Chương 1: Planet 500

"Are you sure about this?" Someone asked.

"This is something dangerous. You could seriously get yourselves into a lot of trouble." The boy stared at the person who asked the question. This person looked extremely anxious, and his eyes were red. It looked like he was about to burst into tears at any moment.

"There's no need to worry," he said confidently, showing off his immense pride.

"This will be just like my previous missions. I'll just go through and complete the mission given to me. I'm experienced. I've done this too many times to count." The boy and the girl standing next to the person who had just answered the question were determined. The boy displayed a proud, confident look on his flawless face whilst the girl, who showed no emotion, just stared lifelessly into space. There was a lot on their minds: every time they repeated the procedure it was for a new mission.

Every mission varied with difficulty and intensity. Some involved intense bloody battles, while some were considered a walk in the park. However, the boy and the girl completed every single mission given to them with ease. What they had been standing in front of for the past ten minutes was a portal. A huge, circular portal around five times the height of the boy that had a golden frame and an intense purple glow, leaking smoke with a lilac hue which lingered in the air around them like the smell of pizza.

It was an ominous portal which lit up the area they were in like a lighthouse lamp, one that should deter ordinary people from going through. One that should be handled with care. One that should imply danger to anyone with common sense.

"Listen, you two. This 'Planet 500' is different from all the other planets you have been to. Unlike those small, irrelevant planets that you two have travelled to, Planet 500 has human life. It has a name. The inhabitants of that planet call it Earth. It has languages. It's no ordinary planet, yet you decide it's alright to just barge in and say 'oh, this is planet 500'. That's not how this works." The boy thought about the situation.

There would be people judging him, people possibly thinking his mission was insane, and that he was a lunatic. That was inevitable.

"Don't try to disturb the peace that is our planet," was his mental representation of the inhabitants of Earth potentially scolding them for being different.

"What are you trying to do here?" The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Get out of our planet, and take your stupid portal with you." Maybe this is the wrong decision, the boy thought. Maybe the people of Earth should be left in peace and not disturbed. Maybe the name 'Planet 500' should be given to some other irrelevant planet instead. But then he thought about the mission itself. There was someone out there who needed his and the girl's help. Someone who was on another planet in a different universe. Someone so dear to them.

And most importantly, there was something in Planet 500, no, planet Earth, that the boy and the girl needed. Something that couldn't be obtained elsewhere. Not that he knew of. The boy made up his mind. He smirked.

"You're just a worrier, mate. There's nothing to be worried about. I've made sure there's enough mana to get us from here to Planet 500 and back, so don't worry." He gave the worrier a pat on the shoulder. The worrier flinched.

"I've said this before, but there's life on Planet 500. Not just animals, not just mana beasts, but real-life humans. Homo sapiens. What do you think they'll say to a person able to use mana and those special abilities?"

"Nothing," replied the boy, "because we'll be careful not to show them anything. We'll be like normal people and blend in." That pat on the shoulder did nothing to calm that guy's worries, the boy thought. It might've only made them worse. He really looked like he was going to cry now.

"There's so much more you haven't considered," the worrier challenged, trying desperately to hold back his tears.

"We've considered everything."

"What about the fact that you'll be leaving after you get whatever you need?"

"I've considered that."

"How will you blend in? What if the humans on that planet look different? What if someone really does find out you use powers? What would you do then?" Stop worrying," the boy said, reassuring the worrier.

"I've considered everything. I've done extensive research for the past few months to prepare for this. Do you really think I would go unprepared?" The worrier sighed, defeated.

"Fine," he grumbled.

"There's no point arguing about something so futile. Arguing won't get us anywhere. Just go through. I'll make sure everything is ready." He fiddled with the system, typed what appeared to be the portal's destination into the system, and soon after, the colour of the portal changed from a light purple, lilac colour into a dark, purplish, sinister colour, the colour of fresh, pure mana. The mana was what was going to whisk them to another world.

"Everything's ready, you can go in whenever you want." The boy gave the worrier a thumbs up.

"But remember," the worrier continued.

"This is not like your previous 499 expeditions. Watch out for how people on Planet 500 behave. I'm not responsible for if you are found dead on Planet 500 without me knowing." The boy nodded. The worrier watched as the girl the boy had been with walked through the portal, silent as a ghost. The boy followed suit, waving to and saluting the worrier. The worrier let out a deep sigh.

"These guys never learn," he said aloud to himself.

"They'll eventually get themselves into trouble."

"You have nothing to worry about. If we ever need your help, come through the portal with us. You're more than welcome to." As the two disappeared through the portal, he couldn't help but wonder if they would ever make it back safely, or if they would ever be themselves again afterwards. Or if he would need to jump in with them. For this was just the start of a new infinite adventure.