The cave was hidden from view. It lay in the middle of the rocky hill, opposite the sea entrance, completely surrounded by thick plants.
Ash carefully sneaked out of the cave. He looked through small gaps in the leaves and branches.
Under the rocky hill, five pyramids stood. The largest pyramid rose proudly at the center. Four smaller ones sat at each corner of the biggest pyramid. Palm trees and thick tropical bushes filled the spaces between them.
Around the main pyramid's entrance, groups of people gathered, talking and moving. Trucks and jeeps parked close by, forming a small camp.
The people spoke a language Ash did not know. He was sure it was from his own world, perhaps Spanish or French, but he could not tell.
The men wore green military uniforms. A few had red berets. Some carried long, automatic weapons. Others had gun holsters at their sides, ready for use.
'They look just like the bad guys in movies about smuggling illegal goods,' Ash thought, a slight grin on his face.
He lowered his binoculars, turned, and quietly went back into the cave.
'I don't need to deal with them. They're probably just one of the player groups,' he muttered to himself.
"Game Map," he muttered.
When the screen appeared, he checked it for the Quest locations.
'Hmm, Kulam Cave is much farther north. The Oriental Hotel is closer than it looked from the sea,' he thought. 'I should head straight to that Hotel.'
He closed the Game Map screen. He carefully left the cave, then began sneaking along a narrow path that ran along the side of the hill. Thick plants and vines hid the path.
Before long, he reached the edge of the hill. The tropical plants had grown so thick that he had to push and squeeze his way through them, struggling with every step.
As he neared a small road, the loud roar of a vehicle came from his left. He quickly ducked down and hid among the broad leaves, trying to stay out of sight.
A Jeep drove past him, carrying three passengers dressed in green military uniforms.
'I have to be careful and avoid walking too close to the road,' he thought. He hurried across the road and did not stop until it was time to eat his lunch.
After finishing his meal while perched on a tree branch, he resumed his journey without delay.
After walking for about two hours, he finally arrived at the Oriental Hotel.
***
The hotel was a small, two-story building. Its walls were damaged in places. Tropical plants had grown around it, spreading across the outside and blending the building into the surroundings. At first glance, it hardly seemed like a building was there at all.
He carefully approached the hotel, watching his surroundings for any movement.
'Looks safe enough,' he thought.
He climbed through an open window and quickly hid behind the sofa nearest to it. From his hiding spot, he studied the hotel's inside.
The interior was in a Victorian style. Sofas and chairs, made of dusty, velvet-covered wood, stood beside tables and thick carpets, all covered with dust.
An old reception desk stood out. Dull paintings hung on the walls, adding to the old feel.
Feeling sure the building was safe, he stepped out of his hiding spot and began to search each room.
Every room was covered in dust. Large wooden canopy beds stood with matching tables and chairs that looked like the reception furniture.
Thick carpets covered the floors. Dirty curtains hung over the wide bedroom windows.
The kitchen and storage room were just as dusty. Several pots hung neatly on the kitchen wall, while a few damaged sacks of flour and potatoes lay in one corner.
'Looks like there's no other player here,' he thought with relief.
He then approached the last room he had not checked, the hotel's office. It was at the far end, next to the reception area.
He was surprised upon entering the office. It had no dust at all. Papers were scattered across the large mahogany desk in the center of the room.
A computer, along with a pen and ink, was neatly set on the desk. The wooden shelves, filled with papers, were spotless too. A large mural decorated the wall behind the chair, and a sack tied with a rope rested in the corner of the room.
This room was a sharp contrast to all the other dusty rooms in the building.
Without waiting any longer, he began searching for The Supreme Magus' Grimoire.
He opened the desk drawers, checked the wooden shelves, and looked in the cupboards, but the grimoire was nowhere to be found.
Then he sat down on the chair, deep in thought. 'This is a Finding Object game. I probably need to solve a puzzle before I can get the grimoire.'
Not willing to give up, he opened the desk drawer again and took out a hairpin and a small bolt.
He placed the two items on the worktable in front of him.
'Maybe I should just gather the things that seem out of place?'
He walked over to the small table beneath the window and picked up a coin and a broken penknife from its surface.
Carefully, he placed the new items alongside the others on the worktable.
He then stared at the collection of objects on the table, but could not figure out the puzzle. Frustrated, he sat back down and absentmindedly fiddled with the broken knife in his hands.
His eyes drifted to the bolt. A sudden thought struck him: the bolt might be the missing piece from a broken blade.
He tried fitting the bolt into the broken blade, and it worked.
But after that, he was stuck again. He had no idea what to do next.
"Ugh. In the original Hidden Object game, you can't interact with places or items unless they're part of the puzzle. But here, I can pick up everything, and now I don't know which items are useful and which ones aren't," he muttered, frustrated, slumping back in the chair.
"Maybe I'm just not good at solving games like this..." he grumbled to himself.
Just then, a sudden thud echoed from the second floor, snapping him out of his thoughts.
He gasped quietly and quickly slipped out of the office, finding cover behind the sofa in the reception room.
He froze as he heard soft footsteps from above. The steps grew louder as someone began to descend the stairs.
Peeking cautiously from behind the sofa, his eyes widened. It was a woman, or rather, a young girl, dressed entirely in black, making her way down.
'A girl?'
Once the girl reached the first floor, she paused briefly, scanning the area, before heading toward the office.
Ash quietly stood up and positioned himself behind her.
As he got closer to her, he swiftly covered her mouth and restrained one of her hands behind her back.
The girl let out a muffled scream and struggled to break free.
"Shhh. Don't scream," he whispered into her ear.
The girl nodded slowly.
He loosened his grip and let her go. Immediately, he drew his sword, pointing its sharp tip toward her neck.
Seeing the sword, she froze. Her body trembled slightly and her eyes fixed on the blade, which hovered just ten inches away.
Now able to see her clearly, he took in her features. She had shoulder-length red hair, freckles scattered across her face, striking green eyes, and full pink lips.
"Who are you?" Ash asked. "What's your profession?"
The girl quickly responded with a shaking voice, "M-my name is Maya. My profession is The Rogue."