Living on Borealis-9: The Story Of A Reincarnated Human

Chapter 2.1, Part 2: Good Afternoon

As the town awoke, I watched as various people came out from their dwellings and began to do their daily things. Yawning guards sipped some kind of coffee, traders opening up their shops, kids of all ilk hiking off to school. I watched as a heavyset blacksmith, with glowing red eyes and pale grey skin, put on an iron mask and apron, and began to light up the forge.

Only they did not use matches, but instead created a circular ball of fire from their fingertips. The Demon dribbled it a few times like a basketball, causing it to become more orange in shade, and threw it into the forge with a small explosion. So...Magic's real. Figured as much. You know, witnessing magic firsthand, I expected some earth-shattering revelation, or maybe being amazed beyond words. Nah, it just felt like seeing something neat, like a dude juggling ten balls. Just...Huh.

Eventually, as I finished up my wreath of bread, I saw three adventurer-looking people. They were wearing cloaks and wore armour, with one carrying a sword, and another holding a bow and arrow. One thing was common between the three, as they all had bags like they were off camping in the wilds. Adventurers, I'm sure.

"Oi!" I yelled, getting up and running over to them. "Where are you off to?"

"We are off to the nearby catacombs. You cannot come with us." One of them said. Their hood was too low on their face for me to see all of it, but I was pretty sure they were some kind of Orc, as they had an ugly clay-like mug and pointy-looking teeth.

"Why not? I'm totally ready to do so! I got a knife and a lot of willpower!"

"No. You will die." The Orc said to me, lifting their sword up slightly. It made me vaguely angry, the fact that he was getting ready to probably body me. I can take a hint, bro. No need to get violent. But, what could I expect from a dumb Orc, huh?

"Lay off, I get the point." I muttered, backing away as I put my own hand on my knife. I don't like bullies, and if this guy pushes it, I'll retaliate threefold.

"Good. Stay here while we take care of things." One of the others said. Their face was straight up unseen beneath their hood, so I could not really see what was up with them. They sounded very...old.

As the adventurers walked away, I couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated. Damn smug-looking Orc, with his ugly face and 'I-am-stronger-than-you' attitude. I get that they probably have a thousand and one people come up to them to ask and go with, but...I actually could be helpful! I'm probably a Werewolf! Jag-smelling prick.

Then again, I wasn't...well, a GOOD Werewolf. I cannot transform, not at will. I don't think I'm much stronger than others. I'm only slightly better in the sensory department, with 20/10 vision and a sharper sense of smell. I guess I am kind of upselling myself. But still, I couldn't shake the feeling that they were underestimating me. I may not be some powerful warrior or magic user, but I'm not completely useless either...Am I?

Moving on from that brief existential thought...I figured that maybe I should try to get a grasp on this world. If I understand the rules, I can work within them. Call me lawful evil, but I like knowing just how far I can bend the rules before I get in trouble. Plus, I can identify the people native to this planet a lot better, since I have yet to see a Human. My best bet for information would probably be a library. If the books aren't written in a language I can understand, I can play at the traditional peasant act and say I can't read, and have someone read for me. Yeah. So, setting down the streets, I began to wander around, looking for any kind of indication of a library.

Three hours later, and with the strike of the clocktower, I was no longer looking for a library. I was wandering around now for a tavern, which seemed to be very notably absent. As I wandered, I eventually came across a small park. It wasn't anything particularly special, just a few benches and some trees, all surrounded by grass. There was a small fountain in the centre, which gurgled and bubbled with water. Not a calm gurgling, but more like someone being waterboarded. But, no issue. Water is water, sound is sound. Both can work for listening and thinking.

Wandering in and sitting on a bench, I guess something kind of clicked in my head, like a switch. I had been processing all of this stuff pretty alright. I can understand things. Draw connections, compare, go 'Oh! I understand' with references to things I knew about in life. In my mind, I'm just in some kind of weird Isekai story, and I'll be out of here soon enough. But as I listened to the sputtering and pained mechanical groans of the fountain nearby, reality hit me over the head with a shovel. This wasn't a story. This is not an anime, or a game, or anything like that. This was actually, really happening. I am DEAD. My DAD is a freaking GOD, with real divine power and possible...Just...Divinity! This isn't Percy Jackson or anything like that, I'm not going on adventures. I am stuck in a place that I do not know about, I have had my world turned freaking upside-down, and now? Now what?! I have nowhere to go! At least on Earth, I had my degree in Computer Sciences, and I could do coding, or maybe make my own software, or do tech support. But here? Here in Medieval land? There are no computers! No magic glowy boxes I can work with! I had nothing! God! This isn't a good time!

Alright, take a breather. Panic does nothing for you but make you weak. Think: What did I do when I went to a new place, and I couldn't read about the rules? I learned from the locals, right? That always works, just find a friend or guide to help you out with whatever you need help with, like how to avoid getting scammed. I just had to find a guide.

Suppressing the panic attack coming over me, I scanned around the park. Nearby was an old-looking fish-looking man. Imagine a super-old sensei, mixed with an anthropomorphic blue and black-speckled axolotl, then make him eat a lemon. That was the way that the old fish man looked. You'd have to see him yourself to understand. So, I got up, trudged over, and sat down next to him.

"Weather's nice today, don't you think?" I suggested.

"Yes. That's why I am out." He replied with a deeply aged and worn voice.

"Do you think it will rain tonight?"

"No, it will be a blood moon. Feel free to walk around when it comes."

Alright, that's something I can latch onto!

"Blood moon? What's that?" I said, putting on my best confused face.

"...The blood moon? Did you grow up in a cave? It is when the moon is red as the sanguine liquid itself, scaring away all haunts and beasts of the night. Not even Vampires are lured out during that time! It is the one night where you can let your children out into the fields with no fear of them being eaten by a Lumberwolf or gutted by the horns of a Hornse." He replied with sudden youth and vigour in his voice. I think that I have found my guide.