The World Is Mine For The Taking

"Now then, where exactly are we?"

Darkness loomed around us, thick and impenetrable, yet my vision remained sharp. The air was damp, carrying the scent of earth and vegetation. Towering shadows swayed in the distance—trees, perhaps—indicating we were near a forest or some vast wilderness. The ground beneath my feet was uneven, covered in damp soil and fallen leaves, as if we had been unceremoniously dropped into the heart of an unknown land.

"Leon, where are we…?" Zoey's voice wavered slightly, her unease evident.

"I have no idea myself," I admitted, scanning our surroundings. "But considering the circumstances, it's entirely possible that we've entered another world."

Zoey sucked in a breath. "This is… another world?"

Zes turned, her sharp eyes narrowing as she took in the unfamiliar landscape. "So the portal we entered actually led us beyond our world?"

Zoey, still tense, turned to me with a hardened gaze. "Leon, explain something to me. What exactly is Lieutenant Zes doing here with us? You haven't told me a single thing."

"As I said, I have no idea," I replied, exhaling slowly. "Maybe she hit her head or something. For some reason, she suddenly wanted to have sex with me."

"Sex?" Zoey's arms folded over her chest, her stare dripping with skepticism. "Leon, I get that you're handsome, but assuming that a woman wants to have sex with you—that sounds like something a deluded narcissist would think."

I ran a hand through my hair, sighing. "I wish I were just a narcissist assuming things."

Zes, unfazed, stepped closer and met my gaze head-on. "Now that we're free from danger, let's have sex. Procreate with me."

I glanced at Zoey and gave her a knowing look. "See?"

Zoey recoiled. "T-This is absurd! Lieutenant Zes, why in the world would you, of all people, want to have sex with Leon?!"

Zes tilted her head, blinking at Zoey as if she had asked an absurd question. "Is it not natural for a subjugated and defeated woman to offer herself to the one who bested her? He has defeated me, therefore I must yield to him. Together, we shall create the strongest offspring. Now, come, Leon. Let us procreate."

Her words dripped with unwavering conviction, as if this was a universal truth carved into stone. The customs of her world were strange—especially regarding matters of sex. I couldn't tell if this belief was widespread or simply a product of Zes's personal logic, but either way, it was unnerving.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. "We can do it later, as much as you want," I said. "But right now is not the time. I can feel multiple presences closing in on us."

Zoey stiffened. "Really?"

Zes furrowed her brows. "I sense nothing."

"That's because the people of your world and those here are fundamentally different," I explained. "This might truly be another world altogether… and if I'm right, this might be my world."

This might be the world where I had got reincarnated into.

Zoey's breath hitched. "So we really are in another world…?" Her voice was a whisper as she turned in slow circles, taking in the alien-yet-familiar surroundings.

Turning to Chloe, who was gathering her scattered research papers and securing her computer, I asked, "What does this mean, Chloe? Do your calculations explain any of this?"

She adjusted her clothes, barely glancing at me as she continued organizing. "It's possible that the portal particle we used was the reason," she explained. "That is, assuming this really is your world. Can you prove it?"

I exhaled, feeling the air settle in my lungs, the sensation deeply nostalgic. "There's no need for proof. I can feel it in the very atmosphere. This is my world. I've lived here for nineteen years."

A long silence followed. Then, Zoey suddenly turned to me, her eyes wide with shock. "Wait… Leon, you're only nineteen?"

"Yes. Is that an issue?"

Zoey stared at me as though she had just uncovered some deep revelation. "I was certain you were older than me…" She hesitated, lowering her gaze. "I see. You're still nineteen. I can hardly believe it. Meanwhile, I'm already twenty-seven… and yet, you've experienced so much more in life than I have."

The shift in conversation caught me off guard. Of all the possible directions our discussion could have taken, she had chosen to dwell on our age difference.

I raised an eyebrow. "You dislike men who are younger than you?"

Zoey crossed her arms, her lips pressing into a thin line. "Preferably, I'd want a partner close to my age," she admitted. "At most, a two- or three-year difference is acceptable. But anything more than that… it's not what I imagined for myself."

"I see…" I murmured, letting her words settle. It was a simple preference, nothing too unusual.

