NOVEL NEXT 4. A Word of Advice
“That covers everything!” Cer exclaimed as she shot up from her seat. With a long, wide stretch, she peered down at Frost with a small grin. “Now you’re ready to go slay some monsters! Start questing. You know, the stuff you adventurers usually do.”
“Cer… we really should tell her about them.” Res whispered cautiously.
“I doubt she’ll get into trouble with one.” Ber assured. “They aren’t common enemies at all.”
“About what? If it’s important then I’d like to know.” Frost inquired.
A long silence followed. The three glanced at each other indecisively, not knowing whether to tell her or not. Eventually, Cer surrendered to Res’ gaze and let loose of a long sigh.
“Be glad Frost. I’m 80 hours into my overtime, so listen carefully!”
Cer exclaimed and pointed directly at Frost’s face.
“If there’s anything you should fear, it is the Corrupted. In the next 500 hours I highly doubt you’ll come across one. They’re so rare in fact that the last notable event was 15 years ago. If you can’t read the status of a particular entity, then you’re up against a Corrupted. Full stop. Run and don’t look back. I mean that in the sincerest way possible. Oh, and don’t be confused with them and other people with the Blessing. We can’t glimpse into each other’s statuses after all.”
“Are they different from any wildlife?” She refrained from calling them monsters for the time being. It was always strange to how the two terms were interchangeable in many fantasy fictions.
Perhaps if she finally saw one up close then she’d realize why.
“Monsters and wildlife don’t even compare.” Ber adamantly claimed. “They are worse. So much more worse.”
Then their faces darkened. A looming cloud blocked off the light of the sun, encasing the hub in its shadow as the following words left Cer’s lips.
“Hey Frost. Ever seen a murderous stuffed toy that strangles children? A loom that weaves thread out of flesh? A machine that sings until your head bursts? Or – better yet – a dozen-winged bird that can claim the lives of a million people in a single night?”
Her words reverberated like spoken scripture. There was a certain thrum weaved into her voice as Frost devoured all that left her mouth, etching it into her mind like a scribe.
That sounds like a nightmare. Maybe I should just stick around inside of the Nexus for a while.
“But don’t let that discourage you. I’m willing to bet my own life that you won’t come across one.” Cer followed as the sun’s bountiful light returned, as did her cheeky smile.
“Oi! If you bet yours, then I’m betting mine too.” Ber thrust a fist into the air.
“Stop it you two –”
“Alright, us 3 are betting our lives on you!” Cer suddenly exclaimed, causing Frost to softly chuckle.
Well, that’s one way to encourage someone.
“It sounds like I’m not the only one you’ve said that to.” Frost joked.
“Then how else are we going to push newbies out there? You don’t know that if you don’t make enough Nex you’ll lose access to the Nexus.”
“… wait what?” Frost tilted her head slightly.
“100 Nex a day. That’s the price of this paradise. So go out there and start questing.” Cer and the others nodded to themselves in sync.
Do these three all share the same braincell?
“Is it really ok for me to head out? I mean… well, punch is about the only offensive skill I have.” Frost wryly replied, almost embarrassed by this.
“Civilization? Hello? You think the Beholders order us to have Hyperlinks placed in the middle of nowhere?” Ber playfully belittled her.
Right. That would make sense. I can imagine someone getting ganked out of nowhere if that wasn’t the case.
“That’s what the Hyperwarp is for! Either send in a subjugation team straight to the battlefield or bring ‘em right into the Nexus directly!” Cer announced.
Never mind. They have a dedicated method for getting ganked.
“A-Are you satisfied with everything now?” Res kindly asked. Out of all of them she was the most down to Earth and… well, ‘sane’. She felt like the mother of the trio in a way.
“I think I get the gist of things. I guess the only thing left is how to get from where to where.”
“That’s easy. Invoke [Hyperlink] out loud.” Cer pointed again.
“[Hyperlink].”
A rather sterile world map appeared before her very eyes. A dense fog of war clouded almost everything save for the two regions closest to the Nexus – Brandar, which spanned to the north and east; and Grandis which was to the west.
Didn’t Iscario say something about Grandis being the perfect place to start off?
“Choose whatever’s available. You’ll see the recommended ranks for each place. Just look for a Tin one. That’s the lowest rank. Levels don’t really reflect strength since you can reach a high level without any combat skills.” Res promptly explained as Frost scoured through her options.
