Where, where's the beautiful concrete jungle? The asphalt roads? Where are all the vehicles? What's with this strange smell? I don't think I'm in Terra city anymore... where on Earth did I end up? Was there such a place in the United Terran nation?

Before me was a city made of stone and wood, the street was lain with brick and primitive wooden vehicles covered with a wax cloth pulled by large animals, most of them horses but some by large birds or giant lizards, slowly moved down the road.

I've got to go back to civilization!

"Good luck Ferra!" Mr. Kaithe said waving as he walked off.

"Huh?! Y-you can't just leave me with this!" Miss Ferra said panicking a little "Tallen? Where did he go?" Miss Ferra looked around from side to side.

The crazies have taken over! They regressed back into primitives! This, this must be stopped, I have to warn the government!

"Lilly? Are you okay?" Miss Ferra asked, noticing me.

"Huh? Uuuuh, Y-yeah..." I can't let them know that they need to be reported, this is for the future of Meta-Human kind!

"Let's go to a tailor and get you some spare clothes," Ferra said with a sigh of resignation.

"R-right..." I nervously say.

"Is something wrong?" Ferra said, giving me a strange look.

"N-n-nothings wrong! Why would you ask that? I'm perfectly normal" I reply with nervous laughter.

Miss Ferra gave me a worried look.

As we walked through the streets I drew a lot of stares which made me rather uncomfortable. Usagi must have gotten sleepy as he slid down my front, I caught him before he fell to the ground-hugging him close to me for comfort in this strange and unknown land. Usagi sighed with content, maybe he just wanted some affection?

The crazies seem to enjoy genetic modification, people with animal ears and tail, with long pointy ears, with strange skin color, with wings, with modifications of all sorts walked past, looking at me like I was the strange one. I saw a couple of people, one very short, about the hight of my waist, the other was taller maybe a couple of inches taller than me, she was holding the hand of the short man...no, a boy, a child...

"Wha?! W-w-why is a child out here?!!" I exclaim at seeing a child holding the hand of some woman. " Miss Ferra! We got to take him back to the government facility, it's not safe for a child to be in the city!"

"What are you saying? That's the child's mother" Miss Ferra replied turning toward me with a confused look on her face.

"A child must be at the facility where they are safe and are educated!" How could miss Ferra be so calm? Even if she is crazy she must care about children, right?

"You mean a school?" Miss Ferra asked, confused.

"THE CHILD FACILITY! Children shouldn't be outside of it!" I shouted. People had now stopped to look at the commotion.

"Lilly, you causing a scene!" Ferra said trying to hurry me away.

Causing a scene?! These crazies must have kidnapped the child!

What if they intend to kidnap me?! What if that's how they grow their community? I must escape!

With Ferra pulling me forward I had to hold Usagi with one hand. As we rushed past the crowed I saw more kidnap victims; more children and Gene Modded people with steel collars sometimes in chains. I wonder what will happen to me if I stay? I don't want those chains on me.

Arriving at the tailor Ferra sighed in relief. As we entered the store everyone in the store went quiet. Then some of them started whispering among themselves. "Isn't that Ferra, of the Heavens Guard?" "What's 'The Light' doing here?"

"I think I volunteered for the short end of the stick... I gave her too much credit as a normal person" after a moment's rest Ferra turned to me. "What's wrong with you? Why are you so surprised at everything?"

"N-nothings wrong! Everything's fine" I say defensively.

She suspects me. I think she knows I'm not crazy I need to fool her somehow. Thinking this I rush over to some of the dresses on display.

let's see, which one is the craziest... this one is made of fur only crazy people wear the skins of animals, right? How about this one? It's made with fiery red feathers AND the fur of some bluish-white animal, surely if I pick that one I will seem just as crazy if not more, so suspicion adverted right?

"That one!" I say pointing to the dress

"Doesn't she know that's reserved?" A woman said. "It's kinda rude, if not for her dirty clothes I'd think her one of those spoiled blue bloods" A man replied

Umm did I do something wrong?

"Umm, Lilly, that's not one you can buy," Miss Ferra said

"Eeeeh? Why not?" I asked

"Well, for one it's too expensive, and two, it's not for sale, and three it's just a prop. Also what you did was rude" Miss Ferra explained.

