The space around the temple was just as silent as it always was at night. It helped that nothing dangerous lived on the island. A few birds and some rodents, but nothing that might be an actual threat. It was odd after being in a place where even the bees were dangerous. Well, much more dangerous. The honeybees kept by the farmer’s association, which consisted of the two people with fully dedicated farms, were basically docile little puppies.
In that regard, they weren’t too different from Neth-amii’s critters, like Bumble, just different sized. Laughing at the thought, Bria picked up her pace and made it back into town faster than she ever had before. The gains she had made fighting in that other world carried over, and she felt lighter than air as she rushed through the underbrush.
At least until she reached the outskirts of town, skidding to a stop right before a congregation of the townsfolk that had gathered with flashlights and torches. They stared at one another before a commotion erupted. Seconds later, her father pushed his way through, standing there for a moment as he blinked. Bria looked back, taking in what her new sense returned.
[Human]
“Son, you’re alive!”
The word crashed into him like a bucket of cold water faster than his father’s arms wrapped around him. Right, son. He was Kevin Ortega, not Bria. How had that name stuck with him so easily just because a cute girl used it? The once crushing arms of his father barely felt like anything in the face of his new stats, yet it felt heavier than anything he experienced before.
“Hey,” Kevin said, glad that his voice didn’t come out all grumbly. “Have I got a story to tell you.”
“Well, you can start by telling it to officer Sanchez,” father said. “He’s been heading up the investigation into your disappearance.”
“There was an investigation?”
“Damn right there was! After Ruiz reported you vanished into thin air, he’s been the leading suspect. They’re holding him down at the lockup just to be safe!”
Shit, he was going to be so pissed about that, no matter how it was spun. Well, better to get ahead of that problem rather than allow it to fester.
“He had nothing to do with it, at least, not how you think,” Kevin said, then looked around at all the expectant people waiting for him to speak. “Can we talk about this somewhere more private? And make sure Mister Ruiz is there to hear it.”
“Oh come on!” someone in the crowd shouted. “We’ve all been lookin’ for ya for two whole days! You gotta tells us!”
Yeah, there was no way that he was going to just tell the entire town that he somehow ended up in a magical world where the only other person he met treated him like a girl and he liked it. It was going to be hard enough dancing around that when telling the story to those he had to. Besides, the rumor mill would spread regardless of what he did.
“You’ll be able to read about it in the newsletter,” Father declared. “Now, my son’s been found so everyone can head off to bed now!”
Multiple groans followed, though a firm hand on Kevin’s shoulder told him that he wasn’t going anywhere. Not that he planned on slipping away, but the assumption that he might still rankled. Soon enough, his father was practically marching him towards the jailhouse; usually reserved for drunks to sleep it off. Stepping inside, the officer jumped to his feet as he caught sight of Kevin.
“I really hope you have a good story,” Officer Sanchez said, his expression stoic. “Mister Ruiz is hopping mad and threatening to sue the island over all this.”
Considering Kevin could cast actual magic now, it was safe to say that he did have a decent enough story, but how much of that was he willing to share with the others? Would it be better to keep most of it to himself and then tell Mister Ruiz later, or come clean to his father and officer Sanchez?
“Is mother coming?” Kevin asked after a moment.
“She’s back home resting,” father said. “She was up most of the day helping the search while I grabbed what sleep I could. Be sure to thank her when you get home.”
“I will,” Kevin said a bit guiltily.
While he was glad to be back home in a way, it didn’t quite feel like he belonged anymore. At any point he could probably fight both of the men escorting him and win handily, and even if shot, heal that damage away with a single use of magic. And that was just at level four. What would the difference be once he hit level ten?
Kevin was shown to a seat as officer Sanchez fetched Mister Ruiz from the holding area. Boris and Nikolai were the first out, giving him the stink eye as they took flanking positions that loomed over him. For once he wasn’t sure if his heightened abilities would be enough to win that fight.
It took less than a minute for officer Sanchez to return with a ruffled—yet composed—Mister Ruiz. His eyes immediately fell upon Kevin, and widened.
“You’re back!” Mister Ruiz tried to pull forward, but Officer Sanchez held a firm grip upon him. “What did you see! Tell us!”
