Satoshi Takano, a lean and slender man in his mid-20s, walked through the streets of the city with a weary gait. His pale complexion and messy black hair gave him a somewhat disheveled appearance, but his sharp eyes betrayed an intense focus that hinted at a mind always working overtime.
The uniform he wore – the standard black outfit of a salaryman – did nothing to hide his obvious fatigue. The long hours at the office had taken their toll, leaving him drained. Despite the late hour, the streets were quite busy. People hurried about, each engrossed in their own thoughts and concerns. But Takano hardly paid any attention to the lively activity around him. His mind was occupied with the day's work, the endless hours spent at the office, and the mountain of pending tasks that waited for him back at his desk.
He pulled out a small electric ciggerate from his pocket, flipping open the top and pushing a button next to his finger on the bottom to make it live, he drew deeply on it, letting the vapour inside to fill his lungs.
Takano worked at a so-called "black company". These kinds of companies were known for their exploitative practices. Overworking employees, paying less than minimum wage, long hours, no overtime pay, and very little to no annual leave. It was a far-too-common practice, but Takano's company was among the relatively "better" ones. Better in the sense that they didn't force him to work for more than 12 to 14 hours a day.
However, that didn't mean his job was any less taxing. The workload was always insane. Deadlines were impossible. And the stress was always at an all-time high.
He often worked overtime, without pay, just to meet those damn targets. He didn't have a choice, it's not like switching companies would help. All companies were more or less the same. Black companies were the norm, not the exception.
There were however 2...no..3 so-called "good" companies, the ones whose names were constantly floating around when people talked about finding a stable job.
But applying to those companies was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. They were always filled, and when a vacancy did occur, the competition was so fierce that even your education and qualifications barely mattered. Thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, would apply to a single position. The perks, of course, were worth the effort. Working for one of those companies would give you a chance to live in the city of paradise for the wealthy, an arcology.
An arcology where all your needs were met. Where crime was almost non-existent. Where pollution was a thing of the past. But those companies were more like an exclusive club. Only the best of the best got in, and even then, it was more about who you knew rather than what you knew.
Takano, like most people, had applied to these companies numerous times. But every application was met with the same, disheartening reply – "We regret to inform you..."
Working there was like a dream, a dream which was as attainable as breathing in space. He was stuck in this corporate hellhole, like many others, just trying to make ends meet and survive one day at a time.
Takano muttered to himself as he walked, his voice filled with annoyance and exhaustion
"Unpaid overtime. Again."
He grumbled under his breath, the anger boiling within him. Today marked the 10th day in a row where his boss had forced him to stay back late without extra pay. The long hours, the stress, and the lack of recognition were starting to wear him down. The thought of yet another night spent at the office, just to meet his boss's unreasonable demands, filled him with a sense of frustration.
"I swear, if this keeps up, I'm gonna quit," he mumbled, half to himself and half out of sheer irritation. The thought of quitting was quickly dismissed as takano's face turned into a grimace.
He took another long draw of his electric cigarette, the vapour filling his lungs. The nicotine provided a small but temporary sense of relief, numbing the frustration and anger that bubbled within him.
"Yeah, right," he muttered to himself, "like quitting is even an option."
Takano knew how life was like for the poor and homeless from stories he'd heard, the images he'd seen, all pointed to one reality: the third-tier cities were a living nightmare for the poor.
Crime was rampant, law enforcement was a joke, and poverty was the norm. Those who ended up there were more often than not, doomed to a life of misery and despair. The thought of that hell-hole was enough to make him stay in his crappy office job. Sure, the unpaid overtime sucked, the stress was unbearable, but the alternative was just too terrifying.
Takano glanced up at the sky, or atleast what should have been the sky but it was blocked by the dome surrounding the city, a pang of annoyance washing over him. The sky was filled with 3D advertisements, ranging from formal-looking to downright anime girls. He couldn't stand the sight of them, the endless ads playing throughout the night and into the morning. The day sky was always hazy at best. He'd never seen, let alone remembered, what blue sky or the sun looked like. He had only seen it in old videos or video games.
