《Chronicle of the World》 Chapter 1 - The First Two Life is full of mysteries. A lot of things happen without proper explanations. All we can do is accept it. I was sitting on the slope of a grassy hill overlooking a vast expanse of forest. In the distance, a mountain range hid the horizon. The sun in the wide blue sky was halfway to the zenith. I used my hand to protect my eyes from its glaring brightness. A sweet moan came from beside me. There, a girl was lying asleep on the grassy soil. She was wearing nothing but a light gray robe, revealing a bit of her pristine white skin whenever she moved. Her short black hair was slightly ruffled, covering a part of her face. A similar robe was wrapped around my body. I inspected it and found that there were no other garments underneath. Under the robe, I was stark naked. Feeling a bit breezy, I hugged my knees closer to warm myself. ¡°Where is this?¡± I asked. The question was not directed to anyone. It was just a question to calm myself, a question to hide the confusion and dread slowly piling up inside me. I turned to look behind me. On top of the hill was a stone obelisk about three meters tall. The sound of waves came from beyond. My curiosity peaked, I stood up and started to climb the slope. As I was about to leave, the girl moaned again and shifted in her sleep. I looked at her, undecided whether to wake her up or not. In the end, I chose to just let her sleep for a while. When I reached the peak of the hill, strong winds blew against me and caused my robe to flap. I felt conscious about the fact that I had nothing underneath, so I grabbed the hem and held it tight. Beyond the hill was a majestic sight. From the top, it gently slopes down toward a rocky cliff. Waves from the vast blue ocean that extends toward the horizon crashed against the bottom of the cliff. The impact was so strong that slight traces of the ocean spray lightly touched against my skin. I closed my eyes and basked in the moist and cool sea breeze. The sound of flapping wings broke my reverie. I looked up and my mouth hang open at the sight. A flock of what seemed like birds at first sight were flying at an indeterminable height, but every flap of their wings produced a sound strong enough to be heard from the ground. Looking closely, their bodies where not covered by feathers but by rough scales. ¡°Dragons!¡± I exclaimed in surprise and fell on my butt. I was surprised not because of their almost impossible existence but because of the majesty their bodies emitted with every movement they made. One of them broke from their formation and swooped down closer to the ground, then circled a few times above me. I could only stare, realizing that it seemed to be watching me. After about three rounds above, it produced a snorting sound, then returned back to the others. When it beat its huge reptilian wings, a huge amount of air hit me and pushed me against the ground. Standing back up, I patted my robe free of loose soil and grass. I watched as the dragons flew toward the mountain range in the distance. I knew of dragons and other mythological beasts in fantasies. Where my knowledge came from, that I do not know. One thing I am sure of is that this world is not the world in my knowledge. I turned back to the obelisk to inspect it. It had a hexagonal base, each side about one and a half arm¡¯s length. It tapered upward to about half an arm¡¯s length, suddenly intersecting the last few centimeters. On each side, there were scribbles and images engraved on the glossy dark gray surface. As I was trying to figure out what the images depict, I heard a yawn from behind. Turning to look, the girl from earlier seemed to have finally awaken. She was sitting up and stretching her arms upward. The robe¡¯s sleeves slid down her arms, revealing healthy white skin. Her head tilted to the side, seeming confused at the sight in front of her. She turned her head left and right, observing her surroundings. She then picked a bunch of grass and stared at it, then let it drop from her hand and be blown by the wind. ¡°Hey!¡± I called out to her. She quickly turned her head and our eyes met. Her pale blue eyes struck me speechless. Her perfect nose and small pink lips gave her a beauty beyond description. She was the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, according to my knowledge. While staring at each other, she seemed to finally realize the state she was in. She hugged her body, trying to tighten the loose robe around her. She then glared at me fiercely with those beautiful blue eyes. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m sorry,¡± I apologized and looked to the side, trying to avoid her enchanting eyes. ¡°Uh, are you alright?¡± I asked, while sneakily casting glances at her. She had already stood up and trying to back away from me. With her hugging her robe tight, it emphasized her wonderful figure. ¡°Who are you? Where am I? What did you do to me?¡± she asked, her voice slightly tinged with fear. ¡°C¡ªcalm down first!¡± I raised my hands to show her that I wasn¡¯t planning on doing anything. As I did, a strong wind blew from behind lifting my robes. With her current lower position, her eyes widened at the view that was revealed beneath my robe. With a scream, she turned and started running down the hill toward the forest. ¡°Wait!