Regressor, returner, walker, awakened, and resurrector: According to Viz, there are many names for them all over the internet. He's too into that, even though we have the real deal right before us. The ones who play at being heroes, the ones who aim to survive, and those who come back just to be the strongest when they awaken inside the domain are those humans.
You might think that we'll get rewards for it, but no.
BANG
Shit. What the freak- I swooped down to the ground as I heard gunshots. With the thunderous echoes of gunshots reverberating through the air, I swiftly ducked onto the ground with a precision that matched the rhythmic crack of firearms, as a speck of dust fell around me. A horse runs almost at the speed of a car past in front of me, and another chases him with a little carriage that only has two big wheels. From the looks of it, this could be the past, yet there were signs that I could see it wasn't from past eras. The glass door I came out from, the building itself was intact, and the ones who created this didn't shy away from using metals and concrete.
*clash*
"Chase her!" As I looked up, a gun was pointing at me from the boat on the beach just in front of this building. As the gun barrels glared in the sunlight, my pulse surged in my ears, drowning out the crashing waves nearby. I bent down immediately, hitting my chin on the ground, stinging it as it hit it, yet I did not falter. Crawling was a safe way to escape, and when I got to the middle of the two buildings I got on my feet and started to run, my feet pacing every dirt and every corner, trying to get far away from their sights. 'Though lightheaded from exertion and fear, my legs somehow found another gear and carried on. It didn't become a hindrance for me despite the sound of the bullets firing behind as it slightly grazed my shoulder and by having a little glimpse of it I managed to analyze it and it didn't seem to be fatal.
I exhaled with ease as it seemed that I may have lost them now.
I wandered on the streets checking on every piece of detail that would make me remember the places I've been to.
The honking of the long four-wheeled transportation that has names of people and paintings and drawings in it. The smell of oil that's cooking fish that were rounded up into a sphere, and eggs coated up in orange batter.
I think I know where I am now.
I walked towards a bridge in front of a building that hadn't burnt out yet but knew it would be in the foreseen future. It had burned down in the middle of the city, and soon, I can conclude as I saw it. Manila Post Office. Neoclassical architectural designs with large columns and intricate floor designs are something I can recognize.
I wasn't just running with no intention to go back. I am intentionally going to one of the spots where I can get back again to the domain.
Post offices, bell towers, such landmarks that are involved in the time in both the future and the past create an indelible connection.
This isn't the break I was hoping for. I want to go back.
There is another rule when you get out of the domain and when any person who has these skills goes back into the past. Everyone who interacts with them and lives in a different time will be against them sooner or later. That no matter how good they are, this continuity will not change. However, different conditions need to be fulfilled when it does happen.
I'll thread it carefully.
I used the handkerchief I always carry in my pockets to wipe my face. A warning light appeared on my face as soon as I stepped onto the staircase.
Ate Cleaner.
This place is going to blow up in a few minutes.
I cannot guarantee your safety.
Please Do not enter the building.
Ate. There's only one person I know who calls me when I travel out in the domains… it's that guy. It's that one friend who loves to wander over the domains in SEA (South East Asia). I opened my [Thought transfer] and answered back. I called it that way for me to easily remember what it does.
My [Thought transfer] took the form of a small blue typical chat box in front of the warning, with just enough space and sight where I can read it.
SP: You can still contact me at this time.
SH: Yep. Ate. I paid some meters for this communication. Unfortunately, I cannot contact you in unlimited time.
But like it's worth it!
SP: Do you have any other post office here?
SH: Yes, we do have other post offices. It's just tiny, though it will take time to reach the real-time you went out. NGL, you came here at the wrong time.
Well, then, I'll try my luck here.
As I entered the Manila Post Office, the warning message flashed again, urging me to reconsider. I couldn't afford to back down, for this was my only chance to find the letter, to find my way back to where I came from. I ran towards the building and spotted the nearest bicycle. I need to get a handle on the letter that was written mistakenly in a different year, an advanced year. If I could get hold of that, I should be going back to where I was before this situation happened.
