《I Wanted to Play a Strategy Game, But I Became King Instead!》


 Introduction

    Aruneya ¨C The Gods¡¯ Playground. Not much is known about the history of this world. Many ancient texts and books were destroyed by the numerous wars that harassed the lands. From what little is known about the world comes from the Legend of Creation, which was passed down through generations. The legend says the four gods - Ahras, Khiras, Fahrun and Durnam - created the world and the four races, hoping they would learn to coexist together.


    There was peace for a good several hundred years, but it eventually fell apart. The selfish desires of each of the races emerged from the depths of their corrupted souls as they created distrust and hatred between them. It was not long before there was nothing but pure mindless slaughter in the many wars that followed. Countless people lost their lives and it seemed like the bloodshed would never end.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    However, that was thought until 200 years ago when the last Great Human King Valentius Taihard united the three human kingdoms and defeated the armies of the mad dwarven king Gildram and the tyrannical elven king Ennesyl, who very nearly drew the races of Aruneya to extinction with their combined military power.


    For 200 years there was peace among the nations and it''s people prospered. Over the years, the many magical and technological discoveries made by some of the races brought upon great wealth for their people, but it also sowed seeds of greed and jealousy from the neighboring nations.


    It was only a matter of time when the flames of war would burn through this world once more¡­

 Prologue - Part 1

    A fathomless voice echoed in the floating darkness. It seemed so distant at first, but it slowly grew louder and clearer. It was a man''s voice. It sounded coarse and deep, but still pleasant for the ear.


    It called for him.


    ¡°Yuuta¡­¡°


    He opened his eyes and looked around before letting out a sigh of relief as he realized it was just a dream¡­or was it? Whose voice was that and why did it call for him? As he thought about that, his eyes turned to the digital clock next to his bed.


    Of all the days, why today?...


    Today was his graduation ceremony. After today the title ¡°high school student¡± would no longer be referring to him ¨C Yuuta Nakamura. He¡¯d be aiming for something better.


    At least that¡¯s what he was saying to himself as he was getting ready for the ceremony.


    He put on his school uniform consisting of a white shirt, a straight-lined black jacket with a vertical alignment of large golden buttons and black straight-lined trousers. To top it all off, he put on his brand new black leather shoes which completed his look.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Ahh, this is such a pain¡­¡±


    He usually wore his uniform with the top button unbuttoned, as he found it to be much more comfortable, but he can¡¯t do that today - it would be disrespectful. He grabbed his coat and scarf and headed down to the entrance.


    ¡°I¡¯m off!¡±


    His voice echoed through the house for a moment as he was standing at the door, but there was no reply. His parents were off on a business trip and his younger sister already left. He knew that and he was used to it, but he still hoped to hear them send him off.


    With a feeling of dissapointment, he left for his graduation ceremony. He went through the same street in the same neighborhood as he always did when going to school, but this usually vibrant Tokyo street was unusually empty today ¨C it was as if it were abandoned. However, the faint sound of vehicles driving by and chirping birds atop the line of cherry trees was proof it was not completely void of life.


    Random gusts of a bone-chilling wind blew, carrying cherry petals with them. The irony of the weather annoyed Yuuta.


    ¡°Tch! Damn weather!¡±


    The wind suddenly picked up as if in response to his remark. Yuuta shivered a bit from the shocking blow of cold wind on his back.


    With an annoyed look on his face, he picked up his pace a bit and continued towards the school grumbling along the way. He hoped this day would end soon.

 Prologue - Part 2

    It was 09:55h when Yuuta arrived at the school gates. He let out a deep sigh ¨C he had made it in time for the ceremony. He hurried to the school gym and sat on the empty seat in one of the middle rows.


    As he sat down, he could sense people staring at him. Most of them were the love-struck girls from class 3-2. Yuuta was considered to be one of the prettiest boys in school by his fellow students, but the fact annoyed him. All day long, he would be approached by several women who were nothing more than a pain in the ass for him. He would feel stares stabbing into him as he walked through town or if he went shopping for things. The girls in the gym were whispering and giggling while shifting their eyes back and forth from the stage to Yuuta, which annoyed the hell out of him. Still, it couldn¡¯t be helped ¨C the ceremony was about to start, so he ignored it for now.


    The ceremony was painfully long ¨C it went on for hours. Yuuta spotted some people falling asleep in their seats and he almost fell asleep himself, but he managed to pull through. When it was finally over, the gym cleared out and the graduates were greeted and congratulated by their families and friends outside.


    Yuuta looked around and, as he expected, there was no sign of his family anywhere. With a forced smile, he waved to the girls that were calling for him. He wasn¡¯t keen on staying on the school grounds for much longer since he didn¡¯t want to get surrounded by them again, so he headed back home as quickly as he could.


    On his way home, Yuuta thought about his life. He was amongst the top students of his year, he was smart, he was respected by his fellow students and his friends, he was the first love of many girls since elementary school, he was a kind and loving older brother and a model son and student no parents wouldn¡¯t be proud of.


    But still, something was missing. Despite all that, he wasn¡¯t quite happy with his life. He felt stressed out by all the pressure people unknowingly put on him. Everyone always expected the best from him and he struggled to keep up with their expectations. He needed a break from his everyday life.


    He remembered the first time he played ¡°War in the East: Total Shogun¡±. It was a couple of years ago when Yuuta stumbled upon this video game after being urged to play it by his classmates. Since then, Yuuta got hooked on strategy games. His newfound passion slowly escalated until he reached a point where he was almost entirely obsessed with them. They became his treasures which he would not show to anyone. Whenever he had some free time, he would play them in his room and immerse himself into a variety of game worlds while forgetting about the looming reality that was waiting outside.


    Over the years, he¡¯s played through many different strategy games ¨C some he played through several times ¨C but none could match to the game he held most dear.


    ¡°Arthenia: Rise of an Empire¡±.


    To him, this was the pinnacle of RTS gaming. No fantasy world of any genre could come close to this one. No story could surpass it¡¯s own. The game mechanics were revolutionary ¨C combining virtual reality with complex, voice-activated commands ¨C and the game looked beautiful. It gave players the feeling of actually being there, taking command of their forces and letting them become their nation¡¯s rulers.


