Where was she?

Where is this place?

Nadina looked around and there was only an endless galaxy, kind of like that time when he met the dude who's name she still doesn't know, but gave her lots of information about Realmkeepers.

[Booting... Synchronizing...

10%...

24%...

49%...

61%...

77%...

95%...

System has finished loading.

Host: Nadina Loctine
Stage: Novice Realmkeeper
Plane: 105
Keeper Points: 700
Acquaintances: Lady Miranda
Plane Development: 84% - Above Average

Salutations, host. System 3x5s at your service.]

...

What.

Haha... she must be going crazy. First an otome game, then some Realmkeeper sh*t. Now did she "accidentally" transmigrate into some system story? What's next, the world of Peppa Pig?!

'Hello 3x5s. May I ask... what is going on?'

[System was sent here by Lady Miranda. She wanted this little one to convey a message to you:

"Hey my little friend, how're ya doing? Sorry not sorry for making you take on the responsibilities of this plane! I mean, it's pretty fun, ain't it? As a starting gift, I'll be leaving 3x5s in your care. It's a system that was made to help you manage your plane, so be sure to make good use of it. Until next time~"]

'Why am I not surprised...'

[Host, system has detected irregular activities around the vicinities of your plane. Would you like me to go check it out?]

'Irregular activities? Seems like some trouble is stirring... 3x5s, I grant you permission to investigate this matter. Please get back to me as soon as possible.'

[Mission Accepted]

'On another note, what functions do you have? Miranda said you could help me, but in what way? Monitoring and detecting foreign presences couldn't possibly be your only strong point, right?'

[Correct. System is able to provide you with many different resources that can aid your success as a Realmkeeper. There is a shop where you can buy almost anything as long as you have enough keeper points. You can purchase things ranging from healing pills, artillery missiles, intergalactic spaceships, and holy swords to daily necessities like clothing embedded with runes, food, and pets.

You also have your personal space which is 500 cubic meters. You can put anything inside your personal space, even living beings. It functions exactly like your space storage, but is much larger isn't affected by any form of magic suppression. Basically, if you encounter some random dude who can cancel space magic, similar to the time Sir Nico restrained your magic, your personal space, which is connected to another dimension, will be completely unaffected. 500 cubic meters may seem like a lot, but compared to Expert Realmkeepers, yours is like an apartment in front of Mount Everest. However, it's already considered pretty big for a novice, so work hard to level up and expand it!

There's also the Realmkeeper forum where you can discuss many different topics and questions you may have.

These are all the functions you can gain access to at the moment, but as you get stronger, you'll be able to operate more.]

'That is a lot of information to digest...'

[No, actually, it's not that much]

'...' Was 3x5s inadvertently calling her stupid?

[Does host have any further questions?]

'I couldn't help but notice that there are a lot of cool things you listed out when it came to the shop. You previously said that I had 700 keeper points, right? Could I buy one of those intergalactic spaceships with those?'

[Host, I think that you should stop daydreaming. Even if you're lost in the middle of your fantasies, could you at least have some more realistic ones? 700 points can only get you a low leveled gun at the most]

'... QAQ'

[That's why we should work hard to increase our power and level up.]

'How do I do that?'

[By engaging in battles between planes, you can raise your rank. If you want to get stronger, I suggest host to further the development of your plane. That way, the plane can get stronger and produce world energy for you to absorb.]

'Okay...'

[Host, I have detected the enemy that wants to invade this plane. Their base is situated in the north-west direction and their plan will start in approximately 355 hours.]

'No wonder these days were so peaceful! These damned invaders were preparing their tools to attack, huh? Guess I have to step up my game as well, not that I have any specific plan in mind... Anyways, we have about 14 days and 19 hours, which is a little less than half a month, to prepare.

Tsk, dang it! I have no idea how these battles work yet! Heck, I didn't even have enough time to fully integrate myself into understanding the functions of my plane!'

[Don't worry, host. The one attacking us is plane 106, who's one place behind you. The good news is that their intimidating presence has shooed off all the other ants, but the bad news is that you'll have to face this experienced soldier. Fortunately, you have me! I'll be teaching you everything you need to know. Well, not really teaching, but more like transferring information into your mind.]

'How long will it take for me to absorb all the information you're going to give me?'

[Not long, only about an hour. However, I must warn you that you'll be under excruciating pain in this duration. No matter what, you must not faint or it may cause a terrible backlash! Do. Not. Lose. Consciousness!]

