Frey gasped as the ebony door swung open, revealing a chamber that defied all her expectations. Gone was the opulent, yet familiar, grandeur of the LunaLuxe's lower floors. This room was an opulent dreamscape, a bizarre fusion of the fantastical and the strangely familiar.
The first thing that struck her was the sheer immensity of the space. It seemed to stretch out endlessly, the walls adorned with swirling murals that depicted celestial landscapes in breathtaking detail. Golden pillars, each thicker than a grown man, supported the high ceiling, which shimmered with constellations formed from tiny, embedded gemstones that winked like captured stars.
A plush, crimson carpet ran the length of the room, its texture so thick and soft that it felt like sinking into a cloud. In the center stood a king-sized bed unlike any Frey had ever seen. Its frame was crafted from what appeared to be solid gold, intricately carved with scenes of mythical beasts and celestial bodies. The pillows were piled high, each one stuffed with what felt like the softest down imaginable, and a silken canopy, the color of a twilight sky, draped overhead.
But the most jarring sight of all was the presence of a large, flat screen mounted on the wall opposite the bed. Here, the illusion of the fantastical faltered. It was undeniably a television, its sleek black frame and thin profile were a stark contrast to the opulent surroundings. Yet, as Frey approached it cautiously, she realized there was no power cord, no visible antenna. How it functioned remained a mystery.
Next to the television sat a plush, velvet couch that looked impossibly comfortable. A low table, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and shimmering abalone shells, sat in front of it, and a balcony, overlooking a breathtaking vista of the moonlit city, beckoned from one corner of the room.
Frey turned to Alex, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and confusion. "This... this is incredible," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "But... how can there be a television? And this..." she gestured towards the room's fantastical décor, "it's like something out of a legend."
Alex, a hint of a smile playing on his lips, leaned against the doorframe. "Welcome to the LunaLuxe's pinnacle, Frey," he said, his voice smooth as ever. "Here, as you can see, even technology can take on a touch of magic."
He gestured towards the television. "As for this... Let's just say it has its… unique functionalities. Perhaps something to explore another time."
His gaze swept over the room, lingering on the balcony for a moment. "For now," he continued, his voice softer, "why don't we step outside and enjoy the view? After all, we wouldn't want to waste such a luxurious balcony, would we?"
Alex, strode towards the king size bed. He reached out and ran a hand along the intricately carved golden frame, a hint of awe flickering in his eyes. Unlike Frey, whose surprise stemmed from the fantastical nature of the room, Alex's reaction held a deeper layer of meaning.
He sank onto the plush mattress with a sigh, a sound that spoke volumes. His customary air of unassuming confidence had vanished, and in its place was a vulnerability that surprised Frey. He bounced on the mattress like a child, a wide grin splitting his face.
"This," he muttered, his voice thick with a mix of disbelief and amusement, "This is a king-sized bed. A real, honest-to-goodness king-sized bed."
The words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken thoughts. Frey watched him, a frown creasing her brow. Alex, who is usually so composed, seemed uncharacteristically emotional.
"You alright, master?" she asked hesitantly.
Alex let out a bark of surprised laughter, the sound oddly hollow in the vast chamber. "Oh, Frey," he chuckled, shaking his head. "You wouldn't understand. It's just... well, back in my world, things were different. I didn't have this kind of luxury. I never even dreamed of it."
He gestured around the room with a sweep of his hand. "This," he continued, his voice low and almost reverent, "This is the stuff of legends where I come from. Palaces of gold, beds fit for royalty..." A shadow of longing flickered across his face, a glimpse of a past life far removed from the present adventure.
"But hey," he added, his voice regaining its usual cheer, "thanks to that old quest, things are different now. All those hours spent grinding, all those battles fought... paid off in the end, wouldn't you say?"
He patted the space beside him on the luxurious bed, a playful glint in his eye. "Come on, Frey," he urged, a hint of his mischievous humor returning. "Don't you want to see what it feels like to sleep like royalty for a night?"
Frey hesitated for a moment, torn between concern and curiosity. Seeing Alex, usually so stoic, exhibit such vulnerability was unsettling. Yet, the playful glint in his eye and the sheer invitation of the colossal bed were hard to resist. With a small, hesitant smile, she approached the bed. The plush mattress sank beneath her weight, enveloping her in a cocoon of softness.
She glanced at Alex, who was already lying down, his eyes fixed on the fantastical murals on the ceiling. "So, master," she began cautiously, "tell me more about your world. What was it like?"