    The battles that took place were a type of battle royale where each player fought for themselves, commanding their armies against several foes at the same time. Only a master strategist could prevail against up to 9 other foes.


    Yuuta was bad at the game at first since he was not used to playing an MMORTS game like that, but due to his vast experience with various strategy games, he soon rose up to the top and became the number one player in the world ¨C a feat many could only dream of accomplishing.


    Yuuta often wished he could have the same power, the same freedom and be an actual part of the same world as his game characters. He wanted to replace his boring, shallow world with a new one -  where he would not be a victim of selfish expectations and where his life wouldn''t be dictated by society.Stolen novel; please report.


    Most of all, he just wanted a world where he could be himself.


    As he was nearing his house, the weather took a sudden turn for the worse. It was raining heavily and he didn¡¯t bring an umbrella. Luckily, he was minutes away from home, so he didn¡¯t get too wet as he reached the front door.


    ¡°I¡¯m home!¡±


    He stepped inside the house and closed the door behind him. As he expected, there was no reply. Yukiko ¨C his little sister ¨C wasn¡¯t home yet.


    ¡°All right!¡±


    As he exclaimed, an honest smile ¨C something only a handful of people were able to witness ¨C suddenly appeared on his face, banishing the gloomy mood that hovered over him so far as if it never existed in the first place.


    He took off his shoes and headed quickly upstairs to his room.


    After changing out of his wet clothes and getting into something more comfortable, he sat down at his desk and turned on his computer. He couldn¡¯t help but get excited as today was the release of the long-awaited sequel to his favorite MMORTS game.


    ¡°Arthenia II: Warring Nations¡±. Ah, I can¡¯t wait to play it!


    Yuuta had pre-purchased the game as soon as he learned it was coming out. Now, after several months of waiting, his eyes sparkled and his smile widened as he stared at the release countdown on the monitor. Two minutes remained until the game would be available for download.


    He thought about the new features coming with the game. Instead of simple single-map, 10-player battles of the first game ¨C where each player spawned in a stone keep stronghold they had to protect with their army and conquer the enemy strongholds in the process ¨C the sequel introduced world-scale cross-kingdom battles of up to 100 players with each player ruling over their kingdom and  where each of their choices had a massive impact on themselves and their allies. They were now in charge of numerous innocent lives, all depending on their abilities as rulers. They had to manage their own kingdom, form (temporary) alliances with other players and defeat the enemy kingdoms until only one remained victorious.


    And all that had to be done within a set time limit.


    Not many people could survive long enough to wave their kingdom¡¯s flag as the last ones standing and be victorious. It would be extremely difficult ¨C even for Yuuta ¨C and only those with exceptional management, diplomatic and strategic skills could hope to be the ones at the top.


    But Yuuta was not bothered by this fact. He was determined to win. No, he knew he could win.


    With a determined look on his face, he counted down the seconds until release in his head. Ten seconds remained. Ten seconds until he could play what could be the greatest RTS game ever made. His heart was pounding in excitement as he counted down the remaining seconds out loud.


    ¡°Ten, nine, eight¡­¡±


    His voice slightly wavered for a moment after seeing unexpected flashes of lighting with the corner of his eye and hearing a loud thunder soon after, but he quickly continued with even greater excitement than before.


    ¡°¡­seven, six, five, four¡­¡±


    The rain seemed to be pouring even more heavily than before, lashing out at the windows in Yuuta¡¯s bedroom. The sound of rain hitting the windows as if trying to break in sent a shiver down his spine. It was as if it were trying to stop him from continuing, but it failed ¨C Yuuta continued with the countdown.


    ¡°¡­three, two, one-¡°


    As he reached the end of the countdown, a flash of light appeared,  sudden thunder was heard from outside and then everything went dark.


    ¡°Wha-? What happened?! What the hell?!¡±


    Yuuta was furious. If one looked closely, he could clearly see veins pulsing on the side of his head as he was shaking his computer monitor back and forth in anger.


    ¡°Why!? Why today of all days? Why now?...¡±


    For a moment there he actually felt like crying, but slowly, his anger subsided and a feeling of disappointment washed over him ¨C a feeling akin to a child who wanted a toy to play with, but his mother couldn¡¯t afford it at the time. All he wanted was to lose himself in the game world and rid himself of the annoying reality that was his life.


    Instead, he finds himself alone in the greyish darkness of his bedroom after a lighting strike caused a citywide blackout. With nothing else to do but wait, Yuuta thought about reading some manga or a light novel or two to pass the time until the power was restored to the city, but he felt too tired for it.


    He decided to take a nap. Perhaps, when he wakes up, his sister would be home and he could at last play the game he wanted more than anything.


    As he laid down on his bed with his arms to the sides, he stared at the ceiling while thinking about today¡¯s events. The sound of pouring rain and an occasional thunder strike could be heard from outside.


    He recalled the voice that woke him up this morning. He couldn¡¯t make out who it belonged to. He also didn¡¯t understand why it called him and that bothered him.


    As he pondered on the matter, he could feel his body relaxing in the comfort of his bed and his eyelids slowly closing, urging him to rest. After a few moments, with his mind clear of all his thoughts and troubles, Yuuta finally fell asleep.

 Prologue - Part 3

    ¡°-Hello~? Can you hear me?¡±


    The echoing, faint female voice called for him in his dream. It was nothing like the voice that woke him this morning. It was more similar to a child¡¯s voice. In fact, it ¡®was¡¯ a child¡¯s voice. Yuuta was both surprised and confused at the same time.


    Am-¡­am I turning into a lolicon?!


    ¡°Hello~? If you can hear me, please open your eyes!¡±


    Yuuta frowned. He did not want to open his eyes just because a random, annoying child¡¯s voice like hers wanted him to. Who does she think she is, trying to interrupt his dream?! If she didn¡¯t call for him, he could¡¯ve been at a tropical beach groping foreign girls or something along the line instead! The very notion of it made Yuuta shiver in excitement for a bit.


    Still, he figured it would probably make her stop if he did so. He had to admit that he was also a bit interested who was the kid who called out for him and why the hell she wouldn¡¯t leave him alone to his dream.


    Yuuta hesitated a bit before slowly opening his eyes.


    He could see a blue light mixing with the darkness surrounding him. Darker and lighter tones of the color shifted in a beautiful cascade. His anger dissipated in an instant.


