What the hell have I gotten myself into?!

Those were the words that stuck to Valon's mind as he was facing the Monster Lord. He didn't have the ability to read auras or sense power signatures but her mere presence sent chills down his spine.

Looking at her behind the screen is one thing, literally standing right before her is another.

Valon was nowhere near comfortable in front of the lamia's presence. The very thought of traveling with someone who could crush him and molest him to death with ease made his stomach churn. The migraine he had a while ago was gradually becoming worse and it didn't help that he still had a lot of things in his mind to worry about. Meeting the Monster Lord and surviving the trip with her presence barely scratched the surface of the abominable iceberg of worries.

Before Valon and Luka left the village, Luka immediately asked him if he was okay traveling with a monster. Of course, Valon knew who the apprentice hero was talking about and answered that he didn't mind. Valon explained that he also didn't see all monsters as inherently evil and that he wouldn't mind going on a journey with one. Luka felt surprised and happy at the same time that there was someone with the same mindset as he did.

But Valon was far from happy. He didn't know exactly how he was going to introduce himself to the Monster Lord. He still couldn't believe the entire situation he was in and now he was going to encounter the second monster he'd seen in person.

Keeping up his fake persona in front of Luka wouldn't be too difficult but with the inclusion of Alice, making noticeable errors could create cataclysmic results. Countless thoughts of planning and worrying about everything disturbed him to no end and now here he was, standing in front of one of the most powerful monsters in the game while trying his best to not look like a shivering idiot.

Okay, I have to play my cards right. If she thinks I'm lying or that I'm not convincing enough, she might use that weird eye of hypnosis or whatever it is on me, and then I might end up telling them everything I know and possibly give them an existential crisis if they find out that I know them from a video game. I absolutely cannot let that happen. I gotta answer in a way where I'd look genuinely honest in front of her without compromising my true identity and everything I know about this world.

"So uhh... Alice," Luka began. "There's someone else who'd like to travel with us and I promised to help him. Hope you're okay with that."

Luka glanced at Valon as he took the cue to introduce himself.

"Uhh... hello there, Ms. Alice."

"Just... Alice is fine." The lamia quickly responded.

"Oh, uhh... hello there Alice. My name is Valon, Valon Wakers," Valon initiated the greeting and offered the best smile he could muster to at least look like he was welcoming despite his discomfort.

"Luka... if you're trying to prove your foolish dream of coexistence using this man right here as your first example, then you're doing an awful job at it," Alice scoffed, crossing her arms. "I mean look at him, he can't even stand straight. Valon, was it? Did this idiot talk you into this?"

"What? What do you mean I talked him into this?!"

"Huh?" Valon was confused by the lamia's question until he realized what she meant. "Oh, n-no ma'am. Whatever he told you about, I'm not involved in any part of it."

"Hmm... you don't mind being in the presence of a monster?"

Alice knew that the man was terrified of her, which was completely normal given her status and possibly her appearance, even Luka felt afraid when he first saw her. If they knew who she really was, they'd have every right to fear her. But she found it a little amusing that even if they didn't know her true identity, they still felt intimidated by her.

"Well, I would lie if I say that I'm not used to being around monsters and that I'm still a bit terrified of them. But... I'm not against the thought of living alongside them and I believe that not all monsters are inherently evil."

My fear of them isn't completely a lie. I mean I'm still trying to grasp the idea of the existence of these kinds of 'monsters.' Bloodthirsty aliens? I'm used to them. Semen-thirsty monsters? Hell no.

Alice narrowed her eyes as she carefully contemplated the man's answer. She could sense the genuine uneasiness in him but she felt that there were no lies behind his words. It didn't seem that the idiotic hero was forcing him to accept coexistence or that he was being solely motivated by fear, but who knows.

"So you planned to join Luka to see his childish dream of human and monster coexistence come true?"

"Hey! It's not childish!" Luka complained.

"Well, not exactly..."

Valon gave her the same explanation that he provided to Luka earlier about his missing brother.

"When I heard that he was going to travel, I thought that maybe I should join him in hopes to find my brother. Since he'd be traveling through different places until he reaches the Monster Lord's castle, I thought that it'd be a great idea to tag along considering I don't exactly know where my brother is. And because I don't know where he is, I'm afraid that he could be anywhere."

"You're willing to travel around the world to find him?"

"Yes, I am."

"Hmm... I guess joining us on this trip would be the best way to explore as many places as possible..." Alice remarked, seemingly satisfied with the man's explanation. "Well alright, besides, I'm not the one who decides who should join or not. I'm honestly just tagging along as well because this idiot's beliefs intrigued me.

"Rgghhh... whatever let's just go," Luka responded irritatingly as he walked on the road outside the village followed by his two companions.

The trio followed the road, each in their own thoughts. Luka was silently complaining to himself about not being able to be baptized. He was having second thoughts if going on this journey without Ilias's blessing was a good idea.

Alice was highly intrigued by how this journey will go. She met two interesting individuals who were open to the idea of coexistence between humans and monsters, and she was definitely excited to taste different delicacies around the world.

Valon was having the most thoughts. It was as if the more he progressed, the more he was bombarded with questions and doubts in his mind. The pure insanity of his current situation never left him, slowly eating away the remains of his brain. Although, if he was being honest, he doubted if he still had a brain intact.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Alice suddenly asked, addressing the glum expression of the aspiring hero.

"Nothing..." Luka replied in a gloomy tone. "Oh Ilias... did you really abandon me? I waited for today for so long... and I wasn't able to be baptized in the end..."

