The New World 

In an unknown location, where the sun was shining brightly high up in the sky, a wooden ship was seen traveling in a silent sea. There were tall mountains in one direction, which seemed to be kissing the sky from the horizon. The high and low waves crashed with the wooden hull of the ship, but the vessel stood firm and continued traveling towards its destination. 

The Brigantine-type ship had a sleek design and aerodynamic structure, allowing it to cut through the waves with relative ease. The ship had intricate carvings all over it, giving it a Chinese-ish style. Billowing sails, vibrant and emblazoned with symbols, catch the wind, propelling the ship forward as meticulously maintained rigging stood as a testament to the crew's dedication to their voyages. 

One significant detail about this ship was its massive dragon figurehead at the forefront of the ship, displaying scales, sinuous lines, and dynamic features that capture the essence of a powerful and majestic creature. As the foremost emblem of this ship, this wooden dragon symbolized courage, protection, and the spirit of exploration. 

The ship's deck was expansive, accommodating the bustling movements of the crew during their maritime expeditions. Here, various areas house equipment, cargo, and quarters, with the captain of this ship's personal space distinguished by unique decor and an air of leadership. 

In one such cabin of this ship was a man in his 20s sleeping soundly on a bed. His beautiful face, without any visible blemishes, was capable of evoking charm in anyone. This man's name is Aerin Thorne El Vinterholm, and he is the main character of our story. 

Just then, Aerin's eyebrows twitched slightly as if he was about to wake up. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, but he groaned slightly as he immediately covered his eyes with his hands to avoid the incoming visual stimulus. 

Gradually, his eyes adjusted to the emerging daylight as he looked around the cabin with an absent-minded gaze. The wooden cabin had a bed on which he was sleeping, a table and a chair, a wardrobe that was snugly placed beside the door, and lastly, a glass window adjacent to the bed from which the radiant beams of sun came, painting the entire room in a warm glow. 

Having taken in the details of the entire room, he slowly tried to get up from the bed to leave this unfamiliar environment. However, as he attempted to stand, an unexpected disorientation between his body and mind struck, causing a momentary struggle. The result was a clumsy stumble backward onto the bed. 

Suddenly, a sharp, searing pain tore through Aerin's head, that almost made him unconscious. Gasping, he clutched his temples, attempting to make sense of the overwhelming sensation assaulting his senses. The intensity of the pain surged, forcing him to grit his teeth in a desperate bid to endure the inexplicable torment. While he couldn't comprehend the cause, the sheer severity convinced him that something was terribly wrong. 

With no relief in sight, in a moment of desperation, he moved towards a nearby wooden pillar by the room's entrance. In an impulsive attempt to alleviate the excruciating pain, he forcefully collided his head against the solid structure. 

*THUD* 

"AAAAHHHHHHHH!" The impact echoed through the room as a gut-wrenching cry escaped his lips. The relentless influx of new information flooded his mind, compounding the distressing pain. 

*THUD* 

As Aerin wrestled with the deluge of memories flooding his mind, his life in Iceland, the pursuit of vengeance, the climb to fame, and the subsequent descent into obscurity meshed together like a completed puzzle. Recollections of his time in the Void and the encounter with the Creator all resurfaced in a whirlwind of memories. 

Throughout this mental turmoil, each impact of his head against the solid wooden pillar drew faint trickles of blood down his forehead. 

*THUD* 

At that moment, a female crew member cautiously pushed the cabin door open to see inside, alerted by the constant sounds coming from within the room. Panic crept into her as she saw the distraught sight inside. 

Without hesitation, the crew member rushed into the cabin, her immediate priority to prevent Aerin from harming himself. 

"Hey! What the hell are you doing!? Are you alright?" she exclaimed in alarm. 

*THUD* 

Despite her attempt to intervene, Aerin shook her off, determined to alleviate the excruciating pain that was threatening to split his head apart. 

Realizing the futility of stopping him, she swiftly reached into her pockets and retrieved a painkiller. Scanning the cabin, she located a glass of water resting on the nearby table. 

*THUD* 

"Here, take this. It will help relieve your pain." She called out to him, her voice tinged with urgency, as she held out a painkiller and a glass of water towards Aerin. 

Aerin, exercising great self-control, looked at the painkiller as he opened his trembling mouth. Seeing the sign, carefully administered the anesthetic and ensured he drank the water. 

Despite the brief relief brought by the medication, the pain surged back with even more intensity than before, prompting another excruciating cry from Aerin. 