Alex remained silent for a moment, a contemplative frown creasing his brow. He traced the intricate patterns on the gold bed frame with a finger, seemingly lost in thought. Finally, he spoke, his voice soft and tinged with a hint of melancholy.
"It was... a harsh place, Frey. Filled with struggle and scarcity. We worked day in and day out, just to survive. Luxury like this? It was something out of a fairy tale, a distant dream for most..."
He paused, his gaze flickering towards her. "There were those who held power, of course," he continued, his voice low. "But their wealth wasn't built on magic or blessings. It was built on the backs of the people they exploited."
Frey's brow furrowed. "Exploited? Like the corrupt nobles we sometimes encounter here?"
"Similar," Alex replied, his voice a touch weary. "But here, there's always a chance, a whisper of magic or a hidden talent that can change your fate. In my world... there was no such escape. No fantastical creatures, no hidden powers. Just the relentless grind of survival."
A heavy silence descended upon the room, broken only by the soft hum of the unseen technology. The opulent surroundings, once a source of wonder, now seemed to mock the harsh reality Alex had described.
Frey scooted closer to him on the bed, a silent gesture of empathy. "It sounds... bleak," she finally whispered.
Alex offered a faint smile, a flicker of gratitude in his eyes. "It was," he admitted. "But that's why this," he gestured around the room, "feels so… extraordinary. A chance to experience something beyond the struggle, beyond the limitations of my world."
Frey, her voice barely a whisper, asked the question that had been nagging at her since their exchange about his past. "... what about your family, do you have a family, master?"
A deep sadness clouded Alex's eyes, a stark contrast to the playful glint of moments ago. He turned onto his side, facing her, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. The weight of his past seemed to press down on him, the luxurious surroundings offering no solace."...There was my father," he began, his voice low and strained. "He... he left when I was young."
"...And your mother?" she finally ventured, her voice gentle, sensing his discomfort.
Alex flinched slightly at the mention. The plush mattress seemed to offer no comfort as he shifted, his back tensing. "...My mother," he repeated, the word tasting bitter on his tongue. "We weren't... close."
Frey's concern etched itself onto her face. "...then, what about this world you know?"
Alex met her gaze, a flicker of something unreadable passing through his eyes. "Honestly?" he finally replied, his voice husky.
He propped himself up on one elbow, leaning closer to her. The earlier jocularity had vanished, and in its place was a seriousness that gave Frey shivers. The opulent room, with its fantastical elements and luxurious comfort, suddenly felt charged with an unspoken tension.
"This world," he began, his voice low and measured, "is… different. It's filled with magic, yes, but also secrets. Powerful forces are at play here, Frey, forces I only glimpsed in the legends and stories of my world."
He paused, his gaze flickering towards the balcony doors, where the moon bathed the city in an ethereal glow. "The Old Quest…" he murmured, the words trailing off into a thoughtful silence.Frey, sensing the weight of his unspoken thoughts, leaned in slightly, her ears straining to catch the next words.
"The Old Quest…" Alex began again, his voice a touch clearer. "It was the title of a game I played in my world. Maybe a title from this world as well… I don't know for sure if this reality is truly the Old Quest or just a twisted reflection of it, but the similarities are undeniable."
A frown creased Frey's brow. "What happened in the game? And was I there too?"
Alex hesitated for a moment, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions. Finally, he spoke, his voice laced with a hint of disbelief. "Yes, you were. In the game, you were my maid – a loyal and dependable companion who managed my in-game storage. I would sometimes call upon you from afar to retrieve items."
Frey's eyes widened in realization. "Indeed," she whispered, piecing together the fragments of memory. "There have been times… flashes… where I suddenly found myself in a vast, dimly lit room, surrounded by countless chests and… compelled to retrieve something at your command."
A shock of understanding passed between them. The teleportation, the strange sense of duty, it all clicked into place.
Alex nodded slowly, the weight of the revelation settling on him. "… you gained consciousness as an NPC. An NPC with a soul…"
Frey's voice trembled as she spoke, the revelation settling in like a cold stone in her stomach. "I don't know… how should I feel..."
Alex watched her closely, a sympathetic crease forming between his brows. He rose from the luxurious bed and sat beside her, his movements careful as if not to startle her.
"...Frey," he said softly, his voice gentle. Taking a deep breath, he reached out and cupped her face in his hands, his touch surprisingly warm.
"W-What...?" she stammered, her gaze flickering nervously between his eyes and his hand on her cheek.
