Karnax proved to be an invaluable source of information for the overall scenario in Neverland and the different forces cohabiting there.

Unlike Oz, which was now nearly completely uniform under the control of Dorothy, Neverland was more… chaotic, to say the least.

The main force and leader of the lawless planet was The Forever Young Peter Pan. He was for all intent and purposes the unchallenged King of Neverland. His main force was composed of individuals who had followed him during his rise and were known as the Lost Boys. While their leader was Wendy the Black Knight.

The second force and perhaps the actual strongest of the land belonged to the Pixie Fairies. They existed mainly in an alternate dimension that was unreachable for most. However, with Tinker Bell, one of the Queen Candidates, following Peter Pan, the man became even more powerful than he already was.

The third force that was in no way inferior to the Fairies was the Mermaid. Neverland was more of a waterborne planet than anything and while sea routes were not as important in this era, those mermaids were still very powerful and could be considered as the natural residents of the world. Their eldest princess was also the fiancée of Peter Pan, increasing his legitimacy as a leader.

The fourth force, one noticeably weaker than the rest but considered as the Aboriginals of this land was a tribe of fierce warriors. Karnax’s eyes seemed to glean with a deep desire for challenge as he talked about this faction.

The tribe was very close to nature and tradition. They mainly avoided the tourists and had their own places outside of the main hub of Neverland. Their princess, Tiger Lily, was also seemingly in a relationship with Peter Pan.

Listening to this fact, Noah could only direct an utterly incredulous look while downing his upteenth drink.

“Must be nice being a king,” He couldn’t help but mutter with a hint of self-derision. Here he was drinking with some giant barbarian while men like Peter Pan were enjoying their life with their harem.

Karnax laughed out loud at the self-derision and jealousy in his words. “The Forever Young King is definitely a man to be envied. Many also call him the manwhore of Neverland. Since his legitimacy seems to be entirely based on his ability to please all those heiresses. Others think he is nothing but a mere figurehead for the three great groups to push forward while they relax in their domain.”

Noah nodded his head in understanding. With what he was hearing, the claim wasn’t entirely implausible. But, “What if Peter is so powerful that all the other forces have no choice but to send him their daughters to settle for peace?” He wondered out loud.

Karnax grinned and patted Noah’s back. “You have seen the crux of the matter my friend. The thing is… No one really knows the truth. Or rather, those who know are unwilling to talk.”

Peter Pan’s story was shrouded in endless mystery; only a few individuals ever saw him fight and lived to tell the tale. Of all those who did and were enemies with the man, only Captain Hook survived.

Captain Hook represented the final force of Neverland. He was recognized as the Underworld King. He was a pirate of great renown and had a record of fighting and chasing away the Time-Devouring Crocodile at the cost of losing his arm.

“Some people say Captain Hook actually lost his arm to Peter Pan himself rather than the Crocodile. Some other rumors advance that he voluntarily cut his arm to upgrade his body.”

Noah snorted. He would not make the mistake of underestimating this man. In his fight against the beast, one of his greatest advantages was his ability to create a fake Neuro Link with Eve, his ability to control Heat, and finally, his resistance against the Time Devouring powers of the scary space-roving reptile.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Without all those elements, Noah would have hardly managed to win like he did. A man that was able to fight such a monster was no slouch.

However, he wished to meet with this Captain Hook. After all, the mission he had to complete was linked to the underworld. If he controlled all the criminals surely, he would have some information about the Pied Piper of Hamelin and the Candy Witch.

— I am interested in those fairies and mermaids.

Noah had to force himself not to chortle at Eve’s words. He knew perfectly well what she meant by being interested in those forces. Though if he had to be honest, he was kind of interested as well.

— Do you think fairies would taste like chicken? What about Mermaids? I am sure people from Karnax’s race should taste like pork. Maybe we can get some of their dead bodies?

She continued unabated, and Noah started to cough loudly to mask the fit of laughter that tried to escape him.

“Noah?” Karnax asked, worried about the sudden coughing fit his friend was throwing, but Noah simply waved his hand in a hurry.

“Sorry, sorry, swallowed my drink the wrong way. You can continue.” He couldn’t exactly say that the voice inside his head was discussing a way of stealing some bodies of his fallen companions to eat, could he?

Though he had to admit, the idea was surely tempting. Not the one about the dead warriors. Noah wouldn’t desecrate the bodies of people that were not his enemies. But if some stupid fairies or mermaid provoked him… Well. Guess he would be able to find out how they tasted then.

Karnax nodded, “You should drink slowly. One should savor such great alcohol.” He grunted and continued, “Either way, Captain Hook is a dangerous man and a powerful warrior. I believe he will take an interest in you after what happened today. They all will. That’s how incredible what you did is.” He gave Noah a meaningful glance and explained.

Neverland was a giant tourist attraction. But businesses have always been negatively affected by the Time Devouring Cosmic Beast. With the power of Neverland, preparing a crusade to eliminate the beast wouldn’t be anything hard. The problem was fighting it in space as its special beams could easily bypass inorganic matter.

The beast was also smart enough to actually never approach the orbit of the planet and thus avoided all the tactical energy cannons that would have bombarded it to smithereens if it ever dared to come into range.

“You are the first one to have managed to wound it as much as you did in just a single bout. I believe there are high chances for Neverland to reward you. Perhaps give you an honorary title and promise you a high position. If you are not affiliated with any force, joining them would be a good idea if you ask me.” Karnax was very careful with his words. He did not want Noah to feel like he was trying to manipulate him.

Karnax had long since understood that one of the most important things in this universe after personal power was influence and backing. The power of an individual could be incredible. But it was hard for one person to become so strong they could surpass a powerful civilization.

“Let them come to me. I am not afraid. It will be fun.” Noah was cautious but not afraid. He knew he would become the center of attention with how he chose to lead his life. He was pretty sure Morgiana was cursing him to no end right about now.

But this new position was certainly going to be very useful depending on how he used it.

[Announcement: The schedule has been updated. The Traveler will enter the Orbital field of Neverland and start its repair for an undetermined amount of time. To apologize for the inconvenience, compensation will be sent to all passengers in the form of a special coupon that will give access to VIP facilities in Neverland.]

The announcement was short and direct but Noah couldn’t help but frown visibly. He didn’t know the value of those coupons and he was sure that they must be expensive. But, what about all those who died? Nothing? Not even a word?

The atmosphere in the room became subdued as Karnax patted Noah’s back as if he understood what was going through his mind. “There is no need to be surprised by this. That’s how callous the universe we live in is. While The Crew is obligated to protect us, circumstances like Cosmic Beasts attacks are considered more like natural disasters than anything else. At most, they will send a few ten thousand credits to the families of the dead as a token of apology and support.”

Noah grimaced but resumed his drink in silence. He had nothing to say. He was even starting to think that having Oz as his first stop in this universe might have been a mistake.

That place was a true fairytale compared to everything else that was going on in the greater shithole that was the galaxy. Business was as usual it seemed. Not unlike the world he came from.

He could not help but sigh.