"So he really has left, huh..."
The head of the Omicron Division slouched against her chair as she listened to the latest news that was delivered by one of her subordinates. She didn't act as surprised as she thought she would be when she heard the report as well as the supporting details as pieces of evidence.
She knew that it was only a matter of time before Valon would leave to fulfill his self-made mission and despite her best efforts, she knew she couldn't stop him. She, however, was genuinely impressed that he was able to create a complex device and managed to make it work.
I can't believe Wakers actually pulled it off, not that I doubted him but still... fucking smartass...
"And the device he used is nowhere to be found?"
"Yeah... I literally don't know where it is. And that's coming from someone who visits his room most of the time. Either it disappeared out of thin air after he stepped in it or he hid it somewhere that we wouldn't be able to see. I don't think it blew up or we all would've heard it..."
"That clever bastard probably made some kind of contraption to hide it. I don't think we'd be able to do something about it unless of course it's really hidden in his room and we decided to demolish the walls, not that I'm against the idea," Matilda sighed before smirking. "But honestly, he was smart on whatever he did to hide it. At least we won't get suspicious when the higher divisions did another inspection. The last thing I need is a suspension warning..."
"Yeah... that makes sense..."
Silence filled the room as the two individuals pondered on their next course of action. Both of them were aware of the inevitability but they couldn't help but feel anxious over the situation. The lieutenant was busy in her thoughts but her pondering was cut short by her subordinate's question.
"Did you try to convince him to stay?"
Matilda kept her stoic expression as she knew that people in the division would ask her the exact question the moment they knew that one of their technicians has been transported to who-knows-where, but deep down, she was also extremely worried. She wished she could've stopped him from pursuing his search but all her efforts of persuading the young man were ultimately unsuccessful.
"Of course I did. Ever since he's been spending more time in his room I knew that he was up to something. And I already suspected something after I heard from the higher divisions that he snuck in the Gamma Research Facility," the lieutenant replied with a frown. "But what could have I done, Allen? You know how he is, and this wasn't the first time he'd done something recklessly."
"Yeah..."
Memories resurfaced from Allen's mind. Thoughts circled from their numerous adventures and mischief they had as co-workers and as close friends. He had been with the young man for so long and he knew him more than anyone else in the division. Valon became someone he would consider as family along with a lot of people he worked with.
"He has done a lot in only a few special missions, aside from the regular extraction assignments of course," Matilda stated matter-of-factly.
"Well, he has only been in the division for four years."
"Three years only technically. He took the one-year training program in the Theta Division."
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. He never really talked about his time there. He was a total noob the first time I saw him here. Heh, dude was a total letdown in his first mission!"
"Ah yes, his first mission," Matilda deadpanned. "You can tell he was a total rookie."
"And he was so scared during the extraction! He kept asking if he was doing okay or if he messed up or whatever," Allen laughed loudly. "I asked him why he was so scared when he had a year's worth of training in the simulation and he claimed that it was a lot different when he was doing it for real. Don't get me wrong, I was also a cowardly mess on my first mission, but that guy's fear was on another level than anything I've seen from the other newbies."
"He was worried that he might put the team in danger when unironically, he did when he fell on one of the eggs."
"And all the other developed ones just simultaneously hatched. But we dealt with them quickly anyway so it wasn't that big of a deal. Not for him though, he kept apologizing about it all day afterwards."
"He honestly didn't mess up that badly. I've seen the more confident novices do something way worse most of the time. For his first mission, he actually did pretty well. He was able to follow every command, he cooperated with the team, and he was incredibly quick in performing the extraction. In fact, he's one of the fastest extractors in our division. Not everyone can work decently with the extracting equipment, even with the one-year training experience."
"Yeah, I wasn't as fast as he was when I first became a part of the extraction team, and I still think he's faster than me up to this day. And now that you mentioned it, he does pick up on things rather fast. The next missions he partook in, he was no longer terrified. It took me a few missions to get comfortable with the job. It's like he became an entirely different person after his first assignment."
"You're overreacting, it took him like three assignments... but I see your point. He's pretty quick in adapting to any given situation from what I've observed. But... even so, he still lacks the overall experience. There were times when he'd forget to bring something important to the mission which led to mishaps. He is also careless and he has shown to be getting more stubborn now that he's comfortable in the job."
