BOOM

  Sparks from the high-speed chopsticks ignited the rice powder. From the sparks, it quickly spread throughout the transparent jar and formed an explosion in the blink of an eye. The sphere that held Joker was shattered by the explosive force and the steel chopsticks.

  Blop

  The two goldfish creatures opened their mouths wide. The glass-like transparent jar pieces fell all over the ground, the only thing left inside were the steel pieces of countless chopsticks.

  [He… broke the jar!] One of the two floating goldfish looked at his companion and commented.

  [How…]

  The other one also replied in disbelief. They couldn’t help but half-believe it and approached the broken pieces to take a closer look, this event seemed unprecedented. The next second, they saw Joker appear from within the rubble. The wolf boy was completely unharmed, but his clothes were not. He bent down and picked up one of his Bag of Holding. It was scratched but still seemed to work.

  “Now I’ll give you a chance to reason before I have sashimi and grilled fish.” Putting his gear back on, Joker glared, his voice low and even. He raised his hand towards the two goldfish, his fingers like gun barrels ready to fire at any second!

  [Blop… the scent of wind and warm sunlight emanating from him, the scent of the energy of the sky!] one of the fish commented.

  “Hm?” Joker furrowed one eyebrow at the strange answer.

  [No doubt, you are also the chosen one like us!] The other goldfish said loudly, but found something more unbelievable than the broken vase before.

  “…Huh?” The wolf boy opened his mouth.

  [Praise the lord, another ally has come to us!] The two goldfish floated upside down, their tails and fins waving excitedly.

  “…Release those two, they have the same power as me.”

  Although he didn’t fully grasp the situation, Joker saw an opportunity. He pointed his thumb at the jars that were holding Jarek and Yong and gave the order.

  [Brother, it’s hard for us even if we want to.] A goldfish shook its head.

  [Blop, this tool of the lord is originally used to ensure that the target cannot escape. So we don’t know how to…] The goldfish beside him looked at the jar, its fins drooping down.

  “…Fine.”

  Joker walked over to the jar, tapping it a few times. Even though it was just a glimpse, he could see Jarek’s rabbit ears move slightly.

  “Can you hear me, Jarek?” the wolf boy cried out.

  “…!”

  Jarek woke up, she looked up and tried to say something. However, Joker only saw the female Shapechanger move her lips, her voice not reaching his ears. Understanding that this type of communication was ineffective, the wolf boy created a ball of dough and wrote on it with his finger. He held it out in front of the jar to give instructions.

  [It's okay now, can you break the jar yourself?]

  Jarek gave her a thumbs up. Joker saw this and stepped back to avoid getting caught up in it. The female Shapechanger stood up, swinging her fist. The entire jar flew in the direction of her punch!

  BANG

  The jar hit the wall, but there was no damage. The two goldfish opened their mouths wide, like a normal person would when witnessing Jarek's muscular strength. The rabbit-eared girl tried punching a few more times, but this time she combined it with a strong stomp, thanks to which the jar did not fly around. Even so, the jar was stubborn, refusing to accept being destroyed. Seeing this, the female Shapechanger smiled again, her rabbit ears swaying again. She placed her index finger on the side of the jar, her hand twisting quickly and strongly like a drill. Little by little, cracks began to form on the jar's wall. They grew larger, covering the entire surface of the jar like a spider web.

  CRACK

  Jarek threw another punch, the jar turned into glass-like fragments that flew everywhere and fell to the ground. The Shapechanger was now free to step out.

  “Blop…” One of the two fish closed and opened its mouth, unable to form any words.

  [M-another chosen one!] the other fish commented. [God bless!]

  “It's out~.” Jarek jumped up, his hands raised in the air excitedly.

  “What's your secret to breaking that jar?” Joker walked over with curiosity.

  “Make a nail smaller than a bacterium and drill, because the junction of molecules is easier to break than the entire object.” The rabbit-eared Shapechanger raised her nail sharper than a needle. The next second, her eyes glanced up and down at Joker, wondering. “Why are you naked?”