"Isn't it better to not have been baptized? I don't understand why humans want to be slaves of Ilias."

"Being a hero has a lot of perks, you know? You get the respect of the people, cheap rates at inns, and you can even walk into people's houses and take stuff."

"Walk into people's houses and take things?" Alice asked, raising a brow from the laughable statement. "Are you a thief or something?"

"Er no... it's not quite like that."

Despite the painful barrage he was experiencing inside his probably-fractured skull, Valon inwardly laughed from the unintentional humor.

Ah, good o'l fashioned RPG games. Of course you can just raid houses and take their stuff without question. It's even more hilarious to know the fact that ironically, Luka does the exact same thing in Paradox, taking all the householder's food and junk.

"But most importantly, they get the divine protection from Ilias. If you come across any evil monsters, she will defend you."

"The semen of a baptized human tastes awful. So monsters aren't as likely to attack them."

"Ehh... is that how it works?"

"You didn't know that? Baptized people taste like Angel Liver... not very appetizing."

Both Luka and Valon felt uncomfortable from the way the lamia casually vocalized the disturbing statement. Either she was exaggerating something disgusting that she once ate or she really did eat angel liver, the two men didn't want to know the full context.

"That's why someone like you smells delicious," Alice licked her lips before turning her attention to Valon, her teasing expression instantly changing to skepticism.

"You, on the other hand, have an odd scent," Alice spoke, narrowing her eyes. "I wasn't able to perceive your scent properly before, but now I can with a little more effort."

Oh... crap, I forgot she has a powerful sense of smell. Great... I can't exactly appear as 'not suspicious' now with this scent I'm carrying. Is it because I'm from another world? Crap, crap, crap... what do I do? What do I even say? Can I just tell her that I don't know what the hell she's talking about? Because honestly, I don't even know myself.

"Uhh... what do you mean?" Valon asked, feeling the soul-piercing gaze coming from the lamia. "I-I mean... truth be told, I'm not baptized either but I d-don't exactly know what this scent of mine you're talking about."

"I mean that it's not the usual scent that I can discern between baptized and unbaptized humans," Alice responded, her suspicious stare eventually changed to a salacious smirk. "But I can say that your scent is appealing to me in a different way. Not quite as good as Luka's but still good. To think I'd meet two interesting individuals in a day... hmhmhm..."

Valon's composure broke after hearing the lamia's suggestive chuckle. Whatever conversation the lamia and the hero were having afterwards all fell to deaf ears. His mind was cut off from the rest of the world from the sudden implications of her comment.

I absolutely cannot allow myself to be molested by her under any circumstances! No sir no! No way in hell am I gonna let that happen!

And just when he thought he already had enough problems to worry about, the cruel universe decided to give him more to fuel its sadism. Whether it enjoyed torturing him or if it was just doing its job punishing him for his misdeeds, Valon's situation became worse and worse. In the current subject of problems, his thoughts continue to wander around the new problems that seemed to be arising every second he spent in this accursed world.

I mean first of all, I'm in a video game! Morals aside, there's no way I'm letting anyone including Alice, have their way with me. I'm already intervening a lot just by being with the two protagonists of the game and my interference can create nasty side-effects in the game's programming. My very existence in this world might create bugs, glitches, viruses, or any other forms of malware in the program. Even if I don't create massive changes just by doing something different, the simplest of acts can create a chain reaction of bad things. Who's to say that I'm not changing the scripts as we speak?

But then again, I'm not the first individual from my world to be sent here. Even if the effects of direct interference from external forces are slow, there's no way that everything here is programmed, based on what I've seen and encountered for myself so far. I mean, the Delta Cosmoknights had been missing for over a year now. And seeing as a few hours had passed since I was transported to this place, it's likely to conclude that time works the same way here as it does back in my world. Although the issue of time difference would still need to be further investigated for accurate results. I can do that later though, maybe when we set up camp. I can't exactly perform a bio-scan while walking. Hmm... speaking of which...

Valon discreetly reached out for his earpiece. He didn't particularly want for his two companions, who were currently talking about the different continents in the world, to see him communicate with a piece of technology they haven't even seen or heard before.

I do remember how surprised Alice was in the game when she saw how advanced human technology was in Grangold. So showing them my gear right now wouldn't exactly be a great idea. I know they're bound to find out eventually but I need to kinda time this right. I would also need to come up with another convincing backstory with this. And seeing as Alice didn't use her hypnosis powers on me when I explained about my missing brother, I can technically omit the whole truth with a few lies as long as it still holds the general truth to it.

Valon activated the earpiece with a click of a button but all he could hear were static noises, which would mean that there wasn't any communication signal back at the division. He already knew that he wouldn't be getting any signal but he just wanted to make sure. Acknowledging the lack of communication assistance, Valon went back to his thoughts.

Back to the video-game scenario issue, the fact that I was able to interact with the environment proves that this is no mere programmed simulation. I mean, just the slime girl alone, you could really tell that she was sentient. Her dialog, her response to my escape, and her willingness to molest me—they all speak 'free will' to me. The story is somehow still following the canon with the addition of my interference plus the missing Delta Cosmoknights. If everything was programmed, the Delta Cosmoknights' interference would've probably destroyed this world through some sort of glitch if they were here for a long time.

Another proof is the man I talked to at Ilias Village. I 'interacted' with him and he answered casually, like a normal human being. He even displayed disappointment when I couldn't answer him how strong my faith was in Ilias. And then of course, there's my interaction with Luka and Alice. It seems that I really am participating in their journey story or whatever adventure about coexistence and blah blah blah. Unless all of these came from an astoundingly sophisticated simulation, everything here is undeniably realistic. Which would mean that this really is another world or possibly even a different dimension or a whole new universe.

