Vektor Drenn begins his journey in the other side of Netern by getting through the portal that opened in the ground. The portal closes immediately after he gets out completely. His body continues in a vertical trajectory upwards while upside down, until he feels the effect of gravity, and then falls headfirst onto the ground.

"Ow!! Damn it, I'm probably gonna break my neck someday..."

After lightly massaging his neck and patting his head, he slowly stands up and finds himself in a strange forest, similar to the one surrounding the Dawn Plateau. However, he is on a plain, and the sky that covers the landscape is naturally gray instead of the orange of the afternoon in his world.

"Maybe the atmosphere is a little different around here... Well, I can breathe without any problem, and that's what matters. Well, the entry was a success, so I guess I'd better start walking now."

He walks aimlessly through the forest. Along the way, he is able to find some monsters, apparently weak and irrational. Not wanting to waste time or energy, he avoids making noise or drawing their attention as much as possible.

"As expected, this place is a natural habitat for monsters... If so, is there really any human civilization around here? If not, I'll be in serious trouble..."

It doesn't take long for him to finally reach the end of the forest, where he can see a humble but beautiful village. He doesn't have much time to admire the view, however, as he soon hears footsteps coming from between the trees.

Vektor turns his face in the direction of the footsteps, but immediately freezes in place when he sees the tip of a sword blade in front of his face. A brown girl with short hair is holding this sword. This same girl coldly looks at Vektor.

"What the hell are you? A new species of humanoid monster?"

Startled, Vektor quickly raises his hands in surrender.

"W- Wait, it's a misunderstanding! I'm human, I swear!"

"I see you know how to talk too... What were you doing looking at our territory? Were you thinking about starting an invasion?"

"I- Invasion is too strong of a word... I would, well... go sightseeing, I guess...?"

"Unfortunately for you, human territory is not open to wild monsters."

"But I am human! I didn't told you before?!"

"No words that come out of your mouth can save you. No human enters this forest without my prior knowledge."

"I swear I can explain!"

"Huh... I dare you to prove it to me then."

"Let me just get my ID out of my pocket..."

Vektor slowly lowers his hands, and then quickly wields the Slasher Platinum, removing it from its scabbard as he strikes the girl's sword.

"...!"

Vektor takes advantage of her moment of distraction to jump back and position himself for combat. The girl quickly regains her composure and also positions herself.

The unknown warrior advances towards Vektor and starts attacking with her sword. Despite her skill, the girl is nowhere near as fast or accurate as Kder or Maken. Without understanding how, Vektor manages to dodge all the attacks.

"(Hm? Since when my reflexes got so good? Muscle memory? Well, one way or another, I'd never lose so soon...)"

"(He's fast... Too fast for a simple monster. Not even a human would have that agility without at least years of training...)

Kh... If that's the case!"

Without any warning, the girl launches a kick, which manages to hit the unsuspecting Vektor in the stomach. From then on, she begins to alternate her fighting style continuously between sword arts and hand-to-hand combat, confusing Vektor and making him feel increasingly cornered.

"(A- At this rate... I'm gonna lose...!)"

In that moment of desperation, he unleashes a single counterattack with his sword, a simple flaming slash.

"...?!"

In disbelief and shock, the girl ceases her attack and takes a leap backwards.

"Did you... just... release flames from your sword...?!"

"Hm? A- Ah, yes...! I'm sorry, I acted on impulse, I didn't attack you like that on purpose!"

"N- No need to apologize... Just answer me one thing. What technology was that you just used?"

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"Technology? None, I think. This sword just works this way. It channels my power through the blade and..."

"Your power...?"

"Yeah, I inherited this power to control fire from my family. Although I still don't know how to control it very well..."

"(That description... And that appearance... Don't tell me...!)

A... Are you...?"

"(She's finally willing to talk...)

My name is Vektor Drenn. I come from the other side of Netern."

"I can't believe this... A Drenn... A real one?!"

"(Déjà vu... Why does this happen every time I say my full name...?)"

After this interaction, the girl guides Vektor along the trail to the village, giving off a much more welcoming and friendly air than what was shown a few minutes ago:

"Once again, I apologize for my disrespectful treatment. I should have given you time to explain yourself from the beginning."

"Nah, anyone else would do the same in your place. I'm the one who should have introduced myself sooner."

"Speaking of which, I haven't even introduced myself yet. My name is Hisami, and I'm the guardian of Ancient Island. It's a pleasure meeting you, Vektor Drenn."

"The pleasure is mine. Oh, and you can just call me Vektor."

Hisami has a similar appearance to Vektor, but is slightly taller and has a sharper gaze, in addition to her hair being straighter and falling down. The boy notices these similarities and contrasts, feeling a little wronged:

"(The designer of humanity can be a bit cruel sometimes...)"

"What's wrong?"

