"Can we talk now?" he asked.
Elisa reacted at once. She rose to her feet and bowed her head.
"My na is Elisa, a mage. The other woman is my friend Eira, a warrior."
He lifted a brow, then gave a small nod. "I’m Rain... an ordinary bystander."
Both won exchanged looks. Confused didn’t even begin to cover it.
There was nothing ordinary about him—especially not with those defined muscles, charming face, and the very impressive staff that carried his pride.
Admiration crept up their hearts. He was exactly their type.
"What is this place?"
Elisa straightened. "You’re in the Argent Continent. It’s located in the western region of the Nightmare World."
’Nightmare World.’ he mused inwardly, simply accepting the fact.
Still, sothing felt off.
According to the information he rembered, only consciousness could be transported to this world.
Moving physical matter was impossible. Solid objects simply couldn’t cross that boundary.
Yet he was certain the body he possessed now was his real one. Not a projection.
His thoughts aligned one by one, forming a clear possibility.
Maybe his body was indeed transferred. Maybe it disintegrated during the passage, unable to endure the strain.
But one piece of him remained.
From that foundation, he regenerated.
If he were being honest, he felt deeply disappointed that he didn’t die for good.
He caught the looks the two won were giving him and chose to keep the conversation going. Information ca first.
Elisa was still watching him, waiting, her expression hovering sowhere between exhaustion and caution.
Eira pulled what remained of her torn clothing tighter around herself.
Both of them were trying very hard not to look at his pride.
Their gazes kept skating sideways and then snapping back, accompanied each ti by a fresh wave of color rising to their cheeks.
He didn’t give it a second thought. Nudity stopped being a source of discomfort for him long ago.
But they were bothered, that much was obvious.
Turning around, he faced the nearest corpse and crouched beside it.
The dark tal armor was intact—layered pauldrons, articulated chest plating etched with almost ceremonial patterns.
He stripped and worn it.
Rolling his shoulders, he tested the fit. The armor settled perfectly, as if made for him. Every joint moved freely, the weight balanced flawlessly.
He traced a thumb over the chest plate. The talwork was extraordinary—finer than anything he handled in the dieval period.
"Hm."
Elisa blinked. "Is sothing wrong?"
"No." He adjusted the final buckle at his collar. "What’s your next move from here? I can escort you to the nearest safe place."
Both were elated. They weren’t in any condition to fend for themselves, so having a powerful ally was a clear advantage.
Rain also wanted to get close to them. He was interested in this new world and the power he had seen earlier.
But that was not all. He felt his mood change as well. Whether this world was stimulating his bored mind or it was so side effect, he did not care.
He felt much better than before.
The journey back had taken most of the afternoon and into the early evening.
Three hours through forest trails and open road, and sowhere along the way—he simply integrated himself into their company.
He walked at a asured pace that matched theirs without appearing to slow himself.
When Eira’s stride hitched over rough terrain, still sore from what she endured, he shifted his position without comnt so that his broader body blocked the worst of the wind coming in from the north.
He didn’t draw attention to it. He just did it.
Elisa noticed. She suspected Eira did too, though the warrior said nothing.
He asked questions along the way. Unhurried ones, spaced naturally into the conversation so they never felt like an interrogation.
So of his questions were oddly specific. Others were so broad they almost seed naive.
Rain absorbed everything without interrupting.
It was when Elisa ntioned the Chosen Ones that sothing in his expression changed.
"People from other worlds," she explained, " No one fully understands why. They arrive with abilities that don’t follow the usual rules."
"They’re treated well?" he asked.
"Mostly celebrated. I heard that powerful ones get taken in by noble houses or military factions quickly."
Rain nodded slowly.
"Are you one?" Elisa asked. She was working up to it for the last hour. "A Chosen One?"
He didn’t answer imdiately. He looked ahead at the road, where the first distant lights of the town began to erge through the tree line like low stars.
Then he said nothing at all.
Both won decided not to push.
"Will I et them in the town?" he decided to start another topic.
Elisa shook her.
"There are plenty of them elsewhere, but they rarely appear here."
"Oh," he paused. "Then how do you know so many things about them."
"It’s because I studied at Argent Tower. It’s the largest magic academy on the continent and has one of the few ways to travel long distances. News reached us faster there."
Another piece of information caught his interest.
Frankly, he was enjoying himself in this world—it was far more fascinating than Earth, full of things he had never known.
For the ti being, he put aside thoughts of how he had ended up here and decided to simply live the experience.
He didn’t even mind staying for a long ti—a century would be a breeze to him.
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