Extract from the -{ Tome of Light }- the divine scripture of the Church of Light.

"Behold the brilliance of my radiance, for I am the beginning and the end. In the embrace of my divine glow, find solace and eternal devotion, for all paths lead inevitably to my celestial throne." (The Inevitability of Light - 1:1)

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Asher's eyes roamed over the table, taking in the array of unfamiliar dishes before him. The centerpiece was a platter of roasted meat, its origins a mystery that both intrigued and unnerved him. Beside it sat a basket of freshly baked bread, its hue an unexpected shade of green that seemed to glow in the warm light of the cabin. A rich, earthy aroma wafted from a bowl of gravy, flecks of mushrooms and root vegetables visible among chunks of the same mysterious meat.

The huntress, her movements fluid and graceful despite her powerful frame, selected a piece of the verdant bread. She placed it on a battered metal plate, ladling a generous portion of the savory gravy beside it. With a smile that softened her warrior's countenance, she extended the plate to Asher.

"Back on my home planet," she explained, her voice carrying a hint of nostalgia, "it's tradition for the guest to break the first bread. Since you're our guest today, please, start first."

Asher's gaze flicked to the hunter, who was already piling his plate high with meat, seemingly oblivious to the social niceties. The contrast between the two was striking, and Asher couldn't help but wonder about their backgrounds.

'It seems they're from different places,' he mused, filing away this observation for later consideration.

With a mixture of curiosity and trepidation, Asher broke the green bread. Its exterior crackled satisfyingly, giving way to a soft, pillowy interior. He brought a small piece to his lips, inhaling deeply before taking a bite. The flavor was unlike anything he'd encountered before – earthy and complex, with an underlying sweetness that lingered on his tongue.

As he chewed, savoring the unique taste, the huntress began serving herself. The domestic scene felt surreal against the backdrop of cosmic revelations and interdimensional travel.

Suddenly, a memory sparked in Asher's mind. He set down the bread and began rummaging through his backpack, the fabric rustling loudly in the quiet room. The hunter and huntress exchanged puzzled glances, their curiosity piqued by this unexpected action.

Triumphantly, Asher withdrew his forgotten lunchbox. He opened it, revealing a modest feast from another world – golden-brown fried chicken and creamy egg sandwiches, their edges slightly curled from the hours spent in his bag.

"It would have gotten spoiled," Asher explained, sliding the container towards his hosts. "Good thing I remembered it."

The huntress reached for one of the egg sandwiches, her eyes twinkling with amusement and interest. "It's been a while since I've had something completely new," she remarked, turning the unfamiliar food over in her hands.

Her comment piqued Asher's curiosity. "Do you both travel a lot?" he ventured, seizing the opportunity to learn more about his enigmatic hosts.

The huntress glanced at her companion, who remained focused on his meal with single-minded intensity. She smiled, a hint of something deeper – perhaps sadness or longing – in her eyes. "You could say we both travel from time to time with our friends. It's just... it's been a while since our last adventure."

"Why did you stop?" Asher pressed gently, sensing a story behind her words.

The huntress paused, her expression growing guarded. "There's some turmoil currently on my home planet," she said carefully. "Due to personal reasons and safety concerns, I'm laying low for now. This guy," she nodded towards the hunter, "is just accompanying me so I won't be bored alone."

The hunter looked up at this, his intense gaze meeting the huntress's. She responded by sticking out her tongue playfully, dispelling the sudden tension. Asher, sensing he'd stumbled upon a sensitive topic, returned his attention to his meal.

He sampled the mysterious roasted meat, finding it tender and flavorful, if a bit bland compared to the heavily spiced dishes he was accustomed to. The huntress, meanwhile, savored the egg sandwiches, peppering Asher with questions about their preparation. The hunter, having decimated the fried chicken with alarming speed, kept casting hopeful glances at the empty lunchbox, as if willing more to appear.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

As the meal wound down, the huntress began clearing the table. Asher offered to help, but she declined with a gentle shake of her head. Instead, the hunter materialized beside Asher, a bottle of amber liquid in his massive hand. With a jerk of his head, he indicated for Asher to follow him outside.

"Don't you dare get dead drunk," the huntress called after them, her tone a mixture of exasperation and fondness. "I can't be bothered to put you both to bed and will leave you outside."

The hunter's only response was a dismissive wave as he stepped into the cool night air, Asher close behind.

The darkness enveloped them, broken only by the soft glow spilling from the cabin's windows and the ethereal light of a single moon hanging low in the sky. Asher felt a moment of disorientation, half-expecting to see the blood-red moons that had haunted his arrival in this world.

The hunter led them to a neatly stacked pile of logs – firewood for the coming days. He settled his bulk atop the stack with surprising grace, producing two glasses from some hidden pocket. The amber liquid gurgled as he filled each glass halfway.

Asher opted to lean against the woodpile, accepting the proffered glass with a nod of thanks. He brought it to his nose, inhaling cautiously. The potent aroma of alcohol stung his nostrils, causing him to recoil slightly. Though he'd turned 18 the previous year, Asher had never developed a taste for strong spirits. Tonight, however, felt like an exception – a toast to the surreal turn his life had taken.