    Amazing¡­


    As he gazed in awe at the sight before him, a bright white light appeared above him.


    ¡°Ah! I knew it! I knew you could hear me! Hello there, uh, Yuuta, right?¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    As she spoke, the white light above him increased and decreased in intensity. While staring at the light, Yuuta noticed his body felt weightless as if he were floating in water.


    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­so, who are you? What do you want from me? ¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, right!¡±, she clears her throat before continuing. ¡°My name is Corteena Delaphor, though everyone calls me Corty! I was trying out a spell and it seems it worked this time, though it¡¯s quite unusual that I can speak to you like this¡­¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m glad your spell succeeded and all, but could you please leave me alone now? I want to wake up now. I¡¯ve got things to do.¡±, Yuuta said and closed his eyes for a moment, hoping she would leave him be.


    ¡°E-Eh?! I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t leave you alone! This is the first time something like this happened! Besides, I summoned you, so there¡¯s no way back now!¡±


    Summoned? What does she mean? You summon things using magic, right? Can this kid use magic?!, Yuuta panicked for a second before dismissing the idea. No, there¡¯s no way an annoying kid like her would be able to use magic. After all,   stuff like magic exists only in fantasy manga or light novel series, not real life, right? Besides, this is a dream. I shouldn¡¯t be worried about such things anyway¡­


    As he thought about what she said for a few moments, the girl suddenly spoke to him.


    ¡°Oh~! It won¡¯t be long now! I¡¯ll see you in a minute!¡±, She said that in a happy tone, which made Yuuta shiver for some reason.


    Before he could fully process what was going on, he could suddenly feel a slight pressure on his back, as if he was slowly being pushed upwards into the light. The sudden development surprised him.


    ¡°Hey, kid! What¡¯s going on?!¡±, he shouted at the light as he was being moved towards it, but there was no response.


    His heart was beating wildly as he grew ever closer to the light. He was afraid because he could no longer make out if this was dream or reality. The touch on his back felt real, but the sight in front of him claimed otherwise. He tried to move away from it, but he could not move a muscle. He tried closing his eyes in hope it was all really just a dream, but when he opened them again, it was still there.


    He was terrified as he was being enveloped by the bright white light. However, what waited for him beyond the light would scare him even more.

 Chapter 1: An Awkward Awakening

    Yuuta could hear the calming sound of chirping birds and the murmurs of several people close by. He felt a strange, warm and soft sensation on both his left shoulder and his left thigh. It was an unfamiliar sensation, but it felt comfortable. For a moment there, he forgot about what happened in his dream and gave in to the comfort of his bed.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±, a soft, feminine voice exhaled as it spoke.


    Eh? Mother?


    Yuuta slowly opened his eyes and looked to his left. He was stunned. His eyes widened in surprise and his mind went blank for a minute before he realized what he was looking at.


    Lying next to him was a beautiful young girl with long, silky red hair, wearing nothing but a pink, laced nightdress underneath which her soft breasts were pressing onto his left shoulder as her left leg enveloped Yuuta¡¯s. He could feel her warm breath on his face as she slept peacefully next to him. His heart was beating so fast, he thought he would die.


    Oh, shit! What¡¯s going on?! Why am I in bed with a beautiful girl like her?!


    Yuuta was used to girls trying to get close to him, but he was never truly alone with one and especially not with a girl as beautiful as her. To make matters worse, he was even sharing a bed with her.


    Yuuta could not look away from her. He was too excited to think and his breathing got heavier the more he observed her.


    His heart was beating wildly as his right hand slowly moved towards her breasts. He did not know what he was doing, but he could not stop either. He never felt this way before. It was like his hand had a mind of its own.


    As his excitement reached its peak and while his hand almost touched one of her breasts, the girl murmured something before slowly opening her eyes. They were of a beautiful light blue color.


    It took her a moment to process the development in front of her. Yuuta froze in place with his right hand close to her breasts and his face contorted in fear and embarrassment as he stared at the girl. An embarrassing silence filled what little air there was between them before both of them realized the position they were in.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    The girl mumbled something as she jumped out of the bed in surprise, almost at lighting speed. She grabbed and unsheathed a dagger that she kept hidden under her pillow and pointed it at Yuuta. After taking a few steps back, she glared at Yuuta for a moment before she shouted at him in a mildly embarrassed tone.


    ¡°W-Who are you?! How the hell did you get in here, you pervert?!¡±


    Yuuta got up quickly and sat on the edge of the bed. He couldn¡¯t help but to stare at the girl for a few more moments. She was nothing like any girl he had ever seen. Of course, he had seen his fair share of pretty girls throughout the years, but when he thought about it, none could compare to the one in front of him.


    Noticing the disgusted look on the girl¡¯s face, Yuuta shook his head as he came to his senses. He stood up and calmly introduced himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m Yuuta. Yuuta Nakamura. Nice to meet you.¡±, he said with a smile as he bowed.


    ¡°Eh?¡±, she said in a surprised tone.


    The girl did not expect him to politely introduce himself after almost being groped in her sleep. The unexpected development made her lower her guard against Yuuta a little, but she was still cautious of him. After all, not many people would be able to get so close to her without her noticing. She was curious about him. Just what kind of person is he?, she wondered.


    ¡°So? Why and how did you get in here? If you came here to p-play with my b-body, I will-¡±


    ¡°-I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know what got into me back there. Please forgive me.¡± Yuuta interrupted her and bowed. He formed a serious expression on his face as he spoke.


    She could not say for sure, but the girl felt like he was being honest with his apology. She did not sense any ill intentions from his words. He was probably truly sorry for his actions, but it¡¯s not something she could forgive that easily. She thought about it for a few moments before she answered.


    ¡°¡­Alright. I forgive you.¡±, the girl said as she exhaled. ¡°But I¡¯m keeping my eye on you!¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s understandable. Thank you, uh¡­?¡±, Yuuta hinted at the girl that she should introduce herself.


    ¡°¡­Alice. Alice Grivois.¡±, she said in a slightly annoyed tone.


    ¡°¡­Thank you, Grivois-san.¡±


    Yuuta smiled as he thanked her. His honest smile made Alice blush for a second. She sheathed her dagger and crossed her arms.