Valon felt a shocking jolt in his head, the pain generated from the possible implications of the existence of a multiverse. He was experiencing a severe case of information overload and he needed to stop for a while if he wanted to think further about his other concerns.

Okay, calm down Valon. You can save the multiversal theories for later—

Valon wasn't able to finish his thoughts when he felt something solid hit his face and in the next second, he was lying on the ground. He was too busy with his thoughts that he failed to acknowledge the branch that was strangely hanging low from a nearby tree in front of him. His audible groan caught his two companions' attention as they turned around to check on him. They found him a few feet behind them, trying to stand up.

"Valon! Are you alright?"

Luka's innate ability to show concern for others prompted him to rush towards the man. Alice, however, remained where she was, her eyes twitching in annoyance from the laughable sight before her.

"Forget about traveling with two interesting individuals. No, I'm traveling with two braindead idiots," Alice mumbled. "One has a childish delusion and the other's apparently a half-blind fool."

Luka offered a hand to help his fallen companion. Valon stood up from the assistance, slowly shaking his head in pain. He could've sworn he saw tiny stars spinning around him.

"How did you not see that giant branch ahead of you? It's literally right there," Alice mocked. "Were you so focused on your daydreaming that you didn't see something so obvious in front of you or are you actually blind and you just didn't bother telling us?"

"Alice..." Luka admonished lightly, before realizing that she made a valid statement. "Although, she does make a good point. Why didn't you see that branch? It was fairly obvious. I'm not mad at you or anything, I just want to know what happened."

"Nah, it's cool. It was my fault for not being attentive to my surroundings," Valon jokingly chuckled, as if he wasn't completely bothered by their questioning. "I was just thinking about some stuff. Don't worry about it though, I'm fine."

"Well... if you say so..."

The trio went back on the trail with Luka on the lead. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until the lamia sensed something approaching. Acknowledging what it was, the Monster Lord disappeared from sight. Valon noticed that their monster companion was nowhere to be found and wondered where she could've gone to. He then realized that something moving was looming in the distance. His instinct quickly took control of him as he dashed behind a nearby bush.

I completely forgot about the monster encounters! Crap... what do I do?

While Valon was silently panicking behind a bush, Luka stopped in his tracks when he saw what appeared to be a beautiful woman wearing a grayish-brown dress and hat slowly approaching him. The hero inspected the woman closely when he realized that her lower half wasn't that of a human's but of a slug's.

"A traveler?" the slug girl asked, lustfully staring at the boy after catching a whiff of his scent. "Not baptized either. You look delicious."

The hero slightly flinched in discomfort. He was going to have to fight his second monster and even though he needed to get used to it, he couldn't help but feel nervous. And it didn't help that his status of being unbaptized was what apparently triggered monsters to see him as nothing more than a mouthwatering meal. Feeling the rising anxiety, he turned back to his two companions to ask for their assistance when he noticed that they were nowhere in sight.

"What the... where'd they go? Alice? Valon?"

"Who are you yelling at?"

The slug girl slowly approached the baffled hero as her expression became more seductively sinister. She pulled a part of her lower appendage, revealing her slimy semi-permeable membrane that fully displayed her anatomy.

"You look delicious... while tasting my sticky mucus, I'll let you come over and over."

"Guh!"

Luka felt slightly disheartened when he realized that his companions abandoned him the moment that the slug girl appeared before him. He didn't know the reason as to why they disappeared but he had a much bigger problem to worry about. Temporarily discarding his discouraging thoughts, Luka steadily unsheathed his iron sword from its scabbard as he took a fighting stance. He could worry about his companions later, right now he needed to survive first.

Luka pulled his sword back. Similar to his encounter with the slime girl, he needed to make sure his attack would hit the target, so a wide swing is something he needed to avoid. Assessing his plan of attack, he went for a decently quick slash.

"Take this!"

Luka's iron blade struck the slug girl's body with force, only for his blade to get stuck on the monster's body, stopping his swing short. The mucus covering the slug girl's body was too sticky and elastic for the hero's weapon to inflict any considerable amount of damage.

"No way... my attack..."

"You can't cut me with such a weak attack."

"C-crap... what should I do?" Luka asked, feeling somewhat annoyed from fighting yet another seemingly invulnerable opponent.

"I'll give you a taste of my sticky mucus." the slug girl declared as she poured her slimy substance all over the boy's crotch.

"Guh!" Luka moaned from the slightly pleasing sensation as he staggered backward from the slug girl's assault.

The hero regained his balance quickly as he prepared another attack.

"Well then if a slash doesn't work, how about a stab?"

Luka pulled back his iron blade as he aimed the sharp point directly towards the slug girl's chest. But his attack failed once again as it was only able to make a slight dent on the monster's body before his weapon bounced back. The recoil from the momentum made Luka trip on his feet, making him fall to the ground.

"D-dammit!" the hero groaned as he tried to get up but was immediately stopped by the slug girl who was slowly getting on top of him.

"Hehehe, feels good doesn't it?" the slug girl licked her lips in anticipation as she climbed over the boy. "When you can't take it anymore... just let it out~"

"G-get off!" Luka yelled as he struggled to free himself from the slug girl's grasp.

"You can't escape... just give in to the pleasure..." the slug girl giggled lewdly. "Have more of my sticky mucus!"

Behind the ongoing molestation, Valon was watching in horror while thinking desperately for a plan of action.

I can't just stay here while watching this... this... horrible thing! Come on, think! I can't just do nothing about this, but what can I do? What should I do?

