I had the best sleep of my life.

I woke up in the same position I had fallen onto the bed; face first into the pillow, but naturally, I moved around in my sleep, so it wasn't exactly the same.

And this wasn't my bed nor my room. I was in another world, resting inside what was the medieval version of a hotel. I don't think I'll ever be able to get over the fact that I am actually in another fucking universe. What has my life become? I don't even know anymore.

Rolling over on my back, I stared at the ceiling with no other thoughts in mind, letting the silence numb my surroundings. I stretched my limbs with a satisfied sigh, savoring a couple more moments of the blissful quiet before swiftly hopping out of bed.

The room I had bought for the following days had a bedroom, the one I was currently in, the front door leading to the long corridor with the other rooms and a second door leading to what I presumed was the bathroom. I checked it anyway, and it was indeed the bathroom. It was simple yet surprisingly modern; a bathtub with a showerhead above, a sink and a toilet. The showerhead had me confused, how does a middle-age society have running water? Oh, right! Magic. The lazy answer to everything that makes no sense.

Not five minutes had passed and I was already getting sidetracked. A bad habit of mine, but can you blame me? No matter how hard I try to move past the reality of it, I just can't. The multiverse exists and I'm stuck in another world. Exactly! Therefore, I have to find a way home, there must be a way home. That's it, don't think about the negatives, think positive! Be an optimist, that's naive, sure, but I have to keep going. There is no other option.

Right, today I have to take care of some business. I returned to the bedroom which had a bed, obviously, a closet and that's it. Well, that was enough for me, I didn't plan on permanently staying here anyway.

I sat on the edge of the bed, placing both hands on my knees with closed eyes, thinking of everything I needed to do. After a minute or so I came up with what I currently needed to do.

Firstly, I needed new clothes. I received many suspicious glances from the locals, so I had to blend in. Secondly, I needed a weapon, anything would do, preferably a knife I could conceal on my person. Thirdly, I needed to know just what kind of world this was, what dangers did it have besides what I already knew, what nations existed, what were the relations between them, what was the currency, the last one was important because I had no grasp of how much I had spent on the entry tax and the room. For all I knew they could have scammed me. Anything would be useful to me, especially a way back to my own world.

I'd give this plan a seven out of ten. It was simple and easy to understand, but it lacked detail because I knew jack shit about what I was doing. It was okay. Everything will turn out alright, everything will be just fine.

My stomach rumbled, reminding me I hadn't eaten in over a day. The plan would have to be put on hold because I needed food, badly.

I opened my backpack, rummaging to the most nutritious snack I had; a bag of small, salty bagels. I opened the bag and began consuming the junk food like a wildfire, it took me only a couple of minutes to finish it. I felt much better afterwards, but in order to truly satisfy my hunger I'd have to eat a proper meal, that could wait for later. On some days I'd be fine with two meals instead of the recommended healthy three thanks to another bad habit I'd developed due to being skinny and Mr. Sad. Mr. Sad is the whole depression thing. Note to self; take a pill after lunch, high priority.

I put the empty plastic bag inside the backpack, this time taking a toothbrush and toothpaste with me back to the bathroom. Turning on the sink, I squeezed a drop of toothpaste onto the brush, I had to conserve my supplies until I found an alternative. Then, I began brushing my teeth. I didn't have a mirror to look at myself, but I managed. When I was done I spat the used paste into the sink and my breath felt much fresher. I ran my tongue over my teeth and they were much smoother as well, I gained another appreciation for modern life.

Returning for the second time to the bedroom, I stored the hygiene tools in the backpack, wearing the straps over my shoulders the same way I've done for thousands of times. Come on, you can do this. Focus on yourself, so what if they give you the stink eye? So what if you don't belong here in the slightest? You always managed to get along, so what if this time is a tad bit different? Act natural, and nobody will notice a thing.

With a plan in mind and my confidence boosted, I left the room, closing the door behind me with the key I had been given by the bartender. Now realizing I still stank like a skank, I mentally slapped myself but didn't return to the room. Fuck it, I'll take a bath in the evening, I didn't reek that much anyway.

I made my way down the corridor, descending the stairs leading to the first floor of the tavern. There were a few people inside the bar, probably here for breakfast. You never know though, some might like alcohol in the morning. Ignoring the raised eyebrows and curious looks I gained from the patriots, I continued on my way out of the bar and to the street. I glanced at the mechanical watch on my wrist, the hour was around nine. Shit, I have to hide it. I took it off and shoved it into a side zipper in the backpack. Luckily, the backpack was similar enough to the ones I'd seen some people carry around so I didn't have to hide it.

I hadn't overslept too much, so that was good. I had a long day ahead of me and my first stop was a clothing shop.

I had no clue where I could find one. In fact, I knew nothing of the town's layout and asking the residents here for directions every time wouldn't be possible, it'd be awkward as hell too. So the actual first thing I had to get was a map, I'd need to talk to the locals again, but this would be the last time I'd have to.

So I did just that, I asked bypassers if they knew where I could get a map. After a few failed attempts where I was either ignored or told to fuck off, I finally got the directions I needed. I thanked the one person that assisted me before I jogged to my first destination; a cartographer's shop.

