Strolling through the bustling streets of Kyoto city, Luke and Ruster blended seamlessly into the crowd of locals and tourists. The passersby were too engrossed in their own world to spare more than a passing glance at the duo. With Luke's silence stretching on, Ruster became the main subject of his observations.
Their casual attires leveled them with the rest of the crowd. Ruster sported Luke's eccentric hat paired with a short-sleeved brown hoodie and knee-length white shorts adorned with black stripes. Luke, on the other hand, had chosen a simple black denim jacket over a white shirt and black trousers.
Ruster picked up on Luke's awkwardness and broke the silence with a casual, "You can talk, you know?" His relaxed demeanor was infectious.
Jolted out of his reverie, Luke felt the heat rise to his cheeks. He quickly dipped into his reserve of rusty social skills, trying to remember the basics. "Yeah, I'm sorry for being awkward... " He managed. "This is just new to me!" He tried to justify his behavior.
With a supportive smile, Ruster dismissed his apology, "Don't worry about it!" His easygoing nature was disarming, and Luke began to feel a sense of comfort and gratitude.
Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Luke blurted out, "So are you some sort of alien from another planet?"
Ruster came to a sudden halt in the middle of the street, his face a picture of surprise. A moment later, he erupted into fits of laughter. "khkhkhkh... Oh my God! He thinks I'm an alien... khkhkh!"
Luke's face fell, a frown etched onto his features. He felt embarrassed and slighted at Ruster's uncontrollable laughter. He thought to himself, "And I just thought he was nice!"
Upon noticing Luke's sour expression, Ruster quickly composed himself and apologized. "I'm sorry kid, I'm just joking. Don't get mad at me, it was just hilarious."
Luke wasn't entirely appeased but decided to let it slide. As they resumed their walk, Ruster broke the silence again. "I'm not an alien, I'm from Earth just like you!"
Ruster's declaration that he hailed from Earth, instantly quelled Luke's irritation. A new wave of curiosity washed over him, bringing along a barrage of questions. "From Earth? Seriously?" Luke questioned, his brows furrowing in bewilderment.
"Yes, but I'm from another realm... I suppose you humans would refer to it as the ardoks realm. I'm a wardok," Ruster clarified.
Luke's response was an elongated "What?" that echoed his confusion and surprise. Anticipating the next question, Ruster jumped in to provide further clarification.
"Our world and Earth are identical in size and share the same location, they just don't overlap, and can't interact with each other," Ruster elucidated.
Luke's expression remained puzzled, prompting Ruster to delve deeper into his explanation. "We share the same Sun and Moon, and the same constellations. To help you understand, imagine if a meteor were to strike Earth, causing its destruction. Our world would suffer the same fate."
As they traversed through the lively streets, Ruster continued to enlighten Luke about his world. He explained how Earth and the wardoks world were essentially different layers of the same location. Luke grappled with the concept initially, but after a bit more explanation, he managed to wrap his head around the idea. Intrigued, he asked, "How can we go there?"
"Humans can't go there!" Ruster responded firmly. "You need to use your Ki energy to transition there, and humans can't do that!" He explained.
A wave of disappointment washed over Luke. He had hoped to see this intriguing world Ruster was describing, but it seemed an impossibility. Sensing Luke's despondency, Ruster attempted to uplift his spirits. "Don't feel disappointed, there's nothing to see there anyway," he reassured.
"Why not?" Luke probed, curious once again.
Ruster dove into a historical recount of the last 1000 years in the wardoks world. A war had ravaged the four major nations—Kathala, Vagoth, Nerojin, and Denmen—leaving the world uninhabitable and severely depleted of resources. Kathala, the victor, had seized control over the other nations.
Luke hung onto every word Ruster spoke, his mind a whirlwind of curiosity and fascination. Each new detail only fueled his thirst for knowledge, leading to a growing list of questions bubbling within him.
Eventually, they arrived at a local fast-food restaurant not too far from Luke's home. The clamor of lively chatter filled the bustling establishment. After a moment of scanning the crowded room, a waiter directed them to a table by the window. Ruster, without missing a beat, ordered five large double cheeseburgers with a side of french fries. The waiter, taken aback by the unusually large order, inadvertently neglected to take Luke's order before scurrying away.
The oversight irked Luke, but he found he wasn't particularly hungry anyway. He turned his attention to Ruster, who was seemingly lost in the scene outside the window. Intrigued by Ruster's earlier recount, Luke probed further. "Why were those countries at war?"
Ruster shifted his gaze back to Luke, a sigh escaping his lips. In the blink of an eye, a blue, glowing stone materialized in his hands. "Because of this," he stated matter-of-factly.
Luke was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the precious stone, but he quickly regained his composure. It seemed every action of Ruster's defied his understanding of the world. Suppressing his astonishment, Luke queried, "What is that?"
