Ashes of the giant mosquitoes drifted down from the sky, forming a small grey mound on the forest floor.
Charija channelled a wave of energy to heal the swollen bump on his backside, then walked over and gave the pile of ash a good kick.
"So, this must've been the ancestor of all mosquitoes," he muttered darkly.
Yu Zhou stopped to catch his breath beside him. "If that's true, we just wiped out an entire family line."
"I don't care if it was the mosquito king itself," Charija snapped. "It bit me — that's reason enough for extinction."
Yu Zhou sighed. "But… think about it. If we really did kill the ancestors of mosquitoes, doesn't that mean all their future descendants will disappear too?"
Charija blinked, confused. "Huh?"
Yu Zhou frowned, his tone growing serious. "We're outsiders to this era. What if killing these mosquitoes changes history? The butterfly effect is terrifying. Even killing one mosquito could shift fate."
He rubbed his chin, thinking aloud. "For example, maybe one of their descendants was supposed to bite some future leader and cause a fatal illness — and now, that illness never happens. History could completely change."
Charija scratched his head. "That… sounds like something you just made up."
"Maybe," Yu Zhou sighed. "But either way, they had it coming today."
Charija huffed, still glaring at the ashy remains. "They deserved it."
Yu Zhou just shook his head helplessly. After all that running, they had already covered most of the Greenwind Forest. According to the fisherman's directions, once they got through it, they'd reach a town called Akaru.
"Come on, hop on," Charija said, summoning his mini Zog and climbing onto its back.
Yu Zhou didn't hesitate — he leapt up as well, and soon they were soaring through the forest.
Mini Zog wasn't large, but it was agile, weaving effortlessly through the trees.
Still, all that twisting and turning made Yu Zhou's stomach churn. Thankfully, after the chaos of the space-time tunnel, he had developed some resistance to motion sickness.
As they neared the edge of the forest, Charija dismissed Zog, causing Yu Zhou to drop straight from the air. He landed smoothly — he'd gotten used to this by now.
Charija floated down gracefully, holding his black umbrella like some ancient nobleman.
Beyond the forest, the dirt path turned into a stone-paved road. Trails from every direction merged into a wider main road, where more people appeared — ancient humans of the super civilization.
Some pushed carts, while others rode strange beasts that looked like tamed prehistoric creatures.
"That thing pulling the cart… that's a dinosaur, right?" Yu Zhou asked, pointing curiously.
Charija rolled his eyes. "How should I know?"
He paused, then added, "But I did meet Earth's dinosaur people once — they served under the Naga clan."
"Dinosaur people, huh…" Yu Zhou murmured. He remembered them — in the original story, Daigo had redeemed one, and Tiga had defeated Naga herself.
"Anyway, I don't really know what kind of species that one is," Charija said, waving it off.
Yu Zhou nodded. "Fair enough."
Following the stream of travellers, they soon saw it — the first ancient city of this era.
Akaru.
The architecture resembled something out of medieval Europe, similar to what Yu Zhou had seen in the ruins of Lulue.
He knew that although the structures looked ancient, the civilization of this time possessed incredible technology — capable of building spacecraft and traveling to other planets. The time capsule of Yulian was proof of that.
Even the guards at the city gate carried sleek laser rifles instead of swords or spears, though they still wore heavy, old-fashioned armour. The contrast between medieval fashion and futuristic weaponry was almost comical.
"Halt. Who are you two?"
As soon as they approached the gate, Yu Zhou and Charija were stopped by the guards.
"Eh? Why just us?" Yu Zhou asked in disbelief. "Do we have 'Suspicious People' written on our faces?"
The crowd around them passed freely, completely unbothered — yet only they were blocked.
"You two are dressed strangely," the guard said sternly. "Where are you from?"
Yu Zhou stared at him blankly. Then it hit him — compared to everyone else wearing leather and rough cloth, he and Charija stood out like sore thumbs.
He was in short sleeves and shorts.
Charija, meanwhile, wore a sleek black tailcoat with an umbrella.
No wonder they were drawing stares all the way here.
"Answer the question!" another guard barked. "Where are you from, and what is your purpose in Akaru?"
Yu Zhou folded his arms. "We came from the sky. You believe that?"
The guards exchanged looks. One studied Yu Zhou carefully — he looked completely human, perhaps even more handsome than most, but there was a strange air about him.
"From the sky…" the guard muttered. "Are you… beings from beyond the stars?"
"Visitors from the heavens?" the second guard said in astonishment. "Then we'll need to record your entry."
He pulled out a small notebook and a pen-like device.
Yu Zhou blinked. "You've got paperwork for this?"
Apparently, even in the Ultra-Ancient Age, aliens visiting Earth was nothing new.
The first inhabitants of Earth were extraterrestrial, after all.
"Please cooperate," the guard said politely. "We must register all visitors before entry."
Yu Zhou sighed. "Alright, fine."
The guard nodded, ready to take notes. "Name?"
"Ah San. Charija."
"Place of residence in the universe — please specify the constellation."
"Orion," Yu Zhou said without missing a beat.
The guard jotted it down, glancing up at them curiously.
It seemed even in this ancient era, bureaucracy was alive and well.