Another World Reincarnation Chronicle

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The nightmare, as black as the night sky, rushed forward without stopping.

Even when it reached the dry, cracked land that sank beneath my feet as I stepped into the sandy plain, it continued.

The moon and starlight flowed down like a river over the bright white sand.

“Ha…”

I looked up at the sky. Having spotted the legendary Thunderbird twice, I could no longer dismiss that myth as mere fiction. Why had it shown itself to me twice?

Even the residents of Hairan, who lived their entire lives there, had never witnessed it even once.

The Thunderbird appeared like a legend, and then vanished like a legend.

Looking at the sky, there were no signs of clouds or lightning.

“Could you be my destined opponent?”

Pitter-patter- pitter-patter- pitter-patter-!

I whispered to the Nightmare with a small smile.

The Nightmare continued to run without responding. Towards the edge of the endlessly stretching sandy plain.

Basking in the refreshing desert wind, I looked up at the sky.

The sparkling stars in the pitch-black night sky gathered and flowed like a river.

They resembled horses galloping across a vast prairie and also looked like a school of salmon swimming upstream against a rough waterfall.

I had arrived at the desert known as the Shelter of the Stars.

The time of night could not be eternal.

As the moon began to set and the sun rose over the ridgeline, the world began to brighten.

Like lights being kindled from the end, the white sand absorbed the sunlight, revealing a platinum hue.

As the darkness in the sky lifted, the stars began to lose their glow.

And the moment that sight vanished.

The Nightmare and I were able to arrive at a small city with an oasis.

“Purpose?”

It was the guard standing like a sentinel at the city’s main gate, questioning me.

His skin bore a deep bronze hue overall.

“I’ve come to find a blacksmith who can strike starlight. Is there one in this city?”

“A blacksmith who can strike starlight…?”

The guard chuckled softly at my question.

Then he continued speaking.

“I know many legends about starlight, but this story about a blacksmith who can strike it is the first I’ve heard.”

“There must be a capable blacksmith, right?”

“Well, if you’re looking for a good blacksmith, you should head to a city called Burning Road.”

I let out a small sigh at the guard’s words. It seemed I would have to traverse this vast desert further.

“Say, you’re not planning to cross this hot desert in that state, are you?”

“Is that not okay?”

“You’ll collapse from the heat. I recommend a turban to protect your head and a robe to cover your body.”

I nodded and guided the Nightmare deeper into the city.

It passed through the main gate calmly at my guidance.

“Your control is impressive!”

That was the guard standing at the main gate.

He waved at us and returned to his original position.

The small city was bustling with many people, all active in the early morning.

Setting up awnings, preparing stalls, or fetching water from the oasis.

It was a scene full of vitality.

The Nightmare’s large form naturally gathered the attention of the people.

I moved to avoid the increasingly curious gazes.

The first place I headed to was the butcher shop.

Inside the butcher shop, meat of unidentifiable origin hung heavily from chains.

I selected the meat that appeared to have the least amount of bones and placed my order.

“Sandworm meat. An excellent choice.”

“Sandworm, huh…?”

“Yes. Very tasty meat. Haven’t you heard of it?”

Having just arrived here, how could I know what a Sandworm looked like?

However, unlike its fiery name, the meat shimmered with a vibrant red color.

“Is it a bug-like creature?”

“More like a snake. It just got that name.”

Well, that’s a relief.

I stuffed the meat received from the butcher into a large leather bag and hung it next to the Nightmare.

It seemed reluctant to have new weight added to its back, as it wagged its tail in dissatisfaction.

I frowned and gave its rear a light smack.

At that, the dancing tail quietly settled down.

Just then, the butcher spoke to me.

“Say.”

“Yes?”

“That creature you rode on… does it have the blood of Hairan flowing in it?”

“Do you know Hairan?”

“Oh, I heard about it through rumors. Just like the rumors say, it’s magnificent. Is it a third generation?”

I glanced around at the butcher’s question.

Unlike the people from the Hairan region, the residents and travelers here looked at me and the Nightmare with curiosity but didn’t cast those greedy, sticky gazes.

They must not be able to distinguish between pure Hairan and its descendants.

“Yes. Third generation.”

“So, that meat is for it, right?”

“Yes.”

“Must be expensive to maintain…”

The butcher, who had been quietly observing the Nightmare, swung a large knife and cut off a chunk of bright red meat.

Then, he tossed it to the Nightmare.

