The dimly lit room was bustling with activity, filled with the sounds of clinking glasses, boisterous laughter, and the shuffling of feet on wooden floorboards. The air was thick with the smell of salty sea spray and roasted meats, and the walls were lined with shelves displaying an array of colorful bottles and flagons. Despite the rough and rowdy atmosphere, a sense of community and comfort lingered in the air for most, except for two individuals who stood in silence, their tension palpable.

One was a hooded man dressed as a villager, the other a blue-haired elven maiden who’s hand latched onto his wrist like a steel vise, her fingers digging into his sleeves. Lazarus' heart pounded like a drum, his mind racing to find a way out of their predicament.

A surprise jolt of adrenaline spiked through him. With a firm and swift smack, he broke free from her iron clasp, his palm striking against her hand with an echo that was loud enough to turn the heads of everyone in the room. His heart pounded, beating the rhythm of flight. He bolted, his shoes smacking against the wooden floor board, the echo chasing him into the obscurity.

“Huh–!? Hey!! Come back!” Sylphi shouted as she gave chase.

Lazarus made quick large strides and dashed from corridor to corridor before reaching a set of stairs from a distance and quickly made his way towards them. Sylphi wasn’t too far behind and he could hear her strides fading away.

“Sertus, ertus minasu el–” The Elf chanted. Lazarus glanced back, his eyes widening in surprise. Glowing magic runes that shimmered with a soft light appeared on the limbs of the elf chasing him. “Sel vestus, Tiamu!”

The runes pulsed and she sped up.

-’Oh shit!’- Lazarus couldn’t help but curse as he jumped from stair to stair and quickly reached the door. He grabbed it, briefly looked back to see the elf crouching down the stairs and shot through the air like a bullet. As he was still in the process of opening the door, he realized she’d catch him at this rate.

He spun, the elf’s eyes widened as Lazarus did a roundhouse kick. She raised her arms, but then felt as if a brick wall slammed into her shoulders from the impact. Bones crackled as she bounced into the wall and fell down the stairs like a rag doll.

Lazarus ran and quickly closed the door behind him, looked around and after seeing no one was around, activated his cloak.

He sighed.

“What were the odds of her being in this damn ship?? Haa-...”

Time to find a hiding spot then.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sylphi’s head spun and she felt disconnected from her body. She heard the sound of a door slamming shut but even when she willed herself to get up, she couldn’t. After a while, she felt herself regaining focus.

She quickly got up but found her legs feeling numb and struggling to keep balance. Still she pushed herself, as she was about to give chase, a sharp pain shot through her shoulder and she winced and knelt.

“Argh!” Sylphi moaned, and felt a strange sensation. It was a small sensation creeping from the back of her mind and it felt like an itch she couldn’t scratch. The feeling grew stronger and stronger, and the pain she felt was numb by the strange sensation.

Her mind raced with thoughts of how she could have done things differently. She replayed the moment the hooded man spun and kicked, picking apart every mistake she had made.

It didn’t make sense for his blow to be that heavy. And if he casted it beforehand, then she would've felt some mana from his magic so she was sure he hadn’t yet. Sylphi slowly stood up and rubbed her shoulders and she felt a heat from deep within coupled by some throbbing pain.

For the first time, she looked at her shoulders. It was swollen and the bruise of her skin was deep purple and swollen, a stark contrast to the paleness of her other skin.

Her heart sank.

“Was I…–?” She closed her mouth shut before she could utter the words.

A shadow loomed over Sylphi’s eyes. She had bested all the elven warriors in her village, and she was considered the best there. She had even wiped out a camp of bandits and any humans who dared to sully their forest. And yet…

She couldn't help but feel like a failure, like all of her pride had been misplaced.

The image of the hooded man popped in her head.

Her shoulders throbbed in pain and yet it couldn’t compare to the seething rage she felt bubbling from deep within.

She had natural agility and fighting skills, honed through years of training and discipline. She was merely caught off guard. Had she casted reinforcement spells and prepared properly, it would’ve turned out different.

“Just you wait…” Sylphi muttered under her breath.

Never in her life had she wanted someone dead so much that she almost felt giddy from how she wanted to laugh and cry from the sheer anger.

“Next time, you won’t be so lucky.”

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The air was thick with the musty scent of damp wood and salt water. Stacks of barrels, crates, and sacks filled the room, creating narrow pathways to navigate through. The cargo was tightly packed, and was tied together with ropes and chains to secure everything in place, lest the rough waves of the sea toss them around. The only sources of light came from small portholes and glow stones hanging from the wooden beams.

Lazarus sighed. This was all that damn Elf’s fault. He didn’t book a ticket so he didn’t have a room for himself, and so he settled in this cargo bay just below the ship’s deck.

He sat down crossed legged and ordered.

-’FS, replay the video of when I kicked that elf’-

-=”Affirmative”=-

A screen popped up in front of him and played the scenery from earlier from his point of view.

He stopped the video near the time he kicked the elf, and replayed it slowly. He noticed that when the kick landed, the sound of bones cracking could be heard.

