*Bam*

{-600}

Plopping on hard rock.

“Owwwwww!!”

Quickly rolling around as I hold the back of my head. Even though there's no pain, the impact was so surreal that it made me think I got wounded— no, wait, “I am!”

“Muhuh?!”

“Where the hell am I?!”

Sand, as far the eye can see.

“A desert, huh.”

“Wait, what am I supposed to do here?!”

Something heavy pummeled me in the head, “Nyuhuh?!” and I have fallen from the sudden discomfort, becoming one with the sand.

{Luosa}

“Nuh?!” mom’s voice, ‘No wait, it’s Replica. But where?’

Then I see an orb at a size I can grip with only a hand. The thing looks ominous. The inside is like a fog swirling around, but dark in color.

{With the level of your Immortality, you should be free from most of what the Divine System allows for a Phased Intrusion. Regardless of whether you succeed or not on this task, keep this orb with you at all times}

“Eh? At. All. Times?!”

{Is there a problem?}

“Ahh no,” except for the fact that you’re breaching my privacy?!

{As your time is limited, I require you to do this as quickly as possible while also delivering a satisfying result. I mentioned an item, specifically, a book]

“A book?”

{I cannot tell you more, but you will know when you find it}

“Okay, where do I go from here?”

{…}

“Uhh, right! Part of the test is me finding it, right?” Except it’s not a test!

And I did not expect that that was the end of our conversation. Not only that I got thrown out of nowhere and into nowhere, I didn’t even get a hint as to where I’m going.

But, ‘I remember she mentioned a ruin. I don’t get where this place is, maybe I can pull up the Map screen now,’ my face became lifeless as my jaw hit the sand, ‘Why it’s empty…’

Kicking the back of my own foot, I laid myself on the sand, yelling loudly in this open area where no one can hear me, “AAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!”

The Map Screen is empty!

‘Nuhuh?! Wait, Replica can hear me from this.’

‘…’

‘Ah, considering her personality. I doubt she sticks around.’

‘Aren’t I already got out to the surface? I’m here in Ekolia. Why has the Quest [Breakout] hasn’t been completed yet? Could it be because I got out from Replica’s portal instead of the gate’s?’

! {Quest Completed}

~ {Retrieving Reward…}

! {Level UP}

‘Oh, there it is. Never mind then.’

‘But what am I supposed to do now?’ I ponder as I allocate new points in my Profile Status. I heard footsteps so I glanced above me to see that there are some reptiles passing by but luckily, they are not meat eaters, and rather than eating leaves, they choose to eat rocks. It’s understandable after looking at the environment they live in though.

Long legs, a small body frame, but a long armored beak.

‘Must’ve got a small brain too.’

But then suddenly they went and surrounded me.

“What?”

First, they nudge me with their beak, then they started pecking me, “HEEY! I’m not a rock! Don’t tell me! Are you... No, no way?! You’re trying to insinuate something? Huh?!”

***

Within the reflection of the black orb that Siola is holding. Beyond the realm of the surface is Replica observing the entirety of Siola’s behavior in a room surrounded by assorted books and herbs. Narrowing her eyes down, the girl she’s looking at is picking a fight with the many oversized chickens that came her way.

“Their similarities are quite uncanny, aren’t they?”

A subtle glance to the edge of her eye, at the shadow cast by the light from Replica is a black hush covering many parts of the surface's top, it moves as it slowly forms into one and becomes the silhouette of a human. Clothes were formed, and what came out of it is Siola.

A creature has taken the same form as the girl spitting fire within the orb.

“I’ll be the judge of that. And you call THIS similar? Luosa would’ve taken them in as her pet while her,” veins popped on her forehead, “Not only that she picks a fight with something weaker than her, she’s needlessly spouting all those nonsense.”

Reiterate it once more, “She’s nothing alike.”

“Oh?” the one who resembles Siola walks around the table and sits by the opposite of Replica, “Well, shall we observe her a bit more then? Oh, the former Mage of the Abyss.”

Her marigold eyes shine as she intensely glares at the scene within the orb.

***

Munching on a cooked thigh I made.

‘This is terrible.’

‘[Ignition] allows me to adjust which part of my body I can set aflame but the [Combustion]’s strength is adjustable only if you put in more mana not less. And the more mana I put in the stronger it gets, which led me to char everything I cook.’

‘This one is so dry even though it’s dark meat. Hngh, this sucks!’

But it reminds me of my past life when I met Rakuri and Kurira. They often eat less than savory things whenever they started out their new avatars. Unlike me who only has one and has never been using Realism Mode, those two adjusted pretty well, or rather, they have been used to it even if they don’t play Realism Mode. I’m the only one who doesn’t belong in the Desolated Sector.

My whole life, I have had everything sent to me, never had the need to take action or even suffer to the slightest hunger. But that was before my downfall.

‘I bet when I’m all cheery and full. Those two were scavenging for scraps and leftovers.’

Just thinking about it clenched my heart. I started Ekolia way after them back in my previous life and now I started way before them. Thinking about meeting them in real life, but even then, would they even recognize me? Of course, they won’t. I didn’t even understand why they approached me first, but now, will I even have a chance to be approached by them?

In my last moment, briefly, I was relieved that everything came to an end. But at the same time after seeing Kurira’s face, ‘…’

‘I chose Rakuri, but…’

I wished I had a better ending.

***