BXBX NOVEL Chapter 135: Wrong Landings
He leaned forward, his eyes serious. "Be careful down there. In the twelve universes, our role is to maintain order. Earth\'s humans can be hostile, resorting to guns, poison. They\'re crafty and cruel. Don\'t trust anyone."
Kieran nodded, her expression resolute. "I understand. I\'ve studied human history extensively. Their propensity for violence is well-known. I\'m prepared and will take care of myself. Thank you for the advice."
The Lead coordinator rose from his seat and retrieved a key from his desk. "Head down to the vault through this door. Your supplies are packed in a sack," he explained. "You\'ll find about $2,000,000 in digital cash and essential food items for emergencies."
He handed her the key, his tone turning more serious. "Remember, time on Earth affects you differently. Three months there means your body will age three months. It\'s not like here where time doesn\'t affect us."
Kieran offered a slight nod, her thoughts briefly drifting. "Does he ever shut up?" she mused internally. She took the key and made her way to the vault located behind their office. Efficiently, she gathered her supplies and headed out.
She grabbed the same device that had initially transported her to Earth. Clasping the Chromatic Diamond Cross, Kieran swiftly exited the coordinators\' office. As she left, she offered a quick word of thanks. The coordinators, already immersed back in their paperwork and discussions, gave her light waves without looking up, their focus shifting back to the myriad tasks at hand.
Kieran made her way to the departure area, which was less a conventional room and more an open space marked by its unique features. A large crystal stood prominently near a wall that appeared almost artfully broken, adding a sense of mystique to the area.
She approached the crystal and tapped her Chromatic Diamond Cross against it. In response, the crystal illuminated with a bright blue light, mirroring the glow on her cross. Holding the cross close over her chest, Kieran closed her eyes and focused on her destination.
In a moment that seemed suspended in time, a flash enveloped her. The light from the crystal and the cross intensified for a split second, and then, as quickly as it had appeared, the brilliance faded. Kieran had vanished, leaving behind the quiet hum of the crystal in the now-empty departure area.
As Kieran zipped through the cosmos, her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. "It\'d be so much easier using the fancy portal. But why can\'t I go to Earth that way? Erebos managed it just fine," she pondered, her curiosity piqued by the inconsistency.
Space around her was a blur of stars and colors, an endless expanse that seemed both vast and intimate in these fleeting moments. Her journey was a solitary one, yet she felt a connection to the universe that was both humbling and empowering.
Suddenly, her contemplative journey was abruptly interrupted. She crash-landed, not with the graceful precision she had planned, but with a jolt that brought her squarely into the heart of a dense jungle. The lush greenery, a stark contrast to the void of space, now enveloped her.
"This isn\'t right," Kieran muttered, her confusion clear as she scanned her surroundings. "These aren\'t the coordinates I set." The jungle was alive with sounds and movements, a stark reminder that she was no longer in the controlled environment of her own realm.
Before she could orient herself, a long spear whistled through the air towards her. Reacting with lightning-fast reflexes, Kieran dodged it deftly. Her heart raced as she realized this wasn\'t just a mishap in navigation; she had landed in a situation far more dangerous than she had anticipated.
The jungle erupted into chaos as more spears flew towards Kieran from all directions. Amidst this sudden onslaught, she spotted a woman perched on a tree branch, clad in camouflage, her hands nonchalantly crossed. Kieran, with her swift agility, dodged each incoming spear, but her mind was racing to understand this unexpected hostility.
The camouflaged woman suddenly shouted, "Steel Storm!" and slammed her hand onto the branch. The forest air tensed for a brief moment before hundreds of tiny metal shards rained down from above, slicing through leaves and branches in a deadly metallic downpour.
As Kieran maneuvered to avoid the metal storm, her GPS flickered back to life, announcing her unintended destination: Brazil. She quickly activated her energy shield, rendering the barrage of attacks futile as they bounced off harmlessly.
Determined to confront her assailant, Kieran charged towards the tree. "Who are you?" she demanded, closing the distance rapidly.
The camouflaged woman, taken aback, stepped back on the branch, attempting to fend off Kieran with a knife. In a swift motion, Kieran caught the blade with her bare hand, the clash sending both of them tumbling off the tree branch.
As they fell towards the jungle floor, Kieran\'s mind was ablaze with questions about this mysterious attacker and her unexpected arrival in Brazil. The situation was escalating quickly, far beyond what she had anticipated for her investigation.
As they landed on the jungle floor, Kieran acted swiftly. She reached out and tore the mask off her assailant\'s face, revealing a young woman beneath. Her expression was one of determination mixed with confusion as she demanded, "What\'s going on? Why are you attacking me?"
The woman, momentarily taken aback by the unmasking, stared at Kieran with wide eyes. "You\'re a human?!" she blurted out, her voice a mix of shock and disbelief.
Kieran, maintaining her composure despite the chaotic turn of events, responded with a hint of impatience, "Well, no. Not exactly. For all intended purposes, let\'s say I am. I\'m from... a bit further away. But I\'m here looking for someone."