"Oh, you remember Earth at least. It was hundreds of years ago. I wasn't alive then, so it doesn't matter. What I'm getting at is that this planet itself rejects civilisation unless it is 'Conquered.' The Acryons own the Western regions, and we conquer the Eastern regions."
Long story short, this group were scouts.
They looked for these ruins—lands with seals that had not been conquered and sold the information and whatever beasts they hunted on the way to the government.
'These Acryons are a big deal, it seems, but are they the same?'
After listening to Selene's explanation, he deduced that these Devourers must be a huge problem if they started an apocalypse.
He also decided not to ask what a Proto-Devourer was, as it could be the end of him.
There was one thing, though. "Why didn't you stop to pick up the Flamingoats' carcasses? You said you guys sold the beasts?" he asked.
"Well, flamingoats are easy to find, and it's about to be nighttime. The night in the Canch is not really forgiving," she said. Jack noticed the worried look on her face as she spoke. "Don't worry, you will learn all about it when we get to Murica."
Selene left him alone. They had closed the door, so he was alone lying on the bed once more.
"I wanted to ask about the Acryons. Doctor Marie said something about them, too. I will ask about them later, I guess," he said, looking at the ceiling before closing his eyes.
***
Later on, Jack felt someone tugging at his shirt. When he opened his eyes, Tom and Selene were by the open door.
"Are we there yet?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Yeah, you can just smell it. Even from in here," Tom replied, standing up and stretching his arms. "The stench of home. Home sweet home."
Jack managed a weak smile, but it vanished as the vehicle slammed to a sudden halt. The abrupt stop nearly threw him off the bed.
Red emergency lights bathed the interior of the cabin, replacing the soft white glow. A mechanical, dispassionate voice blared from the speakers, vibrating against Jack's chest.
"PLEASE STANDBY FOR DOME SCANNING. CONTAMINATION CHECK IN PROGRESS."
Jack felt his heart slam against his ribs.
'Contamination check?!'
He looked at Selene, feeling a lump in his throat. "What... what does that mean?"
Selene was checking her gear, unbothered. "Relax, kid. It's routine. The city has a dome sensor to detect Beast-Mutations or folks who've spent too much time in the Ash Domain and got radiation poisoning. Unless you're a Devourer wearing a human skin suit, you'll be fine."
Tom laughed at that. Jack didn't.
A memory surfaced—one where he was working for the International Secret Service.
They had a way of getting through checks at the airport, but he didn't think a 'masking device' existed here or if it would even work.
'System,' he thought, squeezing his eyes shut. 'If they see what I am, I'm dead. Do something!'
Alas, no reply came. No pop-ups. Nothing.
"Stupid system," he muttered.
In the end, he was scanned without any problems, and the rover was allowed to pass.
He wondered if it was the fact that he wasn't actually a Devourer. He didn't even know what made up one, really.
If only he had more information.
'Right. This Murica should be a good place to gather info,' he thought.
Murica was a stronghold. But still had a working city in its centre, which was where the group was heading to get an inn.
One could see the buildings being illuminated, which suggested working technology.
It was strange to see billboards and big stone apartment complexes that looked like a futuristic city puked over ancient Rome.
Murica was the border between human-conquered lands and Beast lands, and deep within the Beast lands was the Devourer lands.
It was scary to think about. But humans were resilient creatures, which was why they were alive, of course.
Jack deduced this based on the humans in his simulations.
So far, the only difference with Earth's humans was the magic and greater physical prowess. At some point, his brain had adapted so much to the simulations being restarted that the mind wipe faded till he walked out through sheer will.
'But how did the simulated world feel so real? I touched these people. I ate with them. I felt fulfilled. How could they fit a hundred lives in my short time in the real world?'
He couldn't answer any of these questions. But he decided to move on instead of worrying about the point of those crazy experiments.
The blinds were open so Jack could see the people.
Their Rover was huge, but the roads were wide enough to accommodate it. Plus, there were countless vehicles as well.
"Crazy, right?" Tom asked, and Jack nodded. "The Scanner back there was like a force field. It goes up into the clouds and forms a dome. There are three rules for that dome. No Devourer can pass through. Corrupted entities can't pass through. A pass is needed before anyone can exit."
This was the information he had hoped for, but he decided to probe a bit further.
"How does one even have the power to make a dome over this massive city?" he asked.
"This city is small compared to the Sun Kingdom. Anyway, do you see that?" Tom pointed to a large billboard. There was a large man with blonde hair swinging his axe down on some Ash golem-looking creature and then throwing a thumbs up to the camera.
Tom explained that the unconquered lands had a trial that conquerors had to undertake. This trial takes them to the past when this planet had life. The person who passes the trial will be the ruler of the land and can make a dome on the land to protect it.
"There are other rewards too, but the riches you gain is the best part," Tom said with a wide grin. Jack could practically see dollar signs in the teenager's eyes.
Tom and Jack kept on talking for a few minutes before they arrived at their destination.
The vehicle stopped by an inn, and they lodged there.
They got three rooms. Selene had one. Stiles and Klein got one. Tom and Jane got one.
"Wait, why are Tom and Jane going to the same room?" Jack asked Selene.
"They are twins."
"What?!" Jack was shocked. Now that he thought about it, it made sense why they were the same height.
"So, we helped you get to the city, and you can stay with Stiles and Klein for a while till you get your memory back. I have someone who can help with that, but it will have to be after the Conqueror selection tomorrow," she said, rubbing her chin like she was contemplating something.
Jack quickly shook his head and said, "No, it's fine. I will be fine. Thank you for saving me. I will be out of your hair tomorrow."
Tom placed a hand on his shoulder, "Sure, I will be participating in the selection, so I will need support. Will you come?"
"Of course. It's the least I can do," Jack replied, happy he could do something to repay the group.
Jack couldn't let Selene's healer reveal his lie. He just needed to find a job and live a stable life.
That shouldn't be hard. Right?