"Are we really those so-called dragons?" Kevin stared at his hands. He didn't feel like a dragon.
Okay—he was stronger, and he had that Word Spirit, but still… "dragon" felt like a stretch.
"No clue." Ashen One shrugged. He didn't understand the compensation system either.
"What Word Spirits did you guys draw, anyway?"
Kevin: "Moment."
Doctor: "Serpent."
Stelle: "Sword Control."
Ashen One nodded. "All pretty solid."
Moment: a speed fighter.
Serpent: recon/support.
Sword Control: basically a caster.
But—Ashen One's grin went full smug.
"Compared to my Rhein, you're all too weak!"
"Your thing's basically a human explosive." Kevin rolled his eyes. That indiscriminate nuke had nearly taken them with it.
"Only a freak like you can use it twice."
Waving him off, Stelle suggested, "Wanna go out and look around? We can't just sit here all week."
The chat group was still updating. They needed a week before they could return to their own worlds, so they had time.
Doctor: "Chu Tianjiao said this city isn't peaceful. Maybe we should stay in."
Ashen One smiled at him. "Do you want to stay?"
"Not at all."
"Then there you go. Go go go!"
Kevin watched those three brimming with energy and suddenly felt old.
Wait, what? He jolted. I just graduated. How am I old?
Damn work…
Also… after all this, do I still go back to work? Maybe I should go back and beat up my boss instead.
He was still spiraling when Ashen One opened the door and waved him over.
"Move it. You're the last one."
"Coming."
—
They walked the streets, taking in the crowds, the cars, the normal city life.
Kevin commented, "Feels like our world. Just… a bit behind."
Stelle: "Compared to interstellar travel, this is basically prehistoric."
The Doctor quietly observed everything, most of it new to him. And for some reason, watching people move around like this made him feel something strange—
Something like… happiness.
"This place is normal tech, just with some alchemy weapons. Not like your high-tech worlds." Ashen One grumbled.
It was 2004. Half of modern stuff didn't exist yet.
Then Ashen One spotted one of this era's signature "products."
"Let me show you what this era mass-produces."
They followed his gaze—
A pack of rainbow-haired, heavily styled shamate non-mainstreams.
Doctor: "…What are those?"
Ashen One: "Non-mainstreamers. Shamate, if you want the slang."
Stelle stared thoughtfully.
Ashen One instantly got nervous. "Don't tell me you want that haircut."
"Why not? Looks cool." Stelle turned, dead serious.
"…Kid, you're unbeatable."
"By the way, we haven't eaten today. You guys not hungry?" the Doctor rubbed his stomach.
"Now that you mention it, yeah." Stelle patted her belly.
"Hold on a bit." Kevin was hungry too, but used to it.
"That uncle still hasn't brought money. We saved his life!" Stelle grumbled.
"Who knows. Don't rely on others—rely on yourselves. Brothers, our ATM just arrived." Ashen One lowered his voice, excited.
Before the others could react, ten-plus "fashion pioneers" blocked the street corner.
"Hey! You four!" the leader—rainbow airplane-head—tilted his neck menacingly. "What were you pointing and talking about just now?"
Ashen One strutted forward like he didn't see the gang behind him.
"Was worrying about dinner money, and you thoughtful guys deliver yourselves. I'm almost embarrassed."
"Huh?" Airplane-head blinked.
In that blink, Ashen One grabbed his hair, yanked him down, and slammed a knee into his face.
Down he went.
"Late-night food secured!" Stelle's eyes lit up. She stepped in and decked another one. Instant KO.
"This… isn't good…" Kevin said with his mouth, while his body threw a crisp hook and dropped a third guy.
The three moved like wolves in sheep. The rest finally snapped out of it.
"Shit! Sneak attack?!"
"Get them!"
One shamate barely finished yelling before a shoe sole planted on his face.
"Big mouth, huh?" Ashen One kicked him down. "Brothers, shoulder-to-shoulder!"
A street brawl exploded.
"Hey! Stop all coming at me! Hit them!" the Doctor shrieked—while his feet turned into pure grease. He zigzagged through the alley so fast that the guys chasing him couldn't even brush his clothes.
"Damn! Is this nerd a rabbit? Why's he so fast?!"
Two minutes later, it was over.
Shamate bodies lay everywhere. Ashen One squatted to collect "loot."
Their commotion was noticed by two bystanders.
One was a middle-school boy hiding by a wall, unsure if he should call the cops.
The other was a girl watching from the shadows, thoughtful.
"Holy crap…" Lu Mingfei gulped. "Ten-something guys, all down in under two minutes? That's superhuman."
He'd sneaked out after dinner to dodge his aunt's nagging, only to see this. He'd even thought about calling the cops to be an anonymous hero…
"Eh, looks fine. I'll just go—"
He turned to leave.
A collar grabbed him and hoisted him up.
Lu Mingfei froze, turning stiffly—
Ashen One's face loomed over him, studying.
"Why do you look so familiar?"
Lu Mingfei flailed. "Big bro! Sir! I'm just a random middle-schooler! I don't know those guys! I was gonna help you call the cops!"
Stelle poked her head out. "Oh. You're bullying a kid."
"I'm not bullying him." Ashen One let go.
"He just looks familiar."
"Enough. Let's bail." Kevin was tense. A lifetime of good-student habits didn't want him getting dragged to a station after brawling and looting.
"I think we should eat now." The Doctor felt even hungrier after all that running.
"Then let's go." Ashen One casually ruffled Lu Mingfei's messy hair.
"Don't wander out at night. This era's 'specialty products' are dangerous." He pointed at the shamate pile.
They turned to leave.
Lu Mingfei exhaled.
"Whew… time to go home…"
Then Ashen One called back, "Hey, what's your name?"
Lu Mingfei's brain shorted. He blurted out automatically:
"Lu Mingfei…"
"…So it is you."
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (400 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (140 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (158 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (400 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (172 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (200 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (200 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (96 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (140 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (160 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (165 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (168 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (160 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (130 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Reincarnated in a Lostbelt, I Became the Alien God (90 Chapter)
The Way These Horse Girls Look at Me Is Terrifying! (160 Chapter)
Naruto: Tsunade's Deskmate (130 Chapter)
I Just Want to Live a Normal (50 Chapter).
Genshin Impact: A Hundred Confessions? It's Just a System Task (70 Chapter)
OnePiece : Starting as a Veteran of the Roger Pirates (60 Chapter)
Uma Musume : I Have Special Horse Taming Techniques (180 Chapter)
Uma Musume : My other self is a Horse Girl (110 Chapter)
Jujutsu Kaisen : All Affection Stats Maxed Out (170 Chapter)
Satou Kazuma's Decision to Live by Swindling, Starting from Re:Zero (60 Chapter)
Bleach : Ichigo! Take Over the Soul Society (68 Chapter)
Crossover Anime: The Master of Plagiarism with a 'Love Obstacle (110 Chapter)
Arknights Succubus Nurturing System, But I'm a Quiet Office Worker (60 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: Using My Personas to Break the Hearts of Players (50 Chapter)
One Punch Man : i am King? (100 Chapter)
Genshin: My Stats Are Irresistible (50 Chapter)
Naruto: Master of Dream Fulfillment! (50 Chapter)
Why Are All My Chat Group Friends Spin-Off Characters? (50 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it