Back on the Improved Earth or iEARTH as Kai liked to call it, our conversation with was reaching its climax.

  "Is there anything else you've got to tell me? Or I can finally get out there to test the forest's freshness? Just my deserved holiday—is all I ask, y'know?" I pressed the last bit of information Kai might possess, the final stepping stone towards a resting day I was looking forward since... forever!

  "That was actually all." The blondie replied, attacking my annoyed aura around with a giant, radiating smile.

  “Good, then…” I echo my voice through the bustling street, a loud scream drawing every eye in their direction. I did not foresee that my exasperation and mental fatigue would ally so well with the untested strength of his body, which resulted in an unintentional sonic wave that was sent towards the sky, crushing the clouds, revealing two moons resting within the cosmos.

  After the initial failure I tuned down the second scream and continued anyway, “SHOW YOURSELF! I’M RIGHT HERE, WAITING!” Vendors paused mid-haggle, pedestrians froze, and even a street musician stopped strumming his lute, the awkward silence amplifying the absurdity of the moment.

  Kai, visibly panicked, scanned the area frantically. "What are you screaming at? Is someone in hiding?", visibly shaken by my act.

  I, with a face that balanced exhaustion with irritation, shrugged nonchalantly. "Not sure. I figured if I screamed loud enough, all my troubles would show up at once. Save me the effort of dealing with them one by one. Efficiency, y'know?"

  Kai's panic shifted to incredulity, trying to process the rationale. "That's... that's not how trouble works, Lucifer."

  Unfazed, I gestured expansively. "Hear me out. I’ve already been through enough to warrant a rest. Let me recap for you: First, I enter some meaningless, illogical war. Then I get stabbed by fate." I emphasized the last part with an incredulous laugh. "After that, I tear through the space-time continuum against my will through instincts alone, spend eons watching them beasts improvise death! Even I gave up, and that's saying something. Then, I wake up in some ruin-dungeon thingy, greeted by a complete fresh new world. Followed by a welcome party, where the event organizer tried to slam my companion into the ground, and finally, a meteor bird decides to test my patience. Then I get out, thinking it’s finally over! Surely it can’t get any worse—you show up."

  Kai opened his mouth to object, then thought better of it. He folded his arms instead, his face caught between disbelief and mild offense.

  "And now," I continued, unfazed by the growing crowd's murmurs, "I’m trying to condense all my problems into one convenient battle royale. Genius, I know!"

  Brilliant or not, I still felt the weight of countless eyes boring into me though. Beast kin, centaurs alongside minotaurs; humans and gorgons too—all sorts of fantastical creatures had paused in their tracks, their gazes fixed on me with varying degrees of curiosity, amusement, suspicion and of course, judgement—I didn't care though.

  The silence was thick, as though the world itself had drawn a collective breath, waiting for something to happen.

  I, brushed away the unwanted attention and met their stares with my own gaze.

  "What? I can stare too!" I shouted loudly.

  I locked eyes with several of the onlookers, daring them to look away.

  Then, settled my sight on a figure in the distance—a girl standing confidently among the crowd. She was an oddity in the sea of fantasy races, yet strikingly beautiful. Long, pristine white hair cascaded down her back, shimmering like snow in the sunlight. Her eyes of hypnotic blue sapphire, like swirling galaxies frozen in time, focused on her smartphone, unamused by the scene that took place. A pair of angelic wings extended from her back, soft and fluffy. They seemed to refuse the embrace of the sun, of the light itself, rebelling through their dark colour.

  Her outfit was unlike anything I had ever seen: an inspiration in itself, starting with a kimono-like top, paired with short jeans, and tight-fitting tights that highlighted her grace. She wore her uniqueness with effortless elegance, radiating an air of… superiority.

  He held her gaze for a moment longer, the woman's expression remaining consistent. With a flick of disdain, she turned away, her attention shifting back to the device.

  But before fully disengaging, she shot me one final, piercingly menacing look.

