Another hour wasted for nothing. Wandering around looking for the mayor who had abandoned his social duties to fishing. Something he couldn't imagine would happen in Tokyo. You might be harassed in public and online by inhumane mouths, which would push you into the pit of depression. If you still had your honor, you would be willing to resign or as a final solution, harakiri.
Together with his random thoughts along the way, Rei only hoped Justia wouldn't actually carry out her intention to shave the irresponsible man bald. Because that would be awful. And for some people, it would strip their honor.
His legs were still following Justia across the wooden bridge over the clear stream. The sound of the flowing water and the small fish jumping on top of it blended into a harmony that he missed from his hometown.
Originally he thought that there couldn't be any rivers here, let alone fishing spots. The meadows in Outer Plane had already been turned into a complete wasteland. Numerous craters on every inch of the surface which was created by his duel against AO2. If others knew the real story behind this, he would be finished. Whether it would be done by his guilt or being punished for destroying the environment and ending up in jail.
That sudden fear haunted him all the way until the sight of a dense tropical forest managed to slap him out of reality. His feet were nailed to the ground, his eyes unblinking, and even his breath came in gasps.
How could he not, the scenery he saw before had changed 180 degrees from a stretch of scorched earth to a new healthy biome with new plants, new types of soil, and the animals were also busy making noise–calling each other in joyful sounds.
In the face of this ridiculous extreme transformation, most people would be frozen in their tracks, and their minds would choose to sleep. Hoping it might just be a wild dream during their nap. But, he was quite a bit different. After having the same reaction like other people would do for a few seconds, he couldn't help but to engage in theorizing.
Random thoughts flooded his head.
As far as he knew, even with a trillion-dollar budget, fixing everything in one day would be absolutely ridiculous. It was beyond human capabilities. If you took a look at one of the global environmental issues, just lowering the temperature by one degree would involve a lot of parties and nations, an infinite amount of money, and an infinite amount of time.
So how did this happen?
And how could a student like him come up with the right theory for this bizarre situation?
His head was obviously boiling even though his body was almost frozen–refusing to accept the reality in front of his eyes. However, his two-day experience in this place at least gave him a back to lean on.
Conservative logic in Tokyo–or in his real world, could not be used here as a single rule. One had to adapt by adding the unique variables available in order to create a hypothesis that could be understood, albeit slightly.
Which was why Rei was sticking to his theory that he wasn't in a virtual world, a game or something. Even though he had questioned others about it. And the mayor would also be the next subject of his interrogation.
So with that basis, Rei began to formulate a new hypothesis.
He might not be on a particular island. Two different environments that changed in the blink of an eye couldn't be explained if he insisted on his old view. His hypothetical direction changed from uninhabited island to an underground city.
Taking the concept from post apocalypse movies and games, the significant change in environment at least, could be explained with this one. The two environments did not change, but rather he encountered two completely different places.
The green meadow which was destroyed by their duel was not the same entity as the tropical forest in front of his eyes. Both were completely different areas.
He simply went from place A1, and arrived at place A2. This was the image he had.
With this assumption, it was no wonder that he managed to find strange things in this place. Also, it would be possible to give each floor the appearance of a different biome, including the synthetic sun in the artificial sky up there.
However, he encountered another issue if he stuck with this thought.
Where is the continent that allowed this experiment to take place? Clearly, it would be impossible to create something like this in America, Asia, or even Australia.
For whom and for what purpose?
And who is paying for this gigantic project?
Looking back at the diary of the poor guy on the previous floor, only the United States was a prime candidate for this case. However, that was just a superficial presumption.
Even if he tried to impose this hypothesis, it didn't mean that his virtual world theory could be rejected. In fact, that one was the biggest possibility he could think of, but that theory also had major flaws.
And that's it. Just like the rest of them, his hypothesis ended in a dead end tunnel. Once again, no one was going to give him the answer. Let alone a clue.
He decided to stop. Resting his mind to keep his sanity in line.
They arrived at the edge of a large lake, where lotus flowers dotted its surface. Stepping forward, they jumped between neatly arranged rocks, and would lead them to a small plain in the center. His feet almost slipped on the last pedestal, and let's be honest, if he didn't exercise regularly, he wouldn't have made it there without getting wet.
There, an old man in a straw hat sat holding his fishing rod. Sitting quietly and motionless like a statue, even the dragonflies came to rest on his straw hat. They approached him, proceeding slowly, worried that they might find the wrong person.
