Architect's Dominion still hadn't detected anything, so Lancer wondered what was going on with Typhon. Then he saw it.
Floating in the water was a body.
He got up and went to inspect it as it washed up on the shore. He was surprised to see a boy, maybe a bit younger than him. But that wasn't the biggest surprise. The boy had on clothes that were definitely not from this world. Which meant he was an otherworlder like him.
Lancer felt a little sad that the boy was dead and figured he might as well lay him to rest. He dragged the body back to his campfire and started thinking about where it would be best to bury him. He was still figuring it out when he felt a hand tap his shoulder.
He turned around and nearly jumped out of his skin.
The boy was now standing and smiling at him, though he was shivering.
Lancer was shaken. He was sure the boy had been dead—Architect's Dominion hadn't detected a life signature earlier. But now it was there, as clear as day.
Typhon stepped between Lancer and the boy, growling.
The boy held up his hands and said, "I'm not going to hurt you."
He was still shivering, so Lancer thought it would be okay to relax—for now. And he still had Typhon around, just in case.
He told Typhon telepathically, "If he tries anything, we attack."
" Understood."
The boy shivered as he warmed himself by the fire and ate some fish Lancer had made for him. He stammered through the cold as Lancer told him to explain how he ended up in the sea—and also dead.
The boy hesitated before speaking, his voice uneven. "I... I was kicked out of my country."
Lancer raised a brow. "Kicked out? Why?"
Davi averted his gaze, poking at the fire. "It's a long story, but let's just say I didn't exactly fit in. And, well, here I am."
Lancer frowned but decided not to press further. Instead, he gestured at Davi's wet clothes. "What about your outfit? They don't look like they're from around here."
Davi looked up, his expression shifting to curiosity. "Your clothes look different too."
They both paused, realizing something at the same time.
"I'm from Earth," they said in unison.
Lancer's eyes widened. "Really?" He leaned closer, unable to believe it. "You're from Earth too?"
Davi nodded quickly. "Yeah. My name's Davi. I'm from Spain. What about you?"
"Lancer," he replied. "But I've never heard of Spain. What's that?"
Davi looked equally shocked. "Wait, you don't know Spain? Where are you from then?"
"Englasia," Lancer said, folding his arms. "Guess we're not from the same Earth."
Davi blinked, then leaned back, staring into the flames. "So, there's more than one Earth. Makes sense, I guess. I read stuff about that back home—parallel worlds and dimensions, you know?"
"Books?" Lancer asked, still trying to wrap his head around it.
"Yeah," Davi said, rubbing his hands together. "Fiction, mostly. But maybe it wasn't all made up after all. I mean, look at where we are now."
Later, as the fire died down, Lancer stood and stretched. "Alright, Davi. I've got to head back to my village. If you don't have anywhere to go, you can come with me. It's safe there, and the people aren't too bad."
Davi's expression brightened. "Really? You'd let me come with you? Thanks, Lancer."
Lancer shrugged. "Don't mention it. Now, come on. Hold my hand."
Davi hesitated, looking skeptical. "Uh, why?"
"You'll see. Just trust me."
Reluctantly, Davi took Lancer's hand. Lancer grinned, excited to try the new skill he'd gained after absorbing the Anemoi.
[Speed of Lightning activated,] the system announced.
The world around them seemed to freeze as electricity crackled in the air. In an instant, a thunderous boom echoed across the beach, and the two of them vanished in a blinding flash of light.
In the village, Lancer found himself cornered by Livia, who was furiously lecturing him.
"You can't just pop out of nowhere like that!" she exclaimed, hands on her hips. "Do you know how close I was to having a heart attack?"
Lancer rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Uh, sorry about that. I didn't think it would be a big deal."
"A big deal?" Livia huffed. "You scared half the village!"
As her tirade began to wind down, Remus stepped in, his expression calm as usual. "So," he said, eyeing Davi, "who's your friend?"
Lancer glanced at Davi. "It's a long story, but he's... kind of from the same place I'm from. Sort of."
Livia rolled her eyes. "People from where you're from sure get lost a lot," she said with biting sarcasm.
Davi scratched the back of his head nervously. "Uh, yeah, sorry about that. I'm Davi. Nice to meet you."
Livia sighed, introducing herself with a half-smile. "Livia. Welcome to the village, I guess."
Remus gave Davi a nod. "Remus. You can stay as long as you like."
Lancer clapped Davi on the back. "You can live at my place. It's big enough for two people."
"Sure," Davi said, looking a little relieved.
Over the next few days, Lancer started to notice a few things about his new roommate. First, Davi had absolutely no magic—not even a spark. The ink test they usually used to detect magical potential came out completely blank. Second, Davi was probably the laziest person Lancer had ever met.