The concept of sunshine and the open sky was as foreign to him as life outside the city domed cities. He had never known what it was like to breathe fresh, untainted air.
Takano's thoughts shifted to the one thing that gave him solace after a grueling day at work, his "girlfriend". But she wasn't your typical partner. She was a robot designed to mimic humans down to the last detail. She had internal organs and an artificial intelligence that was so advanced, it was nearly indistinguishable from a real person. Such robots were a common sight these days. With the population declining rapidly, the demand for artificial companionship was on the rise.
People no longer had the time to build relationships, to fall in love. They preferred the convenience and reliability of robots. Takano was no different. Sure, his relationship with the android wasn't real in the conventional sense, but she provided him with comfort and company, much like a real girlfriend would. And as for children, Takano knew the drill. If he ever wanted a child, all he had to do was visit a lab and give his sperm. It would be then placed in an artificial womb, and after nine months, a healthy baby would be born. The whole process was automated and quite simple.
There was no need for a partner, no need for the messy complications of a real relationship that could end in disaster. He could have a biological child, a piece of himself, and not have to worry about the other aspect of relationships.
And as for a mother figure in the child's life his girlfriend could exactly be that. Takano's "girlfriend" wasn't just any ordinary robot. She had access to a vast database of information, including millions of videos and documents about how to be the perfect mother. She could easily be that ideal mother figure, a loving and caring woman who knew exactly what a child needed and how to provide it.
It was a dream come true for many, to have a 'partner' who could fill the role of a mother so flawlessly. Takano counted himself lucky to have such an advanced companion.
Takano thoughts were interrupted as he felt a sudden sensation of being watched, a feeling of unease washed over him as he glanced around, but he saw no one. The road he was walking on was nearly deserted, and the eerie silence only amplified his sense of solitude. He quickened his pace, wanting to reach his home in the downtown area. The rent there was cheap, but the downside was the constant fear of crime.
He often heard stories of muggings and assaults happening at night, even in the relatively safe areas. He just wanted to reach home, to feel the safety and security of his apartment walls. Takano power-walked, instead of sprinting to not be suspicious. But as the hair on the back of his neck stood on end, a strange wave of dizziness overcame him.
His mind began to fog, and he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. No matter how hard he fought to stay awake, the lost his consciousness and everything went to black.
•
Hayate was stationed in an alley, keeping an eye on the road. He had casted the [detect] spell, monitoring the heat signatures of the people passing by. He had used it to check if anyone else had any m.p too but no one seemed to have it so he was just stuck using it for its body heat detection function for now. He was waiting for a lone person to pass by, someone easy to target without any suspicion. His plan was to mind control them, extracting the information he needed. It wasn't the most ethical method, but he saw it as a necessary means to an end even though it went against his moral compass.
Hayate took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he was about to do. His mind was filled with guilt and unease, knowing he was about to intrude into someone's mind and control them against their will. But he pushed those feelings aside,
"I'm sorry," he whispered to the universe, apologizing to the person he was about to control. "I hope you forgive me for doing this."
The apology did little to soothe his conscience, but Hayate steeled himself, knowing he had a job to do. He watched as a lone figure approached, their heat signature being visible to him through the walls.
Before the actual person came in front of his view, he casted two more spells just to be on the safe side. The two spells Hayate casted for additional layers of protection were [Emergency translocation] and [Magic Nullification Field].
[Emergency translocation] was a mythical rank/7th tier spell, it's effect was that it automatically teleported the caster 100m away from their current location if they took any damage be it magical or physical within 150 seconds of the spell being cast. [Magic nullification field] was a 6th tier/legendary rank, small AOE spell with an area of 10m, it formed a barrier around the caster which extended to 10m from the caster in all 4 directions, it nullified any magic below 6th tier/legendary rank for 60 seconds.
