Oliver followed the cliff-dwellers down the zigs and zags of the path. The vultures circled but didn’t attack. And if they did, he was ready, even if using any spells scared him. If his aim was off, or if he did anything wrong, he could blow his companions and himself off the side. It would be a meat shower at the bottom of the cliffs.

“Welcome to Highside, “The goat man said. The horns at the top of his polished stick shone in the light.

The city clung to the incline like an old ship’s barnacle. A maze of winding paths and wooden platforms creaked in the mountain breeze. The air was crisp, tinged with a scent like rain from the waterfalls, some so large they appeared in slow motion.

They navigated looping pathways beside multistory buildings against the wall. Their footsteps crushed flaky rock beside crafts created by those who retained human hands. Some girls retained a well-developed human form, but Oliver could never get past the goat eyes.

An old man peeked from a window and crawled out. He grabbed his back, straightened, and approached. He was perfectly human with no sign of any other animal mix, and his silver hair flowed over a worn cloak of woven cloth. Until now, all other clothing had been made of rough plant material or fur. His sharp eyes locked onto Oliver, and he stepped forward and grasped his arm with a firm grip. "Hoshan, I will take charge of our visitors.”

“Of course, Eldrin,” the goat man said. “They’re all yours. Be warned. I haven’t determined their purpose.”

Oliver exchanged a puzzled glance with Zaisy and Hunter when they were left alone with the old man. “Can we help you?”

The old man gestured toward an alcove shaded by overhanging rocks and a gnarled tree. "Please, it's important.”

Reluctantly, Oliver followed, his companions trailing closely behind. The alcove was lined with shelves carved into the stone, filled with jars of herbs and instruments that hinted at the man's role as a healer among the cliff-dwellers.

"My name is Eldrin," the man began. "I've been waiting a long time to meet someone like you."

Oliver furrowed his brow. "Someone like me?"

Eldrin grabbed his arm and refused to let go. "Tell me, have you ever questioned the nature of the world? Felt that things aren't quite as they seem?"

Oliver quit struggling and hesitated, not sure how much to share. "I have questions, that’s for sure."

Eldrin smiled knowingly. "I thought so. You're clearly out of place, even if I didn’t see it in your hesitation. I remember a life before this one. A life where I was a theoretical physicist. I studied the fundamental laws of the universe."

Zaisy scrunched up her face in a sour look. "Watch out for this one, Oliver. I think he’s trying to confuse you."

"A seeker of truths," Eldrin continued as if she hadn’t interjected. "I conducted experiments to understand reality itself. However, the results were unusual when I attempted to replicate those experiments—the double-slit experiment, for example. There was no superposition. No interference patterns."

Oliver had a passing interest in the subject. "The uncertainty principle."

"Yes, exactly," Eldrin said. "It's as if this world doesn't simulate quantum mechanics. Perhaps a more advanced simulation could, but this one didn’t. No one believed me. Or, it was as if they couldn’t hear me. I became an alcoholic and eventually wrapped my car around a tree. Now I’m here. I’m certain it’s a series of simulations, one after the other."

Hunter reached for Oliver, but the latter waved him away. "He’s a madman, Oliver. It’s just ramblings."

"We're anomalies," Eldrin said. "And anomalies may threaten whatever has created all this."

Oliver shook his head. "How could I be a threat?" He told Eldrin everything he knew about his classes and his former life, at least everything necessary.

Eldrin leaned back. "Perhaps you’re a far greater anomaly than I am. Whatever you are, it's beyond the standard parameters of this world."

"How long have you been here?"

"I’ve been here years, though I grew old in the prior world. I met old acquaintances here, and they were young. I believe they’re rejuvenated with each new cycle. I believe we’ll die of old age and not continue indefinitely like the others."

Oliver felt a knot form in his stomach. "So we’re trapped mortals, and everyone else lives forever."

"Precisely," Eldrin said.

"What should I do?"

"Continue to learn and pass it down to the next one like us," Eldrin advised. "I brought the Memory Stones to Tree City. I found them in the space between worlds when I woke up to my body being reassembled. Look for them if you find yourself there again."

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Zaisy placed a reassuring hand on Oliver's shoulder. "Does this make sense to you?"

Hunter stood. "I think the old man gave him something to think about."

Eldrin told them to be careful and said his farewell. Oliver asked him to accompany them, but the man’s body was too old.

They stepped back into the bustling pathways of the city. No one harassed them again, and they moved freely around. There was plenty of good food, but they needed something to trade. Some wanted special feathers or shells. Only when they offered to pull a cart back to a dwelling did they earn a meal, and though the chunks of meat and vegetables weren’t hot, it tasted fantastic.

This was a place where Oliver could spend his days. He finished the meal on an outcropping beside the mighty rush of a waterfall. The spray cooled him, and he lay back to take a nap. Hunter already snored and flopped side to side.

