"Should I message Sir Kraiter about her manifest?"
"Yes. However, it's best to keep her manifest secret in this household for now. We can't let any word about her manifest nor our suspicions about her being the redeemer leak out of this household!"
Mikhayn, Saria, and Saira bowed toward Vytria as they spoke in sync.
"UNDERSTOOD!"
Mikhayn looked up to her, and asked.
"Then, should we inform the Excendi about this, madam?"
"No. Absolutely not. Even if it's not confirmed, we can NOT tell them about it. Not now, at least. Not while she's this young."
THE NEXT DAY…
I stood in a big open field. In front of me, was Saria.
Naic sat in the corner of the field to watch. Since Saria is her combat trainer, so all she can do is wait.
"Explain your manifest more clearly this time." She asked. Her tone and attitude felt more tense and serious.
"When I use it, time stops in the real world while I am in my manifest. It also works vice versa."
"Hmm… So if I have you do your training there, that could also speed up the progress. What can you bring in your manifest?"
"Anything, but I don't know what I can't yet."
"Then bring me there, now."
Ooookay. Suit yourself.
"ACTIVATE "GAME ZONE"
We teleported in my bedroom. She looks around in awe as to what she's seeing... err.. "sensing."
"This is… modern technology?"
"!?"
Huh?! How does she know?!
"It… is?" I'll try playing dumb first.
"Yes. Such technology has been forbidden ever since the 96th Redeemer."
What the hell is a redeemer?
"What's that?" I asked.
"Oh, you'll learn in a few years."
"Ooookay…"
"Do you have food in here?"
"Nope. It's why I can't use it for long periods of time because I don't have food and water."
"I see. Can you bring us back now? I'd like to prepare something."
"Sure. DEACTIVATE "GAME ZONE"
We teleported back in the field. Naic was a bit surprised that we teleported a few feet up in the air.
"Is there a cooldown to your manifest?" Saria asked.
"I'll look into it."
"Then have Miss Naic as a test subject."
"W-Wha… Okay?"
"In the meantime, I'll have the other staff bring enough resources for your training." Saria said as she walked away and entered the manor.
Naic ran up to me excitedly and asked.
"Whoa! So it's teleportation?!"
I sighed before I put my hand on her waist and shouted:
"ACTIVATE "GAME ZONE"
Naic smiled in awe at what she was seeing.
"Ho-ho! It's amazing here! Do you know how these works?"
"Ehhh…"
That's a difficult question… I mean, for a 5-year-old to know how most of these work is… suspicious, isn't it?
"Somewhat…"
"I'll go look around!" Naic said as she ran around the house.
Sigh. What a troublesome sister. She's the quiet type-kid who seems cold on the outside, but once you get to know her, your first impression of her completely shatters.
"AAAAARRGGGHHH!!!!" A blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the house.
NAIC?!?!
I frantically ran downstairs where I saw her shaken in fear. I ran to her and asked what happened.
"B-Blood… I saw blood!"
For someone who killed a lot of people, you sure are a pussy when it comes to blood.
I looked around the living room but there was no blood. It was the same as before… Oh.
She saw it, didn't she?
She's clearly frightened.
Possibly a scenery.
No, it was my memory.
I don't know how Game Zone works, but the fact that it constructed a perfect copy of my house, means that it connects to my memories. Due to my "perfect memory," I knew every squeaking detail of the house, including what happened that night.
"Naic, it's fine. Whatever you saw was probably in your head."
"B-But there was blood everywhere! A-And this… boy-"
"Naic, stop."
Her shaking halts as she looks at me. She was still terrified.
"Was that… you?"
"…"
I laid my hand on her shoulder and deactivated Game Zone at that moment.
"DEACTIVATE "GAME ZONE"
We instantly teleported back to the field.
I kneeled down and hugged Naic to comfort her as she cried.
Ahh… It's trauma. Even if it wasn't her memory, the blood probably triggered her PTSD from what happened when she was 5.
