--- In the Sand Land ---

  Allan, with his armor, was standing close to the cave entrance, looking out of the cave carefully. In his sight, the silhouette of the giant black snake had already gone far away, now only a whirlwind carrying dust and sand in the air remained. After a moment of silence, the danger was no longer visible. Only then did Allan let out a breath, his tense shoulders finally relaxing.

  “Hah… hah…”

  Inside a dimly lit cave with sand all over the ground, Allan’s allies were sitting there, breathing short and continuous breaths. Besides Yona, Elina, and Cide, there were three people who had appeared beside them when they set foot in this desolate world. On the way, the six of them ran away, and they met another person who had suddenly teleported over.

  “Well, now that that’s settled, it’s time to introduce ourselves.” Allan began to speak to the new faces. “I’m Allan, a gamer and Hunter. That robot girl is my little sister, Yona. The white-haired girl in the blouse is her mother, Elina. And this Hunter guy here is my client, Cide. What about everyone else?”

  “My name is Jun, my family name is Lei, just call me Jei.” The young man with short white hair replied. He was thin, wearing a half-black and half-white suit and blouse. His eyes looked unpleasant, but his way of speaking was not at all unapproachable. “I’m an Artisan and a doctor, I hope we can work together.”

  “Let’s hope we don’t end up at the coroner’s office.” Cide took off his mask. He lit a cigarette from his pocket and smoked it.

  “Let’s hope so.” Jei’s lips curled slightly, his tongue sticking out to the side, looking both comical and strange.

  “I’m Yoru Takumi, just call me Takumi. A Cleric working as an assistant to Dr. Jei.” The blue-black-haired guy introduced himself. He had a friendlier smile. Wearing a more muscular build than his doctor, Takumi wore a white shirt and long trousers. “If there’s any problem, let’s discuss it and work through it.”

  “Of course.” Albina smiled lightly after taking off her mask. “We are all people who are lost in a strange and dangerous land, so working together is the most effective.”

  “And you are?”

  Yona’s round eyes were filled with curiosity. She stared intently at the female Beastfolk with fox ears and tail, whose sharp, bright eyes were both captivating and beastly.

  “Kuzunoha, who distributes various services to the purchase and sale of organic and inorganic goods. Currently a business partner with Yoru-kun. I hope we can do business together in the future~.”

  The long-haired blonde Beastfolk smiled, wearing a colorful kimono. She responded with a sweet introduction, full of enthusiasm like a friendly merchant. From her tail appeared military guns, from small pistols to large gatling guns.

  “If possible, I would like to buy the guns from you.” Allan’s eyes sparkled as he saw the shiny weapons, which were filled with bullets more powerful than the pistol he had. “What can I exchange for?”

  “Any resource of equivalent value~.” Kuzunoha held out her hand, the guns floated before Allan. “I have a buy now pay later service, so feel free to choose.”

  “I would be happy to do business with you, if you can get a discount~.” Cide smiled and raised his hand to indicate ok. As a Fighter, weapons were the most reliable thing to him.

  “Hohoh, it’s a pleasure to cooperate with you all~.” Kuzunoha brought her kimono sleeve to her mouth and giggled, her fox tail wagging a few times.

  “I guess I’ll just be supporting the rear at most, since I’m not a combat expert.” Yoru smiled wryly.

  “Let’s do our best together, everything will definitely be fine!” Yona said encouragingly.

  “What about you?”

  Jei rested his hands on his knees. He looked at the petite girl with long white hair, who didn’t look much older than Yona.

  “I’m Albina, an Alchemist… I hope I’m not causing any trouble, since I’m not sure why I’m here.” The girl smiled shyly in response.

  “Eh?” Allan blinked a few times in surprise. “So how did you get here, Albina?”

  “I was sleeping at home, and then I suddenly woke up here…” Albina threaded her fingers through her hair, her face showing no sign of confusion at the situation she was in.

  “We were brought to this world by a god named Albus to free it from invaders. Through that, the goddess could connect this world with Earth. So that everyone could return, as well as so that she could expand her territory to protect the residents.” Allan immediately explained the reason and how the group came to this strange land.

  “Albus… a goddess?” Albina whispered a few times when the name was mentioned.

  “What is it?” Allan asked curiously.

  “No, it’s just that the god named Albus is a story I heard from my family.” Albina commented according to what she knew.

  “Tell me the details!” The curious gamer asked, because he really liked stories.

  “They said it was a cheerful god with white hair and sunglasses… But it was a boy.” The Alchemist girl rubbed her index finger against her temple as she recounted.