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" 

*THUD* 

The female crew member grew increasingly anxious witnessing Aerin. In her medical experience, a simple painkiller is usually enough for such headaches. But she had never seen such an intense and prolonged bout of pain. 

*THUD* 

This inexplicable situation left her flustered, and she took a step back, her confusion evident. 

 She was a doctor, and it was her job to save lives, but now that there was someone she couldn't heal in front of her, she couldn't do anything. 

The excruciating pain continued for what felt like an eternity before gradually easing. Aerin's shirt clung to him, drenched in sweat, and his breath was heavy as he trembled. Wholly drained from enduring the pain, he collapsed onto the bed, his mind and body utterly exhausted. Ignoring the lady who had attempted to aid him, all he wanted at that moment was rest. 

Approaching Aerin hesitatingly, the woman observed him slipping into sleep within moments. 

She looked left and right and thought for a while, considering her options. After a brief internal debate, she ultimately decided to stay in the cabin for some time. 

*** 

Aerin slowly emerged into wakefulness, taking in his surroundings. 

Gently rubbing his eyes, he got up from the bed, feeling the aftereffects of several hours of rest. His memory jogged back to his earlier actions. Sensing a presence beside him, he turned his head and noticed a woman asleep nearby, perched on the bed with a chair. Clad in a Qipao1, she looked serene in her sleep. 

For a brief moment, he observed her before shifting his attention to the view outside the window. 

'Am I aboard a ship? Where in the world am I?' he pondered, trying to piece together his current location and circumstances. 

Recalling his recent conversation with the Creator only added a bitter taste to Aerin's thoughts. Shaking off these thoughts, his primary focus shifted to determining his whereabouts, assessing the situation's favorability, and lastly, formulating a plan for the way forward. 

The vibrations coming from the bed prompted the lady to stir from her slumber, rubbing her groggy eyes as she noticed the presence of Aerin beside her. 

His beautiful face, as if a prince charming on a horse had come for her to make her his bride, instantly captivated her imagination, leading to her losing her mind while fantasizing about romantic fantasies with him in her head. 

He sighed, not entirely unfamiliar with the way she was behaving. In his previous world, female fans often reacted similarly whenever he surprised them or unexpectedly appeared before them. 

To draw her attention, Aerin snapped his fingers loudly in front of her face. Startled, she snapped back to reality, glancing at him once more. "Are you feeling more clear-headed now?" he inquired. 

Sudden clarity washed over her as the events before her brief nap flooded her mind, causing the woman to spring from her seat in panic, gripping Aerin's shoulders tightly. 

"Are you alright?!" she exclaimed in a flurry of concern. 

Aerin, seeing her panic like that, spoke to calm her down. 

"Yes, I'm fine now. But first, let me thank you for helping me." 

"Oh. No, It's alright. Besides, I wasn't able to help you that much. I wish I could have done more to assist—" she began, her voice tinged with regret. 

"It doesn't change the fact that you still tried to help me," Cutting her off gently, Aerin stopped her midway, offering a faint smile as she shook his head. "But besides all that..." He said as his gaze wandered around the cabin. 

"Ah, I didn't introduce myself yet, did I? My name is Yin Xing, and I am a doctor of the Crux fleet. You're on board the Alcor. Seasickness, wind chills, amputations, I do them all around here." 

Yin Xing? Crux Fleet? The Alcor? These names were all unfamiliar to him, though it was expected, but he still felt a tinge of familiarity upon hearing these names. 

"Am I on a cargo ship?" Aerin inquired of the unknown lady who introduced herself as Yin Xing. 

"Not exactly. This is a pirate ship," Yin Xing revealed. 

The notion of being aboard a pirate ship triggered immediate alarms blaring in Aerin's mind, sparking concerns about how he ended up in such a situation. However, before he could delve further into his thoughts, Yin Xing interjected. 

"Please don't mistake our Crux fleet for bad guys. While we're often called pirates, our work involves legitimate tasks like transporting cargo or hunting for treasures." 

Aerin eased his apprehension somewhat upon Yin Xing's clarification, but he still didn't let his guard down. Deciding to proceed with the conversation, he engaged further. 

"By the way, what had happened to you earlier? I have never seen a case like yours ever since I became a doctor," Yin Xing inquired, genuinely curious about Aerin's condition. 

"It was probably a massive headache. I don't know the reason why it happened, but I don't think it would happen again," Aerin confessed, genuinely unsure of what had triggered it. 

"I see. Well, we can think about it later. But I have a question to ask you." 

"Hmm, what is it?" Aerin responded. 

