Vol. 2 – Chapter 42 – Half-Player

---

The two moved on to talk their heart out, moving away from the magic talk and going into personal discussion, where Mathias felt some worry about what Fayrene specified was happening to her.

"Fay, so you can see the name under my head, correct?"

"Yes, it is white, and it also says about some level that I don't understand. All the outlanders I've interacted with treated me like I was one of them, which makes me question many things. Apart from this, I also encountered moments where they would ignore me when I would not want to be noticed by anyone."

Mathias, who watched Fayrene's face, saw her nameplate color changing into a green color, signifying she was just a common NPC of the world, but seeing that change from white to green made him shocked, which made Fayrene get worried, asking him.

"You've noticed?"

"I did. This is really a delicate thing, I can't explain, dear. What else do you see that isn't normal to you."

"Apart from being able to see the names of people without even knowing them, I saw a message right in front of my eyes, specifying about how <The Party formed by some people unknown to me, have defeated a unique boss> but because it was so annoying to me when I said it to be closed, it turned off. Am I going crazy, Mat?" asked Fayrene, holding Mathias's hands tightly.

Mathias looked at Fayrene as if a ghost had arrived in front of him, which made Fayrene even more scared of what was happening to her, but soon she noticed how he turned calmer, which soothed her mind.

'Could it be? I didn't do something that broke something which interfered with the system? A bug? Is this really a bug that gave Fayrene the system of users? But how? I doubt Morpheus, the Administrator of the Game, would even do such a thing. The developers? Bah, if they knew that such a bug exists, I think they would try to erase Fayrene from the game at all cost along with me who triggered this bug.'

{Kid, what witchcraft have you done!? I don't understand a single thing of what you say right there, what bug, what developers? Who is Morpheus?}

'Old Haycien, quiet down! I am not in the right mind to explain to you what shit I have jumped in, okay? Better go to sleep while I solve my problems. That doesn't concern you. I will take care of the Saharan burden you've thrown at me with or without your support.' said Mathias in his mind, while being full of emotions and stress from the thought of what might happen to Fayrene if things would be found out.

{Sigh, lower your voice, that was really loud.}

'Because this is a serious time, now shut up!'

Ignoring the old ghost murmurings, Mathias, who was pondering on what to do while holding Fayrene hands, later told her in a quiet voice, barely audible.

"Call this. "Open Menu" and tell me what you see."

She did as Mathias told her, and her violet eyes gave off signs of fear, especially when an extensive list of things appeared in front of her, like a hologram.

"What do you see?"

"A lot of things, such as <Capsule Setting> which seems to be more dim compared to the other names, <Notifications>, <Chat and Friends>, <Sound>, <Voice>, <Block List>, <Hotkeys>, <Interface>, <Recording> which is dim like the <Capsule Setting>, <Verification> along with a <Log Out>, which is dim as if doesn't exist. That's all I see."

"My God!" exclaimed Mathias, who looked at Fayrene's scared face, who started trembling when hearing that exclamation.

"Did I get cursed?" asked Fayrene with a shaky voice, looking at Mathias, whose face marked surprise and contemplation.

"A curse? It might be a curse if you don't understand what that thing is. However, once you have an understanding, it will be easy to adapt to your new circumstances."

"What do you mean, Mat?"

"What I mean by new circumstances is that you become like me, a player. A half-player from what I can understand from how your system is configured, but nonetheless a player."

"A player?"

"It is complicated, dear, it really is. But to me, and the other of my people let me give you an analogy. This world is just like a dream where we connect and can interact with the inhabitants of this world. As you could have noticed, most of our motifs are different, but one thing is in common we want to progress, and that is done by fighting monsters and also doing tasks given by the people."

"..."

"I am just, a dream?" inquired Fayrene with a sad tone, while looking at Mathias expression, who quickly changed into sadness, where he took her in his arms, and hugged her, telling her softly.

"No dear, no, you are not. You are as real as one woman could be, just that we are separated by a veil of darkness. My breath, can you feel it? My warmth is still there, just like yours. Our hearts beat the same. You tell me, are we different apart from the thing we call the system and inability to die for good?"

"I believe you, Mathias. Please, tell me more if it isn't hard for you."

Looking at the cooldown of the [Isolation] that was about to wave off, he cast it again, as if doing a chain casting, before telling her in a gentle tone.

"Fay, my world is connected to your world thanks to a magic device we call Capsule, this name you might have noticed from your Menu Settings. Thanks to the device in question, we are linked by our minds to access a portal to enter your world. But we can't always remain in this world because we players are only connected with our minds. This is why you might have seen me in the past not being around or disappearing for no actual reason."

"This means on the other side, you have to live your life, sleep, eat, drink water to sustain your body?" remarked Fayrene as if understanding what Mathias explained to her.

"More or less, but this doesn't mean I don't enjoy the food here. To me, it tastes like food, just that it has a different effect on my body here, not outside since this is just an extension of myself."

