Three figures eyed me from across the dining table. I sat there, arms-crossed as their gazes bore into me. I glanced to the side, glaring at a purple-skinned man waiting with a chicken in his four arms. He gave me an apologetic smile, and I rolled my eyes. I turned back to Nolan, Nicole, and Garron.
“You’re… an otherworlder?” Nolan asked with round eyes.
“I am,” I said simply. There was no point lying about it now.
The [Farmer] shook his head and gestured at Xakor. “So you’re from another world, just like him.”
“Yeah.”
“Like the [Hero King].”
“Yeah,” I repeated myself.
“I…” Nolan trailed off.
But Nicole nudged her husband, whispering. “What about Zil?”
“Right.” He nodded as he rubbed his chin. “Like the [Mystic Cr—”
“Yeah,” I cut him off casually. “I am from another world. I am not a native of Vacuos.”
“And where are you from?” Nicole asked, leaning forward.
“Earth,” I said with a shrug.
“That’s—” She opened her mouth. Then she caught herself. She tapped a finger on her chin in thought. “I’ll be honest, I don’t even know why I asked that question. I have never heard of it before.”
“Of course not,” I snorted. I leant back in my chair with an expectant look. “Anyways, is that all?”
Nolan furrowed his brows. Nicole pursed her lips. They exchanged a glance, and it was evident that they couple still had plenty more to ask. But before they could speak, the third figure sighed.
“This makes a lot of sense…” Garron rubbed his temples. “The food— the clothes— it was all so obvious, I can’t believe I didn’t even realize it before!”
“None of us did,” Nolan muttered. “I just thought she was an eccentric S-rank adventurer…”
Nicole shook her head. “I knew Amelia wasn’t an S-rank adventurer. But to think there’s a fourth otherworlder…?”
“Wait,” Garron said with a frown. “I knew that too, but how did you know that?”
“Through a Skill.” Nicole shrugged.
“Was I the only one who was left completely in the dark?” Nolan said as he glanced around the room. His gaze slowly landed on the blonde girl waiting to the side. His daughter scratched her cheek.
“Well, I knew about everything all along.” Noele spoke as she scratched the back of her head. “Amelia told me that she was an otherworlder during our very first meeting.”
Garron and her parents stared at her. She shifted uncomfortably— their overbearing gazes made her look away. I just scoffed at her.
“It wasn’t our first meeting,” I said, waving a hand dismissively. “And I only told you I was from another world because you kept pestering me to train you.”
Noele nodded slowly. “That is true— but I still found out about it first.” She grinned.
“That’s not something to be proud of. I’m pretty loose-lipped, honestly.” I sat up and looked back towards Xakor. “Although… it seems the other otherworlders out there are even worse at keeping secrets.”
The ragnarian bowed his head at me. “Xrr… I do apologize again, Amelia. I never could keep my status a secret myself, and I did not consider your own personal circumstances.” He gestured at his skin, then at his four arms, before raising his head.
I sighed. “It’s whatever. What’s done is done. I’d still prefer to keep it discreet, but I don’t mind that they know about it now.”
I looked back towards Nolan, Nicole, and Garron. They nodded between each other. They looked like they still had questions, and I let them interrogate me for a few more minutes.
“How did you even end up here in Vacuos?” Nicole asked, frowning.
“How does any otherworlder end up here?” I replied. We all turned to Xakor expectantly. He tapped a finger on his chin.
“Most otherworlders are summoned here to Vacuos,” the alien explained. “Kallistus Kal was brought over by the Morius Empire to save it from the Crather Kingdom… although at that point, it was already too late.”
“And what about Zila, or whatever his name is?” I asked with a raised brow.
“Zil, and she’s a her,” Garron piped up. He looked towards Xakor knowingly. “Everyone has heard about the [Mystic Craftsman]’s story— she was summoned by the previous Fairy Queen to destroy the dwarves. But… she ended up running away to the Craok Confederacy instead.”
Xakor nodded in agreement. “I have exchanged a few letters with her before. She told me that she was summoned over to bring weapons of mass destruction from her world. But none of her creations worked, much to the anger of the previous Fairy Queen.”
“Why not?” I narrowed my eyes.
“Because this world’s physics functions differently from hers.” He shook his head. “I found myself facing the same dilemma when I woke up here in Vacuos.”
