Jeremy woke up the next morning with a sharp pain in his chest and head, with a shriek he sat on the bed with disbelief.
'What? Am I already dead?'
He speculated himself by touching and could feel his body.
[No, you aren't dead but worse than dead. I presume you will be shocked after you know the truth. No matter what happens just don't look into the mirror, okay.]
Axela warned him which Artemis Corbyn did not seem to follow but one thing was sure, he was relieved to hear that the poison did not kill him.
"Where am I then?"
Jeremy got up on his feet and bumped his head on the roof.
"Owh, the fuck!"
He immediately realized that everything had shrunk and became smaller to his size.
[No you fool, you grew bigger. You are almost the height of Barthes and...naked at the moment.]
"What even!?"
Jeremy immediately looked down on him and grabbed the thin sheet of bed to wrap around his waist.
"But how did I grow this big in just one night? Is my mind playing tricks on me now?"
Artemis looked around and found himself still in Barthes' home.
[I believe it has something to do with what you ate yesterday. Let's just wait for Barthes to come back from work.]
"So, that bastard is out at the moment? How dare he drug me and change my...my size!"
Artemis felt himself blushing and recalled that his whole body had grown including the genitalia.
Just in the moment the door opened and Jeremy immediately operated the system on his wrist. But to his dismay he could only use the items for limited times, and now using the gun frequently he has used all the bullets.
"Fuck!"
He skimmed around the shbaby room and found the knife on the table with some weird fruits. Artemis knew he had to save the items if he had to survive for long there, because the situation was still unknown including the dangers.
As soon as Barthes appeared in his sight Jeremy charged at him with the knife, but encountered a backflip and fell on the floor on his back. Barthes was swift in the movement and fast that Artemis could not even see him dropping the bag.
"What are you trying to do, uh?"
Barthes picked up his bag and washed his face, while Jeremy sensed that somehow talking was better. After all he had already realized Barthes and him wasn't really a match to fight.
"So, what's your name?"
He sat on the chair with a glass of some green liquid Barthes poured out of a bottle from his bag. Artemis followed him and replied while taking his place half naked.
"Artemis Corbyn."
Jeremy wanted Axela to say something first before he could proceed with further negotiation and chat.
"Now will you please tell me what had happened to me yesterday night?"
Jeremy intentionally suppressed his anger and tried to sound requesting rather commanding.
"I just put you into the right shoes buddy. You were a misfit here with that human size of yours, and could easily be caught and killed. I saved your life."
Barthes explained the situation while Axela started processing all the vague information she had gotten from him.
"But how did you do it? I mean how did you increase my size and everything?"
Artemis was curious now again.
"And I'm still intrigued by the fact that how do you know so much about soldiers and organisation?"
"Oh, about that...Artemis, right? There are some things science and technology can't explain, just like your unnatural body growth."
Barthes got up and fetched some clothes for him.
"Dress up and come with me, I will show you why you would fail the mission and get stranded here."
He threw the clothes at Jeremy and went to his room leaving him in the adjoined lounge and dining.
[I still suspect him but we don't have any other choice. Let's just see what he has to show.]
They both left the house and as soon as Artemis crept out of the shabby hut, he felt himself thrown back by the dystopian world.
"Is it the medieval era or ruins of some grandeur civilization?"
Jeremy could not comprehend how exactly the place differed in so many aspects from his own world. Steam was being unleashed into the air by the working bases, kids were running bare feet, houses were small but adjoined like apartment residences.
"This is the world we built from the scratch after the organization sent us here on different missions. But it never called us back because we refused to kill innocents, to steal and to end the hopes."
Barthes began walking in a certain direction while Jeremy noticed that everyone was bigger than his own previous size. He was right about Jeremy being caught instantly if he hadn't grown up.
"We were of no use to them so they left us here empty handed, and if you hesitated to comply with their wishes; then you will be stuck here too for life."
Along with the talking Barthes stopped by the weapon shop and bought a catapult in exchange for some meat.
'So, I have to kill the senator if I want to leave this stone age era with a barter system.'
[Why are you looking down on them, duh? Humanity started from the barter system and evolved gradually.]
They both started walking again on the uneven road while the houses were built on some distance, precisely with no particular pattern of building the structure.
"Only one man escaped from here by fulfilling the task and then tried to establish a connection with us. There are a few ways of leaving without killing anybody."
Jeremy got interested in the conversation now and listened attentively to the long tale.
"But before that why did you say that I would fail? You sounded so sure."
Artemis stared at him while questioning when Barthes gave him a meaningful look.
"Aren't you here to kill the senator? The tasks are getting predictable now."
Jeremy focused on his words and his eyes widened in shock, but before he could say anything Axela shouted.
[Don't tell me!?]
Barthes knew what he was thinking and answered his un -asked question.
"Yes, I am the senator!"