The two moons shine just as brightly as when I first saw them. The Blue Moon, round and radiant, bathes the sea in a cool, ethereal glow, while above it, the Red Crescent Moon arches delicately.

  Floating on the sea at night, I ponder my next destination. The map Bailey showed me—if my memory serves—indicates the closest city lies east of the sea, beyond the mountains.

  That would also be Bailey's first stop after leaving the elemental wilds. He's probably already whipping up some culinary masterpieces with some questionable ingredients.

  “Hopefully,” I mutter to the sea, “we’ll cross paths again soon. Maybe he’ll even have some leftovers.”

  The sun’s light peeks over the eastern mountains. Confirming my bearings—or at least, a vague approximation of them—I start swimming briskly toward the sunrise. Luckily, the shore isn’t too far off.

  It's not the same beach I was on before. A dense backcountry forest looms just beyond the shore. In the distance, the snow-capped peaks of a mountain range pierce the sky.

  Heading into the forest, I make my way toward the mountains. Just like before, the sounds of nature envelop me. Tiny creatures chirp and buzz, the wind rustles through the leaves.

  It's almost… peaceful. This natural beauty is wonderful, considering I spent who-knows-how-long underground.

  Keeping a low profile, I stealthily move through the forest, hoping to find some larger game. I need a prey to skin—I can't stand being naked… It's just too weird.

  Plenty of creatures roam the forest, but nothing big enough to fashion into a decent tunic, let alone trousers. Scanning the undergrowth, I spot tracks on the forest floor.

  Fresh and large, they look almost like a bear's… a really big bear's.

  Intrigued, I follow the footprints. Soon, two roars rip through the trees, shaking the very air. Following the tracks and the sound, I cautiously peer between the thick trunks of alien trees.

  There, in a small clearing, stand two massive, bear-like creatures with long, thick tails, bawling at each other.

  They don't notice me, thankfully. I keep my distance, lurking behind a particularly wide trunk, and wait for the fight to end. They're really going at it.

  Surprisingly, the smaller of the two is winning. It’s more agile, dodging several swipes from the larger creature’s enormous claws with surprising speed.

  The battle ends quickly. The smaller creature lands a decisive swipe across the larger one’s eyes, followed by a swift bite to its throat.

  The larger creature lets out a final, pained roar before collapsing lifelessly to the ground in a cloud of dust.

  Nature is as brutal as ever. Though, I have to admit, it was a pretty impressive display.

  Channeling my Qi, my senses wash over the battlefield, allowing me to keep my distance.

  Considering what happened before, I’m pretty sure being too close to something dying will trigger my hair. I do not need that kind of attention.

  The smaller creature leisurely digs into the larger one’s chest, eventually ripping out what looks suspiciously like a still-beating heart.

  The victor then limps off, its gruesome trophy dangling from its jaws. It looks rather pleased with itself.

  I wait for the creature to leave the area, and then a few more moments to ensure the coast is clear.

  By the time I cautiously approach the massive carcass, small scavengers have already begun their cleanup. I shoo them away with a wave of my hand, reaching the creature’s side.

  Well, this is definitely big enough. Now, to figure out how to skin this beast. Then I realize a rather awkward truth. I have no tools… Nothing at all.

  My dagger is probably still enjoying a scenic tour of the alien sea serpent’s digestive system, or perhaps enjoying a nice vacation on the ocean floor. Either way, it’s not here.

  Looking around for anything that can be used to skin this beast, an obsidian rock would be perfect. After all, there was a volcano in the area… even if it was a long, long time ago.

  After smashing a few black stones, I unearth one containing what looks like fossilized jellyfish? And then, finally, as I split a large black stone in two, a black glassy surface appears.

  Finding a spot next to a small lake, I haul the carcass over, before quickly getting to work on the obsidian.

  Using another, less interesting rock as a hammerstone, I flake and chip away, desperately trying to replicate the techniques from those survival videos I’d binged in my past life.

  It’s way harder than it looks on video. After countless failures and shattered obsidian shards that vaguely resemble pointy rocks, I finally managed to create something that almost, almost looked like a knife.

  Starting at the chest cavity—where the previous owner so helpfully opened things up a bit—I begin peeling back the thick hide, carefully slicing, or more accurately, sawing, through the connecting tissues and widening the opening.