Valon was contemplating vigorously whether to interfere or not.

I mean should I even do something about it? It is canon in the game for Luka to defeat all his opponents, right? And he'll figure everything out eventually. But I'm not completely sure if this is really in a video game environment or not. Luka over there doesn't seem to be controlled by a player or anyone out there, or maybe he is? But if he's acting on his own accord then what would happen to him? Should I put my trust in him and believe that he'll eventually take down everyone who opposes him from the game?

But what if he didn't, what if he lost? He's surely not the guy who'd willingly submit himself. But he's being molested there! I may not be from this world but I can't just let some monster violate a kid-who-isn't-actually-a-kid. That's just wrong on so many levels, even if the characters were designed to be from an eroge game.

But would the knowledge of not being in a video game be a valid excuse for me to interfere? Would it be alright if I just intervene, even if the slightest of my actions will undoubtedly affect the outcome? This is Luka and Alice's journey after all. It doesn't feel right to just meddle like that, especially in something that'll create massive changes from a worldwide perspective.

"L-let go!"

Valon's thoughts were momentarily set aside when he heard Luka's scream. He peeked from behind his hiding spot as he saw the apprentice hero successfully break free from the slug girl. The slug girl felt surprised by the boy's showcase of strength. And even if Valon knew how powerful Luka actually was, seeing him get out of that slug girl's binding still impressed him now that he was seeing it for real.

But the first thing he noticed was his companion's apparent fatigue. His crestfallen tone from before when he was wondering where his companions went plus his current state left Valon guilty for leaving him to fend for himself. He partly knew that Luka would win against the slug girl, but seeing his subtle depression and watching the pleasuring torture he was currently experiencing, made Valon curse himself for letting it all happen.

I mean I did hide because I panicked and I didn't know what to do. And I still feel nervous about everything in this world. But... tch... I gotta do something, right? But what?

Valon glanced at his M.A.D. and noticed that his exoshield was back online. He could activate it and go out there to help Luka, but another part of him argued that he didn't have the right to intervene over affairs that overall didn't concern him in the first place. It wasn't that he didn't care about Luka's well-being, he just didn't know if it was a good idea to intrude in the hero's battle.

I mean what if I made Luka feel bad about himself even more when he realized that he couldn't take care of the problem himself? What if I was subtly stealing the spotlight from him in his adventure? What if my interference creates a massive chain reaction of events that never happened in the game? What if my slightest intervention creates huge changes in the hero's journey? What if we encounter new and unexpected problems that never happened in the game and that I would have no idea how to overcome? What if I made Alice attracted to me? What if I affect his future relationships with the four heavenly knights and the spirits? What if he didn't become the hero he always wanted to be because of me?!

Valon's thoughts were stopped when he realized he couldn't breathe. He briefly checked his M.A.D. and noticed that his anxiety levels were rising again. He calmed himself down and once again peeked at the ongoing battle. Valon's mood further deflated when he saw the hero struggling to damage the slug with his sword.

He hasn't used the salt yet?!

The battle appeared to be a one-sided match where the hero was growing tired and was sweating profusely while he did everything he could to evade his assailant's attacks and fight back, but to no avail. His increasing fatigue was hindering him while the slug girl was effortlessly assaulting him with pleasure attacks, even mocking him to just give up to the pleasure she was offering him.

GAH! I don't know what to do! If I don't help him, he'll end up being a sex slave. Considering Alice is actually observing the fight, she might think of me as some coward who just let a young boy get raped, which in this case she wouldn't be wrong. If not Alice's interrogation, then my conscience won't allow me to live the end of it, knowing that I just let the assault on the poor boy happen. But if I help, then I'd be drastically changing the story. There'd be no guarantee that everything will follow exactly as it should be from the game. Although, I guess... me being here has already changed that, huh. Still, I've interfered far enough.

But I've already helped Luka, indirectly I mean, when I told him to flail his sword wildly against the slime girl. And so far, the game is still progressing like it's supposed to, only with me being here. It doesn't seem to be making some kind of ripples that would trigger events that'll largely affect the story, I mean I may have forgotten about the slug girl but everything is following the storyline, albeit with only minor changes.

But maybe I don't have to directly interfere, I mean I already did the exact same thing with the slime girl. Hmm... perhaps... aha! I got it!

With a course of action in mind, Valon quickly inspected the battle. He saw Luka, once again, freeing himself from the slug girl's grasp. Using the given opportunity, Valon called out to him.

"Hey, Luka!"

"Huh?"

Luka felt surprised when he heard one of his companions call out to him.

"Your sword won't work against her but you have something else you can use!"

He wasn't able to figure out what his companion was talking about, partly due to the initial shock. He didn't know what Valon was trying to tell him nor did he know why he was only helping him now. Though, he felt slightly relieved that someone was still with him.

"You're fighting a slug! What do you think can naturally harm slugs?"

It took Luka a few seconds before realizing what that item was. The slug girl paid no mind to the hero's other companion because she was too focused on defeating the hero that she failed to realize that Luka was quickly rummaging in his bag. She was about to climb over him again when she stopped herself after seeing the familiar white crystalline substance that the boy was holding.

"Alright... how's this?!"

"T-that's..." the slug girl's expression darkened, slowly backing away from the dangerous substance.

"Eat this!" Luka declared, throwing the cooking salt on his hands towards the slug girl with spiteful force.

"Kyaa!" the slug girl cried in pain from the burning sensation.

"Alright!"

"How dare you..."

"Luka, don't let her attack!" Valon called out. "Just throw all your salt and end this already!"