"Yeah... and ever since he's been working on that Warpgate, he grew even more stubborn."
Silence filled the room once again as the atmosphere became tense as time passed. Neither said a word after realizing the implications of Allen's statement regarding the makeshift machine. The uneasy tension was eventually broken by Matilda's anxiety.
"I also asked myself all the time if I really did try to convince him, you know? I know how strong Valon is as a person and given his impressive adaptive capabilities, I know that he can handle anything. But if his performance on the first mission would give any indication of how he acts in a totally different situation that he has never experienced before, I can't help but feel worried. He adapts fast but not in an instant, and he has his own... fears and insecurities that has hindered him in various missions before."
Allen settled for a nod, deciding not to say anything. He, too, was incredibly worried for his friend. He acknowledged his friend's desire to look for his younger brother but he didn't know how he'd deal in a place that no one even knew where. He could literally be anywhere in space right now, or in a less euphemized term, he could be anywhere in the universe.
"Did I make the right decision to allow him to go to who-knows-where? He's in a totally unknown territory somewhere out there in the vast cosmos, with no way of communicating to the division for help, no professional personnel accompanying him, and with no authorization from the higher divisions. And I don't even know if he could get back," Matilda remarked grimly. "Did I... unintentionally send him to die?"
Allen didn't know what to say. He couldn't really blame his superior even if she wasn't overly strict on her terms. The worst-case scenario would be that no one in the division ever knew about what Valon was working on and his plans on leaving.
He also never agreed for his friend to just leave like that. Despite his skills, knowledge, and capabilities; he still had a lot to learn and a lot of things to improve. He knew the risks involved and the thought of going to a totally new and uncharted territory troubled him. He never doubted his friend's ability to plan, but there were so many things that could go wrong that not even Valon would be able to solve on his own.
"Even with his impressive record in the division, he is still a novice in the eyes of the organization," Matilda continued. "He has never been sent to space for a cosmic extraction assignment nor did he take any professional training for general space exploration. He's not a Cosmoknight and he doesn't have the perks of the MA series and now he's probably on a faraway planet somewhere in a distant galaxy with only a limited amount of resources at his disposal and no knowledge of the place he was sent to by his machine."
There was no denying it, the facts were there. The negative information outweighed the positive and what was even worse was that the Omicron division wouldn't be able to do anything about the issue as of now. One of their personnel is in an unknown location and even if they had help from the higher divisions, it was unlikely that they'd be able to solve the problem. The search for the Delta Cosmoknights still held no results and they suffered the same fate as Valon did, albeit unintentionally.
"We can't contact the higher divisions for assistance either. Because if they knew about this incident, I don't know what they'll do to us. Protocols regarding the unauthorized fabrication of highly advanced equipment are strictly followed, and insubordination would lead to complications..." Matilda sighed in resignation.
"But in the end, I wouldn't really be able to stop him. I could've been more strict, sure, but I would lie if I say that I wouldn't do the same thing as he did if I'm in his position. He has been separated from him before when his brother was drafted during the recruitment program and he is the only family member he had left that is still technically alive," Matilda continued. "The only difference is that Valon was able to make the machine thanks to his intelligent mind, whereas I would probably have a much more difficult time figuring out how to even begin with the search."
"And it will take you years to create the machine, let alone, making it work," Allen added. "While Valon only took more than a year. Man, that dude's brain is insane. And to think that he never had any help from anyone or used any advanced equipment that the higher divisions use."
"That's Valon for you. His intelligence rivals his stubbornness, in a way, he's the very contradiction of himself. I don't want to assume too much but I really hope he's fine from whatever fucked up place he ended up in. I still have my doubts and I still think he never should've left given the undefined circumstances, but all we can really do is hope for the best," Matilda mustered the best smile she could. "We can also try to help him in any way we can on our end. We just have to make sure we aren't caught by the other divisions. Another problem is that I don't trust everyone in our division, someone might leak what we're doing. But we gotta try, for his sake. He is still a member of Omicron and that means he's my responsibility... a lot of good I did though..."
