An unknown amount of time had gone by, and Edgar’s senses began to return.

His consciousness stirred, dragging him back from the abyss of unconsciousness. The distant voice seemed to pierce through the fog in his mind, and he struggled to open his eyes.

The ground beneath him felt rough and uneven, and he could still see the charred remnants of the explosion and the fleeing monsters.

“How many times have I fainted by now?” Edgar muttered, trying to gain some clarity. As he slowly got up from the ground, he heard a familiar tone again.

That same mysterious voice continued to speak, its tone somehow calm and reassuring, “You’ve done well, Master Edgar. The power within you is now fully awakened.”

Edgar’s breathing was ragged, and his vision swam as he fought to make sense of his surroundings. The blurry shapes of the monsters’ corpses and the darkened field began to sharpen.

Initially, he thought he was simply hearing things due to the fear and shock he had received, but his instinct told him that was not the case.

Master Edgar?

Just who would address him as Master Edgar when he had never been called that way throughout his life?

“Who’s there??!” Alarmed, Edgar gathered all his strength as he searched around, his gaze unfriendly.

Previously, he had already believed he had been kidnapped and trafficked somewhere else for discovering an alarming secret. Now he heard someone calling him Master Edgar once a gruesome battle had ended?

How could he not feel alarmed and stay vigilant?

Yet despite searching around, Edgar saw no traces of people or monsters in his immediate surroundings.

“There’s no need to search hastily, Master Edgar. I’m attached to your neck.” The same mysterious tranquil voice echoed once again.

The necklace?

Finally, Edgar glanced down at his necklace and found it to be sparkly clean, unlike the previous dull-like. No, besides the cleanliness, there was also a crimson-red color that wasn’t there.

“Oh dear… I can’t believe I’m having insanity symptoms like some of my clients. To think I would one day be hearing random voices in my head.” Edgar started laughing in amusement.

He had never once thought that a simple investigation job of capturing an affair would turn into such a nightmare— to the point where he might even need therapy afterward.

“Please stop deluding yourself, Master Edgar. The quicker you accept reality, the sooner you can adapt.”

With the same voice echoing in his ears again, Edgar realized feigning ignorance was indeed not a solution.

“Who are you and where am I?” Edgar took a deep breath and asked the two most crucial questions.

“Responding to your question, I’m a spirit of some sort, but you can call me Collins. As for where you are, you are currently in a world called Astar.”

“Collins?” Edgar twitched his eyes at the name and decided, “I’ll just call you Coll for short.”

“As you wish, Master Edgar. In the British English dictionary, the word Coll means to embrace a person. I’m happy that you are willing to embrace me despite my intangible form.” Collins responded.

Choosing to ignore Collins’ cheeky response, Edgar was more focused on other information.

‘Astar world? So is this not Earth anymore? How did I end up here when I was in New York City?’ As frustrated and helpless as he was, Edgar managed to compose himself and not make any outbursts like most people would do.

“Are we still on Earth—as in, the planet Earth?” Edgar clarified, considering that "earth" could also mean land or soil. Who knew if Collins might misunderstand?

“If you’re referring to the eight planets in your Solar System, then no—you’re no longer on Earth or any of the others. Astar is an entirely different world with its own Solar System structure.”

Even though he was prepared for the news, it still hit Edgar hard, stirring his emotions. ‘I doubt Earth has monsters like the ones I ran into here,’ he thought bitterly.

Others would have sent him to a mental hospital if he were to spout the things he encountered. Hyena-like monsters? Magic spells?

This was like a severe case of Grandiose Delusions, and Edgar knew some quack doctors in a mental hospital would gladly lock him inside a room permanently.

Having determined that the world he currently resided in was no longer the one he knew, Edgar didn’t lose hope or anything. Rather, he became relaxed and more at ease.

What humans feared the most was the unknown, but with Collins’ presence, acting as an encyclopedia, there was not much to be afraid of.

“So can you tell me the geography of Astar? I want in-depth information along with where I am precisely.” Edgar requested, hoping to learn the world he had been transported into.

“It would be my pleasure, Master Edgar,” Collins replied and began a long-winded explanation.

Long story short, Astar World was similar to Earth, in that there are multiple continents separated by nature. The major differences were the environment, the lack of a technological era, the crude architecture that resembled the Stone Age, and dangerous monsters roaming around.

