- Chapter 4 - Revelation -

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When Ares opened his eyes again, he was floating in the deep dark void.

He knew that he was still alive. If he were actually dead, he wouldn't be able to think, let alone feel anything. The aftershock from the tormenting pain still lingered in his senses.

— Why me? Out of the hundreds of thousands of players of <EPO>, why me?

Ares tried to search from within the information <Mental Link> had seared into his mind. Unfortunately, it only encompassed the bare minimum that was required to survive that particular encounter.

That included part of the system logs and operational data of the ship. It was the reason why the pilot was able to make decisions based on the circumstances.

Frustrated, Ares let out a profound sigh.

That was when he noticed a glowing blue cube floating towards him. It looked cracked and tattered. Judging by the design, it possibly had missing fragments.

— What was that? Another gimmick?

Upon touching the cube, it shattered into pieces, while emitting an intense white light that dazzled my vision.

"Ugh, it's bright!"

A pure white room of nothingness appeared before Ares. In the middle of the room was the figure of a woman holding a walking stick, which contrasted with the modern outfit she was wearing. Her head was partially covered by a hood.

"Congratulations, Captain Ares Blight. You've passed the 'trial,' splendidly. This way, the succession is officially completed."

"Who are you? What is this place?"

"I am <Core 701>. You can treat this as a dream. Your body should be under treatment, so don't worry about that."

<Core 701> bowed down to express her gratitude. Then, she lowered her hood and revealed her true appearance.

A pair of cat ears stood on top of the woman's pale azure hair. The pair of soulless olive-green eyes were devoid of any warmth or hope.

Ares happened to recognize the woman from her appearance.

She was identical to the avatar of a well-known player in <EPO> if disregarding the appended cat-like features.

"Were you… a fellow player of <Ereus's Prophecy Online>? You look very similar to someone I knew…"

"Undeniably, I was. Our ex-crew… they were all players of <EPO> too. We were reincarnated as heroes to fight for our homeworld's future. Against the formidable abominations that terrorized our 'New Lumina.'"

"Did y'all find yourselves on board the ship suddenly, just like I did?"

"No. We boarded <Synthesis> of our own free will. We had a choice. Though for me myself, I was coerced into remodeling my body into a 'living core.' Other than that, it was completely consensual."

— Heroes? More like disposable goods.

From the information shared through <Mental Link>, Ares learned that the ship did not possess the capability to take on the fleet of <Obscura>. The feat when <Synthesis> had successfully retreated into hyperspace, after "assassinating" the extraterrestrial mothership, was nothing short of a miracle.

To him, it was unfathomable. Only fools that had a death wish would allow themselves to be involved with the impossible task, he thought.

"Did you regret it?"

"At first, yes. However, realizing that we could finally contribute and repay the blessings from our revered God, we gained great determination."

"By mentioning 'god,' you mean…"

There was only one "god" Ares could think of.

"Lord Remi."

— I knew it. It was her.

What appeared in Ares's thoughts was a specific cat-eared dictator that ruled the first Arc City <Lumina> with an iron fist.

She was Remi, the overlord of <Lumina>.

She had dark purple hair of ill omen and sapphire blue eyes filled with mischief as well as a pair of cat ears. A long tapering tail sprouted out of her petite body, which was gifted with disproportionately large breasts.

Ares once wondered, how could she even manage to balance herself? When he first learned of the cat-eared girl, he was bewildered that she could stand still and walk like an ordinary person.

Her existence was both a blessing and a curse to the universe. <Lumina> was such a dystopia that no sane person would ever wish to set foot in. The penal code was infested with capital punishment, and anyone could be arbitrarily executed for "blasphemy."

"Sorry, I need to know… which Arc City did you originate from?"

"All of us were from <Lumina>."

"Ah… Thank you for the information."

Ares immediately understood what that meant. The citizens of <Lumina> worshipped Remi as the <Goddess of Life>. That was for a solid reason. She was able to cure almost any disease, including cancer, with just a wave of her hand.

The only ailment Remi couldn't cure, according to her, was "assholery." She even publicly tortured "assholes" with all sorts of contraptions, and used them as experiment fodder with absolutely zero regards to ethics.

When confronted about her inhumane acts, Remi playfully pretended that she was a cat and said: "Do I look like a human being, meow?".

That all proved how insane the cat-eared deity was. And yet, devoted worshippers were head over heels for her.

— Did the six ex-crew members and <Core 701> herself agree to pledge their lives as if they were inherently suicidal because of their faith?

"The <Obscura> you were ordered to fight and designated as our primary enemy, what are they?"

"Demons from outer space. We witnessed them showering down from the sky in the form of ominous purple meteors. They were cone-shaped pods containing hideous insectoid creatures of various sizes, with purple crystals embedded in various body parts."

The description reminded Ares of "landing castles" featured in a movie about space invasions he had once watched.

"At that time, one of them landed near the training facility and wreaked havoc. It was frightening. We were ordered to seek refuge in an underground bunker until martial law was lifted. Although the invasion was thwarted within three hours, there were thousands of lives lost worldwide. It was a tragedy."

It appeared to Ares that it wasn't just acts of piety, but because they have experienced such an invasion firsthand. He could understand that feeling. If he were born a hero in a fantasy world and have witnessed atrocities committed by demons, he would join the crusade against the demon lord.

