Requirements for a large log flume:

9,000kg of hardwood.

5,500kg of metal supports.

90kg of softened leather.

25kg of hard rubber.

85 water creation glyphs of various degrees of power.

50 strength and durability glyphs of various degrees of power.

Various glyphs.

1 large log flume blueprint.

The oddly even numbers annoyed Luka. A log flume seriously required nine thousand kilograms of hardwood—and only nine thousand? Not like nine thousand and six? And also, what was considered “various glyphs?” Would a single glyph cluster cover it? Or would he need to break out the tome of glyphs and get to studying?

Luka slowly rolled the artifact ring around his finger. It was a simple dented band of metal, one that fit his index finger perfectly—almost as if it was made for him. Which, when he thought about it, it was.

Silently sighing, Luka picked up his dinner and shoved it into his mouth. It was a few hours after sunset here in World Walker Park, and the day was coming to a close. Very few guests hung around, and those that did found themselves standing in line for the WHEEL. It was the nighttime views, he knew, which was why he’d suggested closing the park an hour after sunset while keeping the wheel, teacups, carousel, and swing open for a little while longer.

The fact that only Rogue Wave was closed wasn’t lost on Luka, however. But as the park expanded, more rides would be put on the closed early list, thus limiting where guests could hang out in the park after dark. Funneling everyone to the exit and eventually going to bed was the goal, after all.

With reckless abandonment, Luka chewed and swallowed his food—only then giving it a proper once over. The meal was… not from Earth. It was a wrap of sorts, if instead of a tortilla the wrap part was created from woven grass.

Kinda a lettuce wrap? Luka asked himself. But since when do orcs eat vegetables like this?

In his short experience in this world, Luka could only describe the Orcish race as meat lovers. Grill, fried, smashed—any and all meat was good… and bakery items, now that he thought about it. Iop’s pastries were very popular.

“What is this?” Luka asked, holding the wrap.

“Our newest vegan option,” Eve answered. She sat across from him working on a glyphs booklet for future ease-of-use. But, while one of her hands held a pen, the other gently squeezed her own wrap, allowing the ‘juices’ inside to ooze out.

Luka made a face at the waterfall of silver liquid. Inside the wrap was... something… that resembled chopped beef and rice. But while normal food was dull, the insides of the wrap glowed.

“So—I know you answered my question, but like, I have no idea what this is.”

Eve glanced up, quirking a smirk. “It’s seasoned roasted moonfall mushrooms and split barley, wrapped in dewleaf.”

“What makes it glow?”

“The mushrooms. At night, they glow ‘as if the moon is full’—regardless of whether the moon is actually full.” Eve took a massive bite. “Huh. I was expecting more grass taste, but this is actually pretty good.”

Luka also took another bite. “On Earth, veganism was exploding in popularity. Companies fought like hell to produce a good plant-based meat substitute. Which I never understood. Why would vegans want to taste meat? Doesn’t that defeat the point?”

She loudly chewed, the dewleaf wrap loudly crunching. “I mean, not every vegan is a vegan because they don’t like meat. Some just don’t like the idea of killing animals for it, especially when the animals are raised solely to be slaughtered.”

The wrap tasted like venison, if Luka closed his eyes and imagined a deer prancing through the woods. Eve did have a point, however, one he hadn’t thought of.

I suppose all of that goes double for this world, since there are literal people made of sticks and magic that allows people to talk with animals. Luka didn’t dwell on the latter thought very long, instead taking another bite.

“Well, whatever,” he said. “I give the wrap my stamp of approval. Who came up with it, anyways?”

“Mrs. Leafsong.” Eve shifted the paper she was sketching on and glanced at the one below it. “Speaking of our resident dryad, she came to the ship earlier and left a message for you.”

Luka raised an eyebrow. “Could she not find me? I’ve been walking around the park doing stuff all day.”

“And no one wants to bother you while you do whatever you’re doing.” Eve glanced at the paper again. “She’s not the only one that left you a message, by the way. Apprentice to the Forgemaster, Cam, said the supplies for your ‘project’ arrived, and Forgemaster Adam will be ready to work on ale-umni-uhm when you’re ready.”

“Aluminum,” Luka said, enunciating slowly. Eve practiced the word a few times. “What’d Mrs. Leafsong want?”

“Oh! That she was thankful for the paint you left at her hut and is ready to discuss when you are.”

“I left paint at her hut?”

Eve gave him a tired look. “No—Tram did. She’s on top of everything. Almost too on top of things, if I’m being honest.”

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

“I heard Tram was in Sneerhome fighting some local gang or something.”

“Sounds like her.”

“Does it?”

“More or less. Did I ever tell you about the time she kicked a lava elemental in the ass for wandering into the lake naked?”

Luka didn’t know what face he was making, but he was definitely making a face.

Eve snorted. “Maybe wait for Franky to tell it, then. His stories are always more theatrical than mine.”

Luka just sighed. “I don’t like the idea that everyone’s going to you to leave me messages. Will you tell them just to find me? That, or I need an official assistant.”

“Oh, I don’t mind. People have also been talking to Franky about you as well, so the workload is split.”

“But that’s on top of your shifts in the park, the bar, and making sure I don’t step off the tightrope.”

Eve’s rather jovial expression darkened into that of a quagmire. “You think you’re walking a tightrope?”

Luka tried his best to give her a reassuring smile—did it work? No. “We both know I am. You’ve already called me out on hiding it, but I sometimes feel that any minute, I could just start crying.”

Eve leaned in. “Is it because of the war?”