"Hey, don't blame yourself over it too much. This is what he wanted to do and you said it yourself that you'd do the same. But you're right, we should try our best to help him. He has done so much for the team, it's only fair that we return the favor," Allen replied with conviction. "And optimistic as I may sound, I believe that Valon's doing fine. Sure he's probably being the scaredy-cat that he was on his first mission, likely because he's experiencing another completely different scenario from what he's used to, but he'll adapt to it eventually. In fact, I have a feeling that he already has an idea where the Delta Cosmoknights are!"
I have no idea where the Delta Cosmoknights are.
A frustrated technician named Valon was talking to himself to try to feel better despite his problematic situation but to no avail. He was currently walking back to camp after his fruitless search. He was already annoyed at himself when he realized that he cried himself to sleep that he forgot to activate his exoshield and his irritation only increased when he wasn't able to find a nearby body of water to take a bath into. He did feel lucky that he didn't encounter any monster around the area that he went to.
I mean sure, I can track their M.A.D.s but that won't guarantee if they still even have one with them. And if they were separated with their M.A.D.s, they're either dead or it broke and they were too lazy or too stupid to fix it so they just left it somewhere. But if I'm being honest, the former seems more believable than the latter.
Valon didn't like the sound of that. If the Delta Cosmoknights left remains of their former presence or anything that they left behind, then it was likely that something bad happened to them. The M.A.D. was a crucial tool to anyone working for the organization. It supplies functional tools, handy gadgets, offers the current body condition of the user, and a unique trackable signature in case the wearer got lost.
They could be anywhere in this wretched world, probably trying to blend in and stay alive while they avoid becoming monster's food, or in other cases, either a slave or a husband—not that they'll let that happen unless they want to for some odd reason. Are they even aware that they're technically in a video game? What were their reactions when they were transported to this world?
The technician's pace slowed down when he finally reached the camp. He didn't want to wake them up as he had something to do that he didn't want them knowing about yet. He could see Alice's sleeping form on the tree branch while he could hear Luka murmuring 'Ilias' in his sleep.
Terrific... Ilias must have made her presence in his dream to tell him something... I don't remember what it was about though.
Valon went to a spot that was a good distance away from the camp. He considered if he was far enough from his two companions without them hearing his loud tools while also examining the spot if it provided a satisfactory view of the camp so that he could keep an eye on them from afar.
Once he found one, he settled on the grass and grabbed a few of the scrap metals he found earlier from his backpack. He placed them down and activated his bio-scanner on his M.A.D. to look for traces of organic contact on the objects. After picking up the most recent traces of human fingerprints and trying to determine their age, he felt relieved from the results.
Seems like these things were here for a while but they weren't here for too long either. At least I know that time hasn't passed that much since. I wonder why no one else picked up these scraps though. Probably for the best that they didn't.
His mind still held some doubts about the exact time interval but the results from the bio-scan relaxed him for a bit. Without wasting time, he brought the scraps back to his backpack and grabbed the suit pack that contained the parts for a helmet.
I could've sworn I brought the entire suit pack that contained the rest of the parts for the S.P.A.C.E. suit with me. But thinking about it now, I don't think I could've made a complete suit anyway with all the other major components completely broken and gone. Oh well, gotta work with what I have. And with the easily accessible parts right here, this wouldn't take too long to build.
The technician proceeded to weld the foundation parts of the helmet. The helmet was a detachable segment of the suit that can be repaired and built separately. He knew a lot about the S.P.A.C.E. suit itself as well as its major components, but certain parts of it wouldn't be possible to build without more advanced tools and complex parts, all of which are the things that he didn't have at the moment. He put on the functional goggles that he wore on his forehead and proceeded to work on the helmet.
While he was assembling the helmet, his mind delved back to his recent thoughts about his current situation. He knew that he was no longer dealing with bloodthirsty monsters who slightly learned to adapt from time to time. He has dealt with the juvenile Aresians plenty of times and he was basically used to dealing with them. He knew them well and knew a plethora of ways to handle them without breaking a sweat.
The adult Aresians were a bit problematic. Even with a few years of experience in the organization, he had difficulties in fighting them, let alone taking on a single alien all by himself. He wasn't a Cosmoknight either, so he didn't have the perks that they had. The Cosmoknights get their strength and added abilities from the MA series, which he didn't have with him. It was customary to the protocols to have at least five or more Cosmoknights in the extraction team when proceeding to an active Aresian hive.