  “Bomb the vase.” The wolf boy shrugged. “Can you make me a bet?”

  “CGL ~.”

  Jarek raised his hand to indicate ok. The next second, her hand revealed a street outfit. Joker put it on, put on his shoes, and then walked towards the vase that was holding Yong. However, this time, before he could make a signal, he heard the sound of broken glass.

  CRACK

  The third jar met the same fate. Yong stepped out with two knives in his hands. One was emitting a cold breath, the other was burning.

  “Using two opposing temperatures, classic but effective.” Joker commented, nodding in agreement.

  “That’s too much…” Yong scratched his head and chuckled.

  [Praise the benevolent lord!] the goldfish raised his eyes to the ceiling and shouted again.

  [In one day, there were three more chosen ones! The lord truly blessed us Deep Gold!] the remaining goldfish lowered his head to the floor, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes.

  “These guys kidnapped us and now they consider us allies…” Yong whispered into Joker’s ear.

  “Yes…” Joker replied simply. “Let’s make the most of it.”

  “Alright, brother~.” The black-haired boy raised the corner of his lips slightly. He approached the two goldfish, not forgetting to keep a smile on his face and speak friendly words. “Would you mind showing us around here? We don’t know what’s left or right here. I would be very grateful to those who would be so kind.”

  [No need to worry, brothers.] The goldfish returned its face to normal, its mouth as if trying to form a smile.

  [Follow me, the kingdom of Deep Gold and Deep Gold Fish welcomes you!] The second goldfish said and then they turned away, slowly floating towards the entrance.

  “Thank you~.”

  Yong smiled and then took a step, Joker and Jarek following behind. The group followed along a long and wide corridor, both above and below and on both sides were gray walls. Although it looked stuffy and cold, no one felt anything unusual in the air, it was still cool and pleasant, still filled with oxygen, and there was no fishy smell of aquatic life. The only difference was that there was always a faint smell of salt around. They passed by several other creatures calling themselves Deep Gold Fish in a similar manner. They reacted not too differently from the previous two goldfish, surprised, sniffing, and then delighted. These fish had two things floating beside them, a shell about their size and a pointed stick that looked to be made of white bone. At first glance, they appeared to be the spear and shield of the Deep Gold Fish.

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  “You don’t seem surprised by Jarek’s change in appearance, do you?” Joker asked, his hands still in his pockets.

  “She’s a Shapechanger, like your uncle Soulflare and brother Saga. Just like you don’t get along with strangers very well.” Yong turned his head to ask his two allies with a knowing smile. “Anyway, do you have any idea where we are?”

  “Do you think this is a dream?” Joker asked the expert.

  “Um…” Jarek wiggled his rabbit ears, sniffing a few times before giving an answer. “Hm… this is both a yes and a no.”

  “How so?” the wolf boy furrowed his brows.

  “It smells like a Dream, but it seems solid enough to be a real world.” the female Shapechanger commented.

  “That sounds worrying…” Joker rubbed his chin.

  “So we’re really in another world!” Yong widened his half-closed eyes, his tone somewhat excited.

  “The way they commented that we’re like them, and the similarity between us is that we’re both Humans with Dreamer powers…” Joker’s eyebrows now drew together, his mind beginning to delve into his thoughts. “They have the ability to float, move shields and spears without touching, telepathy… the way they use it is very Psionic.”

  “Psionic?”

  Jarek straightened his rabbit ears, his eyes shining with curiosity at the unfamiliar topic to her. The wolf boy said nothing, instead he pointed his index finger at Yong and then pointed his thumb at the rabbit-eared Shapechanger.

  “Ah, Psionic is a form of magic that uses the power of the mind to manifest phenomena without the need to chant a spell. Unlike Divine Magic which casts a spell through a connection with a deity, Arcane Magic is a spell cast by the user directly or through non-divine means.” Yong explained briefly but thoroughly, as he had instructed the new Hunters.

  “Are Dreams and Psionics similar…” Jarek was interested in the modern perspective on the concept she was familiar with.