Davi spent most of his time curled up in bed, groaning whenever Lancer asked him to do anything. He avoided chores like the plague and rarely left the house. While it didn't bother Lancer too much, he couldn't help but wish Davi would try to pull his weight a little more.
One afternoon, Lancer was hard at work in his workshop, experimenting with the sand he had brought back from the beach. He was trying to create different types of glass, and one of his recent samples had turned out especially interesting. By mixing in crystals from the manticore, he had managed to create a frosted glass with a shimmering look.
Feeling proud of his work, Lancer jumped in surprise when he heard a voice behind him.
"What are you doing?"
He whirled around, clutching the glass. "Davi! Don't sneak up on me like that! Also, what are you doing out of bed? That's uncharacteristic of you."
Davi ignored the jab and leaned closer to inspect the glass. "Hmm. What kind of glass is this?"
Lancer sighed, placing the piece down. "It's something I made with my skill. Mixed in some crystals from the manticore to give it that frosted look."
Davi whistled, clearly impressed. "Your magic's pretty cool."
Lancer shrugged. "I could make you something if you want. A weapon, maybe? This world's dangerous."
Davi tilted his head, considering. "Yeah, sure. How about a gun?"
Lancer blinked, caught completely off guard. "A gun?"
"Yeah," Davi said nonchalantly. "I only really know how to use a gun."
Lancer scratched his head, frowning. "Uh... I don't know how to make one. I've never even seen one in this world."
[It would be possible to use Data Transfer,] the system interjected, [if the subject has sufficient knowledge of how a gun works.]
Lancer perked up at the suggestion and turned to Davi. "The system says I can make one for you if you know how it works."
Davi shrugged, "Go for it."
In a few moments, Lancer had the entire three-dimensional schematic of a handgun mapped out in his mind. The level of detail was astonishing—every part, from the barrel to the firing mechanism, was precise. He couldn't help but feel impressed.
"Wow, Davi," Lancer said, genuinely amazed. "You know a lot about guns."
Davi scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, well... it's a family thing."
Using Atomic Reconstruction, Lancer began to create the weapon. He combined various metals, compacting them atomically to their utmost limit for durability. At the same time, he arranged the molecular structure into a lattice to make the gun incredibly lightweight. The finished product was sleek and efficient, its surface gleaming with a golden hue accentuated by crystal plating.
The bullets were an achievement in themselves—crafted from materials harder than the gun and capable of firing at a speed so high Lancer doubted even Speed of Lightning could let him dodge them.
He handed the completed gun to Davi, who whistled in appreciation as he held it. "Man, this feels really good," Davi said, marveling at the balance and grip.
Before Lancer could say anything, Davi pointed it toward the far wall and pulled the trigger.
"Wait—!"
A blinding flash of light filled the room, followed by an ear-shattering explosion. When the dust settled, the far wall was completely obliterated, reduced to rubble. Davi lay sprawled on the ground, clearly unprepared for the gun's recoil.
"Whoops," Davi muttered, looking sheepish as he sat up.
Lancer smacked his forehead with his palm, groaning. "You could've waited before firing it, you know."
Davi's expression turned so apologetic, with his shoulders slumped and his eyes downcast, that Lancer couldn't stay mad.
"It's fine," Lancer said with a sigh. "Just... maybe don't shoot it indoors next time, okay?"
Davi nodded quickly. "Got it. My bad."
As Lancer repaired the wall with Atomic Reconstruction, he caught Davi sitting cross-legged, admiring the gun with a starry-eyed look.
"Damn, he really knows how to play the pity card," Lancer muttered to himself as he returned to his own projects.
a few moments, Lancer had returned to tinkering with his projects while Davi admired his new gun with a starry look in his eyes. The quiet didn't last long, though, as Livia barged in, frustration painted on her face.
"Lancer, the wall!" she shouted, pointing to the spot that had been obliterated earlier, now expertly repaired.
Lancer glanced up, already bracing himself. "What about it? I fixed it, didn't I?"
Livia folded her arms. "That's not the point. Do you even realize how loud that blast was? Half the village thought we were under attack!"
Before Lancer could retort, Davi raised his hand sheepishly. "My bad. I kinda... uh, tested the gun a bit early."
Livia's eyes narrowed at Davi, who shrank back with an exaggerated, apologetic grin. "Oh, great. Another one with destructive tendencies."
"Hey! I'm not that bad!" Lancer protested, but Livia ignored him, turning to Davi.
" Don't worry, we'll keep out of trouble from now on."
"Uh-huh. Somehow I don't believe that."