Alan lay on his couch, watching dawn’s rays filter through the window, casting a golden hue over his kitchen countertops. The remote was beside him, and his beat-up phone, buried under a pile of magazines, occasionally rang to remind him of his unread messages.

He struggled to reach it. The noise had stopped being annoying after he had ignored it for an entire week. The familiar horrid smell consumed every corner of the small space—the smell of empty pizza boxes and ramen noodle cups, sweat, and sadness.

The messages must all have been from his boss, checking to see if he was doing alright. His boss likely hoped that he would quit, making his job easier; there would be too much paperwork if he fired Alan while he was out on medical leave. But mostly, Alan didn’t care what happened.

Something was different.

But not here in the apartment where he’d isolated himself for almost a year already. He remembered a pleasant dream where everything was different and he cared. He was in a soothing jungle that smelled like fresh rain and ripe fruits where magic and wonder existed.

And he remembered not wanting to be back here. He looked around his four walls and started hyperventilating. A scream welled up within him. It couldn’t have been a dream; he was thriving.

I wasn’t supposed to come back here. Help! Take me back. Felipe! Bobby!

Why, why me? I need to go back to sleep. This can’t be. Fuck. Mom, I won't stay like this.

For a moment he thought he was dead. Maybe the spider killed him. It was more likely that he’d been insane all this time.

But Alan wouldn't believe that was how his story would end. Not yet. Not when he’d finally felt the joy of living again and found something into which he could pour his energy.

His home would not be a couch surrounded by four white walls that seemed to close in on him. The world—no, the universe wanted him to explore it, to experience it.

Alan believed that to be true.

But the TV droned on, playing yet another samurai movie. This one showcased a warrior clad in red, relentlessly slaying wolves.

However, the wolves had gained the upper hand, biting and clawing the samurai. As this scene unfolded, Alan's apartment seemed to shrink to the width of his sofa.

He screamed, and the space constricted further. Now, the TV, the couch, the coffee table, and Alan were all cramped together.

The pressure mounted. It became hard to breathe. Alan tried to scream again, but no sound emerged. He attempted to stand, but the ceiling bore down on him, threatening to crush him.

Darkness.

***

“Alan? Can you hear me? How long do you plan to be out? It's time to wake up. You've been out for a while, and it's worrying.”

“Wha... Where am I? What happened? This... Was it all a dream? Where the hell are we?”

“You kind of... well, you collapsed. Like a full body crash. The potion I used on you, it has some nasty side effects, but you should be okay now.”

“Shit, what the fuck Bobby. Don’t you dare use it again. It also gave me a bad trip. It felt like I was back on Earth, but that I had died.”

Bobby shrugged and sat cross-legged next to Alan. Alan was stretching his neck, still looking groggy from both his sleep and the side effects of Bobby’s potion.

“Sorry…but in my defense. You were about to die,” Bobby said. “To be honest, I don’t even know how you were even fighting, you had three holes in your body and your arm had shattered. You looked crazy. It was wicked scary.”

“Alan, okay? Alan good?” Aranya asked, kneeling in front of him.

Somehow, her English sounded significantly better. Alan couldn’t fathom how a creature who communicates via clicks and hisses could grasp the language so quickly.

“So how about it, Alan? Are you impressed? I'm not just saying this because I'm her tutor, but I'm genuinely proud of how much she's learned.”

“Wait—what?” Alan said, sitting up straighter. “How’s her English so good?”

“Aranya is learning.”

Alan bobbed his head up and down. “Yes, Aranya, that's impressive.”

“She’s really eager to learn, and I think she has a good memory, maybe a lot of wisdom…or intelligence? Who knows,” said Bobby. “Also, she carried you all the way.”

“Damn…how long was I out?”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

He hoped it wasn’t another day.

He felt like the node of creation all over again. Was this reality? It certainly felt real this time. But at the same time, his dream also felt real. This has to be real, Aliens came to Earth. I’m not going insane. I won’t accept it.

But he couldn’t make himself feel better, Alan didn’t trust he could differentiate between what was real and what was a figment of his broken mind right now.

“This is it. I’ll thrive,” he muttered.

“It’s only been a couple of hours. Are you sure you’re alright?

“I certainly hope so. That dream messed with me.”

He was starting to feel better, and the fight was becoming clear in his mind. He remembered the jumpstalk spider stabbing him twice… no, three times. That explained the pain in his ribs. Even though each wound intensified the thrill of the fight, he couldn’t understand why. Was he trying to punish himself? Such a notion didn't make sense. He wanted to feel good and thrive; he never harbored a death wish. He had made that promise to himself, cherishing his mother’s memory.

This left only one possible explanation: Bobby’s potion was dangerous. He couldn’t take it again.