"...did you, ever remember your past?" Alex asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
He was genuinely curious. Everything about Frey's existence in this world, a seemingly self-aware NPC brought to life, was a mystery. Perhaps, he thought, there were fragments of her past life within the game, memories waiting to be unearthed.
Frey, lost in the depths of his gaze, felt a pang of confusion stab through her. A past? Did she ever have a past?
Alex stared at her eyes, searching for any flicker of recognition, any spark of a memory. But all he saw was a reflection of his own bewilderment.
"...I, don't know...?" she finally whispered, her voice barely audible. The question hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder of the blank canvas that was her existence.
A heavy silence descended upon the opulent room, broken only by the faint hum of the unseen technology. The revelation had cast a long shadow, shrouding the luxurious surroundings in a sense of unease. Frey, overwhelmed by the sudden knowledge of her fabricated origin, felt a tear roll down her cheek. It traced a glistening path through the dust motes dancing in the moonlight filtering through the balcony doors.
Alex, his own heart heavy with a newfound empathy, gently brushed the tear away with his thumb. "It's alright, Frey," he murmured, his voice laced with a soothing warmth. He offered a reassuring smile, but even to his own ears, it sounded strained. The truth was, he had no idea where to begin.
Frey, wiping away another tear with the back of her hand, met his gaze with a vulnerability that surprised him. "Master… what do you think about me?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
The question hung heavy in the air, a silent plea for understanding in the face of an unknown past. Alex hesitated, his mind grappling with the complexity of their situation.
"Umm… my loyal companion…?" he offered, the words sounding hollow even to him.
Frey's expression flickered ever so slightly. Her eyes danced with a hint of hurt, which she quickly covered up with a forced smile. "Right..." she murmured, the single word heavy with unspoken emotions.
The forced lightness of her response cut through Alex like a knife. He realized, with a jolt of shame, that "loyal companion" didn't even begin to encompass the depth of their connection. Frey had been by his side through countless battles and tedious tasks in the game, a constant source of support and quiet strength. Now, in this strange new reality, she was something more - a person grappling with the sudden awareness of her own existence.
Shamefaced, Alex reached out and took her hand, his touch gentle. "Frey," he began, his voice determined, "you're more than just a companion. You're… you're my friend. And I…" he faltered, struggling to find the right words. "I care about you. A lot."
His words, though clumsy, were genuine. He looked into her eyes, searching for a flicker of acceptance, a sense that he hadn't completely misspoken.
A faint smile touched Frey's lips despite the lingering weight in her heart. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "But… I still have questions."
"Anything, Frey," Alex replied earnestly, squeezing her hand gently. "You're my trusted companion, and I'll answer anything I can." He hoped his words, a desperate attempt to mend the hurt he'd caused, wouldn't ring hollow.
Frey, her gaze holding a sliver of newfound determination, locked eyes with him. "Your real name. What is it?"
Alex's face briefly showed a hint of surprise before a sheepish grin quickly followed. "Right, the name thing," he chuckled. "A bit confusing, I admit. Acomalaka is the name of my character in the game. This body, well, it has its own name, but…" he trailed off, searching for the right words.
"Your soul name is Alex," Frey finished softly, a hint of understanding dawning in her eyes.
"Exactly," Alex confirmed, relief washing over him. "Alex. It's nice to hear it spoken aloud, even in this strange situation."
A small smile finally bloomed on Frey's face, chasing away the shadows of doubt. "Alex… okay, Master Alex."
The playful title, a holdover from the game, felt strangely comforting in the face of their new reality.
Alex squeezed her hand again. "Do you have anything else you want to know?" he asked gently.
Frey hesitated for a moment, then blurted out, "When you talked about grinding a long time ago… back when I used to be in the dungeon throne room and you rarely came back…" she trailed off, her voice tight with a newfound curiosity. "What was grinding?"
Alex blinked, surprised by the question. "Did you… never know?"
Frey shook her head, a frown creasing her brow.
"Well," Alex began, launching into an explanation. "Grinding is basically when someone tries to get something by repeatedly defeating monsters. They have to kill a lot of creatures to get a rare item, or maybe to level up their character."
"So, that's what grinding was?" Frey asked, her brow furrowed in concentration.
"Yeah," Alex chuckled, a hint of nostalgia creeping into his voice. "What did you think it was back then?"
Frey's face flushed a faint pink. "I… I thought you were sharpening your knife by grinding it against something," she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.