And Justia flicked his back and the sitting old man shushed her immediately. Rei stood beside her, so he could see the look on her face that had been calm, now filled with a devious smile and ready to pounce.
Yeah, it seemed we got the right person.
She flicked the guy’s back twice a bit harder, causing the tip of the floater to move. The bait wasn't bitten, it was the old man grunting in pain and accidentally moved his hand a bit. Yet, rather than react with some words to stop her, he chose to shush her again and back to his own things.
Rei could see the muscles on Justia's face begin to bulge, her hands clenched into fists about to teach him a lesson.
"Old man–"
"Shuuuushhh!"
Naturally that silent treatment set her temper to boiling point, and Rei tapped her shoulder before anything serious would happen.
"Rei, what are y–"
"Shuuuussh!" Now it was his turn to silence her.
He made a gesture before her temper erupted. He pointed at the floater that bobbed up and down on the surface.
That's right. This was an important moment that shouldn't be tampered with from the outside. The fish would soon bite the bait, and in seconds this long wait would be over.
Just as his attention was fully focused on the tension of the line, a large shadow suddenly appeared and broke the tranquility of the lake. The fish dived away and the bait fell out. All that remained was a hollow pull which brought nothing but disappointment.
"This is what happens when you ignore me like that." She smiled cockily. The boulder she had thrown ruined everything–all those patience were for naught. And again, there was no trace of guilt on her pretty face. What a wonder, if he was allowed to say.
And as a consequence, of course, the old man's temper was triggered.
“What are you doing, brat! I've been waiting for an hour for this moment!”
“Huh! You can go fishing tomorrow, old man. It's still a work day and you're already skipping out again! As a citizen of Cradle, I have the right to protest!”
That fact made the mayor pause, yes it was a mistake, but what Justia did was not something that could be justified either. Two wrongs do not make one right.
And what happened next, the man let out a long sigh, grumbled and finally relented.
His choice of conduct reflected his age … a wise person, he thought.
“Fine. What made you come here?”
"Urgh! I told you already, I wanted to get permission to use the Grand Elevator. I want to attend school!"
"Oh, that's it?"
She nodded.
"Brat! Only for that reason you threw that rock!"
“So what?”
Forget what I said earlier. They are back to quarreling again. It was like watching a grandpa and his grandkid fight over a wheelchair for a race in the backyard. Justia walked past me stomping her feet while mumbling incoherently, then when the mayor didn't move an inch she had another tantrum.
Rei let out his long-suffering sigh. Wishing this family scene would end sooner. His belly also started to rumble, he hadn't had any food but liquids since morning.
The day’s heat suddenly faded, the brightness of the sky extinguished as his eyes were washed by the raindrops that came unbidden. The ground began to tremble, distracting their attention.
"Earthquake?"
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
The scale of the tremor quickly accelerated before anyone knew the answer. Rocks jumped up and down on the ground, the forest shrieked, and the surface of the lake had already become violent ripples, stirred up the lotus leaves and plunged them into the depths.
What really happened?
Although his head was wondering the cause, he was ready to back out. But, something dark in the sky caught his entire attention. An enormous fish with sharp teeth, soaring in the sky. It came out of the lake, arched in the air and made its way to prey on them with its wide-open jaws.
The mayor's face turned pale as he saw it and–"Run!" he screamed on instinct.
Fear provoked Rei to flee. Yet, he bent his pinky–taking out a knife from his inventory as a defensive tool.
But, what could a knife do against a creature ten times his size?
That question planted his feet on the ground. Everything seemed frozen in time. Although his heartbeat was beating violently, none of his body moved. Still in silence. Until the wind whipped up from behind, the red haired girl advanced at lightning speed and pulled out a sledge hammer from the portal she created instantly.
"You! Damn! Fish!" She leapt high and swung the hammer, launching a crushing blow to the fish's head. The blow shattered its skull, spurting its blood all over. Before long, the rain turned into a shower of blood.
The monster's body fell against the surface and lifted the water into the air. Creating splashes that drenched them–washed away the bloodstains on their skin.
The extraordinary event took place before his very eyes, making the red-haired girl the main focus like a protagonist in a heroic novel. The lights that broke through the clouds highlighted her, as if telling people it was her time to shine.
She pulled out the sledge hammer with ease, stepping down from the monster's body, and smiling.
"Are you okay?" Justia leaned the sledgehammer on her shoulder and displayed courage like he had never seen.
