Volume 2. The Departure
I'm still not sure how old I am. I mean, technically, I died at 20. Then I got reincarnated as a dice. Spent ten years attached to a baby like some divine babysitter keychain. One day I took a nap, and boom—
Eight years fast-forwarded like someone accidentally hit skip intro on life.
Time skip?
Yeah, I wished for it a few chapters ago.
Didn't expect it to hit me like a truck with viagra.
And my appearance now?
According to Lyra's very dramatic and slightly concerning description,
I look like I'm still in my twenties.
Which makes no sense because hello, how old am I, really?
Spiritually?
Emotionally?
Chronologically?
Anyway, eight years... That's how long everything around me had been leveling up like a speedrun glitch. The village? Way more bustling than I remembered. Big carts coming and going, merchants yelling about apples and mana crystals, little kids casting sparks in the streets like it's normal now.
Mage awakening?
Yeah.
It's basically a pandemic at this point.
Full-blown magic inflation.
What used to be a once-in-a-generation miracle
has turned into cabbage-tier common. Arial Village was considered magically dry before.
Now?
This house awakened a mage.
That house awakened one too.
Pretty sure the squirrel in the backyard just unlocked fireball.
Welcome to Mage Vegas.
Population: Everyone.
And it's not just here.
Every corner of Eden's going through the same outbreak.
People are calling it:
The Mage Plague.
The Root Bloom.
Or—my personal favorite.
Corona Mage Virus Disease.
Because nothing spreads faster than chaotic power and dumb names.
And I swear—
All this sudden magic inflation?
It has to be caused by something.
Some hidden trigger.
And let's be real,in every classic fantasy plot, that kind of setup never ends well.
It's never "oh wow, magic for everyone, peace achieved."
Nah.
It's always doomsday.
And I think we're already halfway through the trailer.
So how do I know all this magically cursed gossip?
Simple.
Lyra.
After my internal breakdown and spiritual mango incident, you'd think the world would slow down a bit. Give me a breather. A moment to recalibrate.
Nope.
She shoved it into me. The moment I blinked back into sanity, Lyra activated her lore-dump mode like she'd been training for a kingdom-wide gossip championship.
No survivors.
Not even me.
Nonstop. From morning to night. Like a broken news broadcast with trust issues.
Honestly?
It felt like I was the baby again.
And she was the adult, spoon-feeding me world history with terrifying enthusiasm.
She was terrified I'd missed too much during my little "coma", so she force-fed me every update like I was an unconscious grandpa with lore-deficiency.
Village rumors.
Royal decrees.
Squirrel duels.
Cabbage explosions.
The full Eden disaster report and an entire crash course on the continent's geography.
(I guess in case I ever needed to teach a class or dodge a war.)
And the weird part?
I thought things might be awkward after… y'know.
My coma sleep, we literally didn't see each other for a long eight years.
But instead? She got even closer.
Is this my charm?
More open.
More chatty.
More… lean-y.
Like actual leaning.
On me.
Physically.
Like I was her personal story pillow.
Which would've been nice.
Really nice.
Except.
She talks to Levin the exact same way.
…
Wait.
Oh no.
Am I…
Did I just unlock the mythical, inescapable, reality-bending final form—
The Legendary Eternal Best Friend Zone?
…
Ah, never mind.
I'm not interested in her.
That's what matters.
Anyway, the Friend Zone part? That was just the intro I needed to share...
One time, Lyra pulled out a rough map.
More like a napkin she doodled on with fire magic.
She gave me the rundown.
So Eden's divided into five main regions:
1. North-East – Eleandra:
Home of the Elves.
They've started growing floating cities now.
Not building. Growing.
Some of their trees have elevators.
Literal, leafy, magic-powered elevators.
I want to press the wrong floor button just to see what happens.
2. North-West – Adam Kingdom:
The human realm.
Still feels weird calling it "Adam."
Like, where's the Eve Kingdom?
If that place exists, I'm moving in.
Paradise, please.
3. South-East – Shurtie:
Dwarven territory.
Their capital is shaped like a giant gear.
I don't know if that's aesthetic or functional,
But it screams steampunk vibes and short temper.
And the name? Shurtie?
Come on. You're not fooling anyone.
That's just "Shortie" with a regional accent.
Whoever named it that way?
Beyond redemption.
4. South-West – Kingdom of Diva:
Beastkin central.
Basically a zoo, but the animals run the place.
You've got dragons, wyverns, talking monkeys,
and probably a karaoke bar run by a tiger in a tux.
Chaotic.
Fluffy.
Absolutely glorious.
They've somehow united into one massive, furry empire.
5. Central Region – Neutral Territory:
Anchored by the flexing capital: Nexus City.
Right in the middle of this absurd patchwork world.
Each major region is pretty much single-race dominant—except for the central area.
It's where things get interesting.
In the Central Region, races mix like a tossed salad.
But not evenly.
Most villages still stick to their own kind.
Take our home, Arial Village, for example—technically part of the Central Region, but it's almost all humans. Occasionally, you'll spot a dwarf passing through, but that's rare and usually when they're lost or selling ore. The only place where all races truly live side by side?
Nexus City.
The shining, magical mixing pot. It's loud, weird, chaotic and somehow works without exploding.
Basically the whole vibe of a magical menace in boots.
And about the people in the village?
