Whispers of Metal: The Forge of the One Mage

"Hi, this is the author speaking. First of all, are you enjoying my story? If so, leave a comment."

Slowly, a week passed without me really doing much. Not that I had many options, since I was stuck in the hospital. However, I managed to use that time to gather some information about this world, thanks to a documentary channel. Honestly, the theories they presented were dubious, but considering this is the world of Steven Universe, maybe not so far-fetched.

To summarize: most of the ancient history is similar to my world, with a few notable differences. For example, certain dictators and cruel kings mysteriously disappeared or drastically changed personalities overnight. There's also a theory that the Gem structures were built by aliens or some advanced civilization that, of course, mysteriously vanished in a war. Sure, that's what they believe here, but I have my own theories.

Recent history is even more intriguing. In the last hundred years, things have been quite different. There was only one world war, and it was more of a series of guerrilla conflicts than an all-out war. World War II never happened, and the Cold War wasn't even possible since the countries of this planet merged several times. So much so that America is now one single country covering the entire continent. English and Spanish are the official languages, although in places like former Brazil, they still speak some Portuguese, though it's not official.

As for Europe, Asia, and Africa, much of those continents also united into a block where English, German, and Italian are dominant. Interestingly, the remaining region of Asia and Oceania has Korean as its main language, followed by Chinese and Japanese.

What really caught my attention was the technological level of this world, which is significantly lower than in my reality—except, of course, for Gem technology. To be specific, there are no nuclear bombs, the internet is only about twenty years old, and the technology doesn't seem that advanced. Thankfully, at least they have cell phones and computers.

After some reflection, the day finally came for me to leave the hospital. I had a simple plan in mind to get some money—something necessary to start moving around Beach City without drawing too much attention.

… "Well, it's been a few hours since I left the hospital, and I've already made four hundred dollars," I said to myself as I watched the bustling street. Pretending to be a street magician had been easier than I expected, and far more profitable than I imagined. However, I knew I couldn't repeat this trick in Beach City without attracting attention, and the last thing I wanted was unnecessary eyes on me before meeting the main characters. That would take a few weeks, at least.

As the sun stayed high in the sky, I asked some locals about nearby hotels or motels. Luckily, I found one on the outskirts of the city, which meant a long walk. I took the opportunity to buy some essentials: a backpack, some food, a toothbrush... the basics. I also found a thrift store where I picked up another set of clothes, though they were a bit big, and an old but functional phone that at least connected to the internet.

When night fell, I finally stood in front of the motel. The place looked decent for a roadside motel and seemed clean at first glance. Just as a precaution, I decided to sterilize the bed with a bit of magic. You know, you can never be too careful.

Aside from that confrontation with that Gem a few days ago, there wasn't much more I could do at the moment. Finding a job that wouldn't attract attention, locating a secluded place to practice my skills, and exploring the limits of my psychic powers were my priorities. For now, I lacked the resources to fund my plans, so I decided to put one of my new abilities into practice: my learning capacity.

I opened my phone and started absorbing information at an incredible pace. Compared to my previous life, it was as if all the theoretical knowledge I read imprinted itself effortlessly in my mind. In just a few hours, I already felt capable of applying everything I had learned. It occurred to me that I could resume my studies in electronics and programming, something I had left pending at my old university. The sensation of learning at this speed was addictive, almost as if I could spend days absorbing knowledge without rest, thinking of ways to apply it in reality. But hunger and the midday light reminded me that I needed a break.

I decided to head out for lunch at the famous Big Donut. The place looked much better in person than in the show, with that charming vibe that characterized it. As I pushed the door open, a soft aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked donuts flooded my senses. Behind the counter stood who I assumed was Sadie, with her characteristic blonde hair and a kind smile.

"Hi, welcome to Big Donut. What can I get you?" she asked in a friendly tone.

After eyeing the donuts, I replied, "Four strawberry donuts and a black coffee, please."

As Sadie prepared my order, she asked, "Are you new around here? I haven't seen you before."

I gave her a knowing smile. "Yeah, I just got here. My name's Adrian, nice to meet you."

"I'm Sadie, Sadie Miller. Nice to meet you too," she said with a smile. "Are you here for work or something else?" she asked, continuing the conversation.

"A bit of everything, really," I replied vaguely, but not too much. Then I remembered something important and asked her, "By the way, do you know if there's a library around here?"

Sadie nodded. "Yes, there's a small library a few streets ahead, take a right at the end."

"Perfect. One last thing, do you know if there's a scrapyard nearby?"

She looked at me a bit puzzled but answered anyway. "Yes, it's on the outskirts, follow the main road south, and you'll see a sign on your right. Just head in that direction."

I thanked her and said goodbye. As I walked towards the scrapyard, I noticed something very strange on the horizon: a pair of mechanical yellow eyes glowing with artificial light, like small suns, began to subtly suck the nearby air towards them. "What the hell?" I thought as I made the connection in my head, wondering if this was part of one of the show's episodes. After a moment, I said to myself, "Hmm, this looks like the episode with the red eye and the laser cannon, better watch from a distance and see how things play out." I thought as I made my way to the nearest beach, not close enough to get caught in the damage.