I hugged her for a few minutes before she stood up as she wiped her tears away.
"Thanks… What was that?" She asked.
"Why are you asking me this? I didn't even see what you did."
"Yeah. Let's wait for Saria to come back."
"You sure you don't need to rest?"
"I'm fine, really."
We sat next to each other for a few minutes before Saria returned with a few maids carrying boxes and barrels.
"I have boxes of food, clothes, and barrels of water enough to sustain you for months."
The maids dropped the boxes and barrels they were carrying, which created a loud "THUMP" sound.
"Yeah... those aren't fitting in the fridge."
A FEW MINUTES LATER IN GAME ZONE
"Phew. Finally done." I said as I grasped for air, exhausted from storing most of the food in the fridge.
It took us a while to reconfigure until we got to the right "pattern" to fit most of our necessities in the fridge.
Earlier, I brought each maid outside of my house in Game Zone to leave the boxes in the white void. Nothing really happens when you leave it there so it should be fine to leave it there to save space in my house.
"Let's take an hour of break. We'll be here for a few months."
"Oh, alri- WAIT!!! A FEW MONTHS?!"
"Yes. As you explained earlier, you said that we can't age here, but any physical changes like exercise or injuries will still be applied in the real world, correct?"
"Yeah, that's right."
Game Zone works in so many weird ways. The fact that we can't age here yet time goes on like nothing is… Unnatural.
"We'll begin training in about an hour. Once we deplete our food supply, we can go back to the real world and rest for a week before we go back here and have you train for a few more months."
"Well, I guess it makes the progress faster then. But shouldn't I train normally in the real world?"
"School is a dangerous place. Though combat is not allowed on the premises, once you're put in a duel, that'll be a different story."
"Why? You're allowed to kill there?"
"No. There's a no-kill rule in duels, but that doesn't mean the opponent can't put you in a pretty bad state."
"Which means if I'm weak, I can be permanently disabled?"
"Correct. They can break your bones and organs as long as it doesn't kill you."
Shit. Now I miss school in my previous life.
"Are manifests allowed in duels?"
"Yes."
Nevermind. I wanna go to school now and beat some students. A single bullet can do the job, hehehe.
I began chuckling, while Saria looked at me confused.
FIRST DAY…
"Augh!" I grunted as I lay down on the white void, exhausted.
"My… arms.." Before I could finish, I passed out on the spot.
FIRST WEEK…
"Keep your footing!" Saria shouted.
She's training me in swordsmanship now.
FIRST MONTH…
"You're learning pretty fast." Saria complimented me as she blocked my swings.
She's sparring with me now.
THIRD MONTH…
I lay down on the floor, exhausted. Every part of my body was aching.
"We should go." Saria said.
"Huh? But I thought we'd have to finish the supplies first?"
"You've progressed quickly for the past 3 months. At your state, no one in your grade can even challenge you."
"That's… reassuring."
Saria smiled with relief.
"Well then, let's go back. Though we'll stop using Game Zone, we'll still be training every day to sharpen your skills." Saria said as she walked over to me and lent me a hand.
"Alright."
I grabbed her hand and staggered a bit as I stood up before deactivating Game Zone.
"DEACTIVATE "GAME ZONE"
Naic runs over to us with a confused look.
"You look… different." Naic said.
Oh yeah, my clothes changed.
"You have muscles now."
Oh yeah, that too.
"Are we going to start training now, Saria?" Naic asked.
"No. Let's have a 30-minute break. Miss Beal, you can go rest now."
"Alright then. I'll see you later, Naic!" I said as I waved goodbye. She waved back before talking to Saria again.
"Sigh. I spent a few months in there, huh?"
I lay down on my bed, tired. I've been sleeping on my old bed on Game Zone, which isn't THAT bad. However, this bed is just the BEST!!!
"So no one in my grade can challenge me now, huh? Now that just makes me excited." I said with a big smile on my face.
"I will dominate the academy with Game Zone!"