Arknightcraft Modpack

Returning to Steven’s side of the story, he safely made it back home. After heating a pot of water and taking a quick bath, he comfortably lay down on his small pink woolen bed.

Nothing beats collapsing into bed after a long day’s work, except maybe spending some time on a smartphone before sleeping. Unfortunately, the technology in this world hadn’t advanced to the point of inventing smartphones, so Steven could only close his eyes and drift straight into dreamland.

Another peaceful and dreamless night passed, and when Steven opened his eyes, it was, as always, six o’clock the next morning.

There was no choice; the routine of a Minecrafter was just that regular.

Stretching lazily and sitting up in bed, he noticed that outside, apart from the howling wind, there was none of the usual bustling noises from the operators and patients on Rhodes Island. The silence felt a bit unsettling, almost like he had returned to the solitary life he had led in Minecraft.

Thankfully, it was just a fleeting feeling.

After washing up, Steven grabbed a bucket of milk and paired it with a grilled steak. Sitting inside his warm, heated house, completely insulated from the cold winds outside, he enjoyed his breakfast while contemplating his plans for the day.

Perhaps he could visit the village again to trade for some local specialties?

Steven was confident in his baked potato recipe. This kind of simple yet hearty food would likely be very appealing in a small, remote village.

In fact, carrots or other long-lasting vegetables would probably be even better for trading. However, those might risk exposing his unique crops to theft.

“Maybe beef or pork would be better? Meat tends to be more in demand than starchy foods, and I wouldn’t have to worry about them reviving raw meat,” he muttered, glancing at the half-eaten steak in his hand.

This would also allow him to pose as a hunter, making it easier to gain favor with the villagers.

As for what he could trade in return, Steven wasn’t too concerned. Local specialties would be great, but even just gathering some information would be valuable.

At the very least, he could ask about things like those so-called Collapsal or any nearby mines. The village seemed to have been established in the area for quite some time, so they should know about any potential mining sites, right?

Steven’s main focus was to start mining and sharpening his skills. He quickly brushed aside thoughts of the creature they called a “Stray Collapsal.” There was no way he was going to brave the freezing winds just to scour the snowfields aimlessly for it.

He was merely curious about it and bore no personal grudge against the creature. Unless it came knocking on his door, Steven wasn’t particularly inclined to deal with it.

If it did show up, however, he might consider studying its body structure and loot drops.

As Steven finalized his plans for the day, a rhythmic knocking came from the large iron gate at the front of his home.

Frowning, he glanced up at the skylight, where he could see snowflakes swirling in the air. He was curious—who would visit in such terrible weather?

Could it really be what he imagined? Had the Collapsal delivered itself to his doorstep?

With curiosity, he opened the door, only to find not a terrifying monster ready to devour him, but a familiar girl—and behind her, another young woman dressed in an elegant, sharply contrasting formal outfit.

“Uh… aren’t you cold, wearing that?”

Before they could speak, Steven raised an eyebrow and threw out a question. With such heavy snow and wind outside, the second girl was dressed so lightly it seemed almost absurd. Wasn’t she worried about catching a cold? Or was this what people meant by “choosing style over warmth”?

“Eh? Mr. Steve, we’ve come to visit you!”

Because Steven wasn’t wearing his peculiar pumpkin head, Alina didn’t recognize him right away. If not for his familiar voice, she might have thought he was someone else living with the pumpkin-headed man.

After all, yesterday, the pumpkin head had seemed so lifelike—almost as if it had grown directly out of Steven’s body, rather than being an external helmet.

“I know, but she still hasn’t answered my question. Isn’t she worried about catching a cold and getting a stomach ache?”

Steven nodded, showing no intention of hiding his face. The pumpkin head was just for fun anyway. What was the big deal if someone saw his real face?

What could they do, accuse him of being a murderer based on it?

For now, Steven was more interested in hearing the answer to his question.

“I have a strong constitution, so don’t worry about me.”

