All around Luke, as far he could see, was a pitch dark blue color that occupies the whole space he was in. He didn't know how, when, and where he was, but all he could tell was it felt strangely comfortable being here.

It was akin to being snuggled up at his small home, lying on his bed, and using his laptop. That kind of comfortable feeling. Though this warm feeling didn't last long as an eerily familiar young voice shouted to him saying,

"WAKE UP!!"

"GAH!"

Springing his eyes open and jumping, Luke notice he was in some sort of brown cave? From what he can tell, the entrance got covered by a huge rock, but several other worries still plagued his mind.

First of where was he? Secondly, why does the air here feel much fresher and vibrant than what he used to? Thirdly why does his body feel much lighter than ever? And fourth,

"Andy??" Luke shakily called out, but his question soon met with,

"GAH!"

In a similar fashion to how he awoke, Andrea sprang up, looking around the cave in a dazed state. Taking a few seconds, she shook her head as all recent events got transcribed back to her.

"Haaah, so we really are in some fantasy world, right? Well, first thing first, let's go over everything we know." Andrea suggested as she sat back down with Luke following suite.

Although when Luke got a better look at Andrea, he shocked!

"Hey! It looks like God has some decency not to make us dead ugly." Luke remarked as his cousin underwent some changes to appearance. Her hair changed into a beautiful dark black color while her eyes also gained a complete black shade. She still had the same clothing on back in their original world, but her face looked a bit better than the past.

It was a welcome upgrade that made her all the cuter.

"I'm not the only one with an upgrade; you also underwent some changes too," Andrea said as she saw Luke now with dark blue hair that fell to his shoulders. His eyes gained deep dark blue color, and his faced held a more pretty quality to it, making him slightly more attractive.

He as well was still wearing the same clothing he held in his previous world.

"Hm, what the hell? God gave us the same clothes but took away our only means of defense?!" Luke's eyes spiked when he noticed as he sat down, he lacked his blade and pistol! An indignant feeling bore deeper into his heart as not only were they practically forced on this journey, but they also really are starting from scratch.

Not like they had any riches from their previous world anyways.

"Tch! Alright! Let's just focus one at a time. First off, do you know anything about those novels that God mentions?" Andrea had her hands in her hand, but she still asked Luke as she wasn't planning on dying a second time.

"I mean not that much, though. I can only say that I know the names of some characters while I was skimming them, and the people here are far crueler than on Earth, but that's about it. But I do know why the air feels so good; it's because whatever energy this combined universe has flowing throughout it." Luke patiently explained as he tried as he might he honestly did only skim those novels.

Partly because he had to skewer around town for quick bucks and others because he was too tired to read most of the time dealing with the supernatural and all. Andrea took this information and said,

"Well, do you know how to absorb this shit? That God keeps talking about how special and powerful our souls are; maybe it'll help us with a quick power boost."

"Cheee oof yea don't know how to do that either. I mean honestly speaking unless you're born into this universe how can anyone know how to do that?!" Luke reasonably stated since on Earth naturally, they never needed to absorb the air there to continue breathing. And because of the minimal information he has, he doesn't have a clear idea of how to jump-start it.

"Well, for some reason, my body does feel lighter than ever, so maybe we already are absorbing this energy...wait a minute. Why, or more so, how the hell did we spawn in this conveniently closed cave anyway??" Andrea suddenly asked as waking up this cave was too suspicious for her. Then again, directly talking to God already destroyed most of her common sense.

"Eh, just chalk that up to whatever whims God has for us to wake up here. Thankfully we didn't reincarnate into some baby or someone with like a trash body, but the lack of info is worrying."

"Boy, this is perfect, eh? No money, no information, and no foreseeable to way to gain any power quickly to avoid a swift end. And uh? Hey, has that axe always been beside you." To what Andrea refereed to was a dark blue axe that laid on Luke's left side.

"Huh? Didn't even...hey! This is the axe I killed myself with! And that sword you used it's on your side too! Don't tell me this is the only line of our defense?!" Luke spoke with despair as he really didn't feel comfortable using a tool that killed him before.

Andrea was in a similar boat as she turned slightly pale as she remembers that torment this sword brought upon her. But still, she grits her teeth and told Luke,

"Is there any other choice left? Fuck, I swear it's just, whatever uselessly complaining is going to get us nowhere."

"Tch! You're right. Well, we can't stay in this cave forever we'll starve in that case. Let's just look on the bright side; we at least have a weapon to hunt down some weak beast to feed ourselves. We have some combat experience and survival experience and that God surely wouldn't want us to die. It can't be all bad leaving this cave!"

Luke spiel to Andrea as he walked over to where the huge rock was hiding their entrance, waiting for her to come. Heaving a big sigh, she walked over and put her hand on the rock too.

