Alex didn’t have much to pack. Well, he didn’t pack at all, not when everything he owned existed on a completely differently universe. Though he’d like to change out of his tunic that he sweated through and through, he suspected that taking a shower and just overall hygiene may be a privilege in this part of the world. Alex was given royal treatment under the King’s care though it really didn’t fare well in this setting.

Alex stared at the wooden carriage led by a single horse. It would take them at least five days to get to the battlefront. The World Tree was located south of the kingdom where soldiers were currently holding the defence against the voiders behind the barricade made using earth magic.

Alex wasn’t expecting John, the soldier, to be a boy who couldn’t be that much older than him. John, was dressed in a dark blue robe though Alex could still tell he was built. John was the same height as Timon though his most differentiating factor was his chemically orange hair as if he belonged in an anime. The engineer wondered if this character was crucial to the storyline or if it was just the norm in the kingdom do produce genetically different colour hair.

Alex sat side by side next to Johnny who was in charge of the reins. The horse towed them and the cart behind that was filled to the brim with Johnny’s belongings. The bleached-haired boy was more than eager to meet Alex, the mistaken hero from another world. Though he was more excited about Alex being an alien more than anything.

The soldier had a myriad of questions he bombarded him during their ride. He was a cheerful and friendly lad much unlike the combat mage he had trained with previously.

“So, is your world also created by the seed of the Goddess as the legend goes?” Johnny asked.

“No…” Alex blinked twice unsure how to compute the absurdity of that question.

Johnny turned over to him curiously, “Then how was your world created?”

“…A big bang.” Alex knew that wasn’t a sufficient reply for Johnny so he added, “Legend goes… that our universe started from an infinitely dense and hot single point known as the Singularity. Then suddenly, it started expanding at an unimaginable rate that no human can fathom giving us space, time, energy and matter that make our universe.”

“I see…,” Johnny replied though Alex could tell he did not in fact see. It was hard to wrap your head around science when you live in a medieval fantasy world. So, Alex explained further about how stars and galaxies formed as inferred to by scientists and that Alvayer could very well be part of a galaxy far, far away

“What’s a scientist?” Johnny asked.

“It’s a job in my world. They are people who investigate the mysteries of the world and try to explain why things are the way they are.”

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

“Oh, that’s similar to what we do!” Johnny exclaimed. “I’m part of the newly formed research division of the defence corps. We investigate ways to hone our mage craft and help propel it to new lengths.”

Upon further questioning, Johnny gave him his life story and Alex could practically see the flashback cascade in front of his eyes like he was watching an actual anime. Johnny was a fire mage but he wasn’t very well connected to the life mana so he didn’t have much skill in that forte. His dream was to be a mage and help other people but he was falling behind his fellow soldiers. So, he found other avenues to help him – making and designing gadgets to help with his magic. Soon, he moved up ranks and garnered attention for his innovative techniques. When the wave of voiders started and the Kingdom needed recruits, Johnny was employed to find techniques to help the not so endowed soldiers to even the fight against horde of voiders beyond the border. They would research ways to improve their strengths via external factors.

“…That actually sounds more like engineering,” Alex replied amused as they actually had a lot in common. “An engineer applies science to create innovative solutions to real-world problems.”

“Cool, do you also have mages? We should swap notes! You should come visit our department when you have time. We would love to have a different pair of eyes on our craft!” Johnny rambled.

Alex felt the imposter syndrome in that statement. He corrected Johnny that he was only studying the craft and had yet to be skilled which might possibly be never. He felt a sense of shame for not being actually good at the craft.

“Actually, we don’t have magic. We have science. We study, experiment and observe the physical and natural around us. We theorize and come up with laws that govern our universe so we can apply it to help make things better.”

“That sounds like an amazing feat.”

“Yeah, I guess it kind of is,” Alex replied not bothering him the technicalities. He actually felt a strange swell of pride in his discipline though not at the same level of enthusiasm as the solider boy or David – maybe he could do something about it in his vacation here. “Except, the magic in your world completely breaks all of our laws.”

“So, science is like the magic in your world except anyone can do it.” Johnny was quiet for awhile in contemplation. “Do you think these laws could be use in this world?”

Alvayer was modelled under the medieval time so Alex regarded it as an almost alternate universe in the past (with the existence of magic). Regardless of the lore and magic, gravity exists, time travels forward and oxygen is abundant. The sun rises and sets. It was exactly like Earth in that regard so Alex could only guess that away from the magic, the science would still be the same, he hoped.

“Some of it should. I guess there’s only one way to find out-AHHH”

The horse that had been towing them behind at great speeds suddenly came to a halt, jolting the two forward along with the carriage. Luckily, the items towed were strapped together tightly. Alex and Johnny, however were not but the latter had the instinct and experience to grab the handle of the carriage to stabilize himself. Alex and his inexperience did not and so he fell out of the carriage and onto to the dirt road. The not-hero groaned as he dusted himself off – he had copped a few scratches on his knees and palm. Inertia’s a bitch, just as expected. He did not expect however, when he picked himself back up, to be met with a dark hollow silhouette.

“Don’t move.” John ordered; his body stiff but his eyes zoned in on the entity in front of their path.

Alex stood face to face with a eight feet tall shadowy cloak hovering slightly above the ground. From its ghastly veiled face and sense of coldness and emptiness that Alex felt, the earth-dweller immediately knew that he was face to face with the creature of destruction