Zaisy shook Oliver awake. “Something’s coming.”

A tremor ran along the city, showering pebbles and causing landslides. A shadow crept near and blacked the sun. Alarms rang, and horns blasted, sending the residents scrambling.

Oliver wondered if he’d fallen asleep. He rubbed his eyes and looked up to see a colossal figure.

The giant stood a thousand feet tall, its massive limbs swinging. Structures that once seemed imposing now looked like toys compared to the upper torso that filled Oliver’s vision. The pupil of its eye was like a tractor wheel. The creature raised an arm and struck the cliff face, causing rock and timber to splinter and crack.

"Run." Oliver grabbed Zaisy's hand and pulled her away before a stone impacted where they’d been.

Hunter passed them. "Hurry. This whole place is going to go down." He led the way, his longer strides making quick work of the uneven terrain and onto a downward path.

The trio navigated the crumbling structures, narrowly avoiding falling debris and panicked inhabitants.

The colossus ruined buildings like a force of nature. It took a drink from a waterfall as if it were a drinking fountain. It seemed to lose interest in destruction and ascended to the land above.

They didn’t stop even to catch their breath.

Oliver’s shins were on fire from racing downhill.

They fled as if a foot would come down on them at any time. Finally, far below the East Rim, they emerged into a forest where the air hung thick with moisture and the sounds of life.

Oliver glanced back to see the giant walking along the cliff, laughing like crashing boulders.

The trees parted to a lush valley. The grass here reached up to their waists, and the air was filled with the scent of wildflowers. Strange bees hopped from pedal to pedal. Streams striped the landscape, their waters gleaming in the sunlight.

“Watch this,” Oliver said and faced on the giant. The lumbering mass was blued with distance and walked at the rim.

"What are you going to do?" Zaisy asked, her wings fluttering anxiously.

“Playing with fire,” Hunter mumbled.

“Let’s see what the range is for Astral Lance. Stand back behind me. Far back.” The runes along the swordstaff glowed bright, and uncontrolled energy erupted from Oliver’s hand, but this time it didn’t explode against an unseen chameleon but came together to form a shard of light that shot high above the valley.

The lance rushed over the trees and up to the rim to detonate against the colossus. It swung its head back and forth, looking for its origin. It looked at the valley as a whole and climbed down the cliffs.

Oliver hid from view in case somehow the creature could spot his small form from so far away. "Oh shit. I think I hurt it a little."

“What’s happening,” Hunter said. He shook his head as if trying to clear clouded thoughts. “Something’s not right. The world isn’t right.”

Oliver looked at Hunter, and the man had hands over his face. “You’re breaking the fourth wall.”

“I don’t know.”

“Let’s deal with it later.”

They ventured deeper into the undergrowth and discovered a group of humanoid figures by a large river. These were the Fishers—beings with aquatic features, their skin shimmering with scales and their fingers webbed. They cast nets into the water and reeled in colorful fish.

One of the fishers noticed the trio and waved. "Greetings, travelers! You look like you've been through quite an ordeal."

"You could say that," Oliver replied, noticing rivelets of grim and dried blood about their persons. "A giant attacked the city above. We're looking for a safe place."

The fisher nodded sympathetically. "You're welcome to stay here for a while. We were just about to prepare a meal. Care to join us?"

Zaisy's eyes lit up. "That would be wonderful, thank you!"

The fishers set about cleaning and preparing one of the giant fish, its size dwarfing anything Oliver had ever seen, and he’d seen some large catfish. They seasoned it with spices and cooked the filets over an open fire.

As he savored the flavors, he felt the familiar warmth spread through his body. Each bite infused him with energy, strengthening his muscles and sharpening his senses.

"This fish is incredible," Hunter remarked between mouthfuls. "I've never tasted anything like it."

Zaisy giggled and wiped the juice from her chin. "We're growing again!"

Indeed, they were. By the time the meal was finished, they had increased in size, now comparable to horses. The world around them shifted in scale—the grass was now a carpet, and the trees didn’t loom as they had.

Oliver opened the screen. He noticed small marks that, when pushed, brought up extra information. “Who designed this damn thing.”

Hunter watched, now able to see what had been hidden from him.

The Weapon Master class allowed Oliver to train fighters. And he could use any weapon, even if he’d never trained with it before, at a high level of competence. The Star Mage class brought up an error screen—at least, that’s what he decided it was. A green bar now stood two-thirds full, and he guessed it might be his mana.

One of the fishers approached, a concerned expression on his face. "I'm afraid I have some troubling news. Lookouts have reported that the giant is moving towards us."

Hunter sighed heavily. "Of course it is."

“We’ll be hiding in the mud along the banks.”

Oliver laughed. "I don’t think that will help us."

Zaisy kicked at the damp ground. "We can’t hold our breath like that."

The ground vibrated, and the fishers buried themselves in mud or slipped into the water. Autumn leaves shook loose and snowed around them.