Fayrene began placing the two and two together, as Mathias explained to her the differences in their world, and slowly she started calming herself down before turning again worried, asking him.

"Then who am I?"

"You are Fayrene, regardless of what curse might have been thrown in your way. Simple as that, my little darling." whispered Mathias, kissing her forehead, holding her in his arms.

"You will teach me how to deal with those complicated things, right Mat?"

"I will. We have all the time in the world. Let me try something. Tell me what you see."

Mathias went to his system interface and saw he could add Fayrene to his friend list, which once again reinforced the idea that Fayrene was no longer a normal inhabitant of the 'Satisfy' world, turning into something unique in itself.

[You have added user 'Fayrene' to your friend list.]

"There's a new message in front of my eyes, asking if I want to accept the [Friend Invitation]"

"Good, now let me give you a rundown on how these choices work."

Holding her hand, he moved it around where he estimated her system notification would be and patiently told her how she could move her own hand and interact with the new window in front of her eyes or command it using her voice, which made her astonished when finding she could use this curse in such ways.

[User 'Fayrene' has accepted your friend request.]

"A sound came to my ears, like a bell ring." told Fayrene, flinching a bit, but Mathias's just caressed her hand before starting guiding her on how to use the system.

He instructed her on how to open the friend list, where she described to Mathias what she was seeing, where an old list was made, with only one name inside, that being his own. Explaining to her the concept of the friend list and what uses it had, Fayrene, who had her interest picked, told him in a soft voice.

"Whisper something with that curse."

@Mathias: This is how we will keep in touch going forward when I will go on my adventures.

Fayrene, who prior to that had her chat window activated by Mathias, saw the new line appear on the box, and she seemed confused about how it came about. Still, following his tutorial, Fayrene used her mind to say something, which instantly wrote a message on the chatbox before she had to press [Send].

@Fayrene: I don't know what to say. It's too overwhelming and feels even more convenient knowing such a thing existed.

"Indeed, it is very convenient. Besides that, you can also use your voice to talk with your friends using the same interface."

Nodding her head, Fayrene looked at the interface, and like a diligent student as if she was holding a pen in her hand, she looked for the options in front of her eyes before tapping there, like an old lady who discovered the smartphone.

"It isn't that?"

With a chuckle, Mathias asked curious. "What are you looking for?"

"The voice thingy."

"Haha, go to options, and you have to tick the option for voice chat."

.

Fayrene who was getting herself used with the interface of the system, which was an older version to Mathias from what he concluded in his exploratory checks, it could be said she had the Alpha Phase system interface, which was slightly limited compared to what the normal users had access too. However, the basic features were still there, and it even boasted a medieval-styled interface that wouldn't overload Fayrene with unnecessary information.

"Ahh, I found it." … @Fayrene: Does it really work as you said it does?"

"It does, I heard you loud and clear." who made a weird expression as if the echo created by the close distance between the two interfered with the voice message.

.

.

Time passed as they moved on from the system-related information. Now that Fayrene had some notions of it and didn't have a found reason to panic, the couple went back to talk about their lives before the reunion. Fayrene had filled Mathias about her projects and how she was still trying to learn Arcane Orb.

Along the way, she also mentioned Jeanne, and how she was doing with the Rebecca Church and how she chose to retreat slowly from the church activities Archbishop Julius was tasking her with after her memory about him resurfaced, which made Mathias sigh and blame himself.

"Don't tell me it is my fault for her choice?"

"No, dear. She saw how more of those newcomers have joined the Church, and was sickened by their glances and arrogance. So, she would only attend the Cathedral only when needed, that being when Old Julius needs a report on the Church Activities and Expenses."

"Apart from this, she has been healthy, and we started getting along well since reconnecting with one another."

"I am glad to hear that. My second worry was about Jeanne, since her case is more sensible. Both of you need my entire attention from now on. I will try to remain inside Titan for as long as I can, so we can catch up with all the time we missed each other. Right, Fay, do you want to hear who I have met when I get back?"

"You know I can't read your mind. So don't be mysterious. Isn't it enough you've now become a red-head after knowing you with that silky black hair?"

"Cidarian."

Fayrene made a sound of bewilderment before she touched Mathias's white shirt after he withdrew the black coat placing it inside his inventory and later called surprised.

"You've met my family? Now it makes sense why your clothes feel so familiar. Isn't this mom's handiwork."

*Chuckle* "Can you tell it by touch?"

"Obviously, this sewing pattern belongs to mom. She was the one who invented this method. So you've met them, right? Come, don't be shy, tell me more. How have they been? Are they healthy? Aen, and Theo, have they grown up, or are they still cheeky. Is dad still stubborn about his livestock, not wanting to pick up on something easier to do? Hah, don't tell me about mom. She should be relaxing without care since she stopped sewing."