  Kai, his voice tinged with hesitation. "You...?"

  Lucifer sighed through a faint grin, his eyes glinting with a mix of weariness and determination, "Yeah, but..." continuing before silence took over, "Will I really not be allowed rest?".

  Kai stared at him, dumbfounded. "No exhausted human can crumble the sky when tired, y’know? That’s insane."

  ...

  With the dumbest grin ever I replied, "Define sanity!"

  The staring contest between me and the crowd eventuall settled, thus allowing the street and it’s surroundings to return to their usual stasis. After a stretch, I readied myself for a new page in this life. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I wish to get out there and check how I fit myself into a world that I—you, Kai—took part in creating!"

  "Fine, Luke, fine.” Kai sighed, adding a new nickname to mine collection. “A vacation is well-deserved at this point.”

  "I know! You finally get it!", I exclaimed, unbothered by the way he called me.

  But it's me we're talking about. War, reality destruction, golems and meteor-wannabe birds, nekojin and old-friends I've never met before, of course the peace won’t last more than a moment.

  A gust of wind formed above us, an event orchestrated by the most majestic of creatures—a lion beast with the head, talons and wings of an eagle—the Griffin! A shadowy figure was preparing themselves on the creature’s saddle.

  "Oh yeah, we haven't talked about the world itself, yet!" Kai whispered.

  "Really? I couldn't tell!" I shot back, drowned in annoyance.

  "Well," he continued, unfazed, "some creatures like eagles and lions had to be... deleted to free up memory space. They were replaced by griffins! By the way, they're the ultimate vehicle—pretty cool, huh?"

  "Awesome…!" I replied, with a voice rich in sarcasm. I continued through a maddening grin, "I wonder what else!?". That forced smile was so tense that sparks flew from the creaks.

  Kai, oblivious to the sarcasm, perked up with enthusiasm. "Yes! Also: manticores, terrordactyls, raptors, dinosaurs, yetis, myths—and a lot more good stuff!"

  My attention was demanded everywhere, apparently! Especially towards Kai! I turned to him, my initial annoyance giving way to sheer disbelief. "Did you just say, TERRORDACTYLS!?"

  The entertaining conversation did not survive long, as the griffin finally landed, its claws scraping the cobblestone with a deep thud. The figure, an officer dressed casually with the grandeur of an aristocrat, clenched his necklace while gesturing as if parking the beast, an act that only fed into mine baffled expression.

  “Why’s there a commotion when I’m off-duty?” the officer barked, his voice commanding and unmistakably annoyed, though his gaze lingered on the crowd’s stunned expressions. His beast seemed almost to share his irritation, letting out a low growl as it folded its wings.

  Kai, unable to let the opportunity slip, leaned towards me, “Well?”, his voice, a whisper of amusement and sarcasm. “You wanted trouble to come towards you, didn’t you?”.

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  I was still processing the absurdities I've just been hit with, and I barely got to shoot him a dry look. The officer’s stern eyes flicked between the two of us, narrowing slightly. The griffin shifted its wings restlessly, as if eager to take flight again, yet the rider remained steadfast, unwilling to show any weakness. "Noise disturbances are prohibited. Explain yourselves."

  Kai intrerupted me before I began my explanation.

  Good, I was about to explode anyway!

  "We didn’t mean to cause any disturbances, officer," he said with a calm tone, though his eyes betrayed the hidden amusement. "Just... testing some limits, that’s all."

  The man seemed to reconsider, his stance loosening slightly as he studied us further. With a less imposing tone the officer engaged again, “I've never seen you two before, and I am not on duty right now nor do I have the time—actually, any time at all. Let’s wrap this up as fast as possible!”

  I narrowed my eyes locking my gaze onto his necklace, the gem inside it clear as glass, reminded him of the one he picked up for Ryna. The similarity was too blatant to ignore, thus invading their dialogue, “You know, that stone you're wearing looks similar to one I found in the dungeon!”

