Zachary awoke from a long dream to find himself floating. He felt heavy but somehow weightless. Darkness surrounded him. His body was cold and numb.

Was he dead? Or was he alive?

His soul was still here. He could feel it. He could sense it. Two paths within his soul sea were active, the water path and the earth path. One was Onkie and the other was Whiskers. He had summoned the catfish as he fell, thinking the bottom of the chasm might be a pool of water. But everything turned black afterward.

There was Eternum all around him. It surged like the tide and flickered like fire. Sometimes it would twinkle like the stars at night. Or else it would remain steady and always, eternal like the world. And amidst it all, he felt that presence again, that familiar emotion, the desire to live, the thirst for life. It seemed closer than ever before, still faint yet with a vigor that would surely persist through the ages.

It gave him hope. If something in this desolate place could carry such desire, he didn't have to despair. It would at least keep him company.

After what seemed like an eternity, there was finally light. Blue sky appeared and sunlight poured in through the fog, revealing a stunning sight. He was floating on a calm lake, having emerged from a subterranean river. The sky above was surrounded by a vast circular wall of earth, forming sheer cliffs of unfathomable heights, like a giant well that had been dug by saint beasts of immeasurable strength.

That wasn't all. The stone walls around him were not natural formations but carved into the shape of giant beings. They were similar to humans but their arms seemed too long. Their faces were round and had extremely long earlobes. There was a prominent round pearl adorning the space between their eyebrows. Many of these statues had collapsed, either missing arms, legs, or even their heads. But even more were intact, holding up the weight of the earth above them, standing there in silence for thousands and thousands of years.

He passed by a waterfall. It was formed by another subterranean river emptying into the lake. The spray of mist felt cool but refreshing, reminding him that he was alive. Somehow, he was still alive.

As he floated, he contemplated. Were these statues the work of the Bomoi Civilization? Was this what Katherine had meant when she said that there was an even bigger underground city?

Thinking about her, he didn't blame her for what happened. He ignored the dangers because of his greed; because he didn't consider all the possible dangers. He suffered those losses because he wasn't strong enough.

Still, the turn of events couldn't help but remind him of Minah and her betrayal. He had been too ignorant and too naive back then. A daughter of the Yoon Clan was never going to marry him. He thought she would be different because they had known each other since childhood. But he was a nobody, an adept rank weakling with no background. If Dohwan Yoon didn't rob him of Yaoyao, it would have been someone else. It was inevitable.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Eventually, Zachary's head hit something soft and furry.

"Onk. Onk."

There was a splash and something moved beneath him. His body felt suddenly heavy and began to sink. But before he could drown, his butt hit the bottom and he sat up.

Onkie snorted as she nudged him gently.

He could sense her worry so he rubbed her furry head, reassuring her that he was at least alive. The water next to him splashed, revealing the wide face of Whiskers. It didn't make a sound but looked up at him with a pair of expressive black eyes. He realized that it had been carrying him all this time. Otherwise, he might have drowned already.

"Thanks, Whiskers," He patted the catfish's head in appreciation.

Whiskers and Onkie probably hit the waters of the subterranean river before him, creating splashes that softened his impact slightly. Their tough bodies were far more capable of enduring physical blows than his. They saved his life and he was more thankful than ever to have found them in the New World.

Zachary tried to get up but gasped from pains all over his body. The lower half of one leg was twisted in a weird direction and obviously broken. He couldn't move his left arm. There were also more than a few broken ribs.

His summoner's belt was still fastened securely around his waist. Aside from the missing gaps for Arrow, Oakley, Sable, and Hammer; the remaining four were still there; Onkie, Whiskers, Blue, and Boba. Other than his belt, his clothes were nothing more than rags. More importantly, his supply bag was nowhere to be found. All the soul orbs he had worked so hard and sacrificed so much for... were gone.

"Onk?" Onkie nudged his good arm.

His eyes widened as he saw the familiar leather bag held in her mouth. He laughed through the pain. He cried a little as well. He felt the contents inside and knew that everything was still there.

"Onkie, you beautiful pig, wonderful, wonderful, I would kiss you if I could. I owe you one. You're the best."

Onkie squealed happily and even trembled from the excessive praise. She deposited the bag onto his lap and proceeded to swim circles around him and a perplexed Whiskers which made him laugh some more. It was true what his dad liked to say, good things did indeed come in pairs. He was able to escape from the giant black wolf and now, he had what he needed to live on.

After calming down from this unexpected high, Zachary opened the supply bag and double-checked everything. Dream and Sugo were there as well as his spare summoning cards and summoning orbs. He slid Dream and Sugo's cards into spare slots on his belt and filled the remaining two with summoning orbs. In total, he had seventeen cards and seventy-six orbs remaining.

The small knife and flint rod were there as well. The knife wasn't too useful but being able to start a fire was a lifesaver. His provisions were a mixed bag. The dried meat and fish were now soggy but probably still edible over a fire. The wild berries wrapped in leaf packets all survived the fall although many had burst from being squashed. Ironically, his dry rations were perfectly fine. Wrapped tightly in wax paper, they survived an ocean swim, a river crossing, as well as the latest dive from dizzying heights.

"Well, that's that," Zachary said to himself as he closed the drawstrings of the supply bag. He sighed heavily and looked around, "So, I'm still alive. What do I do now?"