    ¡°Hmph. I was ready to kill you if you were some ordinary pervert, but it seems you have more decency than I thought you would. Well then, care to finally explain why and how did you get in here without me noticing? Not many people have been able to get so close to me and walk away unscathed afterwards, you know? You should consider yourself lucky to still be able to call yourself a man!¡±, she said while pointing to his nether regions with her eyes.


    Tsundere? Seriously?


    Yuuta got a little annoyed by her act, but he tried not to let it get to him as he replied.


    ¡°Well, before I say anything, I believe it would be best for the both of us if you got dressed first, don¡¯t you think? Standing here covered in nothing else but a thin nightdress in front of a man you¡¯ve just met must be quite embarrassing, right?¡±, Yuuta said with a devilish smile on his face.


    ¡°Ah! R-Right!¡±


    Her face turned bright red. Seeing him ogle her body as she replied made her terribly embarrassed. Alice realized she was indeed standing there wearing only her silk nightdress which went down to her smooth, slightly plump thighs. She had completely forgotten about covering herself up with something while she was on guard against Yuuta.


    ¡°T-Turn around while I change, then! And don¡¯t you dare peek! I¡¯ll kill you if you do!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t peek. I¡¯ve already seen plenty anyway¡­¡±, Yuuta said in a sarcastic tone as he turned away from Alice.


    She glared at him for a moment before she quickly reached the small wardrobe some steps away from the bed.


    Yuuta could hear Alice frantically searching through drawers for some clothes to wear. He listened to every move she made while he looked around his side of the room. It was dark, but there was some light coming from a pair of windows, so he could still make out some shapes and colors.


    White walls were layered with brown wood panels and had several decorative paintings hanging on them. Two stained glass windows with a brown wood frame surrounded the fairly large bed made out of high-quality materials. Both windows had pure white curtains hung over them. One of the windows was partially opened and a warm wind blew through it, making the curtains dance to its tune. There was a small nightstand on both sides of the bed and each nightstand had an unlit wax candle on it. Underneath the bed was a soft fur carpet laid on top of the brown wooden floorboards that covered the room.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Waiting for Alice to get dressed gave him some time to think and calmly organize his thoughts. He did not know where he was, but this was definitely not his bedroom. The most likely scenario would be that he was kidnapped for some reason, but it did not seem like that at all. He tried to remember the events from before he woke up in this room for any answers that may help him make sense of the situation, but he only vaguely recalled what happened after he came home from school and the dream he had in-between was almost a complete blur. He did, however, remember fragments of a childlike voice talking to him and the bright white light from his dream.


    Lost in thought, he did not pay much attention to his surroundings until he was interrupted by Alice¡¯s sudden response.


    ¡°-I¡¯m done. You can turn around now.¡±


    Yuuta turned around and let his eyes loose upon Alice¡¯s unusual outfit. It was made entirely of black leather and almost looked like something straight out of someone¡¯s S&M dungeon rather than a fantasy world.


    She was wearing tall leather boots and tight leather pants with two rapier swords strapped to her thighs and a large dagger sheathed on her back.


    Her top consisted of a hardened leather chest piece with an open bust on top of a black shirt and hardened leather shoulder guards with dark brown leather wrist armor, followed by her black leather gloves. She also wore a fairly long cape ¨C black on the outside and red on the inside ¨C with a large hood attached to it.


    As he looked at Alice, Yuuta felt a sharp pain in his head. Her outfit made him recall some of the child¡¯s words from his dream.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t leave you alone! This is the first time something like this happened! Besides, I summoned you, so there¡¯s no way back now!¡±


    As he remembered her words in his thoughts, the word ¡®summoned¡¯ echoed through his mind.


    Could it be?! No, there¡¯s no way! There¡¯s no way I was actually ¡®summoned¡¯ to another world, right? I mean, such things are not possible¡­right?!


    A seemingly forced smile appeared on his face as he gazed upon Alice in total silence. She felt anxious as Yuuta¡¯s eyes analyzed her from head to toe. She tried to say something to break the uncomfortable silence, but before she could, Yuuta suddenly rushed towards the open window a few steps away from him. He drew open the slightly closed curtains as he reached the window and fell instantly into a state of shock after witnessing the sights before him.


    There were hundreds of people walking through a wide, paved street surrounded by gothic-styled buildings on both sides. Several horse carriages went back and forth through the street while various shopkeepers attracted customers to their shops. A group of children dressed in shabby clothes ran past the shops, went across the street and then disappeared straight into an unusually dark alleyway. A group of men, wearing what seemed like plate armor, appeared from around the corner running with all their might down the street while constantly shifting their heads left and right as if they were looking for something or for someone. In the midst of it all, a tall, strange-looking creature appeared from the alley while carrying what seemed like a large linen bag on his back. The creature was quite big with a lizard-like head and tail alongside its sharp claws on both its hands and feet. It walked past the armored men and soon disappeared down the street.


    It¡­it¡¯s real. It¡¯s real! I really was summoned to a fantasy world! This is amazing!


    As Yuuta observed the unusual events outside, he finally came to terms with his situation. He truly was in a fantasy world. However, instead of being afraid or anxious about this, he was happy and excited almost beyond belief. He was feeling the happiest he has ever been in his life. After all, this is what he secretly desired all along. He wanted to start over and try his luck in a new world and now, with his wish granted, he finally felt free for the first time in his life. He was no longer a slave to society¡¯s every whim and expectation. He was free to live by his own rules now.


    Alice, who was looking at Yuuta in surprise as he happily examined the outside, could not understand his sudden actions.


    What is he doing? I¡¯ve never seen anyone become so happy just by looking outside a damn window!


    Just as she was going to ask him about his weird behavior, Yuuta turned from the window and spoke first.


    ¡°Grivois-san! Although I am already pretty sure about this, let me ask you something!¡±, he said loudly.


    ¡°Eh?!¡±


    Alice stared at him in anticipation as Yuuta continued.


    ¡°What is this world¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Aruneya. Why?¡±


    Yuuta let out a long sigh after which a satisfactory smile appeared on his face.


    As I thought, this truly is a different world¡­


    ¡°I see. Then, can you tell me where are we now, what is this place and which country am I in?¡±, he continued in a much calmer tone of voice.


