for her opponent.)

After making the people in the east feel freedom from the tyrant glutton. Hero Konoha goes to the west to face the demon king general. The demon king general is called the lord of water. A sea king.

To defeat the sea king, Konoha needs to defeat the king underwater. The sea king thought that Konoha would be defeated because humans can’t breathe underwater. Unexpectedly, Konoha uses her lightning magic to electrocute the sea king resting underwater. The sea king was whited out. The hero wins again.

Went to the north to defeat the demon king general and the last demon king general. The hero is stunned by what she saw. Her ally, the mage, is the last demon king general.

“How could you do that?”

The hero said after the mage attacked her on the back with her staff.

“Hahahahaha… How naive of you, Hero! I’m the demon king's granddaughter. Of course, I’m going to side with him. World domination is our goal. Hahahahaha!”

Shaymi said and knocked down the archer and the berserker.

Shaymi is a traitor.

“Grrr… I’m naive because of my naive nature. My comrades are all defeated. But I know one thing… I know Shami is a good girl!”

The hero shouted and hugged the little girl. Using her embrace and not violence. The heart of the little mage softened.

“You’re just being used by the demon king. Shaymi is not a bad girl.”

Shaymi attacks the hero but the hero resistes every attack given to her. The hero tells Shaymi that she is important and loved.

The hero and Shaymi become friends again and together they venture to destroy the demon king.

With their strengthened bonds and shared hardship. They all put their strength together and battle the demon king. The legendary sword lights up, illuminating the sky. The hero slashes the demon king's chest.

“Begone Demon king!”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

The demon king screamed.

The peace was restored and the whole land was overjoyed. The hero returns to the castle and eventually marries the princess.

The end.

…

That was exhausting, but it was fun.

Many things happened. We didn’t notice the sky was already dyed orange and a half was already in midnight blue with Rening stars.

“I want to eat!”

I said after a picture was taken with all of the monsters( staff of the story) in it.

The long day is over.