"Then take this! And this!" Luka shouted as he threw all the salt he had left towards the slug girl.

"Stop it!" the slug girl hissed in pain as she started to shrivel away from Luka.

The salt was being absorbed by the slug girl's semi-permeable membrane, bringing forth more pain that caused her body to shake and wilt from the substance abuse.

"I-I'll remember this!" the slug girl scowled as she ran away.

"I won!" Luka whooped in joy, celebrating his second victory from fighting a monster.

The hero felt tired but he was satisfied with the outcome of the battle. Though the overall fight was sloppy similar to his encounter with the slime girl, he cherished his victory. Valon then went out of his hiding spot and approached Luka.

"You did it man!" Valon smiled, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "Though I do want to apologize for leaving you just like that. It was never my intention to abandon you, but I just got scared. I am still feeling slightly uncomfortable near monsters, especially those with the intention to violate me. And I still don't feel well after what happened earlier so I hope you can forgive me..."

Luka initially felt dejected upon the realization that he was left behind by his two companions. Even if he just met them, it felt like they just left him to fend for himself when trouble appeared. But he couldn't exactly blame Valon for temporarily leaving him, especially when he was aware that his companion appeared to be more afraid than he was and that he was still feeling bad after the incident with the slime girl.

"Well, I did feel sad when I thought you guys left me, but I understand."

"What a pathetic-looking fight," a familiar voice behind them announced.

"Oh... Alice?" Luka inquired when he saw the lamia approaching them. "Where did you run off to? I can understand Valon's case but you couldn't have been scared of that slug girl, right?"

"I didn't 'run' anywhere!" Alice responded before glancing sideways. "I just don't want other monsters to see me."

"Hmm... is that so?"

"Anyways, both of you made a huge mistake in your fight."

"Mistake?" Luka asked, pondering what Alice was talking about.

Valon, on the other hand, already knew what that 'mistake' was. But what else could he have done that didn't involve a direct approach?

"You both went with the idea to throw out all of the salt for tonight's dinner. How are you going to season it effectively, Luka?!"

"I couldn't help it! I was desperate..."

"Valon told you to use all of the salt and you followed him anyway! Some hero you are. Oh, sorry! I mean fake hero."

"Grr..." Luka seethed in annoyance. "If you were watching you could've helped out."

"Don't be hasty. I'm not your companion or your ally. So if you become monster food, I'll just abandon you."

"I get it..." Luka felt his aggravation rising. "I don't need your help anyway!"

"I'm glad you understand, just do what you can," Alice remarked before turning towards Valon. "What I don't understand is you."

Oh crap... did I say or do something that made her suspicious of me?

"Earlier, you claimed that you were only a bit terrified of monsters," Alice spoke, staring at her interlocutor suspiciously. "But the moment you saw the slug girl approaching you instantly hid behind the bushes. And while you were hiding, I noticed how panicked you looked."

Of course she was observing me...

"He did say that he's not used to being around monsters..."

"Even so, you would've been utterly frightened or possibly even run away when you first saw me. Either Luka kept you in check or that you're trying to look tough," Alice explained while crossing her arms. "But my point is, are you actually more terrified than you care to admit? And if not, then how were you able to compose yourself when meeting me?"

"Well, the reason for that is... that all the monsters I've encountered always wanted to rape me the moment I saw them. I actually felt scared when Luka told me that there'd be a monster joining in the trip. But what made me feel more composed in front of you is because, unlike the monsters I've met so far, you didn't immediately try to... you know..."

"But you immediately hid even before the slug girl managed to reveal her intentions. Who's to say that I wouldn't try to violate you after meeting you?"

"I guess... since Luka seemed fine after meeting you?"

Alice kept her inquisitive gaze, raising a brow for she wasn't completely convinced by his answer. Valon swallowed the lump forming in his throat as he quickly tried to look for an excuse.

"Okay... okay... I admit that I'm more afraid of monsters than I said I was and yes, I felt a bit calm when Luka was around when we introduced ourselves. Honestly, if it wasn't for him, I would've run away the moment I saw you. When he told me that there'd be a monster tagging along, I was surprised because he didn't feel too intimidated about it. He was the one who even initiated the introduction which really impressed me because it felt that he was used to being around monsters. So I guess you could say... I was a little motivated by his courage. And it did feel like you were acquainted with each other in some degree which eased me a little bit, but I guess I was wrong..."

Luka and Alice contemplated the man's answer, each with different reactions. Luka felt genuinely happy from Valon's compliments about his bravery even if he missed out on the fact that he was just as scared as he was when meeting Alice, especially when the lamia restrained him in her coils. Besides, the slime girl was actually the first monster he'd ever encountered in his life, and telling him that he was used to being around monsters was almost an overstatement.

Alice seemed to accept the man's reasoning and acknowledged that he was actually more fearful than Luka. Whatever the reasons for that, she didn't plan on asking Valon about it any further as it appeared to be something on a more personal level. But if there was one thing that still bothered her, it was the fact that he was the one who came up with the idea of throwing all the salt on the slug girl and convinced the fake hero to do it.

"Well, anyways, the sun is starting to set. It's almost time to set up camp." Alice announced. "By the way, what are we having for dinner?"


"Ah! I'm stuffed..."

"Hmm... even without salt, you were still able to make something good." Alice smiled, satisfied after eating a good meal.

"Tell me about it," Valon concurred. "That was probably the best meal I've had in ages, and I'm not even exaggerating."

Guess I won't need this self-sustaining food source in my backpack anymore now that I know how good Luka can actually cook. And I guess the one good thing about being in this place is that I can actually get real good food.