    Alice looked at him as he spoke, all the while trying to make sense of his questions. Why would he be asking such things when it¡¯s pretty common knowledge here? How could he not know this?


    Alice sighed while walking over to the round table close to the window. She sat down on one of the chairs and made a gesture which meant that Yuuta should sit as well.


    As he sat down, Alice began to explain with a stern look on her face.


    ¡°We are inside the ¡®Hungry Dragon¡¯ inn, which is located within the city of Brurradin - capital of The Brurradale Kingdom. It¡¯s a coastal kingdom overlooking The Brurranean Expanse from one side and The Overgrown Forest from the other. Alongside Brurradale, there are two more human kingdoms: The Holy Kingdom of Sihranon to the west and The Gastrian Empire to the south. Besides the human kingdoms, there are also several non-human nations to the east. Most notable would be: The Khurdarum Empire, The Great Beastmen Alliance and The Enneas Dynasty. That¡¯s all, unless you¡¯d like a history lesson too.¡±, she said in a slightly annoyed tone.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Thank you for explaining this to me.¡±


    ¡°Then I believe it¡¯s your turn now, wouldn¡¯t you agree? How did you get here and why?¡±


    Her words pierced through him as he himself did not know exactly how and why he showed up here. He knew he was summoned, but he didn¡¯t know anything about magic apart from what he saw in games or manga and he couldn¡¯t use that as reference.


    ¡°I was¡­summoned here, apparently.¡±


    ¡°Summoned?!¡±, she blurted out quite loudly.


    ¡°Yes. A childlike voice spoke to me in my dream saying I was being summoned and then I saw a bright white light and soon woke up here. That¡¯s all I know, really.¡±


    It seemed to him like he just said something truly unbelievable as Alice¡¯s face froze in surprise. He could see droplets of sweat slowly forming on her face.


    Despite doubting his words at first, Alice realized there was indeed a possibility that he was summoned to this world if one took in consideration his unusual behavior so far, but then who summoned him and for what reason? He was above average-looking, a bit of a pervert and wore an unfamiliar outfit, but that was all. He didn¡¯t seem like someone special to her. Just why would someone go through all the trouble of summoning a man like him?


    More importantly, the person responsible for bringing him here must be a powerful magic user as a spell of this magnitude is something she never heard of before. She began to question what little knowledge she had about magic. She was quite skilled with a number of Illusion spells and a master of the delicate Shadow Arts, which used several Conjuration spells, but still she had little insight in other schools of magic.


    Alice stared at Yuuta, lost in her thoughts, until his words snapped her back to reality.


    ¡°Grivois-san? Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, yeah! It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    She cleared her throat and calmed herself before continuing.


    ¡°Well, as you probably realized by now, magic exists in this world. It¡¯s divided into eight schools of magic: Protection, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Elemental, Illusion, Necromancy and Transmutation. Each school has several sub-schools of magic. Conjuration magic ¨C the type of magic used on you ¨C is used by wizards, sorcerers or priests to summon familiars or the undead by using low-tier spells. However, the potency and type of spell like the one used on you is something I¡¯ve never seen or heard of before. Whoever summoned you must be a very powerful magic user. Then again, I do not know that much about magic and I could be wrong about this. That being said, you should consider paying a visit to the Brurradale Royal Magic Academy as you might find some proper answers there.¡±


    After listening to her explanation, Yuuta let out a loud, hearty laugh. He could not stop himself from laughing at the fact that this world¡¯s magic is actually quite similar to what he saw and read in games or manga.


    ¡°I see. Thank you again, Grivois-san!¡±, Yuuta said with a wide, honest smile on his face.


    Alice blushed a bit as she forced a smile back. She was afraid she might¡¯ve said something weird, but Yuuta¡¯s smile somehow assured her that was not the case, so she ignored it as he continued.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to visit the Magic Academy as soon as possible, then, but I do not know the way to it nor anything about this city. I¡¯d hate to impose on you any longer, but since I do not know anyone else around here, could I ask you to lead me to it, Grivois-san?¡±


    ¡°Eh?!¡±


    While she did not particularly mind leading him to it ¨C as it would be a great chance to get him off her back ¨C she couldn¡¯t do so with him looking like a fancy hobo. After all, all he wore was a white t-shirt, his track pants and he had no shoes!


    ¡°¡­Fine. I¡¯ll help you, but you can¡¯t go out looking like that. I¡¯ll go buy you something to wear, so you stay here and wait for me. I won¡¯t be gone for long, alright?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, I understand.¡±


    Alice stood up from the table and walked to the room entrance. As she was about to open the door, Yuuta called for her.


    ¡°Grivois-san!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. See you later, then.¡±


    The sound of the wooden door closing some steps away from him marked a new beginning for Yuuta and the end of a certain old man¡­

 Chapter 2: Sands Of Greed - Part 1

    ¡°Come all, come all! Freshly-caught fish for sale!¡±


    ¡°Fresh fruit & vegetables for sale! Apples and cabbages at half-price today!¡±


    ¡°Hey, you! Come back here, you little thief!¡±


    Voices ¨C soft and rough, male and female ¨C emanating from all directions and entwining with each other to create an unintelligible noise, overpowering the sound of numerous footsteps, slow-moving wagons and frightened animals at the mercy of their captors. Long caravans guarded by heavily armored men as they make their way through thick crowds and shady characters watching them from a distance. Children jumping in and out of a large fountain, watering the small stone tiles surrounding it and splashing any unfortunate souls that came near them.


    This is the ¡®Grand Bazaar of Brurradin¡¯. Its beauty and sheer size is often more than enough to overwhelm anyone without nerves of steel or exceedingly deep pockets. Crawling with experienced salesmen hailing from all over the known world, it serves as a trading hub both for the Brurradale Kingdom and the surrounding nations. To succumb to greed here is considered a death penalty for the careless as only master hagglers or thieves can thrive within the shadows of the Bazaar.


    ¡°Hey, you! Damn it, someone stop that brat!¡±


    One of the merchants shouted at the young thief running through the crowd as the wind itself. After getting some distance away from the merchant, the thief looked back and mocked him as he ran.


    ¡°Hahaha, see you old man!¡±


    Thinking he was in the clear, the thief didn¡¯t notice the two guards that had appeared from the corner directly ahead until he nearly bumped into one of them while still running away from the raging merchant.