¡± I ran after her. We don¡¯t know anything about this place, why we are here, or who brought us here. Running around in this strange place is dangerous. The trees at the edge of the forest were small and sparse, but after a few seconds in, the tree grow huge and dense. There were a variety of shrubbery and other small plants. My robe was caught by twigs along the way, but it¡¯s a mystery that no tears have appeared on the cloth. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Stop! This is dangerous!¡± My soles were starting to hurt. We both don¡¯t have footwear. How could she keep on running like that. Dashing barefooted in this forest, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she suddenly stopped and cried because she stepped on something sharp. A black slender figure appeared on my peripheral vision. It was sprinting behind the trees with very agile movements. Every now and then it would disappear from sight, then appear again at random intervals. With my attention to it, I almost tripped. Soon we arrived at an opening. In the middle was a lake with a small island in the middle. The bottom of the lake can almost be seen through the crystal clear water. The girl turned to the right and started running along the bank of the lake. ¡°Wa¡ª!¡± As I was about to call out to her once again, my voice was caught in my throat as the black figure emerged from the forest. Its black and lithe figure was reminiscent of a jaguar. The only difference was the bushy gray mane on the top of its head, fierce crimson eyes, and dark red paws. Seeing its ferocious appearance, my feet froze and my breathing stopped. My senses were screaming that I will die if I move or make any noise. The gray-maned jaguar had its eyes set on the girl. With a low growl, it started running toward her. She was in danger! What should I do? The first thing that I thought was to run away. I should go and find a safe place to hide before this beast decides to go after me. My eyes fell on the defenseless back of the short-haired girl. She will die! She will die! She will die! Every time I think of saving my self, those words would hinder my thoughts. Am I capable of leaving a person behind just to ensure my own safety? Am I capable of living after this knowing that I left a person to die? ¡­But what could I do? The beast was a hunter. We are prey. What could we do? Run! To where? Just run! My body finally moved. Every fiber of my being was burning with the intention to run. Pain seared through my brain as I forced my legs to move a millisecond faster, a millimeter further. I felt something break within me, and like a broken damn, power gushed forth toward my legs. I ran faster than I ever could. I ran toward the girl. Feeling the beast¡¯s thirst for her blood, she looked back and shock and terror filled her eyes. As the beast approached, it lowered its body to the ground, bending its hind legs for a pounce. Extending those powerful limbs, the beast lunged toward her. I must make it! Enduring the pain in my head and in my legs, I appeared right behind the girl. Apologizing in my thoughts, I tackled her toward the lake. Splash! We fell in the cold water. As I surfaced, I saw the beast standing by the bank of the lake. It doesn¡¯t seem to have any intention to enter the water. ¡°We¡¯re safe,¡± I told the girl. I turned to look but I couldn¡¯t find her. Fearing the possibilities, I dived under the water and quickly found her. She was unconscious. I swam toward her and lifted her to the surface. I then brought her to the island in the center of the lake. She was still breathing unhindered, thank goodness. The black figure was still there at the edge of the lake. Its eyes were on us, as if unwilling to let us go, willing to wait for us to return. It knows that we can¡¯t stay here for long. It wasn¡¯t long before the girl woke up. She was knocked unconscious when I tackled her. Luckily, she didn¡¯t suffer from any broken bones. When she saw me after waking up, she tried to kick me away, then tried to jump back into the lake. I managed to grab her from behind before she could. ¡°Let me explain!¡± I said while trying to hold her still. She kept on flailing around, trying to escape from my arms. Unable to break free, she bit me. ¡°Look!¡± I turned her to face the beast on the shore. It was lying prone on the grass, but its fiery red eyes were still on us. ¡°It was running after you earlier! If I hadn¡¯t made it in time, you¡¯d be nothing but meat in its stomach!¡± Looking back, it was still a wonder how I did it. It felt like something strange had happened with my body at that time. Right now, my legs were actually feeling a bit weak. Finally, she had calmed down. She whispered something. ¡°What?¡± I asked as I couldn¡¯t hear what she said. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°You can let me go, now¡­¡± she said with a slightly embarrassed tone. Realizing our current positions, I released her. She immediately fell down on her knees. I remained standing, watching over her. Her shoulders started to shake, followed by sobbing sounds. ¡°What the hell¡­ is going on?¡± she asked between her sobs. ¡°I have no idea either.¡± ¡°Where¡­ are¡­ we?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± My mind blanked out. I stood still for a few seconds, unable to answer. This was what I was trying to forget. I was trying to forget the fact that I couldn¡¯t remember my name. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± She turned her head to look at me. Her face remained pretty despite her red teary eyes and wet disheveled hair. I could see a glint of fear in her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know my name, too¡­¡± she muttered. Chapter 1.1 - Before They Came To Be ¡°Sister, the Overgod calls for you,¡± a sonorous male voice echoed within the chamber. A female figure wearing a pure white robe was on the bed, lying on her side. She was lazily waving a golden chalice held in her hand. Its contents, a glowing pale blue fluid, did not spill but only traced the edges of the cup. ¡°Sister,¡± the voice called once again, ¡°do not anger the Overgod.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± The female figure stood from the bed. Her long golden hair flowed smoothly down her shoulders and was tied into a braid from the waist down to her ankles. With a wave of the chalice, she disappeared. ¡°I can¡¯t believe the Overgod have decided to bestow her one,¡± the voice whispered in the empty chamber with a sigh. ¡°What can someone as lazy as her do?¡± In an empty pure white hall, space blurred for a moment, and the golden-haired female appeared. She bowed graciously and said, ¡°You called for me?¡± ¡°Goddess of the Chalice, I indeed called for you,¡± a voice whose gender and age could not be told came from all directions in the hall. ¡°What do you need me for, oh, Great Overgod.¡± Suddenly, the room darkened until it was pitch black. Bright points of light appeared everywhere. Some of them were clumped so close together they formed swirls of light. They were stars and galaxies. Then, the stars moved, revealing different planets. On the surface of those worlds were multitudes of lifeforms, some more civilized than others. ¡°You have been called, for you shall now be bestowed a world.¡± The Goddess of the Chalice could not help but gasp. For so long she had wanted to be a creator of a world. She had watched her brothers and sisters create their own, some of them even made collaborations. ¡°I am undeserving of such gifts, but only say the word and I shall receive,¡± she said with her utmost respect. ¡°Yes, you are truly undeserving, but know that you will be granted this only because of the Chalice¡¯s will.¡± As those words echoed in the hall, the Overgod¡¯s presence disappeared and the Goddess of the Chalice found herself on an empty rocky planet. ¡°Tch, he did not have to be so mean about it.¡± The Goddess of the Chalice had thought that she would never be bestowed a world. It was because among her brothers and sisters, she was the laziest one. The reason the Overgod had finally given her this chance was because of the golden chalice in her hand. It was the Chalice, an artifact even among gods. With a mischievous smile, she whispered, ¡°I leave everything to you.¡± She kissed the Chalice and lifted it up into the air. It floated upward, then enlarged until it was half the size of the planet, then tilted to the side. The contents spilled, filling the world with pale blue light. The world came to be. The surface was covered with water, then from the water rose land. Continents and oceans were formed. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Life blossomed from within the oceans and on the lands. Plants and trees grew while absorbing the light from the closest star. Then creatures that could swim formed beneath the waters. Creatures that could crawl formed over the lands. Then creatures that could fly, took to the skies! With a smug smile, the Goddess took the Chalice back into her hands. ¡°I could do it, too, if I try,¡± she said, talking to no one. After some time passed, the Goddess became bored watching her creation. She heard her brothers and sisters talk about how wonderful it was to be the god of a world, but right now she could not see what got them so excited. She decided to take a peek on how her siblings were doing and went to their worlds. What she saw astounded her. The other gods have made creatures in their likeness which they called humans. These humans were intelligent creatures that continued to develop over time. This unceasing development was what caught the interest of the gods. In the other worlds, there were other beings that were also human-like in appearance. Some of them were short and stout, some tall and slender with long ears. There were a variety of them. Having seen all those, she went back to her world to create humans and all those other human-like beings. To her dismay, the Chalice was unable to create any. ¡°Why?!¡± Agitated, she tried to smash the Chalice in her fury, but was able to stop herself from doing so. Working her lazy brain to the limit, she finally figured it out. The Chalice was unable to create a template for something as complicated as a human soul. The other beasts were easy to create. They were just creatures that rely on instinct. But humans were different. They are intelligent, cunning, and devious creatures. ¡°What to do?¡± The Goddess did not want to give up. She finally got her chance to create a world. It could not be left incomplete. Then a plan came to mind. She sneaked into one of her siblings¡¯ world and stole two human souls that had just departed from their fresh corpses. ¡°Missing one or two, he would not suspect a thing¡­¡± Arriving back at her world, she quickly used the Chalice to make bodies for the human souls. On top of a hill, she made a shrine dedicated for herself. She inscribed it with her ¡®personalized¡¯ depiction of the creation of this world. Then she placed the two humans on the slope of the hill. With an excited smile, she placed the tilting Chalice in the center of the world, to continually spill its contents to the world, while absorbing back those that have been destroyed. The Chalice was the center of the cycle of life and death. And atop the world, the Goddess of the Chalice watched how her humans would live in this world. Chapter 2 - Gaining the Power to Protect ¡°Can you remember anything else?