Valon felt glad that he wouldn't have to purely rely, or rely at all, on the self-sustaining food and water technology offered by the organization when sending personnel on space missions that would take a long time. With the advancement of technology and the complete exploitation of Aresoid, experts were able to create a self-sustaining food source stored in backpacks that can help space explorers feed themselves during a mission.

The backpack contained a fully unconcentrated Aresoid for perpetual energy and the food source, which was usually a miniature hydroponic plant box. The genetically modified plant would produce the food with only water and the nutrients coming from a controlled light source and a CO2 ventilation system suitable for plant growth that's being continuously sustained with the unconcentrated Aresoid that was being recycled in the backpack every 48 hours. In case of energy loss, the backpack is built with a mechanical rock grinder that provides kinetic energy, albeit a more difficult and grueling process. The good news was that relying on the grinder almost never happened. The bad news was that the food being made always looked unappetizing and tasted really bad.

Valon happily finished his food as he heard Luka and Alice having another argument. He heard Alice mocking his sword skills while Luka argued that he had been training for more than five years.

They're at it again, huh. Well, this is the beginning of the game so that's perfectly understandable.

Valon already knew the context of their quarrel so he focused on more important matters. He wanted to fully assess his early concerns about the game's storyline. He slightly accepted that this world was not entirely a game, leaning on the idea that this was a real existing world that was completely different from his own. Whether it was in a faraway star system or in an entirely different universe, he didn't know. But the real problem was that he still had doubts whether it would be a good idea to become more 'involved.'

In my current state, I wouldn't be able to survive traveling around this world by myself. I still need to fix some of my equipment and I do require more than what I have, which is another problem. Because of that, I decided for myself that traveling with these two was the best course of action. But then I'm faced with a new predicament. The entire journey and the monster encounter aside, what the hell should I do? I mean I'm fully aware that this is Luka and Alice's journey.

Everything they'll work hard for, everything they'll do, everything that'll happen to them—will all be about them. What right do I have to take those privileges away from them, even if I'm not in the actual game itself? And the only reason I tagged along was because of my mission of finding my brother. I could technically just play the role of someone who's too scared to fight or do anything while being with them, but then I'd be the biggest parasitic jerk in the universe, which honestly is something I'm fine with.

I'm also still trying to figure out whether I should help Luka directly by being with him on the battlefield or if I should just support him in different ways. I mean, that could work, right? I technically still don't have enough equipment for combat and even with my experience, I don't know if I'd be able to deal enough damage against any monster. Not only could they be stronger but their different bio-structures would pose a huge problem. And I did already plan on an idea that I'd let Luka do most of the fighting if I eventually get myself involved.

But ultimately, should I actually even care? I did say I'm just tagging along with them. Cold as it sounds, their well-being isn't even my responsibility. I don't even belong here. The only reason I'm here in the first place is that this is where the Delta Cosmoknights were transported by the Warpgate. It's not that I don't care what happens to Luka or Alice, especially Luka since he's the more vulnerable one between the two as of now. It's that I just met them, not in the sense that I should be aware of their characteristics because I've played the game, but because this isn't the game.

Jeez, I'm a fool! I wasn't thinking straight when I decided to join them but what could I even do then? I was already in a panicking mess ever since I realized I'm in Monster Girl Quest. Ironically, when I get anxious all I could do is think, and then later I realize how stupid my thoughts are. I mean, how the hell would I even avoid getting involved in something progressive such as going on an adventure with two people? It's inevitable unless I bail now.

Although, I wouldn't lie when I say that I feel much safer and more comfortable traveling with them than venturing into this world alone, which is funny coming from someone who's supposed to take risks. But this world... is just... completely out of my comfort zone. It defies everything I know and the mere thought of being here makes my head throb in pain...

"How about you Valon, would you like to join?"

Valon was broken out of his thoughts when he heard Luka calling him.

"H-huh, what were you saying?"

"Sheesh, are you daydreaming again?" Alice asked rudely. "For someone who's terrified of monsters, you're awareness is lacking. Shouldn't you always be vigilant, especially when a monster is nearby?"

"S-sorry... just thinking about some stuff again," Valon replied sheepishly. "Anyways, what were you asking Luka?"

"Oh, I wanted to ask if you wanted to come train with me and Alice."

"Yes, because you seem like you should have some experience in combat as well if you do plan to survive on this trip."

Valon contemplated on his decision, his recent thoughts still fresh on his mind.

"Uhh... I don't know... I mean I'm not that good at fighting..."

"That's why we're going to train, you idiot," Alice scoffed. "So you could at least learn how to defend yourself. Luka wouldn't always be there to fight for you, you know?"

"I uhh... don't have a sword with me..."

"So you basically decided to go on a trip around the world to look for your brother but you didn't bring a sword or any form of weaponry with you? You're even worse than this idiot here, who at least brought a weapon of mediocre quality despite his lack of skills. You said that you're not good at fighting and you're telling me that you don't even have a weapon?"

"I did bring some... but they all broke..."

I mean, I still have some but two of my best equipment are indeed broken.

"Seriously?"

"And besides... I don't exactly feel good after everything that has happened to me today. And my head still hurts from hitting that branch. Maybe some other time?"

Valon nervously sweated himself as he waited for the lamia's response. He was partly telling the truth about him not feeling well and about his lack of weapons but the reason that stood out was his previous doubts. Training himself for combat would mean that he wouldn't have that many valid excuses to not be able to fight monsters alongside Luka. He did plan out a perfect excuse about his lack of participation in case he was personally interrogated about it, he just didn't know if it would appear acceptable to them.