    ¡°Stop right there, you thief!¡±


    One of the guards growled as he tried to grab him, but the thief dodged his grasp at the very last moment, jumped on top of one of the stalls next to him and swiftly climbed up to the roof of the Bazaar before the guards even realized what happened.


    ¡°W-What?! Where did he go?!¡±


    ¡°H-He just vanished!¡±


    Standing on the edge of the roof overlooking the paved road below, the thief taunted the guards who were desperately trying to find him.


    "Over here! Looking for me?"


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Following the sound of his voice, the guards looked up and the thief wearing a black and white scarf covering his head and his unusual black mask that concealed most of his face, but emphasized his beautiful sapphire blue eyes. Fingerless leather gauntlets protected his hands and a black shirt revealing his muscular torso fluttered in the wind as did his baggy, long white trousers which connected with his dark leather boots.


    ¡°H-How the hell did you get up there, you bastard?!¡±


    The guard trembled in disbelief as he yelled at the thief who slowly removed his headgear which revealed his short blonde hair that looked like it was dancing with the warm summer wind and his smooth boyish face covered in sweat that glistened in the Sun. The thief whistled as he threw both his scarf and his mask on the sand-covered rooftop next to his feet. Soon after, a rather small brown monkey wearing a short red hat and vest appeared on his left shoulder.


    ¡°Heh, better luck next time! Let¡¯s go, Noxy!¡±


    As the thief scoffed at the guards, the monkey¡¯s long tail that was drooping down his shoulder suddenly extended and coiled around the thief¡¯s body while its hands extended to an unnatural length, grabbing the roof of one of the buildings east of the Bazaar before pulling itself and the thief towards it at an astonishing speed, creating a powerful gust of wind that knocked down anyone and anything unlucky enough to be standing in the area as well as forming a thick cloud of dust in their wake. The guards, after slowly getting back on their feet and coughing up the dust they were forced to inhale, tried to make sense of what they just saw.


    ¡°What in Ahras¡¯ name was that thing?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it was definitely not just a monkey¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe it was a demon!¡±


    Both shuddered at the thought and with good reason too. Demons are feared creatures that bring waste and carnage wherever they go and even one of them is enough to raze a city to the ground if it¡¯s given the chance.


    ¡°Whatever it was, we must report this to the Captain!¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah! He¡¯ll know what to do!¡±


    ¡°Alright! You take care of things here and I¡¯ll head for the garrison!¡±


    ¡°Got it! See you later, then!¡±


    As the guard ran for the city garrison as fast as he could, his partner took a few moments to calm down and check if anyone was hurt before departing for the garrison as well.

 Chapter 2: Sands Of Greed - Part 2

    With the guards and the Bazaar now far behind them, the thief and his monkey familiar soon found themselves near the southern end of the River District. Notoriously nicknamed ¡®the Borderlands¡¯, the area once served as a checkpoint for a variety of travelers arriving to the capital and connected the River District with the Outer District via a large stone bridge located above the South Canal. As the main way in or out of the capital, the residents of both sides of the Borderlands flourished on trade and tourism with swarms of merchants and adventurers acting as city guides offering their merchandise or services to travelers entering the city.


    However, during the Third Uprising, the Outer District got taken over by rebelling citizens, who wanted to punish the King for making them starve just so he could indulge in luxuries. With a large part of the city no longer in his control, ''The Poor King'', as they mockingly called him, ordered the reserve army to deal with the rebelling citizens and take back the district - no matter the cost - and so the Week-Long War began. Spilled blood coated the streets, buildings and people set on fire lit up the night and heads stuck on wooden pikes decorated the ranks of each faction. For seven days, the horror lasted and when it was finally over, only corpses and ruins remained.


    The King had won and, both in celebration of his victory and as a display of power, he ordered his troops to exterminate any surviving rebels along with their families and friends, as well as to brutally murder anyone who dared speak against him. He made sure to make the lives of his subjects miserable, as punishment for their treachery.


    But, as time passed, so did the Poor King''s reign. Soon, he met his end by the dark blade of a Shadow Fiend - a deadly creature formed of darkness itself and used only by masters of the Shadow Arts - which marked the end of an era of oppression by selfish and incompetent rulers. In the decades that followed, Brurradin became a prosperous city and its'' people were leading mostly carefree lives, completely ignorant of the rising threat within.


    Abandoned and very nearly forgotten by all but a handful of people, the Outer District eventually became known as a safe haven for outlaws of the city. Even after the numerous gang wars that were fought for control over the district, it remained the one and only place where any law-breaking citizen could be free and safe from prosecution. Thieves, murderers, sellswords, black market merchants, brothels, exotic and dangerous animals for sale - all that and more made the Outer District an exciting, albeit dangerous place for anyone who found themselves on the bad side of the law. For years, it gave sanctuary to a variety of criminal scum that operated within and away from the city without much fear for their futures or well-being. With gold coins constantly changing hands and sandstorms sweeping through the streets, it soon became known as ''The Sands of Greed''.


    Although outnumbered, the City Guard valiantly tried their utmost to bring it back under their control, but the snickering villains of the Outer District - led by the three major gangs: The Dead Eyes, Iron Razors and the Crimson Ravagers - won each battle, which only further increased the already sizeable power and popularity of the gangs representing the outlaws. The City Guard, having sustained heavy losses over many months of gruesome conflict, decided to put a desperate plan in motion - one that they intended to use as a last resort, should the city fall to foreign invaders - that would significantly hurt the criminal ranks, if not annihilate them all at once. They called upon the High Priest of the Church of Ahras to cast an ancient spell on the so-called ''Sands of Greed''. Caught off guard by this action, the three gangs and much of the outlaws were left with little to no time for escape or to hide as the entire district was gradually swallowed by the sand that it used to rest on. With screams echoing all the way to the Royal Palace, the Outer District quickly disappeared from sight behind the tall city walls. The few that miraculously survived the attack were hunted down and dealt with, giving the city of Brurradin a long-needed break...or, so it seemed.


    "Hold here, Noxy! We''ve gone far enough."


    The monkey, carrying the thief with his unusually long tail, jumped over one of the many side streets in the area and gracefully landed on a dusty rooftop overlooking the bridge leading towards the Southern Gate. As he landed, he carefully placed his master down and reverted his tail back to its original size.