“Calm down,” Sanchez said, pushing him into another chair. “Kevin here promised to tell us everything, so just sit and be patient while the young man gives us his report.”
It took every ounce of control Kevin had to not flinch at the statement. He wasn’t sure why, but it made him yearn to return to the other side and Neth-amii’s kindness. Still, Officer Sanchez wasn’t wrong, and so, Kevin cleared his throat and recounted the basics of what happened there, leaving out the part where he leveled up from fighting.
“Magic,” Mister Ruiz whispered, sitting back heavily. “This is better than I ever imagined. You must tell me the details! Monsters and Priestesses, a whole world to explore… It’s so thrilling!”
Officer Sanchez narrowed his eyes. “You’re certain that you didn’t get drugged?”
“It does seem a bit far-fetched,” Father agreed, shaking his head. “He’s always playing those video games, it must have rotted his brain.”
Rather than continue to argue with the men, Kevin held out his hand and cast [Heal] on the officer, which had the unfortunate effect of startling him. He fell out of his chair, clattering to the ground as he pushed away with wide eyes. Even Father had jumped back, looking on with wide eyes.
“Marvelous! Stupendous!” Mister Ruiz exclaimed, his gaze almost manic as he watched the fading light of the spell dissipate. “We must document everything! Tell me, Kevin, how soon until you return?”
“I told the Priestess three days,” Kevin said, glad that Mister Ruiz seemed more excited by the prospect of learning more about the other side than disappointed that Kevin had hijacked his way into that amazing world. “We’ll need supplies to get to Brookvale.”
“I’ll see to it that you have them,” Mister Ruiz said, hands unable to gesticulate due to the cuffs still on him. “A camera too for that matter. We must document everything. This is the find of the millennium after all!”
“Can you release our employer now?” Boris asked. “He is clearly innocent.”
“Right,” Officer Sanchez said, picking himself up as he cast an uneasy eye upon Kevin. “Hold your wrists out.”
Mister Ruiz obliged him, and was soon free of the cuffs. Then he was up and pacing rapidly as he muttered to himself about the best ways to document everything. Kevin let out a breath. He’d been so worried about how the man would react to stealing his way in, but he seemed too distracted by the new discovery to chastise him over it.
That didn’t mean it wouldn’t happen once the excitement wore off, which meant Kevin couldn’t lower his guard just yet. He wasn’t looking forward to being alone with the man and his bodyguards and the inevitable indepth interrogation that would follow. So he would need to avoid that happening, at least until he had a few more levels.
“Three days,” Mister Ruiz exclaimed. “Boris and Nikolai can handle your supplies. I want to take Kevin to each of the ruins and see what happens now that he has a connection to this other world. Maybe that will open up some long sealed passages!”
“It could also reveal dangerous beasts,” Father said. “You heard my son. There are monsters that could kill the entire island without a hope of stopping them. What if some of them were left behind?”
“After hundreds of years, don’t be absurd,” Mister Ruiz dismissed. “I’m all but certain there’s no danger, but if you’re that concerned, we can wait until after the arrangements have been made for Kevin’s next journey before setting out. That way Boris and Nikolai can help if any of these monsters are indeed still around.”
“That’s acceptable,” Father said. “What about armor? There’s nothing on this island that is in any way practical, and I don’t know if Smith is up to making something that is.”
“True,” Mister Ruiz said, stroking his chin. “Unfortunately, I don’t think I could get anything commissioned before your next outing. We can still check with Smith and try to get something together that will hold you over until reaching this Brookvale place. Do you have an example of their currency? Perhaps we can get something together that will help fund things over there.”
Thinking for a moment, Kevin pulled a slime core from his pocket. “I have this.”
“Marvelous,” Mister Ruiz said, accepting the small marble. “It isn’t metal… Nor is it a common gem… What is this?”
“The core of a Slime,” Kevin said. “The Priestess collected them after each kill. Apparently they’re useful in all sorts of enchantments and are considered valuable.”
“They don’t use precious metals at all?” He asked, almost sounding disappointed. “There were no examples left behind by the people that fled either, save the decorations of the pyramid. Though, I do recall a written account of a bag of marbles…”
“I could always go back and ask if there’s anything we could bring back to sell,” Kevin said. “Just because we agreed on three days doesn’t mean I can’t go back early.”