"Well, you did feel a bit sick when I found you..." Luka added. "Yeah, maybe you should sit this one out for now. And besides, I'm okay with fighting by myself. I wouldn't exactly be a hero if I didn't fight to protect others."

"Hmph, well I don't really care," Alice replied, unbothered by the man's hesitation. "Alright, let's go."

Luka followed Alice in their designated training spot that was a good distance away from the camp. Valon sighed in resignation as he went back into his thoughts, which he observed was something he had been doing a lot, apart from hyperventilating and panicking like a helpless imbecile.

Gotta thank Luka for the save next time. To think someone as kind as him would be diligently serving Ilias... HOLY. CRAP. ILIAS!?

Valon grew restless when he realized that he forgot to consider an incredibly important variable in the equation.

I completely forgot about Ilias! Oh jeez! Now I'm even more troubled. Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap... okay... okay... I need to calm myself down again. Seriously, I could actually die from having frequent anxiety attacks. Okay... okay... so what do I know about Ilias... well to start with, she's the goddess of creation who claimed that she created the world, which isn't completely true considering the world was already there and she only used the available primitive life as blueprints to create humans.

But okay so Ilias is here, definitely in this universe or place or heaven or whatever higher plane of existence she's in. My biggest concern is whether Ilias is truly watching everything that happens on this planet. Because I don't actually know if she knew about the plan about Luka taking her down and that she just let it all happen, being arrogant and confident in herself that she'd win, which she was proven wrong. And if she really was watching everything that's going on in this world, would that mean that she saw me being transported in this world?

And that would mean that I really have to take care of what I say out loud. I know somehow that she can't read minds or hear thoughts, hopefully, she can't, or else she'd hear everything in my thoughts and then probably kill me right on the spot or kidnap me for questioning. But I would have to be really cautious about every little thing that I say or do. Me joining Luka and Alice would probably make her wary of me already, which actually gives me more reason to just travel alone.

But then again, if she did see me being transported here and now I'm accompanying her... uhh... grandson... why hasn't she done anything about me? Surely, she'd have suspicions on my arrival and me suddenly joining Luka, right? I mean yeah, she's the kind of deity who sometimes just let things happen because people sometimes forget the bigger picture of something, but shouldn't she have done something by now considering that I'm not even part of her grand plan? Or maybe she already is and it's just taking long.

But what if she plans to do something bad to me? What if she kills me?

Valon's mind started to break down again. He started to feel dizzy and he was having difficulties breathing.

What if she tortures me as she interrogates me for my knowledge? What if she knew that they were video game characters? What will she do then?

"Valon?"

What if she had a totally different plan this time? What if she did something bad to the Cosmoknights that were transported here?

"Valon!"

What if she did something bad to my brother?! What if she killed Ralph?! What if she made him her sex slave?! WHAT IF I NEVER FIND HIM?!

"VALON!"

Valon felt someone shaking him, breaking the anxiety-induced world around him. His hysterical expression was still present as he slowly processed his surroundings. The first thing he saw was the worried expression from a familiar face that somehow calmed him down. He then saw someone else that wasn't as worried but looked slightly concerned.

"H-huh? Luka, is that you?" Valon asked, as he steadily rubbed his head from the dwindling pain. "What happened?"

"That's what we wanted to know," Alice remarked. "We just finished training and when we were heading back here, we saw you having another panic attack."

"Yeah, I was trying calling you, but you took a long time to respond," Luka said worriedly. "Do you need to go to a doctor?"

"Huh? N-no I-I'm fine... really..." Valon replied with the best smile he could muster, though he was met with two looks of uncertainty. "I'm just worried about my brother. I know he's strong and all but I'm just really concerned about him..."

Luka and Alice sympathized with the man, fully understanding his distress. Someone who wasn't well-built for a dangerous trip who seemed to lack fighting experience and was also clumsy was still risking his life to find his lost loved one.

Luka felt bad for him, forcing himself into a life and death situation but ultimately had no choice because of the man's bond with his brother, which he assumed was a strong one considering he was risking possibly everything he had to look for him. Alice thought that it was a dumb idea traveling unprepared for the dangers involved, but she couldn't exactly blame his decision to participate in this journey.

"But really, don't worry about me," Valon reassured. "I mean I'm already feeling under the weather and I probably just need some sleep."

"If you say so..." Luka responded, still worried about his companion's well-being. "By the way, Alice. I'm sorry but I only brought two sleeping bags with me."

"It's fine. I don't want to be covered by something so restrictive anyway," Alice replied as she slithered her way on top of a tree branch. "I can just sleep here."

Luka grabbed his sleeping bag and handed the second one to Valon as they laid them down on the grass. They then slipped inside their respective sleeping bags, making themselves comfortable in the cold night.

"By the way, idiot... hmm... but you're both idiots. Maybe I'll just call you 'fake hero' and I'll call himmm... 'branch-face'" Alice teased, smirking at the nicknames she gave them. "Yeah, that seems reasonable. Don't you two agree?"

Luka felt annoyed by the name-calling while Valon felt unconcerned about it. Valon didn't honestly care what he was being called. He may be scared of monsters as of now but he could tolerate any form of teasing from whatever the source was. He was practically built for it, with the exception of suggestive and lewd teasing.

So are we called Alice, the fake hero, and the branch-face now? Hmm... sounds like a good name for a trio band honestly...

"Okay, fake hero, I wanted to ask where you got that ring of yours."

Ah yes, the pseudo deus ex machina in the game.

