The first thing Ren noticed wasn't the scent.
It was the gravity.
The moment he and Lys dropped through the spiral gate, the weight of the air changed. Mana pressed against his skin like warm water—thick, dense, humming with unspoken intent.
"Whew," Ren muttered as they landed. "That's… definitely not home."
They stood in a glowing cavern lined with crystal trees—actual trees, but grown from shimmering quartz, each branch giving off soft, pulsating light. The ground was moss, but not like before. This moss breathed, tiny sparkles rising with every step.
Above them, the gate shimmered like a rippling pool of glass, now sealed shut.
No going back.
Gloop jiggled and immediately licked the moss.
"Don't eat glowing things in unknown universes, buddy," Ren warned, pulling him away. "That's, like, Rule #1."
Lys chuckled. "You'll find that rules don't matter here. The world you've entered is called El'therra."
Ren blinked. "You just made that up."
"I really didn't."
"Okay," Ren said slowly, "cool fantasy name. What's the catch?"
Lys tilted her head. "This world doesn't belong to any single mana principle. It's fluid. Ever-changing. It mirrors the mind of the one who enters."
Ren squinted. "Wait. My mind?"
Behind him, the quartz trees shifted slightly. One grew a banana. Another twisted into the vague shape of a plush couch. Gloop jumped onto it, purring like a cat and snoring seconds later.
"…okay, you might be onto something," Ren admitted.
Lys kept walking. "This world tests your clarity. Your intent. If you lose focus, it changes into things you don't want."
A long silence.
"So what happens if I dream about a sea made of noodles or—"
The ground to their left exploded.
From the molten glass burst a creature—nine legs, three rotating heads, eyes made of spinning mirrors.
It screamed, not with sound, but with illusion. Ren suddenly saw ten versions of it—then a hundred—then himself, charging himself.
He staggered. "Okay that's rude."
Lys shouted, "Focus! Anchor your will!"
"I'm trying but there's a slime napping behind me and this thing has like three heads and I can't even tell which one's real—!"
Ren took a deep breath.
His mana responded, surging from within like a tidal shift.
He focused. On one thing only.
Protect Gloop.
The illusions shattered. The real creature surged forward, mouths open.
Ren didn't cast a spell. He simply stepped forward, palm glowing, and punched it square in the chest.
Mana exploded from his fist like a miniature starburst.
The creature flew backward—slammed into a crystal tree—and evaporated into sparks.
Lys lowered her blade. "Well then."
Ren cracked his knuckles. "I'm still new to this, but… I think I just passed the vibe check."
From behind them, Gloop snored loudly. Then farted a tiny fireball.
Ren sighed. "He's gonna be a menace."