I followed the directions I'd been given, turning multiple corners until I arrived at a small shop idly sitting at an intersection. On each side of the entrance were tall windows which displayed the products the shop had in store. It wasn't anything grand or beautiful, but you shouldn't always judge a book by its cover. I entered the shop, unlike the tavern it didn't have a bell ring when the door was opened indicating a customer had come in. It was simple yet homie, there were maps, books, painting supplies and strange items on the shelves I didn't know what they were.

"Hello! How can I help you, young man?" A woman greeted me, looking straight ahead revealed that it was the shopkeeper. She was an old woman, I'd say somewhere in her late fifties. Her long, brown hair had turned gray at the edges but she didn't have that many wrinkles.

"Uh, yes. I need some maps," I approached the woman sitting behind the counter, glancing from time to time at the mysterious stuff she sold.

"Of course I have maps, but you have to be more specific."

Right, "I need a map of the world and another of the town. I'm new here, and I lost some of my stuff during an expedition."

"Oh, an adventurer? Haven't seen one of you in quite a while, ever since the…" she froze in place, like a fish out of water.

"Nevermind. Just a moment," she stood up from her chair, going to the back to get me the requested items. That was strange, but she probably reminded herself of a bad memory. It happened to me from time to time and still does, even before the whole "another world" thing. Sometimes the mind likes to think up a random thought and that can lead to worse ones. Trying to control your thoughts is difficult, but not impossible.

The shopkeeper returned with two scrolls, one in each hand. "That'll be five silver," she said with a warm smile.

I gave her the silver coins, in return she gave me two valuable pieces of paper that would make my life slightly easier; a map of the town and another of the entire world. Wait, what if the world was flat? No, that's impossible. But magic exists- see what I mean? The brain just loves to do a little trolling whenever it feels like it. I'll ask questions when I reach the library, if there is one.

"Thank you," I turned around and began walking out of the store.

"Come by if you need anything else!"

"Sure," I probably won't. I got what I needed so there was no reason for me to return. I wish you the best, random lady.

Once I left the store I took a quick look at the world map and- yeah no, fuck this shit. There was only one continent in the world, isn't that just great? Anywho, now I needed a new outfit to go with the flow. I may lack style, but I still got swag. Yeah, that wasn't funny, but I tried.

I put the world map in my backpack, safely tucked away for later use. I unfolded the map of the town showing its entire layout. The town was built in the shape of an imperfect circle with a diameter of approximately five kilometers. I estimated that because they used a measuring unit that was almost identical to the metric system, what a coincidence and totally not a shortcut in writing.

So, now I had a grasp of just how big this place was. Conveniently, the map also had spots marked with drawings such as scissors, a sword, a bag of money, a horseshoe and more, each symbol indicating what business operated in that spot. The closest objective to me was a clothing shop a couple blocks away, followed by a blacksmith a kilometer away and a library on the other side of the town from the blacksmith. No problem, I had all day at my disposal.

With my first objective complete, I went to the second one. I couldn't wait to be rid of all these stares, I hated the attention, it reminded me of when I'd get sent to the principal of "inappropriate behavior" meaning I hit the aggressor back, no regrets.

On my way to my second goal, I noticed the architecture of the town resembled that of old European towns somehow infused with modern western towns. Maybe I wasn't describing them right, but how's that even possible? Think of history as a tree, with each century you go higher and higher, advancing further to the infinite top. Here, it seemed that they skipped some steps that would've held humanity back for longer, and I just don't get it. It's as if magic is a cheat code that allows you to do the impossible, it's not necessarily a bad thing, the problem I see are the extreme negatives. I won't go into detail on how bad shit can hit the fan if magic was truly limitless in possibilities as that would scar me more than I already have been.

After having some trouble navigating the map and receiving more of those pesky stares, I arrived at the clothing shop. I entered the store and saw that there were already people going about their business, selecting the clothes they desired along with other things. Under me was a simple rug on which I wiped my boots on to make them a little cleaner. There were a number of mannequins wearing a select of premium, high quality outfits such as a wedding dress, a hunter's camouflage which caught my eye and a nightgown, but if you wanted to irritate a certain squid, you'd call it a pajama.

However, I didn't need anything too fancy, simple always worked. I browsed a shelf of white, gray and black shirts and pants, they reminded me of the gloomy winter nights where the sun couldn't break through the thick rain clouds. The darker colors were especially depressing, and lighter colors tend to make any stains they have stand out, so gray would have to do.

I took a look at the price tag of each piece, a shirt and a pair of pants both priced at one silver. So, if the two map were five silver, then I'd say it was a fair deal. I grabbed three pairs of the gray shirts and pants before going to a changing room I saw a woman enter into a short time ago. After she left the booth, I went inside and tried each piece on. When I was done, I was pleased with myself. They were a little loose on me, but that only meant I had to gain some weight. Who am I kidding, that's hard. Just another habit I'll have to fix, somehow.

I left the changing room with a pair of gray pants and shirt on me, now I needed different shoes.