“Huh…Interesting.” Lazarus muttered. He knew he was stronger than the average person, but he didn’t know how much exactly. There was also the battle he had at that inn with those three adventurers but he chalked it up to them being weak. But it seemed he was wrong. Should he hold back in the future? What was the normal strength of the people around him? He needed a basis since he knew Earth’s average strength was different from Valeria.

“Still, that should be enough to get that damn elf off of my back for a while.”

Now what?

Lazarus looked at the ceiling and stared.

He needed to avoid that elf as much as possible but-...

“What if she reports me?” Lazarus mused, rubbing his chin. It probably wouldn’t work. There was no evidence against him, and cameras didn’t exist in this place so she essentially had no proof. On that point, how was the justice system here work like? Could he assume it’s similar to the ones in the games or stories he had read?

Lazarus sighed.

He waved his hand and a screen popped up showing a series of titles.

“Maybe some of the books I copied from the library contain information?” He pondered for a bit, then swiped his hand in a quick gesture from left to right. In response, all of the screens in front of him disappeared.

He didn’t really need to think about this for now as he had no plans to get caught either way. Still what to do..?

-’I’ll need to plan out how to avoid that Elf while still having a bit of freedom…’-

As Lazarus pondered for quite some time. An idea popped-up.

“Why don’t I just roam around at night and sleep during the day?” Kind of like a nocturnal animal. He was relatively sure Elves were not nocturnal so it was the best time. He could also steal some of the ship’s food instead of paying for it which could save him some money.

He hummed thoughtfully. On one hand, it felt like choosing to steal was getting easier the more he did it, but at the same time he didn’t want to just resort to it as soon as he needed to. Lazarus sighed. He didn’t have a choice, he told himself.

Now all he needed was to wait.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lazarus gazed up at the clear night sky, stars twinkling above. The sight of two moons, one red and one blue, cast an ethereal glow over the sea, illuminating the water and creating a mystical atmosphere. As he took in the view, it hit him: he wasn't on Earth anymore. The realization left him feeling hollow, the only Earthling in this strange place. But he had a mission: to build a comms tower and find his way home to his father.

Suddenly, a pang of hunger interrupted his thoughts. Lazarus was also out of money. His stomach growled, reminding him of his predicament. Where could he find food? The cafeteria was his only option, but it was mostly open during the day. He'd have to steal some, even if it meant risking an encounter with the annoying elf.

Lazarus continued walking on the deck, his steps echoing through the empty corridors until he arrived at the bow of the ship. He leaned against the wooden railing, gazing out at the endless expanse of the sea. The cool breeze ruffled his hair, bringing with it the salty scent of the ocean. The sound of the waves lapping against the hull was soothing, but it couldn't drown out the persistent growl of his empty stomach. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the hunger pangs and the gnawing feeling of desperation.

He continued walking, but just then, a shadow loomed over him. He looked up to see a stunning silver-haired girl with fox-like ears and nine long, fluffy white tails standing on the wooden pole. She wore a one-piece dress that displayed her hourglass figure, and Lazarus couldn't help but notice how her tails swayed in the breeze. He was curious, but also wary. She must be a demi-human.

As he was about to leave, the wooden floor creaked beneath his feet.

-’Great…’-

The girl's ears twitched, and she looked around.

“Hmm?”

Lazarus felt a surge of apprehension, quickly de-cloaking to avoid suspicion out of the girl’s sight. Upon turning her head down behind her, she saw him. The girl greeted him with a friendly smile and jumped down from a height that would’ve normally broken the bones of a regular human being. She turned gracefully to face him and Lazarus gazed into her alluring amber eyes, mesmerized by the golden yellow hue that tainted them. He couldn't recall ever seeing eyes like that before.

–

"Hi," the fox-girl greeted with a warm smile. "It's a beautiful scene, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Lazarus replied, trying to sound more interested than he felt. "Well, I've had enough of the scenery. I'm heading back."

As he turned to leave, the fox-girl's eyes widened and she tensed up, quickly grabbing the hem of his cloak.

"W-wait."

"What?"

"Uhm, are you going to tell anyone I'm here?"

"Why would I do that?"

The fox-girl hesitated, looking back and forth between Lazarus and her surroundings. Then, she furrowed her brows.

"Wait, you... don't know?"

"Know what?" Lazarus frowned, feeling as if the girl was mocking him for being ignorant. He had no idea what she was talking about.

"Oh... my apologies," she said with a smile, her body visibly relaxing. "It seems you really don't know, tehehe," she giggled.

Lazarus' brow twitched. "Are you making fun of me?"

"Oh, no! That wasn't my intention at all. It's just that… I need to be sure so-..." Her eyes lit up suddenly. "Hey, you want to leave, right?"

Lazarus rolled his eyes. "As if that wasn't obvious."

The fox-girl chuckled, clearly amused by his irritation. "Then, can you tell me a story?"

"Why the hell would I do that?"

