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<01/17/1972 – 09:12 | Gross City, Gulop Region, Sprawn Valley>

The era of daylight returned to the area next morning. Taylor woke Danny and Jane up from sleep, getting everybody ready to pack all of their things. The load light as usual. Everybody uses supply spheres these days, but Danny also carried around his backpack full of food rations, failing to trust them to the supply sphere storage. They still have a durable level of supplies inside, one that would last for two more days and nights. Now, it was time to give up the hotel room.

Not much was said in regards to yesterday's events. Jane and her friends all planned on moving out of Gross City to head for the site of Tilsit Port, but before leaving the actual city limits, Jane decided to stop at the Essex Leray store. This morning, Taylor told Jane about the special mercenary armor that resides on display, and it was still within the price range too.

Jane stopped inside of the store, hoping to buy the new suit of armor for additional protection and damage endurance. Taylor and Danny waited patiently just outside of the store, going on about what the beach here will be like. Jane decided to purchase the special model set up in the shop. The AHB mercenary suit offered a wide variety of damage reduction at the small cost of 1000 credits. The specific status enhancements read on the same tag.

Mercenary suit Mark AHB | Resist fire +10% | Resist cold +7% | Resist Electrical +12% | Resist Wind +25% | Resist piercing +6% | Resist Slashing +15% | Resist Blunting +10% | Power Level +5%

The stats were much more impressive than last time. The mercenary outfit offered more protection with no sacrifices to be made, and it added some extra power into physical attacks somehow. Jane was even impressed by the amazing style the suit offered as well. It was no generic dress sphere, but it still seemed like something an expert warrior would wear out in the field. Though the price put a dent in Jane's wallet, it was worth the trade in the debate through her thoughts.

Jane changed into the new gear in the changing room, taking a bit longer than her friends hoped it would. After Jane emerged from the store, Danny and Taylor were getting excited again by the new look.

"Hey," Taylor waved. "That suit looks good on you." Jane's mercenary outfit was decorated with black and red stripe designs, making the armlets and other spots stand out. It even had some well-constructed side pockets designed for hidden blades, such as Jane's daggers. This was a total upgrade for her in every way.

Jane could tell when Danny or Taylor were lying about things like this, but Taylor was telling the truth about her style and appearance this time. The last leather outfit she wore left something to be desired. While the protection level wasn't going to offset the total issue holding Jane's endurance back, this suit will be the best she has. Still, Jane didn't want to deviate from the plan any longer. She had been eager to get to Tilsit Port. "We'll take route 19-C to get to Tilsit Port. Once there, we can do a lot of things."

Despite their silent protest to leave the city so soon on such short notice, it was agreed. Danny, Taylor, and Jane made their way to the other exit path from Gross City. Route 19-C was another natural passage way, though the forests left and right from here were not nearly as dense. Jane planned to skip the forests this time, claiming they were not shortcuts to the next destination.

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Chapter Theme Shift: Ashos ~ Two Worlds 1 OST

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After walking the path for only ten minutes, the field to the right of them expanded, displaying a vast open area while that side of the forest drifted further away. Gross City was far behind them now, while Tilsit Port was still out of visual range.

Taylor noticed something odd about Jane's behavior, apart from yesterday's confusions. She of course did not expect Jane to be in her awesome energetic mood, not after that last defeat anyway; her mood wasn't doing poorly despite last night. It was as if something totally new was on Jane's mind. It kept her silent for some time now. Taylor had no choice but to ask. "Hey Jane? Is there anything else special in Tilsit Port?"

Danny was interested in hearing Jane's answer, but he also took in the sights of the road they were on. Somehow, even though the sun was out and there was just nature around them, the path here was different than normal. The floor beneath him held in the similar straw grass as the path between Fronas and Blue Port, though uneven and less refined. People were passing by every so often, heading from Tilsit dock to Gross City, or the other way around. Route 19-C was surprisingly busy compared to other places. The sun overhead was also dispersed widely due to the large overcast of clouds. They didn't look like stormy clouds, but their presence was enough to occasionally darken the road and create powerful gusts of wind.

Jane answered Taylor's question, though with hesitation, she only disclosed the same thing she said yesterday. "Tilsit Port is like one giant beach, leading out into the southwestern section of the Hollifax Ocean. It's also a lively port because ships dock there all the time. You can catch a ferry here to get to the Junon region at any time."

"Really?" Danny interrupted. "So Tilsit Port is the place go to travel to Junon from Gulop..."