  “…Eh?” Allan was taken aback by the description that was so different from what he knew. “…The Albus we met was a lady in a red dress.”

  “Then… it must be someone else.” Albina smiled shyly.

  “That sounds like an interesting god.” Kuzunoha commented on the two gods’ descriptions.

  “It’s okay, you’ll be fine.” Jei’s eyes were bright, her figure gentle, her smile radiant.

  “We’ll protect you, so don’t worry too much, Albina.” Elina walked over, placing her hand on the girl’s shoulder to reassure her.

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  “It’s not much, but I’ll try not to get in everyone’s way!” Albina nodded slightly and replied, her eyes filled with determination.

  “Alright, let’s talk about power and tactics.” Allan began to change the subject, which was important to his and everyone’s survival right now. “My Dream ability is to transform this armor and assimilate the forms of technology that the armor lacks. What about everyone?”

  “So that’s why you’re interested in Kuzunoha’s weapons.” Yoru lightly rubbed his chin, nodding his head in understanding this discovery.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t know.”

  Cide took a drag of his cigarette. As he answered, his eyes were looking at the thing he was holding, his hands were checking the lock, barrel, and trigger of the Assault Rifle he had just bought from Kuzunoha.

  “I can turn living beings into perfect creatures and trustworthy allies - beast-eared women. Or into furries.”

  Jei answered briefly. The young doctor’s confident smiling face in his mid-20s with that statement, it gave off a vague feeling. It was both weird and safe, but also a potential danger that was hard to predict.

  “Apart from the one I showed everyone, I have a few other magics. Creature creation, safe zone, shape-shifting.” Kuzunoha listed some of her abilities, her fingers pointing out as she counted the abilities.

  “And she’s my Dream…”

  Yoru said with a wry smile, his eyes slightly avoiding the people he had just met. Looking at him and Jei now, they seemed to be people who had a preference for women with animal ears.

  “I also have the Dream ability, I’ll tell everyone later.” Allan said as he turned to Yona and Elina, his fingers pressing together with a hint of regret.

  “I can mix potions and use some Bard spells.”

  Albina placed her hands in front of her chest and spoke as clearly as possible. The little girl’s confused expression was now replaced by a calm one, so quickly that it was surprising. The atmosphere from her changed completely from now. From fragile, now it was filled with strength

  “With their current formation, it looks very promising.” Allan said.

  “With their current formation, it looks very promising.” Allan put his hands on his hips, nodding his head in satisfaction. “Let’s discuss strategy.”

  --- In the world with the sea ---

  “It feels cozy in here~.”

  Jarek commented while sitting in a large shell. In front of her was one of the two Deep Gold Fish using a control panel to drive this thing like a submarine. The space was large enough to accommodate 10 people and enough for them to sit. The floor was soft, and the walls on all four sides were sturdy. The walls of this shell were transparent, and the people sitting inside could easily see outside as if looking through glass. Despite the airtightness of this space, the air inside was not stuffy at all. The only downside was probably for those who didn’t like the salty scent of the sea throughout this room.

  “It’s a simple-looking but very convenient vehicle.”

  Yong commented with praise after looking around. His eyes followed the school of small fish swimming along the current outside.

  [Blop, this thing is very convenient for bringing creatures from the ground down.]

  Deep Gold Fish opened and closed its mouth in delight. It controlled the characters that were glowing on the console. Even though it didn’t touch anything, the characters lit up and then turned off as if controlled by the goldfish’s thoughts.

  [Here’s some food, I wonder if it suits everyone’s taste?]

  Deep Gold Fish’s hands were free to make a large stone box. When it was opened, it contained food pellets, the aroma of roasted rice and seaweed wafted out, accompanied by the scent of seasoned meat.

  “Oh…” Jarek snorted, her rabbit ears standing straight up. The scent of freshly baked food pellets had caught her attention.

  “It looks delicious~.” Yong smiled with delight. He pulled out his smartphone and prepared to take notes. “Excuse me, what is this, what are the ingredients, how do I cook it?”

  [This dish is made from a mixture of ground meat, salt, pepper, fruit, and a little seaweed. Cook them with just enough heat to make the outside crispy and the inside soft.]

  Deep Gold Fish explained, lifting up three meatballs and placing them in the hands of all three without touching them. Yong enjoyed tasting them, the crispy outside made a delicious sound when he took a bite, the inside was soft as if it melted in his mouth. The flavors came alive inside his mouth and taste buds.

  “This taste… is really special…” Yong clicked his tongue a few times, he lifted up the meatballs but was witnessing a feat. “It is truly a human delicacy!”

  [It’s good that you like it, blop.]