¡± I asked her, trying to make sure if we were in the same situation and condition. ¡°No¡­¡± she weakly answered while shaking her head. ¡°I know some general knowledge¡­ I know this place is¡­ different.¡± So it was really the same. I sighed and sat down cross-legged in front of her. This time I made sure that my robe wouldn¡¯t reveal something unnecessary that may complicate the situation again. ¡°Look at me,¡± I told her with the most sincere attitude I could. ¡°I need you to trust me, okay?¡± I waited for her affirmation. She nodded slightly, then I continued. ¡°We¡¯re basically in the same situation. We need to calm down first, and try to figure things out slowly¡­ Although we¡¯re in a pretty huge pinch right now.¡± I looked over her shoulder, at the beast that was eagerly waiting for us on the shore. She turned to look, and meeting with its fiery red eyes caused her to shake in fear. I gently place my hand on her cheek and made her face me. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll get you out of here alive, okay? We¡¯ll be able to sort things out. You just have to believe in me, and believe in yourself.¡± She nodded at my words. We only knew one thing: this wasn¡¯t our world. There are things here that existed outside of our general knowledge, and things in our knowledge that did not exist here. We discussed about the things we can vaguely remember, and I was relieved to find out that our general knowledge were the same. It meant we came from the same place. No matter how hard we try to think about it now, we still could not get any idea why we are here, who brought us here, and if we could actually ever return. The last, we really did not dare think about too much. ¡°There was that obelisk thing on top of the hill where we were earlier,¡± I said as I remembered. ¡°Have you checked it for clues?¡± she asked. ¡°Uh, no¡­ you woke up when I was inspecting it, and stuff happened¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said apologetically. She had apologized a lot during our earlier conversations. ¡°By the way, since we can¡¯t remember our names, how do we call each other? It would be kind of weird to just call you ¡®you¡¯. Well, it¡¯s just us two now, but, you know¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t really point out the reason why exactly. ¡°It¡¯s a bit inconvenient, yes¡­¡± she agreed. ¡°Then, how about this? I¡¯ll think of a name I¡¯ll call you, while you think of a name you¡¯ll call me. How does that sound?¡± I asked expectantly. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to think of a name for yourself?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ since you¡¯re the one who¡¯ll be using it most of the time, it would be better for you to think of something that will roll of your tongue nicely.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± she nodded. We then started to seriously think of names for each other. Seeing her deep in thought and eagerly thinking of a name for me was somewhat cute. ¡°I¡¯m done¡­¡± she said after a few minutes. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s say it at the same time.¡± I was actually quite nervous. ¡°In the count of three¡­ two¡­ one!¡± ¡°Sky.¡± ¡°Rose.¡± Her eyes widened and intensely blushed, then quickly covered her face with her hands. I was at a loss for words. ¡°Why R¡ªrose?¡± she asked with a muffled voice. Her face was still hidden with her hands. ¡°Uh¡­ sorry¡­ I couldn¡¯t really think of anything good, even though it was my idea. I¡¯m really sorry!¡± Was the name really that embarrassing? ¡°Uh¡­ Rose?¡± I called her. ¡°Should I think of another?¡± She took a deep breath, then removed her hands. Her face was still completely red, but she looked at me sternly and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. There¡¯s no need to change¡­ It was just that earlier, when you called me R¡ªrose, I felt like I remembered something for an instant.¡± ¡°An embarrassing memory?¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It just suddenly happened. It sort of just flashed in my head for an instant, then I felt deeply embarrassed. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to apologize.¡± Then it was my turn to ask, ¡°Why Sky?¡± ¡°Your eyes¡­ the color is similar to the sky¡­ and when we first met, you had the sky behind you¡­¡± she said while blushing. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Then her words struck me. My eyes? I crawled toward the edge of the island and looked at my reflection on the lake¡¯s water. Short messy black hair, pale blue eyes, a handsome face. It felt like I was looking at a stranger. No, I was looking at a stranger. Confused at my actions, Rose approached my side and also peered at the water. Her face was filled with shock. She should be feeling the same thing as I am. ¡°Doesn¡¯t feel familiar, right?¡± I asked her as I sat back near the middle of the island. ¡°Yes,¡± she answered weakly as she sat beside me. We were both facing the beast that had us trapped here. ¡°Things are getting stranger and stranger every time we discover something new,¡± I sighed. ¡°Could things get any stranger than this?