Taking a small, experimental sip, Asher winced as the liquid burned a fiery path down his throat. He looked up at the moon, its cool beauty a stark contrast to the warmth spreading through his chest.

The scratch of a match drew his attention back to the hunter. A tobacco pipe now protruded from the man's craggy face, wreathing him in a haze of pungent smoke. After a few contemplative puffs, the hunter spoke.

"If you have any questions, you can ask them now."

Asher swirled the drink in his glass, watching the moon's reflection ripple across its surface. He had a thousand questions, each vying for priority in his mind. Finally, he settled on one that had been nagging at him since their earlier conversation.

"You mentioned nobles, the influence of clans and sects," Asher began, choosing his words carefully. "What did you mean by that?"

The hunter took a long pull from his pipe, the ember glowing brightly in the darkness. When he spoke, his voice was thoughtful, tinged with an undercurrent of... something. Bitterness? Resentment? Asher couldn't quite place it.

"I don't know how stuff worked back on your home planet," the hunter began, "but in the myriad realms, there's a strict hierarchy." He launched into an explanation of the complex social and political landscape of this new universe – aristocrats descended from the first emperor, powerful clans and sects vying for territory and influence, non-human kingdoms, and the looming presence of religious institutions like the Church of Light.

Asher listened intently, noting the hunter's tone of distaste when speaking of the aristocrats and churches. The hierarchy described seemed both familiar and alien – power structures he recognized, but on a scale he could barely comprehend.

"Even among the aristocrats those from the main families still containing the bloodline of the first emperor are called nobles. As for your question, the 'tutorial' you are undergoing is common but still special because you get skill crystals as rewards upon successful completion of the main quest and any subquests. A crystal, by breaking which you can learn the skill within, a skill which would otherwise need you years if not decades to train unless you have a specific bloodline for it."

The hunter turned to look at Asher with a slight smile. Asher could notice the evident greed on his face. Yet he knew it was not directed at him hence, Asher looked back at Hunter in confidence and took a sip from his drink.

"Heh.. there are two ways to get these crystals one directly from the quests from the creation system which are rare as the creation system only gives these quests when necessary for a greater purpose, and the second by finding them from within 'The Tower of Eternal Creation'."

The hunter emptied the tobacco pipe finished with it and refilled his cup with more liquor.

"Getting into the tower of eternal creation is a bit tricky and dangerous as old powerhouses are constantly fighting it out there. However, there is a loophole, there are certain quests that the system repeats. In the present time, the conditions for them have become common knowledge."

Asher understood where the Hunter was going with this, and gave voice to his hunch, "Like the pioneer quest?"

"Exactly, by planting people beforehand on a planet that is to be integrated soon, one can deliberately initiate the ‘pioneer’ quest by completing the hidden requirements for it. The planets are divided in terms of the quality of the planetary core they contain as it hints at the future quality of resources the planet would develop once it awakens. The planets worth investment of time and people are mostly those ranked as B-tier or above. The rank of the planet is not stabilized until the awakening process is completed so there are some risks. Therefore, the ones who play these kinds of games are mostly larger groups, like weaker families among aristocrats, or the average sects and clans. The big true ‘Players’ come and reap harvests when the planet has developed completely if they need its resources."

The face of Hunter became a bit flushed it seemed the alcohol was taking its effect.

"As for the true nobles, with the power they control they have no need to do stuff like this, but I have heard of how some weaker nobles would have their children do it so they could gain experience so I asked just to make sure. This much should answer your question."

The hunter paused and took a deep breath.

"You should have the general gist of your situation now," the hunter concluded, his speech slightly slurred from the alcohol. "Don't think too hard, kid. The best thing you can do is try to accomplish as much as you can within this tutorial period. That way, when you go back, you're prepared to deal with the mess that'll come your way."

The hunter stood, stretching his massive frame. "Stop overthinking. I was in your position once, so I understand your concerns. From now on, you'll encounter unexplainable phenomena daily. If you refuse to adapt quickly, you'll lose everything you hold dear. It's the law of the jungle now, and you're part of it – whether it was your choice or not."

With those ominous words hanging in the air, the hunter made his way back to the cabin, leaving Asher alone with his thoughts and the indifferent moon.

"Whether it was my choice or not..." Asher murmured, the weight of his new reality settling over him like a shroud.

Inside the cabin, the hunter directed Asher to a set of bedding. "If you've cooled your head down, take this upstairs. Enter the room to the right. It's cramped, but that's all I've got. Get some sleep – it'll be a busy day tomorrow."

Asher found himself in a room barely larger than a closet, tucked under the eaves of the cabin's roof. He spread the bedding beneath the room's sole window, his body aching with exhaustion as he collapsed onto it.

As he lay there, the events of the day replayed in his mind – a dizzying montage of otherworldly experiences and cosmic revelations. But as his gaze drifted to the moon visible through the window, Asher found his racing thoughts beginning to slow.

The celestial body seemed impossibly close, as if he could reach out and touch its cratered surface. As Asher studied its familiar yet alien features, his eyelids grew heavy. The last thing he saw before drifting into a deep, dreamless sleep was the soft, silvery light of a moon that wasn't his own, a silent sentinel in a universe of endless possibilities.