Chapter Twelve - Slug Beach Town, Part 1

I woke up in the beach part of Slug Beach Town. Or at least I assume that is the place. I’m facing the sand and accidentally take a bite of the grainy floor.

“Ptoo!” I try to spit it out and instinctively make the wrong decision to drink some sea water, “Aahhhhhhhhhhhh!”

Well, this morning started off rather splendidly. At least there was no body horror this time, just a bad course meal. Speaking of meals, I’m rather hungry. I don’t think I’ve eaten anything since I first arrived in this world. That would make it about 25 hours. But I am some sort of super soldier, I should be fine not eating for a while more. I don’t consider myself a picky eater, but considering I didn’t recognize any of the drinks last night, I would want to be more selective of what I find to put in my stomach. After all, my only real meal since I’ve arrived consisted of a sweet green beer whose taste I can not discern to anything I’ve ever had on Earth.

I’m still spitting out remnants of the sand as I also notice that my left arm is back. My beautiful green-blue anime super-powered magic lizard arm is back! Not only that, but the peeled off skin from the frostbite is healed. I turn my arms to examine them fully and pump them in a celebratory manner. My whole body recovered nicely. I am some sort of super soldier. I’m grinning from ear to ear.

There’s also the fact that the last thing I remember is the tavern. How did I even get to the beach? The tide isn’t moving too abruptly which makes it soothing. The seashells unearth from the sand every time the water retreats back to the ocean. And the sun feels rather hot from behind me.

I turn around and see a girl staring at me. She is sitting on a towel and guarded from the sun’s rays by a parasol. She is drinking something clear from a see-through bottle. I would logically assume that that is normal water compared to what I just drank. On closer inspection I recognize this girl. She has an ashy hair color, a blend of white and grey. She has black streaks in 30% of the total color style making a cool zebra-like design. Her hair length falls a bit below her shoulders and right above her elbows. She wears a simple athletic style swimsuit and a bizarre jacket like clothing. The jacket morphs and it wraps around her unnaturally but fits loosely which questions my logic and I suspect might be a cloak. Her cerulean eyes pierce through my soul as that is the final factor that confirms for me who she is. She’s the gun girl!

“Thank you?” I start speaking, my mouth finally clean from the sand, but the first thing my brain tells me to say is gratitude, “For saving me in the cave.”

“I’ve seen your fighting spirit,” she calls out, “Both in the cave and in the tavern.”

She stands up and brushes off the sand from her legs. Her cloak enfolds around her, she squints as her eyes are hit by sunlight. Her cloak does not appear to have a hoodie attachment as it is only for her torso and legs. She walks towards me as I also stand up and I silently inquire about this new terminology.

“My fighting spirit? Is it like a physical manifestation?” I ask feeling like Aquastar would approve of this question.

“You have something that no one else in this town has, an aptitude for adventure and a drive to fight.” She points at my heart.

“What?”

“Everyone is happy here. I can’t change their minds. You on the other hand, American, I can sense that you want to punch your way out of this false sky and find out more about this world. I am just like you, at a roadblock, but ready to forge another road ahead for myself.”

“One second. Let me clarify a few things. One, my name is Gabriela. For reasons you might not understand, I cannot in good faith allow this American title to go on.”

“Understood. I will refer to you by your name, Gabriela. I’m Seiko.”

“Seiko. I like your name! Nice to meet you.” I ramble before going back to my series of questions, “Ok, second, I’ve heard from a few others that this world behaves like floors?”

“Yes, we are currently in the fourth floor from the planet’s core. Moving above to a different floor makes it impossible to return to a floor below. The journey is arduous, so it is better to travel in a party. I am strong, but not strong enough by myself to fight my way up. The surface contains all the answers, according to prophecy.” Seiko says with determination and a hint of sadness in her voice.

“And people are ok living here? Do they not want to reach the surface too?”

“I cannot speak for them, but I assume they are happy or have found their answers here in Slug Beach City.”

“I see, Aquastar and Clover don’t plan to climb. I’ll have to say goodbye at some point.”

“Those with wings want to fly, we don’t do well being tied down. That’s what I saw in you yesterday.”

Wow, nobody has ever spoken to me like this. It makes me feel kinda embarrassed to be seen like this. A greater potential in myself. But the other two Otherworlders, I wonder if what Seiko says is true, that they are happy here and do not want to return to our world.

“I do want to revisit Japan! I’ll help you get to the surface!” I said proudly.

“Ok good,” she claps once, and I feel like I just signed a contract.

Seiko is not done speaking so she continues to inform me, “As I’ve said before I’ve seen your fighting spirit and I’ve seen you fight and they could not be more far apart.”

“Eh?”

Did she just roast me?