  “Based on the characteristics of Psionic that I know and the Dream that Jarek mentioned. There is a high possibility that the Eldritch gods, commonly known as the Great Old One or Outer One, are also Dreamers.” Yong made his assumption based on the information he had gathered.

  “I remember they were called Other Gods,” the wolf boy corrected his friend.

  “You read the book?” the Asian guy asked with a smile.

  “It can’t be helped, thanks to my Dream ability, I can’t sleep.” Joker shrugged. “Because of its strong recovery ability, I can’t learn spells or train my muscles.”

  “…You’ve worked hard, Jozo~.” Yong walked over, placing a hand lightly on Joker’s shoulder.

  “But in return, no one can make you fall anymore~.”

  Jarek smiled, patting the wolf boy's other shoulder. Joker said nothing but sighed, not sure if it was because he was annoyed or relieved.

  "Well... now we have a rabbit and a wolf, what an interesting situation." Yong chuckled, a love story scenario started to run through his mind, both romantic and erotic.

  "Like a wolf eating a rabbit?" Jarek put his hand over his mouth, she chuckled at that common sense but in the current situation.

  "Where would I get the strength to bite her..." Joker's entire face turned sour. He didn't see how practical that idea was. "A living tank like the Black Scorpion couldn't do anything to you, what could I do?"

  [And here, our Deep Gold kingdom, the crystallization of our strength, wisdom, and pride!]

  The two Deep Gold Fish stopped, their eyes turned towards the transparent wall. Outside that window, the three of them saw a scene covered in the blue of the sea. Below them were streets lined with colorful aquatic plants, and stone buildings with sparkling lights coming from their doorless entrances. The architecture of Deep Gold was in the form of layers of circles, forming a shape somewhat similar to a castle. Contrary to its name, the abyss was not dark. The light from the sky mixed with the sea water, creating a poetic sapphire color. Deep Gold was filled with small, colorful fish, and there were also large ones like whales. Most of the streets were filled with Deep Gold Fish that moved like humans, and in the air, schools of fish swam like birds.

  “…” Joker thought silently, suddenly understanding that the source of the smell of salt was because this place was under the sea.

  “Wow, what a splendid kingdom~.” Yong immediately praised endlessly, his hands indicating ok. “If there was a vacation, I would prioritize this place.”

  [Blop, it’s our honor.] The goldfish opened and closed its mouth, though its mouth didn’t say a word.

  “Where else?” Jarek wiggled its rabbit ears.

  [Of course, it’s just that you don’t look like aquatic creatures, so we’ll show you around inside first, then use a car to help escort you, blop.] The Deep Goldfish beside him offered a solution.

  “So… this dry building is for terrestrial creatures to live in?” The Shapechanger girl immediately realized the reason.

  [Exactly, you’re quick to understand.] The remaining goldfish praised. They moved on, leading to an entrance. [And this is the incubation room.]

  Joker's group followed the instructions and entered. It was a spacious room, 10 times the size of the one where they were previously imprisoned. There were many transparent round jars like the one used to imprison the group before, but they had circles on top that looked like lids. Most of the people inside were women and girls dressed in fur and leather of the natives. The animal ears and tails on their bodies looked very similar to the Beastfolk, maybe wolves, cats, rabbits, or cows. Quite a few of them were sitting with long, disheveled hair, and some of them had bellies that were larger than normal.

  [Blop, this is where the outsiders are. The females are honored to become the parents of the lord's descendants. The males will become batteries that provide power to the lord's temple.] Deep Gold Fish looked at the room with about 30 people imprisoned and smiled proudly. Perhaps this was a feat for them. [For those who were lowly, ignorant, and weak, no different from animals, this was a privilege.]