“Were you summoned as well?” Nolan asked, leaning forward curiously. Xakor turned towards him, and he scratched his cheeks meekly, drawing back. “Sorry for interrupting, but I was curious.”
“No, it is fine.” Xakor just smiled kindly at the [Farmer]. “Xrr… but my circumstances were very different.”
The alien pushed himself off the wall as Bucky clucked in his arms. He lowered the chicken to the ground. She stepped aside, and he strode up to the dining table. I frowned as he spoke.
“I was an inventor back in my world. I loved creating new things— not for war, and not for convenience, but for the curiosity of it all!” He beamed as he spoke for a moment. Then his gaze darkened. “And I was fascinated with time. I spent my whole life working to build the first ever time machine. I thought I had succeeded. I tested it out because I was so confident in myself… only to end up here.”
Xakor finished his story as he closed his eyes. It was the second time I had seen his eyelids move since we met. He took in a deep breath, and I just stared.
“Seriously?” I said flatly. “You time-traveled here?”
“No, no, no.” He spoke quickly, opening his eyes once more. He faced me as he chuckled. “My world never had a System, and my machines do not work in Vacuos. Xrr… my machine failed. It somehow transported me across universes instead. That is how I ended up here.”
“That is… huh.” I wasn’t sure what else to say. Noele, Nolan, Nicole, and Garron were at a loss for words too.
“Wait, so you came to Vacuos on your own?” the Noble Spellsword said as she stepped forward. “That is amazing! Doesn’t that mean you can go back?”
“It was unintentional.” Xakor just inhaled deeply. “And I cannot return either. My time machine was broken, and I could not repair it. As I said, my machines do not work. I even hired the highest-leveled [Magitech Tinkerer] in the world to help me… alas, I am trapped in Vacuos just like the rest of us otherworlders.”
My eyes flickered. I didn’t respond to that. Noele glanced at me, pursing her lips. She had seen me tear a hole in the world before. And she saw the way I reacted to Xakor’s comment. But she said nothing else.
Looking past her, I got to my feet and shrugged. “Anyways, if that’s everything, I’m going to take Bucky on a walk now. She’s eaten too much today, and I’m sure she needs some exercise.”
The chicken paused. She clucked at me in objection, hiding behind Xakor’s legs. But he picked her up, and she stared at him in betrayal.
“Wait, Bucky?” Nolan blinked. He stared at the chicken with wide eyes. “What’s Bucky doing here?”
“She’s my pet now,” I said, gently taking her from Xakor’s four arms. Bucky pecked at my hands, but I just rolled my eyes. “I’ll feed you a burger tomorrow if you behave.”
Bucky hesitated. She glanced up towards the [Chef], then down towards an empty plate. I knew what she was saying even though she couldn’t speak.
I shook my head. “No. No more savis cubes for you. You’re going to get addicted, and Xakor is leaving soon.”
“Actually,” Xakor corrected me, “I may stay here in Wolfwater for a few weeks.”
“You… you are?” Nolan got to his feet, staring at the otherworlder in shock. “Where will you stay—”
Nicole elbowed her husband, before nodding eagerly. “We’ll be more than happy to give you accommodations here! We have spare rooms just for this occasion!”
Noele narrowed her eyes. “Wait, but isn’t Garron sleeping in the spare room?”
“It’s fine,” her mother said. “Garron can just sleep in your room, my sweet little pumpkin pie.”
That made both Garron and Noele flush. The blonde girl sputtered as the Steel Tank just covered his face with a hand. Nicole chuckled, and Xakor smiled.
“I appreciate the offer, but I do not wish to inconvenience you. I simply wish to make amends to Amelia.” The [Chef] faced me.
I raised a brow. “Uh, what?”
“Xrr… I still feel guilty for outing you to your friends,” he said as he lowered his head. “I desire to make it up to you— as an apology. If there is anything I can do to help you, please do not hesitate to ask.”
“Oh, but I don’t really need anything…” I murmured.
Xakor peered at me curiously, but Noele was the one to speak up. She sidled up next to me, holding my gaze.
“Xakor the Patron of the Culinary Sciences is offering you his help, Amelia!” the blonde girl exclaimed. “You can’t just turn him down!”
“Why not?” I tilted my head back at her.
“Because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!” she sputtered. Biting her lower lip, she glanced at Xakor before whispering. “Look— it would just be rude to say no. If you can’t think of anything, you can always just ask for money. That’s fine, right?”