At that moment, the Nightmare opened its mouth to catch the meat coming toward it.

The swift action made the butcher smile with satisfaction.

I looked up at the sky. Quite a bit of time had passed since the sun hung high above.

The temperature around us was rising rapidly.

Mirages were rising over the scorching sand, and if I wandered this area in bare skin, it wouldn’t be long before my skin started to resemble a roasted delicacy.

The residents here wore robes to shield themselves from the heat and turbans to protect themselves from the blazing sun.

I brought the Nightmare with me and purchased a suitable robe and turban.

“What do you think?”

I asked the Nightmare while draping the robe over my shoulders and putting on the turban.

With its red eyes, it gazed down at me for a while before exhaling a breath right over my face.

Hmph-!

Seemingly, it didn’t like the outfit I chose.

The robe and turban were actually unnecessary for me, who had absorbed Kalbain’s Mana.

The heat penetrating my body was entirely blocked by Kalbain’s Mana.

Nonetheless, I insisted on wearing this outfit due to the gazes around me.

“Just bear with it, even if you don’t like it. People instinctively feel discomfort toward what is different from themselves.”

With a whoosh-

The Nightmare huffed and began to trudge forward.

I continued walking around the city with the Nightmare, searching for blacksmiths.

I wanted to see if there was a blacksmith who could handle starlight.

But even after visiting every blacksmith in this city, I could hear no tales related to starlight.

Ultimately, it seemed I would need to head towards that city called Burning Road that the guard had mentioned.

I led the Nightmare out of the small city.

My stay in this nameless city had not lasted more than two hours.

*

The midday desert was burning hot.

Unlike before, the Nightmare, panting with its tongue out, walked slowly and sluggishly.

The platinum-colored sand warmed by the sun created mirages, making it feel like the Nightmare was running on a griddle.

“Should we take a break?”

It had been about two hours since leaving the city. A Nightmare that had been fine after hours of running was now nodding weakly.

However, the problem was there was nowhere to rest. Looking around, all I could see was the vast expanse of shining platinum sand.

The hot mirage made the horizon where the sky met the sand waver.

I opened the cap of the water bottle hanging at my waist and let out a small breath.

“Whew-!”

The mana circle settled in my heart began to spin rapidly.

The cold starlight mana surged forth, escaping with my breath.

My frozen breath caused frost to form on the water in the canteen, instantly creating ice water.

“Here. Drink this.”

The Nightmare quickly downed the ice water from the small bottle.

Then, as if wanting more, it started to lick its tongue eagerly, looking back at me.

It was asking for more.

“No.”

I shook my head with a firm expression, placing my hands on my hips.

In the scorching desert, water was directly linked to survival. I had to conserve it as much as possible.

With my refusal, the Nightmare clicked its teeth together and walked along in a drooped manner.

How long had we walked like this? Suddenly, I spotted the shimmering appearance of an oasis in the distance.

“Oh!”

A cheer escaped my lips. I quickly pulled on the reins of the Nightmare and shouted.

“Let’s go! There’s an oasis up ahead!”

With a whoosh-!

However, the Nightmare’s reaction was lukewarm.

Why in the world was it acting so disinterested when it looked like it was about to collapse?

I tilted my head and patted its large neck.

“Why? You said you wanted to rest?”

The Nightmare shook its head at my question and started walking in the opposite direction from the oasis.

The Nightmare was quite stubborn. No matter how much I tugged at the reins, it insisted on a single direction.

Ultimately, the moment I declared my surrender and sighed.

The oasis I had been seeing through the mirage suddenly vanished.

That’s when I recalled the tale of mirages often seen in the desert.

“You can’t be telling me you recognized that, right?”

Pffft-!

The Nightmare let out a light snort at my question.

It seemed to puff up with pride for some reason.

As time passed and the sun hanging in the sky began to gradually set.

Yet another oasis appeared in the distance.

Wondering if this might be another mirage, I frowned and tried to take a closer look.

Just then, the Nightmare began to run.

Its charge was unstoppable. It moved as if it believed the oasis ahead was real.

As the distance to the oasis closed in, it became evident this wasn’t just a mirage.

That oasis, now nearer, had several other guests.

There were five in total.

They were looking at me, each placing a hand on their weapon.

However, their gazes were filled only with caution, showing no signs of hostility.

“Hello?”

The moment I greeted them with a light smile, their wariness vanished in an instant.