  The officer stiffened, his hand instinctively brushing against the amulet hanging from his neck. "This?" he replied with a sharp voice, guarded. "You found one of these?"

  "Picked it up not long ago, after waking up in the ruins.” I continued.

  “A nap in the ruins...? So you’re an Explorer? That would explain the crazy outburst from earlier. Freaks trading sanity for money...", the officer groaned, then continued, now with a casual tone. "Anyway, as I said earlier, I’m busy! I suggest you to go and sell the thing to a pawn shop unless you have your own griffin! I also suggest you two, to stop clowning on my streets!”

  “A pawn shop? Also, what are explorers?”

  “You don't know that?" The rider sighs, now trying to fit as much information as possible in the little time he's got. "Freelancers! Adventurers of the modern world! You’re free to check out a guide or whatever!" The officer said as he took off with the beast. “A warning is what you get, let’s not meet again!”

  While staring at the beast’s take-off, a sensation rose up at Lucifer’s back, “Was that a catbird, Lucy?” Ryna asked, scratching her eye after a good sleep on the bench we abandoned earlier.

  On the now calm street, I threw my finger in a random direction, pointing dramatically, "Towards the pawnshop!".

  Ryna, her face alight with amusement, gently corrected me, "It's in the opposite direction, Lucy."

  Clearing my throat, I quickly recovered. "Ahem! Yes, of course! I knew that!", pivoting to follow her lead.

  Fortunately, the pawnshop wasn’t far. The short distance was a blessing, especially after everything they’d endured so far. As we made our way, I darted my eyes around, taking in the strange and wondrous sights of this world. From regal-looking officers to an orc in formal attire—complete with a fancy hat and tie—carrying a briefcase while riding a raptor. The surreal image was made even stranger by the fact that this all happened on a street where cars zipped by as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.

  Baffled, I muttered under my breath, "That's one helluva car you're driving there." It was a shy murmur, I didnt meant for it to be heard, yet the orc turned to glance at me. I, quickly averted his gaze and picked up the pace, falling in step with Ryna and Kai.

  We strolled down the bustling street, each step revealing more of the world's peculiarities. Just as the silence began to settle, Kai’s sharp whistle pierced through, followed by the loud, grating screech of something massive cutting through the air. "Wooo! Celebrities!" Kai exclaimed, pointing skyward. "Look, Lucifer! It’s a limousine!"

  My jaw dropped as I followed Kai’s finger.

  A colossal red dragon soared through the clouds, its scales gleaming like polished metal.

  "Didn’t you say griffins are the ultimate vehicle? What’s the deal with that thing?"

  "Well, kinda," Kai replied, shrugging. "For a single person, griffins are the pinnacle—symbols of aristocracy or military might, if not both. They’re fast, powerful, and impossible to miss. But dragons? That’s a whole other league." He paused, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Truth is, I don’t know much about them. I meddled with this world, sure, but I didn’t dive into every detail. Honestly, I’m just as curious as you are. That means I'm also excited to figure out how the currency works. That’ll be fun!"

  We finally arrived—the pawnshop.

  A towering building loomed over us, casting a long shadow that shielded us from the sun. The pawnshop itself, however, was a modest apartment nestled on the ground floor. I was taken aback by the incongruity and voiced my skepticism loudly. "This is the pawnshop? Is this place even legit?"

  From within, a man’s gruff voice responded, "Would you like to see the official documents? I’m not scamming anyone here." The owner emerged, his tone dripping with dry humor. "What kind of fool would go against the law at my age—the very climax of life?" His words carried a weight—a reminder of life’s fleeting nature, something I had long since lost.

  Breaking the somber moment, the owner clapped his gloved hands together and refreshed the conversation. "So, what exactly brings you three to my humble establishment? Come to test my wit, or perhaps my patience?"

  The man was a dwarf, tiny of stature as one might expect, but his presence was anything but small. His hair, a striking mix of black and blonde, was unusual yet distinctly tied to his origins. Stroking his thick beard with a gloved hand, he scrutinized the trio, waiting patiently for their reply.

