After making a new promise to himself, Noah did not have to wait long to be retrieved from space by the mercenaries, ‘The Traveler’ had hired for its protection.

He had seen them fight every now and then – he could not deny that the gruff bunch of battle maniacs were indeed extremely skilled and powerful pilots.

He relaxed in the silence, letting the mercenary members pull his destroyed Shadowblade with their frames.

The journey back to the ship was slow, almost at a snail’s pace. It could not be helped, the mercenaries had to clean up the abyssal beasts still infesting the surrounding space to advance toward the ship. The abominable beasts did not lose even one chance to swarm them and a fight against them was a battle of endurance and attrition, taking up most of their time. But Noah let himself relax despite the perilous situation.

Worst comes to worst he would simply jump into space. He still wanted to test if he could actually survive space with his own body. Now that he had entered Tier 7 and had an even stronger body than when he had awakened back on Dorothy’s planet, he surmised that it should be easier for him to survive in the vacuum of space.

Hum?

Noah was brought out of his musing by a sudden vibration, which was followed by a call icon appearing on the shattered web that was the Shadowblade’s internal screen. The machine may be useless for combat now, but it still had more than enough energy to allow something as simple as a call.

“I wonder who’s calling me right now.” He thought out loud as he received the call. Immediately, he was graced with the shattered face of a being that would make a baby go quiet at his simple presence.

Green skin, shaved hair, an arm that screamed cybernetics from miles away. Two large tusks curved out of his lips, one of them being broken— a trademark of his race, Noah surmised. All those inhuman futures packed into a well-built towering body that seemed to be nothing but an accumulation of pure muscle in one of the most epic sets of armor Noah had ever laid his eyes upon.

The appearance of the person he was facing screamed Warrior or some kind of Berserker. The giant halberd on his back did not help in changing the impression and aura he exuded.

Noah was not one to judge someone on their look alone. But damn, he had to admit his whole existence left very little to the imagination.

“I am Karnax Blood Tusk. Son of Ygrakka the War-Forged and leader of the Red Maw tribe. I welcome the return of an honorable and proud warrior.”

A gravelly voice came through the speaker of his Shadowblade as Karnax introduced himself with a fist over his heart— a salute, Noah guessed. He was pretty startled by the atmosphere but he could see true admiration and respect behind the steely gaze Karnax directed at him.

Or at least he thought that was the case. Deciphering the traits of another race was certainly not easy.

Noah had a simple rule. Always return what he is given. And he would not disappoint Karnax’s politeness.

“Hello, Karnax. I do not know the tradition of your tribe so excuse me if my actions offend you. You can call me Noah Ouroboros. Son of no one and leader of nothing. I am just a wanderer who decided to give a hand where my power allowed me to.”

A low chuckle, more akin to a rumble actually, escaped Karnax. “You are an interesting man, Honorable Noah. Fear not, even the members of my race do not remember most of our traditions. Your intention alone is enough.”

Noah nodded and looked at what his other cameras were showing him. The distance between him and the main ship had noticeably lowered. It should not take long for him to reach the dock.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“So, for you to contact me now, there must have been something.” He asked point-blank, blunt as one could be. He had a feeling that Karnax was not one to bother much about faux pas.

“And you would be right.” The man lowered his head before muttering in that same gravelly tone he always seemed to speak, “You will most likely be busy soon and I gather we will not be able to converse anytime soon either. So I wanted to express my gratitude for your actions. Honorable Noah, you are not just a wanderer. You are a hero, whose might and courage helped save the lives of thousands. More importantly for me, your actions have saved my brothers and sisters from dying needlessly.”

Heh, I like this guy.

Noah did not like being called a hero. He knew that such a title was only a preclude of more troubles to come, of the sort he was not willing to handle. Still, he liked the fact that Karnax did not act as though the lives of the people on the ship, people he barely knew Noah was sure, mattered to him.

Clearly, all that mattered to the berserk warrior was that Noah had saved the people he cared for and that was more than enough.

“A simple thanks alone is not enough to express my gratitude nor the awe I felt as I watched your fight against the mighty Time Devouring Beast. For all it’s worth, know that you will forever have the friendship of the Red Maw tribe and I will make sure to spread your deeds far and wide through the Sea of Stars. Unless you wish to stay anonymous, that is.” His tone had a slight sense of inquiry but Noah had no intention of hiding from the vast universe.

A lopsided smirk curled his lips as he answered, “Do not hesitate in blasting my name wherever possible. I need the fame and money that will come after all.” Noah had decided to be as blunt and direct as the man he was speaking to and it seemed quite effective.

Karnax's eyes widened for an instant before a snort that felt more like a cannon firing, escaped him and eventually evolved into a boisterous laugh. Once he finished laughing, he shook his head, “Through my adventures, I have met many powerful and honorable warriors. Few were as outspoken as you. How intriguing.”

“If you are that intrigued, buy me a drink after we’re finished here.” Noah would not let such an occasion slip through his fingers. This man seemed like someone worth befriending, and if Noah had to be honest, he did miss the feeling of having friends around him.

“That will be my pleasure. A good warrior needs to be able to drink heavily and enjoy all pleasures in life.”

Time to make my fourth friend I guess or is it the fifth? I doubt Crow considers me a friend.

He could not help but chuckle to himself at the thought but stopped when he felt Shadowblade shake. The feeling of gravity covered him for a split instant before it settled in. But that was enough for Noah to realize he was finally back inside the interplanetary cruise ship.

Coming out of the Shadowblade, Noah deliberated whether he should leave it outside. Only for a moment, that is, before he simply opened a dimensional gate to the Sea of Quanta that sucked his frame inside. He knew there was a high chance he was being observed right now but if he had worried about such a thing, he wouldn’t even have used his Knightframe in the first place.

After a few seconds of waiting, the second gate leading to the interior opened. He frowned ever so slightly as the gate continued to lower. His senses were warning him of the presence of multiple individuals beyond the door.

When the door lowered to an appropriate height, Noah was finally able to see what lay behind.

People.

Innumerable people.

People of all races, genders, ages, and heights were awaiting him and immediately started clapping and cheering when they caught a glimpse of his figure. They were all clad in combat uniforms or the garbs of technicians or mechanics.

The little people who made everything possible by working tirelessly no matter how ungrateful their job was.

Closer to the gate he could see people similar to Karnax. Muscular men and women thumping their chests with their right hand as they formed a road, standing on either side of the gate.

Behind him, a gruff voice resounded, “Honorable Noah. Welcome aboard and our endless gratitude to you for saving our lives.”

There Karnax stood, towering over Noah with his incredible size. A hand on his chest as he bowed before him.

“No matter whether you were chasing riches or honors when you acted… Remember that we will all be forever grateful to you for what you did.”

Noah closed his eyes.

The sight of people clapping. Those cheers, and the feeling of respect and admiration that were being poured solely on him. They were all too familiar for him.

Noah did not want to be a hero.

But…

He had to admit that it felt good to know his actions had helped save so many people. The cheer and acclamation were definitely the icing on the cake.

Perhaps it wouldn’t be too bad to enjoy being a hero for a short while.

He laughed as he raised his fist in the air— a sign of victory and triumph, eliciting a cascade of deafening cheers from the crowd.

Inwardly he also ignored Eve’s snorting as she said he was just too easy.

Today was a good day after all.