He’d long told her and Franky about his previous life, specifically his role in the total destruction of a large section of the continent. The “war,” as he called it, was just the tip of the iceberg, however. Sure, thoughts of his life and his role would never not be in the back of his mind—but Goddess Tippy’s harsh words had scared him enough to keep his mind narrow… despite the war looming over him like an infinite skyscraper.

No, what really pulled the rope taut was everything else. The park, the lives he now influenced, the massive weight on his finger. The war was part of that, sure, as well as the dark spots in his mind. Tippy had assured him those weren’t her fault but rather Luka’s own. Apparently, decades of alcohol and pill abuse did that to a person. So much of his life was simply unknown to him.

Tippy offered to show him everything about himself through something called a “soulstone,” but Luka wasn’t ready for that. One day, yes, but not today. He just wasn’t ready for more guilt.

“Not entirely,” he replied to Eve. “Talking like this helps, though.”

Eve raised her head proudly. “Good!” Then, more quietly, she said, “If it ever becomes too much responsibility with the park, I’m sure we’d survive you taking a day or two off.”

Luka didn’t have to consider that—it was simply true. The villagers had exceeded all his expectations in work ethic, customer service, and adaptability. In their shoes, if a mystery man from another world showed up in his village, decided to open an amusement park, then promptly hired the villagers to run it, he knew he’d run as fast as he could—because that was crazy.

“I’m good,” he said. “Enough talking—we need to finish these before the village meeting.”

Eve vigorously nodded, getting back to work.

Likewise, Luka went back to the drawing board. The park’s next attraction was going to be a log flume; that much had already been decided. Track layout, storyline, and theming… were a different story.

Before him, a quartet of blueprints rested on the table. The first was incredibly basic: a simple lift, a few turns, and a big splashdown. The second and third were progressively more interesting, utilizing more lift hills and drops. The fourth was the most complicated out of the lot, a bit too complicated if Luka was honest.

Rogue Wave was one thing, but creating a ride several magnitudes larger? That was a different beast entirely. On the flip side, Luka didn’t want the ride to be lame. Illusions were a cheat code; he could acknowledge that. But if the ride itself was boring… what was the point?

He decided: the second blueprint. The track layout was twisty, allowing for more “story scenes” to be added. Luka sighed, flipping the sketch over. He started a list of story ideas. Pirate battle, treasure hunt, rough seas…

These are so lame, he thought. What happened to lava spires and imagination?

This world had everything Luka could ever want when it came to adventure. Magic was real, so were artifacts the gods would allow kingdoms to go to war over. So, what did that leave the park? A treasure hunt didn’t fit the bill, neither did a wide scale battle. Pirates were real in this world, and scaring guests with an actual threat wouldn’t be making any positive headlines.

No… what the ride needed was adventure—the kind of adventure even the gods would like to partake in.

Luka continued writing down ideas when a presence approached from the crowd, he whirled around to see the old man from opening night kindly smiling and giving a little wave as they locked eyes. He slowly made his way over, inviting himself to sit beside Luka.

“We meet again, Mr. World Walker.”

Something about the man made Luka smile. He hadn’t really thought about the man since their interaction but was glad to see him return to the park. “Did you see any more gnomes spying on us?”

Eve looked up. “Uh, what?”

The old man’s lips turned into a smirk. “No. But I did notice some line cutting and a few kids with very interesting candies in their pockets.”

Luka squinted. “You’re very observant.”

“I am—which is why I also know you’re struggling.” He raised a crooked, wrinkled finger and pointed at the blueprints. “Ideas are copper a dozen and yet worth their weight in gold.” He then slid that same finger over and pointed directly at Luka’s head. “And you’re also struggling in there—" he lowered his finger to Luka’s heart, “and there.”

Luka just stared.

The man patted him on the shoulder. “Sometimes the mind and heart are at odds. That’s okay, that’s human. Trust me, I would know.”

“Who are you?” Luka asked.

The old man just took a deep breath and said, “The stars are really beautiful today, huh?”

Luka and Eve both looked up—just as a shooting star sprinted across the heavens.

Thinking back to earlier in the day, Luka remembered Tippy’s words. He’d apparently met another god without knowing it.

“You’re Neb,” he said, his mind making the connection before he fully understood the ramifications.

Eve gasped, then squinted, then reeled back in confusion. “Uh…” she trailed off, snapping her jaw tight.

“I wonder how long you would’ve taken if Tippy didn’t give you a hint,” the old man—God Neb—said.

“I think I would have figured it out by the time I finished my dinner,” Luka said, nodding to his wrap. It was half eaten.

Neb raised an eyebrow. “Really? Because I read fate just this morning, and you didn’t make the connection for another three months.”

Luka let out something between a hum and a grunt. “That doesn’t sound like me.”

The god rolled his eyes. “I can see why Tippy likes you—not very many would talk to us like you do.”

“Don’t get me wrong—I’m as petrified as Eve is. I just don’t have the context about how to act in front of a god. Tippy’s seen me cry more times than my own mother, so like… yeah…”

“And she rebuilt your body, gross bits and all.”

Luka ignored the statement and pivoted subjects, asking, “Mind helping out with our next ride? I want it to be an adventure even the gods would like to partake in.”

God Neb was here for a reason and specifically pointed out the issues Luka was having. Was it a stretch to think he’d help with at least one of them?

Neb’s gaze returned to the stars. “Maybe in the future… pirates aren’t really my thing.”

Luka looked up as well. “How about a rollercoaster through the stars?”

The god hesitated before smirking. “That’s not a bad idea, actually.”