They had many questions, but thankfully they spoke in a language I could understand.

  To my surprise, Lilith was silent. Normally, she would be talking a lot, but I guessed she might be shy. Whatever the case, I would have to do the speaking.

  It took hours for me to convince them that we were trustworthy since we didn't have a crest from any kingdom or guild. This was definitely something I would need to invest in later if we chose that path.

  Throughout this time, to my surprise, Lilith hadn't spoken; she just observed everything I did and said, which, looking back, wasn’t much. I asked for a map, and they showed me one, but I couldn't take it since apparently, they were expensive. They used a similar money system, so our coins could likely still be used if needed.

  As the sun was setting, casting light straight into my eyes, I said, "We should be going now" while opening the door. I still had plenty of time, but they warned me of a monster in the forest—likely the creature that orchestrated the attack on their village. Since this was the closest village to the Bastion, I intended to investigate it.

  "No, you should wait till tomorrow. We will have a feast for our saviors... Where are my manners? I haven't even asked for your names," the village leader said. I sighed, knowing I was going to leave tonight regardless. The High Guardians were threatening to destroy everything near this town. "I am Kieran, and my silent companion is Selene, if you couldn't tell she doesn't speak much." She nodded.

  The village leader continued, "We will make sure the feast is fit for both of you." I waved my hand in dismissal. "I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to decline for religious reasons." The leader nodded, "Nonetheless, we will hold a feast." I gave up.

  He showed us to a small hut that was noticeably nicer than the rest. "Please stay here for the night; no one will bother you." He winked at me. If I could frown, I would have. "Not to be rude, Savior, but why do you wear a mask?" I touched my mask. "A horrible curse." The leader frowned. "Unfortunate. I believe the royal capital has the best clerics, so they might be able to reverse it." I nodded and thanked him for that information before entering the hut.

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  It was made of brick and had only a single bed. "Lord Zenith," I looked over at Lilith. "Are we staying here for the night?" I shook my head. "I need to continue exploring this world. They spoke of a stronger beast in the forest." She nodded at my words. "We will be using teleport spells to leave this hut." She nodded again.

  We stood on some grass that swayed gently in the breeze. "Quite peaceful, wouldn't you agree, Lilith?" She looked around. "It is. May I touch the grass?" I shrugged. "You may." I sat down; after touching the long blades of grass, she sat down next to me. "This would make a great spot for a nap, if only I needed to," she chuckled. "Something neither of us can truly enjoy, is it?" I smiled. If anyone were observing my body while in the cooling chamber back in the Bastion, they would see me smile—not that anyone would be in my room, but still.

  I laid in the grass. "I might just sit here. you can relax if you want," I told Lilith before disconnecting from Zenith Ultima.

  I pulled myself out of the jelly-like substance of the cooling chamber; my hair was soaked in slime, a surprisingly great heat dissipater.

  I grabbed the towel I kept near the chamber. It was going to take a minute to clean the slime out of my hair, so I took a quick shower and dried my hair. I left it as it was instead of parting it.

  I wore a simple outfit of blue jeans and a white T-shirt with some leather boots—of course, all made from exotic materials, but still the most basic outfit I have.

  I grabbed a teleport scroll from the vault before using it.

  Lilith sat there, startled to see me in the flesh. "Hello, Lilith. Nice to finally meet you," I said as I walked toward her. She knelt down. "No need for that. The reason I'm here in the flesh is that this area is way too weak to hurt us." She stood up. "It is nice to meet you too, Great General Zenith," she saluted me.

  I frowned. "Do all of you get tense when seeing me in the flesh? I'm simply here to enjoy the sun and the nice grass." Her posture was more rigid than a freshly cut board.

  I laid down in the grass next to Ultima (robotic body). I had left a note under Amara's door, letting her know that I was fine.

  Lilith sat down next to me. She didn’t lay down but sat beside me. "So, do you have any hobbies?" she asked.

  I chuckled, "Yes, quite a few. The main one is building, but I also enjoy art and cooking. What about you?" She looked around as if she were about to share the most embarrassing secret, which, for her hobbies, probably was since her face was almost entirely a shade of light pink. "Please don’t tell anyone this, sir, but I do have a few. I like stargazing, observing nature, learning history, and art." I smiled. "Good, it's important to have hobbies," I told her.

  She laid down. "Yeah, I guess." I sighed before closing my eyes. "No need to be so tense while with me. I may be the acting leader, but I'm still just Zenith"