"Oh-oh!" The man behind the desk chuckled he wore fancy silken clothes and was a little round around his belly, was he even heta-human? I've never seen a meta-human have a rounded belly before. "You have a fine eye little miss, but unfortunately that is, as the 'The Light' explained, a prop. It's intended to show custom requests so the customer can try on and make adjustments before using up rare materials, it's left out to so others can see my skill; and attract others to request other such high-quality clothes from me." the man explained in further detail.

What is this 'Light' thing people keep talking about?

"What's it made out of?" I ask, curious. Perhaps if I find where they slaughter the poor animals I can protect them.

"The feathers are from the legendary Fire Lord Phoenix which has been sighted in the Hell Drake's Pit. Its feathers are completely immune to fire and grants the wearer a high regeneration rate, and it'll even revive the wearer should they meet an unfortunate end although the feathers will burn to ash should that happen. The fur is made from Rime Leopards in the far north, completely immune to cold. With a little touch of my enchanting skills, I can bring out the power hidden inside these and boost any fire and ice magics you may cast as well as it's natural bonuses." The Tailor spoke proudly of his skill.

"... Birds aren't immune to fire though..." I say absentmindedly, these people are deluded.

"Don't mind her, she's... been a little sheltered, she has a lot to learn" miss Ferra said, waving away my comment.

"I see, well, with someone as famed as the S rank adventurer Ferra, the Light teaching her she won't have any trouble," The tailor said.

Ferra the light? The light of what?

"Is she a beast tamer? Jackalopes are a good starter" The tailor asked, looking at Usagi "Speaking of, Ferra, I heard the legendary Lightning Lord is around these parts, it's fur would make for good material"

Ferra sighed and pointed to Usagi in my arms nestled blissfully in my embrace. "It's right there"

The tailor blinks a couple of times, then an uproar rose up in the shop, everybody had heard that.

"""T-t-t-t-the Legendary Lightning lord has been tamed?!?!?!""" Everybody had the same reaction, but they can't deny the yellow highlights of Usagi's fur and it's yellow eyes. Etchings of lighting could be seen upon its horn if closely inspected.

A little shocked by the sudden reaction of almost everybody in the store I start to wonder if I should react the same, I don't want my cover blown ever all. But I figured it's too late to react so I quickly change the subject.

"Sooo, how much does something like that cost?" I ask, pointing to the dress.

"It's not so much cost as it's the price of labor and expertise." The tailor answered, "Being made of a legendary monster the materials are usually obtained by the party that slays the beast, technically it's their materials, not mine, so I just work with it."

"Huh, so would this be enough?" I say opening the lid to my spare battery within my bionic arm, not understanding anything the tailor just said. The battery may not be worth much but the dress is just made with feathers which also shouldn't be worth much.

"Isn't that..." The tailor trailed off.

"Magicite?!?!" miss Ferra exclaimed. "Where did you get that?!" Whispers could be heard from the bystanders again "I've never even heard of one being that large!" miss Ferra continued

"Huh? Magicite? This is just a Meta Crystal Battery it's fairly common stuff, the factory makes tones of these..."

"I... see, well, that would certainly be enough..." The tailor said, dumbfounded.

"OK, then make me something like this!" I say, my hand stretched out with the MCB in my palm. Quickly Ferra snatched up the crystal before anyone could react.

"No! not yet Lilly, first you need something made before you pay, first you need to tell him exactly what you want to be made," miss Ferra said almost in a panic, it's like she didn't want me to sell such a common item

Just then the door opened to some newcomers letting in a group of five.

"Well if it isn't Ferra! What's the Heaven's Guard doing nowadays? Last I've seen of you was the final charge on the Demon Lord's lair" This new group of larpers was lead by a man in black scale armor, almost like the hide of a massive lizard. He had short black hair and a greatsword on his back. His helm was in the shape of a dragon skull, was that real bone?

"We're in the middle of an important quest, Cevil" Ferra replied friendily

There was a woman with a white staff that had an Ice blue crystal at the top. She wore a crimson dress and had long pointy ears with long blond hair.

Another woman with a bow strung on her back with a quiver full of arrows, on her waist was a short wooden and twisted stave that had growing leaves on the ends it was almost like she had clipped a branch off a tree. She had orange middling hair adorned with cat ears. Her eyes were slitted orange and wore furs for her clothes. An orange-furred tail danced behind her as she approached.

