It didn't take long for Zero to arrive at the Inn.
"Azir Town Inn" - was written up above the sign which he is currently looking at.
The structure(Inn) was almost the same as the guild - it stood tall up to two floors, and base on the many windows he can see, it must have many rooms inside. And compared to any other houses he had seen in the city so far, it looked much sturdy.
( The Inn, huh? I'd never seen one before... ) with that thought, he walked towards its entrance.
Immediately, he was greeted with a wide spacious room. There are tables and chairs placed inside, and unlike in the guild, there are much fewer people in it, only at least two that are sitting on the tables, not of course including the receptionist. The room pretty much looked like a bar; where on its left side is the counter and just beside it is a staircase - and beside the staircase is another path leading to other rooms.
[ Welcome! ] the soon as the receptionist saw him, she greeted and smiled.
[ Excuse me. ] Zero bowed to the other two people inside that are playing something and walked towards the receptionist.
The receptionist pretty much looked much more mature than him and any other woman he had seen so far. She has brown her and her face has small freckles. Maybe because she was the first one he had focused on other than the guild receptionist, but her appearance definitely caught his attention a little.
[ Umm... How much for one night? ] he made sure that he said his words properly so that the receptionist will not mistake what he meant with 'other' things.
[ A day would be three copper coins. And a week would be four silver and a single copper coin. ] she answers immediately, still with a smile on her face. She answers his question with much obvious expertise in her job.
( Three for a day, 21 for a week... I expect it to have at least a discount... ) inside his head, he made his calculation and he was disappointed to find out that the price was still the same even if he stays for a week rather than just a few days.
( I even can't decide if three coins is cheap or not... Anyway... for now... )
[ Here. ] he took out nine copper coins and placed it on the counter.
[ For, umm... Three days, right? ]
[ Ah, yes, I don't think I will stay long. ]
[ Is that so? Then, you can choose whichever room you like. Ah, right, rooms one and four already have people, so please choose a room other than those two. ] she took the coins as she said those words.
[ Then, please sign here. ] like the guards and the receptionist in the guild, she took out a piece of paper and made him sign on it.
( Really... I can't believe how organized and formal this world is... ) he could on think as he signs.
( Now that I think about it... How are they even able to understand my writing...? ) the thought came to him as he signs. He always writes his name "Zero" with the letters of his world yet they were always able to understand it. As far as he knows, the letters here are different from his previous world - it was a mystery how he was able to understand them, and how they also can read his.
[ Zero, is it? ]
[ Un. ] he replied positively as she called his name.
[ What an odd name... ] although she only mutters it to herself, Zero was able to hear it. And at this point, he just ignored it as he was already used by them calling his name as 'weird' or as 'odd'.
[ Un, if there's anything you want to ask, you can always find me. ]
[ Thank you very much. ]
***
[ Uooooo~n...! ] Zero stretches his limbs as soon as he entered his room. And made a long, relaxing yawn.
( I thought my body would become more efficient now that I'm a dragon... But I guess that was not it at all, huh? Well, dragons are lazy creatures after all... I shouldn't be surprised to get this exhausted after I spent so much energy in a single day... ) he laid his body on the bed inside the room, looked at the ceiling, and thought so.
( Ahh... Right, I still have that... ) immediately, he sat stood up.
He then looked at the pouch he put on top of the table inside the room and took the scroll inside it.
( Now, let's see what your deal is. )
He looks at the scroll, and there on its seal was written the name - Zereal - in curves.
( Zereal... That was the name written before... )
[ Zereal, a real God... If I remember correctly... ]
Zero doesn't believe he is a God or something, many people call themselves with that name inside the game so it was hard for him to take his name seriously, but now that he's in his current circumstance, he is starting to change his thoughts about the name. Zero knows that he must be the person to blame for this. The person who took him to this unknown world.
He doesn't know what he should feel about that fact, but right now, he does not view this person in a negative way. But still, he was cautious about him.
And so - with a dubious look on his face, he unsealed the scroll.
It lit up and suddenly vanished, leaving small blue particles, and then transformed into another text window.
( Human! Zero Takahashi!
Or perhaps, Zero! )
Those were the first words that were written in the message.
As far as Zero knows, he never told or accidentally written his name inside the game ever - so, in the exception of the people that manage his account and do business with him, no one would know it.
So, obviously, the message must've come from someone who has high authority.
But as Zero continues to read more of the letter - he soon realized that the sender of the message was more than that. He might be what he calls himself after all.
( It's me, Zereal.
I'm sure you already have your doubts that where you're in is not a game anymore.
Well, because it is - you're never in any kind of game anymore. )
[ ... ] Zero continued to calmly read the message; he already knows as much - but as he goes further, his expression turns serious.
( This world is much different than yours, but, I'm sure you already know how it works.
Now,
In your previous world, you're the person almost everyone recognizes when they hear the word 'God', especially in the game you're playing in. Many people recognize you as the peak of power; they recognize you as the final wall they need to walk over.
Personally, I like you, Zero. You're almost as close as an existence to us Gods, that is, of course, we're still different existence.
Now, I will make sure to keep this message as simple and clear as possible.
Each world has different Gods - your world has its own, and I am of my own. But sometimes, there are gods who go rogue and they destroy worlds of their own and of themselves. They become what's called the Gods of Destruction - And the God of this world was one. And without a God to manage it, it's now nearing its end, that is, if one can be named as its own.
I won't explain further, but -
30 people in your world have been chosen to compete for the title - people - from the same world as yours. They will fight each other and beat one another to become the strongest; the one who will rise to the top will ascend. The one who will become a God.
But unfortunately, you're not one of those chosen people. No matter how great of a person you are, you were not chosen.
But as the person these people recognize most as their peak, you are here to make things difficult, you're here to make sure that the one who will rise to the top is the most fitting.
I know that this is an unreasonable request, but this is your fate.
You have been given the most important task of all - and that is - to choose the person who will become the God of this world. You will be the one responsible for the fate of this world.
- By a real God, Zereal. )
*Message will disappear in 3, 2, 1*
*Crack!
The sound of teeth crashing against another was heard.
[ So this is what this is about, huh? Ahh... This is stupid... ]
Zero couldn't get more frustrated. He made an empty smile on his face as soon as the message disappears.
[ As if I'll do something like that... Haah... But, they should've explained this to me much earlier... I almost treated Anna as an NPC... And... ]
As if he was still calm as ever, he let out a sigh and look outside the window of the room.
[ Does this mean... The reason I was sent here is to get hunted by a bunch of idiots...? Or am I the one supposed to hunt them? ]
( Tsk! )
[ As if I'll allow myself to do such a thing. ] he sat down the bed as he mutters those words.
Right now, he doesn't have the intention to follow what is written in the message at all.
Until -
( New Task: Choose! )
( Reward(s): "Log out" )
He sees another tab appeared.
[ You're really giving me no other choice, huh? ]