A Girl Named Laura!

"Wait, you're not an alien monster?" The girl blinked in confusion, awkwardly retracting the Nepalese knife she had brandished moments earlier. She slid it back into its sheath on her waist and gave James a puzzled once-over. Her gaze lingered on the straw that clung to his body, and without hesitation, she leaned forward to tug at it. "What's with all this straw? Some kind of alienation technique? Armor control? Oh! Wait; I've heard rumors about this cult in South... what's it called again? Ah, the Scientology Cult! They use some creepy technique called 'evil puppet possession,' wrapping themselves up in bizarre puppet-like figures. You're not... one of them, are you?"

James groaned and finally lowered the hands that had been shielding his eyes. His vision was still blurry, and the sharp pain remained, but at least he could see now. Through his hazy sight, he made out the figure standing before him; a girl, no older than fifteen or sixteen, dressed in a light green outfit. Her long twin ponytails made her look youthful, almost like a girl-next-door, if not for the glaringly out-of-place machetes strapped to her waist.

"Hey!" she called out, breaking his focus. "Are you a member of that Scientology cult or not?" She puffed up, hands on her hips, looking oddly intimidating for someone barely 1.6 meters tall, especially compared to James's towering three-meter height. Her arrogance, however, was palpable as she glared up at him, head tilted defiantly.

"Uh... no, no, I'm not!" James quickly reassured her, realizing that this girl, despite her unusual demeanor, wasn't trying to deceive him. "But... what's your deal? Why did you attack me?"

Magic? Cults? Alienation techniques? What had the world come to? James's mind spun as he tried to make sense of it all. Weren't the alien species just mutated lifeforms? How had the realm of superstition become so real?

Just as he was lost in thought, he noticed his own hands; hands woven from straw. Ah, great. I'm the one who looks like a superstition brought to life, he thought.

"Why'd I attack you?" The girl scoffed, folding her arms. "Look at you! You look worse than those giant rats roaming around. Honestly, you're lucky I didn't chop you up thinking you were some kind of alien! And now you're blaming me? Tsk, I almost cut you down…" Her voice trailed off into a mumble as she pouted, her earlier bravado softening.

James took a moment to size her up. Despite her brash attitude, he could tell she was strong; on the same level as him, even. Both of them were at the G-grade top level. But there was something about her... an oppressive force that weighed heavier than anything he'd felt from the likes of Mo Longhao, the mercenary captain he'd encountered before.

"Hey!" She suddenly snapped, yanking a piece of straw from his face and pulling him down to her eye level. "I'm talking to you! Why do you keep spacing out? If this had been a real fight, you'd be dead by now."

James was startled, quickly swatting her hand away and straightening up, glaring at her. "What did you just say?"

"I was asking for your name, but you've been ignoring me this whole time!" she fumed, her cheeks puffing up as she crossed her arms indignantly.

James raised an eyebrow. "Before demanding someone's name, isn't it polite to introduce yourself first?"

The girl blinked, then narrowed her eyes. "Hmph, I suppose you're right." She stood taller, puffing out her chest as if preparing for an official declaration. "I am Laura Marshall, from the esteemed Marshall family of Arlington. My father is Liam Marshall, my mother Vicki Francis. I trained under the Wind Walker, Harry Parkstone, and now I am an independent adventurer—"

"Okay, okay, stop!" James interrupted, waving his hands. "I'm not here to listen to your whole family tree. My name's James. I guess you could call me... an adventurer too."

Laura paused mid-sentence, her cheeks turning pink. "Well... you could've just said so earlier," she muttered, looking off to the side, her earlier arrogance fading just a little.

James couldn't help but smile inwardly. For all her bravado, maybe this girl wasn't so bad after all.

In fact, it must be a different species.

James sighed inwardly.

"What do you mean by 'can be considered'? Is that all you've got to say?" Laura was clearly unimpressed, her brows furrowing in frustration.

"G-grade top grade and you can use magic..." she mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "You seem pretty strong. Are you here by yourself? Do you want to join forces with me?"

James paused for a moment, weighing his options. Joining forces with this girl, who clearly had both strength and confidence, seemed like a smart move, especially since he was alone in this unfamiliar cave. "Yeah... I'm alone," he admitted. "Alright, let's team up."

Laura grinned triumphantly. "Good! Follow me. I've been exploring this place for days now, so I'll fill you in on what I've found."

James nodded, his mind racing. His primary goal in coming to this mysterious cave was to gather more vitality, and with someone as powerful as Laura on his side, he was certain she could be a valuable ally. More importantly, James was desperate for knowledge about this strange world he had found himself in, and this talkative girl might just be the key to understanding it. She was, in a sense, a blessing in disguise; despite how chatty she was.

As they walked deeper into the cave, side by side, James couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. She had invited him so earnestly, and here he was, mostly seeing her as a means to an end.

The two made an odd pair in the cavernous space. With James towering over her at nearly three meters, Laura would often take a quick hop every few steps to keep pace with him, determined not to let the height difference slow her down.

"Let me tell you," she began, her voice full of energy, "my teacher, ugh, he's a disaster when it comes to gambling. I swear, the man loses nine out of ten times, maybe even more! He spends everything he earns. You wouldn't believe it, but he blew through all the money my family sent for my training! All of it! I just don't understand how someone can be so eager to give money to others."

James felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead as she rambled on, his pace unconsciously quickening. Ever since they had teamed up, Laura had been talking nonstop; starting with details about the cave, moving to the state of the world, diving into obscure skills and techniques, and now, the disasters of her gambling master. She flitted from topic to topic with alarming speed, barely needing a connection to jump to the next story.

But, despite her endless chatter, James had learned some shocking things. For one, the Earth was now several times larger than it had been 50 years ago, and it was still expanding. Vast forests, mountains, rivers, and oceans had appeared seemingly overnight. And these alien species? They weren't just the result of mutated wildlife like he'd originally thought. They had arrived with the sudden appearance of these new landscapes.

Laura had shared one strange story about an old lady, 50 years ago, who had been walking home with her neighbor. The two had made plans to go to the market together the next morning. But when they woke up, a massive mountain had appeared between their once-adjacent houses, separating them entirely.

James tried to process this new information when suddenly, Laura's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"I've been meaning to ask," he said, trying to steer the conversation, "you mentioned something about a secret technique earlier. What exactly is that?"

Laura's stories had begun to veer off course into her family life; she was even complaining about how her father sneaked out to play cards after her mother went to bed. James seized the chance to get some useful information.

Laura tilted her head, her expression now one of suspicion. "Wait... are you seriously a member of that tiny cult?" She narrowed her eyes, clearly unconvinced. "I mean, even if the Scientology Cult is small, surely they'd teach you some skills, right?"

Her gaze was sharp, and James could tell she thought he was being completely clueless. He braced himself for another long lecture, hoping this time, there'd be something in it that could actually help him survive in this bizarre, ever-changing world.

"Well, you see, I joined the sect not too long ago," James started, coughing awkwardly to buy some time. "But I left pretty quickly. Their... philosophy didn't quite align with mine."

Laura raised an eyebrow, a glint of amusement crossing her face. "Ah, no wonder you don't know the basics," she said with a playful smirk. "Mental techniques can only be learned once you're above level F." She gave a small shrug before adding, "But hey, I'm feeling generous today, so let me explain."

She paused for dramatic effect, her voice dropping slightly as she launched into what felt like a practiced speech. "We humans are, frankly, weak. Against alien species of the same level, we don't stand a chance. Take a mid-level G-class giant rat, for example. Without weapons, that thing could easily overpower a dozen G-class humans. Even with guns, we'd only manage to take down lower and mid-level G-class creatures. But if you face something with tough defenses, like the giant rat, regular bullets won't even scratch its skin. And advanced weapons? Yeah, they're not exactly something everyone has access to."

She glanced at James, studying his reaction.

He frowned, tilting his head. "What does all this have to do with my question?"

Laura smirked, clearly enjoying his confusion. "Everything. In those new areas; the ones that suddenly appeared out of nowhere; humans discovered something incredible: mental methods and arts." She held up a finger, and a soft green glow began to shimmer around it. "See this? This is an art. That straw armor you've got wrapped around you? That's art too. Think of them like a superpower, a way to channel power. But mental methods? Those are different."

She leaned in slightly, her tone more serious. "Here's the thing: when humans are at level G, we can't control how fast we advance. Some people stay stuck at level G their whole lives. But once you hit level F, it's a whole new ballgame. You can feel energy around you. From that point, with the right mental techniques, you can start absorbing it advancing like the legends. And with those mental methods, your arts become even more powerful."

She paused to let it sink in before adding, "So yeah, this world may be crawling with alien species now, and these new areas have thrown everything into chaos. But they've also given us something valuable."

"An opportunity," James muttered, beginning to see her point.

"Exactly!" Laura gestured to the cave around them. "This place? It wasn't here before. It appeared out of nowhere, bringing those rats along with it. They've terrorized the surrounding villages, capturing people for food. But this cave didn't just bring danger; it also brought spiritual energy, valuable minerals, and opportunities."

"Spiritual energy?" James asked, his interest piqued.

"Yep," she nodded. "The place is full of it. You can't feel it because we're still G-class, but once you hit level F, it's like a whole new world opens up."

James thought for a moment before asking, "Do you think we could find a mental method here?"

Laura shrugged casually. "Who knows? Maybe. If we do, we're in luck. If not, it's no big deal. I didn't come here specifically for that. I'm just here to confirm something. It's... personal." She turned her gaze toward him. "What about you? Why did you come down here?"

"I'm here for the blood crystal," James admitted. "It's worth a fortune right now. The client who hired me even gave me a map to this cave."

At the mention of the blood crystal, Laura's expression darkened. "Blood crystal... so many have died chasing after that thing, and yet it's never enough for some people."

Her voice had grown low and hoarse. James glanced at her, noticing how tightly her fists were clenched, her knuckles turning white.

"Are you alright?" he asked cautiously.

She didn't respond right away, her eyes fixed on the ground as if struggling with a wave of anger. Her jaw was clenched tight, and the intensity of her emotions caught him off guard. Whoever or whatever had driven her here wasn't just about curiosity or adventure. There was something deeper, something personal, fueling her.

James stayed quiet, letting her wrestle with her thoughts, but the cave suddenly felt a lot heavier.