Well. Her only option actually. Everything else was static; as if bugged and was rendered inaccessible. The same sharp pain she felt from before instantly caused her to retract a finger when she tried accessing one of the scrambled locations.
It’s completely different from angina. Ack… It’s like I’m actually being stabbed in the chest. Ugh.
In the end, she shakily picked the Village of Virt; a Tin Ranked location in southern Grandis.
< Set Hyperlink destination to Village of Virt? >
< No > | < Confirm >
Once confirmed, and as her eyes sparkled with the hope of adventure – Cer, Ber and Res stood erect simultaneously to offer their parting words.
“Head back to the Central Relay. You, know, the giant white room you came from. From there just stand in one of those giant circles and you’ll be set. Make some Nex. Buy a house later down the line. Maybe some land. Find a lover. Have some kids. Maybe 30 or so. We live for quite a long time with the blessing.” Cer teased.
Out of all the things she had said, that was the one that hit her the hardest. Kids? No thanks. Frost refused to allow the invading thoughts to become food for her mind, wafting them away with a troubled look.
“That’s t-too early for me.” Was all she could say.
Noooo way. No thanks. I’m perfectly fine thank you.
“She’s been trying to make fun of you since the start and that’s what got you?” Ber couldn’t help but to let loose of a hearty laugh. “Listen. Don’t stray off the main roads. You have the Blessing. No matter a farmer or a fisher – we are all highly valuable assets. A cute girl like you can get sold off for a substantial amount.”
Her skin crawled at the notion of being called ‘cute’. Luckily, her displeasure was well hidden behind a forced smile as she rose to her feet. She did not want to be any more conscious about her damned body.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you. Really, thank you for sorting me out.” Frost sincerely thanked, placing both hands on her hips.
“What can I say~? I’m only a Moon but I can do this boring job better than the official receptionists!” Cer proudly presented, gathering a few cold eyes from the other passing receptionists. “At least we get appreciated here in the Nexus. So, my offer’s still up for grabs. We can storm up to the Upper Sanctums and present you to the Arbiter.”
“What am I, a lottery ticket?” Frost sighed. “No thanks. I don’t feel like doing something dumb. And didn’t you say never to disobey the people up top?”
“You’re not thinking correctly. If you are the one the Arbiter’s looking for then is that really disobeying them?” Cer smugly puffed her chest out, proud of her irrefutable logic.
“Isn’t she so smart. That’s Cer for you! Born 0.8 seconds before any of us!” Ber cheered her on as Res’ face shriveled as if she had bitten into a lemon. “Down with the Beholder Galia! Down with her Justica Arms!”
“Get Raoul back from that snake!” Cer and Ber linked arms and thrust their fists into the air. In that instant, a blue thread suddenly wrapped their wrists together as a pair of white-haired figured draped in beautiful blue garbs approached.
“HUH!?” They both simultaneously cried as two pairs of hands, each one with a metal arm, clutched onto their shoulders. Two identical women coldly stared down at them with emotionless eyes, never blinking as Cer and Ber gulped under their iron grip.
“It’s these two again…” One spoke unenthusiastically.
“So it is…” They were almost robotic-like; monotone and tired. It was soothing somehow.
“Orh!?”
“Thras!?”
The only difference between them was that Orh’s right arm was made from one of the most elaborate metal prosthesis Frost had ever seen. The prosthesis was a beautiful matte grey, constructed with a complex array of metal strands, mimicking tendons, and muscle structure.
At the end of each fingertip was a claw where a glowing, blue strand ran through rings, like the guides of a fishing rod. It began from an unknown origin beneath their garbs and terminated at their fingers.
Thras on the other hand had her left arm modified. But rather than strings, there were tubes filled with a bright blue liquid. Frost could only speculate the purpose of that fluid.
They were humans as far as she could tell; Orh with long, elegant hair while Thras’ was cut sharply at the center of her nape. They were like porcelain dolls; to the point where Frost nearly
believed they were artificial beings.“We’ve come to pick up you two offending jesters. Hour 10:56, 45th second. Year 350 PA, day 34 of the 5th month, early winter. Beholder Marionette would like to have a word with you three…” Orh recited.
