Noah sat perched on Jeffrey's back, holding his fin, as the monstrous shark swam against the river's current, his gaze fixed on the surroundings. To one side sprawled untamed wilderness, its lush foliage untouched by human hands for centuries. On the opposite bank stretched a desolate and barren land, dotted with the remnants of long-abandoned structures.

The crimson hue of the sinking sun deepened Noah's already somber mood. Homesickness gnawed at him relentlessly, his thoughts consumed by worry for his grandmother, Lily.

'What is she thinking right now? It's been almost a week. How will she survive if I'll die out here?'

To Noah's surprise, Jeffrey had stopped on the river's side of the desolate land. He leaped onto the barren ground, with Steve and Claws following close behind. Jeffrey then shifted back into his human form and climbed onto the land.

"Hand me the bag, will you?"

Noah handed the backpack to Jeffrey, who promptly unzipped it and retrieved an ancient looking piece of cloth. The werehuman dried himself off before pulling out a raggedy pair of pants and a shirt, both covered with patchwork. After dressing himself, Jeffrey flashed a toothy smile at Noah, giving him a friendly pat on the back.

"Thanks! I had to carry the bag in my mouth on the way to the caves."

"Sure... You live here?"

"Yep!"

The werehuman guided the peculiar group toward a decrepit town. Many of the structures lay in ruins, reduced to massive piles of rubble. It was impossible to discern whether this town had succumbed to The Great Fall or if it had been destroyed and deserted before.

The cataclysmic merging of worlds occurred in the aftermath of the third world war. Nations unleashed their devastating arsenals, with entire cities obliterated by nuclear bombs and horrifying genetically engineered diseases that were let loose upon humanity. As the dust settled and people began to rebuild, The Great Fall ensued. The prevailing theory regarding its cause revolves around experimental weapon testing, inadvertently disrupting the very fabric of reality, by one of the powers of that time.

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"In here!" Jeffrey guided the group to a three-story structure that bore the semblance of a pre-Fall town hall. The paint had long since faded from the cracked walls, leaving the ancient building with a weathered appearance.

Leading them to the second floor, the werehuman opened a door to a spacious room, noticeably in better condition compared to the lower level. The room was furnished with ancient looking chairs, a table and bedding crafted from furs that Noah could only assume were scavenged from monsters. Positioned at the center was a rudimentary cooking station and all the windows were boarded up and nailed shut.

"One sec, I'll start a fire." Jeffrey headed to the cooking station and grabbed a piece of flint.

"I can take care of that, or rather, he can." Noah motioned towards Steve, giving him a mental command. The skeletal warrior crouched by the firepit, setting his Greatsword aside before igniting the firewood with his power, casting a warm glow that illuminated the room.

"Oh, neat!"

With the room lit up, Noah's attention was drawn to an open box resting atop the table. Inside it lay a weathered glass-framed crayon drawing, seemingly doodled by a small child. It portrayed a shark-like figure holding hands with a woman. Noticing Noah's gaze, Jeffrey swiftly closed the box.

"That's... Eh, private."

"Right, sorry."

"Anyway, take a seat by the fire."

Noah nodded and sat down. Jeffrey glanced at Steve and Claws, who stood watchfully nearby, then shrugged and reached for a chunk of smoked meat dangling from the ceiling. He handed it over to Noah with a casual gesture.

"Eat up! I'm already full from that tasty fish I ate at the cave." Jeffrey patted his belly for emphasis, before sitting down by the fire, as well.

'I'm going to have nightmares about that tasty fish...'

"Why are you helping me...?" Noah took a cautious bite out of the meat.

"You seem like you could use the help!" Jeffrey responded cheerfully. "Besides, it gets pretty lonely out here, so I enjoy the company. I assume you're from The Arc? It's the only city even remotely nearby."

"Huh?! How do you know the name of the city?"

"Oh, I've eat..." Jeffrey coughed. "I've met lots of people from The Arc, throughout the years."

Noah glared at the werehuman, who proceeded to chuckle.

"It's quite a track, but I can take you most of the way there."

"...You'd be willing to do that for me?"

"Sure! You could tell me about what's going on in The Arc, along the way."

"I don't know what to say..." Noah was overcome with emotion. Apart from the nurturing care of his grandmother, he had never encountered such genuine kindness. He was still a bit wary of the werehuman, but if Jeffrey wanted to kill Noah, he could have done so long ago.

"Don't worry about it! Rest up and we'll leave at dawn."