I have always wanted to thread this path of my life as perfectly as possible, but the moment I strayed a bit from it I found myself staring mindlessly into space. Whenever I woke up, flowers every single day, but after the change, nothing but nightmares and thorny roads appears. I feel that that path is blocked, telling me that I can no longer go back to how things used to be.
Exacting my “Revenge” on my own family. I truly have no courage to do so when each and every one of them reacted differently than what I had expected. The fact that it happened again even in this lifetime to someone who is not even my family. Just a mere code, an A.I.
Wheezing as I sit here on the parapet, I look up at the blue moon, and it made me think, ‘This place… Why does it feel like home?’
This serenity. Although it’s different, it reminds me of many things back home. This place is just like the blue scenery in the garden back in Mithra’s house. Replica resembling my mother, Avarice and Malice also reminds me of my friends. Kurira and Rakuri. And Ludwig…
He felt familiar but also different. That attentiveness of his reminds me of my grandfather. One who cherishes me above all others with the purest kind of love. I want to see him smile again.
*Step *Step *Step
Ludwig approaches and he brought with him, a bright green-colored potion. Laying the bottle beside me as he says, “Those who have been granted a blessing by an ancestral being will not last long on the surface. There is nothing for you in this realm, but you are welcome to stay.”
I took the green bottle and examine it while [Lucid Eyes] is still in effect.
! {Appraisal}
~ {Slither Phased Bloom (Custom) / Tier 9 / Increase Decay Resistance. Lasts 31 days}
“Decay Resistance? I have never heard of such things before, and I never had the need for this back then. So, why do I have to drink it now?”
“You were once an ordinary Traveler are you not? You were protected by the Divine System, hence why you could roam around freely on the surface while being able to receive as many blessings as you want. But the current you however, do not have that kind of protection.”
“How do you know?”
His dot of an eye flare, “I can see it, and you will be able to as well. Eventually.”
Uncapping the lid.
*Gulp *Gulp *Gulp
It doesn’t taste like anything at first, but then its flavor kicks in. Bitter.
“Bleghh, what’s in this?”
“You will have to request the recipe from Goolag.”
“Who?”
“She is our... Alchemist. You will meet her soon enough,” approaching closer as he looks up at the blue moon, “You mentioned that you have killed me once. What was I like in the future?”
It occurs to me how odd this game came to be after I enable Realism Mode. How the NPC can respond to everything that I do and speak? Although I know that the maker of the game has created the most advanced AI, and without Realism Mode enabled, the NPCs are still able to wow anyone who interacts with them. But this is on a whole other level.
“You were a mage. You don’t do much in the way of fighting and always rely on your dragon despite the fact you never made any advances.”
“Hunh,” humming in cracking of his skull, “Does not sound like me at all.”
“Yeah?”
“Despite my appearance, I’m adept in the way of combat. How far is it in the future? A hundred? Two hundred years?”
“Hm? No, it’s 4 years.”
“4 years?”
Silent for a moment as he gazes at the blue moon, but then he tilts his head down, “I see,” grunting, “Yes, that makes sense.”
“?”
“Let me hear your plan. Now that you have returned to the past, what will you be doing with the life that you have now?”
“…” muttering, “I’m not supposed to exist here just yet.” Looking up to the sky, “All the friends I make in the next 4 years, all the people that I lost up until now, I don’t have anything, nor do I have anyone. So, I don’t know what to do.”
“There must be someone.”
“I don’t…”
“Are you sure?”
Looking at him, my heart weighs. My eyes widened at the sudden realization, ‘Aunt Linda,’ she’s the only person I made contact with in this lifetime.
‘Odd, I never thought of that. Why would she lend me that money? She and I have cut ties and have never been in contact ever since I left the Mithra Household. So, why?'
'Don't tell me, there is something I miss?'
Aunt Linda, Sadrin, and maybe even, Uncle Martin.
“There is one, yes?”
“Yeah.”
For some reason, that alone is enough reason to give me the strength to keep smiling. I thought I have lost everything when I step out of that house.
“I recalled you mention about your purity being stolen. What does that mean?”
“Oh that, Malice took my first kiss,” cheeks puffed to a balloon, “My maiden’s kiss! I was saving it until I found my prince charming!”
*Kreegh *Kreegh *Kreegh
Disturbing cracking sounds from, ‘Is that how he laughs?’ CREEPY!
Leaning his head as he looks up to the blue moon, “Your life as a Traveler has ended, Luosa. There is much for you to learn about the world. Our view towards it.”
“Your view?”
“The existence that is a Traveler is quite an odd one. They are weak, and yet, they don’t seem to care about their life. And why is that?”
“Because we can revive?”
“And how does that happen?”
“Well, because,” that’s what naturally came to be when a player dies.
“The Divine System.”
My eyes peeled.
“Every since its appearance many years ago, it changes the balance of power. To learn magic, how we used to painstakingly rely on the practice of the Arcane now can be mitigated by taking the path of using the Divine System. It simplifies everything for you at no cost to the end result.”
‘What?’
“But it often made odd choices throughout the years. How it randomly became more restrictive and lenient at times, or the introduction of the use of [Appraisal]. You have used the [Lucid Eyes] that Replica made, are you not? Although it is lacking, it comes close to what [Appraisal] used to be where every single thing in this world can be described by the Divine System.”
‘H-Hold on!’
“But then comes Travelers.”
My eyes widened once more.
“Their existence is not unfamiliar to us as their former existence, the [Wanderer], used to appear every now and then. But the rate they are coming recently has increased exponentially. And the Divine System chose this realm of all places. Creating those portals for them to get through and reach the realm of the surface. I find it odd. No matter how many times they were killed, they return as they used to be as if they were unharmed.”
Shifting his eyes at me.
“They spoke gibberish. Of how this world is made by their ancestors. Every single one of us, the original citizens of this world, is merely food for their strength. En-pee-sii as they called it. But one thing is clear, they came here for the sole purpose of entertainment.”
Out of thin air, a burst of wind on his palm, and a black orb appears. Inside is the reflection of an ongoing battle between players and skeletons before the North Gate. Their cheery expression, the rush they felt as they killed one, or the disappointment when they died by it.
“I have only seen a few exceptions, but this is the majority of them.”
“…” pondering, ‘What is this? He started talking about the system itself and lore related to it but how is that even possible? Do the devs intend for this to happen? Like the people in this world to be self-aware that—”
“It does not matter whether you are one of the exceptions or not. You are now one of us. As such, I expect loyalty from you. If not for me, at least for this realm. Your new home.”
Although there is much that I don’t understand, it is clear that I will not be kicked out of this place anytime soon.
“Should you need anything. You can always find one of us in the grand archive.”
I nodded.
Before leaving, he looks me in the eye, “Rest.”
That image of him saying that overlaps with a memory of my grandfather. Always saying his piece whenever I went to sleep. Once Ludwig closed the door, I lay my body on the giant bed while scratching my stomach.
I'm both hungry and tired.
'I think it's safe for me to close my eyes a bit.'
In the 48 hours here, I've experienced a lot of new things, but most importantly, I regain the will to live. It was worth coming here. I can now close my eyes in peace with a smile on my face, and return… to the real world.