'As long as I have a way to stop this disaster, I'll hold onto that last string of hope, no matter what it takes.'

[Understood. Preparing to transfer plane operation information in 10 seconds.]

Before Nadina had the time to prepare, a wave of intense pain attacked her brain. It felt like her head was going to explode, but refused to do so and that her brain was continuously being ripped to shreds. The pain was one she had never experienced before and all her senses slowly dulled from the agony. 

If a third party was standing there, they would be looking at a young girl sprawled down on the "ground", paralyzed from the pain and suffering she seemed to be in. Nadina was neither bleeding, nor seemed to have any external injuries, but the expression on her face was enough to let others know the amount of torment she was experiencing.

Every second felt like hours and every minute felt like days. She wanted to yell out for help, but in the end, was unable to produce a single sound.

Tick, tock.

Time passed by and the girl who was previously rolling around in pain just laid there with blank eyes and this half-dead look. If one was unaware of her current condition, they would've thought that she had already died.

'Excruciating pain my ass... That's an extreme understatement!'

[Ding! Host has completed digesting the information. Time taken: 53 minutes and 29 seconds]

Nadina was supposed to feel happy about the fact that she had finally taken another step towards becoming the capable Realmkeeper she aspired to be, but right at the moment, all she wanted to do was to rest.

The torturous session earlier left a huge mental imprint in her mind and she felt terrified every time she recalled the amount of agony she was put under. 

Every second was terrible and she almost got the impression that death was the only way she could be freed from this torment. Her vision kept flickering, but with the last strand of rationality in her mind, Nadina was able to persist until the end.

After who knows how long, she gradually recovered to her peak state and although she felt frightened by the events from before, it didn't have as much of an impact anymore.

Perhaps that was one of the unique traits that caught Miranda's eye: the ability to accept and move on no matter how harsh the situation is.

On the bright side, all the information regarding plane operations was now fully ingrained into her head and because of this, her confidence was boosted by leaps and bounds. Of course, practice makes perfect, so she still has a long way to go! Plus, it'll take an eternity to gather enough weapons to barley reach the required amount, therefore the sense of crisis is definitely still there.

Thankfully, Miranda wasn't a completely heartless monster, as she had left behind some useful weapons like the energy cannon which was powered by mana crystals, some lightning-fire laser guns, and a few bombs that have densely packed hellfire (the strongest type of fire on this plane) stored inside. 

Obviously, this amount is far from sufficient, however, it's better than nothing.

'3x5s, update me on any changes that may occur. In the meantime, I'll go and master the techniques in the information I just received.'

[Understood, host. Would you like to transfer out of this space?]

'Am I even allowed to stay in here? Ah, I forgot to ask, but what is this place anyways?'

[Answering host, this area is your dreamspace: A separate dimension within your consciousness. The laws of time do not apply here and every Realmkeeper has one. No matter how much time you spend in here, only a millisecond would have passed in the "real world" where your physical body resides. In order to remain in your dreamspace, mental strength needs to be consumed, so unless you're a powerful Realmkeeper with tons to spare, I would suggest you to leave. Also, It may feel as if you instantly woke up after exiting this space, but in reality, you've actually been asleep for an additional 8 hours since you left. Those hours can help replenish the mental strength you've used up in order to stay here. Because of this restriction, don't even get any ideas of hiding in your dreamspace for the rest of your puny life. At the very least, you'd live longer by waiting for the impending disaster to strike than stay here and waste away what little mental strength you have left. It would be quite shameful to have my first host dying due to her own foolishness. Although your IQ may be slightly higher than others, your EQ makes you equivalent to an imbecile. Having said all that, I'll ask again, would you like to transfer out of this space?]

'Why do I have a feeling you made this seemingly simple explanation into a long lecture because you wanted to inform me about how stupid I am...? Nevermind, I guess I have nothing better to do and I'm definitely not as bored as to consume my mental strength by remaining here, so I think I'll leave.'

[Congratulations, host! You took your first step towards graduation!]

'Graduation? From what?'

[Being an idiot.]

'...'

Nadina, who had always been able to silently endure everything since the say she was born, really wanted to cough up blood from sheer anger.

What sin had she committed in her past lives to have been unlucky enough to partner up with this sharp-tongued system?

- - - - -

Urgghh.. her head was throbbing and it felt swollen. 

What happened?

Nadina slowly rose out of her bed and looked around only to find that Lyra, once again, wasn't there.

Then she turned towards the clock on the wall and saw that it was only 6:45 AM. School doesn't start until 8, so she wondered where her roommate had gone.