I stared at Noele. She blinked at me, and I slowly shook my head.
“I don’t need money,” I said simply.
The blonde girl paused. “What?” She tried to work her jaw. “But that’s— you're…”
I gave her a blunt look, and she steeled herself. Noele took a step back and pointed accusingly at me.
“Who are you? What have you done to Amelia?”
I snorted. “I already have enough gold to retire. I’m not interested in hoarding all the riches in the world like some lazy Elder Dragon.”
“But—” Noele protested.
But I spoke over her. “I was only interested in making money because I thought it would give me a purpose— that it would make me feel fulfilled. But it does nothing for me.”
I closed my eyes, remembering how I’d get a brief hit of dopamine whenever I got paid. But nothing else. I still felt empty inside.
“So I’m not interested in getting rich,” I continued. “And if Xakor really wants to help me out…”
I glanced towards the ragnarian. He waited patiently as I conversed with the blonde girl. I thought about what I wanted. And I opened my mouth.
“He can help me—” I started.
And the front door barged open. My gaze snapped to the side, and Noele reached for her sword.
“What’s going on?”
A figure stumbled into the house, clutching at his bleeding arm. “Help! Someone help!” he yelled.
Noele, Garron, and I rushed to meet this figure as he collapsed at the front door. He was badly hurt— like he had rammed straight into a boulder. He wheezed as Noele knelt at his side.
“Are you alright? What happened?” she asked, before glancing back at Garron. “We need a healing potion!”
“Right—” He reached into his Bag of Holding as Nicole, Xakor, and Bucky rushed out of the kitchen. Nolan was a step behind, and he recognized the stranger.
“Jerome? Is that you?” Nolan said.
And Jerome just raised his head, staring up with wide eyes. “Please, we need your help! Wolfwater— it’s under attack!” he exclaimed.
My brows snapped together, and Noele’s eyes grew wide.
“What…?” she said. “But by who?”
“N-not who…” Jerome mustered up. “But what.”
MelasD
START OF THE NEW MONTH! You can read up to 15 chapters ahead on my patreon here!
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Three figures eyed me from across the dining table. I sat there, arms-crossed as their gazes bore into me. I glanced to the side, glaring at a purple-skinned man waiting with a chicken in his four arms. He gave me an apologetic smile, and I rolled my eyes. I turned back to Nolan, Nicole, and Garron.
“You’re… an otherworlder?” Nolan asked with round eyes.
“I am,” I said simply. There was no point lying about it now.
The [Farmer] shook his head and gestured at Xakor. “So you’re from another world, just like him.”
“Yeah.”
“Like the [Hero King].”
“Yeah,” I repeated myself.
“I…” Nolan trailed off.
But Nicole nudged her husband, whispering. “What about Zil?”
“Right.” He nodded as he rubbed his chin. “Like the [Mystic Cr—”
“Yeah,” I cut him off casually. “I am from another world. I am not a native of Vacuos.”
“And where are you from?” Nicole asked, leaning forward.
“Earth,” I said with a shrug.
“That’s—” She opened her mouth. Then she caught herself. She tapped a finger on her chin in thought. “I’ll be honest, I don’t even know why I asked that question. I have never heard of it before.”
“Of course not,” I snorted. I leant back in my chair with an expectant look. “Anyways, is that all?”
Nolan furrowed his brows. Nicole pursed her lips. They exchanged a glance, and it was evident that they couple still had plenty more to ask. But before they could speak, the third figure sighed.
“This makes a lot of sense…” Garron rubbed his temples. “The food— the clothes— it was all so obvious, I can’t believe I didn’t even realize it before!”
“None of us did,” Nolan muttered. “I just thought she was an eccentric S-rank adventurer…”
Nicole shook her head. “I knew Amelia wasn’t an S-rank adventurer. But to think there’s a fourth otherworlder…?”
“Wait,” Garron said with a frown. “I knew that too, but how did you know that?”
“Through a Skill.” Nicole shrugged.
“Was I the only one who was left completely in the dark?” Nolan said as he glanced around the room. His gaze slowly landed on the blonde girl waiting to the side. His daughter scratched her cheek.
“Well, I knew about everything all along.” Noele spoke as she scratched the back of her head. “Amelia told me that she was an otherworlder during our very first meeting.”