And now, he was no longer dealing against the known threats in his world. He was in a completely different environment. The monsters in this world can think for themselves. They possessed intelligence, magical powers, and other special abilities, and can talk and feel like human beings. And that wasn't including the angels when at the beginning of their encounters from the game, were practically intangible and invulnerable. Luka's signature weapon, the Angel Halo, was the only thing that could hurt them.
And that's not counting the stronger monsters who can withstand the sealing powers more efficiently than the rest and those that can break out of the seal like Sphinx.
There's also the Seekers of Truth, a group of extremely intelligent individuals led by Promestein—who is basically an equivalent of a mad scientist.
Then there's the Heavenly Knights as well. Since I'm at the beginning of the game, Luka would have to fight all of them. And since I'm with Luka, they're technically my problem as well.
Then there's the angels, the chimeras, the monsters who rebelled against the Monster Lord, Eden, Little Ms. Alice in Wonderland who is a sadistic psychopath, and Ilias herself.
Valon already knew all of them and was aware of almost everything that they did in the game. Knowledge was one thing, but dealing with them properly was another.
Alright, let's get some things straight. I'm from another world that was transported... sorry... I mean 'iseka'id' to a world that is basically an eroge game filled with nymphomaniacs. No matter how scientific that information can get, I don't think I'll ever get used to it, or maybe I will... I don't know. I came from a world that has been overrun by aliens, aliens who can think but aren't completely intelligent nor are they sentient. I only have three years of actual experience in dealing with the threats in my world and I'm still having difficulties fighting against an adult Aresian by myself.
The more he thought about his situation, the more stupid he felt. Sure, he spent extra time training himself alongside his work on the makeshift machine to prepare himself against the elements for when he actually finish building his version of a Warpgate. And he already considered several variables for when he did get transported to a distant planet or to whatever cosmic environment that the Warpgate will send him to, along with cases like his suit breaking, alien encounters, or weapon and tool preparation.
But his brain could only process so much information and when he was sent to a fantasy world that he knew from a game, all his confidence in quickly making plans was destroyed. He felt even dumber when he didn't bring the whole set for reconstructing his suit in case it broke for other reasons, not that it mattered when he was sent to Monster Girl Quest.
I was expecting aliens, a desolate environment or... I don't know... anything that involved a plausible scientific explanation, but this? I never considered being sent to Monster Girl Quest! If my mind just knew that being sent to a video game or something that I thought was fictional but now it isn't, would be a possible outcome in the grand scheme of things, I would've brought more stuff!
And I personally wouldn't have minded if a video game world was a possibility. But... why? Why this of all games? Okay sure, there are times where I could get a little... weird and think a few dirty thoughts, which all people experience at one point in their lives. But I'm not some sick pervert who'd put 'being sent to an eroge game' in their wish list.
There are so many video games to choose from! Sonic, Super Mario, Undertale, Minecraft, or maybe some post-apocalyptic ones like Dying Light, and I honestly wouldn't mind the threats like zombies that much. I mean aliens have become a thing in my world so the concept of zombies wouldn't really be a big deal for me. But this? This is not a world I would want to be in. Everyone is either a pervert or a sick freak excuse of a predator that only thinks with their stomach. Hell, even the men in this game are perverted.
And let's not forget that there's magic in here... magic! Yes, this is a world that is also filled with supernatural beings that can destroy entire cities and mountains. The strongest adult Aresian I fought could only destroy reinforced steel walls. But these guys? They could probably flood the entire world if they wanted to.
Okay, the adult Aresians I fought were no jokes at combat. An adult Aresian's skin can withstand being shot by a barrage of lasers and missiles and they're very difficult to kill especially in a group. But outsmarting them is like answering a kindergarten's math test, well... most of the time.
But monsters in this world? They don't just adapt, they can think for themselves, they have free will! Some could even be smarter than the smartest humans I know. And they do more than slash with their claws, shoot laser beams in their tails, and breathe plasma in their mouths. There are more than one species of monsters and each one has its own sets of strengths and weaknesses. Some are incredibly fast, some are super strong, and some can change their forms.
Others can regenerate, phase through solid objects, hypnotize their prey, innately invulnerable to physical attacks, control the elements of nature, and cast powerful spells that can destroy anything. Even if you played the game a lot and know a lot about it, if you were sent to a world like that, who wouldn't be scared by those facts? If I was sent to another game however like Kingdom Hearts, I wouldn't be that uncomfortable even with the presence of supernatural objects.