Exploring more of the store, I found a fair selection of footwear, the type that I tried on was made of leather and reached the middle of my leg. And guess what? It was also gray. Yeah, it was going to look whack, and not the good kind. Did I care? Nope. They were comfortable, cheap and bland. The last thing needed to complete my outfit was a warm jacket because not only was my current one "too modern", I also worried that it wouldn't be enough. What if the winters here were harsher? Colder? Longer? I hadn't checked where I was exactly on the map yet, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

I searched through a variety of leather jackets I saw hanging above a different type of footwear until I found the perfect piece to complete my masterpiece; a thick coat that reached all the way to my waist and, you guessed it, was gray. Now not only did I look like I had no taste and was about to do something very bad, I was one of the locals. In a way, I had become the impostor amongst them. Yes, I know what I just said. I only ask for your forgiveness, and God's if he does exist.

With my disguise complete, I went to the shopkeeper to pay for all the clothes I took, including the ones I was currently wearing which were the shirt, pants, boots and coat. I had put the old ones in my backpack as well as my hiking boots. They were dirty, sure, but that could be taken care of later, however long that may be. After I handed the shopkeeper the required amount of silver coins for my purchase, I thanked him and left the store feeling slightly calmer.

Next on the list was the blacksmith which was a fair distance away, so I began my walk there. I had an idea on what would fit me just right; a knife. Well, a dagger is the proper name of such a weapon, easily concealable and effective in close combat. However, there was one small issue; I didn't know how to fight. Sure, I could jab and slash with it, but how about using it effectively? Perhaps I can take some lessons in fighting from someone in town. I had to learn how to protect myself, my previous encounters with the animal-women made that crystal clear.

After a couple of minutes I was approaching the center of the town, the map showed that it was a large, empty area; it was the town square. The closer I got to the central plaza, the more people were present. They were bickering about something going down there, might as well check it out, watch from the sidelines. A few houses away from the town square I entered a crowd, becoming denser the further I went. It wasn't like a sardine can, people could still go to and from, just with more caution as to not trample anyone by accident.

The plaza was empty of any structures. No, wait, there was a wooden stage in the middle. By how many people were here I'd guess half the town was present to whatever this was. On the stage I saw- oh shit, oh shit! This is fucked, but I should've expected this from a medieval society.

What I saw on the stage was frightening. There were seven men in total; one man was a priest, I assumed that because he was wearing white robes with a golden cross stitched on the front, holding a golden object at the tip of his cane. Four guards were there too, unlike the ones I had first met, these guys were intimidating. They wore full plate armor with the visor of their helmet down to hide their faces and each had a longsword hanging on their hip. They were standing at attention, patiently waiting for something. Another man was a prisoner, his clothes were tattered, his body bruised and beaten purple in some places. He had a bag over his head and his hands were tied behind his back.

The guards had formed a square formation around the prisoner and the priest was standing to the right side of the prisoner.

Then, there was the last man. He wore all black, his entire body covered in a single robe with no gaps and a hood above his head to hide who he was just like the knights. He held no weapon, but his role was clear; he was the executioner, and what I had stumbled upon was a live hanging.

It took me a few seconds to realize what this was, hence my reaction. On the outside I showed nothing, but on the inside I was screaming obscenities. I've never been on the dark web, but now I get to watch this shit like a fucking concert. I thought of leaving, but it'd look suspicious, not to mention some people probably remembered my face. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I want to see what will happen. I didn't know why I felt that way, and it only compelled me to stay in the crowd as another faceless figure.

A whistle rang across the plaza, silencing any talking within the crowd. The priest came forth to the edge of the stage, depending on where you were located. He cleared his throat before beginning his speech, "My fellow believers! As most of you know, there was an incident in the outskirts of our beautiful home," many hushed voices spoke to each other. Okay, I know this sounds bad, but maybe I can learn something valuable from this? Who knows.

"I am pleased to bring you the criminal, nay, the heretic, the same one that had an affair with a monster!" As the priest spoke, he approached the prisoner, removing the bag from his head when he finished his sentence. The prisoner was immediately bombarded with boo!'s and insults of all degrees, some people were even throwing rotten fruits and vegetables at him.

"But…" the crowd went silent, as if an invisible force shut everyone up at the word of the priest, or maybe there was one? "We also found something horrible, the wife of the heretic, DEAD!" The crowd gasped, shock on their faces. They were about to go ape-shit again, but the priest continued, "Not only did he break the holy union of husband and wife, he MURDERED HER! For some disgusting, heinous monster! So now, we give you what you want, what you deserve! HANG HIM!"

The crowd chanted the last two words over and over again, some were even smiling and laughing. To say I was horrified would be an understatement, even if the man was indeed guilty of what he's done, it didn't matter now. He was a dead man.

Despite being a fair distance away from the stage, I could see the man break down in tears as the executioner tied a noose around his neck. With his arms already tied behind his back, the guards stepped away from the prisoner. The executioner stood beside a lever that opened the trapdoor underneath the prisoner. The priest exchanged some words with the man before backing away as well. Before I could process everything that was happening, the executioner pulled the lever and-

crack!

