They passed through a final gatehouse that separated the outer reaches of the vast capital city from the wilds of the world beyond. Once they had passed, Jack could feel a thin pressure leave his body, one he hadn't even noticed during his time, but the fresh and wild scents of the world distracted him. It was like he was taking his first real breathe of air, not just some carbon-scrubbed crap that companies claim is just as good. But a monkey-faced man riding beside him interrupted his enjoyment of clean nature.

  "Felt the barrier, did you, babon? Must feel nice to be away from proper society, closer to your kin."

  Jack regretted putting on the ring, but mostly about what the insult meant. Still, if he wanted to trade barbs, then Jack would be more than happy to join him.

  "Hardly, more that I don't have to tolerate the smell of your people's piss and shit any longer."

  The monkey man threw his head back in laughter in his sturdy traveling clothes, only to be hit by a girl about Jack's age, at least what he looked like anyway. She was a small thing, but had fierce eyes and deep purple hair, which brought up a past point of his. Were these people dying their hair, or do they just come pre-made like that?

  "Don't make a scene, Sarhou. You're already on thin ice with your family, and you know what will happen if you mess up again."

  She turned towards Jack, the attempt of an apologetic look on her face.

  "Apologies for that, my betrothed is an absent-minded man."

  The now-named Sarhou had mock-hurt on his face, undercut by the deep laugh he gave out a second later. Looking at the two, he wouldn't assume they were engaged, hm, the monkey-face and his fox-bride, sounds like a fun book idea.

  "It's no problem, I doubt he'll be the last one to say something like that. Also, what exactly is a babon?"

  Sarhou responded by pulling out a well-made mask.

  "It's an ape demon beast. They're really famous in alchemy and inscription for their gall bladder."

  He felt like he should have expected that answer somehow.

  "Thank you then, I guess?"

  Another round of belly laughter from the regect wukong. But said man interrupted him by pushing his zhorze against his and wrapping an arm around him.

  "Hehe, I like you babon, henceforth, until we ascend, you are a brother of Wanang Sarhou! Do hold your tears of joy."

  Turning to his lady friend, he could see a resigned look on her, the same look of someone who dealt with the brand of stupid he was seeing. Shaking her head, she moved to his other side.

  "Since we're introducing each other, I am Xiong Fei Mei, the second daughter of the Xiong Fei sage family. This fool is the first son of the Wanang Wol sage family."

  "Jack Barrows, of Flagstaff, nice to meet you."

  "Strange name, but the tribesmen have strange customs, seems likely their names would be just as much."

  He was getting kind of irritated being called a tribesman if he was honest. But for the sake of the illusion, he would need to keep the idea up.

  "And yours are just as strange to me, but we don't need to argue strangeness with this guy around."

  "I will have you know, this young master is the heir to a prestigious family dating back more than one hundred years!"

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Somehow, he pulled out a fake mustache and was using a ridiculous accent while saying that. Mei hid a smile in the crook of her arm, amused at Sarhou's imitation. Jack had to admit, he found it amusing for a likely different reason, but it was still really funny to him. But cutting through their fun was the sound of several zhorzes heading towards them. Looking ahead, he saw a rather serious, if somewhat psychotic looking, group of guys and gals heading their way. As they reached the trio, the leader put himself just ahead of Sarhou's empty side so he was seeing all three of them at once. He sneered as he looked them over.

  "So, it's the failure prince and his whore of a prize, I suppose that makes you their pet thug then?"

  Wow this guy was a massive douche.

  As for his two new friends(?), Sarhou actually bristled as Mei pulled out a fan to cover something close to a snarl across her face.

  "An honor, Houdan Rou, but we have done nothing to offend you. Why have you come to insult us?"

  Jack narrowed his eyes at the name, something felt almost familiar about it, and not for a good reason either.

  "Oh, but you have offended me."

  One of his cronies, a thin man with buck teeth, came around to Mei's side, looking and, ugh, smelling, like the part of a creep.

  "Lord Houdan Rou sees the heir who can't even cultivate, and a beast of a fiancé who would be better used in the pens!"

  Jack was genuinely surprised, and very, very angry, at how much of a dick these guys were.

  "As for the creature, blegh, the recruiters must have confused him with someone's mindless fool. At this moment, there is someone who should be rightfully-"

  Whatever he was about to say was cut short by his zhorze going buck wild as it ran far ahead of them. With his enhanced strength, he could easily scare the zhorze, which he was admittedly more ashamed of than intterupting jackass and friends. His two new friends turned to him in shock as they heard the guy's goons run off to help him.

  "What? That guy was a tool, someone had to do something."

  The two remained slack-jawed as they slowly recovered from their shock, Mei being the first to recover.

  "I-I, what!"

  "The best way to deal with bullies is to beat the shit out of them, just like momma taught me."

  "Babon, that's not the issue, that was Lord Houdan Rou, son of the Houdan Patriarch and an elder of our future sect!"

  Jack started off into space as he considered his fuzzy friend's words.

  "Hm, shit."

  Much later, once they had all put what had happened out of their minds, the trio found themselves sitting around a fire as trained servants handled everyone's tents and belongings. And seeing that it was effectively quiet time, Jack pulled out his new blade along with the care kit for it. The instructions that came with it were relatively simple: apply magic oil for the rust and corrosion, magic wipe, magic whetstone to sharpen, wipe, then oil again, simple. It was rather comforting how repetitive it was, despite the odd looks from those around them. Seeing Sarhou's curious look towards his sword, he knew he'd have to break the ice or he'd be stuck seeing that guy's face staring at him all night.

  "You can ask if you want, ya know."

  He at least had the decency to look bashful.

  "If I may, why the strange weapon? Surely a weapon of imperial design would be better for a sage? Regardless of heritage."

  "Reminds me of home, kind of. Mostly it's because I like the look of it."

  "What was home like?"

  Jack stopped wiping the blade for a final time as he thought about the question. What could he say?

  "Loud, and bright, but mostly..."

  "It was home?"

  "Yeah, I guess that's the best way to put it, I suppose. Some of it is the same here, but in other ways, it's nothing like it."

  Mei chimed in.

  "Do you miss it?"

  "Yes, but it's getting easier each day."

  An idea that was starting to terrify Jack, that he was slowly warming up to the idea of abandoning Earth for this world. In truth, he might not have much of a choice if he couldn't find a way back; if he was stuck here, then he might have to tolerate it.

  "Cities smell bad, people complain, everyone's got something going on and..."

  The two looked sympathetic as he trailed off.

  "We understand, our home is rather far from this area as well. what else bothers you?"

  "Bullies."

  Sarhou grinned as he punched his fist into the palm of the other.

  "Don't worry, your fearless leader will protect his younger brother."

  Jack shook his head more firmly and pointed behind the two.

  "No, I mean bullies, there."

  Walking through the crowds of people were the same jackasses from earlier, only this time the Lord Something or other sported a giant black eye.

  "You-you worm! Look at what you've done to my divine face!"

  "I'd say it's an improvement in all honesty, makes your face more like your soul, black."

  Others around them gasped and started gossiping, pointing at both of them. The bully took a glove from behind him and swung at Jack's head, smacking his cheek with a surprising amount of force. More gasps could be heard as Rou stood straight up, only reaching Jack's chin.

  "I will crush your heresy here and now, creature! I challenge you to a duel!"

  Well, shit.