K-type Mage

The beautiful bird was stunned for a moment: it even forgot to flap its wings, and almost fell directly on the wet floor of the wooden house.

"No—" it yelled in panic, looking not only shocked, but even angry, its feathers blowing up, "Why do you think that, Jack!"

"I'm just curious." Jason said, watching the bird's overreaction, he was a little guilty and more confused.

I thought that the three must be related to the three people in reality, but guessed wrong?

【Jack and the thorn bird came to the depths of the black forest together, and saw the forest ranger who had been guarding here alone for a long time in the cabin.The forest ranger did not introduce himself, but he was very enthusiastic. He searched for fresh food for one person and one bird who came from afar, and prepared to cook a sumptuous dinner for them. 】

The narration sounded suddenly, and words appeared on the translucent light screen.

Jason glanced out of the window and found that the sky was dark at some point - although the cabin was originally located in the depths of the forest, the light here was not very sufficient; at this moment, when he peeked into the sky from the gap between the treetops, what caught his eyes was It's the ultimate post-sunset sky.

The time flow is wrong.It's like the plot and time are skipped in the game, Jason doesn't think that his thinking and talking time with Thorn Bird can make the sky change like this.

【Jack and the Thorn Bird waited in the cabin for a while. As guests, they didn't look too rudely to check the ranger's cabin, but they still found something wrong before the ranger came back. 】

[Why are there two separate beds in the log cabin? 】

[The picture frame hanging on the wall is turned upside down, and it is impossible to see if there is a picture, person or scene in the picture. 】

[The Thorn Bird spoke. 】

"Forest ranger is a very hard job." It said, with a sad tone, it seemed to have forgotten the thing that was frightened by Jason's question before, and regained its calm again, "Jack, this forest is very dangerous. Don't go out—whatever you hear."

【Jack was a little dazed when he was reminded. He knew that his little friend had some secrets, so he didn't question it: their goal was the same, they were all going to find the dragon; and everything else was irrelevant— 】

[However, is that really the case? 】

The last straight interrogative sentence of the narration makes the development of the story unprovoked and strange.

Jason pouted.

It's really bad to have a narration, and it's still the kind of narrative style that says that the information is completely straightforward, and it will definitely be complained by players in a for-profit game.

The door of the wooden house was pushed open from the outside, and the man with wild beard and eyebrows, who was dressed in leather armor and linen clothes of unknown material, said loudly, "Jack and Bird, let's have barbecue tonight!"

The bloody smell was blown into the door by the wind, and the Thorn Bird sneezed unsteadily, and replied happily: "Okay, okay, Mr. Ranger, we are all hungry!"

"Don't worry, there's enough food!" said the ranger, turning around and proudly pointing to the "ingredients" on the open space in front of the house - a huge dead wild boar.

...probably wild boar?

Jason stared at the wild animal for a while, his expression a little subtle.

No matter how you look at it, there is a strange black mist floating around, and it is hard to believe that it is an edible ingredient.

Thorn Bird leaned over and lowered his voice, saying, "It's okay, it's just energy in essence."

Proof of what it said, information similar to the character panel in the game appeared on the light screen.

[Reminder, the player found an ingredient that can replenish stamina, do you accept the ranger's broth? 】

Jason: "...?"

There was a smell of meat in the air, and a bonfire was burning in the open space in front of the house, and a large pot was propped on top of the fire.

... fast forward again?He rolled his eyes a little stiffly, and found that the Thorn Bird was already chatting with the ranger outside. After noticing his sight, he waved his wings to beckon him over.

The warm yellow flames danced, and the shadows of the ranger and the thorn bird twisted and formed on the ground.

Jason got up from the wooden bench, his eyes fell on the two shadows, he pursed his lips, and walked out the door as if there was no abnormality, and walked towards them.

The feeling of not having autonomy is uncomfortable.

He chose "Accept".

It didn't happen that the body was manipulated to drink the broth handed over by the forest ranger, but after receiving it, he watched the fragrant broth evaporate in the bowl, and only a little bit remained at the bottom of the empty bowl. residue.

【Jack drank the broth handed over by the forest ranger. The fresh meat was boiled until soft, and there was an endless aftertaste of deliciousness in his mouth. 】

【"It's delicious." He gave good reviews without hesitation, and laughed, "Mr. Forest Ranger, is it because you have lived alone for a long time and have developed good skills?"]

Jason held the bowl in his hand and remained silent. There was no line prompt on the light screen as he did when facing the Thorn Bird. He just had to watch it.

"How can you say that." The ranger showed a completely different expression from the previous smile, and said with some melancholy, "I didn't live alone before... Unfortunately, it's only me now. Sigh." He sighed, " No one will be with me forever, I used to understand this very well, but I still feel sad in the end."

