Above us, the skies belonged to the privileged. Tiny dragons and majestic griffins sliced through the air with effortless grace, their wings carving invisible paths between floating platforms and aerial highways, where high-profile celebrities and VIPs traveled far above the common masses. Their laughter and shimmering garments barely reached the streets below.
On the ground, a different rhythm played out. Workers, merchants, and adventurers filled the cobbled roads, their chosen rides as varied as their destinations—some atop muscular stallions, others on sleek raptors, and a few seated in modern, magically powered bikes and cars that purred as they weaved through the chaos. It was a city of layered realities, a world where fantasy and industry clashed and coexisted in a breathtaking, chaotic harmony.
My gaze flickered from face to face, scanning every shadow, every movement with a sharp, almost paranoid precision. My mind was already in overdrive, running tactical calculations to avoid a third run-in with him—the orc. Every alley, every shifting crowd, every suspicious glint of green skin was a potential disaster waiting to happen. I refused to let history repeat itself. Not today.
Our destination? A cozy little café nestled right next to the dwarf’s pawnshop. In fact, calling them separate establishments was a stretch—stand up from your seat, take a single step, and boom, you’re practically inside his cramped, cluttered store.
It was the kind of setup that blurred the line between sipping coffee and accidentally handing over your rusty enchanted dagger.
On our way, we passed by a charming little high-end restaurant, its entrance bathed in a soft, golden glow, practically begging people to step inside. It looked nice—really nice, actually. The kind of place that whispered luxury with every polished tile and velvet-lined seat.
But the moment the rich aroma of freshly baked bread and sizzling meats hit us, our stomachs lurched in protest. We had just demolished a royal feast not too long ago, and the idea of stuffing in even one more bite—even the tiniest nibble—overkill would be an understatement, a straight-up death wish.
With a shared glance, we picked up the pace, silently agreeing that lingering any longer was a terrible idea. The temptation of excess clung to the air like a siren’s song, but we weren’t about to let it drag us into a food-induced coma.
Forward was the only way.
On the veranda, a lone figure lounged—cloaked in a darkness so deep, it seemed to drink in the very light around her.
Her silhouette was a study in contrasts: effortlessly poised yet utterly at ease, the snug black attire beneath her voluminous cloak accentuating every subtle movement. With deliberate care, she lifted a burger to her lips, drawing out the moment, savoring the anticipation before the first bite.
The second her teeth sank into the rich, tender meat, her expression shifted—just slightly, but enough. A flicker of satisfaction, a rare and unguarded delight, danced across her face. For someone so often wrapped in layers of mystery, it was a glimpse behind the mask—an intimate moment of sheer, unfiltered joy.
Her foggy-white eyes, usually unreadable, shimmered with something unspoken, something human.
And for that fleeting instant, she wasn’t OnyX, a powerful, legendary and enigmatic adventurer.
She was simply a person, stealing a sliver of peace from the chaos of her extraordinary life, one bite at a time.
Now, you might be wondering—what was she doing here?
The answer was simple: savoring an otherworldly burger while facing a battle more fearsome than any dungeon or demon lord—her absolute inability to navigate a city without getting hopelessly lost.
By the way, she wasn't alone.
Across from her sat a certain angelic figure, wings twitching in lazy contentment. If perfection could be sculpted into human form, it would look something like her—immaculate makeup, porcelain skin smooth as untouched snow, and an elegance that seemed almost effortless.
She was blissfully engrossed in a comically oversized parfait, the towering dessert almost defying the laws of physics.
Her bright blue eyes, sparkling with something warmer than mere amusement, flickered between the phone rested on the table and the shadowed figure across from her.
Her wings gave a brief flutter, a subtle ripple of movement before she finally broke the silence.
Her voice, laced with mock indignation, carried a teasing edge.
"You know..." she huffed, her lips curving into a playful pout, "Before you got here, I used to be the Author's favorite!"
OnyX, lost in her own world for a moment, blinked, her head tilting slightly. The words hung in the air, their meaning just out of reach, slipping through her mind like a cryptic riddle she couldn’t quite decipher.
With the last bites of their breakfast savored, OnyX and Catarina rose from their seats.
OnyX moved with confidence, heading straight for the only door in the entire restaurant. Of course, paying wasn’t even an option for her! She didn’t have a single coin to her name in this world, nor any way of obtaining one.
Not too surprising. After all, she didn’t even belong in this novel to begin with.