"So I'll let you go, hehe," she replied, gripping his sleeve tighter.

Lazarus straightened the girl's arm by pulling his right sleeve, then he raised his left hand in a karate-chop position. "Eh?! W-wait... Please, you wouldn't hit a girl, would you?" she asked timidly.

"If you let go, I wouldn't have to."

"Are you that opposed to telling me a story?"

"I've no reason to do it."

The fox-girl puffed her cheeks and pointed to her hand holding his sleeve. "You do. What you don't have is a reason not to do it."

"...Nah." Lazarus brought his hand down.

"W-wait!" The fox-girl grabbed his sleeve with both hands, clenching as hard as she could and bracing for impact, her eyes squeezed shut. But the blow never came. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw his hand hovering just above hers.

"Why are you so desperate?"

"It's... I just need to know you won't tell anyone I'm here."

"Lady, I don't have anyone to tell. And what does that have to do with telling a story?"

"I can tell a person's intentions from the way they tell a story..."

"That's..." Ridiculous, Lazarus wanted to say, but held his tongue. This strange planet had magic and unique abilities, so maybe that was one of hers. But would it work on him, being manaless and all?

"I just need to be sure," she pleaded.

Lazarus sighed. It was obvious she wasn't going to let go unless he forced her. Still, just telling a story wouldn't benefit him at all, so...

"I can tell you a story, but only if you pay me. I don't like doing things for free." 'And I'm out of money,' Lazarus thought to himself before asking. "Well? What do you say?"

To his surprise, the girl nodded enthusiastically.

Lazarus placed a hand on his chin, pondering which story to tell. 'I can tell her stories from Earth. I know plenty of those.'

"Then one day—" Lazarus began, only to be interrupted when the fox-girl sat on the floor and leaned against a wooden pole, patting the ground beside her, gesturing for him to sit.

Lazarus hesitated before sitting down with some distance between them. "Alright, how about this story? One day, a man found a puppy on the streets and named him Hachiko. And—"

After finishing the story, the fox-girl was wiping away tears, sniffling. At some point, she had let go of his sleeve.

"That was wonderful," she said with a heartfelt smile, making Lazarus's heart skip a beat. "Here."

She handed him a gold coin, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"This is too much..."

She stood up, turned around, and placed a palm on her chest in an honest gesture, saying, "That story was worth a lot more to me."

"I-I see," Lazarus replied, hesitating but also reluctant to part with the gold coin. "In any case, I'm free to go, right?"

"Indeed," the girl responded, gazing into his eyes with a warm smile. "The story told me exactly what kind of person you are."

"And what kind of person would that be?" Lazarus inquired.

She smiled mischievously and said, "That's a secret!" Then she winked playfully.

Although curious, Lazarus decided against asking her and stood up. "Okay then, I'll be taking my leave."

The fox-girl nodded. As Lazarus walked toward the inside of the ship, she whispered to herself, "For some reason, that scent seemed to be familiar…"

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lazarus, wearing a brown hooded cloak, entered the bustling cafeteria. The lively chatter and clinking of mugs filled the air. He was famished, and the smell of the hearty meals being served had his stomach growling even louder.

He found an empty table in the corner, taking a seat and sighing. Turns out, there was another cafeteria just a couple of floors down and this one had servers, albeit the meals seemed a bit more expensive.

A server approached, and Lazarus ordered a simple but filling meal. The server nodded and hurried away, leaving Lazarus to soak in the atmosphere of the tavern while he waited.

Finally, his meal arrived—a steaming bowl of stew, accompanied by a thick slice of crusty bread. Lazarus dug in, savoring each bite as the flavors danced on his tongue. The warmth and fullness of the food spread through him, making him feel content and re-energized.

As he ate, he couldn't help but overhear a group of adventurers at a nearby table, talking excitedly among themselves. Their conversation caught his interest as they mentioned the legendary "Leviathan."

"Have you heard the rumors about the Leviathan?" one adventurer asked, his voice filled with a mix of excitement and fear.

"I have," another replied, leaning in closer. "They say it's a monstrous creature, dwelling deep in the ocean. It's so big that it can swallow ships whole!"

"And don't forget," a third adventurer chimed in, "it's said to have an insatiable appetite for human flesh. Many sailors have fallen prey to its ravenous hunger."

Lazarus, pausing between bites of his stew, listened as if it was some background radio while having a meal, to him it was something like turning on the T.V while working on something.

"Is there any way to defeat it?" a fourth adventurer wondered aloud.

The first adventurer shook his head. "Who knows? It’s just a legend, after all."

The story of the Leviathan was both fascinating and terrifying. He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to come face-to-face with such a formidable creature.

Finishing his meal, he thanked the server and paid for his food. As he rose to leave, he couldn't help but cast one last glance at the group of adventurers, their eyes wide with wonder and fear as they continued to share stories about the legendary Leviathan.

As he opened the door, someone else was about to enter. He stopped, and as he noticed the girl’s clothes, his heart stopped as the girl pointed to him, eyes seething with rage.

“YOU!”