"At least if it all goes to shit, I know just who to blame for it."

"Just help me move this damn rock."

And surprisingly to their selves, they moved this big boulder with relative ease as,

'Thud!'

It crashed upon a grass field, and Luke and Andrea were in awe by this sight. Splendid, breathtaking, fantasy-like! Words were blaring in their minds as they gazed upon the lushes blooming forest with all kinds of exotic plants and trees around them.

Absentmindedly they begin walking out taking in this gorgeous scenery as Luke mutter,

"Truly nothing that I ever saw before."

"I didn't know nature could be this lovely, wait, do you even know where we're going?"

Suddenly Andrea had asked after the two walked for a couple of minutes. An honest question got Luke to dart his eyes around as he realized,

"Shit, because half of these damn novels always take place in some foresty area in the beginning, at least from what I can remember, I don't know where the hell are we." The duo stopped contemplating their next moves since everything from here on out has to be treated with absolute caution.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

But their musing was soon cut short as a rather aggressive voiced called out to them.

"Hey! Hey! You two! Yea, you two!" Luke and Andrea's head jerked up as they once again cursed their shitty luck and that shit God in their minds. Turning around, they saw a dirt path adjacent to the forest and coming off; was two males that caused the cousins to sweat slightly.

For appearance, they honestly didn't look much different from the guys in their world. One seemed to be in his twenties with a muscular build, red hair, and a plain face. While the other was a black robe older man spouting a calm expression.

No, what made them sweat was this weird invisible pressure that slightly affected their bodies when looking at them. It was like gravity had increased somewhat, and the cousins stood alert with their weapons ready for action even if it may spell certain doom for them.

"It's good that you stop because I have little game that people like you love to play." The man was five feet away from them as crossed his arms with a roguish smile, all the while, the older man next to him held no change in expression.

"Game? What kind of game?" Luke cautiously asked, but on the inside, he could admit he was weirded out by this guy. For the simple fact, as he remembers those three novels and other cultivation novels he read, this guy looks like a generic arrogant young master.

But while the confidence is there, this guy just seems more spirited? He didn't know what to describe as this dude kept on talking.

"But of course it's my Kuangyun games! Us young masters whenever we get bored help out poor folks like you in exchange for entertainment for all."

"Ah, once again, selfless young master." The older man agreed like he was his entourage while Luke and Andrea only had one common thought,

No matter what world we're in, we're always the poor looking people!!

Even despite the rudeness of this Kuangyun guy comment, they can't deny their clothes looked shabby, and they indeed have no money. Shaking her heads from such thoughts, Andrea asked,

"What will we even be doing in this game, and what's the reward?"

"You two really should count yourselves lucky. Why? You may ask well it's because I hail from the Xiao sect having access to valuable riches I'm sure you two will want. But you both can only ask for one prize each!"

Luke and Andrea's mind was increasingly getting confused by the second. What the hell kind of person stops random poor people to play games with them and give them some sort of prize? Why the hell did they even run into this guy?

And where is that damn young master stupidity arrogance! Luke thought this but still kept silent. Xiao Kungyun saw their silence as the option to continue and said,

"Looks it's a straightforward game since you two have the aura of the third level of Elementary Spirit Condensation realm; all you have to do is kill a really tough beast at the same level handpicked by us!"

Exchanging a look with each other, Luke and Andrea really didn't have many other options than this guy. And who knows they may even encounter some beats that'll kill them off if this guy won't do it for not participating in his uncanny games.

Though they were puzzled on just what the hell is the 'Elementary Spirit Condensation realm.' Not even Luke remember reading such a weird realm name but then gather it's probably because the combining universes, so he answered,

"Sure, I guess we'll play then."

"Ok, Elder Moshan! You know what to do." Xiao Kungyun's order and far surpassed what the cousins can see the older guy vanish like a ghost! Obviously, he wasn't a ghost, but such speed that a human can possess was mind-boggling to them.

"Oh? Surprised by Elder Moshan speed? You people are always surprised by the simplest of things." As Xiao Kungyun commented, Elder Moshan was already back!

But so quickly?! It has barely been even three seconds!

Once again, they were shocked and got reminded they shouldn't tread this universe lightly. One wrong move, and they can end up dead without even knowing how they died!

"Young master, I brought the Black ridge bear for them." Elder Moshan stated as he was also anticipating a great show to be put on.

"GUWAGH!!"

And long before the cousins did a monumentally humongous bear enter their sights, unleashing a frightening roar tensed up the two. Never before have they seen a creature like this.

Menacing black fur covers its whole body; the eyes were a piercing blood-red color with red lines running under it. And it's teeth and claws were viciously sharp, made for skewering any human it come by.