But he wouldn’t blame Bobby. The man was simply trying to help him. And he was well aware that he had jumped in recklessly. He would have to be more careful.

“I'm really sorry about that. I won't use that potion again. I'll see if I can make a better version.”

Perhaps the most chilling realization was that he couldn't defeat the enemy alone; he needed to gain more boons, aptitudes, and experience.

“Thank you.” He nodded towards the pair. “So, what’s the deal with those two?”

Bobby glanced in their direction. “Danny and Angie? Good people. They're from The Cape. Been with a larger group, but got separated two days ago…no they weren’t with Duke. Haven't run into any others apart from us. We thought it'd be best to stick together... That's cool with you, right?”

A larger party? Alan wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He inspected Danny and Angie.

[Human - tc 4]

[Human - tc 8]

Angie appeared to be a lot stronger than her brother. Alan remembered her using a type of pressurized water magic that looked as deadly as bullets. But overall, they seemed like decent people.

Based on Bobby’s account from his conversation with them, their group had fewer than ten members, making it smaller than Duke’s. They were likely close by, given that everyone was heading to the same location. Considering everything, traveling with them for a while to compare progress might not be a bad idea.

Alan rose. He wobbled unsteadily before managing to regain his footing and moving toward the newest party members.

He unconsciously overacted appearing friendly since he was self-conscious about what image they currently have of him after seeing him fighting the jumpstalk spider.

Alan looked at the newcomers and gave them a big, forced smile. He walked over, waving more than usual and laughing a bit too much. He wanted them to forget seeing him fight the jumpstalk spider.

“Hi there, I’m Alan. I hear Bobby has already filled you in on our story. So what brought you to the Cosmic Vanguard tutorial?”

“Oh, totally rad story. I was out riding the waves, and bam! These alien messages hit me right there in the middle of the ocean. 'Cosmic Vanguard' sounded like the most intense choice, so here we are. Wild, right?” Angie said, twirling a strand of her hair. “I rushed home right after the second message. My bro here's all about computers and stuff. Figured he'd choose it too.”

Danny looked at his feet. “It’s not what I expected. It sounded fun at first, but…it’s not. We’ve seen people die. Three of us got separated from the main group…and well the spiders killed the other person right before you all arrived. He was trying to buy us time.”

“I'm sorry for your loss. This tutorial has its dangers. But we’re all here now, and we have no choice, but to finish it.”

Angie nodded. “Right on,”

Alan pulled out a detailed map, spreading it out in front of them.

"Wow, where the hell you get that map?" Angie exclaimed, shocked.

“That’s a nice cheat. Did you spend your one hundred credits on it?” Danny inquired.

“Nope. We found it.”

“Really?” Danny asked skeptically.

“So, if you’re okay with finishing it with us, here’s our game plan. Looking at the timeline, we need six to seven days for the third quadrant, and about ten for the last one. To stay on track, we have to move into the third quadrant by tomorrow.”

Bobby peered over Alan's shoulder. "We're making killer time. Should hit the third quadrant tomorrow if we keep up the pace."

Danny adjusted his glasses and squinted at the map. “True. But I think with a bit of tweaking, we could make a quicker route here and here.” He pointed at two locations on the map.

Angie nodded thoughtfully. "Nice bro.”

"Actually, it may get tougher..." Alan traced his finger along the map. “And now it's obvious that the closer we get to the tree the deadlier the monsters will be. Those jumpstalk spiders were…were something else. I think we should all work to upgrade our boons before the next quadrant.”

“I agree,” said Danny.

Angie’s gaze settled on Luméos. “Alan, who's the blue guy? And the insect-woman? They seem…unique.”

Right on cue, Aranya clicked softly. “Hello.”

Alan smiled. "That's about her vocabulary so far. We found her about a day ago or so. She's joining us on our quest now."

"Well ain't that something," Angie mused. "She's got a good vibe. I dig it."

A loud sigh emanated from Luméos reclining against a tree. "I applaud your patience with their tiresome inquiries." He floated over toward the group, gems glinting. "Now. Let us discuss more pressing matters like, say, your salvation; worshiping me?"

Danny and Angie exchanged confused glances. “Ummm…what’s that again?”Danny asked, mouth agape.

"Come now, no need to be shy," Luméos prodded. "I am Luméos, God of Jewelcrafting, Craftsman of the Cosmos, Binder of Stellar Forces..."

"Yeah yeah, we’ve heard it," Bobby interrupted, rolling his eyes. "You're a big flashy blue deal. Now quit scarin' our new friends." He turned to Danny and Angie. "Just ignore him when he gets theatrical."

Luméos huffed. "Theatrical? I am a god! I distributed gems of pure starlight before your sun drew its first breath!"

Bobby crossed his arms, unimpressed. "Uh huh, and I'm the queen of England."