Aiken raced through the forest, his breaths heavy as he moved. "Hey, calm down or we'll end up lost again," warned Althea, her voice a mix of concern and annoyance. Aiken leaped and landed on a log, frustration evident on his face. "This map is driving me crazy," he muttered, his anger simmering beneath the surface. Suddenly, Aiken's frustration transformed into manic laughter. "Finally," he exclaimed, staring at his hand. "I'll find you, and I'm going to defeat you!" His smile grew wider, giving him an almost eerie appearance. Althea couldn't help but inquire, "Why are you so determined to defeat Ram?" Aiken's smile faded, and he snapped back, "It's none of your business." Ignoring Althea's question, he continued running, his focus unwavering.
Amidst the chaos caused by Ram's disappearance, a dense black smoke engulfed the entire arena. The only one missing was 'Ram,' the strongest player of Lethe Online. As a result, players began logging out en masse. Suspicion fell upon Ram's guild, as questions arose about their leader's sudden appearance and disappearance.
After two days of navigating the game world, Aiken finally arrived in the next town. He was abruptly accosted by a stranger – the chatty guy from the inn. "Hey, aren't you the guy I saw the other day at the inn?" The chatty guy was relentless, trying to engage Aiken in conversation. "Haha, I knew you were an adventurer too! Want to team up? The monsters ahead are pretty aggressive," he offered. Aiken averted his gaze, unwilling to reveal his identity to this talkative stranger. He knew that once this guy recognized him, his secret would be out, and everyone would know who he really was.
"Hey, are you okay?" The chatty guy's voice persisted, irritating both Aiken and Althea. "I need to go to Orion," Aiken stated, his gaze fixed ahead as he walked away from the chatty intruder. Confusion painted the chatty guy's face as he continued, "Wait, you mean you've been traveling since the live broadcast? I've been traveling too, and I got here right after it ended. You've been on the road for two days just to reach this town?" He couldn't help but find Aiken's situation amusing, a beginner struggling with the game's challenges.
"Tsk," Aiken muttered in annoyance as the chatterbox guy lectured him about the hardships of Letheon. He tapped his wrist to check his status and consulted the map. There were still four more towns to pass before he could reach Orion. His rumbling stomach reminded him of his hunger as he passed by an inn. Tempted by the idea of food, he entered the pub, only to be caught by surprise when he spotted a familiar figure. Slowly retreating, he hoped to escape notice, but the chatterbox guy intercepted him, pulling him to a table. Aiken's inner voice sighed in frustration at the near escape.
As the chatterbox introduced him to the waitress, a girl in a maid outfit with bunny ears, Aiken's attention was captured by the sight of the food she placed on the table. His hunger was overwhelming after two days without a proper meal. The chatterbox continued with his theatrics, mentioning Aiken's two-day journey. "Thank you for the food!" Aiken exclaimed with energy, diving into the food and paying no mind to the chatterbox's antics.
"Oh yeah," the chatterbox exclaimed, inadvertently tugging on Aiken's hood. Aiken's face was revealed to everyone in the inn, drawing their attention. "Ah..." The chatterbox pointed at Aiken with wide eyes. "Ah... so cute!!!" He suddenly embraced Aiken tightly, seemingly oblivious to the curious gazes of the other patrons. Aiken's inner voice groaned in annoyance. "Does he look familiar to you?" the maid serving them asked the chatterbox. The bystanders began to murmur among themselves, some even standing up to get a better view. Aiken felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him. Seriously, am I some kind of spectacle or amusement for these people?
"Eh, he looks like Cziell!" The words slipped out of the chatterbox's mouth, and Aiken's heart sank. Oh no, this is the last thing I need right now!
"Of course not, haha!" The chatterbox adeptly defused the potentially awkward situation, causing everyone to turn their attention away and go back to their own affairs. Aiken sighed in relief as the commotion subsided. Seriously, how can someone mistake me for Cziell right now just based on hair color and eyes? It's ridiculous.
'Cziell, we really need to leave now,' Althea urgently warned Aiken, her voice tinged with anxiety.
