Chapter 4 – Hot Jaws
Far from the Crescent Kingdom, beyond any charted land or spoken legend, stretched a wasteland that no map dared claim.
The sky hung low and heavy, smeared with ash. The cracked earth breathed heat with every fissure. Rivers of magma cut through the land like molten veins, glowing against the darkness. Jagged mountains circled the plains in a ring of obsidian teeth; their peaks crowned with plumes of smoke.
Nothing here lived easily.
Everything here has learned to survive or burn.
One of the magma rivers surged violently, its surface bubbling in thick, rhythmic pulses. Then—
BOOM.
A splash of molten fire erupted upward.
A massive creature crashed onto the ashen shore. It resembled a bull shark—but its hide was layered with black, stone-like armor, still glowing from the heat of the magma it swam in. Even dying, it radiated a predator's presence.
Steam hissed from its cracked plates as the light in its eyes dimmed.
A moment later, the magma river churned again.
Something rose from beneath its burning surface.
A single figure—humanoid, tall, and dripping with molten rock—walked out of the inferno as if stepping through a curtain of rain. The magma cooled and fractured across his body, falling away in chunks that revealed unbroken skin beneath.
It revealed a man.
Golden-haired, golden-eyed, his physique carved with strength, even though his movements were unsteady. Bite marks and lacerations marred his torso. He looked battered, exhausted, but alive.
Nolen Clark.
He exhaled, stabilizing himself on his feet before limping toward the fallen Magma Shark.
"First time I've seen one of these," he muttered, studying the creature's rocky hide. "Interesting species."
A voice answered—clear, feminine, and echoing softly from nowhere.
"Do not underestimate them. They are apex predators in this zone."
Nolen looked down at his right palm, where a faintly glowing crystal was embedded.
"You always worry too much, Romy," he said. "This is the most fun I've had in months."
"It is literally my job to worry," the voice replied with dry precision. "I am your G.I.—Guardian Intelligence system. My job is to assist you, protect you, and ensure you fulfill your mission."
"Yeah, yeah. Protect Earth. Guide humanity down the right path."
He rubbed his forehead. "I've been doing that for 2 years now."
"A job given to you by the council and your parents," Romy reminded him. "Do not forget the resources invested in you."
Nolen sighed. Hard.
"I wasn't forgetting. I was avoiding the lecture."
He shifted topics quickly.
"Anyway… back there, when the summoning happened—no matter how many times I tried contacting you through the link, you weren't responding."
"My system was completely fried," Romy said bluntly. "Whatever magic they used to summon us disrupted all functions. I had to reboot. It took time."
A pause.
"It did a number on you too, didn't it?"
"Yeah. That light show drained me dry."
He winced as he stretched. "I couldn't sense anything. Couldn't react when they dropped me into that volcano."
He gestured vaguely toward the river behind him.
"Lucky for us, the magma jump-started my recovery while it tried to roll me like laundry."
Romy hummed. "This world is… peculiar. Many organisms here can survive in molten magma. I managed to scan a few while we were being dragged through the flow. This is definitely not Earth."
"No kidding," Nolen muttered. "Then that big boy attacked."
He nudged the Magma Shark. "Didn't expect a fight like that."
"As for our location," Romy continued, "my functions are still limited. But I can determine this much: we are still on the same planet, not another dimension. This terrain is simply… very far from our entry point."
"How far?" Nolen asked.
"Unknown. I need to finish my diagnostics."
"Then let's take a look around first," Nolen said, rolling his shoulders. His muscles stiffened from the earlier trauma. "Set up base, get our bearings. And maybe…"—he eyed the dead shark— "try some otherworldly seafood."
"Very well," Romy replied. "While you explore, I'll assess your body condition and continue repairs. Also, please find clothing. You are currently naked."
Nolen glanced down, sighed.
"That's what happens when your wardrobe takes a swim in magma, Romy. It turns to ash."
"Regardless, you need clothes before you are spotted by anything with eyes."
"Spotted by what?" Nolen gestured to the barren wasteland. "Who's going to judge me out here?"
"Still. Find something," Romy insisted.
Before he could argue, the crystal glowed and sank completely into his skin, disappearing beneath the surface.
Nolen took a breath, wincing as his healing muscles pulled tight. His strength wasn't fully restored. Not even close.
So, he stayed near the Magma Shark, scavenging for anything usable, his eyes scanning the hostile landscape with the wariness of someone who had learned, recently and painfully, not to underestimate this world.