I stared at the strange stuff that was spreading on the ground.
"...So, how about it?"
"No."
My reply was swift to her question, making her whine.
"Come on! Steve! This could be the biggest clue to date. We could finally find out what happened to the Builders of the past, maybe even a way to return to Earth!"
I turned towards the girl that I had come to care for and gave her a glare while motioning at the Sculk spreading on the ground.
"You see that? The Villaigers called it the Sculk. They did not have much information about it, but said that the Builders disappeared shortly after this thing was first spotted. That does not fill me with confidence."
Alex put her arm around my shoulder and gave me a suggestive look.
"Come on~ it will be fun! Maybe we might even get lucky~"
I gave an annoyed huff before taking off her arm.
In the three decades we have spent together, I have long since come to understand how she thinks. Truthfully speaking, I find her optimism and sense of adventure to be very charming. These traits were some of the many reasons why I fell for this idiot, not that she knows about my feelings.
However, in a situation like this, I cannot allow her to have her way.
It is the truth that we are functionally immortal, with death being a mere inconvenience. However, that does not mean we should be reckless in our approach towards the unknown. Who knows what this world has in store for us?
I simply cannot imagine a scenario where something permanent happens to Alex. I just cannot.
And yet, as I gave her a firm gaze, she returned fire with a pitiful look that made my heart twist.
We held gaze for a few minutes before I finally let go, sighing in defeat.
"Fine! But we will only explore the entrance. And at the slightest hint of danger, we are out!"
"HA! I KNEW YOU HAD IT IN YOU! COME! MY BELOVED COMPANION! ADVENTURE AWAITS!"
The implications of her words made me blush and panic, but before I could say anything, she dragged me into the cave system that we found while digging for diamonds.
I am going to regret this, I just know it.
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'This world is fucking ridiculous!'
I could not help but swear in my heart as I continued reading through the information on what passes for the internet in this world (and damn if I am not disappointed with the way things are here. I mean, four towers to keep and an entire digital information network going? That's asking for trouble)
While it was a little difficult, it only took me two hours to find a place where I could sell a few ingots of Gold for the local currency called 'Lien' and get my hands on the local equivalent of phones that they call Scrolls.
I have no doubt that I got scammed when I sold the gold, but I could not care less about that, especially since I have enough gold in my storage to build a literal mountain out of it if I wanted to.
All I care about is that I finally have a viable source of public information and common knowledge in this world without the need to stay inside a tavern and listen to drunk idiots speak around me. (That was a seriously messed-up hour that I spent at the tavern. It's a good thing Alex is not here, or I would never hear the end of it)
And man, what information they have.
First things first. This world is apparently called 'Remnant'. To whoever named this planet that, I want to ask, what is it the remnant of? A society? A culture? Or even an entire world? The implications in that single name alone are staggering, and I can't stop my brain from spiralling with assumptions and theories.
Aside from the name, there are also many weird things about this world that put it in a class of its own when it comes to weird things that we have seen in our entire lives.
Apparently, there exist strange creatures known as 'The creatures of Grimm' that dominate this world. Destroying anything and everything that is made by human hands. Oh! And did I mention that there is a human subspecies called the Faunus who happen to be born with animal features?
If it were not for the grim dark setting I am getting from this reality, I would have said that this world was a furry's dream come true.
Anyways, back to the topic. The Grimm are only hostile to sentient living beings, a.k.a. Humans and Faunus, and anything built by them.
What is the true nature of the Grimm? Nobody knows since they evaporate after death, and it is extremely hard to contain a live specimen long enough to experiment.
On some level, this nature of the Grimm feels similar to the monsters of the Overworld that Alex and I have spent all our lives fighting against for our survival. However, there was evidence in the various ruins we excaveted and studied in the Overworld which showed that the Builder race were actually able to understand the innerworkings of the Monsters and replicate them to a certain extent so it could be said that the monsters were not much of a mystery if given proper time and resources to study, unlike the Grimm.
Since the Grimm are such a mystery, it stands to reason that humanity in this world is in dire straits, with only four main kingdoms across the globe and a few settlements outside their borders daring to settle in the frontiers.
To keep these cities and settlements safe, humanity employs the power of Technology, primarily fueled by a weird elemental crystal called 'Dust' and warriors known as 'Huntsmen'.
So far, everything I have found on Dust has been comprehensive enough to tell me that it might possibly be something similar to magic, or maybe this world's derivative of magic in physical form. However, when it came to the Huntsmen, I couldn't tell what the hell was going on with them.
Don't get me wrong, I understand the basic principle behind their prowess since it is well-documented and public knowledge.
Supposedly, they draw power from their very souls and use it as a shield to protect themselves from harm while also using this power of the soul to enhance their physical abilities. Which makes sense since the Illagers and their ilk did the same in the Overworld, albeit in a different manner since they channeled the power of the soul into the Lapis Lazuli and used it to perform soul magic, creating all kinds of phenomena and abominations.
But what really threw me for a loop is what the locals call a 'Semblance'.
The internet describes it as an extension of the Soul, expressing itself physically in the form of a superhuman power that is unique to every huntsman. Some of them manifest something mundane like telekinesis, while others might manifest something outrageous like the ability to kill from a distance with a thought or something like that.
To the locals, it is a matter of fact and something that has existed as long as civilization itself has existed.
But to me, it is utterly ridiculous and something that I can't wrap my head around.
Thankfully, this is the part where my previous centuries of experience in dealing with ridiculous shit came in handy and allowed me to calm down.
'So. The TLDR is that if we want to hide our abilities, or in case they are exposed, we will have to explain it as a Semblace. But, to do that, we will need this 'Aura' stuff, which will not be easy given that the Kingdoms heavily regulate Aura awakening and fines anyone who awakens someone's Aura illegally very heavily, sometimes even sending them to jail.'
It was an understandable reaction from the government, given that it would be impossible to manage an entire population of beings capable of doing ridiculous shit and have personal force fields around their bodies. Not to mention how having an awakened Aura supposedly made people Grimm magnets in the frontiers.
However, this rule is going to be a detriment to Alex and I if we want to blend in with the locals.
'Although, given that any society will have its own darker elements, I might be able to get things done with enough money. The question is, where do I find someone like that-Aha!'
I could not help the grin that formed on my face as I saw the news article about increased syndicate-related crimes in the Kingdom of Mistral, showing that it had rampant criminal activity with armed conflicts frequently breaking out.
Armed conflict, especially in a city, means smuggled firearms and weapons. Smugglers means illegal imports and exports, which means a proper black market, which might be exactly what I am looking for.
'This could be it. Once we have Aura awakened, it would be child's play to get into one of the main cities and register ourselves as frontiermen without any official ID. From there, we can see about getting a few years of peace and quiet before we think about moving on or staying here for a century or two.'
With the plan in place, all that is left is to inform Alex about my thoughts and get her opinion on it. Given that she tends to look at things from a different angle compared to my own, she might be able to point out any flaws I may have overlooked or provide a second opinion.
And then, we will finally get some private time for ourselves outside of constantly thinking about survival.
'Who knows? Maybe we will even get some time for us to go on a few dates and stuff!'
At that thought, I could not help a gleeful grin that formed on my face.
It has been far too long since Alex and I have had some alone time to unwind and enjoy ourselves, not thinking about anything else but ourselves and our happiness.
Maybe this world will give us what we are looking for.
With that thought, I walked out of the Inn room that I rented out for myself and headed straight for the main gates of the town.
Time to share the good news with my lovely wife!
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Author notes: Read 10 chapters ahead on Patreon: patreon.com/Tiranus2