Chapter 8: Millennium Capital
10/31/2030
11:06
Sav-S̴͙̫̲̻̐͗̇͒ṯ̴̡̢͝a̸̠̻̦̰͚͌̈̿̈͝r̴̠̊͒͊̇͗g̶̟̯̈̋̀̄͌ą̸̮͇̰̓̅ž̶͎̼̲̹͆̑̃͠e̴̳̰͔̘͐̄̕͝͝r̸̠̤͊̀̏̍͜ P.O.V
ALERT ALERT ALERT
ANNOUNCEMENT
WANTED: MALE DARK BROWN HAIR WIZARD, WITH A RING ON HIS FINGERS PLEASE TAKE HIM ALIVE TO THE MILLENIUM CASTLE
REWARD: A FAVOUR FROM THE FOX PRIESTESS.
I hear a warning sound and a holographic board appears, there is no doubt that that is me, they're talking about.
But I think I'm going to be safe since there's no image of me in what's essentially a wanted poster.
SCANNING POSSIBLE MATCHES WITHIN THE AREA…
MATCH FOUNDED…
As what I presume to be an A.I said an image of myself is shown on the hologram.
…
I hate my life.
"There's the guy!"
"Get him!"
"Oh no you don't, the favor is mine!"
And just like that, every citizen within my area tries to get me.
And I run crazy.
I run as fast as I could and look behind me to see a tsunami of people going after me. Some I see are using some kind of magecraft to run through walls, while others using magecraft to run fast.
Well, two can play that game!
I activate my magic circuits and reinforce my legs to run faster.
While doing this. Looking behind, I look forward and saw a female jumping on me.
I deaccelerated, making a little boom on my feet as I jump to propel myself and hop around the buildings to get away, but that didn't stop them, as the aforementioned wall runners accelerated to catch up.
Seriously just how determined these guys are?! Is getting a favor that good!?
I try to jump back on the ground again, and when I do, I am swarmed again by the locals here.
"Got you!"
One of the locals said, sorry but I'm not going to get captured that easily.
I reinforce myself again and jump as high as I could away from the locals.
"WHAT?!"
"HOW HIGH DID HE JUMP?!"
"SHIT, I'M LOSING SIGHT OF HIM, QUICKLY FIND HIM!"
I hear some of the local's Screams, but that doesn't matter anymore, as I begin to fall, I suddenly realize.
How the heck do I land?!
Normally in this situation, someone will catch me or at least shield me. Shit, I've become too reliant on other people to save me all the time.
What to do, what to do!?
As I was about to land on the ground, at the last moment, I reinforce my foot, and when I touch the ground, I leap a little and slid on the ground with my butt.
I look around before laughing to myself and getting up before pointing to the ground.
"AHAHAHAHA IN YOUR FACE GROUND!"
I exclaimed while laughing as if mocking the ground itself.
"I hear voices there!"
I hear one of the locals shout before seeing me.
"THERE'S THE GUY! CATCH!"
And they once again try to capture me.
"WHY IS THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME!?"
10/31/2030
21:56
A few hours have passed and I manage to shake them off, right now I'm hiding in a small house inhabited by an NPC.
"Here is your water."
I hear a voice behind me, she has short hair, wearing a brown school uniform, based on her looks she is in her teenage years, maybe a year younger than me.
"Thanks."
I accepted the offer and drink the cup of water.
"Thanks again for letting me stay here."
"Well, wizards, when given an audience to the fox priestess, is the same as a student becoming a student council president, basically once people know that the fox priestess has favored them in some way, they essentially gain some kind of authority over the other people living here in the millennium capital."
"I see no wonder they're so desperate to capture me."
I said before looking her in the eye, before getting suspicious.
"Are you going to sell me out, and add something in this water that can knock me out?"
I ask suspiciously.
"What? No! Even if I want, I don't know about doing code casts like that. After all, before gaining sentience, I'm nothing more than a student you know."
Hmm? Sentience?
Now that I think about it, over the month I started my journey, I notice some of the NPC acting natural but sometimes acting unnatural.
"Hey, umm"
"Don't worry just call me Alika."
"Ok Alika, what do you mean by gaining sentience?"
I ask, not like I don't know its implication, but I just want to be sure.
"It's what it means, in the past before the Sovereign, wins the Mooncell Holy Grail War, all NPCs are just like that NPCs, we don't have any conscious, we just need to repeat the same thing over and over again, after that how the mooncell programs us to be. That is until the Sovereign herself gains a conscious."