Garron and her parents stared at her. She shifted uncomfortably— their overbearing gazes made her look away. I just scoffed at her.
“It wasn’t our first meeting,” I said, waving a hand dismissively. “And I only told you I was from another world because you kept pestering me to train you.”
Noele nodded slowly. “That is true— but I still found out about it first.” She grinned.
“That’s not something to be proud of. I’m pretty loose-lipped, honestly.” I sat up and looked back towards Xakor. “Although… it seems the other otherworlders out there are even worse at keeping secrets.”
The ragnarian bowed his head at me. “Xrr… I do apologize again, Amelia. I never could keep my status a secret myself, and I did not consider your own personal circumstances.” He gestured at his skin, then at his four arms, before raising his head.
I sighed. “It’s whatever. What’s done is done. I’d still prefer to keep it discreet, but I don’t mind that they know about it now.”
I looked back towards Nolan, Nicole, and Garron. They nodded between each other. They looked like they still had questions, and I let them interrogate me for a few more minutes.
“How did you even end up here in Vacuos?” Nicole asked, frowning.
“How does any otherworlder end up here?” I replied. We all turned to Xakor expectantly. He tapped a finger on his chin.
“Most otherworlders are summoned here to Vacuos,” the alien explained. “Kallistus Kal was brought over by the Morius Empire to save it from the Crather Kingdom… although at that point, it was already too late.”
“And what about Zila, or whatever his name is?” I asked with a raised brow.
“Zil, and she’s a her,” Garron piped up. He looked towards Xakor knowingly. “Everyone has heard about the [Mystic Craftsman]’s story— she was summoned by the previous Fairy Queen to destroy the dwarves. But… she ended up running away to the Craok Confederacy instead.”
Xakor nodded in agreement. “I have exchanged a few letters with her before. She told me that she was summoned over to bring weapons of mass destruction from her world. But none of her creations worked, much to the anger of the previous Fairy Queen.”
“Why not?” I narrowed my eyes.
“Because this world’s physics functions differently from hers.” He shook his head. “I found myself facing the same dilemma when I woke up here in Vacuos.”
“Were you summoned as well?” Nolan asked, leaning forward curiously. Xakor turned towards him, and he scratched his cheeks meekly, drawing back. “Sorry for interrupting, but I was curious.”
“No, it is fine.” Xakor just smiled kindly at the [Farmer]. “Xrr… but my circumstances were very different.”
The alien pushed himself off the wall as Bucky clucked in his arms. He lowered the chicken to the ground. She stepped aside, and he strode up to the dining table. I frowned as he spoke.
“I was an inventor back in my world. I loved creating new things— not for war, and not for convenience, but for the curiosity of it all!” He beamed as he spoke for a moment. Then his gaze darkened. “And I was fascinated with time. I spent my whole life working to build the first ever time machine. I thought I had succeeded. I tested it out because I was so confident in myself… only to end up here.”
Xakor finished his story as he closed his eyes. It was the second time I had seen his eyelids move since we met. He took in a deep breath, and I just stared.
“Seriously?” I said flatly. “You time-traveled here?”
“No, no, no.” He spoke quickly, opening his eyes once more. He faced me as he chuckled. “My world never had a System, and my machines do not work in Vacuos. Xrr… my machine failed. It somehow transported me across universes instead. That is how I ended up here.”
“That is… huh.” I wasn’t sure what else to say. Noele, Nolan, Nicole, and Garron were at a loss for words too.
“Wait, so you came to Vacuos on your own?” the Noble Spellsword said as she stepped forward. “That is amazing! Doesn’t that mean you can go back?”
“It was unintentional.” Xakor just inhaled deeply. “And I cannot return either. My time machine was broken, and I could not repair it. As I said, my machines do not work. I even hired the highest-leveled [Magitech Tinkerer] in the world to help me… alas, I am trapped in Vacuos just like the rest of us otherworlders.”
My eyes flickered. I didn’t respond to that. Noele glanced at me, pursing her lips. She had seen me tear a hole in the world before. And she saw the way I reacted to Xakor’s comment. But she said nothing else.
Looking past her, I got to my feet and shrugged. “Anyways, if that’s everything, I’m going to take Bucky on a walk now. She’s eaten too much today, and I’m sure she needs some exercise.”
