It has been a couple of days since I transmigrated into this horrible world teeming with dangers. Other than running into Emily and a redheaded neighbour once in a while. Nothing happened on the surface.
But I could feel the undercurrent slowly nudging me in a specific direction. While I slept every day, the world was moving on without any rest.
Till now, I have not found a way to handle Emily. For people in this world, she was my girlfriend. Someone who should have been part of my life. But I regret not breaking up with her more and more.
Because I am not the person she once knew. Alex is already gone and all that is left is a shell that is occupied by me, the eighteen-year-old teenager who has nothing better to do.
I feel guilty. Like I have committed some grave crime.
I was sure that I would be incapable of loving someone, a stranger! Why be burdened by expectations that I could never fulfil if I could break it off right now.
Other than the information that I have from the novel, Outerworlds. I know nothing about Emily, not her preference or dislikes. Nothing.
I am a blank piece of paper. The only long term relationship I had was with some puppies. Does that qualify me as someone who should be loved or as someone who can give love?
Doubts about myself were flooding my brain incessantly.
"Here, the coffee is ready. Have a drink." Emily handed me a cup of coffee.
"Thanks!" Oh please! Don't make me into a villain. I feel bad about exploiting her. All my injuries are healed and I have already begun training. So, why should I let her make coffee? If I want, I can make it. Or is this how lovers interact.
"By the way. Today, I need to go to work. See you in the evening."
'See me! In the evening. Don't tell me that she… I hope not. She might have meant for dinner. Don't panic. You can do it, Alex.'
'No No NO. You shouldn't do it, Alex. Be calm and freeze your expression.' I said to myself.
"Then see you later." Like a creaking robot, I replied.
"Cough cough." This is really taking a toll on me. My poor cyan heart.
—--------------
I went to my room.
Ensuring that no one was around. I pulled out a map and began drawing a diagram on it.
No one should see this. What I drew was highly confidential. Any form of information leak will be like serving my head on a silver platter. And I dislike silver plates.
The only people that ever came to my home were Emily and Mr Thomas. Team leader or not, I can't yet trust him wholeheartedly. Even though I know the important characters that I would see in the future. Information about Mr Thomas Orwin was a blur.
The map was of Nova city. One of the largest cities made around a permanent portal. Usually, portals or otherwise known as dungeon entrances can be classified into two types.
Permanent portals and temporary portals. Temporary portals are also called rifts colloquially.
And among the few permanent portals on this earth. One was inside the centre of nova city. And I was looking exactly at it.
With the map, I could see the relative distance to other landmarks from this map. The information from the novel was not detailed enough for me to do a comprehensive analysis of this city.
I only remember information that A is south of B and such. To not waste time further, I began marking the map with what I know. Hidden places, information guilds, and locations which will have major events in the future.
Finally after an hour. It was done and I found the place that I was looking for.
A dilapidated shop named Friday and my whole future depends on it.
—---------------
A couple of hours later. It was 11 pm.
Already had dinner with Emily and we went our separate ways.
The wind was cold and a full moon hung in the night sky.
I was in the slums of Nova city. The southmost part of the city where everything bad and shady happens. Or in simpler terms, you could call this hell on earth. In the novel, it was described as the worst place a person could ever end up in.
My opinion did not change much after reaching this place. It was better to die than keep on living here. That was the only thought that came to my mind.
Disease ridden animals like cats, dogs and rats filled the street. There was no proper waste management, so trash from food to plastic waste has all littered the roads. Even cockroaches the size of a finger could be seen randomly crawling on the dirty wall.
For a person like me who hates an unclean environment. It was pure torture. This place contrasted starkly with the hospital that I woke up in. I couldn't believe that we were living under the same sun.
But mustering up my courage. I walked inside.
Today, I was on a mission. To find one of the top ten villains of the novel Outerworlds named Dark-Matter. You might be wondering why I was going after a villain. Stop your thought right there, Even if it was Hitler, I am not the kind of person who would perform a cradle murder.
I was really not here to kill someone. I wanted to see if I can affect the novel by changing the fate of a villain who plays a major part in the plot. This would prove that even my fate can be changed.
And what led me to this exact villain?
It was even easier to answer that question. Among the top ten villains in Outerworlds. Dark Matter was one of the only humans who is a major challenge to the main characters. And he was also the youngest of them all.
This means that the villain has yet to grow and turn into a monster that the whole world would fear. I had luck in my transmigration.
With that in my mind, I slowly walked into a shop named 'Friday'. You might think that there was nothing wrong with this average antique shop at a glance. But hidden beneath the exterior is one of the darkest secrets of this world.
Friday is a front for the black market shop specialising in human trafficking. As the name suggests, every Friday they sell humans or superhumans with special powers for an exorbitant amount of money.
Humans with superpowers were especially in demand for the rich and powerful to toy with or for the crazy scientists to experiment on. Today, I have to go to such a place and make a deal.
I just hope that I can keep myself in control. I don't want to dive into something before I can fully understand what's going on. But today I will.