I heard the faint sound of bones break, the prisoner died instantly, and the crowd was ecstatic. They cheered as if something wonderful had just happened, but some were silent just like me. You know, I think I did learn a very valuable lesson from this; hide. If this is what they do to every person who they, and by "they" I mean whatever this cult is, deem as a "heretic", then what am I? What would they do to me if they found out I wasn't of this world? Would they torture me for information? Would they hang me just like this poor bastard? I had to keep my identity a secret, I had to return home, somehow.

After a few moments of just staring at the limp body a sickening taste crept into my mouth. I didn't feel like throwing up, but I couldn't remain here any longer. I had to move on, I had to. I slowly began backing into the crowd that had formed behind me, but somewhere along the way I bumped into someone behind me.

"Sorry," I quickly apologized. I turned around and saw the one I collided with was a woman shorter than me, she had red hair and- red eyes? Weird.

She seemed entranced by something before shaking her head, "N-no problem, I didn't look where I was going either."

"A'ight, have a good day," I told her, exiting the town square and living through another twisted experience of this new, wonderful world.

The next destination was a blacksmith not far away, but I had to take a break first. I sat down on the first bench I saw and took a breather. I couldn't put off what I had just witnessed, but you know what was the worst part? Some of those people fucking loved it, they enjoyed watching the death of another man, another person.

How brainwashed were these people? How faithful were they to that cult? I had to know just how bad it was. And from what I saw on my way to the plaza, that cult wasn't just a cult, but a well-established religion too. They had to have power over the people, and what if they were the government? A theocracy of sorts? If that were true, the library would be heavily censored and unreliable.

What a mind fuck. I heaved a tired sigh, checking that everything was on me before I continued walking to the blacksmith.

It took me a while to arrive at the destination on the map. Unlike the other stores, it resembled a warehouse and had a large chimney rising from the roof. I entered the blacksmith and saw multiple workers moving to and from, using molten elements to forge whatever they needed to; weapons, tools, armor and more. A couple meters to my left was a neatly organized display of the items they had in stock. Beside it a bold man minded his own business, curving a small statue out of wood with a hunting knife. I approached the bold man somewhat anxious, they had a bunch of weapons laying around after all.

"Hello," I said, sweating from the heat inside the workshop and building anxiety.

The man glanced up at me from his handiwork, putting aside his unfinished workpiece, "Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'd like to buy a knife," he chuckled, shaking his head.

"You have to be a more specific kid. We got all sorts here: kitchen knives, skinning knives, daggers, extremely short swords and more. And for what purpose?"

"I need a dagger, for… personal use," ah shit, bad answer! Bad answer!

"I'm kidding, we don't give two shits why you're buying as long as you're paying, just don't go around stabbing anyone, yeah?"

"N-never! I need it for self defense, last time I got into trouble with some bird-women," the man laughed at me, what? Was my suffering a joke to you? Screw you.

"So you're that guy, why didn't you say so? You're the talk of town, you know that? Never heard of someone get away from a flock of harpies before but hey, maybe the Chief God smiled upon you? Right?"

"Yeah," was all I said. Well shit, I guess going James Bond on these folks wasn't going to work. However, now that I wore what every else wore albeit with less taste, the chances of identifying me was moderately lower, I hope.

"Anyway, what kind of dagger you need?"

"Something to hide on me, no need for anything fancy. As long as I can defend myself properly."

"Hmm, I think I got something. Just a moment," he searched through an array of short swords and tiny butter knives, organized from longest to shortest. After a moment, as he'd said, he returned with a simple weapon; an unpolished, metallic dagger. The blade was the length of my hand and the handle was made from a different metal, it also came with a holster.

"How about this? Nothing too special, but it'll get the job done. Never seen the light of day either, so the edge is as sharp as ever," that sounded good, now for the price.

"How much?"

"Four silver," I believe I was starting to get a hold of what the currency here was like. If the two maps were worth five silver coins, then this shouldn't be too unreasonable, I think? Yeah, sounds about right.

I searched my pocket for the needed amount before coming to a realization that I only had copper coins there, the rest of the gold and silver was safely tucked away in the backpack, its weight nothing but a bitter reminder of my problematic situation.

"Do you also sell a purse- uh, coin-sack too?" I asked, biting my inner cheek.

"You'd be surprised how many people ask us that question. We do, I'll bring you one," as he went to get one, I put my bag on the ground and waited.

However, just before he came back I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. Alright, next stop is a restaurant because I'm hungry as hell. Yeah, you know what? Maybe eating a cheap snack and calling it breakfast wasn't my brightest idea. At least I got a lot done today, and that's good. I could really go for some borsch right now.

"That'll be an additional silver," the man said. I didn't notice he had returned due to how severely I was daydreaming about Mom's cooking.

I gave him the payment and in return he gave me another two accessories that would make my life just a bit easier; a weapon to defend myself, or at the very least feel safer with, and a small, leather sack to store my coins in for easier access. I emptied all the coins in my pockets and backpack into said sack before tying the string that closes it around my waist, tucking it into my pants so no one tries to steal it from me. Wearing the backpack again, I then hid the blade in a large pocket inside my coat. I bid my goodbyes to the bold man, once I was outside the warehouse I searched the map for a restaurant nearby.

