"USA? Isn't it now called the Republic of Sienna? Are you trying to test my general knowledge?" Aric mocked, wincing from the lingering pain in his body.
"I don't need to test you. You're not that smart. Do you think I don't know the new name for the USA?" C99 replied, her irritation barely concealed.
"Think about it. You traveled through space and time, and ended up here, and I called this place the USA. Isn't that enough of a clue?" C99 pressed.
Aric frowned, adopting his thinking pose—sitting up straight, arms crossed, head tilted slightly.
"Oh! I know!" Aric suddenly shouted. "You want to test if I have amnesia, right?"
C99 was speechless.
'Is he really the one who inherited the Galactic Conqueror's power? Oh God! I need to make sure he adds attribute points to intellect next,' C99 grumbled internally. Only a few days with Aric, and her patience was already wearing thin.
"Did I guess wrong?"
"I don't know how to talk to you, genius. How can David be in the top three hundred smartest beings in the Universe, and you... like this?" C99 sarcastically remarked, not holding back this time. She needed to address Aric's intellectual shortcomings.
"You're not in the year 3023, Aric! You're in the Republic of Sienna, 750 years in the past!" C99 yelled inside Aric's mind.
"Y-yy-you mean the year 2273?" Aric stammered.
In 2273, his parents weren't even born yet. His grandfather was around but still young. After the emergence of powers, some humans could live for hundreds of years and maintain their youth. That's why his grandfather was still strong and vigorous.
If they were indeed in 2273, how would they return to their original time?
"Don't worry about that. I'm sure there will be a mission related to this place," C99 replied confidently.
"What does a mission have to do with us returning to 3023?" Aric asked, still puzzled.
C99, suppressing her frustration, quickly answered, "Maybe the reward is that you get to return to 3023."
"Oh... That makes sense." Hearing C99's answer, Aric felt a bit relieved. So far, the Novas System had never let him down.
Aric looked down at his body. A neat bandage covered his right thigh, where he had recently been struck by a lightning spear.
He gave a bitter smile, recalling the incident. Then he remembered something. "Wait. What happened after I entered the portal? And how long was I unconscious?"
C99 took a moment before answering, the memory of Aric's condition still fresh in her mind. "You were unconscious for two days, Aric," she replied.
"The side effects of the Power Booster were quite severe. Plus, you were injured by the lightning spear, so you were in pretty bad shape," added C99.
At first, Aric thought C99 was teasing him as usual. However, her tone was unusually somber. So he knew everything was true.
"But don't worry. One of the advantages of having a system like the Novas System is that it heals you while you rest, sleep, or are unconscious," C99 continued.
"Two days... My family must be worried about me," he said before realizing something of a greater importance, "Wait. What about my daily missions?" Aric asked, suddenly panicked. He was worried he would be punished for missing them.
"Relax. The Novas System isn't that cruel. When you're unconscious, it won't punish you, but..."
"But what?" Aric pressed.
"It will add the missions for the days you missed to your current one."
Aric almost laughed. "So today I have to do twice as much as usual? That's still pretty harsh and... cruel."
But he didn't actually mind. He was confident he could complete the daily missions with his new strength.
Aric then noticed something. "Who bandaged my thigh? Was it you? You're pretty good at it."
"..."
Seeing no reaction from C99, Aric couldn't resist teasing further. "Are you embarrassed that I praised you?"
C99 sighed, her voice tinged with exasperation. "You need to allocate as many Free Attribute Points to Intelligence as possible next."
Aric was clueless to what C99 said. "What do you mean? I have just woken up and you are already nagging."
"I'm inside your body, genius. How could I bandage your wound?"
Aric burst out laughing, having momentarily forgotten that crucial detail. Their frequent interactions had made it feel as though C99 was physically present with him.
"So, who bandaged my wound?" Aric asked, curiosity piqued. In such a dense forest, who could have possibly come to his aid?
He was certain of one thing: the person who helped him had a kind heart and no ill intentions.
"She's here," C99 replied succinctly.
"She's here?" Aric scanned his surroundings, his eyes finally focusing on the sound of footsteps approaching from the forest.
A girl emerged, dressed in sports clothes and climbing shoes. In one hand, she carried a six-liter water bottle, and slung over her shoulder was a bag bulging with food and a first aid kit.
"Eh? You're awake?" the girl said, her voice soft and gentle. She smiled warmly at him.
Aric noticed her blonde hair tied up in a practical ponytail, her green eyes sparkling with kindness. Despite her youthful appearance, she carried herself with a mature grace. Her figure was athletic and her face strikingly beautiful.
"Did you help me?" Even though Aric already knew the answer, he wanted to hear it from her.
The girl nodded, her smile never wavering. "Fortunately, you're awake."
Aric bowed slightly, expressing his gratitude. "Thank you for your help, and sorry for the trouble."
The girl waved off his apology, still smiling. "No problem. It was a small thing."
"May I ask for your name?" Aric asked, returning her smile.
"Me? Clara Martinez. I'm seventeen years old," she replied, before asking, "What's your name?"
"Aric Valen. Eighteen years old," Aric answered.
As they chatted, C99 provided Aric with additional information. While he was unconscious, Clara had diligently tended to him.
She had kept his body cool with a damp cloth and had even administered a drip to hydrate him. Clara was no ordinary girl.
At night, she had set up alarms and placed some lethal weapons around their camp to ward off monsters or wild beasts.
Curious to know more about his rescuer, Aric decided to use a scan on Clara. He momentarily forgot that it would cause a green flame-like light to appear in his right eye.
