Location: Home in Village Uri, South of Diptabhumi

Day: Second of Guardian Days

Year: Nivam, 6878 AFG

Today marked the fourth day of Eka's stay inside the game. After three days of wallowing in self-pity, an experimental attempt to jump off the terrace, and therapeutic conversations with Hira, Eka managed to calm down enough to think straight.

Eka, as an NPC and not a player, was challenging to accept. The library had become her sanctuary. Books upon books provided a welcome distraction from the heavy burden that weighed on her. Though her problems never left her thoughts, she subconsciously chose books that hinted at her situation. Hira played her role by subtly directing stories of transmigration and reincarnation her way. Eka, unaware of Hira's nudging, believed she was close to solving her problems through these readings.

Early in the morning, the nocturnal creature was wide awake, her mind racing with countless thoughts. She was surprised she managed to sleep during the nights when darkness was her working hours. A dark cloud of uncertainty hung over Eka. She shifted positions, seeking the perfect posture to return to sleep.

Eka's entire body itched. She pushed herself to get up and visit the toilet. Another aspect of this strange world that baffled her.

Toilet. Lavatory. Bathroom. Take your pick.

Which in-game house had them? And this house did. Several of them adjoined every room. She used it when nature called and when she was in the role of a game character.

Moping around didn't help, so she swiped a paper and a pencil, sitting down at the study table to chronicle her experiences.

First, she was in a game of her own making.

Second, the world had progressed to a much later era than she had designed.

Third, her surroundings felt astonishingly real, making her increasingly uneasy. She could taste the food, sleep on a comfortable bed, and breathe the fresh mountainside air.

Fourth, she needed to find a way to log into her account, or she couldn't return to her world.

Fifth. Eka tapped the pencil end on her lips. There was no fifth. No book had provided a concrete answer. What book inside a game could? Her problem was logging out, something she realized should be done outside her character, in her room, where all the controls were available.

A knock echoed from her door. Hira peeked in, and a soft light orb floated before Eka. It showed a couple with their child standing outside, banging on their main door.

Seeing the disheveled state of the family, Eka hurriedly motioned them to come in. Hira summoned some orbs to bring food from the kitchen. The aunt and niece guided the parents and their small child to the dining room. The father eagerly dug in, while the mother slowly fed the boy and herself.

Eka and Hira took their seats across from them, waiting for the frantic eating to subside. The father was the first to finish, and he beamed a satisfied smile at Eka when their eyes met.

"Many thanks. We were eaten by Alsi, no, my bachcha (child) was. No child in the village. No more." He choked up. "My beta, my Tama, we left her in the house. She inside Alsi pet (stomach)."

The father and mother wept, while the boy kept his head low, playing with his food. The mother sniffed and coaxed a spoonful into the boy's mouth. "Yuge with my Tama. Yuge my girl. Yuge marpit (fought) Alsi. Alsi bit Yuge. Yuge no escape. We to the jungle. Then you house. You. "

Eka maintained a moment of silence for the brave child who sacrificed her life to save her brother. She pulled Hira's chair closer to her and patted her head.

Ding. A blue screen splashed before Eka. Hira subtly flinched which Eka failed to notice.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

[MISSION

SAVE A LIFE.

Level: Difficult

Reward: Clue to log out*

Penalty For FAILING Mission: Restriction to the library for a month.

*four contribution points.]

Eka read the prompt, realizing that the library was her salvation while subsequently missing the added asterisk and the message at the bottom of the screen. Failing this mission was not an option. She was about to ask the parents to explain their situation when the doorbell rang. Beside her, Hira muttered a curse and ordered some orbs to bring the newcomer to the dining room.

Minutes later, four orbs brought in a smiling buffoon of a man called Jakal and deposited him on a chair. The orbs restrained him, locking his limbs to the furniture.

Eka took a deep breath. "Jakal, is this going to be a daily occurrence?"

Jakal smiled as if he were not held prisoner. "Fine lady, this person came to tell you Ms. Devia will meet you someday." He added with a serious tone, "She has a mission for you."

"I know. Something about saving a life."

"Oh, you've got it. Well, fine lady, this is a case of missing children from the neighboring village of Atman."

Eka recalled that Jakal had once mentioned Hira as the only child in the area. She waited for him to continue, and after a brief pause, he did. "This person is not a thief. The fine lady treats this person badly."

Eka's serious expression turned awkward. "Uh, these are not mine to control. They listen to Hira." Turning to the silent child beside her, she asked Hira to release Jakal's limbs. "Do you need any refreshments?" She then remembered that Jakal was playing from his VR set, unable to taste food as she could. Still, to maintain her NPC persona, she asked Hira to have the orbs bring a glass of lemonade. Jakal drank it, and his HP increased by one point.

Jakal stretched out comfortably in his chair, and Hira hissed, ready to order her orbs to throw him out. However, Eka intervened with a stern look.

"For the past six months, several children have gone missing. Amera Isles learned about them at the same time and sent this person and Leonard to investigate."

"Wait. Wait. I already know that part. The family ran to my house and told me something about Alsi eating their children. It devoured their daughter."

"Oh, this person's condolences," Jakal said to the family and lowered his head. The father nodded, accepting Jakal's condolences. A minute later he was back to his stupid self. "Huh? The fine lady already knew? Why did you ask this person to start from the beginning? This person is always so busy. This person needs to... "

Eka was all too familiar with Jakal's tendency to ramble. "Jakal, do you know anything about this Alsi?"

Jakal paused. "No."

"Okay."

"This person was about to tell you how this person confronted Ms. Devia..."

"Alright. Jakal has talked enough for the day. Hira, escort him out."

Hira immediately complied, her orbs lifting Jakal into the air and taking him out of the dining room. Eka chuckled at the thought of Jakal's mouth being sealed by one of the orbs.

"Why don't you settle into one of the rooms? You must have traveled a long distance to reach my house." Eka turned to the bewildered couple and guided them to an unused room on the ground floor.

"Ai, na. We—"

"It's perfectly fine to settle in this room. I, or rather, Eka, am very hospitable. You can freshen up in the bathroom while I prepare a meal." Realizing her culinary skills were limited to boiling instant noodles, she changed her approach. "Ah, never mind the cooking. You take a bath, and I'll ask Hira's pets to conjure up something to eat. I'll be… um… inside… the library. Until then, make yourselves comfortable."

With that, Eka hastened away. She noticed Hira approaching, giggling to herself. Eka picked up her niece on her way to the library. "Hir set an orb for the family. Send them a message that they can request anything they need, and we'll be informed. Also, it opened the library doors for me. Better yet, teach me how to do it. I can't rely on you every time."

Hira nodded and carried out Eka's instructions. She opened the library doors, while Eka took an orb and began browsing the book titles. "Hir, how far is the neighboring village?"

"Two kilomemers, why?"

Eka hesitated. Two kilometers? The odd expressions on the family's faces likely indicated they saw Eka trying hard to empathize with their situation, rather than feeling uncomfortable in a stranger's house.

"Mimi, why?"

"Nothing." Eka avoided Hira's gaze. "Do you have a map?"

She muttered to herself, "If only being a special NPC came with a system map."

Ding.

[Map loaded. Now you can say 'system map' for viewing.

WARNING: Cannot show locations beyond ten kilometers.]

Eka gazed at the prompt with a flat expression. She could also refer to the atlas of the local territory. Eka expressed her gratitude to Hira for the atlas and settled in for a comprehensive lesson on the geography of Atman and its surrounding forest. As the creator, it would look bad if she knew nothing about the world she was stuck in.