There were multiple options to eat at, but the one I had my eye on was a cafe close to the library on the other side of the town, so I began speed-walking there. It probably took me less time than I thought, and when I did get there I felt my mouth watering, why? Because the cafe was also a bakery. When I arrived at the street where the restaurant was located, I observed it in all its shining glory. The closer I came to the cafe, the stronger the smell became. I never thought fresh bread could smell so fucking good, that might've been due to my semi-starved state.

Outside was the cafe, a dozen tables to sit and eat food at. Inside was the bakery itself, hence the fantastic smell of newly born breads. When I entered the shop I was greeted with smiles and waves from the employees serving the people sitting inside, you could sit there instead if you chose so. At this point I didn't care what kind of bread they had, I just needed something that'd make my stomach shut up before it roared like a lion.

I approached the front counter where a man wearing a chef's hat was mixing a drink, presumably coffee. I never liked coffee, not only because of the taste, but the addictive components too. I always try to stay away from those, but I do have my fair share of times when curiosity killed the cat. Maybe I could try beer- no, bad thought, I can't get caught with my pants down, literally. When I return home, I'll get so wasted I won't remember a thing from this nightmare.

Before I could order my mega-lunch, I had to wait in line since four people were in front of me. The line moved quickly, so the wait time was short. This is a hot spot, I'll remember that. When it was my turn, I glanced behind the joyful man at all the delicious foods they had to offer. Wait, what did they even call these? Maybe they had different names for breads? What if a baguette was called longus breadus or something stupid like that?

"Hey! What's with the wait?!"

"Stop holding up the line and move it!"

"Move it ya wanker!"

I turned around to see that the line was already full in just a couple seconds. I was nervous, angry too because they were cunts, but mainly nervous. So what if I was having a little trouble? Some of us are slower, be patient, no need to be rude. But they were still right, I had to pick something.

"I'll get two of the round ones, the ones with cheese?" I said, trying to convey my order to the man.

"The Cheese Wheel, good choice!" The chef then brought two of those cheese-filled breads which were the size of a canary melon, steam coming off of them. They looked so fucking good, but first I had to pay for them, "that'll be 1 gold."

Holy shit, I'm pretty sure that's a lot. At this point I gave zero fucks if I were being scammed or if this was some artisanal, deluxe, premium, elite-only plus plus plus bullshit, I gave him a single gold coin before taking both loafs outside, sitting down at a lone table away from everyone.

I touched one loaf of bread with a finger, sensing it was still too hot to eat. I waited a good minute before carefully trying again, it had cooled down enough to handle. Next, I took a cautious bite, and let me tell you, it might've been my brain, but it was perfect in every sense. The way the molten cheese blended with the crispy bread, the crunchiness soothing my ears with every bite.

I devoured both loafs whilst attempting, and failing, to draw out the meal for longer and savor the taste, letting out a quiet burp once I was done. If I had to put this epic lunch into one sentence, it'd be: "Finally, some good fucking food."

Although, you can't have a great feast without something to drink, so I took out- ah shit, I can't, not in public. I was about to drink from a water bottle out in the open, an innocent act, but you had to remember that these people didn't know what plastic was, if I showed it they'd think I was some wizard, something like that. And if that cult found out about me and didn't like what they heard, I'd end up just like that poor bastard with a rope around my neck. I'm taking no risks, I'll drink later in private.

With my hunger satisfied I stood up from the table and went on my way to the last stop; the library.

The library was a couple houses away from the cafe which was very nice. As I was walking to the library, I couldn't help but crack a small smile. I felt good about myself, I was being productive, and productive is good. Not that I wasn't back in my world- ha, isn't that funny. Never thought those words would pop into my mind in that order. In just two days my entire world turned upside down, chewed, and spit right out. I was in another world with so much crazy shit; magic, other intelligent life forms, two moons for fuck sake! Two. Fucking. Moons.

Life, heh? It works in mysterious ways and all that. Perhaps the reason why I still haven't had a total breakdown is because I'm letting off steam from time to time like a kettle. I mean, there's just so much to think about, so much to do, so much of everything. With how far the denizens of this reality were behind in technology, I bet they had so many problems as well, like diseases- I completely forgot about my medicine! I should've taken it in the morning, fucking idiot. No biggie, I'll take it in the library for "an extra boost".

I arrived at the front of the library after my short walk, gawking at the impressive height of the structure. Its base was similar in size to the blacksmith's, but its height dominated the skyline. It was built completely out of stone; the stairs leading up to the entrance, the pillars holding up the balcony above, it was something to behold.

I ambled up the stairs, their smooth, stainless texture reflecting off the sunlight. I took a deep breath, relaxed, then opened the doors and went in.

There was no one inside, wait, no, only the librarian; a woman in robes and a strange hat. What's with their obsession with robes? Whatever.

Well, I can't say I'm too surprised. This is a medieval society after all, and you know what that means? No money means no education. Only the rich nobles and a select few of the middle class had the privilege of knowing how to write, read, and learn shit. That only made me appreciate my own world even more. With how flawed it was, it was far safer than this one. I don't know if it was also easier, that's up for debate.