Catarina, on the other hand, lingered behind, her delicate fingers drifting in her wallet to settle the bill.
The slender girl had been patient, waiting with an air of quiet amusement for her friend’s return.
When Catarina finally caught up, her smartphone chimed—a soft, familiar ping. Instinctively, she stopped, fingers already swiping across the screen. After all, it wasn’t like OnyX could get lost in that short of a timeframe, right?
…Right?
And yet—against all odds, against every fundamental principle of logic, physics, and even the narrative itself—OnyX, who had been walking in a perfectly straight line toward the only existing exit… had somehow managed to take a wrong turn.
Right out of the novel.
Even I, the author, am at a complete loss as to how she managed that.
But yes—somehow, OnyX walked through that restaurant door... and stepped straight out of the universe...
Catarina finished typing her reply, slipped her phone back into her pocket, and turned to leave, expecting to see her friend at her side. But instead, she found nothing.
Her expression shifted to one of pure confusion.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
“…Wha—?”
It wasn’t a prank. OnyX was genuinely gone. Gone, as in, beyond the known boundaries of fiction.
A beat of silence hung in the air, as if the universe itself was holding its breath.
Then, the absurdity of it all finally hit her.
“The fuck?”
And just like that, the floodgates opened.
“PFF—AHAHAHAHA!!”
She doubled over, clutching her stomach, laughing so hard she could barely breathe. It was the kind of laughter that came from a place of complete and utter defeat—utterly undone by the sheer stupidity of what had just happened.
After the copious laugh of defeat had subsided, Catarina, pulled her phone from her pocket again. With a contented sigh, she slid back into the rhythm of her daily routine, as though nothing had happened—her lips curling into a joyous smile that could rival the sun itself.
No distractions allowed!
No distractions, yes, but just as we made way, the ultimate masterpiece of the morning was about to be unveiled. The clock struck the 10th hour—its chime resounding through the city like a trumpet heralding the beginning of the busiest part of the day.
The Busy Hour: the grand interlude of the day, when the world seemed to shift into a whirlwind.
Manners? Out the window.
Harpies alongside mechanized beings, riders on pegasi and pterodactyls—they took to the skies in a flurry of wings and metal.
Their destination?
Restaurants, cafés, and hidden spots where they could steal a moment of respite, their well-deserved 30 minutes of peace amid the chaos.
The air was alive with movement, as everyone fought to claim their slice of tranquility in the middle of the storm. For a fleeting moment, the summer sun was dimmed, as if it had been called off entirely, its rays no longer reaching the grounds.
Needless to say, the shift in the sky had thrown off our pace, slowing us as we marveled at the unexpected change. By the time we finally arrived at the destination, the clock had already ticked past the eleventh hour: when the event usually ends and the sun resumes its default schedule.
But we reached it nonetheless—better late than never, right?
We sank into our seats at the table, replaying everything we'd absorbed back at the Pawnshop while ordering our treats. Kai immediately went for his usual—coffee, of course.
"Someone’s aaaaddicted," I teased, wearing the dumbest grin I could muster, knowing full well I was being a bit of a jerk. I ordered a cola for myself and for Ryna, who was happily dangling her feet off the edge of her oversized, grand-book-seat she’d scored from the dwarf’s shop earlier.
***
Sluuurp!
The unmistakable sound of Kai savoring his coffee echoed through the air, the rich, comforting aroma filling the space around us. He took his time with each sip, like he was drinking liquid gold.
He almost made me jealous—almost.
Despite the desperate look on my face and the urge to cave to caffeine’s call, I was 100% not a coffee person. No matter how much it seemed to be working its magic on Kai, I knew better than to fall for its bitter charm.
“All right,” he started, setting his cup down with an intentional clink, his eyes locking onto mine. “First things first—our economy. We’re not exactly in the best shape financially.”
I leaned back in my chair, a wry smile tugging at the corner of my lips. “Yeah, I noticed,” I said, my voice carrying a mix of dry humor and reluctant acceptance. “Reina blew through all 4,000 eons on that grocery run. I had a feeling our measly 7k wouldn’t last long... and now we’re scraping by with less than three. And it’s barely been two days.”
“We’re only starting the second day,” Kai observed, his eyes sharp and his tone sharper.
“Yup...” I leaned forward, unwavering, with a stern voice taking on a more determined edge. “Those gems... they could be the key to fixing our money problems.”
“Telegemstone & Communication Jewels? Those are luxury items!" I scoffed.
