Jay and Striaster wandered through the town, getting as much information as they could, though none spoke about any portals back to Jay's home world. Soon, they decided to leave the inn and tavern sector and enter the next sector. Quickly, they realized that it was a place for nobles, or at least stronger people, given the better looks of the houses and the attire the people around were wearing. "Do you want me to fight any of them?," Jay asked.

Striaster nodded. "These are still civilians, though stronger ones. Each warrior gets a house much bigger than this."

Jay raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't that be inefficient if you were trying to keep an army?"

"No. We have enough houses to do this. Besides, the group sent to your world only had a single warrior in it-Astaroth. They were a scouting party. The real army was supposed to go through later, though it never did because we broke the portal. I suspect very few humans would have been able to fight them."

Jay nodded. "It does seem that way. Even though your society is far more violent than ours, it has an... order to it, at least. Ours doesn't. Politics and things like that abound in human culture."

Striaster looked thoughtful for a moment. "Politics do seem really annoying."

Jay shook his head. "You don't know all of it. Politicians are the worst people ever. They're the only ones who like politics."

"Then why are they in power?"

"Because some of them, a small portion, are nice. Like the king. And then the other ones accept bribes to do absolutely anything the briber wants."

"Well. That doesn't seem like a productive and prosperous society."

Jay laughed. "I don't know how we've survived this long, but it for sure isn't because of politicians."

Striaster challenged a random person and Jay struck them down in one punch, as he had been doing for the past while. After conversing for a while, he shook his head. "He doesn't know anything either, though he did know where we could ask."

"And where is that?"

Striaster grimaced. "It's the worst type of people, at least by Zarlan society's outlook. They gang up on people and their social status is based on the social status of all of them combined, instead of each having their own. I don't think there's a translation to your language."

Jay shrugged. "So we hit them a bunch. Let's go do it!"

Striaster smiled. "So be it."

The gang did not stand a chance. Jay punched them all, quickly laying them out, while not even one got close to Striaster. Striaster asked them a few questions then dragged Jay to the side for a brief chat. "They know the information, but won't give it to us unless we have a high enough social status. We need to go beat up someone who's not a warrior, but relatively strong."

"Why do they care?"

"Because we're strong enough to win against them, but our social status isn't strong enough to threaten them and call retribution on them and they don't want to give us info. If we come back with a higher status, they can't avoid it."

Jay shrugged. "What about your status?'

"It's complicated. I have the status, but not necessarily the strength, because I didn't really fight to attain the status. If I was in certain cities, I have connections, and can do basically anything, but here? I can't do much."

Jay nodded. "And if you fought civilians, that would deprecate your social status."

Striaster grabbed his hand, attempting to shake it. "You're catching on!"

"You don't shake my hand unless we've just make a deal. You're not catching on."

Striaster deflated before reentering the room. After speaking a few sharp words he walked out, and Jay followed. They quickly moved to the end of the noble district, and Jay beat down a civilian over there before they walked back to the gang's area. Quickly finding them, the gang immediately seemed to notice something different about Jay. Probably his new social status. Striaster spoke, and he received an instant reply. Waving Jay out, Striaster left. "There's nothing in this city. We have to buy a map and then go to the domain of the Fey, which is through a bunch of really annoying areas, with no cities in between. No one wants to be close to the Fey."

Jay raised an eyebrow. "What are the Fey?"

"A collection of races, all operating by their own rules. I'll give you warnings on the way-follow them to the dot. If you don't follow any one of them, it may mean doom for you."

Nodding, Jay followed. Striaster walked into a shop labeled with a picture of a map, throwing what looked like a gold coin on the shopkeeper's counter before grabbing a map off the shelves. The coin glinted and Jay suddenly realized he didn't know what people used for money in his world. He'd seen them barter objects in the village he grew up in, but he hadn't had any reason to see people buying things outside of it. In school, there had been no money spent on anything.

They walked out of the store, finding a small alley to read the map in. Striaster pointed to some unfamiliar markings which seemed to be writing. "These are the Infernals. Dangerous volcanic area that we'll need to get through. Lots of monsters. Then we have the Forest of Souls, which is even deadlier. Legend goes only pure-hearted people can pass through, apparently." Striaster frowned at a subtitle under what seemed to be the name. "Next are the Fragmented Lands. They have no description for some reason. Then you have whatever scribbles these are. Lastly, you reach the Domain of the Fey."

Striaster made a pocket out of skin for the map, shoving it in. Waving at Jay, they started walking out of the town. He was personally amazed that they'd gone so long in a populated area without an incident. Uh oh. You jinxed yourself.

What's that?

Let me just tell you that you practiced luck magic at one point. Jinxing oneself means that you said or thought something which causes lady luck to want to make something happen to you even more.

What does that mean for me?

It means you're going to be annoyed at yourself for thinking that.

Jay frowned for a brief moment before he heard a shout. "Human!," someone called from the crowd. Jay checked himself. He looked like a Zarlan. There was no skin showing. Striaster immediately turned to him.