Finally a pair of identical twins with two pairs of daggers at their waists entered. They wore black clothes and fox masks shifted to the side of their head. They had black raven hair, black eyes, and fair skin. With fox ears and a bushy fox tail waving behind them, most people seem to not have noticed their presence.

"Ferra! That crystal, it holds so much mana!" The woman with the red dress said gaping at the MCB Ferra was holding "And that girl... so much mana...."

"Oh, you guys are back, this young girl was showing us her magicite crystal"

"WHAT!? That's hers?" rushing over to me the red-dressed woman with a crazed look in her eyes said. "How many do you have?! Where did you get them?!"

"U-u-u-uumm..." a little overwhelmed I try to speak but good Usagi purred to calm me.

"Is that... The Lightning Lord?!?!" Again the store stirred, this time it was the newcomers to whisper among themselves.

"Lilly, this is M'vera. M'vera, this is Lilly, the destroyer of common sense" miss Ferra said, though her introduction is a little off.

"But. The lightning lord. The magicite. How? I don't understand!" Miss M'vera said. Looking from the MCB to Usagi and back again. I'll never understand crazy people.

"You have the materials for that dress?" I ask. Pointing to the prop. Miss M'vera nodded vigorously. "I'll give you that battery for the materials."

"R-really?!" miss M'vera seemed excited about such a cheap thing.

"No! This thing is way more valuable Lilly!" Miss Ferra said, she seemed a little agitated.

"It's just a common battery though..." I muttered, wondering why miss Ferra doesn't want me to sell the MCB. I thought crazy people like her would want me to wear crazy people clothes maybe she wants others to know that I'm not crazy? Yes, that must be her plan. I'm not going to let your plan succeed!

"That's her magicite right, Ferra? So it's her right to sell it, right? Besides, judging by her aura she has more so it's fine right?" miss M'vera said with a confident smile on her face and hands on her hips.

"This is for her own good and you know that!" miss Ferra countered, clearly trying to prevent her plan from derailing.

"If you're not going to give that to her then give it back to me," I said smugly, I won this battle! I can always give it to miss M'vera personally

"I'll never understand Otherworldly Traverlers" miss Ferra sighed "And all the money you currently have" She handed over the MCB "I hope you don't regret this..." Miss Ferra muttered and turned toward the tailor "Mr. Guthan when you're done with this order have it sent to this address, that's where we are going" miss Ferra said, addressing the tailor, writing something in her journal and ripping a piece out and giving it to the tailor.

Miss M'vera held the MCB up with stary eyes like she can't believe that she is holding such a common thing.

"And after all that trouble of slaying the fire lord..." Cevil just shook his head.

"Sush you! This is ten times more valuable!" miss M'vera retorted.

"Are there any changes you'd like to make to the dress? Also, I'll need to take your measurements" the Tailor, Mr. Guthan, said, though i have a bad feeling about him, and that look he's giving me... 

"Hmmm, I'd like to keep access to my bionic leg so perhaps have a slit in the dress, otherwise I don't have much else to change." It's just a guise to pass as crazy, once I return to civilization I'll just toss it away.

"Here's the money for your work," miss Ferra said giving the tailor several gold coins.

____________________

Ferra POV

This is going to be a LONG week

With a heavy sigh to recover from the recent events, we start walking back to the inn. In addition to the order, I also had Lilly buy some simple traveling clothes. She seems to like the furs so we bought some as well, as long as she's happy I guess.

I'm holding on to Lilly's money we got from M'vera, I honestly don't trust Lilly to somehow keep the money; it'll be lost or stolen or spent by the next morning.

I held Lilly's hand all the way back to the inn, I don't trust her to not get lost, either. As we walked people stared at us and whispered among themselves. In part, because I am a well-known adventurer, but also because Lilly's appearance is unique with her metal arm and leg and with a freaking legendary monster happily held to her chest!

The Elves must really question what's going on, Lilly's mana aura is insanely intense. Being half elf myself I can sense mana if I focus but unless I have a reason to I don't and unlike my elf mother, I can't actually see mana. My hair hid my short pointy ears and being a half-elf usually surprises people.