「Communication gems」
These jewels transform speech into magic waves that carry intent. Easily understood by creatures that possess some degree of intelligence—beasts like dragons, raptors, and, of course, griffins. The gem’s magic waves allow for a connection to form, bridging the gap between rider and beast.
However, they have their own limitations.
Upon first use, they will barely last for five years. After the fourth year, however, they begin to crack and lose potency, becoming dangerous to use.
「Chips」
These are their technological counterparts. While they function in the same manner, converting words into mana waves, they are far less durable. Unlike the gems which can last half a decade, chips can barely withstand 25 weeks of usage. Their price is more affordable, yes, but it’s still a luxurious item nonetheless.
「Telegemstones」
Shiny obsidian rocks are typically placed into a specially designed piece of technology or straight-up crushed into fine dust. Once powdered, the dust is mixed with purified water, and the resulting ink holds the key to creating teletomes.
“In other words, the real ultimate luxury item,”
“Damned thing’s allergic to peasants and looks down on the rich too!” I scoffed again.
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Got, uhh... Any plans?"
“Of course I do!” I slammed a fist into my chest, puffing out my chest with pride. “The ruins I woke up in?” I paused, giving Kai a moment to piece it together, but he came up blank.
“What about them?” he asked, confused.
“First off,” I said, tapping my fingers together, “I found the telegemstone in there. Second,” I leaned in, “I wanted to test the limits of my body—without, umm... Risks, you know?...”
Kai took his sweet time to catch on to what I was getting at with the second point. I’d already drained my cola glass, and Ryna had polished hers off too by the time the light bulb finally went on for him.
“Ooh! Gotcha!” he finally exclaimed...
Ugh, about time!
I leaned in one last time, lowering my voice. “In the meantime…” I whispered my plans to him. Kai nodded, his expression shifting into one of determination.
“All right, I’ll deal with it best I can!”
“Great!” I grinned, pleased with the response.
Then, to everyone’s surprise, Ryna suddenly took a deep breath, bracing herself as if about to charge into battle. Then, with a sharp, ear-piercing cry, she practically shattered the café’s calm—
“LUCYYY!”
Startled or not, she didn’t wait for no reaction.
With a triumphant grin, she lifted a thick book from beneath her, the sudden loss of height making her sink slightly into the chair.
Her cat-like ears twitched in pure excitement as she flipped through the pages at an unholy speed, her fingers blurring through the text.
The book?
It was vibrant, mesmerizing, a riot of colors more dazzling than the cover of any Historical Cover!
It was…
A Tome of Jewels!
I guess it was finally time for the book to shine.
SLAM!
The book hit the table with a force that rattled the cutlery. Ryna’s eyes gleamed as she jabbed a clawed finger at the open page.
“Look! When Lucy goes into the dungeon, make sure to find this cutie!”
I braced myself, already expecting her to shove some absurd rainbow-rose in my face, or maybe an extravagant fantasy-lily—perhaps even an unholy combination of the two.
The fantasy flower guess was close… but the reality was far from what he had imagined.
As my gaze fell upon the pages Ryna eagerly pointed to, my expression shifted.
It was a tulip. A deep, washed-red bloom, its delicate pink petals formed from thin, translucent sheets of crystal, shimmering under the light.
Beautiful?
Absolutely.
Mysterious?
Without a doubt.
But what truly unsettled me wasn’t the flower itself.
It was Ryna’s expression.
The way her cat-like ears twitched.
The barely-contained glee in her gaze.
At this very moment, her thoughts were anything but pure.
This flower? It wasn’t just some rare botanical marvel.
No—this was proof that she was thinking the kinds of things reserved only for adult minds.
An area strictly 18+ only.
That’s right.
MONEY!
The thought, however, carried on, onto the wind as the bill arrived, and the reality of our indulgence hit us.
Eons spent:
-
$9.99 for one black, bitter coffee.
-
$17.98 for two colas.
I couldn’t help but scowl as I picked up the tiny paper.
“Damn… Still not selling THIS telegemstone!”
Meanwhile, far off in a dusty pawnshop, an old Dwarf let out an unexpected sneeze.
“Bless you, Dad!” a young voice called out in concern. “Are you catching a cold?”
“Nah, I’m fine,” the old Dwarf chuckled, wiping his nose. “I've still got a few years to go! Hehehe!”
「Crystal Tulip」
Effects: Unknown
Material: Unknown
Real Value: Unknown
Speculated Value: Just one may be enough to rise a low class citizen's status to VIP.