Somehow, she gained my respect.
----------------------------------------
King of the Lake. Level 5. Sub-class: Leader. As his hand touched the fish skin, a number of information appeared on the screen. The rest of the information was in the form of a question mark similar to when he first met AO2.
Does that mean my level is too low? He thought.
"Oh, the Lake King?" the murmur immediately turned his attention to the speaker. Their eyes met for a second and her eyes suddenly widened. "Oh, you're a duelist too?" she asked.
He didn’t understand how she reached that conclusion–perhaps because of his bracelet? Anyway, he simply nodded. Hoping it was a good response for her sudden question. Moreover, it actually made her smile brighter.
"I didn't expect to meet a duelist other than me in Cradle. Again, Pleased to meet you, Rei."
Isn't it already too late for an introduction?
Whatever.
He reached out her hand and expressed his pleasure with a quiet smile. His thoughts were then drawn to what Justia had just said. He wanted to ask this later to be honest, but he was afraid to forget about it.
"What do you mean by that? Duelist other than me about?"
Before she answered, she sent her sledgehammer back into her deck by touching her bracelet around her biceps. I thought people should put a bracelet on their wrist? Or, perhaps she had a different one?
"Oh, because I am the only duelist left in this town. For the last two years."
"Erm... you mean... they're all NPCs? Not humans?" Rei glanced at the mayor, and the people who had just arrived to cut up the King of the Lake's flesh.
He didn't know if Justia would understand those words. Honestly, he had the perception that a real human must be a duelist. So, it was quite difficult for him to fully articulate what he wanted to say.
She glared at him. "Y-You know about NPCs?"
Wait? She know?
Rei swallowed. "Y-yeah?"
She took a long step closer. Almost pressed her face against him. “Where! Where are they? My master told me about them! They are coming from the future, right? I want to see them now!”
Huh? Future?
Wait. What does she mean by wanting to see them? They are right behind you! No, she might not actually understand this. But, her master … somehow familiar with this vocabulary.
When his shoulder was grabbed, his focus returned at once. And he had to put the girl's hand down because his brain was shaking--she was rocking my body too hard. Urgh, this girl....
“They are right behind you,” he said, glancing at other people around her. From left to right.
Justia immediately turned her head, searching for the whereabouts of the NPCs in question. She looked for them in every corner, behind every shadow, under every rock, even inside the fish's mouth. And she came back with disappointment took over her entire face.
"You tricked me!" She pouted. He saw a small amount of innocent tears perched on her eye sockets. “I can't find them anywhere!”
Justia seemed to have misunderstood about what he said. Leaving him no choice but to whisper what he really meant. "I mean them. The citizens of Cradle."
Now her face was contorted, annoyed, like someone who had just been scammed by an MLM marketer. Close to mad.
"'Them'? They're humans! Don't pull my leg, Rei. Look at them breathing and even wearing those crappy clothes. In fact, if you think about it, you're more likely to be an NPC! Your clothes are so unfamiliar! Too different."
Then to reinforce her argument, she pointed to their clothes person by person, some even thought that Justia was introducing them to Rei. In such an awkward situation, he waved as they greeted him with a smile.
"Look, they're smiling!"
This girl... what did she think NPCs were?
"Hold on. In the beginning, what is your master's definition of an NPC, Justia? I just want to make sure we are on the same page."
She gaped, clearly surprised. This guy must be really stupid, she probably thought so.
"It's nothing but a super strong being!” she declared. “They shoot lasers out of their eyes! They can even lift an entire city with one hand!"
That's not an NPC! That's superman!
Rei slapped his own face. It was obvious that this girl was being fooled by her master, whoever it was, please stop. Please keep her sanity in line.
He let out his long suffering-sigh and then held Justia's shoulder. Started to explain that the NPC mentioned by her master was something different from the definition of an NPC he knew.
"Eh? You mean my master lied to me?" Her legs trembled. It seemed that his statement was a slap in the face to the belief she had before.
Right now, that could not be allowed, Rei couldn't let her lose confidence. Justia would likely become much more troubled if that happened. And there was a chance she would drag him into her troubles.
"Not exactly a lie... more like your master's explanation only gives a description of one type of NPC out of thousands." He just said it, not knowing another way to explain it. It was clear Justia was not familiar with the gaming lingo, perhaps she had never played a game before.
However, as long as she wasn't too disappointed in her master, that would be enough for him.