What made it disheartening was that the world was not ruled solely by humans, but multiple species.

“So right now I’m located in Ruinsglade,” Edgar asked in confirmation after listening in on Collins’ explanation. Ruinsglade was one of the five continents, and it was also the most barren one.

Not only do humans struggle to survive here, but monsters strive the most in this land filled with jungles or ruins left behind by fallen cities.

“That is correct, Master Edgar. And it’s in your best interest to search for a safe shelter. Monsters at nighttime are at their strongest, and it’s getting quite dark.” Collins warned solemnly.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“I want to search for one as well, but can’t you see the situation I’m in.” Edgar furrowed his brows, his eyes wandering around his surroundings which were filled with nothing. There weren’t even any buildings around, much less a potential safety shelter to sleep for the night.

“That’s indeed a problem, but Master Edgar, why haven’t you tried to expand your magical perception to detect the area?”

“Magical perception? What, did you think I can just shoot spells from my palm—” Before he finished his statement, Edgar paused in time to save himself from embarrassment.

Clearly, he had done that just a while ago before fainting from exhaustion. Despite being able to absorb much information about this new world, it was still really hard to adapt to such a drastic change in a very short span of time.

He was not a memorization freak or a talented genius who could adapt with a snap of a finger. If so, then he would have become a wealthy person back in New York, and not be forced to be a private investigator in an abandoned rundown office.

Edgar planned on testing the so-called magical perception to verify the claim.

However, before that, he had been wanting to ask one more question. “By the way, why are you addressing me as Master Edgar? I don’t recall hiring or accepting slaves.”

“We’ve established a contract and therefore, you became my Master,” Collins responded smoothly.

“Contract establishment?” Edgar murmured, confused. The image of the dull necklace turning crimson red flashed in his mind. “Wait… crimson red… could it be?” The horrifying realization dawned on him: he’d been shot by those black-suited men just before arriving in Astar World. Yet somehow, the wounds had vanished. Since that scene was real and the pain was undeniable, then the necklace’s color must’ve been dyed in his own blood.

Like a puzzle falling into place, Edgar understood. He should’ve died from those bullets, but the necklace he always wore—now soaked in his blood—had triggered something out of a fantasy novel: a portal to another world.

“Oh man, I’m not learning this magical perception.” Frustrated, he raked his hand back and forth through his hair, as if the gesture could dispel the growing tension.

“Master Edgar?” Collins asked, confused by his refusal to learn. “The Astar World is filled with deadly terrain and monsters. If you don’t learn magical perception, the chance of being killed is 95%. You might survive if you're lucky enough to stumble into your own death, but that's only a 5% chance.”

“No, you’re trying to scam me into learning it,” Edgar said, suspicion rising. Why should he trust Collins? They were strangers at best, and Collins had already duped him. Most of the information Edgar had came from him, and there was no way to verify its truth. Collins’ constant warnings about the dangers of the world only made Edgar more skeptical, feeling like someone was trying to swindle him.

“Master Edgar, please, I’m not trying to scam you,” Collins said, his tone softening. “I’m just trying to help.”

“Nuh-uh. I’ve seen fantasy movies before. The protagonist always ends up as some special person with unique powers to save the world. Sorry, but I’m not the type to sacrifice myself for the world.” Edgar admitted his selfishness.

Having survived on his own since a young age, Edgar knew better than to play the hero. People idolized them, but heroes were often the first to be criticized. Worse, they didn’t get paid for their trouble. They were expected to do their job flawlessly and get some praise—nothing more.

A moment of silence soon followed before Collins finally made a sigh.

“Master Edgar’s perceptiveness is extraordinary, though it can sometimes be a bit too much,” Collins said, explaining the true story.

“The Astar World is considered broken due to the persecution of a group called Specters. These are individuals who can connect with the world and manipulate what you might know as Mana. The attack you made earlier against the monsters was an example of manipulating Mana and casting spells.”

Edgar swallowed hard. His instincts as a private investigator told him Specters likely no longer existed in this “broken world.”

“Am I not going to be persecuted then if I follow your advice?” he asked, wondering why he should learn magical perception if it meant being branded a Specter, the very group that was persecuted.

“Your reasoning isn’t wrong based on the information you have, Master Edgar,” Collins replied with a melancholic tone. “But I must clarify— Specters weren’t persecuted by humankind but by another entity.”