"Oi Ferra! How have you been?" As we passed a carriage a Noble wearing, relatively, modest clothes called out to me. He had a short military hair that looks like he had just started to let grow out. Wearing a green and blue suit in his family's color he waved out to me. The man was fairly handsome and his body well trained.

"Lord Valin! Fancy meeting you here" I say with a bow. Unlike seventy percent of nobles out there, Valin isn't stuck up and spoiled.

"I have Bussiness in Gallanor, I'm here to do some minor errands then I'll retire to an inn," lord Valin said, walking closer to me.

"We're headed that way too, we have someone to deliver to the hero," I said making a subtle motion to Lilly.

"An escort quest? I thought you guys never did those" Lord Valin said.

"It wasn't a choice" I replied, not hiding my discontent.

"Is this the person in question?" Lord Valin guessed, nodding toward Lilly. Did he not see me motion to Lilly just now?!

"She's... one of their kind, the guild figured if anyone can figure her out It'd be them" Talking around the subject, I didn't want Lilly to get upset and cause another scene.

"They aren't that bad just a little eccentric" Lord Valin said, defending the otherworldly travelers.

"Really? You mean to say justice freak isn't that bad? I recall you had some choice words for him when he caused a certain mission to fail" It was an infiltration mission. But justice freak just had to run in shouting something about how justice doesn't wait. The head of the criminal organization had managed to escape in the chaos. We've never had another chance to catch the man.

"Uurrg... Don't remind me of him..." Lord Valin made a plainly disgusted face. He was the one to spend months organizing the infiltration mission and lead the arrest team, all that planning flushed away when the idiotic hero barged in. To be fair, they were the ones to request the hero's assistance, at that time they didn't know just how much of a justice freak the hero was.

"And what about that pervert, hhmmm?" I asked. The perverted hero was admittedly handsome making women swoon for him, it's just if you spend more than two seconds with him he'd chase away all the women with his creepy remarks and borderline molesting actions; he was even a masochist, asking women to step on him, truly a disgusting man.

"That's not fair! Even he is considered strange among themselves" Lord Valin retorted. His disgusted face turns for the worse at the thought of the perverted hero.

"Fair enough, but what about that battle junky then?" I ask. The battle junky, probably the most normal one, specialized in hand to hand martial arts, he is a master of chi and can shoot blasts of energy from his hands. His unique ability even super empowers him, though it does change his hair color. All the battle junky cares about is fighting, fighting and more fighting, the stronger the opponent the better, he is also by far the strongest hero in recent times, second only to the first hero.

"He's just a tad enthusiastic about fighting is all"

"Maybe for a military man like you..." I replied "I'm just glad the two worst ones chose to go back" Yes, the pervert isn't the worst one, the last two are way, way worse, so bad they've been pretty much expunged from history. Only their names and powers recorded, relegated to mere footnotes.

"Since you're going to Gallanor you'll be sending her to that justice freak then... we're going the same way so let's travel together, and my guards can help look after the girl.

"DEAL!!!" I immediately say "No take backs!" A chance to pass off babysitting duty? YES, PLEASE!

"... speaking of, with the girl included, who's the worst?" Catching on Lord Valin asked.

"This one right here, both in good and bad ways," I said bringing Lilly closer to me with a smile and wrapping my arm around her shoulders. Ok, maybe she's not that bad, in reality, she's rather tame for an otherworldly traveler. Probably not as bad as the justice freak or maybe on the same level as the battle junky, she's really just going through a huge culture shock right now.

"Hrmm! Why do I get the feeling you're making fun of me!" Lilly said with a cute pout.

"What's your name miss?" Lord Valin asked Lilly.

"My name is Lilly Meadow, this is Usagi," Lilly said motioning to the Lightning Lord.

"Oh! You've tamed a Jackalope huh? That one looks a little unique though"

"And that's where the good part of her antics comes in. That's the Lighting Lord, somehow she tamed it." I said.

"So her cheat ability is taming monsters? That's incredibly powerful" Lord Valin said, not even sounding surprised. Every otherworldly traveler came with a cheat ability, that's why they specifically are summoned, the question is since Lilly most likely isn't a hero, does she have a cheat ability? Probably.

"I didn't get to see her stats but maybe something similar to that, but let's continue this talk at the inn, we're headed there now."