Nonetheless, he proceeded, eager to gather more information about her. Aric's eyes widened in astonishment as he discovered that Clara had already reached Level 15 and a Nova with electrokinesis. The other things about her were marked with [???].
"Wow! You are a Nova too?" Clara asked, her voice brimming with excitement.
Aric grinned and nodded, allowing Clara to believe that his fiery eye was his unique power. He was fortunate, as in the year 2273, Earth was home to numerous Novas.
Such abilities or powers were neither unusual nor frightening. Novas, Zeniths, Hunters, and Adventurers Unions thrived in this era.
Yet, a more pressing thought occupied Aric's mind—something that would alter the history of the Republic of Sienna. A few years from now, Sienna would face a massive onslaught of monsters, leading to the emergence of one of the Seven Paragon Novas, Yarra.
Suddenly, while he was lost in thought, a message appeared before him.
.
[Host received a secret mission]
.
"A secret mission? Open it now, Aric," ordered C99.
Clara observed Aric with keen interest, not interfering but clearly curious. 'What is he doing?' she wondered silently.
Aric's shock deepened as he read the mission. "No way…"
.
[Protect Clara during the monster attack that will occur exactly three years from now in the Republic of Sienna.]
[Rewards: Return to Earth in the year 3023, three days after the attack at Disaster Shelter 05, and several other mysterious rewards.]
.
"What?" Aric felt a surge of excitement but quickly sobered. "Wait a minute. Isn't that attack one of the largest and deadliest in Earth's history?"
"You think the Novas System would give you an easy mission? Of course, it's challenging," replied C99.
C99, with access to all information and history on Earth, understood the gravity of the situation. Analyzing Aric's condition and strength, she knew this mission was formidable.
"But... consider the benefits of this mission," continued C99, trying to encourage Aric.
"What do you mean?"
Clara watched Aric intently, noticing his internal dialogue. 'Is he spacing out?' she mused while looking at Aric's face intensely. 'But he is rather handsome.'
C99 clarified, "You have three years here. I'm confident all your progress will be retained when you return to your original timeline."
Aric began to grasp the significance of what C99 was saying. It was true—training in a unique time cycle where one day equaled one year offered an incredible advantage.
"But… I'll still be behind those of my age who awakened their powers earlier," Aric lamented.
C99 sighed, feeling slightly exasperated. "You're missing another benefit," she explained patiently. "Those your age don't gain experience in the wilderness surrounded by monsters like this. Not until they attend the Zenith Academy."
Before Aric could respond, C99 added, her tone tinged with annoyance, "And another thing—your family won't worry too much if you only disappear for three days."
"Aric?" Clara called out, noticing Aric's downcast expression.
Aric turned to Clara, suddenly realizing he'd been ignoring her. "S-s-sorry, Clara," he stammered, flustered.
Clara chuckled softly. "It's okay. Are you alright? You must be trying to sort out your thoughts."
Aric nodded, blushing. "I'm okay. Just a bit confused about where I am."
"Eh? You're not from here?" Clara asked, surprised.
Aric nodded again.
"Oh. You didn't say so earlier," Clara replied with a light laugh.
"Alright, you're in the Tongass Forest area. But after what happened to Earth, it became the Central Region of the Republic of Sienna," Clara continued, explaining the current situation.
"Central Region?" Aric asked, intrigued.
Clara nodded. "Yes, the Central Region—the most mysterious area in the Republic of Sienna. Right now, we're only on the edge of this forest. Humans don't dare to fully explore it, and monsters don't dare to come out."
That was how things seemed on the surface but Aric seemed to understand something deeper. It wasn't that the monsters didn't dare to come out—they were likely planning something with the monsters from outside.
"You're right, Aric," interjected C99, who fully understood Earth's history.
"Does that mean I'm now in enemy territory?" Aric asked her.
C99 chose not to answer directly, allowing Aric to come to his conclusion. Clara, noticing Aric's contemplative silence, misinterpreted his expression.
"Eh, don't worry. Nothing will happen as long as we don't go too deep," Clara reassured him with a sweet smile.
"So, where are you from, Aric?" Clara inquired, trying to lighten the mood.
"Err… Me? Valoria Territory," Aric responded hesitantly.
"Valoria?! That's far! How did you get here?" Clara exclaimed. Earth was still adapting to its new, much larger form after the "New Earth" transformation.
Using recently developed technology, territories could now be located accurately, revealing the vast distances separating them. However, in Aric's time, teleportation portals had become commonplace, thanks to studies on Novas with such abilities, spearheaded by David.
One of the Seven Paragon Novas, possessing space-time teleportation abilities and an unwavering sense of justice, ensured that any time-traveling Novas who altered the timeline were swiftly hunted down, the timeline corrected, and the offending Novas eliminated.
Not all Novas, however, could navigate the space-time path like C99 had done with Aric. Even those who could often find their bodies unable to withstand the pressure of exiting the tunnel died from the process.
Aric shook his head, looking anxious. "I was chased by enemies into a teleportation portal and accidentally ended up here," he explained, choosing to keep the fact of him coming from the future a secret.
"Oh…" Clara murmured, before asking, "So, what's your plan now? Going back to Valoria is very far."
Aric fell silent, pondering her question. "Maybe I'll stay here for a while. Besides, I'm still being hunted by enemies, and I'm not strong enough to face them," he admitted, his hands clenching tightly at the thought of what had happened to Ryan.
"What happened? I can sense some sort of grudge between you and them," Clara observed.
Aric was surprised by Clara's perceptiveness. Perhaps he was tired of holding it in, so he chose to share, "My brother nearly died because of me. For some reason, they need me. He was the one who defeated them and saved me. He is still unconscious."