As Lux stepped out of his new house, he was confronted by a man waiting outside. The stranger had a strong jaw and a wild mop of brown hair, dressed in simple brown pants, a plain white shirt, and sturdy leather boots. With hands firmly planted on his hips, he radiated a hostility that Lux could feel from a distance.

  "So, you're the important human," the man said in a gruff voice. "What makes you so important that Silver brought you here?" His words were clipped and demanding rather than inquisitive.

  A chill ran down Lux's spine. Novgar and Silver's protective presences were gone. He was on his own now, hoping Silver's command to keep him safe meant something to this man.

  "Azura, tone it down, you'll scare the human," Twiggs interjected with a disarming smile.

  Azura dropped his hands, grunted, and simply turned on his heel and left. Watching him go, Lux realised life in Silver City might not be as comfortable as he'd imagined. If this was the standard welcome, Twiggs might be his only ally while Novgar and Silver were off collecting monster cores.

  "Damn it, I should have protested more about staying here, instead of being distracted by that woman's beauty," Lux thought, though it was too late for regrets. He'd just have to make the best of it.

  Twiggs broke the silence. "Lux, don't worry about the others. They'll come around."

  Lux nodded, though not nearly as optimistic as Twiggs. "Then I'll just wait. How about we continue the tour?"

  "Okay!" Twiggs said, eager to move on. He pointed to the house at the end of the row. "That's an empty house." Then to the one next to Lux's. "That's mine. Next to mine is Azura's." Twiggs continued pointing. "Then there's Violet's, Magenta's, Ruby's, Novgar's, and the first two houses are Silver's."

  Lux made a mental note of the names, even though he had yet to meet most of them. He'd be stuck here for a while, so he might as well learn who's who. "Got it," he said, shifting his gaze from the row of shacks back to Twiggs, awaiting the next part of the tour.

  "That concludes the tour," Twiggs announced with a smile.

  "That's it? What about where you get water, or where the food is grown? What about entertainment?" A sinking feeling hit Lux as Twiggs' smile faltered. All his hopes for a relaxing stay seemed to evaporate.

  "Uh, well..." Twiggs fumbled for an answer. "Oh, right, we have water!"

  "Well, that's a start. Where do I find the water?" Lux realized he was suddenly thirsty.

  "It's a short walk from here. I'll take you there," Twiggs said, visibly relieved to have an answer. An hour later, Lux was reeling, the water source was a massive, sprawling lake. The problem? It was an hour's walk away.

  Lux’s throat went dry at the thought of making this trek daily. The terrain was rough, littered with rocks and pebbles that slowed him down and forced him to watch his step constantly. If there was a road, the trip would take half the time.

  Lux sighed as he gazed over the vast lake. Life on Mystic Beau was not easy; he missed paved roads! Yet irritation faded as he took in the calm surface of the water, sunlight dancing across it in a beautiful display.

  The view was stunning. Lush greenery in every shade surrounded the glittering water, and a giant mountain loomed on the far side of the lake, adding to the serenity.

  He admired the scenery for a while before thirst overcame him. Lux knelt at the water’s edge, cupped his hands, and drank deeply. Once satisfied, he turned to Twiggs.

  "Hey Twiggs, do you have one of those bags that hold more than they look like they should?" He’d seen Novgar and Silver with special pouches that could hold massive amounts without changing size or weight, reminiscent of inventory bags from games he played back on Earth. Sometimes, Mystic Beau really did feel like a game.

  Twiggs nodded and lifted a small pouch from his leather belt. "Yes, I have one."

  "Great! Can you take some water back for me?" Twiggs nodded, pulling three water skins from his pouch and handing them to Lux.

  Lux walked to the lake and began to undress. Twiggs blinked at him. "What are you doing?"

  "Taking a bath. It's been three days since I washed. Oh, speaking of bathing, do you have any soap?" Lux filled the water skins, set them with his clothes, and accepted the offered bar of soap from Twiggs before proceeding to bathe.

  "Great, now that I have water, I just need some food. What do you usually eat around here, Twiggs?" Lux asked as he dressed. Before he could enjoy life in Silver City, he needed to cover the basics.

  "We just kill a monster if we're hungry and eat the meat," Twiggs replied. Lux eyed the twigs in Twiggs’ green hair. He’d assumed Twiggs was a vegetarian, apparently, he was wrong.

  Lux couldn't help but groan. He liked meat, but not for every meal. "What about wild fruit or vegetables? Are there any around here?"

  "Yes, but you'll have to ask the others to collect them for you. We've already cleared out all the wild fruit and vegetables in the safe area of Silver City," Twiggs explained.

  If the rest of the residents greeted him like the red-haired woman and Azura had, Lux doubted his requests would be met with much enthusiasm. "Twiggs, could you collect it for me?"

  "Unfortunately, I can't leave the safe area yet. I was injured recently and I'm still recovering. When I'm better, I'll happily find fruit and vegetables for you. Until then, I'll share my monster meat with you, I have plenty."

  "Thank you, I appreciate you sharing. Can I do anything to help you recover?" Twiggs had been nothing but kind, and Lux was starting to worry about him.

  "Thank you for asking, but I've received treatment and just need time to recover," Twiggs replied with a good-natured smile. Lux was relieved to hear it. "We should head back now; I have things to take care of."

  Twiggs walked Lux back to his house and then left. With nothing else to do, Lux decided to explore the safe perimeter to see how far it extended. On the trip to the lake, he’d asked Twiggs about the boundary. It was the only thing keeping him safe, so he wanted to know its size.