But this is Monster Girl Quest... and monsters rape people regularly. And some even kill their prey for fun. But maybe I'm overestimating them a little bit? Aresians are very brutal... but still...
I don't even possess anything impressive on a physical level. My limited knowledge of martial arts and other forms of combat is like a grain of sand compared to the ocean of chaos that are these monsters. My vast knowledge of this world means nothing if I don't have anything to deal with the threats. And I probably wouldn't worry this much if I actually have a functional suit of armor and a good weapon. Why did my stuff have to break—
"GAH!"
Valon groaned in pain as his left hand flinched from the burning sensation. He looked down and saw his other hand holding a welding torch and realized what had happened.
Got so busy with my thoughts that I burned my fingers. Felicia was right... I do need working gloves.
Valon grabbed an antiseptic spray from his backpack and applied a few drizzles on his agitated fingers. After a few seconds, the pain lessened and he immediately went back on working on his helmet. He was at the point of applying a few electronics in the internal parts.
And I can't even work while thinking too much or I'll end up injuring myself.
The overwhelming stress of thinking about his problems got the best of him last night which led to him crying himself to sleep. Now, he was irritated. With so many things to process, he still couldn't think of any valid solution to his predicaments, which was ironic coming from someone who always had a plan. He was at his most vulnerable state and he was starting to doubt his intentions on coming into this world.
Despite all my years of training in Omicron, I'm still just human. In a world where you've never actually experienced the norms of a particular place, you feel like a vulnerable stranger. And then that world turned out to have creatures that are way more powerful than you could ever be, no matter how strong you try to be.
Even if I do know everything that will happen, me being here is already changing the story. That just makes my knowledge of everything almost useless if everything will no longer be the same as what I've known from the game, which will make some things unpredictable. Stupid chaos theory...
But Valon wasn't completely afraid of the dangers that were present in the world he was now in. They may not be as manageable as the aliens back in his world, but he already experienced his fair share of weirdness over the years. Not as weird as being sent to Monster Girl Quest, this was the weirdest so far, but he developed a slight tolerance for the oddities. That didn't mean that he wasn't uncomfortable in the current situation he was in. He was still having a few problems processing everything—his technical mind was as stubborn as he was in terms of accepting being in a fantasy world.
And he had this unusual sensation of discomfort whenever he thought about the monster's eagerness to violate someone. He wasn't consciously aware of it, but the thought of 'rape' brought a certain uneasiness within him—almost as if he felt traumatized from a similar event that happened in the past. One that stayed at the back of his mind but his controlled inclination always pushed it back whenever it made itself known. But the feeling was there, and he felt that sensation when the slime girl was trying to molest him. He couldn't describe it very well but it wasn't a pleasant feeling.
There were also cases back on his missions where he had almost died and those were admittedly terrifying for his part, despite the regular errands from Omicron. And he was a bit thankful that he was still alive in this world. Initially, he was more terrified from the thought of changing the outcomes of Luka's adventure than the actual monster encounters themselves.
He was afraid that doing something different or being present in the equation of the game's world would result in unintended consequences that would ultimately change the journey throughout. But so far, everything has been following the canon, with only him as an addition.
The clicking noises from the helmet interrupted his thoughts as he looked at his finished creation. He felt satisfied with his work and decided to test the headgear. He added a few modifications to the internal parts as well as made it collapsible, that way, he would be able to conveniently activate the helmet on or off of him without much issue.
The size was also a perfect fit and he made the upper part adjustable for his goggles. He wore the helmet and tested its functionality and after a while, with a click of a button, the helmet collapsed to a neckband that was attached to his shoulder pads. Contented with the test results, he glanced at his M.A.D. to check the time.
4:36, huh? Guess it really did take less than an hour.
Valon tried to look at his two companions back at the camp when he saw a hooded figure standing near the trees. The figure's entire body seemed humanoid in form. It was covered with its long beige-colored cloak and its face was concealed by the hood with only its mouth visible.
What the?! Who the hell is that?
The technician was surprised when saw the stranger. He didn't know why there was a strange hooded figure just standing there, unmoving from its position, almost as if it was a statue.