  “It doesn’t look like a good environment for pregnant mothers. It’s too stuffy, their conditions are too bleak…”

  Jarek commented objectively. Her rabbit ears drooped, her eyes looked painfully at the captives. Meanwhile, Joker quietly observed the scene. Humans being imprisoned, deprived of freedom, and on top of that, having unwanted pregnancies, it made the wolf boy feel disgusted. His hands were clenched so tightly that the veins were visible, his teeth were clenched inside his closed mouth, his heart was burning like fire. His good impression of those scaly kidnappers was falling further and further. Perhaps because the situation was still not good, otherwise there would be fish meat here, and the one cooking it would be Joker!

  “By the way, who is that lord you guys are talking about? He must be a very extraordinary person.” Yong tried to keep the corners of his mouth up to keep his smile from fading, and he started asking more questions to get more information.

  [He is the one who came from the sky. He came down to the bottom of the sea, giving us the knowledge, power, and tools to build this kingdom of Deep Gold.]

  Deep Gold Fish looked up at the ceiling, the light seemed to be contained in its black eyes. Yong was somewhat frightened by the attitude of the creature before him. He glanced around the room and saw something unusual. Only one girl among the people there was skin and bones, withered like a withered flower about to wither.

  “Excuse me… why is that person in such a state as if he hasn’t eaten or drank for many days?” the Asian boy tried to ask as politely as possible. He avoided expressing his anger or sympathizing too much with the prisoner.

  [Blop, that bitch is a failure. After months of implanting eggs, her body can't do anything!] Deep Gold Fish complained from the side. [Thanks to that bitch, the eggs were depleted this time, we had quite a big argument, and some people were even punished by the lord because of her! Luckily, we gave her a chance to be a battery instead of being chopped up!]

  [That's right, if I hadn't stopped her, she would have been chopped into many pieces, blop!]

  The other fish also spoke angrily. While they were sighing, Joker came to Yong's side and whispered a few words into Yong's ear. At that moment, another question came from the Asian boy.

  "That's right, they're land people, meaning they live above the water, right?" Yong changed the subject.

  [Yes, since they can't live underwater, there are some dry areas like these houses.] Deep Gold Fish immediately answered the question.

  “Can we go up there and investigate? Who knows, maybe we can come up with some interesting solutions to help you improve your current situation?” The Asian boy made a somewhat attractive suggestion, along with a confident smile to increase his persuasiveness.

  [Blop, sounds very curious coming from someone who was chosen from another world.] The fish took Yong’s fishing bait.

  “Then shall we go? Time is money.” Yong decided to pull the fishing line.

  [Money, blop?] Deep Gold Fish looked at Yong with wide eyes.

  “It’s a symbol of resource exchange in our world.” Jarek helped answer that question with the shortest and easiest explanation possible.

  [Blop, although I don’t quite understand, but an initiative from a different perspective is very welcome!] Both fish turned upside down to express their excitement.

  “Thank you for your dedication.” Yong did not forget to say thank you.

  [Blop blop blop, we're all family, there's no need to be so polite~.] Deep Gold Fish opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, delighted by the compliment.

  [Okay, I'll go get my tools and we'll be on our way, blop. You guys just sit here and wait.] The fish even led the three back to the hallway and left happily with its friend.

  "Great, everything went smoothly~." Yong placed his hand in front of his grinning mouth, his eyes glancing at his friend. "I'm curious what you'll do next with those disgusting fish, Zojo."

  "... Let's have a snack while we wait." Joker sat down, his hands forming two bowls of ramen along with steel chopsticks.

  "You seem to be very good at diplomacy, Yong." Jarek picked up the bowl of ramen and started picking at his food. "You kept your cool throughout the conversation."

  "The power of an extrovert."

  Joker shrugged at the comment. He took out his phone from his Bag of Holding and started browsing social media. Fortunately, even in another world, the wifi was still working fine.

  “Food is the first thing to eat.” Yong took a deep breath to calm himself down after witnessing the unsightly scene. He sat down and ate the hot meal with a slightly tired smile.

  “Food is the only thing that can help us,” the Vietnamese said.

  Joker retorted.

  “Even immortals have to eat elixirs, celestial wine, and longevity peaches~.” The Asian guy shrugged and picked up his chopsticks to enjoy his meal. “This time it’s roast pork huh.”