Aiken pulled his hood back up, trying to escape from the situation. "Sorry, I mistook you for someone else," the maid apologized, bowing her head with sincerity.
"No, it's okay. It's always like this," Aiken replied as he stood up, feeling a mix of annoyance and resignation. Just as he was about to make his exit, the chatterbox grabbed his hand, stopping Aiken's attempt to leave. Aiken's patience was wearing thin, and he was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the situation.
"Eh, really?" the chatterbox's expression changed, revealing a hint of familiarity. "Sorry, but I really need to go." Aiken attempted to break free from the chatterbox's grip, feeling agitated by the invasive behavior.
Suddenly, a blinding flash of light engulfed the inn. When the light faded, both the chatterbox and the newbie were nowhere to be seen.
In the midst of the tension, a long, slender blade was thrust toward Aiken's neck, stopping just short of making contact. A girl with long white hair and a katana stood before him, forcefully removing Aiken's hood to reveal his face.
"Cziell," a guy with cat ears and a tail next to the girl spoke up, his voice tinged with recognition.
"Chatterbox?" Aiken inadvertently blurted out, his surprise getting the better of him. The guy's cat ears twitched, and his tail stood on end. "How dare you—no! You don't remember my name!!!" Althea couldn't help calling Aiken an idiot.
"Try not to make such stupid remarks!" another guy with brown hair and gold eyes emerged from the shadows, kicking the chatterbox away from Aiken. "Tsk! Come on, Neon! How can you not remember the name of a handsome guy like me?" Aiken wondered if the chatterbox had even introduced himself before. Regardless, Aiken had no interest in knowing him.
As Aiken surveyed his surroundings, he took in the scene. The brown-haired guy with gold eyes was 'Neon,' the expressionless white-haired girl with the katana was 'Mio,' and the chatterbox was... Wait, who was he again?
"Hey, Imbecile!" Aiken called out to the chatterbox. "Wha—my name is not Imbecile!!! It's Mimic!" the chatterbox—Mimic—retorted loudly. Neon seemed irritated by Mimic's behavior and kicked him again. Mio, on the other hand, appeared uninterested and kept her focus on Aiken. She moved her katana closer, nicking Aiken's neck. The atmosphere grew tense.
Mimic and Neon abruptly ceased their argument, their expressions growing grave as the weight of the situation settled upon them. Aiken's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, struggling to make sense of the implications of Mimic's transformation. As he contemplated, a sudden realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. The puzzle pieces fell into place, the individual he had engaged with in the inn, the encounter at the town's entrance, and now within the pub – all instances of the same person, yet distinctly different. The one before him now was not the same as the one he had spoken to the inn and at the town's entrance. It was Mimic– Althea's gentle nudge pulled him from his reverie, redirecting his focus to the immediate urgency of the situation. Amidst the tension and bewilderment, Aiken found himself concurring with Althea's silent insistence, acknowledging the necessity to confront the pressing matter at hand.
Mimic and Neon's intense gazes made Aiken squirm uncomfortably. "What do you want?" Cziell's poker face demanded answers from the three. Their eyes shifted between each other, exchanging a silent conversation that only added to Aiken's bewilderment. He questioned the wisdom of introducing an odd, white-haired newbie with heterochromia, especially when they were well aware that Cziell didn't even recognize that orange was a color that existed, given his staunch dedication to an all-black ensemble. As the master of darkness, Cziell was undoubtedly fully committed to his aesthetic choices.
Mimic's ears flattened against his head as Neon's accusation hit him. He shot Neon a reproachful glare, his wimpy appearance not quite matching the intensity of his expression. "Hey, that's uncalled for!" Mimic huffed, crossing his arms defensively.
"Enough!" A kid with light blue hair suddenly emerged, wearing an oversized shirt that seemed comically large on his small frame. Aiken raised an eyebrow, wondering what a child was doing in a game like Letheon "But Aico, he may look a bit different, but he's Cziell,"Mio interjected, subtly putting some distance between herself and Aiken, who visibly flinched at the mention of the kid's name, followed by Aico taking cautious steps closer.