Upon casting both spells, Hayate's body was momentarily enveloped in a red glow, indicating the success of the spells. Following this, a green circular barrier materialized around him, extending 10 metres in all directions. The barrier was translucent and served as a visible indication of the spell's activation. Hayate smiled, feeling relieved that he had successfully cast both the 6th and 7th tier spells, which served as fail-safes for him. He had also noticed a slight feeling of tiredness setting in, and he attributed it to the high mana cost of the spells. The [Emergency Translocation] had cost him 40 MP and the [Magic Nullification Field] had used up 30 MP.
Hayate mused to himself, realizing that the amount of magic power he used directly correlated to his exhaustion level. He noted that he'd have to be cautious about casting too many high-tier spells, considering the fatigue that came with them.
Fortunately, he had two passive abilities from his items, "The Ring of Envy" and "Supreme Sorcerer's Ring," which reduced his magic power consumption by a combined total of 40%. But back in the game any passive buff or any buff spells that stacked was Halved, so for the first one you will get the original amount and then for the second one it will be "X% of buff/2" so instead of a 40% reduction in total he only got a 30% reduction. So, instead of the original cost of 40 MP and 30 MP, the spells only used up 28 MP and 21 MP respectively, a significant reduction.
In the game, the buff stacking division mechanism applied ONLY to buffs of the same kind, not the first buffs.
For example, if you casted three buffs that all increased your Strength, then the stacking division mechanism would kick in and the buffs would be halved. But if the buffs were all different – say, one increased Strength, one increased health points and one increased mana points- then the stacking division mechanism wouldn't apply, and the buffs would be full power.
The stacking division mechanism worked by dividing the effectiveness of buffs of the same type. For example, if a player casts multiple buffs that each increase their strength by 20%, the buff stacking division mechanism would take effect and divide the effectiveness of each buff by 2. This means that instead of receiving a combined total buff of 60% (20% + 20% + 20%), the player would only receive a buff of 36% (20% + 10% + 6 %). This mechanism is designed to prevent players from stacking too many powerful buffs at once.
Back to hayate, he observed his target, a lone man in his mid-twenties with a pale complexion, a typical Japanese face, and a lean frame. The man was hurrying down the street, dressed in the standard outfit of an office worker. There was no one else nearby, the perfect victim.
Utilizing his [Detect] spell once again, Hayate confirmed that there was no sign of any magical abilities present in the man. Perfect.
Hayate's mind was made up. He was going to cast a [Dominate] spell on this lone, unassuming office worker. The spell's purpose was to enable him to control the man's mind, thus allowing him to extract all the information he needed. However, Hayate harbored some doubts about how effectively the spell would function in this real world setting.
The [Dominate] spell was categorized as a Master-rank, or more specifically, a 4th tier spell. It worked in the game world thusly; when cast on an adversary, they had the ability to resist the domination effects if they had a counter-spell, a magical item that granted resistance to mind magic, or if they were innately immune.
It consumed 10 points of MP while in its operational state. Upon successful utilization, the target individual would lose all ability to counteract or move, while the caster would be empowered to access the target's stats, possessions, and inventory.
On monsters, the spell's implementation was slightly different. Once employed on a monster, it would result in the monster succumbing to the player's control, thereby permitting the player to utilize the subjugated entity in combat against other adversaries.
The spell itself operated with a time limit of about 2 minutes, making it ineffective against opponents with superior levels. Consequently, it was more commonly employed during the late-early to middle stages of play. The only reliable methods for negating its effects were through possession of specific Items or knowledge of counter-spells. Alternatively, raising one's "int" stat significantly could reduce the spell's success rate or even render the target immune to its effects.