"RUN!," Striaster shouted, pulling him along.

Jay started to run, flickering through the crowd at his speed. Striaster managed to follow, flowing around the Zarlans as he kept up. Jay felt the presence hidden in the crowd behind them start to catch up. They reached the gates, running straight through and not stopping. Jay and Striaster sped up as they launched themselves through the jungle, gaining immense amounts of speed as they flung themselves towards the barely visible mountains, most creating smoke, in the distance. The trees quickly closed, preventing them from seeing the Infernals anymore.

They did not stop, even when their pursuer was no longer audible, continuing to run at top speed for a good ten minutes. Finally, Striaster called a halt. "What was that?," Jay asked, as Striaster reverted him to a human.

"That was a warrior. He immediately saw through the polymorph."

Jay shook his head. You were right.

I know!

At least we managed to avoid him.

You do realize you just jinxed yourself again.

Jay felt someone tap his shoulder, Striaster seemingly not paying attention to him. He turned, a Zarlan standing directly behind him, carrying a set of twin knives. You're right. I did.

I know!

Sighing, Jay got up. "Do you want to fight us?"

"I want to fight you, kill you, and then EAT YOUR FLESH, then SUCK OUT YOUR MARROW, then SlowLY SavOR yOUr BrAin!," the Zarlan said, seeming to grow more insane with each word.

Jay shook his head. "Something's wrong with you."

The Zarlan didn't answer, simply growing an insane grin and swinging. Jay attacked with the sword that flowed into his hands, another tendril appearing to block, but Striaster did so, an iron-hard arm lodging itself between the blade and his flesh. The warrior seemed confused. "Why are you BeTrayInG youR oWn KinD?"

"One. You're insane, so I'm not helping you. Two. My 'kind'," he spit out the word. "Has never accepted me."

The Zarlan laughed, an insane laugh, before stepping back. Blood flowed out of a wound he swiftly made in his own arm, but instead of falling, it floated. "I will eat BoTh of YouR FlESH ThEN."

Jay shook his head. "Let's kill this insane idiot."

"Yeah."

They readied themselves, as, with an insane laugh, a torrent of blood flowed at them. Jay Summoned the Ocean, pressurizing it enough so the blood flowed off the sphere. Striaster grew a solid skin, seeming to be a single piece and quite strong. The blood subsided after a moment and they rushed the Zarlan, tendrils whipping him while Striaster grew massive fists, smashing the Zarlan over and over again. Jay launched a Hook of Thought and a Blade attuned to Cutting, pulling himself past the Zarlan as he struck. Striaster lifted both of his hands for a solid smash, and connected perfectly, massive amounts of force going through his limbs. They returned to their normal size and both of them stepped back, waiting for the dust to clear.

The Zarlan stood, uninjured. More blood flowed around him, emerging from only one cut-the one on his arm, which he had created himself. More insane laughs ripped out of the Zarlan's mouth as the blood flowed into a hammer with two heads. One was at the bottom, while the other was at the top. The heads hovered over Jay and Striaster before falling. Sensing the immense force, Jay expended his mana in pressurizing Summon the Ocean as much as he could, also summoning Flowering Domain so a couple flowers could push the hammer back. A quick Thoughtshield popped up as well, while he activated Collect their Weakness for the rest of the fight.

Amon created a barrier of silver liquid just before the hammer hit. It crashed through his defenses. Amon's barrier broke easily, the thoughtshield the next to go. The flowers helped a little bit, but it kept going, hitting his Summon the Ocean. It stopped for a split second, seeming to hesitate, as Summon the Ocean at max depth repelled it for the briefest time.

Then Jay ran out of Mana. It dropped once again. Jay's eyes widened, and as Amon created more barriers, Jay dumped his Dominion into The Harsh, Lifegiving Sun. His regeneration immediately jumped as the hammer hit his quick Amber Creation, another small barrier to add. It blasted through that, as well as Amon's barrier, before hitting him.

Immediately, he knew. The only reason he was still alive was because he had regenerated himself as he had been crushed. "Striaster!," he called, desperately hoping his friend was okay.

"I'm fine. I was more worried about you!," Came the reply from a crater on the other side of the still laughing Zarlan.

Jay watched his ripped off leg fly over to the Zarlan, a new one already regrown due to The Harsh, Lifegiving Sun. The Zarlan picked it up, inspecting it for a brief moment. Then he chomped on the leg, eating it with gusto. Jay felt a phantom pain in his own leg, sympathizing with the Zarlan's meal. Anger rose within him and he stepped forward, ready to fight again. "Run!," Striaster said to him, immediately turning and running.

The Zarlan laughed once again. "No MaTtEr hoW mucH yOU run, You CANnoT eSCape Me!"

In that moment, Jay realized it was true. They would never manage to get away from the Zarlan. He was too fast. The only chance they had was to win. He repeated his motto, feeling Amon resonate with it as well. I will be the best.