"That's right," Jane continued. "They have all kinds of places there. But because it is also a beach, I promise we'll just chill out there."

"You mean, have fun?" Taylor didn't expect this. Jane always wanted to travel in seek of challenging people to battle. It wasn't as if Jane opposed taking breaks and all, but her behavior today was far out of her usual harmony. Taylor tried to ignore it. Jane won't just drag her thoughts out if everybody asks about it. "I bet the beach is like any other ordinary beach."

"It practically is," Jane announced. "Other than the random breakouts of Leray battles there that happen near the shore line, Tilsit Port is simply famous for the attraction of letting people swim or play in the sand."

Jane didn't specify what the cost would be, but Danny already presumed that spending endless time on the beach of Tilsit would be completely free of charge. That's the only sensible way Sprawn Valley's cities and towns seem to operate. Places to hang out are free, just don't mind the endless attempts to sell everyone something else while they're having fun instead. Wonder if this place really is like that.

Taylor had but one complaint. "I don't have a swimsuit." Before ever moving to Slatetown, Taylor could recall numerous occasions of which she was allowed to swim in a large public pool for the neighborhood. She used to have so many more clothes for the occasion, that was until her family moved to a place without a pool or nearby beach. They sold half of her older outfits to compensate for the different standard of living too. As for her final swimsuit, it was lost to the Tidal Max.

Danny considered what Jane just said, before listening on how to acquire a swimsuit. People battle on the beach, just anywhere? It's what Jane made it sound like. Sprawn Valley is like any other normal place without all of that Leray business going on. Without Leray magic, one could never tell the difference. Then again, the government here is so light and loose, as if they don't even have a presence. Perhaps this isn't the same.

"Not to worry." Jane slowed her pace to steady her voice better. "The port sells swim suits at a really cheap price. You can even get rentals there." With that said, Danny and Taylor began conversing with each other about the beach, but Jane had other ideas on her mind. Tilsit Port also happens to be the sight of a research institute. Leray research institutes are almost equivalent to an ordinary library, even in structural layout. Despite that, such a place would have all sorts of information regarding Leray magic, and even undisclosed legendary information. They have a network of computers set up there too, all connected to the internet. It's really a version of the internet only accessible to Sprawn Valley's database network, but all of the info comes from Eldora City, the place to learn absolutely anything and everything.

"What about you Jane?"

"Huh?" Jane knew Taylor had just asked her a question, but she wasn't paying attention just now. Jane tried to channel back to whatever she just said, but the words didn't come.

Taylor knew Jane was distracted by something today, but at least this would help break the ice. "I said me and Danny will be having fun today. But if we can stay tomorrow as well, we'll take part in more Leray battles to boost the credit count too. Are you going to battle tomorrow, or today?"

Jane's face focused on the dirt below her. "I haven't really thought about it yet. Of course, I'm not giving up battling." Jane watched Taylor sigh silently in relief. She must have thought Jane was still in the same exact mood as yesterday. No, things have changed. Jane knew there would be multiple opportunities to fight on the beach, but with everything going on with her endurance weakness, it might not be a good idea. Then again, it was almost surprising for Jane to notice that Taylor and Danny were actually planning on having more battles there. They had only battled once before, back in Blue Port Town. They hardly battle as much as she does, and still they seem so confident.

"That's the spirit," Danny supported. "I'm not going to give up so easy, so I expect the same from you Jane. And if we both win here, I would like to challenge you next."

Jane realized that in all the time that passed, both Danny and Taylor were still excited about this journey. They were having fun, even after all that happened yesterday. Unfortunately, Jane knew something sinister was happening to her, something not understood; it's the reason she couldn't enjoy herself like she wanted to. It shall go unspoken for now. "You're on," Jane accepted. Danny must know that Jane would have been able to mop the floor with him earlier. Though if they were to battle right now, while Jane's endurance is suffering, who knows how it might go?

"There's something I don't get." Taylor was staring at her map of Sprawn Valley again. "The beach isn't just a lake right? It leads to the ocean. So then why is that not an entry point into the country?"

"Didn't anyone tell you?" Jane refreshed. "Even past the beach's waters, you would eventually run into a tall mountain chain, pure rock walls that surround the entire continent, almost in the shape of a circle. Those cliffs are all sharp as razors. The exception for Gulop is in the main port on the south central side. Anyway, these rocks are what people refer to as the barrier."