"You can't just fucking run and ignore me, you little shit," SH calls me up and uses his one-call option. I cannot answer the call manually, nor can I end the call until the caller does.
"You pulled a currency from your wallet just to warn me, huh? Mom." I teased, trying to push his 'mood' off.
"Hey, don't you dare make fun of me!" He replied, his voice strained. "I trade off these meteors just to call you because you are not answering!" Is he wasting it for me just to call me? What a waste and it's too bad he's gonna dig more later just to pay.
This building will be swallowed by fire. I already told you it's gonna blow up! Can you just go to the other post office… or better yet go to the other landmark! You cannot come back if you die outside of your domain and cannot respond to me when you want to. If you die here today—"
"SH, I ain't going to die here. The angels won't drag me to hell today. How about you turn on your shitty streaming service so you can get back your wasted call? I also need some help from the gods of different lores to go back." These gods of different lores enjoy some drama, and I'm sure there's one there with the ability to pull strings easier especially that guy people pray for to seek things.
"Couldn't you just ask Carra or Viz to help you?"
"They'll be also at different times… that's all I can guess." I heard it in some people from the dungeons, they are teleported towards a new timeline when they got those humans with going back in time skills that I hate. I asked Vis about it but he declined my question and all I can guess is that he had a rough time with it meanwhile the others pushed it aside.
"'I can guess?' Are you serious right now?!"
"My cellphone was crushed inside the domain recently."
"What the hell?! I gave you that the last time we met! That's that's goddamn convenient!" It was the weight of the wall that pressed me down when it was torn down by the players who probably crushed the phone. Now, it's gone just when I need to. That phone can be used at whatever time and space at least that's what SH told me.
"Sorry about that I let it break yet I need your favor for you to act like a Streamer or Constella to earn the currency you lost from my phone and this conversation." I climbed up the stairs and dared not to slow down. A mailman peered from a doorway, eyes wide towards me when I reached the floor where I think they hold the mail, and then looked away and continued to pass by me. If there's one thing Viz told me that is very necessary, especially this time is to wear some plain clothes when we go out of the domain as much as possible. I've also come to realize its necessity, especially just now. Plain long-sleeves and along with black slacks something that can be both formal and informal when tightened and shortened on the sleeves. "A lore of a domain cleaner who accidentally found his way to the past. Wouldn't it be great to stream it for the first time, SH?" I tread carefully towards the room and made my way inside it. I could imagine him grumbling on the other side of the line by my stupid idea.
"You've been wanting to start some good stream right?" A reverse card.
"Yes but like the avatar setup thing. Was it v-tuber-ing here?" Why do I always need to help this guy?
"There are tons of free things you can see online on Earth- you can use that." Between us two he's more knowledgeable in these it's gotta be him. He's the one who manages the placement of the dungeons, domains, and the other challenges on the streets. The last time this guy asked was back when the two of us were still in the United States and Europe on an observation break gathering information about people. SP never asked anything, and I thought he was taking notes inside his head and then he asked what is the place we are currently at. He's more the typical NPC than me. I wonder if he has the option to act like an NPC.
"Ha! As if that's easy-"
"Come on, just do it. It'll be worth paying meteors for. Let's just do it for now."
"Fine."
"Do it freaking fast," I grunted as I sneaked in checking if there was someone inside the room. The scent of old papers and wood brushes on my nose as I see row upon row of shelves and cabinets overflowing with letters and parcels. I am so sure I'll get those things I need to go back. A letter that was dated mistakenly in a different year, two or three years in advance, or a past year, will take people like me towards the future or back.
"SP, are you ready?"
"Don't just speak up — I'm starting your dungeon chick!" He angrily snarled. He's doing it now.
A loud voice echoed inside my head. [My dearest heavenly bodies, I present this being from the future! His little tooch just wants to go home.] Go home? My house has always been the place where we staged the plays. A place where I sleep sometimes beside the corpses when we get tired and Vis would wake up always beside one after another, and his face would always be in shock when he saw it especially when the corpse's eyes were frozen wide open in terror, mouth agape in a soundless scream. Vis always reacts with his usual yell and scrambling backward, triggering the inevitable headache that he'll always complain about. At first Carra and the others always find it funny and always do it to piss him off, but the longer it went they were kinda used to his reaction. Mr. Avante Guarde and at times other scary monsters made sure they slept well.