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it,¡± she whispered while hugging her knees. She then sneezed cutely. Our robes were still wet from the incident earlier. It would not be weird if we caught a cold. ¡°Are you feeling cold?¡± I asked her full of concern. ¡°A little,¡± she answered honestly. ¡°You know¡­¡± ¡°¡­body warmth can help in a situation like this?¡± She took the words of my mouth. She then inched closer and leaned on my left side. ¡°Don¡¯t take advantage of the situation.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± I said and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. An hour had passed, or that was how it felt like. It was nearing noon. Rose had fallen asleep, and I could hear her soft breathing clearly. Every now and then, she would shiver from the cold damp robe. The beast that was patiently guarding us earlier disappeared a few minutes ago. As I was about to wake Rose up to tell her, it returned with a small animal in its jaws. It ate it right within our view, as if trying to convey a message that we would end up just like that. We need to think of a way out of here. We couldn¡¯t stay here forever. For now, I was contemplating on a plan, but its success will depend a lot on luck. It involves one of us acting as bait to distract the beast and have the other one escape to safety. We could then meet up back at the hill. I have a feeling that the stone obelisk may hold some hint to our situation. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. I raised my right hand and looked at my open palm. That feeling earlier, I could still faintly remember it. When I thought that there was nothing I could do, I forced myself to discard that thought and tried to risk it all. What happened afterwards was beyond common sense. I managed to outrun a hunting beast that was steps ahead of me. I clenched my fist, closed my eyes, and tried to relive the sensation. Slowly, I pulled my hand to my side, in a position where I can throw a punch easily. I concentrated on my fist, elbow, and shoulder. Then, I threw a punch. There was nothing out of the ordinary with it. It was an ordinary punch. Rose stirred in my left arm. My movements seemed to have disturbed her sleep. Her eyes flutter open, followed by a cute yawn. She then blushed and moved away a few inches from me. I could only chuckle at her actions. ¡°Could you watch over it for me?¡± I asked her while gesturing with my head toward the beast on the shore. ¡°Huh?¡± Her brows furrowed with confusion. ¡°I want to try something out. We don¡¯t want that thing suddenly disappearing from our sight. If we thought that it was gone and left this place, we might suddenly get attacked out of nowhere.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Okay.¡± She nodded her head cutely. I turned around and sat cross-legged while facing the opposite direction, then closed my eyes once again. An image of a bald-headed man wearing priest robes trying to achieve enlightenment entered my mind for a second. I shook my head and forced out all distracting thoughts. Breathing deeply, I could feel the warm rays of the sun beating against my skin. A cool gust of wind blew, bringing along with it the scent of the forest, and the sound of rustling leaves and lapping water. I could hear the faint breath of the girl behind me, and also feel the warmth of her existence. Beyond her, blood lust seeped out of a pair of eyes. My senses were strangely acute. Slowly, I gathered my senses to within my body. Air was breathed through my mouth, and exhaled through my nose. Oxygen was absorbed by my blood through my lungs, and carbon dioxide was traded out. The rich warm blood flowed through my arteries, supplying every cell of my body with the energy it needs. Where did that strange power came from? Mind over matter? Was it one of those mysterious phenomenons of the world? But this place is strangely different from what I know¡­ Dragons, an unusual beast, strange plants¡­ Could it be that the common sense I possess is not applicable in this world? Then what works? What is the common sense here? What do I want to do? Survive. How? Fight. Fight against a powerful foe with no odds of winning? Then, I¡¯ll increase the odds. With what? Power. I will attain power. I opened my eyes and disrupted my own thoughts. Am I losing my mind? I turned to look at the girl behind me. She was attentively observing the beast across the lake. Her short hair would sway every time she made a slight movement or whenever the wind blew. We may have gotten a bad start, but I know that she trusts me now. It may only be because she has no one else to rely on right now aside from me. Even if that was so, it doesn¡¯t really change anything. As she only have me, right now, I, too, also only have her. I want to protect her. This feeling grew stronger inside me. With eyes shut tight once more, I pursued this swelling emotion inside me. It was warm and gentle, yet I could feel it resonating within into something stronger and more intense. Then, I forcefully calmed these raging emotions. While I was thinking all this, I noticed that my body temperature seemed to have increased. As I calmed down, the heat on my skin and in my body receded and pulled back inside me, concentrating on a single point. It was on my forehead. I focused my consciousness on that point, and