The library had four floors in total, each containing shelves full of books of all types, and the answers I needed. I also saw that each shelf had a small sign above it indicating what books it housed, the first one I saw was History, good start.

I walked further into the library, ignoring the librarian sitting behind a desk with a book of her own. She didn't notice me when I passed by her, utterly focused on whatever she was reading. And I didn't call out to her, the less I had to talk with people, the better.

I stopped in front of the history shelf, inspecting all the content it had to offer. Content that was censored to the Nth degree, but content nonetheless. My eyes landed on the perfect book; "The Order of the Chief God and all you need to know." Isn't that a delightful name, blatantly telling the reader that what they're reading are lies based on more lies. I took the book out of its place, and guess what? It had a cross on it. So that means that the cult is "The Order of the Chief God", such a cool name, truly inspiring and original.

I repeated the process with Geography and Culture as well. There were other sub genres that I skipped since they were of no use to me such as "A Hundred And One Ways To Kill A Monster" and a joke book that made no sense to me when I tired reading it.

After I had the three books stacked on top of each other under my arm, I made my way to the second floor where a lounging area was along with rows of tables to sit at, it was compact but not as bad as what I had in my school. One class was so dense you had to vault over some tables to reach the exit while other classes were suitable enough for students.

Never mind that, I sat down at the last table in a row of five out of habit. The main difference was that I wasn't getting tripped or thrown papers at me. It rarely happened, but it still happened. I took off my bag and set it down between my legs, also out of habit. I really have to work on that.

Before I began reading, I searched through a small compartment in the backpack, pulling out the miniature, yet crucial, container that made sure my health stayed in top shape. I opened the pillbox with a click, peppering one pill onto my palm. I closed the container and put it back to its original place, taking out a half-full water bottle. Yup, this water was two days old, did I care? Nah.

I downed the pill with a couple gulps and the water tasted fine. Then, I returned the bottle into the bag, feeling far more relieved, psychologically. It takes a while for the effects to kick in.

Without another distraction, I opened the history book and began reading. I was a slow reader, so it might take me a while. But look on the bright side, after this all I'll need is to find a job and bam! I'm set.

I slammed the last book closed, screaming into my thick coat so the librarian wouldn't hear me.

I can't even begin to- I can't even- you know what? I just can't. I can't. I CAN'T! What the actual fuck? Why, why, just why?! AAAAAAH!

Deep breaths, deep breaths. In, and out. Just like the doctor said, no, not the bold one that acts in adult films, my family doctor. Just think of nothing, clear your mind. Yeah, that's better.

I don't think anything can excuse just how twisted this world is. Okay, let me explain why I believe that.

At the beginning of time, there was the Chief God. Who is that? What was before? Nothing was remotely mentioned about that. The Chief God created the world and everything in it, and I mean everything. Now, if you know a little about religion, this will seem oddly familiar, but let's be generous and call it a coincidence. Moving on, there was also magic and monsters and other crazy shit like that, but wait, there is more.

Alongside the Chief God, there are other gods such as Ares the god of war, personally I think Kratos is the true god of war and a total giga-chad, Eros the god of love, Poseidon the god of the sea and so on. You see where this doesn't really click? They're saying there is one god that created everything, so who the hell are those other motherfuckers? But no, there is more. All The Gods are real, as in their existence has been proven. And you know what else? They are women.

Yes, the idea of God, that is supposedly an entity, is actually a woman in this world. The problem isn't even that they're women, it's that the whole faith means jack shit if it's factual. The idea of a faith is to "have faith", it's in the fucking name! But no, there is more.

At some point in history, a hero was sent to fight the Demon Lord, the ruler of the underworld, also known as hell. There are also other realms that exist outside of this world such as Wonderland, extremely similar Alice in Wonderland, some bizarre cat kingdom, hell itself, purgatory, heaven and the list doesn't just end.

The current Demon Lord at that time was a Succubus, which I now knew meant a demon that fed on sex, and what do you think the hero did when he met her? They fell in love on first sight, had lots of sex and happy ending forever and ever, ignoring the part where he betrayed his god and that she did some hocus pocus to mind control him. Ha, I sound like a crazy conspiracist.

Now here's the funny thing, she decided "out of the goodness of her heart" to cast a spell in order to share her love with the world and how wonderful it was to be married and shit, and what did the spell do? Turn all the heinous monsters into female, humanoid supermodels that would stop at nothing to get a man. From that point onward the world was never the same, the most recent conflict was "The Battle of Lescatie", a city that was a key location for The Order. After it was taken, The Order went through a radical reform, so radical that I almost shat my pants when I read of what they did to anyone they deemed a traitor. Remember that poor bastard? If everything so far were true, he got off easy.

But wait, there's more. If the rape part wasn't enough, they also have magical energies and shit. In this world, each living being has a type of energy. Humans have something called Spirit Energy, in contrast the monsters, the politically correct term being Mamono which I won't use because I don't care, have Demonic Energy. And when a man and a monster copulate, they exchange energies; the monster becomes stronger whilst the man gradually becomes an Incubus, losing his humanity in the process and becoming dependent on sex to live. Oh, then there is also the part where some monsters are capable of transforming women into other monsters.