Ruster embarked on an elaborate explanation about the mysterious stone. The object, he revealed, was of unknown origin but crucial to the wardoks' survival. It functioned as a conduit, allowing wardoks who couldn't master the jump technique to teleport between their world and the human world. Moreover, it facilitated the transportation of vast quantities of resources from Earth, a necessity due to the stark scarcity of supplies in the wardoks world. Thus, the stone's importance was unparalleled; its possession equated to control over their world.
Despite the complex nature of Ruster's explanation, Luke managed to grasp the majority of it. Ruster handed the stone over for Luke to inspect. It was a transparent blue crystal, roughly six inches in length, and surprisingly lightweight.
Luke had a myriad of questions still teeming in his mind, but his thoughts were interrupted by the waiter's arrival. "Your order is ready!" announced the waiter, setting down a platter of five double cheeseburgers.
"Yes! My favorite meal!" Ruster exclaimed, promptly launching into his meal.
Luke watched, aghast, as Ruster devoured the cheeseburgers at an alarming rate. His eating habits were far from refined, to say the least. "Your favorite meal! You usually eat it?" Luke queried, unable to hide his revulsion.
"Yes, a lot of jumpers bring stuff like this to our world!" Ruster replied between mouthfuls.
"I see..." Luke muttered, his attention once again drawn to the fascinating crystal in his hands. After a while, he asked, "If the stone is so important, why do you have it?"
Ruster paused, swallowing his mouthful before responding nonchalantly, "Because I stole it!"
"You stole it... why?" Luke probed, his mind already formulating theories. Perhaps Ruster was from one of the defeated nations, and this was an act of vengeance? "Is my assumption correct?" he ventured.
"No, you're wrong!" Ruster dismissed, casually reaching for a glass of water and savoring it leisurely. Luke waited in anticipation for the revelation. Eventually, Ruster set his glass down and declared, "I'm actually a Kath, my home country is Kathala, the one who won the war... The reason I stole the stone is to save the human world!"
"Save the human world... From what?" Luke asked, a note of concern creeping into his voice.
By this point, Ruster had polished off his meal. He reclaimed the stone from Luke, causing it to vanish once more, and gestured for Luke to get moving. Heading for the exit, Ruster was momentarily blocked by the waiter, expectantly waiting for payment. Ruster, however, simply pointed back at Luke with his thumb, indicating that his friend would foot the bill. The waiter stepped aside, allowing Ruster to saunter out, leaving Luke to grudgingly settle the bill.
"That idiot! I should've known he wouldn't have any money!" Luke grumbled internally, a wave of anger washing over him as he watched his monthly savings dwindle. "You owe me a meal now, Ruster!" he yelled in annoyance.
"Oh! I'm saving you guys, and you don't even want to treat me right?" Ruster retorted sarcastically as he strolled off.
Luke quickly caught up with him, recalling their previous conversation. "Oh! Yes... about that, I asked you, saving us from what exactly?"
Ruster, who had thus far exuded an air of nonchalance and sarcasm, now adopted a grave countenance. His voice heavy with seriousness, he declared, "The wardoks... they are going to invade the human world!"
Luke's stride faltered, and he came to an abrupt halt, fixing Ruster with a look of deep concern. "Are you serious?" he queried, his voice trembling slightly.
Unfazed, Ruster continued his steady pace, unraveling the whole narrative for Luke. He talked about the circumstances surrounding the stone's theft, his motivations, and those who stood with him. He reassured Luke that as long as he held the stone, humanity was safe.
"Ah, so that explains your injuries when we first met," Luke mused aloud. A moment later, he posed another question. "So, what is our next move with the stone?"
"I'm going to break it," Ruster declared, his voice resolute and unwavering.
Breaking the stone was no small task, but among Ruster's allies was one who had mastered an age-old technique specifically designed for this purpose. Ruster revealed his plan to return to his world, regroup with his comrades, and shatter the stone.
Luke was perplexed. Earlier, Ruster had emphasized the stone's importance for the survival of the wardoks. He voiced his concern. "But how will your people survive without the stone?"
"If we no longer have the stone, we'll be forced to rebuild our world using our own strength. The stone has made us greedy, too reliant on humans," Ruster explained, his tone somber.
Luke could sense a shadow of sadness in Ruster's demeanor, hinting at deeper, more painful truths that he was reluctant to share. He chose not to pry further into the matter. Still, there was one question gnawing at him. "Why do you want to save us, Ruster?" he asked.
Ruster's demeanor had shifted noticeably. His gaze flitted about their surroundings, scrutinizing buildings, pedestrians, every shadow. Then, the voice of Ghost echoed, a note of warning lacing his synthetic tone.
"Master..." Ghost intoned with an undercurrent of urgency.
"Yes, Ghost... I'm aware!" Ruster replied, a sudden edge creeping into his usually carefree tone.
Luke, oblivious to the subtle changes in the atmosphere, was taken aback. "What's going on, Ruster?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.
Ruster turned to him, his gaze serious and intent. "Luke... I need you to remain calm, alright?" he urged, his voice steady despite the gravity of his next words.
"We're being followed." - Ruster
ns 15.158.61.23da2