the heat on my forehead increased until it felt like it was being poked by a glowing hot iron rod. My body temperature suddenly plummeted, and an incredible headache began. Through the intense pain, my mind emptied and I lost my senses. I couldn¡¯t hear nor feel a thing. I couldn¡¯t open my eyes. What is going on? Then an image appeared in my mind. I saw a cold light hovering in the darkness. Barely visible strands of light were connected to this cold light. Something was flowing in the strands toward it. The cold light grew to the size of a fist, then a much thicker strand appeared from beneath and crawled downward. After a distance of two hands, the strand started to curl and formed another ball of light. This time, it was filled with warmth. The ball of light quickly grew and thin strands appeared around it, extending in all directions. Once more, a thick strand appeared and crawled downward. After a hand and a half distance, it formed once again into another ball of light, filled with intense energy. From it, the energy travelled through thin strands of light, spreading in all directions. The strands of light from the three balls of energy extended, intersected, and formed a figure. It was the figure of a human body. I gasped as I opened my eyes. My head was cold, my chest was warm, and my abdomen was filled with force. What is this? Something happened to my body¡­ something strange and indescribable. Even though I should be extremely surprised, I was actually quite calm. I could feel a huge amount of vitality flowing within me. It felt like I could do anything. I stood up and took a deep breath. I pulled my arms firmly to my side with my fists closed tight. My feet were shoulder width apart and firmly pressed against the soil. Power was flowing inside me; I could feel it clearly. It was the same power that suddenly surged in my body earlier. With a thought, the power flowed into my arm as I started the motions of a punch. Exhaling, I threw my right fist forward. The energy condensed in my arm travelled through my fists and was released into the air along with my punch. Boom! A small shock wave was formed. I finally did it. It was similar to what I felt before. This is it! I turned to look at Rose. She was staring at me wide-eyed. With a confident smile, I said, ¡°I have a plan.¡± Chapter 3 - Returning to the Starting Point We decided to call the beast Maned Jaguar. Its slender body moved and lifted off the ground. Supported by its four legs, it slowly traced the edges of the lake, walking toward the prey that was reflected off of its pair of crimson eyes. Its gaze was targeted at Rose. She was currently in the water, swimming toward the bank. The Maned Jaguar was steadily prowling toward her destination. The plan was simple. Rose will act as bait. She will pretend to swim toward the shore. When the beast¡¯s attention was on her, I will swim toward a different location then circle around the Maned Jaguar. At first, Rose denied the plan. She did not want me to put myself in danger. Looking from a different point of view, the plan I thought of was truly ridiculous and stupid, but I knew that was not the case. I have discovered something that I could use in this situation. My body was filled with boundless strength. This was not just my imagination. I could truly feel every fiber in my body bursting with energy. I know I could stand my ground against that beast. I told Rose to trust in me. We could not stay in this place forever. We had to think of a way to get out of here sooner or later. There were only few other options like relying on the chance that the Maned Jaguar would get tired of waiting, which seems unlikely. If that was the case, it would be better to risk it and have at least one of us survive, or we could both die here in hunger. That was what I told her. In the end, she finally gave in and accepted. Before she left, she told me, ¡°Make sure you live.¡± I nodded and answered, ¡°Of course.¡± I will not be giving up on this life until I figured out what had happened to us. There were still a lot of questions unanswered. If we make it through this, we have to make our way back to where we started; on that hill with the stone obelisk. I dived into the water and swam as fast as I could toward the shore. As I started to climb the bank I heard a shout, ¡°Watch out!¡± Quickly, I pulled myself out of the water and jumped forward. Rolling on the ground, I caught a glimpse of a black shadow pouncing on the area of where I was earlier. The shadow landed and slid a few inches while turning around, leaving trails of loose soil and grass. It was the Maned Jaguar. Without giving me time to rest, it began its next flurry of attacks. It took me all I had just to dodge. Cold sweat rolled on my back and forehead. Did I over estimate myself? ¡°Be careful!¡± Rose¡¯s voice came from behind me. I took a quick look and saw her attempting to get out of the water. ¡°Stay in there!