Everyone, including me, could be dead at any moment. This reality just revealed how vulnerable we really were.
After the mysterious person explained the crazy rule on how everything works, the screens surrounding the area once again turned blank.
At that exact moment, I heard the footsteps of three people heading into the center of the mall. Everyone shifted their gaze to the newly arrived trio. They were the three girls who survived the wolf attack.
The three of them no longer had vulnerable looks. Their expressions were cold, with no more light or despair in their eyes. It was as if their souls had given up and their bodies were in automatic survival mode.
Geralt shook his head and told me, "They must be so shocked, sacrificing someone else for their own life. They must feel guilty." He added, "Let's go back to the food store and rest there."
I nodded in agreement, and everyone else did as well. We ignored the three other people as they collected a plastic bottle of water from the store and drank it as if they were on the verge of death. After they consumed it, the bottle digested itself into foam.
And at that moment, Geralt approached them and shouted, "Don't ever come close to us, or I will kill you."
The three girls flinched and nodded, then they walked into the corner of the store with a handful of food in their hands.
We left them be and focused on finding a place to rest. Geralt told us to rest wherever we wanted, and luckily, we found a couch nearby. I immediately jumped onto it, and Setsuna and Yuffie settled on nearby couches. There was only one couch left, and Geralt willingly gave it to Shan, as he felt more comfortable just leaning against the wall to rest.
Due to the intense moments we had gone through, each one of us was exhausted and immediately fell asleep. Before closing my eyes, I pondered what could happen to the divine light church and the world in general, I hoped everyone was safe there. However, I came to the conclusion that it would be a waste of time and decided to rest my eyes until I fell asleep.
*
Dream
In my fleeting dream, I saw a red-haired girl. Her appearance was slightly distorted as if there was a glitch in the image. She was sitting in a grand and majestic library that seemed to stretch on endlessly. I watched as she read a book, suddenly her eyes locked in with mine, and her piercing gaze seemed to be aware of me even though I was the owner of this dream. I felt like I invaded her privacy!
Suddenly, I was jolted awake from this dream.
*
Reality
I slowly opened my eyes, startled by a loud noise that had torn me from my deep slumber. It was an explosion, coming from a distance, but I could see the billowing smoke rising into the sky through the window.
"What the --" I murmured, my voice barely audible.
The sky outside was still pitch black, and I had no idea what time it was. I reached for a small tablet that projected a holographic display into the air. The time read precisely [4:37am].
Not only was there no signal, but even several were also automatically deleted from my tablet and the signal hadn't been back online yet. Contacting someone was out of the question. It seemed that the terrorists responsible for the explosion had somehow managed to disrupt the signal. This suggested that they possessed some advanced technology, perhaps even a spaceship. It seemed unbelievable, but it was the only explanation I could come up with.
However, as I looked more closely at the burning skyscraper, I couldn't see any sign of a spaceship or cruiser. This made me wonder if the terrorists were truly responsible for the explosion, or if there was something else at play.
As I pondered the situation, a strange holographic display appeared before me, projecting a text. I couldn't fathom where this text was coming from.
Was this some kind of advanced technology that didn't require a projector to create a holographic display out of thin air? I couldn't help but feel frustrated that there were so many things happening that I couldn't make sense of using logic alone.
[system: The world narrative energy is awakening.]
*
[3RD POV INITIALLIZE]
The explosion that Einsamer had witnessed earlier was actually caused by a young girl wielding a spear, accompanied by three powerful high-rankers. Flames danced around them, casting a crimson glow on their faces.
They had successfully cleared the entire building consist of 32th floors, two hundred meters tall, and captured the game master within just one day. Now, the debris smoldered around them, and a large crack in the wall revealed a chilling view of the cityscape filled with ruined skyscrapers, hazy smoke and flames painted the city of Sector 1 and 2. A breeze brushed through the skyscraper, causing the girl's long, dark ponytail to sway, flowing with the wind.
She wore a transparent armor that faintly glowed with flickering golden particles. Her tanned skin and scarred face spoke of harsh training under the scorching sun and the battle she had endured even before entered this place. Even though she could heal her scars using a healing elixir with her ability to use magic, she preferred not to. It served as a reminder to herself not to look down on any opponent, as the one who had inflicted this scar upon her was once someone she had underestimated.
Approaching the masked man lying on the floor with a silver sun cross emblem on his mask, she raised her spear and pointed it at him. "Who do you work for?" she demanded an absolute answer with her cold voice.
The masked man chuckled, his voice filled with arrogance. "I am a messenger of God, so obviously I work for the divine."
Frowning, she asked, "Which god?"
His chuckling ceased, replaced by anger. "There is only one God!"
A smirk tugged at the girl's lips as she replied, "From my experience, there are countless gods known as deity."
The tip of her spears hovered dangerously close to the masked man's neck. He swallowed nervously and asked what she wanted in exchange for sparing his life.
With a cold smile, she responded, "Nothing. Say hello to your god for me if you ever meet him in heaven."
He growled, attempting to seize the spear, but as soon as his hand made contact, it burned and turned to ash.
"Who are you? How are you able to use magic?" the masked man shouted in wrath, believing that only worshippers of God possessed such abilities. Yet, the girl before him proved him wrong.
With a flick of her wrist, blue particles materialized into a sword in his remaining hand. He swung the swords at her, but she effortlessly dodged them and sliced off his hand.
The armless masked man knelt in despair, accepting his impending death.
As the girl pointed her spears at him, she asked one final question, "Before I kill you, tell me, how are you able to use magic?"
"Like I sa—said, it is God's work. And that should be my question," he replied defiantly.
The girl, still clad in her battle armor, coldly stated, "Your magic is merely a replica created by the energy of this world. It is not the work of God."
The masked man shouted, "No, that isn't tr—"
But before this masked man could finish his sentence, his head was swiftly separated from his body.
She looked at his lifeless form, her expression devoid of emotion, and cleanly sliced off his head. It rolled to the ground, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.
A man several times taller than her approached, pulling out a tissue to wipe the bloodstains from her spear.
She glanced at him and said, "Chesda, gather some of our men to investigate this terrorist group and capture them for interrogation." Her tone was serious, filled with authority.
The man kneeled before her and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Suddenly, a strange system notification appeared before her.
[System: The world narrative energy is awakening.]
She sighed at the sight of the text, murmuring to herself, "God, huh? Just another fake."
The man knelt beside her, his head bowed, and asked, "What should we do next, Your Majesty?"
She responded with a sigh, "I've already told you, just call me Tevy. As for our plan, let's uncover the true intentions of this terrorist organization. If they are capable of destroying the world government, then they may pose a threat to our kingdom as well."
Her name was Tevy, the resurrected queen from ancient times. Despite her youthful appearance, her mind was centuries ahead in maturity.
"Yes, Your Majesty," the three high-rankers replied in unison.