"Don't tell me ... what my master said is true. That there are many strong NPCs in RoyalRoad!" Her eyes lit up, her nose snorted with excitement. "I can't wait to duel and fight with them! You feel the same way, right, Rei?"
Oh my god. I hope she doesn't stray any further.
To save her from another misunderstanding, Rei simply nodded and smiled. Choosing not to answer anything else she asked and turning his focus to helping carry the King of the Lake's sliced flesh.
It was exhausting when she nagged around, but luckily the mayor understood Rei's situation and called Justia to play a role in the cutting of the fish.
Time passed and they were now walking back to the Inner Plane. Upon entering the town of Cradle they were immediately greeted by the residents who had arrived near the town gates. There weren't many, but it was crowded enough to make him nervous.
Cheers of joy filled the streets as ladies surrounded Justia, and children joined in as well. They were seen praising and laughing together at the end of her sentence. It seemed to be something fun.
One or two people came up to Rei as well to say "thank you for your hard work" even though he had done nothing but help carry the basin of meat.
There was actually something interesting that happened earlier. As he grasped the basin, a dialog box popped up and told him the level and description. Strangely, that didn't happen when he held the glass from the cafe.
Is this a bug, he thought. So far, some of the objects he had grasped had quickly displayed some information on the screen, and some had not. Pretty strange for a bug.
"Ren, Justia, come with me. I'll take you to the Trial Chamber."
A place where duelists fight. However, that wasn't his goal this time. He just wanted to get out of here. But it wouldn't be proper to ask him in the middle of a crowd like this. He decided to follow and arrived at the room inside the mayor's building.
Inside the office was a complete mess. Rolls of paper filled the cabinets, some even stretching to the floor. Books were piled up in various arrangements, as if deliberately tossed and ignored. Not to mention the dust that had just flown in by the mayor, it was so thick.
It seemed to be true that Justia was angered by this old man's behavior. However, it was somewhat understandable why he had missed so much work. Maybe his job was always off with a few days in--or you could call it actual work.
The mayor then took something from the drawer and placed it on the table. A square stone, if you were familiar with ancient tablets that contained scratches in the form of writing, this was roughly what was in front of them.
"What is this?" Justia asked. Her eyes lit up.
"They call it Sol Plates. A device to check your status as duelists."
"'Awesome! Let me use it!"
The mayor sighed and laughed a little. "Just put your palm on it. And the magic will work by itself."
She put her hand on it. Suddenly, the tablet glowed and a card was created in front of her, floating.
The mayor immediately picked it up and read it out. "Justia. Level 2. Sub-class: Battler. Hmm, yes, you are already strong enough to join the Trial."
Justia skipped a little, her excitement already filling her head.
"You're next, Rei."
Rei was under no obligation to participate, but it felt so awkward to refuse, particularly in a situation like this. Look, even Justia seemed excited. It was getting difficult to say no.
And so, he did the same and the card immediately appeared floating above his hand.
"Rei Dixon. Hmm? Level 1? Sub-class: Neutral," He mumbled, then looked puzzled. "Rei... you weren't born in Cradle, were you?"
He nodded. That statement was not wrong, in fact it was very strange to ask. He'd been kidnapped. Certainly not born inside a building–or place that had city projections like this.
However, his nod made the mayor and Justia surprised.
"That's ... not a strange thing, right?"
"True. It shouldn't have been an odd thing until I saw your name and your uneven level. I thought my eyes failed me already. I'm glad it wasn't the case."
Hold on.
What's wrong with his name and level? Didn't naming someone in the real world go through a simple process? Like, you could take one from your imagination and write it on the birth certificate. Bum. There you go.
To create a username would be no different. You just needed to write any word as long as it wasn't obscene or racist.
When it came to his level, wouldn't it be normal to go up one level at a time? Rei's level went from zero to one. It followed the general concept. Where was the mistake?
The whole things made Rei scratch his head.
Justia was also confused when she shouldn’t have to.
"Simply put, people who have two words in their name, generally come from the second floor. And their base level is 2. But you don't. Your name has two words yet, your level is 1."
The silence sharpened. Making Rei's mood that had been relieved, now filled with tightness.
"Rei... where did you actually come from?"
From the wall, he wanted to say that right away, but seeing the tense air, the word caught in his throat.
Was that really the right answer?
Unlike Robert or Madam, the man in front of him was an official within the illusionary town. Perhaps he had ties with the organization. What if what he was about to say had dire consequences?