Stars. The heaven's tears.

"It's a starfall!" A child shouted, drawing in attentions that prompted everyone to gaze up.

One by one, common people and merchants, adventurers and knights, Mages and Warriors, all bowed their heads as they clasped their hands in prayer. In hope that the Oracle of the Gods could grant them a better chance to live their life.

Most didn't know that the Starfall was an ill omen. A harbinger of calamity in the form of scattered blood of the Evil God. He roared in his eternal slumber as he shed tears of hatred to influence the continent.

Those glittering blood that touched the land corrupted mana, while those that touched a living being would transform them into frightening monsters that surpassed even heroes of old.

I lamented. In my long journey, I was unable to contain myself from sneering in disdain, despising the bent truth that fools have thought to spread in order to gain profits.

Alas, people live with faith held in their hearts. They would doubt, and they would reject any who opposed their common beliefs, thinking that it was blasphemous for their own belies.

As the stars fell above me, I continued my journey, paving a path in search of something. In search of a genuine miracle.

Days gone by. Months changing with months. Soon, a year was going to pass.

"Even this place is no good, huh...?" I groaned as I threw a shard of broken rock, ordinary in appearance, but actually a powerful tool that had long lost its function back into the Ruin.

I turned my back. As I walked away from the place people called as 'forbidden', I persisted to continue where I left off for a small hope inside of me.

After the onslaught of monsters, I gathered their flesh, their Stigmas to know more. I delved into dark magic and used any method so as to allow myself to pave a path. I denied hatred and grudges many gave to me so as to walk forward.

But as the night sky continued to shower the accursed Starfalls, I felt something was off. I looked around. Surrounding me was a plain with several trees growing after fighting off the grasses as well as parasites that infested the land.

In the north, where the climate was far colder and abnormal, it required special skills along with luck just to fill one's satiety. It is even harder to survive without at least equipment or items handcrafted by the elves or dwarves.

The reason why the land I stumbled into was called the Wasteland of Extinction could be examined by these proofs around me. It showed how scarce and cruel nature can be. A dystopia like no other. A Purgatory of Chaos.

"......"

And yet I was mystified. Something was wrong, I thought. But I didn't know what went wrong. I looked around once again, scanning the barren land until I reached to a conclusion.

The signs of life... are gone? Where did they, even monsters', vanish to?

*FLASH!* Suddenly, a bright light showered upon me. I winced as I looked up, finding the brightest Starfall I know of.

"...What... is..." My voice died down as I glimpsed something changing in the Starfall.

The tail was wavering. The light dimming and flashing. It's color soon blinked and changed, from pure white to light blue, to ashen grey, black, and lastly, burning red once the Starfall split into three.

I recognized that phenomenon. While most of the earlier descriptions were at complete loss for me, the burning red indication told me that the Starfalls were...

"It's going to land!" I sprinted forward as the Starfall colored of red and black vanished just beyond the horizon.

Not even a second had passed when bright orange flash shot out in the distance. I flew into a mad dash, thinking that if I could get a hand on the Starfall, I may be able to reach further height.

Arguably, I wasn't in the best state. I had grown tired of finding useless trash and my research did not improve for another milestone. That was why, excited as I could be, I minded not the danger but the chance of success.

It took me a little more of three hours, considering the shifting moons and the constellations. The scenery did not change so much but I noticed mosses, wild grasses, and...

Flowers? How? Since when did they grow in this type of place? And I have never seen these flowers even though I have lived for 150 years...!

"! There it is!" I exclaimed as I reached the crater where the Starfall had descended to.

Contrary to my belief, the mana was not corrupted. Not even the life or ecosystem was disturbed and instead... they are growing in a tremendous rate. What is this magic!?

I observed as a faint scent of grasses as well fresh water sprang up into my nose. I passed through the first layer of mound that was probably a result from the impact's shockwave, and I was baffled!

"A... a spring...?! In this place!?" I exasperated as my heart leaped two notches than before.

This... is...! It must be It then!! I dashed through the greenery of nature that continued to grow and spreading wider than ever.

Once I arrived at the center of the crater... I exasperated.

"Urgh... Gh... *cough!* Man... that, frickin' hurts!!"