  Stolen story; please report.

  Twiggs had told him it was a five-kilometre radius with the Silver City sign at the centre. Lux wouldn't accidentally leave the safe zone either; apparently, before he left, Silver had set up the ward so Lux wouldn't be able to cross the boundary even if he tried.

  This didn't bother Lux, in fact, it made him feel more secure. It was also why he felt comfortable exploring alone. He grabbed one of the water skins Twiggs had left for him and chewed on a piece of dried monster meat as he walked.

  It felt like being on a hike back on Earth, the scenery not so different from a national park he'd visited once with his mother. Lux kept an eye out for anything edible, but all he found were trees, grass, flowers, and shrubs.

  The uneven ground made him roll his ankle twice. After what felt like hours, he finally gave up. He'd thought Twiggs was exaggerating about there being no wild fruit or vegetables, but now he was convinced the man had been telling the truth.

  He'd marked the trees as he went so he wouldn't get lost and followed the trail back. The sun was setting as he returned, all five of the other inhabitants were in the middle of a heated argument.

  "Well, I think the human tricked Silver somehow!" screamed a woman with short blond hair.

  "How could Silver get scammed?" roared the red-haired woman in response.

  "He's definitely up to something; he disappeared as soon as Twiggs left him alone!" Azura chimed in.

  The blond woman nodded furiously. "See, he's fishy! I think we should kill him!"

  "Yes, I also agree. The human hasn't even said why he's here!" This new voice belonged to a delicate woman with raven hair trailing down to her waist. The scary part was the black energy crackling around her as she spoke.

  Lux was seriously regretting coming to Mystic Beau. He should be at home, tucked up with a blanket! Why were these people discussing his murder like it was nothing?

  "Who is killing the human? You'll have to go through me first! Silver tasked me with keeping him safe!" spat the red-haired woman. Blue fire erupted from her, crackling in the air.

  The argument grew more intense, menace practically radiating from five. Lux considered hiding in his house, but the blond woman spotted him before he could move. "You!" His plan to retreat was foiled as she stomped over. "Why did Silver bring you here?"

  The crackle of magic in the air made the tiny hairs on his arms stand up. Smoke from the cooking fire drifted past, sharp and acrid in his nose, grounding him in the tense moment.

  Lux had a feeling that if he didn’t give a good answer, these people might actually kill him. Lux’s mouth went dry as he searched for an answer, eyes darting between their expectant faces.

  He couldn't tell them about the dungeon, it was clearly a secret he needed to keep.

  The only other plausible excuse he could think of wasn't great, but he had no choice but to try. The threatening stares from three of the five left him with little hope of escaping without an answer.

  "Silver brought me here to build Silver City. That's why I disappeared today, to survey the terrain I'll be working with," Lux lied, maintaining a straight face.

  "What?" The aggression drained instantly from the blonde woman's face. "Haha, finally! I've been telling him he needs an expert if he wants to make Silver City a real city!" She suddenly hugged his arm, smiling brilliantly. "I'm Violet. What was your name again?"

  Her abrupt change in demeanour made Lux nervous. If she discovered his only experience in city-building came from games, he was sure his head wouldn't stay attached to his shoulders.

  Violet led him over to the group. Lux kept his eyes on the others, especially those who had been most vocal about threatening him. The raven-haired woman scrutinised him thoroughly, as if assessing the truth of his words.

  He was startled when their gazes finally met. Her eyes were a dazzling red-purple colour. "I have heard that humans are good at building cities," the delicate woman remarked.

  "If you're telling the truth, then I shall devote myself to you. We should marry as soon as I verify your authenticity." The solemn words sent a chill down Lux's spine. What was wrong with this terrifying woman? Who offered marriage so casually?

  "That's not necessary," Lux stammered, waving his hands in panic. "I don't plan on getting married anytime soon."

  "Magenta, weren't you saving yourself for Silver?" Twiggs interjected, and Lux almost wanted to hug him.

  He was horrified when Magenta pouted. "Twiggy, Silver doesn't even look at me. At least if I marry this man, I'll catch his attention. He'll be important to Silver if he builds Silver City. Besides, once he's finished the city, I can just kill him and marry Silver."

  "You do realize I'm standing right here and can hear you?" Lux thought Magenta might be insane.

  "Yes, I can see you. Did you think you were invisible?" Magenta raised a brow, seeming unfazed.

  A chuckle came from beside him. Violet was watching him with open amusement. "You're going to be great to have around, for more than one reason."

  "I have a question for you, Lux," Azura said, folding his arms across his chest. "If you're here to build Silver City, what's the first thing you plan to do?"

  Although he had anticipated a question like this, Lux's pulse still jumped. He managed to keep his voice steady, but his hands curled tightly at his sides.

  "I don’t plan to do anything, I’m just here to direct." He was committed to the lie now, but that didn't mean he had to work himself to death.

  He had five strong people in front of him; all he had to do was keep them busy until Silver returned. That way, he'd reduce the risk of his deception being uncovered, and getting himself killed.

  It was a flimsy plan, but it was all he had. If he could just keep up the act, maybe, just maybe, he’d survive long enough for Silver to come back and bail him out.

  "Direct? What does that mean?" The scepticism was clear in Magenta's tone.

  "Exactly what it implies. I will instruct you on how to build the city!" Lux grinned.

  Five pairs of murderous eyes fixed on Lux, cold and unblinking.