While he was pondering, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the alley. Dash turned to see many townspeople gathering at the alley entrance. He stood up and walked closer to the edge of the alley, but then he realized he was no longer human.
He looked around and finally found a large enough covering cloth. He grabbed it and wrapped his body in the fabric, covering his head with the cloth to form a hood. Since his face was still human, he left it uncovered. He stepped out of the alley to see what the commotion was about.
He saw a procession of mounted knights entering, greeted by the cheering residents. The mounted knights seemed to be royal troops, wearing full armor and carrying flags whose meaning he didn't understand at all. When the carriage accompanying the procession passed by, Dash's eyes widened.
He saw a large cage on the carriage and a beautiful girl with dark green skin, tusks in her mouth, yellow eyes, a muscular yet sexy body, and she looked dirty, covered in blood and mud. "KLANG… KLANG," the woman roared, pulling at the bars. She was struggling, looking very angry and scared, with tears streaming down her face.
As the carriage passed, the residents began throwing things into the carriage while shouting insults, causing the girl to cover her face with her arm. Then the girl's eyes landed on Dash, who was bigger and taller than the other residents, standing among the crowd. She froze, looking at Dash, who was also transfixed on her. Dash then heard the words of the residents around him.
"Huh… they caught a Half-Orc girl," one resident muttered.
"Yeah, they'll probably make her the soldiers' plaything before killing her," said another resident.
"Creatures resulting from desecration between humans and monsters shouldn't exist in this world. What a disgrace," the first resident replied.
Dash, listening to the conversation, turned back to look at the Half-Orc girl who was locked up and still staring at him, even though the carriage had passed him. Dash walked behind the crowd, following the carriage, and the girl continued to stare at him, gripping the cage bars.
After reaching the town square and still following the carriage, suddenly, "SREEET," small children running past Dash accidentally yanked the cloth he was wearing, tearing it off.
"KYYYYAAA… MONSTER!"
The residents who saw Dash immediately screamed and backed away, making Dash feel awkward as he looked around. Then he looked at the girl in the carriage in front of him. She was staring at him with a stunned expression, yet filled with hope, as if saying, "I'm not alone in this world." The carriage stopped. The mounted knights immediately dismounted their horses and ran to surround Dash.
"Ugh… damn it. Fine, I'll free her and then escape from here," Dash thought.
"BOOM," Dash stomped his foot and leaped onto the cage, which was far ahead of him. Then he looked down and saw the girl looking up at him.
"Move back," Dash said in his husky voice.
"Okay," the girl replied, stunned, but immediately moved away.
Dash raised his hand and clenched his fist. "KLANG," he punched the bars until they broke, then pulled the bars on either side so the girl could get out. Then he extended his hand inside.
"Quick, grab my hand," Dash said.
"Yes," the girl replied, reaching out her hand.
Dash quickly grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her out. Then he carried the girl and looked around. He saw the city fortress gate. Without delaying, he immediately leaped far toward the gate, then ran through the air, confusing all the residents and the knight army.
Then he landed lightly on a rooftop and leaped again, then ran through the air again, until he finally reached the city wall. "CRACK," Dash dug his claws into the fortress wall. Then he turned to look at the girl he was carrying, who was staring at him in confusion.
"Are you alright?" Dash asked.
"I… I'm fine," the girl replied, still gawking at Dash.
"Good, hold on tight," Dash said.
"Yes," the girl replied, immediately wrapping her arms around Dash's neck and her legs tightly around his waist.
"CRACK… CRACK," Dash quickly climbed the city wall and leaped to the top. Several soldiers on top of the wall immediately met Dash, who was still in the air, with their spears. Dash stepped on the tips of the spears until they shattered, then "BLUM," he landed hard on the fortress wall.
"SWOOOOSH," Dash delivered a spinning kick, sweeping all the soldiers until they were thrown backward, and some were thrown down off the fortress wall, screaming. After that, he looked at the outer side of the fortress. Below him was a large river, and it was quite a distance to the opposite bank. He looked to the left and saw a sturdy, large bridge.
However, just as he was about to run to the left, many soldiers began arriving from the left and right simultaneously to surround and attack him, accompanied by the sound of the alarm bell. Finally, Dash took a few steps back.
"Hey… hold on again," Dash said to the girl.
"Yes, I've been holding you tightly since before," the girl replied.
"Good. Now hold your breath. We're going," Dash said.
"Huh… going to do whaaaaaaah…"
Before the girl could finish speaking, Dash ran to the edge of the fortress, then his foot stepped up onto the boundary wall, and "SHYUUUNG," he leaped far, then ran through the air, crossing the wide river below. The girl hugged Dash tightly, closing her eyes.
The girl opened her eyes slightly. She saw the fortress wall behind her quickly receding, but when she looked down and saw they were still above the river, she immediately closed her eyes again. Meanwhile, Dash, looking forward, began to look around.
He realized he was now in a beautiful world, full of trees so that everything looked green as far as the eye could see, pristine, unpolluted air, and the water below looked fresh—a view he couldn't get when he lived in the city in his previous world.
"This… is amazing," Dash muttered, starting to smile.
Finally, Dash began to descend. He looked down, and "BUM," he landed, causing a hole in the ground. Then he immediately ran, carrying the girl in front of him, along a footpath that led into a very lush forest with many plants different from his former world.
The city's alarm bell continued to sound in the distance. Dash could feel the body of the girl he was carrying, who was clinging to him, trembling. After reaching the edge of the forest, Dash stopped because he saw several mounted knights escorting merchants beginning to pass along the forest road with their carriages.
"KROSAK," Dash immediately leaped into the bushes and ran, crashing through the forest without stopping, still carrying the girl. When the sound of the city bell could no longer be heard and he saw that he was deep within the forest, he finally stopped by a river that crossed the forest. He set the girl down in front of him.
"It should be safe now," Dash said to the girl.
The girl, standing in front of Dash, examined Dash from head to toe, then back up.
"You… a dragonkin?" the girl asked.
"Hmm… maybe," Dash replied.
"But dragonkin are supposed to be extinct… your head is human, but your body is truly a dragon. Are you a half-breed like me?" the girl asked.
"Maybe so… I don't remember anything," Dash replied. "No way I can tell her I came from another world and died, and what made me like this is my curse," Dash thought.
"Thank you for saving me. My name is Shelorg, just call me Shel," Shel said.
"Alright, my name is… Dash. Nice to meet you, Shel," Dash replied, extending his hand.
Shel looked at Dash's hand, confused, and just stood still. She tilted her head and examined Dash's arm, which looked like armor. Finally, Dash looked down, reached for Shel's hand, and shook it. Then he let go of Shel's hand, who gasped and looked at him while holding her own hand.
"Oh, where I come from, you have to shake hands when you introduce yourself," Dash said.
"Is that so? Thank you again," Shel replied.
"You're welcome. Now, could I ask for a favor?" Dash asked.
"What favor?" Shel asked, confused.
"Tell me about this world. Like I said, I have amnesia," Dash said.
"Alright, I'd be happy to help you, but before that, can I bathe first?" Shel asked.
"Go ahead. I'll sit over there with my back to you," Dash said, pointing to a large rock by the river.
"No need," Shel replied, immediately stripping off her clothes.
Then Shel stood completely naked in front of Dash, then turned and walked toward the river to wash herself, leaving Dash stunned and gawking, his eyes fixed on Shel's body.
"Is there no sense of shame in this world?" Dash thought.