"A- Ah, it's nothing!"

"We're near the entrance to the village. Let's move forward!"

After walking for a few more minutes, the two arrive at the village, which is two to three times larger than Haidora Village. The two continue walking until they reach Hisami's house, a reasonably large building, comparable to Master Noogard's house.

Hisami enters the house while saying:

"Dad, I'm home!"

"You're early today, daughter. Did something happen?"

"I found an Etykiran in the forest!"

"Ha ha, but what about that story that they were nothing more than fairy tales?"

"I'm serious! And it's a Drenn, too! If you don't believe me, just know that he's right behind this door!"

"If that's the case, then let him in. Leaving others waiting at the door is rude."

Hisami opens the door again, letting Vektor in.

"Make yourself at home."

"Thank you, but I shouldn't stay here for long. I have an urgent mission to fulfill."

"I don't know what this mission is, but my father is probably the person who can help you the most right now."

Without wasting much time, Vektor follows Hisami into the hallway, where he finds her father, a relatively short man with a serene face, who greets him politely:

"Hello, boy! May I know your name?"

"Vektor Drenn, it's a pleasure."

"You came from the other side of Netern, am I right?"

"Yes, I got something really important to do here."

"But you don't know how to do it, right?"

"Yeah..."

"As expected... Hisami, prepare your best equipment. I'll go talk to Vektor in the garden in the meantime."

Hisami nods and her father leads Vektor to their humble garden. When they get there, her father is blunt:

"You... came here for your ancient power, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Just as I expected... The truth is, when I was the island's guardian before my daughter, a boy who was just a kid at the time came here for this very reason. Something very terrible must have occurred in your world to justify your coming."

"You're right. My mother was taken hostage along with other people I know. The only way I can save them is by becoming stronger. That's why I ended up here. Do you know how I can do that, sir?"

"Well, the exact method I don't know... In fact, the only thing I know is how to start."

"That alone will be very helpful. Thank you in advance, I would have no idea where I should go if it weren't for you."

"Ha ha, it's nothing, this is just my job."

"By the way, there's something that made me curious."

"And what is it?"

"Is it true that your daughter didn't believe in the existence of the Etykirans?"

"Oh, that? Ha ha, it was just a recent phase of hers. She spent her whole life hoping to meet one in person, but in the last few days she started saying that she didn't believe in them anymore, I think as a way of getting over her childhood wish."

"I guess now that she met a real one, she might be disappointed, I doubt I've lived up to her expectations."

"I don't think that's the case. I haven't seen her eyes shine like that in a while."

"Maybe she'd be more excited if she met the legendary swordsman I know, or that weirdo who plays with robots while roleplaying."

"Hahaha, what are these bizarre descriptions?! Your world seems like a pretty fun place!"

"I- I don't think 'fun' would be the correct term...

(Déjà vu...!)"

"Well, at least it's not a dull and boring place like here. There's not much to do, and having to watch out for wild monsters is absolute boredom."

"I- I'm sorry..."

"Don't pay attention to that! More importantly, I need to give you instructions for your journey. I want you to pay close attention."

"Alright, I'm all ears."

"Our island, the Ancient Island, is named after the great cursed temple that stands here: the Ancient Temple. The temple is protected by a seal, which temporarily breaks when it comes into contact with Etykiran energy."

"A temple that only I can open..."

"If you came after the ancient power sealed in this world, that is the first place to visit."

"So that's how it is..."

"Hisami will accompany you to the temple. But it's better to do it tomorrow."

"Eh?! Why?!"

"It's already getting dark. Going out now would be much riskier. In addition to the difficulty in seeing, you'd also have to deal with monster attacks more frequently."

"...You sir have a point."

"You can spend the night here with us. I'll prepare supplies for you to take on your quest."

"Thank you so much, it'll be of great help."

Vektor spends the rest of the day at Hisami's house, resting and preparing for his journey. The cozy atmosphere reminds him of the days he spent at Noogard's residence during his journey on Netern Island. In some ways, this journey doesn't seem all that different from the last, at least so far...

Morning of December 15th. The morning sky has a grayish color close to white, in contrast to the blue sky of Vektor's world.

After waking up, Vektor and Hisami prepare themselves thoroughly and then leave the village. It was a short stay, but it is time to leave, as more than half of his time limit has already elapsed. Now there are only about 9 hours left until Vektor can be summoned back to his world.

With Vektor carrying the Slasher Platinum and a backpack full of food and accessories, and Hisami equipped with a versatile combination of weapons and armor, the two finally begin their search for the ancient power of the Drenn family...

"Hey, Hisami, I forgot to ask... How long will we need to walk to reach the temple?"

"Hmmm... The trail is 10km, so... I think about 2 hours of walking, maybe."

"...

(...What?)

WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?!!??!??!!!"