¡± I shouted at her. If she was up here on dry ground, there¡¯s a possibility that the Maned Jaguar would change its target to her. Although I could try to save her again like earlier, but I would like to avoid taking chances like that for now. Unable to check if she had obeyed my order, I felt a searing pain on my right shoulder. One of the beast¡¯s attacks had grazed me. It didn¡¯t rip the robe, but still left a wound on the skin underneath. From what materials were this cloth made from that it could resist a sharp attack like that? No time to think about that now! I placed all my concentration on avoiding the Maned Jaguar¡¯s attacks, trying to observe its attack patterns and seeking for a weakness. The Maned Jaguar leaned forward and swiped with its left claw quickly followed by the right. I was able to dodge the first attack, but the second one hit my chest. The robe was immediately stained with blood. As I lost my balance, the black beast pounced and tried to take a bite off my neck. I managed to dodge to the side, but it quickly made a follow up attack with its right claws. I tried to block it with my left arm. ¡°Gahh!¡± I screamed in pain as the claws buried and ripped my skin and flesh. I could hear frantic cries behind me and the splashing of water. Was she swimming toward me? I glanced to the back and saw the lake¡¯s shore nearby. ¡°Stay back!¡± I yelled. The Maned Jaguar dashed toward me and attacked with both claws. The dark-red paws were like blood-soaked weapons eagerly thirsting for my flesh and blood. Now! Mustering all the courage and strength I had, I grabbed the paws that were aiming for my head. Holding on to them firmly, I put force into my legs, my feet dug into the ground. I twisted my hips, and pulled the beast into the air. Its heavy! This beast truly was a mass of powerful muscle dedicated on hunting prey! With a grunt, I swung the Maned Jaguar around. Our eyes met, and in its fiery red eyes, I could see a glint of fear. It seemed to have figured out my plan. Letting go, the beast was thrown into the lake! Splash! The Maned Jaguar landed right into the deepest part. It thrashed around wildly, spraying water in all directions. It looked like it was unable to swim. Aside from that, a sizzling sound came as the water around it started to boil. Its shiny black fur started turning gray. The beast¡¯s cries were truly pitiful¡­ I felt a wet hand coil around my right arm. Looking to the side, Rose was already there, holding on to me while watching the scene. Her eyes were intently gazing at the dying creature. ¡°For something so terrifyingly powerful, its end is truly pitiful,¡± she whispered. After a while, the Maned Jaguar had stopped moving beneath the water surface. Its entire body had turned white as ash. It was a strange death. ¡°Whew!¡± I fell on my butt. With the adrenaline out of my system, exhaustion and relief hit me at the same time. The tension of walking on the fine line between life and death truly took a lot out of me. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Rose asked while kneeling beside me. ¡°Aside from the ache and sore all over my body, I think I¡¯m fine¡­¡± I said. My wounds have stopped bleeding already and were already clotting. Aside from my increased strength and durability, it seemed like my recovery speed have also increased. Thinking back on the fight, a normal person would have been torn to shreds already. Does that make me far from being normal? With a sigh of relief, Rose turned to look at the corpse under the water. ¡°How¡­¡± she started weakly, ¡°¡­did you do that?¡± ¡°Do what?¡± I asked while pretending to be oblivious. ¡°You know¡­ that¡­¡± I looked at her and tilted my head questioningly. ¡°Never mind!¡± she pouted. I laughed at the sight of her cutely pouting her lips. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding¡­ I know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± I stood up and strode into the lake. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it later. Maybe you can do it, too.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°We need to drink water, so I¡¯m taking the corpse out. If it rots here, the water might go bad.¡± I dragged the dead Maned Jaguar out of the water into dry ground. Looking at it, I said, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible to eat its meat?¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Raw?¡± She looked at me with wide eyes. ¡°No, no! We cook it first, of course.¡± I then knelt down and touched its body. Its fur was soft, but the skin underneath was pretty tough. We¡¯ll need something sharp to skin it and take the meat. The skin might also be useful if dried and treated properly. ¡°Let¡¯s look for things we can use as tools,¡± I told her. She agreed by nodding her head. Together, we went into the forest and collected things that we can use like dry branches, twigs, and leaves, fruits, herbs, and some rocks varying in shapes and sizes. We quickly set up a campfire by the side of the lake. While Rose sorted out the fruits and herbs we gathered, I sharpened some of the stones and used them to skin the Maned Jaguar¡¯s corpse. It was tiresome work. The rock chipped a lot, and I had to make new ones. Finally, after the long arduous task, I was able to gather some meat and skins. I had no way to treat the skins so I could only wash them with water and dry them in the sun. We had a coconut like fruit. Its shell was tougher and didn¡¯t burn when placed over fire. It was used as a makeshift pot and bowl. We boiled water in it, along with the meat and some herbs. Rose watched over the food while I went back to the forest to gather more materials. The danger we experienced earlier had told me that we couldn¡¯t survive in this world as we are right now. Although I have discovered this strange power, it is not enough. The dragons I saw this morning, what if they attacked us? Thinking about it left chills on my spine. I returned with a lot of wooden