The road to Solmere was narrow and uneven, carved through tall grass and low brush by years of carts and foot traffic.
Jax found that he didn't mind the walk.
Bunny moved lightly ahead, hopping over uneven stones without slowing. Zee kept pace beside her, focused but steady. Nyxian strolled as if the road existed for her personal amusement, while Llandra maintained a measured lead, eyes always scanning ahead.
"So," Jax said after a few minutes, breaking the silence, "can I ask questions?"
Nyxian glanced back. "You've been doing that with your eyes already. Might as well voice it out loud."
"Good," he said. "I'd hate to start looking weird, now."
Nyxian looked at him, and how he was dressed. "Too late."
He looked at her horns. Properly this time.
"Are those real?"
Nyxian smirked. "Very."
"Do you use them for fighting," he continued, "or are they mostly there to be intimidating and incredibly cool?"
She laughed. "Both. Depends on my mood."
He nodded approvingly, then turned to Bunny.
"So… carrots?"
Bunny blinked. "What?"
"Do you like them? And when you fight—do you hop? Also, is your hearing actually amazing or is that just a stereotype?"
Bunny burst out laughing.
"Yes, sometimes. Depends on how they are made. Yes, I hop. And yes—my hearing's great."
"That's amazing," Jax said sincerely.
Zee smiled softly.
He turned to her next.
"Green hair," he said gently. "Natural? Magic? Fashion choice?"
"Natural," Zee replied, a little shy.
"Huh," Jax murmured. "That's really pretty."
Zee flushed.
Llandra glanced back at him.
"You ask questions like someone who's never seen any of this before."
"That's because I haven't," Jax said easily. "Where I'm from… none of this exists."
Nyxian raised a brow. "Not even bunny girls?"
"Especially not bunny girls."
Bunny grinned.
As they walked, the conversation shifted—systems, classes, towns, the Empire. Jax listened carefully, absorbing every word.
"So Solmere is under human rule?" he asked.
"Yes," Llandra replied. "The Empire governs most regions. Beastkin towns like this one are… tolerated."
Jax frowned. "But humans don't live there."
"Rarely," Zee said quietly.
Jax was silent for a moment.
Then, casually, "If someone kills a dragon… how do they usually sell it?"
The girls exchanged glances.
"Most times, several parties have to team up to take one down," Bunny said. "So, by the time they have defeated it, there are usually parts and teeth and husks and stuff."
"So, they aren't usually this preserved?" Jax asked.
"Exactly," Llandra said. "It takes parties of 20 or more to take one of this level down. I've never even heard stories of a single person even claiming to have done this solo."
Jax nodded slowly.
"So, please forgive me, if I don't completely buy your story." Llandra stated.
Nyxian studied him for a reaction. But Jax nodded in understanding. "So, what's up with your clothes?"
"Well," Jax said thoughtfully, "where I'm from, this is normal attire."
They all looked at him.
"That doesn't seem very practical for an adventurer." Zee questioned him with her statement.
Nyxian's smile widened just a little. And Jax smiled as well, feeling he did look ridiculous for an adventurer.
"Maybe when we get to town, one of you can show me where I can get some new outfits that will help me blend in."
"I will!," Bunny said excitedly.
They continued to talk as they made their way. For Jax it started to feel like 5 friends strolling through the park together.
Two hours later, Solmere came into view.
Jax slowed.
"…This is a town?"
Wooden buildings sagged beneath years of neglect. Dirt roads were rutted and filthy. Animal waste lay openly in the street. Broken shutters rattled in the breeze.
The town looked tired.
He glanced down at himself.
Black suit.White shirt.Tie.
He stood out like a foreign object.
Then he noticed something else.
No humans.
Every face was beastkin.
"…Interesting," he murmured.
"We should secure rooms at the inn," Llandra said. "Affordable ones go quickly."
They split.
Nyxian motioned for Jax to follow her.
"If you want coin," she said, "you sell beasts."
They stopped in front of the second-nicest building in Solmere—a reinforced stone structure with heavy doors and guarded windows.
Inside, a troll in finely tailored clothing approached immediately.
"Well now," he said, smiling. "A human and a succubus."
Nyxian crossed her arms. "A beast was slain."
The troll's eyes gleamed. "Oh, delightful."
"We'll need more space," Nyxian cut in.
Understanding dawned.
He led them through a narrow doorway—and Jax stepped into a space far larger than the building should allow.
Dimensional. What a fascinating world. Jax thought to himself.
Nyxian nodded.
Jax opened his system.
DISPEL CAPTURED CREATURES
The dragon's corpse appeared with a thunderous BOOM.
The troll froze.
"…Oh my."
He rushed forward, inspecting scales, teeth, tail.
"I am Grathok," he said. "And I have never seen a fire dragon preserved like this."
"Was it killed in one blow?"
Nyxian smiled. "Ask mister third leg."
Jax cleared his throat. "Minimal collateral."
Grathok nodded slowly. "Impressive."
As negotiations began, Nyxian watched closely.
Jax didn't rush.
Didn't posture.
He asked questions.
Redirected assumptions.
Shifted the conversation away from parts… and toward prestige. "Do Kings or Nobles mount heads of fallen beasts as trophies in these lands?"
Grathok understood where Jax was going now. "Many of them do, yes." He rubbed his chin, thinking. "I have several people in mind, that I can reach out to. When I offer them the head of an adult Fire Dragon in this condition, they'll sell their kingdoms to have this," he exaggerated a bit.
Jax corrected him. "Not just an adult fire dragon- but the famed and feared Fire Dragon of Solmere. 'Dante's Inferno'."
Grathok looked at Jax and a huge grin came across his face. He appreciated a good sales person who understood the game. "Oh, Jax my boy, I like you." He walked over to what looked like a small treasure chest. His hand went in and pulled out a large bag that would have been impossible for the sack this size. Jax realized it was another dimensional space. "Will 2 million gold be sufficient as a retainer? I can get you more, but I will need a few hours to liquidate some assets."
"2 million will be fine. I'm gonna trust you." Jax said. He wasn't quite sure what the value of 2 million gold was in this world, but by Nyxian's expression he figured it was a lot.
By the time they stepped back into the street, gold was stored inside his system, which was very convenient.
Nyxian stared at him.
Nobody negotiated with Grathok.
Nobody.
Yet this human had done it without raising his voice once.
She smiled faintly.
This one, she thought, is dangerous.
Solmere waited.
And Jax had only just arrived.