[Jack was touched to a certain corner of his heart.During the journey away from home, he occasionally met lovely people who were worth smiling for, but in the end he chose to return to his hometown alone.He seemed to understand what the ranger was thinking. 】

Jason: ... Did it resonate?

The narration stopped after this passage. Jason put down the bowl and asked, "Is it a very important friend?"

The ranger showed a slightly embarrassed expression, shook his head, and said, "I'm not a friend...that's a girl like a pearl." He seemed to blushed, then lowered his head in frustration, and stopped talking.

"...I'm sorry." The young man said dryly, "Sounds like unrequited love?"

"Unrequited love?" The thorn bird came between the two humans curiously, and repeated the word, "Is it a kind of sexual desire to reproduce?"

"Dare to say, bird." The ranger was amused by its unabashed curiosity and straightforward words. "Don't say that to other people. People will be angry."

"..." No, are you admitting it?Jason opened his mouth and closed it again. Thorn Bird's voice was completely childish. Although it was clear that the other party could not be a cub, he still felt uneasy to explain.

——And as soon as its question came out, the plot that was about to tell the tragedy with heart and soul was cut off abruptly.

The bonfire was still dancing, and there was a crackling sound from time to time when the firewood was burning in the flames. Sparks burst out and were quickly extinguished on the bare grass.

The shadows of the tall trees surrounding this open space twisted with the flames, but the scene that should have been natural became strange at a certain moment—as if something was hiding in the depths of the shadows ready to move.

Jason glanced around calmly, pretending to be curious, and said, "I live here alone, won't there be wild beasts in the forest at night?"

——And this seems to be a fantasy world view.

"Don't worry, Jack dear," said the Ranger. "I'm the Ranger of this forest, and I won't be attacked by blind fools."

His tone was very firm, but at the same time, there was a complex emotion filled with joy and sadness in his eyes.

"Yes, Jack." The Thorn Bird also echoed, "The ranger is the safest creature in this forest."

You also said that being a forest ranger is hard work and that the forest is dangerous.

Jason didn't say anything about it, and honestly played [Jack] who "does not explore the secrets of his friends, but only wants to find the dragon to save his hometown".

They sat around the fire for a while longer.

"The trees in this forest are very lush, but unfortunately we can't see the sun and moon in the sky." Jason said, "The light is too dim."

"It's really a pity." The ranger said, "so occasionally I will leave here, go for a walk outside, and get in touch with humans."

"The creatures here are not very friendly," he said regretfully.

The thorn bird did not speak, it flew high to see the moonlight penetrating through the gap, the moonlight should be thousands of miles away, and the bright moon should be clear, but at this moment it was rejected from the tall and dense black forest.

The moonlight shining through the gaps in the trees shone on this black and white bird, and the shadow cast by the outstretched wings in the open space was extraordinarily wide, covering almost everything.

It seemed to sigh slightly.

Jason raised his head to look at it, his blue-green pupils were shining brightly from the warm yellow flames, and the blurry figure of a bird high in the sky was also reflected in his eyes.

The ranger also looked up.

------

"This is really a good painting." Clint said, he looked at the picture on the projection - the flying birds and the shadow on the ground, the two people sitting by the campfire looked up at it, the tone was a bit dim, But the warm yellow bonfire makes the picture blur from the center to a warm color.

"Wow...yes." Tony nodded, "The Thorn Bird knows a little bit more—"

Bruce crossed his hands, sat at the table, stared at the picture, and said in a deep voice, "It symbolizes the depth of the source."

"Are you sure?" Natasha asked with some doubts, "He clearly has two types of personality, You En and Yuan Shen."

On the one hand, Thorn Bird has the same frankness and friendliness as Yuan Shen in many aspects, on the other hand, it always insists on the setting of good friends, and has said more than once that "best friends" and "only friends should not have secrets" , this point is very similar to [Yu En's] attitude towards Yuan Shen - but this point is a bit full of doubts, after all, Yuan Shen himself has admitted this more than once.

Steve looked back and forth between them, looking like he wanted to say something, but he couldn't say it.

"Captain, do you have anything to say?" Tony noticed and said teasingly, "Don't worry, we're just discussing now."

"It doesn't seem to be worth doubting." Steve coughed a little embarrassedly, "Don't you think that Yuan's attitude is very calm every time he talks about You En, and even more so when he treats him? ——I don't understand The current relationship between them, but getting along is still full of understanding and trust. Yuan himself has never concealed this."

"On the contrary, Eun never admitted it like this." Natasha was reminded, and quickly continued, "He only showed it through an intimate attitude, and Yuan was dissatisfied with it."

"So, confirmed?" Clint said. "The Thorn Bird... Whoa."