Seraphim Online: Afterlife

“Hey… erm.”

“…”

The mysterious woman locks eyes with me, then something unexpected happens. She falls face down, straight onto the harsh surface of the cave. That looks like it hurt.

“You alright? Can you… speak?”

I can’t help but rush to her side and help her up without giving it a second thought. Even as I look at her, dead in her purple eyes, it’s like looking into the face of someone high as a kite or pissed as a fart. She’s in a different world entirely.

“…”

‘Damn… I think she’s too spaced out to understand me right now. Or is it the language that’s the problem?’

Still not getting much in the way of a response, I get the woman to her feet and question what I’m supposed to do with her. If she’s completely braindead, I may have no option but to leave her.

‘Maybe some fresher air might help? Seemed easy enough to chat with that Goddess…’

__________

Eventually, after what feels like an hour carrying the purple-haired woman through the cave, we both manage to arrive where I lit up my campfire and find it still burning away.

Don’t even ask how I managed to get both of us through that crack, where’s a stick of butter or a tub of lube when you need it? I’m going to end up looking like a diamond if compressing myself through small spaces becomes a thing.

…

As we sit next to the fire that continues to burn, I can’t help but check her out as she slowly begins to regain her surroundings… not in a weird way. It’s just that my avatar is pretty similar to the woman’s, especially in height and chestsize. Even clothing-wise, we’re wearing pretty similar sweaters… she’s not in the same situation, right? I’ll have to play this carefully to find out.

The silence lingers for a while longer until one of us can’t help but break it by a simple biological need.

“*Stomach growling*.”

“Heh… here.”

Opening up the inventory and getting out both the ration packs and a waterskin, I know I should try saving food, but her stomach growling has made me peckish as well. Eh, sharing is caring... that stench of death still twists my stomach even as the hunger grows.

“*Cough cough*.”

Within a matter of seconds of me putting our picnic down, she’s already got a mouthful of water and food, even causing her to choke in the process. I’d chuckle if I weren’t concerned about how long she’s been in that box for.

‘I really shouldn’t share my only supplies like this… damsel in distress is a reasonable enough reason.’

Anyway, both folded-up ration packs give me a sense of what a medieval MRE might look like. A chunk of mouldy cheese, a couple of ship biscuits, some stale bread and some dried fruit. Adventurers have got to keep healthy when they travel, I guess. The ship biscuits in particular look packed with protein… or bugs.

‘Just imagine delicious chocolate chip cookies… that are gooey and don’t crack teeth.’

“*Crunch*. So… you have a name I can use?”

It takes a second for the cute woman to stop filling her cheeks and think about a response. Thankfully, she’s far more conscious than she was before, even appearing to be smiling now.

“L-Lena… thanks for this. My head is still spinning. You have a name as well, elf?”

‘Ah right, what to use? Makes sense to go down the roleplay route. Not going to be obnoxiously serious about it though.’

“I guess Sera works. Do you have any idea why you were down there, Lena?”

“I… think I died? The last thing I remember, I was on top of my mountain after spending a hell of a night drinking. Think I fell into Agora’s Abyss. It was a long tumble down.”

“Agora’s Abyss? Where or what is that?”

In response to my question, Lena looks at me suspiciously. All it took was a single question and I’ve already made an error.

“Stranger, I’ve lived for hundreds of years and there isn’t a single person who doesn’t know about the abyss that divides the continent. Even the idiotic orcs and slimy lizard people to the far west know of the divide. Somehow, you don’t know about it? Just who are you, Sera?”

…

Knowing I’ve made a right cock up here, I can’t help but pause and evaluate my options. On one hand, she’s a complete stranger and revealing something I shouldn’t may land me in trouble. On the other, I did technically rescue her, I may be able to use that to my advantage. It just comes down to how acceptable this world is to people from different worlds. This Lena is not in the same situation as me, that much I know .

“I could ask you the same... how does someone own a mountain and live for hundreds of years? Even elves start to show signs of ageing after some time.”

…

Pausing herself, it appears I may have taken her back with my response. Took a risk with that elf comment because, for all I know, they could take thousands of years to show ageing here.

“Fair enough stranger, we’ll exchange information with me going first. I’m… born from dragon blood. What you see here is just a form used for blending in…”

“…Now, be honest with me, please. Who are you?”

“Hang on, hang on. You expect me to believe you’re a dragon, just like that?”

“Yes. I’d show you if my head weren't spinning, elf.”

You see, now the roles have reversed. She was suspicious of me for not knowing that abyss place. Now, I’m doubtful she's a dragon.

‘Didn’t the guide say something about dragons possessing a thousand EXP? Just how quickly would that level me up?’

[Level 14 would be hit… don’t even think about it, Sera. This guide is here to assist you and attacking a potential dragon this early on is akin to suicide.]

‘But she’s dizzy, clearly weakened and looking like a human! I’m not saying I’m going to do it, just it could be a wasted opportunity if dragons are experience magnets.’

[Well don’t. The potential reward is not worth the risk.]

