Arc 1 - Chapter 1: The World Behind the Door (3/3)

Thinking would not help him solve the language problem, so he decided to look around.

The buildings lining both sides of the road were not neglected and looked like places where people would want to live even in a twenty-first century world.

Judging by the quality of the buildings and the length of the street, he decided he is in a city. There was also the smell of the sea.

"So we are in the coastal area. Should I look for the city center or find the sea?"

If he considered himself lost, it would be easier for him to find the sea he could smell than the city center where he did not know where it was.

He started walking, following the scent he smelled. He didn't want to stop on the street he was on and take different roads. He didn't even think of something stupid like going into the alleys. He had some things with him that might be valuable in this world and he didn't want to lose them to a few punks he might meet.

"More important than my stuff is my life. It would be bad if some asshole in the alleys pulled a knife and stabbed me."

When he was sure there was no one around to watch him, he shadow boxed and threw a few punches into the void.

"I don't feel stronger than usual, I can think quickly because of my high level of intelligence, but my physical characteristics don't seem to change."

So when a thug with a knife approached Yu, the chances of being stabbed were very high.

Yu had an athletic body, but being a good boy, he was not much experienced when it came to fighting. So he wasn't going to be stupid and try to play the hero. Someone he fought here could easily beat the crap out of him and send Yu packing, or even kill him.

Which would have hurt his pride more, being beaten or running away when he realized he was going to be beaten? He tried to listen to his head rather than his heart, but he was still taking orders from his pride, which he could not ignore.

Then he decided surviving against all odds was more important than his pride. There was no point in being beaten or dying for nothing. He would stay away from fighting and dangerous places.

Except for the light of lanterns that served as street lamps, the only source of light was the moon and stars in the sky.  Almost all the houses were dimly lit. It was normal, in a world without television and internet there was no reason to stay up late at night.

Since people probably wake up with the sunrise, staying up late would ensure that they start the day sleepless and continue sleeplessly in the morning. People who couldn't sleep would be inefficient at work.

With this knowledge, Yu would also have to adjust his sleeping patterns. He could no longer stay up late into the night. He had to get used to going to bed early and getting up early as soon as possible.

"The sidewalks are wider than in most cities of the twenty-first century, and so is the road. The city planner must be a visionary."

He was commenting on the city while following the salty smell of the sea. The city planning was definitely very good. Even if there were small differences, in general the buildings were close in size and similar in shape. Their distances from each other were also perfectly spaced. Apart from that, this could have been the tidy part of the city where the rich live and the other parts would have been disappointing.

In the middle of the night, he continued walking on the straight road without meeting any people. He admitted it was a bit scary. The absence of anyone made him feel uneasy.

His nose was getting used to the smell of the sea when the occasional sound of waves mingled with the sound of dogs and he realized he had reached his destination. He quickened his steps and moved forward to see the sea.

He was sure that if he found the sea in such a well-planned city, he would discover something useful there. Maybe where he was walking was not the main road and when he reached the sea he would see the main road.

Once he found the main road, he could find a way to get to the city center, and maybe he could meet someone, make contact.

"Surely there must be a city center here? Of course there will be a city center, even villages have a center. If there is no language problem, I will definitely find something useful in the city center, maybe I can sell my phone."

He didn't know how long he had been walking, as he had turned off his phone to conserve its charge, but he could tell it was closer to half an hour.

When he finally reached the sea, he saw that it was a harbor and when he could see the waves, he realized that all this walking had been worth it. The sea was beautiful.

But above his head was a much more spectacular sight.

When he looked up, he saw more stars than his eyes had ever seen before. Above his head, on a midnight blue canopy, countless stars shone. It was mesmerizing to watch the view in the light of the moon hitting the sea, but the most breathtaking, the most beautiful was the arm of the galaxy in the sky that Yu could only describe as 'magnificent'.

The breathtaking landscape scene he had expected from a fantastic world was completed in the very first moments of his story. Thanks to what he saw, Yu thought that the world he was in might be round and that they were in a similar universe. If the arm of the galaxy was visible, it would mean that they were in a galaxy.

If there are galaxies, it was normal for him to take into account that he was in a similar universe and to assume that the earth was round, but if there were fantastic elements in the world, he could also find out that he was in a flat earth built on a tray.

For hours he could watch the sky above his head, accompanied by the sound of the waves, and not be disturbed by anyone. Right now this sky belonged to him and him alone. As he watched the sky, he thought about looking for a safe place to stay, but he had a strong feeling that he should keep walking. Besides, if he wanted to go back, he could find this place now.

He found a street connected to the harbor and wider than the one he had used on his way here. He thought he could use it to reach the city center. It would be great for him if he could find the center and find some kind-hearted people to communicate with.

The air had suddenly turned cold. When he started to feel the cold and the idea of staying up all night sounded difficult despite all his excitement, he decided that he had to find a place to stay and that he had to move forward.

If he was going to ask for help, he had to ask for help from someone he didn't know and could easily be tricked. If he had a choice, Yu would never have agreed to take care of another human being, but now the situation demanded it, so if he could ask someone for help, he would do it.

As he was walking down the street, he saw a few people walking away from him. He could have gone up to them and tried to communicate with them, but he didn't. It wasn't that he didn't know them or that he was afraid, it was just that they were far away from him and he had to run to catch up with them.

When the people in the distance disappeared from sight, he continued walking and examining the buildings.

!?!?!?

First a meaningless sound came from beneath his feet. Not only did he hear a sound, but he also felt the ground tremble. By the time Yu realized that the ground was collapsing, it was too late. The road he was walking on collapsed and he fell down.

***

He could think of nothing as the ground gave way and he fell down. He hadn't even realized what had happened when he found himself in indescribable pain. At least through the pain he could understand that he was miraculously alive.

His skin was peeling from the stones and his body was covered in blood. His shirt was blackened by the red blood. There was a pain in his leg that made him scream. A large piece of stone had fallen on his stomach, preventing him from standing up.

Using all the strength in his arms, he pushed the stone away. A force of unknown origin helped him to stand up.

As he stood up and put his weight on his left leg, which hurt less, he turned to a huge four-armed gorilla with orange scales standing in front of him. Far away from the creature stood a little girl with red eyes, white hair and cat ears.

"Neko! Run now!"

A red-eyed, white-haired woman in crimson clothes jumped in front of the cat-eared little girl and without waiting she threw a purple orb at the creature.

When Yu's violet eyes met her red ones, it was too late. As the orb she threw grew larger and reality faded, Yu could only think of one thing.

"Fuck - What a pretty girl."