Edgar frowned. The story sounded cliché yet familiar. Clients often shared tales of persecution in his world, only there, it was the government or another influential figure playing the role of "the entity."

“Well, I’m still not learning it. If I go along with this so-called magical perception, I’m just making myself a target for some unknown entity,” Edgar said with a shrug, his resolve firm.

He wasn’t about to endanger himself any further. The Astar World might be treacherous, but who said he had to stay here?

All he needed was a way back to Earth. Once home, he could safely explore magic and spells at his leisure, using them to his advantage without fear of persecution.

However, as if reading his thoughts, Collins interjected with a steady voice, devoid of any frustration or impatience.

“If Master Edgar refuses to learn spells and magic as I’ve suggested, you will remain trapped in the Astar World,” he revealed calmly. “To return to your home planet, you’ll need sufficient Mana and meet very specific requirements to activate a transportation portal.”

Dumbfounded, Edgar’s expression remained stoic on the surface, but silently, he was panicking. If it wasn’t for his years of mental being honed, then he might have fainted here and now by the shocking news. It would be a different type of faint from earlier which was caused by exhaustion whereas this one was a psychological attack.

To be told that the only path back to Earth, required him to embrace something that could mark him as a target felt like walking a thorn-laden road, regardless of the choice— if there was even one to begin with.

‘Curses, this Coll is definitely not to be trusted,’ Edgar thought, his tongue clicking as the idea of discarding the necklace crossed his mind.

Without any hesitation, Edgar quickly followed through with the idea and stretched with an exaggerated yawn.

“Ugh, if I have to learn magic, I’d better get my body ready for it,” he said nonchalantly. With a sly maneuver, his fingers slid under the necklace, feigning casualness as he prepared to toss it away ‘accidentally.’

Unfortunately, the moment Edgar attempted to yank the necklace away, it felt like a tightly secured chain. No matter how much strength he exerted, it refused to budge.

“Master Edgar, if you were planning to discard the necklace, I’m afraid that idea wasn’t very bright. We’ve established a contract—a binding one, by your world’s terms, that cannot be undone,” Collins said calmly. The necklace then responded by tightening around Edgar’s neck, not enough to harm but enough to make its point.

“You sly bastard,” Edgar muttered, the corner of his mouth twitching. His suspicion and distrust toward Collins grew with every passing second.

Yet to his surprise, Collins’ next words struck a nerve. “Master Edgar, I’m sure double-crossing and being sly is one of your own traits. And not once had I deceived you. Concealing isn’t the same as lying. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Dumbfounded, Edgar found himself unable to refute the statement. For a fleeting moment, he felt as if he were talking to another version of himself. It appeared as if Collins was like a split personality brought on by trauma.

“What exactly are you, Coll? You’re not just some figment of my imagination, conjured up because I’m traumatized by that horrifying scene or because I got shot, right?” Edgar asked, his voice laced with suspicion and an edge of curiosity.

The horrifying scene referred to the very job that got him in the Astar World in the first place.

A chemical weapon capable of dissolving or disintegrating a human into a pile of slimy mud?

He surely wasn’t any great person— a hero who would put his life on the line for others. But he definitely wasn’t terrible either to develop such a deadly chemical weapon that could doom humanity in itself.

“Let’s just say I’m a spiritual being that resides in the necklace. I’m sure you are distrustful of me, given the chain of events that have occurred. But you need to understand that all my actions were committed for your benefit. If you were to die, then I would cease to exist as well.” Collins said solemnly.

“I’ll also be honest with you, Master Edgar. Time is running out for this world, and if you refuse to learn magic with your ability, then you won’t be able to return to Earth. Astar World would be your— our last destination.” He added, warning Edgar of the severity of the situation.

After pacing back and forth, then gazing at the desolate-like environment. Edgar knew that to survive, he needed to learn magic. Without any method or tool to defend himself in such a drastic environment, then he was just asking for death to arrive.

Rather than worrying about being persecuted by an unknown entity for learning magic in the near future, he might as well be worried about what was happening in the present time.

Once he recollected his thoughts and composed his emotions, Edgar breathed out a soft sigh. “Alright, teach me how to use magic. But don’t be mistaken. I still don’t trust you and this is merely a cooperation between us since we need to survive.”