Need I say more? This was the extremely summarized version of what I had read. At first I took everything with a grain of salt, but with my own experiences added to the mix? Might as well spill the whole damn shaker. I had to get the fuck out of this world as soon as possible, and from what I saw in an atlas there was a fairy kingdom in the northern region of the continent.

I digress. Besides the massive headache the history book gave me, I was thankful that I decided to take my meds before I started, I didn't read every single detail due to it being the thickest and most painful one out of the three. The atlas was better, simpler and didn't give me bad thoughts. The scrolls I had bought also supported the atlas's legitimacy.

The world had one continent and two smaller islands. The continent was massive, I estimated it had to be bigger than Africa and Asia combined. However, it wasn't a true continent like the ones on Earth, there were channels varying in size dividing it. The entire continent was divided into eight slices, in total forming five main sections which were the east, the west, the south, the north and the center. In the west were flatlands, mountain chains and massive forests controlled by the Demon Army. I forgot to mention that the Demon Lord, the same one that changed the world, had nine daughters in total, each doing her own thing to help her dear mother, fucking bitch.

The fourth one was Druella, the leader of the Demon Army, the one that took Lescatie. The chances of meeting her were astronomically low, not that I'd want to meet such a terrifying figure in the first place. Monsters were dangerous, some could do magic that could really fuck you up, literally.

Back on track, as I said the west of the continent was controlled by the demon army. The south region was mostly an empty desert with a few pinpoint locations that thrived, there were even pyramids there. In the east of the continent was where the Order had a solid foothold. In comparison, the Order was slightly bigger than the Demon Realms territory wise.

In the middle of the continent were a bunch of mountain chains, it was marked as a nation called Dragonia. As the name suggests, it was inhabited mainly by dragons, though not much else was known about it because it was impossible to traverse.

The northern region was where the Fairy Kingdom was located along with remote elf villages, an ice queen lived there as well which didn't matter to me. It was very cold up there, a side note mentioned that summer lasted there for two circles which probably meant two months. Far from the east coast was an island nation called Zipangu, by its shape I immediately knew it had to be the Japan of this world. Surprisingly, not much was written about it in the history book either, that being due to the rough relations between The Order and the micro-nations that governed the island.

One despised the monsters and the other "co-existed" with them, but I doubted the latter really did that. Don't get me wrong, I had solidified my hatred to those cocksucking whores, but The Order was no better. They were religious zealots that killed anything that disagreed with them in the slightest, they ruled with an iron fist and committed so many war crimes it'd put our worst historic figures to shame. If I had to side with one of them, it'd be my side, the one that wants nothing to do with this and go home, to where I belong, away from all the dangers.

There's also the Chinatown of this world north to Zipangu, the second island and biggest out of the two. Its wildlife was suspiciously similar to that of the real China, including the thirsty monster girls.

I believe that's it. Did I forget anything? Oh! The Gods of this world are also fighting each other, some are siding with the current Chief God while others are siding with the Demon Lord. And I now knew that ten copper coins were the equivalent of one silver coin, and ten silver were the equivalent of one gold. Yup, that's everything.

Still, I had one question that I had no answer to; why am I here?

Why? For what purpose have I been brought to this world? Was this just a big mistake? An accident? I don't want this, I, I...

Tears began forming in my eyes, I wiped them away and took a sharp breath. Why am I crying? I've grieved enough, I need to get a job, then…

Then what? Go to the Fairy Kingdom in hopes for something that'll be able to send me home? Last time I was out in the wild I was attacked three times and luck was the only thing that got me through each time. How do I even get someone to take me there? What do I tell them? "Hey, uh, I need to go to the pixie boogieland for super secret business, trust me bro," and what if they ask more than necessary, what if I slip up? If I tell them the truth I'll- they'll torture me, they'll cut off my limbs before removing every organ in the most agonizing way possible, and when I think I'm close to death, they'll bring me right back and repeat it all over again.

I stumbled back and hit the wall, sliding down with tears freely streaming down my face. But I didn't make a sound, I kept everything to myself. I knew no one would listen, and no one would care.

Why was this happening to me? I know I'm not good, but I try. I try my best, and this is what I get?! I never asked for anything! What?! Am I supposed to be all happy and shit and go on some adventure to become the best?! Fuck you!

I covered my eyes, hugging my knees to my chest, shaking with every raspy breath. I just want to go home, to my parents, to my life, to my future. I… I'm scared, I'm really scared.

What… what if there is no way home? W-what if I'm stuck here? What if this really was an accident? I sobbed into my arms, wettening the new, smooth fabric. If I arrived here by dying, then…

NO!

I wiped the tears away, sniffing as I regained my composure. There is a way home, I will go home, everything will work out. I can do this, I have to focus on one goal at a time, maybe something will come up and I'll be able to get to the kingdom? If that doesn't happen I'll just find another way. I quietly laughed to myself, coughing between giggles and wheezes. I will never neglect my medication ever again, that I can say for sure.

I stood up with shaky legs, returning to the table to pick up my trusty bag and the three books. After I completely calmed down from… that, I went back down to the first floor and returned each book to its correct place. When I passed the librarian again she had her head on the table, quietly snoring away.