[Oh that's boring, isn't it?] the voice continued, its tone dripping with conspiratorial glee. [Aren't you familiar with this little man? Are you sure you haven't seen him yet?] Seen me? Sheesh. What a way to entice the heavenly bodies. SH tethered me to sanity, his worded warnings, "heavenly bodies" reminded me of this desperate dance.
"I'll let you hear them and see their reactions." I guess he's treating me like a player right now.
A timer starts up just on my face.
A chat box suddenly appeared on my face.
A35: Wait, he's streaming now?
Ghen1959: Yes finally!
FuijiSan_2002: First
Overcrowding a first-time stream is a rare event unless the Streamer is already popular or the one he's in a company with is highly famous. Did I miss anything about SH? I know that he's been all over South East Asia looking over… he could be making wide connections that I didn't know. I just met him online.
Whatever, surely, it'll be a great help but there's only one person I need to catch this attention, the man whom people ask to seek, also by the name [1] "Thonio". He was shot in his tree house during his stay in the new place he was assigned to share the news of his god. Word is, if you need to find something - or someone - he's your man, at least to form the records of his believers. During his lifetime, a few people called him during the search for the horses that had gone missing in a stable of the Parish in Europe and he did find it. Whether it was a skill that was given to him back when he was still living as a human, it became his own now as long as people who believe they still have that skill, exist.
[This man is a cleaner inside your favorite place to see on streams! That's freaking right! He's from a challenging domain. Now this little guy has 45 minutes until the fire starts! Don't you want to intervene and give him difficulty?!] As expected of him, he knows how to push them.
[Share our stream! Let's make this party even better!] I don't think I can't wait for their added challenges for me in this one as I already saw the timer ticking down. I immediately looked over the pile of mail topping each other and already knew this search was going to be like searching for the stones when cleaning the rice off before cooking or looking for a needle in a haystack. Luckily they arranged it in the same year which may also give me a clue. I looked over other piles and saw the same. Yet they were also sorted in the same territory where they were to be delivered. If I were a postman I'd be happy in this situation but I ain't a postman.
[Thank you for your CC (celestial commission)! It is now accepted as soon as you sign the contract. You can place your challenge upon our cleaner now!] Someone donated just to make it hard for me. The hell who's been contacting SH recently? Or how the hell did he get someone to give me this hardship? The letters from the cabinets and containers suddenly burst out of their containers and shelves right in front of my face. I exhaled sharply.
[Oh please let's break him more! Can this poor thing go back? Mwah Mwah thank you for your constella!]
His voice suddenly became high-pitched female with excitement.
I walked towards the corner of the room and stood there.
A tactic all of us inside the domain use to analyze players inside and if we are about to heighten the challenge. It is the time when we can see all the details of the player and the things they use if it's stronger in defense or crit rate. I never tried to use it outside in a place with no domains and towers existed yet but I did once in fighting people outside the domains. It at times led me to success, but sometimes when awakened during the battle my regeneration of strength was still slow, that's why I sometimes ended up being killed.
"SIGHT!"
With this ability, I hope I can see these more easily.
Love
Love
Bills
Accepted
Declined
Bills
It seems like I can only see the contents of it that are summarized in this manner and no dates appeared yet.
Don't you think that's an awful way to read letters, an unappreciative cleaner?
A thick merging of an American accent talked towards me.
Letters are meant to be read.
"If it is for you that is. You have no sense of privacy then."
…
"Any other words to say?"
To have that appreciation towards letters. You might have that within you and it's beating according to the world's pressure. "World's pressure you say." I stomped towards the ground, flicking the letters floating for a few seconds letting me scan for it.
[1] A play of words with the real saint, Saint Anthony of Padua. I chose not to tell the real name and twist the real tale. I might offend a handful of people.
[2] SH doesn't mind being called him/her/them/it.