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

A figure got up, a black cloak fluttered as he winced while holding his arm.

"Fuck, the pain...!" He shouted but as he moved, he noticed. "Uh-whoa?! Right! Right right!! Oy, you alright, you two?!"

Two...? I followed his gaze and once again, I gasped. More or less, I almost had my heart dropping down for...

What I saw baffled me. Two persons, lying next to each other in fetal positions. Both had long hairs, one was burning red and tied at the sides of her head, the other was ridiculously long that I couldn't imagine how she let it grew so much.

While there were other traits such as wounds, dried blood and dirt, I can't say I expected... two naked maidens with scattered pieces of clothes around them.

And once the first one, the black cloaked person squatted down to check on them, he heaved a sigh of relief. As if he was glad they were in one piece.

But... that hair... and that visage... Who... Why is She...?

"Hah... guess we got saved at the last second. Talk about standing at death's door only to get kicked out." The Black man with monochromatic hair finished with a grumble.

By then, he noticed my presence and widened his eyes.

"...who the hell are you?"

I shifted my position, slightly sensing bloodlust and hostility. "I wish to ask the same as well. Who are you?"

We exchanged stares long enough that it somehow hurt my eyes. At that moment, the man blinked and suddenly stood up.

"Hold on a sec! You... that clothing... And this place...?" He turned around his head and his mouth soon gaped open, like a fish lacking water.

I was intrigued by his responses. After the amusing expression as if it had seen the realm turned upside down, he furiously stomped and spouted so many curses and incoherent yellings that I almost mistook him as a madman.

After all the internal ordeal, the man pushed his spectacle, taking a deep breath in before exhaling extremely long. Hou...?

"...let me guess. We're not on Earth, right?"

"Earth is below your feet."

".......yeah, that was a stupid question. Let me ask again: You a local?"

"No. While humans are seen neutrally, this place is the edge of Serilia - the Northern Territory ruled by mostly of the elven races."

"Uh, right... Then, do you know what a 'gun' is?"

I scoffed. "What are you spouting about, man that fell from the sky?"

As if he had concluded something, the monochromatic haired man planted a hand on his face dramatically. He raised his head as if lamenting over his cursed fortune and questioning if the Gods were toying with him.

Not even ten seconds have passed, and the man put down his hand, albeit limply as well as lacking energy.

"Great. So after the superpower genre, now it's transdimensional? I'm so going to fuck that dimwitted Goddess till light's out." He muttered with a half-lidded glare directed to the dark heaven above.

I wasn't sure of his complain but certainly, one of the strange thing about the Gods were that among the Major Gods, most were said to hold high-esteem as tall as the mountain with egos as large as Solaris' belly.

Even more, I have heard of tales that the goddesses always had a strong rivalry since a Minor one lured male heroes with her otherworldly seduction, thus leaving the rest with no lovers to soothe them through the nights.

But that is not the point. "Who are you? Where did you come from? And what is your purpose?"

I wanted to know more, more about these people, especially the girl over there. If my assumption is correct, then there's still one way left I could use.

But I have no time and staying here is not safe. Far from it, this land labeled with 'extinction' didn't have only one method to ruin a species. Also, if they have the right answers, then... to save Her is not entirely impossible.

"Me? Well... I guess you can say I'm a 'Champion' but... as if you'd understand with a rat-sized information like that."

The man pushed his glasses up, one that looked more sophisticated as well as stylish than the norm, and he directed his gaze at me, allowing me to identify if he was lying or not.

Even so, I should have known of one phrase.

"I'm Ichinose Haru. A genius, a closet otaku, an ex-NEET, also a fiendish self-proclaimed freak of nature. The one over there is a shrimp called Arika with the other happening to be Nadia."

The boy said, then pushed his glasses to reflect the light of Solaris. I was... speechless, unable to respond and the boy raised a finger.

"Ah, by the way, 'Nadia' comes from an age-old Anime. Trust me, the character fits this weird girl very well."

...I... think...... I might have... bitten more than I deserved.

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A/N: Yes, you just bit more than you could chew, poor stranger. Or should I say... Fellow Freak? Coming up right next is the long-awaited 'Author's Notes' for this volume, but it will come tomorrow.