"I still have some things to finish up here so I'll catch up to you guys later, what inn are you guys staying at?"

"The Drowsy Deer" I answered

"I'll see you there then"

We left Lord Valin and continued to the inn. We entered a building with an entrance sign depicting a curled up deer in a flowery glade.

The building was mostly empty at this time of day but people will start trickling in about an hour once the sun starts setting. I saw Tallen sitting at a table sipping a drink. I took Lilly up to my room.

"We'll be sleeping here for tonight" I inform Lilly

"Where's the bath?" Lilly asked looking around.

"The bathhouse is down the street, we'll visit there later this evening. For now, get changed into clean clothes, I'll be downstairs if you need me" Lilly gave me a suspicious look but I ignored it, I'm very mentally exhausted and just want to relax.

I leave going down to sit at Tallen's table.

"Barkeep, get me some wine," I say pulling up a chair.

"I thought you'd be longer," Tallen said

"That was the plan... but she's too much for me" I replied, taking a sip.

"Tired you out an just an hour, huh?"

"Turns out wherever she's from can afford to give her four, now three, large magicite crystals" at this news Tallen choked mid-sip causing him to go into a coughing fit.

"Are you serious?!" Tallen wheezed

"Yeah, magicite larger than any on record too"

"No joke?" Tallen asked

"No joke"

"Well, she's a bundle of surprises, whats next? She gonna jump out the window?" Tallen said with a chuckle settling back into his chair.

"..."

"..."

That suspicious look she gave me... could it be that she doesn't trust me? Thinking about it and her strange actions did anyone tell her what's going on? Then it dawned on me. She still thinks she's in her world doesn't she and she believes she's been kidnapped or something?

"Oh god damn it!" I said as we both run upstairs to check on Lilly. The room was on the third floor, surely she can't just jump out without injury right? Bursting into the room, sure enough, the window was open and neither Lilly nor Usagi was to be seen.

"Take your eyes off her for one second and she's gone..." Tallen remarked.

"This is going to be a long, long, LONG week"

____________________________

Lilly POV

I've finally escaped the kidnappers, now to get out of this town and back to civilization. I check my GPS again but it still says [unknown area].

But which way is the way out?

I pick a random direction and start walking, Usagi peacefully snoozing in my embrace.

I pass by many strange and gene modded people, never before have I seen such an unplanned society. People calling out wares instead of using advertisements. People trying to talk down prices instead of following price tags. Children actually running in streets where, as primitive as they are, Vehicles occasionally go through. This is an incredibly unsafe area for children what do they do when they get hurt?

"Stop!!!" A man yelled chasing after a child, finally someone who knows the wrongness of this. "Theif! catch that boy!" I don't know who this thief is, maybe someone from United Terra? An undercover person to rescue these poor children? Maybe this is my chance to have someone lead me back to civilization!

As the boy ran past me I caught his collar with my robotic arm

"Let me go! I need this for my little sister!" I don't know a sister is but he'll be happy back in the government facility again "Let go! Please, My sister is starving we won't last the week!"

The man caught up, panting. "Thank you miss we'll make sure to put him where he belongs," the man said

"Please Mr. we need this food" The boy pleaded. Noticing I won't let go he started to plead with the man

"Don't worry" I say with a smile "You'll be going back to the government facility where it's safe"

"NO! No! Please, don't hand me to the guards, please! I need to take care of my sister." the boy was starting to tear up. The poor boy, he'll be in a much happier and safer place.

"What's going on here?" Some metal-clad people pushed through the crowd.

"This boy stole some of my goods, sirs," The man said, addressing the metal-clad men

"Is this true" one of the metal men asked me.

"I don't know what a stole is but this boy needs to go back to the government facility" I inform the men, maybe they are undercover rescuers? "By the way do you know what direction the United Terran Nation is? I'm kinda lost" I ask

"I take it that you mean this boy is guilty then. I think what you mean is the Terral kingdom, they border us to the north, so you should prepare for a long journey" The metal man said.

"That far huh? Thank you for your service! And make sure he arrives in the facility safely along with all the other children" I say leaving the scene, it's good the government is taking action, looks like I didn't need to inform them after all.

"O...kay..." the metal man said

Bringing up my compass app I head to the north.