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Danny managed not to forget the partial details about the barrier. Apparently, the entire continent is closed off by massively tall rocky structures. They're not mountain-like at all though. It's about the same formation as that slippery rock wall he tried to scale earlier. In reference, Gulop's southern section seems to have the least amount of height and resistance to this barrier. If Danny and Taylor had instead swam to a shore from a different side of the nation, or even a different region, that wall would never be passable, nor would there have been a ghost's chance of finding any kind of eroded opening.

That's not all. Other than the northern most side of Junon's Outback area, Gulop's southern and western sides appear to be the only physical land connected to the circular rock walls. That means that even if he could climb over them, Danny counted himself lucky that he and Taylor both ended up on that specific shore of that specific region of Sprawn Valley. Getting to the other side from any other angle would have sent them straight back into the ocean of another area, stranding them permanently.

"Still..." Jane was reminded of the amazing story they told her before, about how they ended up in Sprawn Valley by mistake. "I can hardly believe how you two got here. You literally swam to shore, and somehow got in from a naturally inaccessible area."

Danny didn't want to remember that. It was true what Jane was talking about though. He and Taylor had fallen into the ocean, right off their cruise ship en-route from Kalamo to North America. That storm made everything rough, and they were topside when they were not supposed to be. After almost drowning in a violent stormy sea, they somehow managed to swim to the shore line of Sprawn Valley. However, in a nearly failed attempt to get in from the rock wall blocking access into Fronas, Taylor suffered a terrible injury. It's one that under any other circumstances would have left her dead beyond capacitation or resuscitation, but the Leray magical assimilation into Taylor's body somehow saved her. At the time, he didn't understand how it was possible or what was going on. It didn't change the fact that everything that happened to Taylor from that moment they fell off the ship was his fault. Yet for some reason, Taylor isn't mad at him one bit. She only gets mad now if he continues bringing it up again.

"Well we're here now," Taylor exclaimed. "Might as well make the most of it."

Danny didn't realize that Taylor felt such an attitude about this place. Despite the fact that they were both hiding from family, Sprawn Valley really had a lot more to offer than back home. Then again, she could just be exaggerating, keeping Jane further away from the thought of times better left forgotten. Why though? Why does Taylor not hate him so? The level of stupidity to scale an impassable wall without thoroughly checking the surroundings first, knows no bounds.

"Right." Jane stopped for a moment, pointing in the far distance. "There it is. Tilsit Port just some more minutes away."

Danny could see it too, barely. "I didn't know it was so close to the city."

Jane offered another one of her history lessons again. It came naturally to her after all she learned back in Dakota. "Tilsit Beach is close to Gross City, and that's why there is much more traffic on this route." Even as she stood there, people could be seen constantly traveling to or from the beach ahead. Most just brushed by them without saying anything, but they were strangers, so it was normal. The traffic here was proof of Jane's intelligence about this world. "The port makes a great attraction site because of its resort and the fact that it is a popular port to use. Well, it's also the only port to use for traveling between here and Junon. Anyway, it's close to Gross City, where you could get all kinds of different jobs there. This portion of Gulop is the richest there is. And then, there is Junon."

Jane didn't say anything else. Taylor took that to mean that Junon is five times as impressive as this somehow. It should make sense. Junon is the largest region in Sprawn Valley. The rest are just very small islands, smaller than Gulop itself. It's sort of a strange layout for an entire nation to have. "I wonder what they have at the beach!" Taylor's excitement was flowing out of her now. Kalamo never had any official beaches. They existed, but not for the public's use of entertainment or relaxation. America however was said to have an abundance of beaches, including one by New York.

"You'll just have to see when we get there," Jane offered. She and the team marched on, soon to reach the next location long before noon.

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Chapter Theme Shift: M'digbo/Jungle ~ Serious Sam 2 OST

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After arriving at the beach of Tilsit Port, everybody took in the sights. Jane was impressed at how big and crowded the place was today. She had never visited the beach before, except on a family vacation that took place six years ago. Even then, her memory of the place was too foggy to apply to everything around her. It was like visiting Tilsit for the first time.

For a beach, Tilsit Port was very structural. Small support bridges and open buildings served as restroom stops, water fountains, stationary binoculars, and connective paths to the life guard towers, and beyond that was the mass array of sand. The sun hung overhead and lit up everything despite the overcast. Many well-placed structures such as stores and gift shops populated further due east, back from where the lighthouse was built. The lighthouse served as the primary oceanic beacon of light for ships that travel to and from Junon during nightfall or bad storms. To top it off, it is said that that light house also has a small communications center under the structure. Just northwest of that tall structure stood the layout of the port's pier, wooden bridges expanding far and out into multiple arrays of docking bays for all kinds of sea vessels, most of which would be used for commerce and supply trading. Nothing regarding Leray battles was happening right now, but if one were to occur, it would happen just anywhere in the sand. Tilsit Port has a Leray store set up for that reason, its name called the Bertron Store. Aside from the obvious, the port and docks give this place its name.

