Cole and the deity walked side‑by‑side as they navigated the treacherous landscape of True Earth.
From sneaky monsters hiding beneath the soil and disguising themselves as plants to poisonous flowers, shrubs and hazardous surfaces at every corner, the terrain was unforgiving.
Despite being immortal, Cole was especially cautious—perhaps a result of his old instincts kicking in. The deity was just as, if not more, careful than he was.
In the indulger world, immortality had levels, and thanks to the veteran, Cole possessed one of the highest forms of death‑negation wavelength available. Even then, with the evolution of indulgers and supernatural research, it was scarcely possible for Cole's immortality to be negated. But that was still nothing more than a theory.
Cole stared in awe as he saw weird species of fish‑like birds with web‑like wings float through the sky.
The deity had to draw his attention repeatedly because he kept getting easily carried away. As they walked, Cole noticed her speed reduce considerably and followed suit.
Oddly enough, it seemed their final destination was a steep cliff at the edge of the path. Cole raised his guard as he proceeded with caution.
The deity stopped, turned around, and exchanged smug glares with Cole. She pointed to the left; Cole shifted his gaze to what she was indicating.
His eyes widened in mesmerization as a bright glimmer reflected in his oculus. Right after the cliff, a vast city spanning nearly endlessly past the horizon exhibited tall towers, slightly retro building structures and a greenly‑lit sky.
"I can't believe it," he gasped, speechless.
The deity wore a displeased, visibly pained expression, as though she were forcing herself to follow Cole. A stern pain struck Cole's chest; he gripped it tightly and inhaled a deep gulp of air.
"Let's go," he insisted.
The deity held in her words, stretching a faltering smile. Her actions only amplified Cole's pain.
She spoke, "As we enter, don't speak to anyone, don't do anything, and only follow me. You understand?"
"Got it," he answered instantly.
His reply held a sort of rummy tone behind it that bothered her, but since they'd already come so far it would be a huge waste to return empty‑handed. Frankly, the deity had a reason of her own for helping Cole search.
She grabbed Cole by the arm and pulled him like a traveling bag. Before he could part his lips to complain, the deity leapt up like a fired spring.
Cole was already dangling in mid‑air before he realized his body had gained an abnormal lightness. The only things before his gaze were the confident deity and the sky hanging beneath him.
Luckily, they landed on the third corner of a rectangular tower; from that angle some of the city's properties were clear as day. The green moon shone mystically above their heads, sticking to every material and their features. Cole found the natural green lighting of the city a bit tacky—or, to put it more bluntly, it made the scenery look like a pixel game in his opinion.
"Where do we start?" Cole asked, like an obedient student.
"First we need to get to the ground without being seen," she responded in a discreet voice.
"If you thought your situation on False Earth was horrific, you don't want to know how it'll be here," she added.
Cole stared blankly, trying to process her words. "You're very popular here, and in a very bad way. This realm is oversaturated with abnormalities, casualties and the supernatural. Even with me tagging along, you don't stand a chance," she whispered.
Cole crouched down further and spoke calmly, "Don't worry about me. I'm immortal."
The deity smirked, "Immortality protects you from death, not everything else."
Cole pondered on her words for a bit and came to a realization. "Everything you give me is somehow useless," he said, lowering his voice.
The deity stretched an authentic smile, "You might be right."
Her response only fueled Cole's precariousness.
"I'm beyond cooked at this point," he muttered.
"Either way, I'm more worried about you, Cole," she briefly uttered.
Cole flattened his gaze, "Why so?"
"I'm not particularly known or popular, and people perceive me as different things. As for you…," she dragged her voice to make her point, "you look exactly the same."
Cole's face stiffened for a second, then he smiled, "Is that all?"
The deity was taken aback, slightly impressed by his reaction. 'Am I about to witness some real‑life mercenary stealth skills?' she thought.
Cole shifted his gaze to the side and studied the neighboring objects, buildings, places and materials. His intense stare softened and he let out a short laugh.