“OI! Get this gross string off us! W-why the hell isn’t it coming off!?” Ber cried, clawing at the strand to no avail.
“You big breasted snitching dolls! Caught us while we had our weapons confiscated, huh! You call this a fair fight!?” Cer snapped before their arms, legs and mouths were quickly wrapped by the blue, silky thread. “MMMMPH!? MFKIN MMMICHES!”
“Backtalk to a Moon. Addendum to offenses…” Orh added.
“Disruption in public. Chemically unclean. Unsatisfactory role as receptionist with 38 complaints in the last 100 hours. I quote, ‘I was called an idiot for not knowing how to access the Dimensional Storage’. The likely punishment will be a wire scrub bath...” Thras calmly said as Frost stifled her laughter to the best of her strength.
Once again, she had front row seats to a comedy skit. The scene was too surreal.
“MMMMHLLLP MMUSSS!”
“MMRREESSS!”
“I’m so sorry about them. We’ll come right away.” Res lowered her head as the two were dragged off. Before she left, she turned to Frost for one last time. “Um… Frost. I hope you stay safe on your outing. If you see any Moons or Stars outside don’t be afraid to ask for help! You can always trust us with your life.”
“I’ll bother as many as I can.” Frost nodded with a pleasant grin. “Thank you for everything.”
“Don’t word it so dramatically. The pleasure was always ours. I’m glad you were our last recipient. Er… For now at least. Haaah. Good luck out there~!”
Yep. Res is definitely the mother of the trio. A shame. Frost wished she could have gotten to know them better but, in the end, what could she do? She parted ways in the end with a small wave.
She walked towards the grand entrance, savoring the spectacle that was called Nexus.
* * *
Once she returned to the white pearlescent walls of the Central Relay – Frost stood inside one of the magical circles.
“… This is going to be hard to swallow if I actually –”
Before she could finish her words; the world instantly collapsed into itself. And in the next moment –
“– Tele… port…”
< Restricted Access has been Overruled >
< Entering the Village of Virt for the First Time >
Frost’s jaws dropped. Her eyes swelled with insurmountable wonder as she observed the wonderful world around her. A large village made from simple wood and stone foundations littered the clearing she found herself in. Emerald oak trees spanned as far as they eye could see.
Sunlight blessed her fair skin, the warmth of the new world feeling no different from the one she knew back home. The murky scent of the raw earth and the uneven ground made it clear that she was indeed somewhere far away from the comfort of technology and the spanning cities of concrete.
This was the final proof that confirmed she was no longer on Earth.
And when she looked up to a familiar blue sky.
“T-That’s… megastructure? No way in hell that’s a megastructure.” Frost muttered to herself as the world suddenly fell silent. “That’s a gigastructure.”
Reverence coursed through her heart, mind, and soul as she stared up at the pale object. It was gilded in streaks of black and gold, and it rose higher than she could ever dream to imagine. The tower was rugged, uneven, and appeared like a celestial object more than a traditional tower. Its width was so massive that it pit the landscape underneath it in eternal darkness.
The towering scale of the Nexus made so that its shadow would always be cast somewhere around the world, plunging places into a second night.
“Not only a marvel… but also kind of like the world’s natural clock. T-this is a fantasy world with certain sparks of technology. Technology we don’t even have back on Earth.” Frost reminded herself, still enraptured by the Nexus.
She gulped.
“No. That can’t be right. Warped Stone’s technology? Teleportation? That has to be magic, right? Aha… I want to laugh. Fantasy. Swords and magic. Kingdoms, medieval life from the looks of this village… and then there’s things that can castrate the laws of physics at the snap of a finger.”
She needed to digest this. Mentally and physically. Her legs wobbled as her gaze lowered to the world around her, finally realizing that a small crowd had gathered behind her.
Eh?
“Papa! She appeared from thin air! How did she do that!?” A young child pointed at her with glee.
“A-A Blessed!? In this day and age!?” The person whose ragged shirt they tugged on cried in surprise.
“After 15 years they’re finally retuning to Grandis!” A woman clutched onto her chest, overwhelmed with emotion.
“They Gods have answered our prayers! At long last!” Finally, an old man dropped to his knees as if prostrating before her.
Frost knew right away that things were about to get a whole lot more interesting.