  The goldfish nodded in satisfaction. Suddenly, Yong was touched on the shoulder by Joker’s hand. He turned his head and saw his friend shaking his head. Joker’s gaze was very serious, while Jarek shook his head slightly, neither of them had ever tried meatballs. The Asian boy’s eyes glanced down at the bitten meatball in his hand and then looked at Deep Gold Fish.

  “… Excuse me, what kind of meat do you guys eat?” Yong tried to hold back his smile and began to ask cautiously.

  [Blop, meat from some aquatic species, fallen allies, and lowly people who are no longer of any use.] Deep Gold Fish said proudly. [The taste of victory and domination makes the food even more appealing~.]

  “W-well… how interesting…” Yong closed his mouth tightly. He tensed his facial muscles to keep the corners of his mouth from drooping. “Well… I’m full so I probably won’t eat anymore.”

  [Hohoh, if you don’t like it, just leave it to me.] The fish happily tossed the half-eaten meatball and the two whole ones into its mouth.

  “Sorry, we were already full before we came here…”

  Jarek smiled wryly, her rabbit ears drooping slightly. As for Joker, he remained silent and didn’t say a word. He was like a wolf watching its prey, its fangs hidden under its skin. The wolf boy didn't like the Deep Gold Fish at all, but he decided to wait patiently. After half an hour, the clamshell submarine finally surfaced and docked on the golden sandy beach. The clamshell opened its lid, welcoming the fresh breeze that carried the scent of grass. The bright sunlight shone down, warming the surrounding air.

  "Wow, the air is so fresh." Yong took a deep breath. His nostrils were sucking in the positive energy after accidentally eating human flesh.

  "It's beautiful up here too." Jarek jumped onto the shore, his eyes darting around the vast green grassland.

  [Blop, one day this land will also be a part of the Deep Gold Kingdom.] The Deep Gold Fish showed confidence in their abilities, as well as pride in their ambitions.

  [We'll reach the village after a while. That's where the lowly land people you saw earlier live, blop blop.] The remaining goldfish floated out of the submarine, not forgetting to explain to the group as a tour guide.

  "Please show me the way~."

  Yong said, with a less tired smile. The two Deep Gold Fish once again walked ahead to lead the group. The dry space in the Deep Gold Kingdom was no obstacle, but the land was still better than anything for them. The scent of grass and trees, and even the scent of flowers in the distance, was carried by the air. A cool breeze blew gently, causing the taller blades of grass to sway. The blue sky spread out above, dotted with a few clusters of fluffy clouds. Warm sunlight filtered through the foliage and formed patches of light dancing on the ground.

  After about an hour of walking, the village came into view. The dark brown thatched roofs were different from the green of the trees, and thin smoke rose from the chimneys. The river wound like a silver ribbon beside the village, carrying the sound of flowing water and the sounds of daily life.

  Coming closer, they could clearly see the rustic wooden houses with thick thatched roofs. The residents in brightly embroidered clothes walked busily back and forth. A group of children chased each other laughing on the dirt road, rabbit and wolf ears wagging with each step. In the fields, a few men were digging the land, their shiny black buffalo horns reflecting the bright sunlight. By the river, a few women were washing clothes, their feathered wings swaying to each chant. In the bustling market, people with different Beastfolk animal traits were chatting, laughing, or arguing with each other, creating a scene filled with human voices and full of life.

  “-!”

  The Beastfolk residents raised their beast ears, their mouths unable to close, their eyes wide open when they saw the group’s presence. The adults quickly led the children into the house, while those who were still living stopped. Their faces were filled with fear.

  [Blop, this is where the lowly land dwellers live.] Deep Gold Fish turned to the group and introduced. [We have no business here right now, so please take your time.]

  [Although these people are stupid and barbaric, they are very understanding, and will definitely not harm you.] The fellow fish commented and floated to the river. It stuck the shaft of its spear into the ground, and its shield stopped floating. [We will wait here, if you need anything, just call out, blop blop.]

  “Thank you for escorting us.” Yong breathed a sigh of relief, and took out two candies from his Bag of Holding. “A small gift as a token of gratitude.”

  [Blop blop blop, then we won’t be polite~.]

  Deep Gold Fish opened and closed his mouth repeatedly in delight at the candy he received. Yong left with Joker and Jarek following behind. The three of them felt relieved, having temporarily escaped from the fish with conflicting moral values. They entered the village, where two men guarded the gate with wooden and stone spears in their hands.

  “Who are you?” One of them spoke.

  “Kidnapped by those fish but somehow considered allies.” Joker was silent for a moment, then he spoke. “Do you mind telling us, about this land, you and the fish?”