This was a beast transformed into something by pure power!

Oddly enough, compared to Xiao Kungyun and that elder guy, the cousins didn't feel that initial startling pressure from this bear. And the bear haven't straight attack them yet as humans and beast stared each other down.

But when Luke looked away for signs of those two guys, he was able to catch them sitting up in a tree, preparing themselves to watch their fight.

"How many minutes has it been at least five, right? And yet here we are about to face some bear that would make people shit themselves in fear. You got you're axe ready?" Andrea sighed in defeat while she tightly clutched her sword. They could run away, but what use is that against this bear beast that now has its sight set on them.

Furthermore, there's also that weird-ass Kungyun guy and that ghost of an elder watching them. It was the perfect lose-lose situation.

"Ok! I have my axe right here, alright first here what we're going to-WATCH OUT!!" Luke was about to tell his grand plan but cut himself off when the bear suddenly charged them in a mad rush as if it knew they were about to plan.

Reacting as soon they saw the beast took a single step closer, they jumped sideways, avoiding the creature charged. And while dodging, the two became amazed at just how quickly they manage to move and with how far they could jump!

In their first world, never could they move this fast or jump this far!

Although this sudden elastic feeling didn't last long as the short second they did dodge, something inside them screamed to duck down. And going with this instinctual gut feeling they slammed themselves to the ground as above their heads they felt a mass rush wind pass by and,

'Bang!'

Assaulting the duo eardrums was the sound of something substantial colliding with the trees of the forest. Whatever that attack was, there was no time to figure it out as Luke felt a huge shadow block his vision as the bear beast charged to him!

Swiftly he picked himself from the floor, as his heart madly beat out from his chest, and he gripped the axe like it was his lifeline. Though unnoticed by him and the others, his hands glowed a slight blue color.

The adrenaline pumped in his veins as his flight for fight response trigger. And for Luke always was a weird one and stared the frightening beast down without moving a muscle. Of course, he felt fear for his life, and yet at the same time, something strange was happening in his body.

Luke felt connected with this axe as his hands kept that same blue glow, and he got filled with an indescribable rush of energy. He was feeling everything about his senses and body intensify. Somewhere he pulled some courage from his ass and slashed the axe at incoming menacingly sharp beast claw!

'Chi!'

"Eh? So easily?!

He didn't understand; he couldn't understand as somehow his axe cleanly cut through the beasts plunging deep into its claw. But that wasn't what caused him to question; it was a protruding deep black sword that tore through the bear beast stomach.

"GARGH!!"

Finally, the pain registers in the bear conscious as it roared and flail around in hopes of removing the damaging humans on it. But no matter how hard it tried, Luke and Andrea gripped their weapons tightly like their hands got glued on to them.

With a swift resolution, Luke pressed down his axe and ripped through the beast palm!

But with Andrea, she suddenly got a terrific idea! Pulling her sword as the bear halted when Luke ripped through its palm, Andrea in a swift motion aimed the sword below the bear belt and,

'Chi!

"FUWAGH!!!"

"WOAH!!"

Luke jumped out the way as the beast suddenly felled over, roaring out a strange anguish cry. It was spazzing as if it was experiencing tremendous pain, but looking over, Luke immediately knew why.

"Really, you plunged into its ass? Well, it worked anyway so, it's over!" Luke, not wasting this massive opportunity, jumped up with his newfound strength, slammed his dark blue axe deep into the beast skull-splitting its head, and gushing out scarlet blood.

"The hell? You know, despite those weapons looking so ordinary, it chopped that beast apart like tofu. But then again, the weapon is only as strong as the user." The strange duo of people plopped down from their trees, walking over to the cousins as Xiao Kungyun commented.

Neither of them wasn't even bother by the fact Andrea took the lower route to finishing the bear, and proudly Xiao Kungyun stated, "In any case that was a quick, exciting show you two put on. Despite being in the same realm as that beast, it was short work for you both. So as a man of my words, what is it you desire from this young master!"

Luke had pulled his axe out of the bear head, still feeling high from achieving their first victory but soon forced himself to calm down as he heard Xiao Kungyun's words. Walking over as Andrea pulled out her sword, she moved with her eyes for him to choose as even if it was only little, Luke still had more experience in this kind of world.

And thinking upon it Luke gained an idea that'll temporarily fix their money and cultivation problem,

"Ok, how about an uh, fair amount of money for my prize, and for her prize, I'm sure you'll have a basic cultivation manual of some sort for poor newbies like us, right?"

Waving his hand casually as the cousins saw on Elder Moshan finger a blue color ring began to lit up, and Xiao Kungyun told them,

"Of course, two easy requests for someone like me!"