Four hours later, in the <Observatory>

“Boo. Fainn, it looks like we’re in for another long haul,” Svilran said as she adjusted the telescope and peered through the eyepiece.

I was sitting next to her, looking at the monitor next to the machine. “Should we go make a wish?” I suggested.

“I’d rather not... We’re two for two so far... Something terrible might happen next time.”

“... That would be the gambler’s fallacy—thinking that past events influence current possibilities. The wishes are independent of each other, right?”

Svilran winced. “I’m... I’m not sure. Karma is a thing that would have governed humans like you. That gambler’s fallacy falls apart when the cosmic cause and effect are considered. What a human might see as a game of chance could be a constant exchange between karmic forces.”

“Huh.” I bobbed my head. “I wasn’t expecting that answer.”

“Well, there’s more beneath the surface that needs to be considered,” Svilran said, her tone very pointed.

“So, would these karmic forces be at play with the fountain?”

“Not necessarily. But one of the Imaginal Will could very well get annoyed that we’re sending out so many watermelons. It’s hard to tell since the fountain is the most mysterious fixture we have. I can’t fathom how the fixture works.”

Svilran sighed and dropped her shoulders before returning to searching for a world.

“Oh, I found a lava world,” she said. “Could you record the coordinates?”

“And another world with nothing we can do for it...” I sighed. “Coordinates recorded.”

“You don’t have to stay, Fainn. You may go spend time with Elma. Or perhaps you want to spend time with sweet and innocent Dorthaunzee.”

I whipped my head toward her and stared at her for a few seconds. “Svilran.” She kept looking into the eyepiece. “I’m not leaving you to do this by yourself.”

“Okay,” she said, her tone chilly again.

“You’re beautiful when you’re angry, too,” I said, sending a metaphorical missile her way. I hoped it would break her defenses.

“I’m not interested in you like that, Fainn,” she snapped back.

“Just a casual observation.”

“No one asked.”

“Fair enough...” I scratched my cheek. “Maybe we should upgrade the facility? We might get a new function.”

“I don’t know... I’m a little scared of investing it now, only to find out we need it for something more pressing later.”

“I... can understand that fear.”

I opened up the Building Menu and looked around the entries—just as a little break, you know?

“We haven’t unlocked any new Buildings,” Svilran said, noticing what I was doing.

“Hmm. And we used up Resource Points on the Feast... Though we could probably get a cheap Resource Square... Hmm?”

I noticed something for the first time. In the corner of my eye was an icon--it looked like an envelope with a red exclamation mark on it. I put my focus on it, and it expanded.

My eyes went wide as I read the contents. Had Svilran really not seen this? I re-read the fine print at the top of the screen.

“Individualized Correspondence.”

Holy shit. What was going on here? ‘Individualized?’ Svilran didn’t see this? Rather, she didn’t have this? I was getting it?

“Fainn, what’s wrong?”

“Uhh. Sorry. I just realized how expensive the Feast was.”

“Oh... It was worth it, though... Don’t feel bad.”

Oh, Svilran--even when you’re mad at me, you don’t stop being kind. I turned my attention to the new menu, turning my back a little so that it looked like I was focusing on the telescope’s screen.

Now, what do we have here...

 

***

Individualized Correspondence System

Alerts

⭐New Ultra Rare Structure Unlocked...

⭐New Mythic Rare Structure Unlocked...

🚩Welcome Package

***

 

Obviously, the information about the structures was important, but the welcome package was probably the thing I had to read first. I opened up that option and was shocked by the first line.

“Welcome, Fainn Svik--“

Just seeing my full name bothered me immensely. I shook myself out of my irritation and kept reading.

 

***

Welcome, Fainn Sviklinder, to your new life as Hero Hub Attendant.

A sincere welcome to the <Individualized Correspondence System>, also.

This is a messaging platform where you can be notified of any changes. In exchange for access to this platform, you must keep its existence--and the content of its private messages--secret from ALL Hero Hub residents and visitors.

The only secrets that may be spoken of are those that have been “Published” through the system interface first.

Violation of this core tenet will lead to a deletion of the <Individualized Correspondence System> from the Hero Hub.

The types of messages and notices you will receive will depend on what conditions have been cleared. Always be vigilant, as some notices may present time-sensitive opportunities.

Should you need more information, please ‘Read More.’

***

 

What the actual heck? The powers that be want me to keep secrets from Svilran? But she’s Svilran--she’s my partner. What would we accomplish by keeping secrets from each other? Did she also have access to this system?

As I was making sense of the ramifications, I heard a ding and noticed the envelope representing the system was shaking up in the corner. Looking at the interface, I realized there was a new message at the top:

🚩The Way To The Inverse Has Opened

What. The. Heck. What was going on here? I looked over my shoulder. Svilran was still working on finding more worlds. I turned my attention to the interface and checked out what had been unlocked before reading the new message.

...

The new buildings were crazy. Both were eye-raising and curiosity-rousing for different reasons.

 

***

 

 

***

 

I looked at Svilran again. These ‘descriptions’ were a little too casual and pointed. It made it look like she was the one writing them... She still didn’t indicate that she knew what I was doing, though.

...

So, with the shrine, I was surprised that I had actually been rewarded with something that could help Elma, despite how thorny the description was. With regard to the statue... It was interesting how the description told me what I was thinking... I mean, it wasn’t wrong, but it was kind of creepy. This kind of stuff would work in a video game, but when you’re actually a real person... It makes one wonder...

Also, regarding that statue--I was sure it had to do with Dorthaunzee. It had to be her that led to this thing being unlocked. I’d be able to prove it if I could see Dorthaunzee’s status later on...

Anyway, here was where things got tricky. Beneath each notice, there were buttons I could press, each revolving around ‘Publishing’ the information. The degree to which I made everything public was what varied across the buttons. Essentially, I could publish all the information or withhold certain parts. For instance, I could take away the ‘Unlock’ information. Another thing I could do was ‘dumb-down’ the information. The amount of control I was being given was unnerving.

So, the benefit of releasing the information on the structures was that I would then get to Build the structures because they would be properly added to our actual Build Menu. The benefit to keeping it private... Well, I couldn’t figure it out. I was going to need to think about it more. Looking at the shrine, though... I wasn’t sure how Svilran was going to react to that information. Would she be okay knowing my ‘indiscretion’ was rewarded?

I put the Builds aside and instead looked at the new message.

Inverse... What’s the Inverse?

 

***

The Way To The Inverse Has Opened.

From now on, you, Fainn Sviklinder, may go to the Inverse at any time by interacting with the newly formed option.

Upon first arriving, the Inverse’s facilitator will greet you and welcome you to the space. Please do not be alarmed upon meeting the facilitator.

Good luck, and work hard. And, of course, do not reveal the existence of the Inverse to any Hero Hub resident or visitor.

***

 

What. The. Heck... Again. And not to be proven incorrect, there was a new option available to me in the corner of my vision. It was an icon that looked like a swirling vortex. Obviously, I was curious, but now I wasn’t sure what would happen if I accessed the so-called Inverse here.

I looked over my shoulder. “I’m... feeling ill,” I said. “I’m just going to go take a walk outside.”

Svilran sighed and looked at me. “It might be because you ate so much food last night that your body doesn’t know how to process it. Please take care of yourself and have some water.”

“Thank you, Miss Goddess.”

She smiled a little. “Okay. Go then. I’ll be here.”

So I went to the house and locked myself in my room. As soon as I did, I interacted with the icon, and oh man, things went strange fast. My vision distorted, and colors were flying all over the place. I felt myself fall backward and away from my body.

I kept falling and falling until I closed my eyes.