“True, and it would allow us to confirm if there is anything beyond the arbitrary time of day difference that separates the worlds. For all we know, their days are longer or shorter than ours.”
“I still don’t like the idea of my son going back there,” Father said. “Just look at him. Two days over there and he looks thinner, like he didn’t eat well enough.”
Was he? Kevin felt down his sides—hugged tight by the vest—and struggled to tell the difference. Maybe a bit of his chub had gone away, but he didn’t feel any slimmer at the hips. His father had always been critical of his appearance, wanting him to be more manly, so it was probably related to that.
Rather than argue, Kevin walked over to his father, took him by the hips, and lifted. The man was heavy—especially with his gut—but Kevin still managed it with minimal strain. As his father looked down at him in surprise, Kevin realized that he had made a mistake by revealing his increased strength, but it was worth it.
“Would you look at that,” Mister Ruiz said, his eyes glinting in interest. “Still think your strapping son is scrawny and weak?”
Mutely, father shook his head. Kevin set him back down, making sure to grunt as he did. The damage was done, but he could still play it up a bit. From there, Officer Sanchez began the paperwork needed to release Mister Ruiz and Father agreed to meet with the man in the morning at eight sharp.
Unfortunately, Kevin wasn’t in the least bit tired after his rest just hours earlier. As his father led him back home in silence, Kevin’s mind drifted to all the inventive ways his father might chastise him once they were securely behind the closed doors of their own home.
Yet, it never came. Mother hugged him with teary eyes, fussing over him before sending him off to shower. That was something he hadn’t managed on the other side, nor thought to ask about. The [Cleanse] spell took care of the worst of it, but it wasn’t equal to a proper bath. Plus, he didn’t feel like wasting three points of mana just to skip a shower. Not when it wouldn’t regenerate. The two points missing from his [Heal] were still gone, even hours later.
Tugging on a shower cap to avoid dealing with drying his thick hair, he hopped in and turned on the spray. As the water cascaded over him, he couldn’t help but give his body a bit more attention than usual. His father’s words still echoed from earlier, and Kevin couldn’t help but be curious. Was it his imagination, or was his skin softer now? The hair on his legs and stomach seemed lighter too for that matter. He considered checking other parts of himself, but that was—
Nope. He shut the water off and hopped out, eager to be done with the day, er, night. He tossed on a loose shirt and sleeping shorts before heading to the kitchen for a glass of water. Father came in a moment later, and simply stared. Kevin wasn’t sure what he was staring about, and drank down his glass quickly.
“How much did your hair grow?”
Kevin blinked, his hand coming up to feel his shaggy hair, and was surprised to find the damp mass down almost to his shoulders. That brought him up short, because he had always kept it short enough to not go too far past his ears. How had he missed that in the shower?
Mother made herself known then, dragging Father to bed before more could be said, insisting it could all wait until morning. He was grateful for that, even if he couldn’t sleep at all. Rather than lay in bed restlessly, he considered booting up Dungeon Heroes, but after his experiences on the other side, would it even compare?
So, he instead stepped out into the Courtyard and looked up towards the night sky where the Milky Way was reflected back at him. It was different enough from that otherworldly sky, yet it still held that same majesty.
It spoke of there being so much more out there. Was that far off land somewhere in the vastness above, or was it another plane of existence entirely? Kevin didn’t know for certain, but he couldn’t wait to get back out there and see what adventure awaited him.
“Ah, good,” a voice said, causing Kevin to spin in place. Mister Ruiz stood just feet away with a smirk on his face and flanked by both bodyguards. All of the manic excitement the man had shown earlier was gone; replaced by something almost predatory. “Now then, tell me the full truth and not that half-baked tale you spun for the morons back at the station.”
“Uh—”
“Don’t be dense,” the man said, gesturing as Boris and Nikolai stepped out of the shadows, crossing their arms as they stood beside Mister Ruiz. “You stole what was rightfully mine, but unfortunately I now need you to ensure this entire endeavor wasn’t a waste of millions. So, get talking.”