Hayate focused his gaze towards the man in the standard office worker attire he had identified as his target for the [Dominate] spell. Knowing the spell's parameters, he considered the possible counter-measures and realized that the man would most likely have nothing to counter it. Having confirmed the man's status with the [Detect] spell and established the absence of any magical abilities or mana, Hayate was confident that the likelihood of the man possessing any counter-measures was low to none.
The coast was clear, and he had made his decision.
Hayate focused his entire attention on the unassuming office worker and said the activation phrase of his spell, [Dominate]. Instantly, the man froze in his tracks, succumbing to the effects of the spell. Hayate could feel a connection between himself and the man, as well as a small depletion of his MP.
A satisfied smile tugged at the corners of Hayate's lips.
"it worked..."
Hayate couldn't help the sense of accomplishment welling up within him. Despite his doubts a moment ago, the spell had worked flawlessly. He observed the now controlled office worker. The man stood motionless, expressionless. The spell would keep him frozen in place until Hayate released it or the spell duration wore off. Time to question him.
Hayate focused his mental command over the controlled office worker, silently commanding him to enter the dark alley where he was stationed. As Hayate's thought projected into the man's mind, he obediently shuffled towards the mouth of the dimly lit alley.
As the man stepped through the transparent green barrier, Hayate felt a wave of reassurance. He was now truly safe from any attacks. Hayate took a moment to observe the man, sizing him up. His gaze was penetrating, and then, without any preamble, he started firing questions at the man.
"What year is it?"
The controlled man's voice replied, his tone flat and devoid of emotion.
"It's 2109"
Hayate's eyes widened imperceptibly. The year was 2109, a whopping 85 years into the future. Though he had anticipated a possibility like this, the reality of it still caught him off guard. Hayate took a moment to process this information before continuing his questioning, wanting to get a clearer picture of his surroundings, he asked.
"What country and city are we in?"
"we are currently in Japan, in the capital city called new-tokyo"
As the man confirmed that they were in Japan, specifically Neo-Tokyo, Hayate felt a mix of emotions. He was excited that he was still on earth in his homeland but time difference sunk in. The realization that it had been 85 years since he left his time..and his parents, who were in their 40s when he left, would likely have passed away by now.
Hayate's eyes darted back and forth, his usual composure slipping from his grasp. As he sat on top of a pile of trash, he felt the rough texture underneath him. The dirt and grime of his once-pristine robes were the last thing on his mind now. His breath hitched in his throat. His parents were most likely dead.
He clutched his head with one hand, fingers digging into his scalp and the base of his horn's. He expected something akin to this but still to think everyone he knew would be and probably is gone hit him hard. Parents, friends, colleagues..all of them would be long dead by now.
"Dad was 43, and mom was 41," he thought. "They'd be 128 and 126 now. That's nearly impossible. They're ...dead."
"I'll most likely never see my mom and dad again.." he thought, his chest feeling heavy with grief and loss. "They'll never know what happened to me. They'll never know I'm here..in the future."
Then Hayate thought about the fate of his original body. There were several possibilities. Perhaps his body had died or succumbed to a coma. Alternatively, his consciousness might have seamlessly replicated into this body. The idea that he might be a clone, but with the original still lingering in the past, left him feeling cold.
In his heart, he hoped to the gods that such a scenario was not true. To think that his body, his real self, might still be existing in the past, while he was here, just an almost perfect clone..it was a thought he couldn't bear to entertain...he..was not a copy..he was himself..he was hayate sato.
He shook his head to dispel these thoughts, trying to regain his composure. He knew he had to focus on the task at hand, he couldn't let his emotions get the better of him. "Mom..dad..I'll try my best..no..i will come back to you."
No matter what he said deep down, Hayate recognized the lies he was telling himself. He was being a hypocrite...a weak, hypocritical liar. And yet, for now, he ignored that fact. As he stood up, he brushed off the dirt and dust from his now stained robes. Then, with a deep sigh, he turned his attention back to the controlled man in front of him. The questions continued...