A burst of laughter erupted from Alex, the sound echoing through the opulent room. Tears welled up in his eyes, wiping away the tension of the past few moments. The genuine amusement in his laughter was infectious, and a giggle escaped Frey's lips despite herself.
"That's funny, literally..." Frey chuckled, the sound light and airy. The tension had eased considerably, replaced by a comfortable camaraderie.
"So... what kind of grinding were you doing back then?" she prodded, her curiosity piqued. "The kind that kept you away from the dungeon throne room for so long?"
"Ah," Alex replied, a thoughtful expression flickering across his face. "I was hunting for some Mythic items. Specifically, I needed rare components like Meteoroid Shards and Meteoroid Enchantments."
Frey's brow furrowed slightly. "Meteoroid something? So that's why you were always using weapons and armor with 'Meteoroid' in the name? Because they were super powerful?"
A grin spread across Alex's face. "Exactly! Meteoroid gear was the top tier equipment in the game. It offered incredible stats and powerful enchantments. But of course, such power came at a cost."
"Cost? What kind of cost?" Frey leaned in, eager to hear more about this game that seemed to be a twisted mirror of their current reality.
Alex leaned back against the plush headboard, a playful glint returning to his eyes. "Well, for one thing, those Meteoroid components were incredibly rare. Dropping from monstrous space beasts that roamed the outer reaches of the game world, they were a nightmare to acquire. Imagine spending hours, maybe even days, battling these colossal creatures, only to come up empty-handed."
Frey shuddered at the thought. "Days? That sounds… brutal."
"It was," Alex chuckled. "But the potential reward was just too tempting. With enough Meteoroid Shards and the right enchantment formula, you could craft weapons and armor that could melt bosses in seconds. It was the ultimate power fantasy."
"But there must have been other strong materials, right?" Frey questioned. "Why the relentless pursuit of Meteoroid specifically?"
Alex's expression turned serious. "There were other powerful materials, of course. But Meteoroid had a unique property. It wasn't just about raw power; it also possessed a strange… corruptive influence. The longer you used Meteoroid gear, the more it seemed to twist you, to fuel a hunger for more and more power."
A shiver ran down Frey's spine. "Corruptive? That sounds dangerous."
Alex nodded grimly. "It was. There were rumors of players who became obsessed with acquiring more Meteoroid gear, neglecting everything else in their pursuit of power. They became ruthless, even sadistic, willing to do anything to get their hands on the next piece. "
Frey stared at him, a chilling realization dawning on her. "So... you were worried about becoming like that?"
Alex met her gaze, a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes. "I... I admit the temptation was strong. The feeling of invincibility, the ease with which you could conquer any challenge... it was intoxicating. But deep down, I knew I didn't want to lose myself, to become a slave to power."
"So you stopped using the Meteoroid gear?" Frey pressed, surprised by his restraint.
Alex chuckled, a hint of sheepishness in his voice. "Of course not! In the game, I could control it. It was just pixels and code. But here…" he trailed off, his voice laced with a hint of unease.
Frey's brow furrowed. "Here, with this… consciousness, are you worried it might drive you mad?"
A confident grin spread across Alex's face. "Nah," he scoffed. "I may be new to this whole being-alive thing, but I have a feeling I can resist it. Besides," he added with a wink, "I have you, don't I? My loyal companion to keep me grounded."
Frey couldn't help but smile back, a warmth blossoming in her chest. "That's cool…" she admitted, the playful banter easing the tension of the conversation.
A comfortable silence settled between them, punctuated only by the soft hum of the unseen technology. Alex closed his eyes, a yawn escaping his lips. Frey followed suit, a newfound sense of camaraderie battling the remnants of unease.
"We should sleep," Alex murmured, his voice heavy with drowsiness.
"Yeah," Frey agreed, rising from the bed.
Alex watched her with a raised eyebrow as she approached the wall beside the doorway. This room, unlike the ones he was used to in the game, lacked the familiar glowing panels that controlled light and temperature.
Frey, noticing his confusion, pressed a small, unassuming button on the wall. A soft click resonated, and the opulent chamber plunged into darkness.
Frey returned to the bed and settled in beside him, a small smile playing on her lips.
"Good night, Master Alex," she whispered, her voice laced with a newfound warmth. "And thank you… for everything."
Alex's heart skipped a beat at the use of his real name. A genuine smile touched his lips as he drifted off to sleep, the weight of the revelation momentarily pushed aside by the comfort of newfound friendship.
[A Soul of NPC-Frey has gained more Consciousness]
< Chapter 17 > Fin.