"What are you doing here in Letheon? This game isn't suitable for kids like you." Neon's disapproving glare felt like daggers. Aico was quick to defend himself, asserting his maturity, "I'm not a kid! Everything changed so fast, and I don't even remember how it happened. But you!"
Aico leaned in, scrutinizing Aiken's face, "You two seem close!" Mimic chimed in with glee, but his jubilant moment was met with Neon's smack. "Ugh, if only I hadn't fallen from my apartment, I wouldn't be stuck in this endless nightmare," Aico muttered, his frustration brewing as he looked at his friends.
However, a new presence emerged – a barefooted girl named Maine. Althea chimed in with recognition, "Eh, that's Maine!" Aiken's awareness sparked at Althea's revelation hit him– Maine was another fairy, much like Althea.
"You!" Aiken's exclamation drew Aico's attention, and his own startled response inadvertently confirmed Maine's presence. A wave of realization swept over Aico, and his concern was palpable as he comprehended the implications. "Wait, don't tell me you can see her?" Aico's voice quivered with a mix of surprise and anxiety, recognizing that another individual had the ability to perceive the fairy.
Maine, seemingly unfazed, walked closer and reached out to touch Aiken's right eye. "This is... Althea?" Her voice carried a mixture of disbelief and sadness, and then, without warning, Althea manifested herself before them, her luminous form standing beside Aiken.
Mio and Neon exchanged glances, their expressions solemn. Though they couldn't perceive the "fairies" that the two players were referring to, what caught their attention were the ethereal firelights that seemed to dance around the two individuals. The uncanny resemblance between the pair hinted at a connection that went beyond mere coincidence, prompting the pieces of the puzzle to fall into place and revealing a complex interplay between the players, the virtual realm of Lethe Online, and the unfolding anomalies within it.
"Maine," Althea's voice carried a tone of remorse as she addressed the other fairy. "You're aware of the consequences of your actions, right? Committing the taboo is akin to committing a crime, even bordering on murder!" In a sudden outburst of anger, Maine grabbed Althea and pressed her against a wall. "Look at how much weaker you've become! They're fated to die anyway, so why go to such lengths to aid that human? You've even resorted to committing the taboo!"
The room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of Maine's accusation hanging in the air. Aico intervened, concern etched on his face. "What are you doing, Maine?" he exclaimed, his worry palpable. Maine released her grip on Althea, explaining her actions. "She committed a taboo, Magic Integration," Maine declared, her voice carrying a mix of authority and frustration. "Magic Integration?" Aico's question hung in the air, laden with curiosity and concern.
"Sco-sama, you need to eliminate that individual now," Aiken's expression soured as he looked at Aico – Sco. The realization that Sco was the 12th-ranked player struck him with a mix of fascination and suspicion.
"I, Maine, the fairy of Black Sand, hereby declare the consequences for Cziell and Althea, for their failure to uphold the law and for committing the taboo!" An intense surge of sand particles enveloped Maine, their form a blinding swirl of power. While Mio couldn't perceive the details within the sand vortex, her instincts kicked in, compelling her to swiftly position herself in front of Aico, shielding him from whatever potential danger the enigmatic sand formation might hold. Neon and Mimic, flustered and uncertain, moved restlessly in response to the escalating tension.
Aico had been engrossed in witnessing the rarity of Cziell's defeat, but in an instant, his focus shifted.
"Give it a try, if you dare," Aiken's smile twisted into an eerie grin, his purple right eye emanating an unsettling glow while the runes etched on it expanded and intensified. The red hue of his left eye blazed with intensity. With an abrupt movement, Aiken rose to his feet, snapping the binds that restrained him. Althea returned to her place within Aiken's eyes, causing the intricate rune patterns on his right eye to elongate and expand, their movements resembling a living entity.
Meanwhile, Mio instinctively positioned herself protectively in front of Aico, gripping her katana, "hey! hey! stop!" Aico couldn't help but feel the weight of the world on his significantly small shoulders, as if he were now shouldering all the brainpower that the other players and fairies in his vicinity seemed to lack.