  Unfortunately, one jagged, black saw—I mean, knife—isn’t enough. I break and remake several more knives. Of course, with each new knife, my craft improves little by little; they look more and more like real knives.

  By the time I finally fully separate the hide from the underlying muscle, I’ve also got a new self-made obsidian dagger.

  Once I wrestle the hide free, I quickly wash it in the lake. I also collect anything else that looks remotely useful, leaving the rest of the carcass to the now-ecstatic scavengers.

  After traveling through the forest, I find a cave at the foot of the mountain. I got some vines on the way.

  I’m no master tailor—or even a novice one, really—but with makeshift bone needles and plant thread, I manage to cobble together some rudimentary clothing.

  When I’m done, I wrap the remaining materials into a makeshift backpack. I might need it later. This makeshift outfit isn’t exactly built to last.

  I’m about to head out, when a low rumbling sound stops me dead in my tracks.

  Stolen story; please report.

  Reaching out with my senses into the cave confirms my suspicions: that familiar, truly foul odor wafts from the depths of the cave.

  A moment later, the familiar dinosaur-headed lizard crawls into view.

  A wave of affection washes over me, a mix of fondness and exasperation. “Of course you found me again,” I say, if I have tears, I’ll definitely be balling right now.

  “You did find me the first time, after all.” I hug Rexy’s massive head; all that time underground together, we’re practically family. I felt awful when I had to force her away.

  “You still reek!” I add with a laugh, giving its head a hearty rub.

  Rexy's long tongue wraps around me in a sloppy, enthusiastic hug, its gargantuan body wiggling with excitement. Its tail thumps rhythmically against the cave wall.

  "Seriously, how do you keep finding me?" I ask Rexy, who promptly pokes me with its snout, as if offering the most obvious answer in the world. I suppose it can smell or sense me somehow.

  "So, what do you want to do now? Travel with me?"

  "Arrerrgh," Rexy trumpets in what I take as enthusiastic agreement.

  "But I've got nothing to feed that appetite of yours," I say worriedly. "The rodents out there aren't nearly big enough for you. And, well, your size isn't exactly travel-size."

  "Aheehehe," Rexy tilts its head back, gargles, and then spits out a neck leash-like item. It lands at my feet.

  "What's this?" I ask, picking up the… "well-preserved" leash. Rexy then nudges its neck against me. "It's…for you?"

  "Arrerrgeeg," Rexy rumbles, nodding its massive head.

  Carefully, I put the perfectly fitted leash around Rexy's neck. A dense aura suddenly envelops Rexy, and before my eyes, it begins to shrink. In a matter of moments, she becomes no bigger than a small gecko.

  Dr. Keyser is definitely a comic book supervillain.

  Setting Rexy back on the ground, I remove the leash. She promptly swells back to her original, bus-sized proportions.

  I examine the leash closely, then, on a whim, loop it around my own waist as a belt. Nothing happens. I guess this item is Rexy-exclusive.

  “Arrgegr,” Rexy rumbles, dipping her head in a surprisingly graceful bow for a creature of its size. I clamber onto Rexy’s back, and she promptly stands.

  “By the way,” I remark, wrinkling my nose, “you should really take a bath.” Rexy instantly bucks me off, sending me tumbling to the ground, and bolts.

  “Wait! You need to clean up a bit!” I yell, scrambling to my feet and chasing after her. “There’s a delicious snack by the lake!”

  Leading her back to the lake where I’d left the carcass. “Well, that’s the snack,” I point out, gesturing to the remaining remains.

  Rexy lets out a joyful squeal, and devours the carcass in a few quick chomps, bones and all.

  “Now jump in for your bath!” I call out, pointing towards the water.

  I have to channel a massive amount of Qi to hold on to her tail, preventing her escape. It’s like trying to hold onto a runaway fire hose.

  Rexy reluctantly wades into the lake. The water instantly begins to bubble and churn, turning a vibrant, almost radioactive purple. Small fish and other critters float to the surface, belly up.

  How many years has it been since you last bathed…? I wonder, staring at the bubbling, purple water. The purple hue fades, the lake returning to its usual crystalline clarity after a while.

  After taking a cautious sniff—thankfully, Rexy’s… unique aroma has dissipated. She smells almost… normal now. Almost.

  “Alright, all clean!” I declare, giving Rexy a once-over. “Now, can you sniff out Bailey?”