"What were you doing in the sea?" 

Yin Xing's sudden and puzzling question left Aerin perplexed as he slightly tilted his head in confusion. Yin Xing, sensing his confusion, prepared to explain further. 

"We found you submerged in the sea before we rescued you. You've been resting for an entire day." 

'Ah, so that's what it was.' he thought. 'The wormhole probably had a random coordinate set. For now, I think it's better to stick to Amnesia. The headache I experienced before will further solidify my claim.' 

"That, to be honest, I don't know. I seem to have a slight Amnesia. It's probably somehow connected to the headache I experienced earlier." 

"Is that so? Maybe you're right. But for now, take some painkillers as a precaution," Yin Xing suggested. 

"Thank you. I'll do just that. But first, can you tell me where I am?" 

"Ah, right. We're heading to Liyue Harbor, a place known for its contracts. Does that sound familiar to you?" 

'Wait What?! Liyue Harbor!?' He searched deep into his memories as he reached a startling conclusion. 'Wait a minute...Is this...Teyvat?!' 

The vague sense of familiarity he felt earlier now made sense. 

Aerin recalled that Teyvat was the name of the fantasy world within the popular RPG video game Genshin Impact, developed by miHoYo in his previous world. Liyue Harbor was the name of a distinctive location within Teyvat. 

It seemed that the first world he traveled to was based on a game in his previous world. Within moments, he attempted to recollect as much as he could about the game. 

In his previous world, he used to be very busy, so he couldn't spare much time for gaming. However, it was his daughter, Rain, who introduced him to Genshin Impact. She insisted on sharing those moments, pulling him close whenever she played, eager to involve him in her gaming adventures. That's how he got to know the game. 

But even then, he never devoted much attention to the game and only remembered a few basic details about stories in Genshin Impact. 

He never anticipated he would somewhat regret his previous disinterest in this manner. 

Gathering his thoughts, he responded, "Yes, it does ring a slight bell." 

"Great. If you can still remember some things, that means you only have a slight amnesia. We'll reach Liyue Harbor by tomorrow dawn. You can decide what to do then. We still don't know how you got there in the sea. Your family must be worrying about you—" 

He interrupted her, saying, "I don't have a family." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yeah, that's one thing I can be sure of. For as long as I can remember, I was always an orphan." 

He was already receiving some memories of the identity the Creator crafted for him in this world. And he must say, he was quite grateful for making him an orphan.

"Well, it seems some of your memories has already started returning. For now, you should rest. I'll bring you some soup later for strength. When the night arrives, I'll call out to you to have dinner at the deck with the crew members. It's sort of like a tradition here that all who are on this ship must be gathered together for dinner at night. And don't worry, the food will be delicious." 

"Alright." He didn't hesitate at all at the prospect of meeting the rest of the Crux fleet. Now that he understood it was the Crux fleet he was with, Aerin realized they weren't the sort of pirates he'd imagined earlier. They were, in a sense, 'good' pirates. Well, it was all from the knowledge of the game, so in actuality, he doesn't really know them, or if they're actually 'good', just their game avatars. But he gotta test this.

"Good. Now then, I'll be going." 

As Yin Xing bid farewell and left, closing the cabin door behind her, Aerin found himself sitting on the bed, his head cradled by his hands. 

He sat back on the bed as he held his head supported by his hands. Although he now recognized that he was in Teyvat, it was an acknowledgment that provided no solace. 

He was a resident of a far more technologically advanced civilization than this. But now he had to navigate through this low-tech civilization world, and he knew that it wouldn't be easy at all. Navigating a world so far removed from his own was like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. 

The game had only granted him a superficial understanding, a basic foundation that fell short of equipping him for existence in this world. 

Aerin had a vague inkling that things might seem completely topsy-turvy in the new world he would travel to, totally different from the physical laws that governed his previous world, which he'd been accustomed to. There might be occasions when nothing would seem to make sense to him at all. The thought of things defying logical explanations of his previous world was something he'd mentally braced for. 

But still, while Aerin had mentally prepared for this contrast when he made the deal with the Creator, mentally prepping for something and actually living through it were two very different stories. 

'Whatever... what's done is done. No use in thinking about something that can't be changed now.' He shook these thoughts off his mind. Refocusing on the task at hand, he attempted to recall any scrap of information about this fleet. 

Because if this was the Alcor, then he would also meet 'her.'

***

Total Word Count - 2.6k words

Have many plans for this world. It's gonna be exciting...

If you have any exciting ideas, share with me!

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