'Nevermind, I'll just focus on what I have in hand. I definitely cannot spare more time to think about other affairs when this entire plane is about to perish soon! I'll just take a quick peek at my stats to see which areas I can improve on.
[Status]'

Nadina Loctine (Aki)
Age: 14
Gender: Female
Plane: 105
System: 3x5s
Race: Half Fairy, Half-??? (Hidden Requirement Not Met, Information Locked)
Magic: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Ice, Lightning, Light, Darkness, Space, Healing, Poison, Time, Creation, ??? (Hidden Requirement Not Met, Information Locked)
Level: Novice Realmkeeper
HP and MP: Infinity
Mental Strength: 100 (Currently 5 due to over-consumption)
Titles: Realmkeeper, Blessed by Lady Miranda, Reincarnated One, Couch Potato, Good Actor, Crossdresser, Singer, Proficient Worker, Remarkable Waitress, Attracting Others Like Bees, Flower of the Street, CEO, Loser Without a Phone
Skills: Appraisal, Camouflage, Navigation, Perfect Expression Package, Perfect Makeup Artist, Perfect Maid, Proficient Business Woman, Perseverance, Telepathy, Plane Operations
Familiars: Fen (Fenir)
Plane War Weapons: 5 energy cannons, 50 lightning-fire laser guns, 10 hellfire bombs

*Note that the host is capable of dying despite the fact that you have infinite health. Citizens of your realm do not have the capability nor power to kill you, however, enemy Realmkeepers do. 

*Note that the average mental strength for Novice Realmkeepers is around 75 points

Nadina noticed that there were quite a few things added such as mental strength, system, plane and such. It helped her understand many things like the fact that her headache must've been because she had used up too much of her mental strength earlier in the dreamspace, and the painful information surge she had experienced definitely didn't contribute to the cause.

It was a given that Realmkeepers were able to kill each other, but she was relieved when she found out the people who live in her plane cannot do so.

Nadina was also pleasantly surprised at the fact that she had 25 more points of mental strength than the average starter Realmkeeper, even if it wasn't a really large amount. After all, even one point could serve as a lifesaver when one is in a life and death situation.

However, there was one thing that really piqued her interest.

Despite already being a Realmkeeper and someone who could rule an entire world, she still didn't meet the requirements of unlocking certain pieces of information in her status.

'Does it mean that my status screen was slightly different from normal? Perhaps it was something that was exclusive to Realmkeepers, kind of like a custom made status designed uniquely for those of a higher position?'

[Wow, you actually managed to use that tiny brain of yours to create a satisfactory answer for once. Congratulations! ]

'Gyaahh! Don't scare me like that! Geez, both you and Miranda pop out of nowhere without a warning and read my thoughts without my permission! That's a huge invasion of privacy, you know?'

[How do you expect me to give you a warning? I need to speak in order to give a warning, but then that'd just be "popping out of nowhere" to you, wouldn't it? This is why I say you're an idiot.]

'...'

Why does she feel like an idiot now...

[Okay, let's just cut to the chase. You're probably wondering about the reason as to why your status is slightly different from other people's, right? Well, like you thought, every Realmkeeper has one custom made only for them so there is more information to access, mainly regarding your plane management and combat abilities. Also, you don't have to worry about others seeing your status differently. They'll still view your HP, MP, Magic Elements, and all that cr*p as the way you'd like them to see it. Any questions?]

'No, I'm good. Thanks for the explanation!'

[... You're welcome.]

'Anything else I need to know?'

[Not for the time being. Oh, by the way, that clock on the wall is an hour early, so it's already 7:55. I'd suggest for you to get to class before you're late.]

'WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY THE IMPORTANT STUFF FIRST?!'

[I did. My top priority is to aid you in your plane management.]

'No, I meant... Nevermind, there's no use in trying to explain it to you. I need to go!'

[Don't forget that we need to practice plane operating and gather materials to make weapons once you're done class. Meanwhile, just take this time to recover your mental strength back up to 100. You were transferred into your dreamspace a little too late, so you haven't had the time to heal yet.]

'I got it, but I'm really going to be late! I don't know if it was because of my past life, but I always feel uncomfortable being late for things. Bye!'

[ᕙ(▀̿̿Ĺ̯̿̿▀̿ ̿) ᕗ]

'But... Why do I suddenly have a feeling that you did this on purpose..?'

[...]

'3x5s?'

[System has gone offline]

'... F*ck you'