Chapter 2
"It's the year 2126 AD. We just celebrated the New Year's Day yesterday. You really have lost your memory?!" Sara replied, her voice filled with astonishment.
"What?!" I exclaimed. It couldn't be true. I had only known the year to be 2022. How had I ended up a hundred years in the future? Why did this happen to me?
"Hamad, why do you look so down?" Sara asked, concerned for me.
I gathered myself, realizing that there was no rush to figure out why I had traveled to the future. For now, I needed to focus on surviving in this new era.
"I'm just processing everything. There's no need to worry. But why do we live in this rundown house?" I inquired, genuinely curious.
"That's quite rude. I searched hard to find this place. You should be thankful that I let you in... Hmph!" Sara retorted, clearly offended.
"I apologize; it was wrong of me to say that. I am genuinely curious about our circumstances, though," I said, trying to convey sincerity.
"You should already know this, but I'll explain. We're orphans, and without anyone to rely on, we can't afford a decent living space. In fact, we're considered lucky to have found this place. Others don't even have a roof over their heads, so you should be grateful," Sara explained, a hint of pride in her voice.
"Why don't we get jobs? I mean, we're of working age," I inquired, curious about the employment situation.
"Jobs require education, and education these days is considered a luxury only the rich can afford," Sara replied, her voice tinged with disappointment.
"I see," I replied, realizing that my previous education gave me an advantage in this regard.
"Now, I need to explore the area we're living in. I haven't seen anything yet," I thought to myself before speaking aloud, "Where's my mask? I want to go out for a bit."
I put on the mask, and Sara followed me. The nearest gathering place was about a kilometer away, so we had to walk for some time.
As we reached the city, I was astonished by the advanced technology of this era. It surpassed anything I had known in my own time.
We strolled through the streets until we came across a game store. Among all the distractions, one game caught my attention: DMMO-RPG YGGDRASIL.
"Full-dive virtual reality... I've been waiting for something like this for thirteen years in my era, but our technology couldn't create anything similar. It was my childhood dream to experience it," I mused, fixated on the store display.
"Just give up. You can't afford such an expensive device in our current situation," Sara interjected, trying to discourage me.
"I'll find work and save up. I will buy it eventually," I said unintentionally, the words slipping out before I had fully realized my determination.
"You've finally gone crazy," Sara said, her face expressionless.
Looking around, I unexpectedly noticed a job offer sign. Intrigued, I hurried to the location and inquired about the job.
"Do you have a certificate?" a burly man asked me.
"Um... I seem to have misplaced it," I replied, unable to come up with a better answer.
"Get out of here!" the man grumbled, ready to dismiss me.
"Wait a minute, can't you at least give me a chance to prove myself? Test me if you think I'm lying," I pleaded, attempting to convince him.
"Hamad, what has gotten into you?