Why is he just over there, standing near the camp? Is he an NPC I don't know about? Did he even appear from this point of the game? Is he a character from the game? If he is, then I don't know who the hell that guy is. Also... is he... looking at me?
Valon's instincts set in motion as he hid behind a nearby bush.
This is the third time I've hidden behind a bush.
Valon peeked from behind the bush and felt even more surprised when the hooded figure was no longer there. He activated his helmet and enabled the infrared setting to scope the area for the hooded figure. He carefully checked his surroundings and when he couldn't see any traces of the figure, he deactivated his helmet.
Who was that guy and how did he disappear so fast? And why am I calling him a he? She might be a girl for all I know, but... I don't really know... what the hell was that guy's deal anyway? And was that a human, a monster in disguise, or an angel?
The technician couldn't keep his composure after witnessing an unexpected visitor. He was considering if the effects of his interference were already creating massive changes from the original story.
But how would I make that happen directly though? Is my presence already creating changes that weren't in the game? Is me being here the cause of that guy appearing here or did he actually appear from the game and I just didn't know?
Valon considered the possibilities when he felt a zapping sensation in his head.
Gah... stupid headache! Fine! I'll stop thinking for now... seriously I'm getting more and more internal injuries as I progress in this hell hole.
Setting aside the bothersome thoughts about the strange appearance of the mysterious hooded figure, Valon went back on the spot he worked on as he glanced at his two companions that were undisturbed by the abnormal presence of a visitor.
Hmm... I still have some time to work on something before they wake up.
Valon grabbed his backpack and placed it on the ground as he contemplated on something he could work on.
I still need more scrap metal for other purposes and I need some of them to repair my laser rifle. I won't be able to finish the rifle though as I need to make a reliable energy supply for it. This propulsion cannon seems a bit complicated to repair with my current knowledge, but I could always study it for later. Hmm... what could I make?
Valon assessed every gadget and miniature machine that he had in possession.
So far, I don't have any problems with my tools, and my M.A.D. provide most of them anyway. My fabricator is in working condition. Hmm... this hydroponic plant box that I have... now that this world has actual good food, I can just dismantle this for parts that I'd need for later. Yeah, that's a good idea. But weapon-wise... I'm very limited. And my only source of defense is my exoshield, and it'll disappear if it breaks or if I use the shield burst module. I'm not sure if I can do anything about the cooldown for now though.
Valon glanced at the scrap metal he had when suddenly an idea formed in his head.
Hmm... I need to save some of these parts but maybe I just have enough to make this.
Valon quickly but carefully went back to the camp. It was already eight in the morning and he could already see Alice and Luka eating breakfast. The lamia instantly noticed his presence as she turned to face the man who was making his way back.
"Look who decided to show up," Alice said in an unusually antagonistic tone. "Seems that you woke up the earliest or maybe you got lost while you were sleepwalking if you sweating would give an indication."
Crap, I never noticed that I was sweating. I gotta be careful when I work next time...
"Alice... come on, just eat your food," Luka admonished. "Well, good morning Valon. Here, have some breakfast. You should eat now though or Alice might devour them."
"Oh, thanks dude!" Valon exclaimed as he began eating the food that Luka prepared.
Man, this guy could be a Michelin star chef one day.
"'Dude?' What's that?" Luka inquired.
Valon nearly choked on the food he was chewing.
Of course... they don't know everything about the modern language. Well, maybe except Paradox Luka, but... man I need to consider that as well?
"Oh, uhh... it's like a synonym for 'man,'" Valon replied. "It's a terminology that my family uses. You know... instead of calling someone a 'man,' we sometimes use the word 'dude' to address them."
"Oh, okay, that's... interesting," Luka commented. "Anyways, you're... early..."
"Yeah, waking up early is a habit."
"Where'd you go to? If you don't mind me asking," Luka asked.
"I... wanted to do a little walking..."
"Walking?" Alice asked as she greedily ate everything on her plate.
"Yeah, I do alone walks whenever I can. It's like a therapeutic activity for me and it calms me down from time to time. And I tried to look for a place to take a bath but I found nothing and I also didn't want to get too far away from camp. But anyways, we're going to Iliasburg next, right?"
"Yeah, we are running short on some ingredients," Luka replied. "Oh, great Ilias... please give me your blessing today as well."