  Rexy gives a slight shake of her massive head. No such luck. We try looking for him everywhere, but he is clearly long gone. Hopefully, he's safe and sound.

  Rexy and I plop down by the edge of the forest, creating a small earthquake in the process.

  “Hey, Rexy,” I ask, gesturing towards the imposing mountain range looming in the distance. “Think you could, you know, carry me over that? There’s a city there, you know where it is?”

  “Arrgr?” Rexy looks puzzled, then abruptly begins digging a hole in the ground.

  “No… no… not again,” I groan, shaking my head. “I can’t do the underground thing again. I need sunlight. Fresh air.” Rexy, to her credit, immediately stops digging.

  “Arrgr,” Rexy rumbles, giving a decisive nod. Then, without further ado, we take off towards the mountain. We charge through the forest like a runaway train.

  The next morning, Rexy ascends the mountain with surprising ease, barely breaking a sweat.

  Then she leads us down a long, verdant valley nestled between the twin peaks, eventually emerging on the other side nearing sunset.

  From this vantage point, I get my first proper glimpse of the city, and the sheer alien nature of it hits me with full force.

  The city sprawls across the rugged mountain basin like a collection of iridescent soap bubbles, a dazzling display of glass and polished metal.

  Towering, translucent domes encapsulate lush gardens that cascade down terraced levels, weaving through clusters of futuristic architecture and bustling streets filled with… something.

  The small details are hard to make out from this distance, but it’s… breathtaking. And utterly bizarre.

  At the heart of each dome, colossal machines descend deep into the ground, their gargantuan structures resembling metallic roots burrowing into the basin’s core.

  “Guess those are the mines Bailey was talking about,” I mutter to myself.

  Despite the sun almost dipping below the horizon, the domes’ interiors bathe in a soft, ethereal light that seems to emanate from everywhere and nowhere at once.

  High above, flying vehicles zip and zoom, weaving intricate patterns between the domes and the darkening sky.

  The surreal beauty of the city sparks a very human thought in my mind: money. In any society, those with a little jingle in their pockets have a much easier time.

  “Find any more Adamantine while you’re out?” I ask Rexy, who’s currently engrossed in sniffing a particularly intriguing rock.

  Rexy shakes her head, a tiny puff of dust erupting from her nostrils.

  “What about other ores? Gold? Silver? Anything shiny and valuable?” I press.

  Rexy looks thoughtful for a moment, then nods, a low rumble vibrating in her chest. She sets me down and darts back into the forest, vanishing underground with her usual uncanny speed.

  After the sun fully sets, Rexy reappears, dropping two egg-sized chunks of ore at my feet. Under the moonlight, they gleam with a rich golden hue, laced with veins of pure gold.

  “Perfect!” I give Rexy a grateful scratch behind the ears. “You’re a lifesaver, Rexy.”

  Gold! That should be good in any society, even isekai ones.

  We begin our slow descent. The closer we get to the city’s outskirts, the more overwhelming its scale becomes.

  Once we’re close enough, I clip the leash on Rexy. She shrinks down to gecko size, promptly scrambling up my back and nestling in my hair.

  Bailey’s warning—keeping a low profile is crucial. Given my… distinctive appearance – I definitely need a plan to enter the city without attracting unwanted attention.

  Now, how do I get into the city… Scanning the surroundings, there has to be some kind of inconspicuous entrance.

  If it's anything like human society back on Earth, this is prime sneaking-in time. I sidle towards one of the main entrances.

  Sensing everything in the area, although this place is practically deserted, the people entering all tap what look like metal cards against a device on the wall. This isn't my way in.

  My attention is drawn to the other side of the entrance, where massive, levitating vehicles – like oversized, futuristic trucks – are gliding in and out of what appear to be docking bays beneath the domes.

  Following one of these behemoths, I observe the inspection process. The security seems surprisingly lax. There's not a single guard in sight – human or otherwise.

  The vehicles dock, their cargo holds open, and some kind of scanning device sweeps over the contents before they close and the vehicle moves on.

  It's all very efficient and… unattended. Perfect.

  Seizing the opportunity, I dart behind a stack of crates on a truck that's just finished inspection.

  This one's loaded with what look like giant, alien-looking fruits and vegetables. The cargo hold smoothly seals shut. Moments later, the truck hums to life and we're off.