Danny was happy to stay still while taking in the sights and the sounds. The gentle crashing waves far in the distance reminded him of his moments back on the Tidal Max, while the scent of ocean water filled his memory as well. The sunscreen scent was new on top of things.

Even though Jane wanted to continue scanning the area, she pulled out a local map that would show where everything was. The map was similar to the local map of Gross City. Jane had obtained these prior to her journey, but she currently had no local maps pertaining to the Junon sector, or the other islands. Even by being here several days early, Jane felt a wave of excitement come over her quickly. "Let's check out where we can buy some suits."

Taylor was amazed by this place. She drove her attention to the map only momentarily. Jane was likely to lead them to the store anyway. There are so many people here. Families in packs and of all ages populated the sand, the walkways, the docking area, and especially the sea. There seemed to be a certain imaginary line that people in the water did not cross. They probably have visible buoys none can swim past once they go deeper in.

"Here it is," Jane pointed. "Follow me there?"

Taylor and Danny accepted with nods, unable to speak up past their current awe. The smell of the ocean was incredibly unique, and it filled Taylor with happiness, much like the Arragon Forest did yesterday. The sound of the waves however was being partially blocked out by the numerous vocal activities of people everywhere. They made up the volume level of Tilsit Port with their cheerful hollers and the random laughter. As Taylor continued walking, the ground below her became softer with sand, but it was beginning to invade the soles of her feet as well. Her walking pattern soon changed thereafter, and Taylor's expression proved how much it bothered her. Nothing could be done about it right at the moment.

Jane knew what she was doing. "You have to check-in a spot to store all of your non-essential clothing during rentals. That way, it won't get sandy, wet, or stolen. It is easier to just buy the suits and store the older clothing in personal supply spheres, but with the way people store things these days, the capacity fills up quickly. It is also free of charge to spend days here on the beach. That's one of the reasons why it's so popular. And the Hollifax Ocean doesn't contain dangerous sea animals, so people are free to swim without fear." The clothing store was just a few more blocks ahead on the right, further away from the shore.

Danny curiously asked Jane about the rules of swimming here. "Hey Jane? I know this is the ocean, but why the life guards? I thought people can't die in Sprawn Valley."

Jane looked back without stopping or changing her bobbing walk to address Danny's concern. "Drowning is another exceptional way the human body can die. The veil doesn't protect you from swallowing too much water since it doesn't count as a direct form of damage. But it can extend the duration of how long you can survive underwater by five percent, assuming you're swallowing the ocean." Jane thought more about what she was saying. Danny's question was a really good one for the timing. She should have mentioned this earlier. "People have died before by getting too carried away swimming. Riptide currents aren't common here since the barrier's formation limits them, but swimming way too far out can still drift you away from shore faster than you can endure. Being cut off from the rest of the world, the ocean here is usually free of any dangerous currents close to shore. Even so, swimming or sailing in deep waters isn't safe."

"I guess it is good I know that now," Taylor responded. "People can drown in Sprawn Valley, huh?" Taylor had no such plans to attempt breathing under the ocean just because she was in a strange magical world. The life guards must still have the same job to protect those in danger of drowning. If people swim out too far and then tire out, it can be over before they know it.

Jane and her friends made it to the clothing store. The doors slid open automatically, shooting jets of cool air from the conditioning unit. Even now, it was a warm day in winter, so the blast of fresh air felt amazing on their skin. The building was three times larger than a normal Leray store. There were plenty of outfits to choose from, just for the sake of spending a day on the beach. The lights here were standard, but it gave the place a more professional look aside from how large the room of the building was.

Jane didn't know where to begin. She could wear something easy, something small, or go with a one-piece. This could defiantly take a while since she had not prepared this ahead of time.

Danny split up from the other two while searching in the men's section of the room. Swim trunks and trousers... That's all there really was for him. Being a guy can makes decisions like these easier. He came to a quick decision, picking an ocean blue pair off the shelf. He would need to try it on first. This place happened to be packing twenty-five individual outfitting rooms, and it wasn't much of a surprise. The store was populated with so many shoppers, so it made sense. Most in Gulop must live on the beach or very close to it. Danny wanted to ask Jane where the houses were around here, but she wasn't present right now.