"By the way, Leon," Chloe said, her expression unreadable. "If this truly is your world, does electricity exist here?"

"It does," I confirmed. "But whether it'll power your computer is another question entirely."

If the laws of this world were different, then the very essence of how devices functioned might follow different rules. There was no guarantee her technology would work here.

"Master," Anne's voice cut through the air, sharp and alert. "I saw movement in the forest."

"I know," I said, eyes narrowing as I shifted my stance. The air around us felt wrong—charged with an energy that sent the hairs on my arms standing on end. "Stay on guard. I doubt whoever's lurking out there is the kind of company we'd want to meet in a forest at night."

"Don't tell me… ghosts?" Zoey's voice trembled, her fingers clutching my arm as she took a step closer.

I let out a breath. "Relax. There are plenty of terrifying things in this world, but ghosts aren't one of them."

Then, before another word could be spoken—

A figure lunged from the darkness.

A shadow, quick as lightning, tearing through the air with feral speed. Its form was humanoid—almost. But larger, bulkier, and wrapped in raw, unrestrained power. A glint of something sharp flashed in the dim light.

A tail.

Beastfolk.

I moved instantly. My arms shot up, intercepting the attack with Ayruru in a precise block. The impact sent a shockwave through my body, but I held firm. The beastkin skidded back, claws raking deep into the earth, a low growl rumbling from its throat.

And then—more emerged.

From the shadows, they stepped forward, one by one, until we were completely surrounded. Dozens of eyes gleamed in the darkness, watching, waiting.

"We're surrounded…" Zoey whispered, her breath shaky.

"Hah! This much is nothing." Zes cracked her knuckles, eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Let them come. I'll pummel every last one of them." Even in an unknown territory, she was more than eager to dive straight into a fight.

But I raised a hand. "We don't need to fight."

Because I had recognized something.

Their fur. Their hair. The distinct color, the way it shimmered beneath the faint moonlight—it was too familiar to ignore. It matched someone I knew. Someone with feline features.

I stepped forward, making Ayuru disappear from my grasp. Slowly, deliberately, I raised both hands, signaling my lack of hostility. No weapons. No aggression. Just intent.

Then, I spoke.

"Take me to your leader."

Silence.

The beastfolk didn't move, their golden eyes locked onto me, unblinking. The tension in the air thickened, pressing against my skin like a heavy weight.

Then, one of them stepped forward.

A towering figure, his presence alone enough to command attention. His frame was massive, muscles carved like stone beneath a thick coat of fur. But what set him apart—what made him truly imposing—was his face.

Not human.

A lion's head, regal and fierce, his mane a wild crown of untamed power. His amber eyes burned with suspicion, studying me with a predator's scrutiny.

"Give me one reason why we should take you to our king," his voice was a low, thunderous growl, "instead of killing you where you stand."

I met his gaze, unwavering. Then, I spoke a single name.

"Trill."

The moment the name left my lips, everything changed.

The lion-man stiffened. His ears twitched, his tail straightened in shock. Around us, the other beastfolk exchanged glances, their expressions shifting from aggression to something else—uncertainty.

So I had been right.

This was the Feliann Clan—a tribe of lion-like beastfolk. And judging by their reaction, my assumption had been correct. The resemblance in fur and hair color had led me to believe they were connected to Trill. Thankfully, I was right. If I had been wrong… this could have gone very, very badly.

"You…" The lion-man's voice was lower now, tinged with something almost hesitant. "Why do you know that name?"

I didn't falter. My eyes locked onto his. "Because," I said, voice steady, "I'm her lover."

A murmur rippled through the gathered beastfolk. Their stance shifted, no longer entirely hostile but not yet welcoming.

The lion-man narrowed his eyes. "Lover…? Are you telling me that the Princess has—?"

I didn't break eye contact. Beastfolk had a keen sense for lies. If I had been bluffing, even slightly, he would have known. But I wasn't.

Another moment passed before he spoke again.

"What you claim… may hold truth," he admitted, though his tone remained cautious. "But further knowledge must be unearthed before we can deem it so. The Princess left our clan over a year ago in search of a husband. However, she is not here. Without her presence, I cannot yet determine the validity of your words."