branches, sharp stones, and vines. We need weapons to protect ourselves with. Sooner or later, we will also need new clothes. Even though the ones we are wearing right now were strangely resilient and durable, we¡¯ll still need something to change with for hygienic purposes. Looking at Rose, I can¡¯t imagine letting this girl wear that single piece of cloth all throughout our time here together in the future. Makeshift spears, hatchets, and knives were the best I could make with the current materials. I returned to the corpse of the Maned Jaguar and looted its fangs, claws, and some bones. They might be useful later on. I then buried its remains. The sun had already passed its peak when we were finally able to eat. The soup was tasty, but the meat was hard to eat. It was very hard to cut and was like eating rubber. At first we feared that the unknown herbs we used were poisonous, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. The fruits were also good. This meal really was us throwing caution into the wind. Finally satisfied with the meal, we rested for a while. After that, we packed the rest of our supplies by rolling them inside huge and thick leaves, then secured them with vines. Each of us carried one pack, with mine the heavier one. We decided to return to the stone obelisk above the hill. It might hold some clue to why we were here. Tracing our way back wasn¡¯t hard. I climbed one of the trees and searched for the hill. From there we walked straight. We could still see the traces of our chase earlier; broken twigs, grass that were stepped on, and footsteps on the soil. Sometimes we would get carried away and ended up tracking some animal trail. I would then climb up a tree again to reset our direction. Soon, we arrived at the hill. I haven¡¯t noticed it earlier, but there seems to be a divine aura surrounding it, and the center appears to be that stone obelisk. Excitedly, we rushed up the hill toward the landmark on top of it. ¡°Wow,¡± Rose muttered under her breath. This was the first time she saw the breath-taking sight from beyond the hill. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked, the corners of her lips slowly rising, forming a smile. I was looking at her. The sight of her hair being swayed by the wind, while her pale blue eyes intently gazed at the horizon, made my heart skip a beat. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I whispered while still looking at her. She turned to look at me after hearing my answer, but when our eyes met and that she realized where I was looking at when I answered her, she turned away swiftly and fixed her hair behind her ear. She was slightly red. I could only shyly laugh and said, ¡°Let¡¯s check the obelisk.¡± We gathered around the stone monument and inspected it. The images drawn on each side seem to tell a story about a cup and a world. The scribbles might be text describing what the images meant. ¡°See any clue?¡± I asked Rose. ¡°It seems to be telling about the creation of this world¡­¡± she answered. ¡°Can you read it?¡± ¡°A little¡­¡± Her answer surprised me. I gazed intensely at the scribbles, and for a moment it seemed like I could vaguely understand what they meant. ¡°Me, too¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s weird, right? I¡¯m sure I haven¡¯t seen this kind of writing before, but for some reason, the meaning sorts of jumps at me when I stare at it long enough¡­¡± ¡°Same here¡­ let¡¯s see¡­¡± We spent almost two hours inspecting the obelisk. It was indeed about the creation of this world. It said that the one who made this world was the Goddess of the Chalice. The Chalice was a divine artifact that contains within it a special form of divine energy called Aether. This Aether can be used to form anything. It was the element of creation. The Goddess used the Chalice to pour the Aether into this world, which was once an empty barren land. This started the creation of the world up to its current state. The Chalice was then placed into the heart of the world, forever pouring its content, creating new things after the previous ones have died or disappeared. The creations that have died or disappeared are once again turned into Aether and taken by the Chalice to be reused for new creations. This in turn introduced the cycle of life and death, where the souls of those who have died are returned to the Chalice. This means that all living beings actually came from one source, and will return to the source after death. ¡°This still doesn¡¯t explain why we are here¡­¡± Rose murmured. We were sitting on the hill, our backs on the obelisk. We were facing toward the sea. ¡°Yeah. It doesn¡¯t explain why we have knowledge of another world.¡± I pulled some of the grass from the ground then threw them away to be blown by the wind. ¡°What should we do now?¡± Rose asked the question that have also been bothering me for a while now. I sighed, not really sure how to answer her question. ¡°I don¡¯t really like to just give up, so how about we keep on trying to figure things out?¡± I looked at her to check her expression. She was just blankly staring at the horizon, then a smile formed on her face. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like a bad idea,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s rest here for tonight.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± And so, we decided to begin our adventure in this new world starting tomorrow¡­ Or has it already begun?