	[Butterfly Effect Achieved]
Choices and consequences. You’ll understand what this is next chapter…

Thinking about it a little but realizing swiftly it’s not worth the risk, I return to the conversation where an eager Lena still sits there waiting for my response. I guess I'll try being honest, maybe she’ll look at me the same way if she thinks I’m making up my past as well.

“I’m not exactly from this world if that makes sense. Like, I woke up in the forest to the east… if the sun works the way it should.”

“Ah, so you’re an otherworlder? That makes a lot of sense! I thought you lot stopped coming over here centuries ago, guess not. You know what year we’re in, Sera? Or have you just arrived?”

“I don’t, but there may be someone who does…”

‘Guide, you have any idea what year we’re in?’

[The 2nd day of the year 701, Sera.]

“Seven-zero-one, apparently.”

“Seriously? Fuck! I was in that machine for fifty years! No wonder my butt hurts.”

“H- *Cough cough cough*”

This causes me to laugh and nearly choke on my food as well. From worrying about being hunted down, to learning she’s a dragon, and now Lena talking about her butt, I think I can tell the vibe this apparent dragon let's off. This could be fun travelling with her for a bit. Pretty adorable as well, but I’m still trying to get my head around the dragon thing first.

“You said something about there being more otherworlders?”

“Oh, I was a wee pup back then, Sera. Can’t help you on that I’m afraid... I think you’re the first I’ve met!”

That’s… unfortunate but expected. If I’m to find a secret society of otherworlders that rule over this world, finding the Illuminati won't be that easy. The all-seeing eye will have to wait.

“You curious about the place I come from? I’m doubtful it’s similar to this world.”

“Erm… what’s the weather like? Oh, do you have dragons over there as well?”

‘What’s the weather like? Heh, I’ve got the perfect answer for that’

“It’s sometimes cold, warm, cloudy, might snow up north on occasion. Most of the time, it just rains. At least the island I live on is like that… I guess we do have dragons as well. Just big metal ones that people can pilot, normally with no fire. Accidents can happen.”

“Okay dokey… ah! What about your arm? That looks gnarly! Does it hurt?”

“It’s fine now. Tried experimenting with a slime coming in here and…”

Nattering for a while longer sharing a few details from my world and learning pretty much nothing from this “dragon”, I think she can tell deep down I still don't believe it.

“Hey Sera, I’ll show you my true form if we leave the cave for a second. I’ll bump my head if I don’t.”

“Sure… you need a hand?”

“Nah, I’m fineee… shit!”

Trying to get up while her body still hasn’t recovered from a fifty-year hiatus, her muscles fail again as she loses her balance and falls right into the direction of the flames…

Thankfully, I manage to catch her before landing, but the woman is far heavier than I thought. The strength my elven body has is unacceptable. I can’t stop her falling, but I can direct her to land elsewhere...

[Author-Notes]

Very early image that took 100s of tries, still isn't perfect. It’s either this or nothing for the falling scene (That water in the background is fake news).

----------

“Eh!? E-Erm… I n-never realized e-elves were so w-well-endowed, Sera.”

Landing directly on top of me with my poor elven body cushioning her fall, it's safe to say breasts have plenty of uses. However, Lena’s face fills with a fluster and I’m certain it has nothing to do with that.

“Hold up… that’s not you!?”

Reaching down as fast as low dexterity can allow, I manage to find a very unfortunate placed stick, wedged between both of us right where you’d expect. I get that we landed where I gathered supplies for the campfire, but come on! At least let us get to a town before forcing fanfiction upon us!

“Phew… hehe. You’d put a dragon to shame if you were hiding something like that Sera.”

“Get your mind out of the gutter, dragon! I was always a grower but damn, that would put all men to shame.”

That stick, or best described as a branch, is more comparable in size to a foot long sandwich than anything else. And said stick ended up wedged right between us, I’m not making this shit up!

‘Great, now I want a sandwich filled with as much meat and melted cheese as possible. At least I’ve got bread, as hard as a rock. And some cheese, that smells like feet. Munch munch.’

“…?”

The apparent dragon tilts her head at me like how a pup might do when questioning or wanting something. Ah, guess what I said wouldn’t make sense in a world like this.

“Oh right, I was a guy back where I came from… even if that now seems unbelievable.”

“You mean… are you a eunuch, Sera?”

“Heh, no no… definitely not a eunuch, Lena. Just imagine I was a human male before, now cursed to look like this.”

Lena happily nods at my odd explanation, thankfully not questioning any further, not that I mind explaining things. It’s just that I can’t see how she’d understand the whole avatar thing.

“Anyway… you mind getting off me, Lena? Just show me your form tomorrow because it’s too late now.”

“Oh, sorry Sera. I’ll get up… or crawl. That works for now!”

Despite now being covered in twigs and having a woman struggling to get off me, that’s the least of my concerns. You see, all this attention my breasts have been getting today has resulted in… let’s just say a perkiness that’s refusing to die. Combine that with the busty dragon and that branch between us… I’m starting to get a little flustered myself.

‘Let’s just try and get some shut-eye. All I need is a safe inn before I can start to explore a little… definitely with a mirror so I can look at myself. Maybe I’ll slip into something risqué and uncomfortable…’

Spoiler

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'Great, time to speedrun getting insomnia...'