"FOLLOW ME," he said with a deranged smile.
His eyes warped into something threatening; experience echoed from his tone and his body exuded a commanding aura.
'I was mistaken. His heart hasn't fully taken over his personality.'
Cole rose into a straight position, spread both arms and tilted back, ensuring he lost enough balance to fall off the building's edge. His body inclined to the side…
and he fell head‑first toward the ground.
The deity's mind was struck by Cole's actions; on impulse she stretched her hand to assist, but it was too late. He had already dropped.
The sight made her flabbergasted; her eyes shook as she bore a reminiscing expression. Once she snapped out of her abrupt daze, the deity rushed to the side to catch a glimpse of Cole's condition.
To her most pleasant surprise, Cole was gliding through shadows, leaping across rooftops and building edges without being noticed. His movements were nimble and his actions performed with accuracy; the only factor that gave away his presence was a light breeze. Even then, people turned and saw nothing.
Slipping through cramped walls, narrow furniture and people's sight seemed to be his specialty.
Despite her inhuman attributes, the deity was incapable of moving as stealthily as Cole. Thus, she took the more sane, less dangerous and respectable route—the main road. She jumped down the towering structure and landed safely on her two feet like a feline.
After reaching a distance of several meters, Cole remembered… he had no idea where he was headed.
"I got a little carried away," he muttered, massaging his face. "Will she find me? I'm sure she will."
Cole headed toward a small bench located by an abandoned part of what resembled a rundown shop. Nobody seemed to pass there, so it was a safe place to crash for a bit.
Like a homeless beggar, he draped a large, dusty, worn‑out bedsheet he found by the shop over his body, covering his face, hands and feet. He folded his legs on the bench and relaxed.
Just as expected, a few people strolled past the shops in groups. Fortunately, there was an empty can of beans by his side. Some passersby dropped coins while others gave him a disgusted stare; Cole quietly sat and observed.
Unlike Earth, the majority of the people he saw weren't human—or at least didn't completely resemble humans. Some had slightly long ears, others had green skin, but most had weirdly decorated hair and dark, tattoo‑like markings, though their features were still human.
Cole felt like he was living a fantasy story like he used to adore as a kid. "If I told my mom this, she'd laugh at me," he whispered.
Stunned by his own words, he dropped his gaze to the floor and crossed his fingers as unnecessary thoughts played in his head—thoughts of what could have been and what should not be.
Distracting thoughts, disappointing memories, careless decisions and impactful mistakes formed a symphony of regrets orchestrated in his mind. Cole slowly sank into the brutal gravity of his own brain until he was completely abstinent from reality.
"Hey there," a deep, lingering voice spoke from beside him.
Carefully, Cole shifted his eyes to the side, trying to see who was speaking.
He saw a man, possibly his age, staring sadly at the cold floor. The man's hair was long and luscious, his face well‑structured, his eyes a pale, tired blue, and black markings spanned from his head down to his neck.
Cole remained mute but raised his head in reaction.
"I'm sorry for taking your time like this, but… are you happy being so poor?" the man asked shakily, his tone fading.
'Why would I be happy being poor?' Cole thought, shaking his head in disagreement.
"Then why don't you get a job?" the man inquired in a frail tone. "If you don't mind me asking."
Cole was at the brink of raining curses but refrained; instead he shrugged his shoulders and bit his lip. It was becoming difficult to sit down in a tranquil manner.
"I wish I was like you—to have peace of mind," the man whispered while glaring at the sky.
Cole gaped, then instantly reverted to his normal look. He didn't want to reveal his voice; the only way he could help was by extending his hand and giving the man a gentle pat on the head.
The man stared at Cole with a mixture of bewilderment, caught between despair and admiration.
"A beggar… understands my pain?" he muttered beneath his breath.
Cole dug his body deeper into the cloak. 'you have no idea.'
'peace of mind is what I yearn for right now, more than anything right now.'