"Wait, the Sovereign was an NPC too?"
"Yeah, we don't exactly know why but the Sovereign gains sentience and battles through the Grail War and wins, accessing the regalia, and becoming this world's ruler."
"Regalia?"
"Oh, you didn't know? I guess you just logged in just recently then?"
"Umm, yeah you can say that…"
"Hehe, basically the regalia is a ring that can grant access to the inner working of SE.RA.PH itself. Whoever bears the ring is essentially the god of this world."
Alika explains while cleaning the dishes.
A ring? I look at the ring on my right hand, wondering if this is the regalia itself, is that why I am a wanted man?
Normally if I can get an audience with the Sovereign, then I would gladly give it up, but I know so little about the ruler of this world, maybe she is a dictator or someone like Shi Huang Di, so right now I am not going to surrender the ring, because as of right now this is my only weapon. Like sure I still have my summoning, but using it makes my body tired it's my trump card so I want to use it sparingly, then again maybe I can use the ring to charge up my body when using it, but I still don't know how to properly control it, for all I know when I charge up, my whole body will explode or something like that. That's why I can only use it when infuse with a weapon, like my short sword, but all I can do is just charge up the sword just to release it at once because I still don't know how to properly use it, so I feared that I will accidentally destroy one of my only weapons, especially in a world where servants just roam freely, there's bound to be some servant whom I need to face, so I need something that can at least use for me to defend myself and survive.
"After becoming the Sovereign, many NPC suddenly becomes sentient, but not all, there are some NPCs that are still following their programming, and many wizards take advantage of that, some are using them as workers, or even slaves since the mooncell direct programming on them is "Assist the Wizards" they have no choice but to obey. Upon learning this, The Sovereign called those who are making them slaves and imprison them, but she allowed some of the wizards to use NPCs as workers or maids as long as they treat them right. That's the first law of this world. Act I: Preservation of the Non-Aware."
Alika explained.
I guess even in this world, laws such as this exist, it's almost like the British Lostbelt, but far less chaotic, I guess.
"It's getting pretty late now, why don't we go to sleep?" said Alika, who is yawning.
"Yeah, I can get some good night's rest, after the crazy today."
"Goodnight, Fujimaru."
"Goodnight Alika."
After saying goodnight, I went to a futon she made for me, and lay down, not far from my left is her sitting on her bed.
She turns off the light and lay down. Seeing her laying down I began to close my eyes.
What kind of trouble would I get into tomorrow, knowing me it's going to be messy again.
Aleki's POV
I hear Fujimaru snore onto the side.
I look into his face again inspecting him. I see, well this is a surprise.
I never thought I would see this face again after gaining sentient, I quietly stand up and look at a desk near him, I walk up to it, and hold a picture frame.
There is a photo of Tsukimihara Academy Class 2-B Class Photo.
There I saw a girl with a poker face, and seemingly her head is in the clouds, with her long brown hair and eyes. This is Hakuno Kishinami. Once an NPC, now the ruler of a simulated world on the moon.
Man, who would ever think that one of my old classmates is now the ruler of this world?
I giggle to myself, before looking at another person in the pic.
But who would also think I would meet you again too, Fujimaru Ritsuka
Wearing the male Tsukimihara Academy uniform, he also has a poker face. Just like I said his face and the way his hair is stylized are also the same as the boy who is sleeping beside me, the only difference is that the sleeping one has vibrant blue eyes, while the one in the picture has a dark, yet soft black eye.
Sav-S̴͙̫̲̻̐͗̇͒ṯ̴̡̢͝a̸̠̻̦̰͚͌̈̿̈͝r̴̠̊͒͊̇͗g̶̟̯̈̋̀̄͌ą̸̮͇̰̓̅ž̶͎̼̲̹͆̑̃͠e̴̳̰͔̘͐̄̕͝͝r̸̠̤͊̀̏̍͜ P.O.V
11/2/2030
4:38
I rest in Alika's place for about two days, before adventuring out, heading towards the main gate that leads to the next town, I sneak my way out to everyone, that is looking for me, and I finally see the front gate.
And the moment I step out.
"GOT YA!!"
I hear someone screaming and I immediately jump out of the way and pull out my sword. The person who tries to catch me has more mana than usual.
"Damn, why can't you stay still?! I almost caught you! If I can just catch you, then I can finally have my concert live on the big stage!!"