Valon inwardly flinched from the mention of Ilias's name. If there was still something that he was genuinely terrified of, it was Ilias. The mere concept of having a powerful and devious deity who has been living for billions of years with nearly unfathomable power that mortals could only dream of having sent shivers down his spine. He wasn't a believer in the concept of divinities back in his world but being near the presence of one, especially someone who was a master of manipulation did not calm the man down.
"Oh, how could I forget? Valon, of course you're here..." Luka mumbled the last bit. "Do you want to pray with me?"
"Oh uhh..." Valon was caught off guard from Luka's request, thinking quickly of a good response. "I uhhh... already did... a while ago..."
"Ah I see."
Luka smiled, clearly trusting the man's answer. Valon panicked when he gave a response as he didn't know if it was wise to 'pretend' to be faithful to Ilias or not. Lying was nowhere as comforting of a response from his part but seeing as he wasn't smitten yet by some divine lightning, perhaps his excuse was alright. His anxious demeanor did not go unnoticed by a certain monster, however. She clearly saw the man's discomfort but decided not to say anything to the group.
Back at what Valon was thinking of, if Ilias was observing Luka from heaven then she was completely aware of Valon's presence. Even if Valon knew her character from the game, he had absolutely no idea how he would deal with her.
She could already be planning something for him at that very moment. And it was even more terrifying to consider that she has not done something to him yet. Either she just ignored his presence entirely and she didn't acknowledge him as a threat as of now or he suddenly became a part of her twisted plan.
She's currently the most powerful entity in the game, not to mention, the most cunning one as she was able to foresee both Black Alice's and Promestein's betrayal. She could be planning to do something to me as I speak. And I have absolutely nothing in my possession to deal with her like... at all. And who's to say that she isn't already studying my behavior and every action that I make?
Although... so far... I acted like a coward the entire time I was here. I mean, it wasn't my intention to even be more afraid than I should be but that's primarily because I have secrets to keep and I didn't want to interfere in Luka's journey too much. And of course, there's my suspicion if she was also aware of the unexpected appearance of the Delta Cosmoknights that arrived in this world even before I did. Whether she did something bad to them or her simply having the knowledge of their existence stresses me.
But maybe my early showcase of fear must have made her think that I'm not completely a threat to her. Hmm... I could use that, not just to avoid fully intervening in Luka's quest but to also lay low. But I could only remain like this for so long and I still have to stay wary of her. She probably still sees me as a matter of interest if she was somehow aware of my sudden appearance in this world.
But I still need to figure out exactly what I should do as I travel with them. I need to play it safe and keep my knowledge while also not being too secretive to avoid suspicions from my companions. And with Ilias in the mix, I seriously need to carefully consider the words that I say. The safest option is to be as vague as I possibly can because if Ilias knew that I knew a lot about what's going to happen in this world, then I'm toast. But if I act like I don't know anything about this world, Alice might catch up on my pseudo-cluelessness. Ugh, what should I do?
"What do you think, Valon?"
"H-huh, what? Did you say something?"
"Daydreaming again, huh?" Alice remarked.
"Y-yeah, sorry... I just happen to think a lot. Anyway, what were you saying Luka?"
"I was asking if Ilias has a plan about all of this. I mean I know she hates monsters but surely she has her reasons, right?"
Oh she has a plan alright, and I don't think you'd like it, given that she sticks to what I know from the game and not some new recreation plan because of my involvement.
"Oh, sure, she has her reasons to decrease their numbers by reducing their population because she won't allow any of her 'loyal followers' to mate with monsters," Alice remarked bitterly. "Surely, monster extinction isn't her intention with that commandment."
Luka didn't know how to respond as he remained silent in shame. Alice made compelling arguments about the issue and he had nothing to refute. He turned over to his other companion, hoping he had a good answer to Alice's statements.
"Uhh... I-I'm not entirely sure either," Valon slowly responded, carefully considering his words. "I mean... maybe she has a plan, maybe she doesn't... but... I-I don't know. I'm sorry, I can't provide a satisfactory answer..."
Both Luka and Alice were disappointed by the man's vague response. Luka felt discouraged as his doubts grew from the issue with Ilias's commandments while Alice wondered if it was Valon's fear getting to him that he wanted to keep his viewpoints to himself as to not offend anyone or if he really had no clue what to say.
