The rushing winds were so loud that even calling them roars didn't do them justice. As two men plummeted to the surface of an unnamed world, their bodies were almost ripped to shreds by the wind alone.
But why did it seem like they enjoyed it?
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
"WOOOOOOOOO!"
Two vastly different screams were lost in the wind. It wouldn't be long before the two were set aflame by their velocity.
As for how they arrived in such a strange situation, it was really simple.
Damien's teleportation range spanned around ten thousand kilometers at its full potential, but at that distance, he couldn't quite pinpoint where he'd land when he appeared.
Not to mention, Niflheim was still far more than just a mere 10,000 kilometers away when he grabbed Long Chen and left the starship.
With Long Chen unable to wear the chaotic space with his body alone, Damien was forced to hastily teleport them before the negative effects could impact them.
Essentially, a hasty and not-carefully-planned teleportation trip ended with them falling into Niflheim's atmosphere and dropping to the ground with its gravity.
Gravity that Damien realized was a few times that of the Cloud Plane.
"LET'S GOOOOOOOOO!"
Damien's excited shout didn't make it very far. Even Long Chen didn't hear it. But it perfectly summarized his current excitement.
Excitement from the new adventure in front of him and the insane circumstance that started it, when he arrived on the surface he wouldn't be able to display these emotions, so he let them out in full while they fell.
It was exhilarating. Even while knowing he could use mana to stabilize himself or teleport to safety, it was still exhilarating.
It was the raw human emotion that one would feel when they fell through the sky unbarred by anything and everything.
On the other hand, Long Chen was experiencing sheer terror. It was one thing to fly in the sky, it was another to fall through it.
In his shock, he even forgot that mana was a viable option to stop himself, so he continued his descent with Damien.
As they fell, Damien checked over his body with his awareness. His hair was pitch black without a single stain, and his eyes had reverted to their original amethyst color. Compared to his usual appearance, he looked exceedingly normal if one ignored his attractiveness.
'Now that it's gone, I kind of miss it. Then again, it's nice looking like a normal human again.'
With complicated feelings in mind, he grabbed Long Chen and roused his mana, teleporting them closer to the ground while avoiding the hassle of becoming living meteors.
However…
'Ah, right. Teleportation carries momentum.'
Instead of saving them, he actually accelerated their fall. Tongues of flame were starting to appear on their clothing.
But even this wasn't a concern. Damien enjoyed the adrenaline rush from his first time sky-diving for a while longer at their new speed…
…all while ignoring Long Chen, who became quite the comedic sight when he could no longer hold back any food he'd ingested prior to this experience.
When the two finally reached the ground, though, Damien used vector control to absolve their momentum, leading to an anticlimactic end to their exciting escapade.
And along with their feet touching the ground…
A sword bursting with Sword Aura swung at Damien's head accompanied by the roars of a dragon. The Empyrean Dragon Sword was itching for blood.
But Mirage appeared in its path at the worst possible moment, clashing with it and causing sparks to fly.
"Hey! How could you attack your teammate?!" Damien shouted in mock indignation.
"You…! How dare you call yourself a teammate!" Long Chen yelled back. He could still feel the terror that ran through his bones. It was hard for him to even swing his sword with how shaky his legs currently were.
Damien smiled wryly and shook his head. Perhaps he had gone a bit too far this time, but how was he supposed to know that Long Chen had an irrational fear of heights?
"It's not a fear of heights, it's a fear of being dropped to death from the chaotic space above! How are you going to call that irrational?!" Long Chen lamented.
"Ah, don't sweat the small stuff," Damien responded causally. His gaze changed immediately after. "We are in enemy territory now. We must act with prudence."
Long Chen's face went through the same motion, hardening when he realized the situation. The Empyrean Dragon Sword vanished into his body, a pair of glasses surfaced on his face, and he became stoic.
"Yes. I am Long Aotian, assistant of Researcher Damien Grey. And you?" King Chen asked seriously.
Damien almost couldn't stop the smirk forming on his face. Those old fogeys at the top were really accommodating this time around.
A pair of glasses appeared on Damien's face as well, framing his shining purple eyes quite nicely. Strangely enough, his original eye color looked far more mystical than his unique one.
Damien changed his clothes at the same time as he put his glasses on. Wearing a lab coat over a black turtleneck and equally dark pants, he looked like the typical picture of a young researcher with a bit of style.
"I am Professor Damien Grey. It is a pleasure to meet you, my assistant." He finally replied to Long Chen.
Long Chen's face was a sight to behold. He looked like an orc/ogre hybrid with how his face scrunched and frowned.
"H-hello, sir," He finally squeezed out, "I look forward to working with you."
Damien smiled in return. "Haha, what are you talking about? Xiao Aotian, haven't we been comrades for years? There's no need for this flattery talk between us."
Damien looked around to identify their current surroundings. It wasn't by luck that they landed in such a barren and desolate place far away from civilization.
"Hmm, this is strange. The Mysterious Fire Fruit was stated to be in this area, but I can't find any traces of it. Could we have been mistaken?" He muttered to himself.
"No, sir. This is the location we were given. Perhaps it is underground?" Long Chen responded.
"Mm, Aotian, you are experienced in matters related to the subterranean world. Aid me in exploring for a moment. We can return to Evotech tomorrow if need be."
Long Chen nodded and obediently followed his command. Their switch into the characters they were playing happened rapidly and flawlessly.
If one didn't see them appear out of thin air moments prior, one would have no idea that they were different people.
And such was the case for the eyes watching the duo as they dug through the ground.
"It is as the information stated." A lone voice spoke through a communication device on their hip.
"Professor Damien Grey and his assistant Long Aotian are within the Outer Wilds as I speak. From the disarray of their clothing and the tracks left behind, I can confirm that they have been in the area for many days already."
The tracks the voice was referring to were naturally prepared for when Damien and Long Chen arrived at this location a few days later, but due to Damien's decision, they'd arrived far earlier than they were supposed to.
And perhaps this decision was the one that saved their lives.
"Affirmative. Professor Damien Grey and Long Aotian will be registered as verified persons. Notify the rest of the force that they are no longer suspicious."
The voice gave a sound of acknowledgement to the one who replied to their report. Even though they'd personally verified what they needed, they couldn't help but feel suspicious about the whole thing.
The timing at which the two appeared in front of their vision was simply too convenient.
But then again, it wasn't their job to worry about the small things. Now that the report was submitted, there was no need for them to stay within this desolate wasteland.
'It is about time. That ship should be landing in Asgard territory within a few days. I must regroup with the Phantom Squad and head there to observe.'
With this last thought, the individual vanished from the Outer Wilds, using a teleportation device to return to the nearest city.
And at the same time, Damien and Long Chen's gazes met, with them heaving a collective sigh of relief.
Their time in Niflheim had begun with an extremely close encounter.