    "Raul, what are we doing here? Home is that way.", Noxy spoke and pointed behind him with his tail.


    "I told you, we''re going to meet a friend of mine. She''s waiting for us across the bridge and we''re already late."


    "A friend, eh?", the monkey paused for a moment with a devilish grin appearing on his face. "Heh, now it''s all starting to make sense."


    "Ugh, please don''t start this again...", Raul said as he let out a heavy sigh whilst slowly making his way towards the edge of the rooftop.


    "The scented water you bought from that shady merchant yesterday, the careleaf sticks you got from that pretty lady at the market and the ring you stole at the Bazaar earlier. It''s just like the time with that fat cow Meereena. Man, that was hilarious!", Noxy snickered and jumped on Raul''s left shoulder.


    "Oh, shut up, will you? It''s not like that, Noxy. And even if it were, it''s none of your business!"


    "Alright, boss. Whatever you say. I''m too tired to care right now anyway."


    With a loud yawn, the monkey reduced himself to the size of a pebble and climbed into one of Raul''s chest pockets.


    "Wake me up when we''re there...", he mumbled whilst slowly falling asleep.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t. I''m better off not having you around now anyway."


    Reaching into his leather bag, Raul pulled out a small wooden crossbow that fires a sharp metal hook attached to some thin rope, which is coiled around a miniature reel mechanism at the hilt. Etched into the sides are, what he assumes, its maker''s initials - ''ss'' - and a short text written in a language Raul never managed to decipher.


    Ten years ago, when he found it in an ornamented chest he stole from one of the wealthier nobles during the Fourth Uprising, he tried to sell it on the black market, but nobody would buy it, no matter how persistent he was. He thought it was odd that nobody would want something that was seen as important enough to be locked up in a chest and set on a display as a prized possession, which made him curious. If he couldn''t sell it, maybe he could use it.


    Indeed, over the years, he found and developed many uses for it, but what he found it most helpful for is navigating the city at speeds that could almost rival his familiar - Noxy. Since he can''t always rely on the monkey to carry him around, the crossbow has proven to be an excellent alternative while he waits for Noxy to recover his energy.


    "Now then, let''s see who I''m up against. Van''ar En''shah...", he said as he snapped his fingers. He blinked a few times until his eyes faintly glowed and his blue irises transformed into those of a hawk''s. He could now see clearly for miles ahead, with everything he saw feeling like it was within an arm''s reach.


    In the distance, six armored knights stood guard at the bridge - two at each end and two patrolling the center. On his side of the bridge, the two armored knights were busy talking to each other while sitting on a pair of wooden logs. At the southern side, the two guards were laughing with wine bottles in their hands while roasting meat on the fire. The remaining two were silently performing their duties, each walking a short distance up and down the bridge with a spear in one hand and a shield in the other.


    "Pathetic. And they call themselves the city''s ''protectors'', ''warriors of justice''...heh, what mockery. They''re no different than the rest of the scum in this city.", he said with an obvious look of disgust on his face.


    Seeing how he could not use his crossbow to swing across the canal, as it was far too wide, he looked around for an alternative way to get to the Southern Gate. There was a boat tied up to a small wooden dock, but it looked severely damaged, so he quickly dismissed that idea. He then thought about going downriver to the other checkpoint and try his luck there, but it was too far away and he was in a hurry. Knocking out the guards to cross the bridge would be the fastest option, but it carried too much risk of being discovered and the guards calling in reinforcements, which would be too much for him to handle alone.


    Although he wasn''t keen on the idea, sneaking past the guards was the only remaining option he could think of. It would take him a while to reach the other side, but at least he''d avoid attracting unnecessary attention.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    He quickly climbed down the roof until he reached the first floor balcony, off which he jumped and rolled towards the fence protecting the edge of the canal. Decorative plants and bushes lined against the fence gave little to no cover, but they were better than nothing as he made his way to the bridge. With the south side of the canal on his left, he focused his attention on the two guards ahead. Both were wearing white plate armor without their helmets, which they put aside while they talked. Raul was able to make out their faces as he drew near the bridge. One of them had blonde hair cut short by a large scar above his right ear, stern light blue eyes and a rough stubble covering his square chin and neck. The other guard had long raven hair cascading down the back of his armor, baggy brown eyes and a protruding beak-like nose that hovered over his growing moustache. Hiding behind the east railing, he could hear their conversation.


    "...At least that''s what I think, anyway. I might be wrong (actually, I hope I''m wrong), but I guess it''s a good reason as any to send us here.", said the blonde guard.


    "Don''t be naive, Ricardo. You and I both know that demons can''t enter the city...or any city, that is. The barriers are too strong for them."


    "The Order claims so, but how can we be sure about that? How can anyone be sure that they can''t just jump over the walls and wreak havoc? From what we know, there has never been a demon threat strong enough to test the strength of the barriers in the first place."


    "I''m sure the Order - the gathering of the most powerful and wisest mages in the world - knows absolutely nothing about the demons or about magic. They must''ve protected us all for this long based on luck entirely...", the raven-haired guard said sarcastically and shrugged with a smug smile.


    "Look, I''m just saying, what if they''re wrong? How do we defend ourselves? We''re more likely to become demon chow than survive."


    "Ricardo, you''re worrying about creatures that have been extinct for hundreds of years. They''re nothing more than creepy legends now. What you should be concerned about is our relations with the Gastrian Empire. With the way things are now, I wouldn''t be surprised if we were pushed into war with them soon and I don''t want to fight yet another war for this damn country."


    "Anrion, I might be worrying about the wrong things, but I''d rather do that than pretend everything''s alright when it''s not. You saw Celon''s face when he rushed into the barracks. For him - a man who barely ever showed any emotion at all - to be that afraid is unusual, to say the least."


    "He says he saw some demon extend its arms like they were made of some shit and then it just vanished towards the south of the city. Frankly, that sounds as stupid as you worrying about him, but I have to admit it''s odd for the captain to believe something like this. Usually, if someone went crazy like that, he''d just ignore them and continue with his business. Instead, he ordered everyone to double the watch here in the southern part of the city..."


    ...Extend its arms? Is he talking about Noxy?!