After seven more minutes, Jane finally came to the decision of a dark colored one-piece swimsuit. As she turned around to check on Taylor, she was holding multiple outfits in her hand... Typical. She can't decide on just one. "I'll see you after I change," Jane called.

Taylor heard Jane's voice, and waved to acknowledge her request. It was time for her to try these on as well, but the thought of wearing any of these outfits had her nervous. Back in Kalamo, beaches were not visited by civilians with exception to those with fishing licenses, so this just wasn't something she was used to. Everybody wore thick or long clothing when going outside most of the time, while the nation itself suffered very short winters. The beach itself wasn't the difficult part; it was all of this revealing clothing. Showing off arms, legs, and shoulders this much was too rare a thing back home, but here on this beach, it's so common that every female outside wears them with their own style. Taylor had no choice but to suck it up and see how it looks in the mirrors. Maybe Jane could help her pick something better.

The time eventually passed on until Jane and Taylor met Danny, still in the store without making any purchases yet. The clothes here are very cheap, so Jane only needed to pay for her own. Before any of that was decided, all of their new apparel was presented to each other. Danny was impressed to see them in this sort of fashion. Jane and Taylor both always stuck to long or thick clothing, but since this is a beach, everybody was supposed to lighten their load. It's not as if this was too unusual for him. He and Taylor were literally swimming in the pool of the cruise ship about a month ago. Danny thus managed not to stare for too long, but he still had a hard time getting used to Taylor in this image. Just a simple stripped bikini, yet still—

"All ready!" Jane announced. She headed for the register at the counter, waiting for the male clerk to ring up everything. Outfits here in this store do not come with price tags. Instead, the staff must remember the price of every single item in stock. Knowing this, Jane was therefore ready to pay the person with her Leray license. It also deterred the issue of paying for the outfit a person was currently wearing, since the employees must remember the suits.

Taylor followed Jane, but she kept glancing to and away from Danny. Again, a beach usually has hot guys who are shirtless, all for the reason of swimming or sun-tanning. She rarely ever got to see Danny shirtless, but despite having seen it a few times in the past under casual circumstances, Danny's body had somewhat changed since then - from what she was able to remember. Danny has somehow put on a bit more muscle, his fat totally absent. It wasn't obvious from just a small glance. Danny wasn't fat, but his chest seems to have nearly developed a slight six pack since the last time she saw him this way. Back in Kalamo, Danny and some of his bigger acquaintances would wrestle each other. Those memories began to flood Taylor's mind while standing in line, and she almost forgot where she was just now.

"Taylor, it's your turn!" Jane repeated. She didn't realize that she was nearly in a trance, but Taylor walked closer to the counter to ring up her things next. Jane turned around at Danny, then fixed her gaze back at Taylor. It was sort of a long shot, but from what Jane could remember, Taylor kind of had a thing for Danny, not long before they began their journey from Fronas. Could that crush still be alive now?

Taylor gave the clerk her Leray license, allowing him to digitally subtract the credits on the card. It was as simple as swiping the card into a register system and then typing numbers on a keypad for the correct amount. After that, the CR count dropped down on its own, despite the card being a physical object. It has digital and holographic technology integrated inside with digital chips for monitoring, as far as Jane knew.

"And you're purchase is complete," he spoke.

Taylor took her card back, and signaled to Danny that it was now his turn to ring up. Jane wanted to go outside already, and Taylor stuck close to her. Danny was going to follow anyway as soon as he is done, but she couldn't quite figure out if there was anything they needed to do specifically while hanging out here.

Jane had to get outside before hearing from Taylor. It was one of the strangest questions she had ever hear before. Taylor just asked Jane what she is supposed to do now, as if Taylor had never-ever been to a real beach before. It was rather simple enough. Either build a sand castle, sunbathe over a towel, or jump right into the sea. Those were the usual three choices people go with, and Jane used those to answer Taylor's odd question.

Though Danny and Taylor took off to have fun after reuniting, Jane slowed down on purpose from the thought of things. She never really understood what kind of place Kalamo was. Kalamo is where Danny and Taylor are from. People in Sprawn Valley don't often venture outside of the country, and there are nearly infinite excuses for that. Still...

Jane shook her head, snapping out of her more serious thoughts. She is supposed to be doing research, but a little bit of swimming couldn't hurt.