Behind Alina, Talulah’s mouth twitched slightly at Steven’s unexpected question, leaving her at a loss for how to respond.

“Well, you’d better be careful. In weather this cold, not keeping warm will come back to bite you—your stomach, specifically.”

Speaking from personal experience, Steven nodded seriously. Ever since he turned into a Minecrafter and became largely unaffected by temperature, he hadn’t had to deal with this issue. But back when he was just a regular gamer, catching a cold often meant his bathroom would bear the brunt of his misery.

“…”

“Can we get to the point, Mr. Steve? I’d like to properly introduce myself and, at the same time, express my gratitude for helping my friend return safely yesterday.”

Talulah barely maintained her composed smile, almost cracking under the strain, before taking a deep breath to state her purpose.

“Oh, come in then. It’s pretty cold outside. While you might be fine, Alina probably can’t handle it as well. Girls need to be especially mindful of keeping warm.”

Stepping aside to let the two girls in, Steven finally noticed the peculiar horns on the girl wearing the thin outfit.

Her black, branching horns didn’t resemble any animal he knew. If he had to compare, the strange, tree-like shape reminded him of the dragons from Western legends.

After all, the horns on his Ender Dragon headgear looked somewhat similar.

Regardless, Steven recognized his limited understanding of the world’s races. Jumping to conclusions about someone’s race could easily get him labeled a “racial knight”—and Steven was a Pony Knight, not a Racial Knight.

“So, what brings you here? Just to give me a verbal thank-you?”

Steven’s small, matchbox-like house didn’t seem to have any extra furniture besides his little bed. After thinking for a moment, he seemingly conjured two wooden stools out of thin air and placed them nearby as makeshift chairs for his guests.

As for himself, he casually sat back on his bed, gazing curiously at the two unexpected visitors.

As he noted, Alina came empty-handed. The horned girl, on the other hand, took it a step further—she was carrying a strangely designed longsword.

It didn’t look like they were here to thank him at all. If anything, they seemed more like debt collectors arriving to settle things violently.

“No, this was actually my idea. I wanted to meet the… somewhat peculiar neighbor Alina mentioned. Now that I’ve seen you, you’re even stranger than her description suggested.”

Under Steven’s curious gaze, the sword-wielding girl set her weapon aside and scanned him intently. Only after thoroughly sizing him up did she state her purpose, making no effort to conceal her bewilderment at his odd behavior.

She could easily tell that this black-haired, black-eyed young man wasn’t a native of Ursus. Yet, despite her extensive education under that old man, she couldn’t determine his race based on his appearance.

This lack of distinct features suggested only one possibility: the Aegirians mentioned in ancient records. But that race was native to coastal nations—what would one be doing in the inland borderlands of Ursus?

What’s more, Steven’s appearance seemed closer to the people from Yan, Ursus’s neighboring country.

However, what intrigued her most wasn’t his appearance but his calm demeanor. Even when faced with someone armed, he exuded an unshaken confidence.

This suggested one of two things: either he was a simple-minded fool completely oblivious to the danger, or he possessed the strength to subdue her easily.

Talulah leaned toward the latter. The aura of a strong individual radiated from Steven, even more so than from the old man she remembered.

“Really? I think I’m pretty normal. Oh, by the way, would you like some hot water? My place is small, and I don’t have much to offer.”

Steven scratched his head, unbothered by being called peculiar. After all, it was true. He’d never denied that he was a bit of an oddball, both inside and out.

Walking to the [Brewing Stand] in the corner, he lit the [Blaze Powder] and started heating three bottles of clear water. Then, turning back, he flashed a smile at the cautious girl studying him so intently.

“I don’t think I caught your name. But before that, can I ask you a question?”

“You can call me Talulah. As for your question, feel free to ask,” Talulah replied, frowning slightly. She was suddenly worried that Steven might ask another bizarre question, like whether she’d catch a cold and get a stomachache.

Fortunately, this time, his question was slightly more serious.

“Are you a dragon?”