Noah discarded his filthy, torn clothes and scrubbed away the blood, grime, and filth that had accumulated on his body, over the last few days, with a wet cloth. Having never suffered such injuries before, he had no basis for comparison, but he had a strong suspicion that he was healing faster than normal.
'I'm going to have a nasty scar, though.' Noah ran his hand across the mostly healed gash on his face.
The hospitable demonic shark graciously provided Noah with clean, albeit raggedy clothes, which seemed to have undergone countless repairs. However, despite shedding some weight during his adventures in the Hollowed Depths, the garments still felt a tad too snug on him.
"Oh, fudge muffin..." Noah muttered as he struggled to button up the tight pants.
Jeffrey chuckled. "Why do you swear funny like that?"
Noah sighed wearily as he settled onto the fur bedding provided by Jeffrey. It was a question he'd heard frequently, yet he seldom revealed the true reason behind it.
"I was raised by my grandmother. She had sacrificed much for me, but you know how teenagers are like..."
Looking at Jeffrey, he appeared otherworldly even in his human form, with razor-sharp teeth, entirely black eyes, and peculiar skin tone.
"...Well, maybe you don't."
This caused the werehuman to laugh.
"Anyway, one day I was upset about something foolish and said awful things to my grandma..." Noah paused for a moment before continuing. "She looked so hurt... it still aches when I recall her expression. So, I swore to myself that I'll never curse again."
For a moment, the room was silent, the only sound coming from the gentle crackling of the firewood, until Jeffrey spoke: "That's a good reason, thanks for sharing it with me!"
Noah experienced his most restful night since being thrust into this madness. Lying on the fur bedding, he could almost forget, if only for a moment, that he was stranded far beyond the city walls. Thoughts of the journey ahead occupied his mind, as well as Voidstrider, her face perpetually twisted in a murderous expression, and his grandmother, undoubtedly fraught with worry.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
He dwelled on his life back in The Arc. Many viewed Noah as an underachiever, or a squandered talent. His role in the quality assurance department was seen as entry-level; those who began alongside him had either been promoted to higher positions, or moved on to different jobs. Yet, Noah persisted, declining offers for advancement.
Undoubtedly, he could have pursued higher-paying opportunities, but for Noah, wealth meant little if it came at the cost of constant stress and a lack of time for actually spending said wealth. He had meticulously structured his life to afford a modest home for himself and his grandmother, along with indulgences like virtual games, beer, and decent food - all without the relentless pressure of climbing the corporate ladder. In a world fraught with unimaginable horrors, this was more than enough for Noah.
It came with a cost, though. At one point, Noah thought he'd found his soulmate, and felt genuinely happy. But as time wore on, his girlfriend began to sense a stagnation in their lives. With him refusing to change and live up to her expectations, eventually, she left. Noah recovered from the heartache, eventually, yet the sting of feeling as though he was inadequate, lingered. He retreated somewhat, becoming guarded and avoiding getting close to people, for fear that they would also deem him inadequate. He stopped working out, and he shied away from new romantic prospects, slipping into a comfortable routine. That is, until that fateful evening in the dark alley.
Eventually, Noah had fallen asleep, his fatigue winning over the dark thoughts occupying his mind. At dawn's first light, Jeffrey roused him from his slumber. They shared a simple breakfast of dried meat and makeshift leaf tea before the werehuman prepared two bags stocked with provisions: food, water, and spare clothing.
Noah had Steve and Claws carry the backpacks. The humorous sight of two undead killing machines with glowing eyes, carrying backpacks as though they were on their way to the first day of school, had lightened Noah's mood, as the group headed back to the river. Jeffrey had carried them back to the cave entrance in his shark form.
"No way! I'm not going back down there!" Noah protested.
"You must." Jeffrey's demonic hybrid voice declared, before he cracked and began to laugh. "Nah, I'm kidding. We go on land from now on. We need to circle around the mountain." The humanoid shark pointed to the rocky peaks above the cave.
As Jeffrey explained it, a direct path to Arcturus City might have spanned only a week or so, leading Noah to ponder how much farther he had ventured away from the Arc, within the Hollowed Depths. Yet, obstacles and perilous areas demanded detours, lengthening their journey. And so, the odd looking group had embarked on their hazardous trek.