    Raul, who was trying to make his way along the bridge''s eastern side, was still able to hear the two guards pretty clearly and the obvious mention of Noxy surprised him. He was sure he had been seen jumping across the city with Noxy before, but he never heard anyone talk about it and after a while, he was under the impression that nobody cared. However, if what the two guards were saying is true, he was actually known enough to get the City Guard to take action.


    "So you do think there''s something weird going on, don''t you?", Ricardo smirked triumphally.


    "I never said I don''t. But when has anything been anything else but weird in this city? Just remember that ordeal with the mass suicides last month - that one is still beyond me."


    "I guess you have a point there. I just hope you''re right about this, though. I really do..."


    "I hope so too, my friend.", Anrion paused for a moment. Seeing Ricardo''s worried expression, he nudged his shoulder with his fist and smiled. "Well, no point in worrying too much about it. Why don''t we open up a bottle of this wine and talk some more about those twins of yours, eh? I want to hear all the details..."


    "Haha, now when did you see me pass an offer like that? Give me that bottle!", he said as he grabbed the bottle from Anrion''s hands and began chugging down the wine.


    Realizing he likely won''t be hearing anything else of much use, Raul continued to move along the bridge. Still pondering about what the guards were talking about, he quickly reached his first real challenge.


    Great. Now what do I do?...


    Standing on the edge of the canal, he could see and hear the river bubbling below as the guards patrolling the middle stomped their way back and forth the bridge. Looking around the area for a way to cross without alerting the guards above, he noticed that the bridge''s metal skeleton was sticking out on certain parts of it. The thick metal bars were only a short jump away from him, but he was concerned about their state. Covered in rust, they did not look very stable. In fact, it was a miracle they could still carry the full weight of the bridge in that state. Raul tried to find a different, hopefully safer way to get across, but he knew that he was only delaying the inevitable.


    With no other options, Raul took a few steps back from the edge and a deep breath to calm himself as he prepared to jump. After doing a final check on his surroundings and the short path ahead, he ran straight towards the bridge, jumped off the stone canal wall and landed on the middle of one of the rust-covered metal bars with pinpoint accuracy. He expected it to crack into little rusty pieces as soon as he put his feet on it, but to his surprise, the metal bar was unusually sturdy. Showing no obvious signs of breakage, it gave Raul a short sense of relief before planning his next move.


    Looking ahead, he could see several other jutting metal bars lined along the bridge. They all led towards the center, where they were replaced with a large metal arch hovering over the river and connecting the two opposite sides. While the line continued on the southern part of the bridge, getting there was impossible using conventional means. Luckily, the crossbow he carried in his bag was as unconventional as it gets.


    Not willing to risk falling to his untimely death, Raul moved from one metal bar to another while making sure to never place his full weight on any of them. The Sun, with its fiery body now at the center of the clear sky above, lit his way towards the wide middle of the canal. Like a monkey leaping from one branch to another, he quickly reached his destination. The metal constructs that made the arch and held the bridge in one piece provided plenty of anchors for his crossbow''s hook. As he reached for his leather bag, his eyes caught the beautiful cascade of colors that decorated the river''s surface below his feet. Were this any other day, he''d stop and admire the sight for a while - perhaps even pull out a fishing rod and try his luck with the fish - but much to his regret, he had no time for idle pleasures.


    He pulled out his crossbow and aimed for one of the large metal bars up high on the southern side of the bridge. After making sure he got the right angle, he squeezed the trigger and the hook went flying towards its target with near-lighting speed. Within a moment, it attached itself to the metal bar, but Raul did a quick check just to be safe. He pulled on the rope to make sure it was locked in place before going any further.


    "Man, the things I do for money...", he said and let out a heavy sigh. After confirming that the hook is in place, he firmly grasped the crossbow with both hands and prepared to jump.


    "Veh''run Na''shar...", he whispered as his gaze focused at the blue sky above. His eyes turned gray as the warm summer wind suddenly became enraged and slammed viciously into his back, effectively propelling him across the canal and into the air. By pressing a small button on the crossbow''s left side, the hook detached itself from the metal bar and reeled itself and the rope back towards the mechanism on the hilt. Realizing he miscalculated the strength of the wind, Raul - still flying towards the sky - quickly aimed for one of the buildings below him and hoped that the hook would attach itself to the roof as he once again fired the device. The sound of the reel mechanism echoed through the air as the rope vanished in the distance and Raul''s trajectory changed from flying up to falling down.


    His face was being molded into ridiculous shapes as he began to pick up speed on his way down. Within moments, he would be facing certain death by slamming into the deserted building directly below.


    "Uh...what''s going on...Raul?", Noxy slowly came out of Raul''s pocket, yawning and rubbing his eyes. Woken by the turbulence, it did not take him long to realize the situation he was in.


    "Uwah, what is going on?! Why are you falling, Raul?! Humans can''t fly, remember?!"


    "You don''t have to tell me that, you idiot! Do something or we''ll both end up squashed like a pair of watermelons!"


    "W-What are you expecting me to do?! Grow wings?! I''m a monkey, not a bird!"


    "I don''t know! Just think of something, fast!"


    Panicking, Noxy''s mind was void of any ideas that could help them. He didn''t have much time to think, but he forced himself to calm down and find a way out of this mess.


    "I-I think I got it! Raul, hold on tight!"


    Noxy jumped out of the pocket and coiled his extended arms around Raul''s waist. At the same time, he transformed his body into a makeshift canopy that slowed their descent.


    "Yes! Noxy, you did it! Good job!"


    "Hmph! No thanks to you, though. If it were up to you, we''d be a smear of red paste by now!"


    Noxy''s words stabbed through Raul like sharpened knives. He really was at fault here and he knew it, but he didn''t appreciate Noxy''s remark.


    "Well, seeing how we''re still alive, how about we keep it that way and avoid being seen by those drunken morons over there? They''re bound to notice us if you don''t get us down quickly!", he said while pointing towards the two guards enjoying themselves on the southern end of the bridge.


    "Ugh, fine!", Noxy replied angrily and leaned his body forward, which sped up their descent towards the small alleyway snuggled between two abandoned shops. "I hope you realize I''m going to charge you extra for all this trouble."


    "Sure, sure. As long as we survive the rest of the day, you can have as many as you want."


    "Hehe, I''m looking forward to it, then!"