  After carefully considering the old man’s words, I regained my composure.

  "Yeah, so apparently we’re explorers—"

  "Gotcha. Show me the items or gems," the old man interrupted briskly.

  No biggie, I didn’t mind the interruption; getting straight to the point was efficient, and I appreciated that. With a theatrical act, I pretended to search through the pockets of mine haori.

  The old man raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the gesture. "I’ve seen very few who wear those kinds of clothes," he remarked, gesturing toward Kai and me.

  "Is that so?" Kai replied, making a mental note of the observation.

  The interaction was brief as the owner turned his attention to the gems. He placed the first stone into a tool crafted from polished metal and glass—a special analyzer designed to identify gems and evaluate their weight, purity, and properties. The process began with a dark blue gem, roughly palm-sized. The machine displayed its findings:

  「Aquatikk Spark」

  「A gem able to create water. Weight: 202g. Purity: 77%.」

  "You’re off to a good start, kid. That thing sells decently," the old man noted with approval.

  Next came a pinkish stone, as if trying to copy the grandeur of the sunset itself. The analyzer revealed:

  「Tear of the Clouds」

  「A gem that provides easy-to-control gusts of wind. Weight: 337g. Purity: 84%.」

  "Basically, a glorified hair-dryer," the old man quipped, earning a chuckle from Kai.

  Our group spent a while working through the gems, which was fine and joyous, but the day’s most remarkable moment came with the final stone. The old man picked it up, removed his glasses, and inspected it closely, as though bracing himself for what was to come. With a deep breath, he placed the gem into the machine. The stone was a deep violet adorned with white specks, resembling either a miniature galaxy or a Christmas globe filled with ink instead of water. The analyzer took longer than usual, seemingly re-scanning the gem multiple times to verify its authenticity. Finally, the results appeared:

  「Obsidian Jade」

  「A gem with teleportation properties. Weight: 333g. Purity: 91%.」

  The old man’s jaw dropped. "How’d you get something like this, boy?"

  I retrieved the gem from the machine and slipped it back into the haori. "Dumb luck, I guess. Found it in the nearby ruins."

  "Yes, yes. You're a freelancer, right? Damn-lucky you! Right? But, not selling it?" the owner asked, unable to shake off his disbelief.

  I grinned. "Not for now. Let me learn about these two rocks first."

  "Two?" The old man raised an eyebrow, but knew better than to press further on these types of clients. "You do you, kid. But these other ones? You sellin' them?"

  "Yes!"

  The owner offered us a hefty 7,000 eons for the remaining gems before concluding the day.

  In the meantime, due to the lack of monitorization, Ryna drifted aimlessly through the room, admiring the tome-filled shelves surrounding us.

  That was until her wandering eyes landed on an intricate cover—a leathery pink, weathered yet alluring, as if it held secrets too enticing to ignore.

  Driven by a curiosity she couldn’t contain, she reached for the book, its textured spine yielding beneath her fingers.

  She didn’t notice the delicate balance of the towering books around it.

  The moment the item left its place, it triggered a catastrophe—a thunderous avalanche of ancient volumes.

  In an instant, she became the clumsy, wide-eyed victim, buried beneath the cascading mountain of stories she had unwittingly unleashed.

  Fortunately, she was completely unharmed.

  Not even a scratch.

  But instead of looking embarrassed or apologetic, she just sat there, buried under a pile of books, hugging that pink leather-bound tome like it was her long-lost soulmate. Seriously, the way she cradled it…

  It was like she’d just found the legendary guide on How-to-make-easy-money-and-candy-snacks! or something like that.

  And of course, there was no way she was letting it go.

  That's how kids are, I guess...

  The old dwarf running the place just laughed like he’d seen this a hundred times before.

  "Heh, I’ve got a feeling you lot will be back soon enough. Just return it when you do, HOHOHO!"