I hear a very familiar high pitch voice.
"Eli?"
I raise my eyebrow, I never expect Eli of all people to be here in this city, let alone trying to catch me she's not the Eli I know, but it's still surprising to me.
"Huh, you know me, does that mean you are a fan?!" She asks me.
"Yeah…sure, you can say that." Not by choice anyway.
"What's with the hesitation?! Just say that you're a fan so I can finally brag something about that stupid vixen!"
I am at a loss for words because I have no idea what she is saying.
"Ggggg! AH now I'm mad, so sorry about this and let me capture you!"
I rolled to the ground before standing up, when suddenly I hear a clicking sound of metal, almost like chains.
I turn around and block an incoming attack using my sword, but I got blown away by the force of the impact.
"Nice reaction time, I guess you can put up a fight."
I hear yet another familiar mature but quiet voice, there appearing in physical form, is the most famous monster in Greek mythology: Medusa.
"What are you doing Medusa, he is my prize!"
"If you want him, then you shouldn't just yell something when ambushing them, that's the point of ambushing someone, you ambush them."
"Even so, he is still my prize. Are you here because of her?"
"No, I'm here because I also want that favor, since the reward also applies to us, her knights."
I look at them arguing, so I just made a run for it.
"AH, HE IS RUNNING AWAY!"
I heard Eli's voice, so they finally caught on.
I look back and see Medusa running to me, in about 5 seconds probably she will catch up to me. So, I need to time this right
5…
4…
3…
2…
After counting 5 seconds I turn around and slash my sword at her and the last second before coming in contact with me, she is forced to jump back to avoid my attack.
"Slashing me at the last second and making me jump back, huh? A basic strategy but still a good one nonetheless."
She takes up her usual position, on all fours as if she is a tiger ready to pounce on her fray.
"I guess, I need to take you a bit seriously then."
She said before disappearing from my sight, sensing the upcoming danger I reinforce my whole body, and reacted to her attack me from the side, but it pushes me back. After I slowed down, she suddenly appears from my behind. And kick me.
"ACK…!"
I slide down into the grass and immediately try to stand up.
"Wait, he is my pray, dammit, why are you so fast?"
I hear Eli say making me look in her direction, as I am on my knees.
"You shouldn't be distracted."
I hear Medusa's voice before I see her in front of me, I can't block her, as I was about to be attacked.
FWOOOSH
A shield of flames erupted between me and Medusa making him surrender.
"Our Objective is to capture, not eliminate him Medusa, you are going a bit too far"
I heard a male voice looking in the direction of the voice I saw his pale skin and white hair.
That's…
"Karna!" Eli yelled.
"What are you doing here, Karna? Are you also for the favor?" Medusa ask Karna, who shook his head.
" No I'm merely obeying the words of my Sovereign, the Sovereign's orders, is to not hurt but just capture him, but because of her order, chaos ensues, putting the boy's life in danger, so I simply follow him and try to capture him in surprise without hurting him, but the two of you beat me to it."
Karna explained before turning to me.
"So please will you kindly surrender now, we just want to ask you some questions."
Damn it I can't react, even if I try to run away, medusa would just chase, and I can't even fight back because Karna is here.
Should I use it? But it's far too early for me to reveal it, but…
No there's no time to doubt things, I have to use it now!
Hero of Charity's POV
I walk up to the boy kneeling on the ground. For someone who 'stole' the other half of regalia, he looks like a pretty normal kid, but You cannot judge a book by its cover.
Looking at his right arm, a ring with a blue gem is there on his ring finger, so that confirms it, this is the kid.
"I am Sorry child, but it's my master's orders"
I try touching him when he suddenly speaks.
"…come…"
He paused as I notice his shadow is starting to move on its own. And when he opened his eyes, his pupil became X shape.
"…Dantes."
I jump back as a large amount of mana suddenly erupted, and blue lightning is fired against me, medusa, and Elizabeth. We dodge it, before, a shadow figure emerges from the lightning and tries to attack me, I block it with my spear before jumping back again.
As the shadow figure coats around the boy, before the shadow began to form what seemed like a hat and blue glowing demonic eyes, the shadow protects the boy from behind acting almost like a guardian.
"Sorry…"
The boy speaks, before using his right hand to brush out some dirt on his face.
"…but I won't be taken that easily."
Next Chapter: A Fateful Meeting