"You can't eat this Alice."

"Idiot... what the hell do you think goes on my mind?"

"It's just that you're always complaining about how hungry you are..."

He's not wrong.

Valon wanted to listen to the conversation after all the stress he'd been through. It would honestly prove therapeutic for him, even if he was slightly familiar with the ongoing conversation. But alas, his mind was as stubborn as he was.

In all honesty though, I don't think I can do anything about Ilias nor the issue about being involved. I mean I can make this one excuse about letting Luka have all the credit and since it's his adventure, he should do most of the fighting himself, but that would only help me for so long. They might become annoyed by my continuous lack of participation and would even complain about me being incredibly parasitic. At least Alice does help in some way, even if they're few, they helped Luka a lot in the game. But what would I contribute? The only way to fully lessen my involvement is to continue looking for my brother. The sooner I find him, the sooner I can leave from this mess. But then again, I wouldn't exactly have a way to get out of this place, huh? Terrific. I forgot another crucially important element—a way home.

Valon started to break down again, but this time, he exerted his remaining strength to compose himself.

Okay... new problem that I seem to have unreasonably forgotten about. How the hell do I get back to my world? The Warpgate I made was a one-way transmission type. I don't think I can even obtain parts to build a new one. And even if I did, that would still require me to travel around this world and hopefully find all the necessary parts I need. The only way I can do that as safely as I think as possible is... well... I'm with them now anyway...

But location-wise, based on this game, I'd have to at least be in Sentora. Places I know that have advanced tech parts in this game are Grangold, the disgusting Drain Lab, and Promestein's lab. Which would mean that I have to survive for that long to go to those places and that I would eventually confront Promestein and her uhh... seekers of truth, I think that's what their group was called. There's also the Biolabs... I think that's hidden somewhere in the Forest of Spirits, which is actually the closest location. The only problem with that place is I think there's some kind of barrier that prevents anyone to go through it if I can remember correctly.

And even if I can access those locations, the only place I can really go without any harsh inconveniences is Grangold. I mean I doubt Promestein and her lackeys would help me for free, and it's not like I would want to meet them in the first place. Smart maniacs like them would be the last ones I want to meet. And if they knew about my world and their true nature of existence, then I don't know what they'll try to do. But if I don't find my brother before reaching Grangold, what the hell would I do?

And what about the weird coordinate system? Even if I was able to make a working Warpgate in this world, I wouldn't know exactly what I should input in it. The weird symbol coordinates are what even got me here in the first place and what's the guarantee that if I input numerical symbols in the machine, it would take me back home? Guh... I also have to know the mystery behind that. What do those symbols mean? Why did they take me here? Why specifically on a place in Ilias Continent on the outskirts of Ilias Village? And if I did manage to input the correct coordinates, I'd just be transported on the existing Warpgates that the higher divisions use because one-way transmissions aren't fully authorized... I'd be killed by the organization the moment I get home...

"How about you, Valon?" Luka asked. "Anything you'd like to share about your family with us?"

"Hmm... I'm also curious about that strange device strapped on your left arm," Alice inquired curiously.

Valon was taken aback by the questions. He didn't want to say anything about his family yet, mostly due to traumatic reasons. And he wasn't comfortable in answering Alice's question regarding his M.A.D. or any other advanced forms of machinery he brought with him at the moment. With the agitating discomfort within him, he just remained silent and hoped that Luka and Alice wouldn't bother him in a while.

"Huh, he must have fallen asleep already," Luka remarked. "Guess he was really tired today."

Luka and Alice went back to their conversation, this time it was something about a 500-year-old book that Alice brought. Valon was too tired to think about anything and figured that he could just ponder about them tomorrow. He admitted that it was getting repetitive and tiresome to keep himself in his thoughts, especially since now he was in a new world. But his main concern the first time he went to this place was that he didn't know what to do at all.

And I've forgotten to perform a bio-scan on the scrap metal I've gathered and now Alice is asking about my M.A.D. And speaking of equipment, I still have to fix some of it. The easiest one I can do for now is actually the helmet. Though I don't exactly have any particular use for it now, building it with the available parts would probably only take less than an hour. Yeah, I'll just wake up early tomorrow. Hopefully, when they're still asleep, I can do the bio-scanning as well as construct this helmet before they wake up.

Valon was barely holding on. He was growing tired every second of thinking and all he wanted to do was to sleep and pretend that everything he experienced today was just a bad dream. His composed façade shattered as the pent-up pressure that took him a day's worth of energy to repress finally got to him.

Why?

Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve all this?

What's going to happen to me now?

What if something bad happened to the Cosmoknights... to my brother? What if I'm too late?

What if I couldn't find him? What if I couldn't save him?

What if he's dead and I'm just wasting my time here? What if I'll be the next one to die in this place?

What if I couldn't get back home?

WHY?!

TELL ME WHY?!

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?!

J-just... why...

Overwhelmed by worries, stress, and anxiety; the dam that was keeping it in finally collapsed. Valon was trying his best not to sob loudly as the last thing he wanted was to be asked by his companions again. He demanded to know why he was sent to this accursed place to look for his brother.

Why here of all places? Why in this particular world? What did he do to deserve this kind of punishment? After everything he'd been through, this is what he was given. A cruel fate in a world that was something he was familiar with but was something he was completely unprepared for.

R-ralph, b-b-buddy. W-wherever you a-are, I hope y-you're s-s-safe. If you're r-really... here... I-I'll... f-f-find you. J-just p-please h-hold on a l-little l-longer.

Clutching onto his only source of hope, he cried himself to sleep.