Oh yeah.
Mom still wears her apron like armor. I think her apple pie might've awakened its own mana root.
Dad walks without a limp now, turns out a decade of magical rehab turns you into
part athlete, part cabbage whisperer.
Grandpa?
A total beast. Grew a beard so wise it might qualify as a separate sage.
Kevin?
Now known as "The Wandering Spellcrafter of Arial."
He teaches Root Theory with dramatic cape flips and ominous sky stares. I suspect he's still single. Not judging. Just… concerned. Did I mention this before? His wife—Levin's mom vanished shortly after Levin was born.
No note.
No clue.
Just... gone.
Kevin's never talked about it.
Not even once.
Levin? Yeah… still around.
Taller.
Fire spells hotter.
Still trying to flirt with Lyra.
She still doesn't notice. Or maybe she does. And that's even worse.
Honestly? I feel him. I understand his problem.
If we were classmates back on Earth, we'd probably start The Friendzone Guy Club.
BFF potential? Dangerously high.
And of course…
Justice Wears Pink is still a local urban legend.
Word on the street? He became a minor celebrity in a neighboring village after founding a so-called "Guild of Guilds." Official members?
Cabbages.
Literal. Cabbages.
And somehow, it worked.
Until it didn't—because apparently, the guild accidentally turned into a traveling circus. I swear I'm not making this up.
And me?
I'm still adjusting. Still a dice. Still trying to pretend I'm emotionally stable. Still spiritually recovering…
Then the main star herself.
You know when I said she was lean-y?
I'm not exaggerating.
These days, for some unknowable reason, she likes wearing me as a pendant again.
So, brothers.
Men of culture.
Gather here now. Yes. Close your eyes.
Picture a necklace—
Where does a pendant usually land when a girl wears one?
Yes. Exactly. There. That sacred place.
And me?
Yup. That's my new seat.
And I'm a perfectly healthy, normal guy, so normally I'd love the fluffiness. But the thing is… it's kind of weird.
I watched her grow up. This is messed up. I should be careful.
Day in, day out—there I am. Nestled against her… you know.
And just when the thought crosses my mind—slap. Mental slap. HARD.
This is Lyra. This is punishment. Divine punishment. Stay sane, idiot cube.
If she were someone else, I could totally enjoy—no. Don't go there. Mental slap again.
And then—
She walks into the bath.
With me still around her neck.
The view?
Pure hell. Ultimate test of willpower. Terrible. Awful. Cinematic. Kill me now.
This is totally wrong and right at the same moment.
Is this some kind of honey trap?
A devious plot to corrupt a noble, straight, pure, clean, innocent, SFW-certified soul like me into eternal suffering?
One time I told her, "Please put me outside or in your pocket before the bath!"
She replied flatly.
"You've been strapped to my neck since I was born. You've already seen everything since then—what's the point of hiding now?"
She didn't even blink.
"Besides, you've got ten-meter wallhacks. You'd see me anyway."
"And it's tiring and troublesome. Every time I need to go to the bathroom, I'd have to walk away and put you out of range."
Ah yes. I forgot to mention.
I can clearly see anything within ten meters now.
Yeah… I can see everyone in the house and the neighbors too.
Which sounded cool—until you realize some things should never be seen from any angle.
Some walls were meant to exist.
Trauma unlocked.
Wait—HOW DOES SHE EVEN KNOW THAT?!
Was she spying on my thoughts again?!
💀
And there it goes.
My moment of Zen.
FMDL.
I was tormented between heaven and hell, walking a tightrope with no safety net.
So I came up with a mental trick.
I imagined I was riding an airplane.
Now—imagine this with me, dear reader.
You're sitting in a comfy seat, tray table down, maybe sipping juice.
Then—bam.
The airplane hits turbulence.
The whole cabin jolts. Overhead bins start rattling. That one guy next to you screaming while gripping both armrests like he's facing death itself.
The captain's voice comes on: "Please remain calm, we are experiencing some unexpected turbulence."
Calm? Forget that. Every part of your brain goes into survival mode.
Then comes the moment.
Everything goes gray. The plane shudders one last time—then explodes.
Nothing you can do. No way out. Just sitting there in the void.
Thoughts? Gone.
Desires? Deleted.
Evil ideas? Vaporized.
That kind of nervous jolt is nature's instant cleanse for the mind.
That's why I use it.
Every time I'm stuck beneath the valley of fluffiness, or when she heads to the bathroom, I trigger Lyra Airlines.
A doomed flight.
Engine out.
Brace for impact.
And in my head, I spam the chant to stay sane:
"Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines. Lyra Airlines…"
It works. Mostly. I think. Please send help.
Purely a survival mechanism to keep my sanity intact. Totally innocent. Absolutely SFW. Probably.
Lyra Airlines™ is now boarding.
As CEO, I proudly announce our inaugural flight.
"Luxury Death Seating: Strapped with Time Bomb."
(Achievement Unlocked: Front-Row Throne to Chaos.)
"Cabin pressure unstable.
Altitude unhinged.
Welcome aboard Lyra Airlines.
Brace yourself.
I'm not ready to land."
Next Stop: Sanity.
Estimated Arrival Time: Moral Paradox.
P.S.:
[Certified SFW]
No indecency detected.
Just warm, wholesome geometry.
Totally normal necklace behavior. 😇