The chicken paused. She clucked at me in objection, hiding behind Xakor’s legs. But he picked her up, and she stared at him in betrayal.
“Wait, Bucky?” Nolan blinked. He stared at the chicken with wide eyes. “What’s Bucky doing here?”
“She’s my pet now,” I said, gently taking her from Xakor’s four arms. Bucky pecked at my hands, but I just rolled my eyes. “I’ll feed you a burger tomorrow if you behave.”
Bucky hesitated. She glanced up towards the [Chef], then down towards an empty plate. I knew what she was saying even though she couldn’t speak.
I shook my head. “No. No more savis cubes for you. You’re going to get addicted, and Xakor is leaving soon.”
“Actually,” Xakor corrected me, “I may stay here in Wolfwater for a few weeks.”
“You… you are?” Nolan got to his feet, staring at the otherworlder in shock. “Where will you stay—”
Nicole elbowed her husband, before nodding eagerly. “We’ll be more than happy to give you accommodations here! We have spare rooms just for this occasion!”
Noele narrowed her eyes. “Wait, but isn’t Garron sleeping in the spare room?”
“It’s fine,” her mother said. “Garron can just sleep in your room, my sweet little pumpkin pie.”
That made both Garron and Noele flush. The blonde girl sputtered as the Steel Tank just covered his face with a hand. Nicole chuckled, and Xakor smiled.
“I appreciate the offer, but I do not wish to inconvenience you. I simply wish to make amends to Amelia.” The [Chef] faced me.
I raised a brow. “Uh, what?”
“Xrr… I still feel guilty for outing you to your friends,” he said as he lowered his head. “I desire to make it up to you— as an apology. If there is anything I can do to help you, please do not hesitate to ask.”
“Oh, but I don’t really need anything…” I murmured.
Xakor peered at me curiously, but Noele was the one to speak up. She sidled up next to me, holding my gaze.
“Xakor the Patron of the Culinary Sciences is offering you his help, Amelia!” the blonde girl exclaimed. “You can’t just turn him down!”
“Why not?” I tilted my head back at her.
“Because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!” she sputtered. Biting her lower lip, she glanced at Xakor before whispering. “Look— it would just be rude to say no. If you can’t think of anything, you can always just ask for money. That’s fine, right?”
I stared at Noele. She blinked at me, and I slowly shook my head.
“I don’t need money,” I said simply.
The blonde girl paused. “What?” She tried to work her jaw. “But that’s— you're…”
I gave her a blunt look, and she steeled herself. Noele took a step back and pointed accusingly at me.
“Who are you? What have you done to Amelia?”
I snorted. “I already have enough gold to retire. I’m not interested in hoarding all the riches in the world like some lazy Elder Dragon.”
“But—” Noele protested.
But I spoke over her. “I was only interested in making money because I thought it would give me a purpose— that it would make me feel fulfilled. But it does nothing for me.”
I closed my eyes, remembering how I’d get a brief hit of dopamine whenever I got paid. But nothing else. I still felt empty inside.
“So I’m not interested in getting rich,” I continued. “And if Xakor really wants to help me out…”
I glanced towards the ragnarian. He waited patiently as I conversed with the blonde girl. I thought about what I wanted. And I opened my mouth.
“He can help me—” I started.
And the front door barged open. My gaze snapped to the side, and Noele reached for her sword.
“What’s going on?”
A figure stumbled into the house, clutching at his bleeding arm. “Help! Someone help!” he yelled.
Noele, Garron, and I rushed to meet this figure as he collapsed at the front door. He was badly hurt— like he had rammed straight into a boulder. He wheezed as Noele knelt at his side.
“Are you alright? What happened?” she asked, before glancing back at Garron. “We need a healing potion!”
“Right—” He reached into his Bag of Holding as Nicole, Xakor, and Bucky rushed out of the kitchen. Nolan was a step behind, and he recognized the stranger.
“Jerome? Is that you?” Nolan said.
And Jerome just raised his head, staring up with wide eyes. “Please, we need your help! Wolfwater— it’s under attack!” he exclaimed.
My brows snapped together, and Noele’s eyes grew wide.
“What…?” she said. “But by who?”
“N-not who…” Jerome mustered up. “But what.”
MelasD
START OF THE NEW MONTH! You can read up to 15 chapters ahead on my patreon here!
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Or follow me on twitter!