"We were taught that these creatures were the 'demons' that threaten the world. The 'demon lord's castle' was out there looming, periodically sending in troops."

Ares assumed that "demon lord's castle" was the enemy mothership that <Synthesis> had defeated.

"In fact, there was a large-scale invasion attempt back when the Seven Arcs still existed. Back then, Remi and her fellow cat-eared beings defended humanity from the creatures. They did a splendid job, to the point that we didn't even realize that the attack had happened."

"If they were indeed that powerful, then why was <Synthesis> even needed?"

"According to Lord Remi, the strongest combatant, Lord Airin, who was also the central administrator of the Seven Arcs, had gone into 'eternal slumber' after the 'world merge' for an unknown reason."

Ares had never heard that name before as only one cat-eared deity had ever revealed herself to the public. But that answered the mystery of why Remi did not lay her hands on the other six Arc Cities. It looked like she wasn't at the top of the hierarchy.

"The fabled valkyrie single-handedly destroyed entire battalions. Without her, the world was constantly in threat. That is why we were summoned and given the heroic mission. To save the world and return peace to its residents."

"I see… So, that's why. By the way, <Core 701>, do you remember your actual name? Either 'in real life' or in-game?"

"None of us remember any names. I was given the name 'Synthesis' until that day."

"That day?"

"Lord Remi proposed that I become the 'living core' of this starship and have my neural system wired up onto the ship's systems. She said that it would increase the ship's performance and the probability of the mission's success."

— Holy shit, she's literally a "living" core.

"Then what about Syntia… No, <Core 702>?"

"Syntia… Is that the name you've bestowed upon <Core 702>? That's a good name. I wish I had one too…I do not know much since that core had existed within the list of modules from the very start. I was only instructed to activate it at the appropriate timing. A brand new soul would be born, I was told."

"I see…"

Syntia was not a reincarnated person. That was the implication Ares drew from the answer. Furthermore, he was intrigued to know what the avatar of Syntia looked like. Perhaps she would eventually develop one.

"<Core 701>, if given a chance, would you like to know your name? Even if it was too late…"

"I appreciate the offer, Captain. I will be able to depart without regrets if you would grant this minuscule wish of mine, to receive a name. The moment the system decides to scrap my 'core' shall be the end of my mortal life. It was scheduled for after a successful <Mental Link> attempt, which was what the 'trial' was about. Again, congratulations, Captain. By surviving the ordeal, your 'aptitude' is proven to be exceptional."

— Aptitude. Did she mean player skills?

Ares did not think that he had any outstanding achievements when compared to other players. He was indeed skilled, but he enjoyed the game at his own pace instead of striving for the best. Unlike the "no-lifers" on the rankings, he had a full-time job.

"When I was the acting living core, I had the authority to call forth backup crew members from a list of 'reserve pilots.' To describe it is like being woken up from cryosleep. You might wonder, where were the others."

"Yes, I did. It was a doubt that plagued me for a great while."

"That fateful battle… It heavily damaged our 'reservoir.' Your aptitude was the best among what we could salvage. I mean, most likely to survive a <Mental Link> session."

Ares nodded his head in response. Said aptitude was about some sort of physical compatibility instead of in-game skills and achievements.

"Again, I apologize for everything. For dragging you into this world without your consent."

"It's alright. You've given me a chance to live a second life. I should be grateful. Hmm, what about the other candidates? Do they…"

"Sorry, they were discarded. We only had enough resources to summon one person. It was a tough decision to make."

"Oh, what a pity…"

Just when Ares thought that he could call forth more pilots and operators as a helping hand, the idea was crushed into bits without mercy.

The figure of <Core 701> started to glitch out.

"Sorry, my time… is up… for real. Please take… good care of… <Synthesis>… and… Syntia…"

"Rest assured. I will. Thank you for your service, Luna Luciel. That was your in-game name back in <EPO>."

"My name… Luna Luciel… Thank you, Captain… Thank you…"

<Core 701>'s figure turned into countless blue cubic particles that dispersed all over the place. The white room collapsed as well, sending Ares back into the void that was decorated by the particles for a brief moment.

"Rest in peace."

Ares mourned for the deceased living core whose identity was a reincarnated player of <EPO>. Luna Luciel was a skilled operator that excelled in logistics, fire-control, and navigation assistance.

He could see why Remi picked her out of all others. Luna had a diligent track record in co-piloting large-sized starships as well as providing logistics support to her squadron.

— What about me?

Ares knew that he was just a normal wannabe hot-shot that recklessly piloted cheap starships like it was disposable. That was under the precondition that it was easy to recoup losses. In <EPO>, here was an insurance system in which a brand new starship of the same type and loadout could be reacquired by paying just five percent of its net worth upon respawn. Module engineering and fine-tuning had to be re-applied, though.

— But now, I am in reality. It's no longer a game. Death is lurking from everywhere.

Ares learned that the hard way. Pain, suffocation, and starvation were all real.

Luna Luciel's words reminded him that he was the last and only pilot. There were no replacements available. Him losing his life meant that Syntia would eternally suffer in solitude, forever isolated in the cold and desolate void.

Ares resolved to try his best to keep both himself and the ship alive. Self-preservation was the first law of nature, after all.

Lost in his thoughts, the determined young man was dazzled by a sudden brightness that engulfed his vision.

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