I stepped outside and was shocked to discover it was nighttime. There was still some orange in the sky, but the sun wasn't visible anymore. Huh, would you look at that? I suppose I need to improve my reading speed too.

You know what? I'll look for work tomorrow because I was exhausted, and also because I was worried since I had no experience actually working. I began walking at a slow pace back to the tavern, there I'll have dinner, take a shower and go right to bed. Everything will work out fine, it will.

Yeah, it will.

Not too far from the town was a military camp with a few tents built to withstand the weather and blend into the lush environment. The monsters inside the camp were on a mission to spy on the town nearby, the commanding officer of the platoon resting at the camp was waiting for her trusty doppelganger to return. For those who don't know, a doppelganger is a type of monster that can change her appearance to almost anything and shows her true form exclusively to a number of people she trusts.

The officer, a blue skinned demon with two horns, two black wings and a heart-shaped tail, was sitting in her own tent, writing reports to the higher ups back home. She didn't understand why Druella had her sights on taking this town, there was nothing interesting here. With a population less than a thousand they weren't that isolated from the rest, they weren't even close to the border. In spite of her own doubts, she didn't question her beloved leader. She only followed orders and executed them to the best of her ability, no matter the cost.

As she was debating whether to call it a day and go to bed, her doppelganger burst through the loose tent flaps, halting to a stop in front of her table. She was panting like a bitch in heat, using the table as a support.

"Ifera?! Are you alright?" The officer asked with concern, putting her work aside.

"Y-yes, e-everything is going as p-planned," the doppelganger stuttered, huffing between words due to running all the way from the town the moment she was sure no one saw her.

"Did something happen? Were you found out?"

"N-no, n-nothing like that. I-I found the target, b-b-but…"

"...yes?" The demon had her full attention on the doppelganger, offering her a glass of water she had summoned out of thin air. The doppelganger accepted her polite offer and downed the water in a few gulps before continuing.

"When I was at the town square, I... I saw a man hang," the demon scoffed, visibly upset at such a cruel punishment, so undeserving of such precious creatures.

"How awful, I-"

"T-that's not the worst part," the doppelganger interrupted, her breath quickening at the thought of what she saw, what she felt when she saw that man.

"...I'm listening," the demon took a blank paper and ink pen, waiting for her spy to tell her the worst part.

"When I got there, I felt bad, seeing him hang. But… I noticed something strange in the crowd. Not too far away stood a man, I didn't think much of it at first. But when I made my way around, I felt like something was… off," the doppelganger took a moment to recuperate before continuing with her report, "When I looked at him, he was… different, he… I… I couldn't feel his energy," the demon's eyes widened, she almost dropped her pen when she heard that.

"What?"

"A-and when I got really close to him, I felt so… empty. No matter how hard I looked, he had nothing. No light, no darkness, nothing. A-and after everything was over, he bumped into me… he… he… HE HAD NO SOUL!" The doppelganger screamed, pulling at the hairs on her head, "I-I d-don't know if i-it's some trick, but please, please, don't send me back there, to that thing. He's dangerous, we must abandon this mission!"

The demon said nothing, she didn't know how to respond to what she just heard. She knew Ifera for decades, she had always been loyal to her and the Demon Lord. There was no reason for her to lie, no alternative motives behind her words, she was telling the truth.

Despite the demon's centuries of experience, she had never heard of a man without a soul, the idea of such a thing was impossible. But her spy never lied to her, and she wasn't imagining things either. If she did lie, the demon would've known.

"Ifera, you know we can't disobey the Demon Lord's will. Go rest, okay? I'll handle everything."

"O-okay, i-if you say so," the doppelganger left the tent to the one she shared with two other doppelgangers like herself, leaving the demon on her own. She had to contact the Sabbath immediately. Until they discovered what made her spy nearly have a panic attack explaining what she saw, the main objective would have to be put on hold for the foreseeable future.

The demon sighed, both in annoyance and worry. She was looking forward to finally resting, but such were the responsibilities of a demon, and an officer in the Royal Army no less. Sometimes things just come up out of nowhere and you have to deal with them, somehow.

If only she knew how a single letter to the fourth daughter of the Demon Lord would eventually spire out of control.

Author's Note:

Here's the fourth chapter. It's been a little over a month since the last one, but here it is. As I said in my previous notes, I write when I have inspiration and free time, but it doesn't mean I'll abandon writing. I actually enjoy doing it, and then there are my other works, making a decent plot and writer's block which take time. Writer's block sucks, that's for sure.

BobTheDestroyer: Interesting story, I do find worlds like MGE to be interesting for plot. Now it's good to see out boy Zack making it out with his chastity. Now will our boy Zack meet a Lilim some time in the foreseeable future? If so, will be get some partial immunity go let's say charm. I don't want Zack to get bodied like the average man against a Lilim's charm, basically I don't want him to fold like a piece of paper against the ballistic missile that's a Lilim.

Thank you for commenting, reviews like this one spark ideas to advance the story and spice things up. I won't say exactly what I have planned for future chapters because I don't like spoilers, but let's just say that I really like subtle foreshadowing.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. Stay safe and hydrated.

-FacelessUser