"Ayyy, so many questions all at once. You are right, love. I was sent to Cidarian, which shocked me too, especially when I remembered your childhood stories. Everyone is okay back home. I don't know how big the boys were in the past, but they have almost grown into handsome lads. I can't say they are cheeky, especially when I made them work a bit, swinging the wooden sword and spear.

"They did it without complaining? Without mom forcing them to do it, or dad saying a thing?"

"Not a single breath of complaint have I've heard from those little ones. Those two have big dreams, so they should work hard to achieve them. I've also opened their eyes about certain things they still didn't understand, so in the future when they grow older, I can smile and remark that I was part of their growth."

He told her about how he would teach the boys his spear techniques and also teach them mind games that would improve their brainpower. Mentioning Charles, he told her the stories of the first interaction he had with him, and how he placed him to "Challenges" which ended more favorable for him, making Fayrene laugh out loud, happy to hear how her father suffered in defeat.

"Hahaha, that old man, this is what he deserves for trying to challenge my Mathias. Well done, that would teach him a lesson."

Mathias could only smile, seeing Fayrene happy, and after she calmed down, he continued with his story, about how he milked the cows, picked eggs, cleaned the manure of the cows, reaped the grass, and so on, the menial things any farm boy would make around the farm.

Fayrene was smiling from ear to ear, as she was holding on Mathias's hands while he was telling her the stories of her family and the Cidarian village, from start to finish, how he created those clothes with Jasmine, and rekindled her passion for the craft, how he gave Charles an excellent idea to materialize the milk provided by the cows he was raising for their leather.

Yet when Mathias mentioned the mountain bandits and the wild beasts, she turned serious and asked before he could continue with his story.

"They still weren't dealt off by the Duke's Guard? Even after 2 years, they have ignored Old Aridai requests for help."

"Now, now, let me finish my story." tapped Mathias two times on her soft hands, resuming his story, where he told her how he dealt with the wild beasts, and later the mountain bandits along with his guild members, Orpheus and Ape Wine.

She breathed out relieved to know those criminals were dealt with, no longer being torn in her back when thinking of her home. Nevertheless, Mathias could be at times ruthless with people and even with himself, and what he followed, telling Fayrene gave her goosebumps.

It was the story of the Lurking Spiders and the Spider Queen, which triggered a phobia of spiders inside of her, which was amplified by his vivid description of those monsters and how he fared against them.

"That experience with that Spider monster even now haunts me. The thought of what if she attacks the village. I told mom about that danger so be at ease. If things go sour, she knows what to do."

"We need to solve that problem. How can we put our trust in a monster?"

"I know, but as I am progressing in strength, that monster will also grow. Can we risk it and really create a catastrophe and drag innocent people into chaos? Calm down. Everything will be fine."

.

.

The night settled down completely, and it almost seemed as if Mathias forgot about Vek, who was left inside the salon room. Nonetheless, the young kobold wasn't offended or upset. Instead, he made himself comfortable on the soft couch, and with time flying, he started dozing off without a care if it was right or wrong what he had done.

It was by that time, Mathias and Fayrene exited their private room, only to see Vek snoring, with his long tongue sticking out from his mouth, with his tail wrapped around himself to fit the space of the couch.

"Let him sleep there, dear. I am okay with him until he starts understanding the customs of the humans. Good night, and take care of yourself. Don't forget to visit Jeanne when you return, or I will bleach your hair into black again."

"It will be without effect."

"You never tried, right?"

"I did not, but that old man said it is a mark I have become his successor."

"Sigh, I still can't believe what you have stumbled upon."

"Me neither." said Mathias, moving to give Fayrene a long kiss on her lips, before the young lady send him off with all the wishes she could muster, resulting in a bitter-sweet separation after Mathias logged out, vanishing in gray light fragments.

.

.

"[Clock]" said Fayrene where a clock appeared in the corner of her eye, telling what the hour was, in an efficient way.

[01:40]

'This curse seems quite convenient with the small functions it has for me. Knowing the time is always a forte while working in the cloth business and magic. There are some interesting functions I have to practice using, like the alarm.'

Thinking that, she gazed at Vek for a brief moment, and with a small smile, she walked back to her private room, later casting a spell on the door, placing a lock on it, still on her guard even if she knew Vek was someone brought by Mathias and it wouldn't be a danger for her. She wasn't willing to lower her guard to just anyone.

Changing herself in her sleeping clothes while in bed, she played around with the system interface, getting accustomed to activating and deactivating specific options. Especially at the Friend List, she played around with Mathias's nametag and even wanted to type something, from a love letter to some well wishes, that made her face turn embarrassed.

'This thing seems to be so useful. Being able to talk with your loved ones from all the corners of the world, always knowing if they are alright. Whoever cursed me with this curse or gift, I don't know if I should thank you or bane you, but for the only reason I can be connected with Mathias when he will leave for his adventures, I am thankful.'

Later on after getting tired of staring at the system window, she placed her alarm, slowly closing her gentle eyes and returning to the dream realm.