"Umm... well, shouldn't we get going already? Valon politely asked. "Iliasburg is still a few miles away."
"Yeah, we should get moving if we want to reach the city before night," Luka replied as he grabbed all of his belongings and proceeded to move north along with his companions. "Oh yeah, Valon. You have been to Iliasburg, right? You said that you kept visiting the post office there."
Crap... well there's no going back now. They're bound to ask me where I'm from at one point, that's only natural. I've already planned something in case they ask me about that but the problem is Ilias. If I claimed I'm from that place and I know about certain places in the world, she might see me as a threat.
But then again... I've already made the excuse about me going to the post office in Iliasburg about my brother's 'letters' and nothing's happened to me so far. Wouldn't she think I'm a threat if I already knew about Iliasburg when I'm not even from this world?
"Yeah, I have... more than once" Valon tried to sound as convincing as he could, silently screaming at himself for going with the excuse that he foolishly made.
"So you're more familiar with the place then... I've only been there once, and that was a few years ago. It's a huge city and it's actually the furthest I had ever been away from my village. From what I remembered, the main street was filled with adventurers, merchants, and all sorts of people. Tons of different things in all the shops too."
"Hahaha..." Alice smiled. "I'm also looking forward to it."
"Looking forward to it? You are?"
Valon once again wandered in his thoughts as he didn't plan to fully listen to the conversation. He knew what they were going to talk about so he figured, as much as he hated it, that he should assess a few more important things that he had to consider in his mind.
I can't be too complacent. I've already considered some of the things they might ask from me but I still have to be careful. So far though, there's really no sign of Ilias's presence besides showing up in Luka's dream, and it did happen like the way it did from the game—which was his first night at a camp. I obviously don't remember what she said to Luka while he was asleep from the game, but at least it wasn't along the lines of 'one of your companions is not from this world.'
I already made a few implications that I know more about this world than I'm letting on, which was an error on my part. Surely, that would make me suspicious in her perspective. Like how the hell do I know about Iliasburg or how do I know that the city even had a post office? And if she was listening attentively, she'd raised a brow on my excuse on why I claimed that I'm just from this world who was looking for his missing brother. The part about my brother isn't exactly a lie but the rest of the excuse is extremely questionable. But hey, I'm still alive, right?
Hopefully, I won't have to deal with her myself, in case I don't happen to find my brother while her plans of recreating everything are set in motion. And I really hope that she or her lackeys haven't done anything to the Cosmoknights. But it's most likely that she's already aware of them, and if she saw me appearing in this world randomly, she would surely keep me under observation. That means she's listening to everything that I say to both Luka and Alice and everything that I do. Which would also mean that she saw me build this helmet and this other thing that I built.
Then again, it's not like she has done something to me yet, but the lack of activity just makes me more uneasy. I don't know when she'll do something or if she plans to do something at all. Grrr... this is stupid! Why do I have to put up with all of this! I should just be focusing on finding my brother but no... now I have to worry about the journey itself, my companions' thoughts about me, the monsters that Luka encounters, the environment, and a psychopathic freak of a goddess. But at least now I kinda know that traveling with these two is safer, I think...
I mean what would happen if I travel alone without my S.P.A.C.E. suit and my laser rifle. I can try to stay at the outskirts of Ilias Village to plan more about my course of action but I would still need to find more materials to rebuild my stuff. And it's not like the people in the village would just freely give me resources, not that they have anything that I need. And if I travel to Iliasburg by myself, I probably wouldn't make it very far.
But now that I got to think about it more, isn't it awfully convenient that the moment I was transported here was also when Luka decided to go out on an adventure? I mean yes, it's purely coincidence, but what's up with the opportune timing?
And who was that hooded guy I saw earlier? Was that one of Ilias's spies or her cupids? But they don't wear hoods, do they? And it looked too serious for a cupid, a valkyrie maybe? I mean either of the choices would make sense if they were able to disappear out of my sight immediately. But if it wasn't one of Ilias's angels or her other subordinates, then who was that guy? And why was he... or she... or it... on the camp?
"By the way, Valon..." Luka went to face his other companion who was trailing behind them.
"Yeah?" Valon immediately replied as he didn't want anyone to question his habitual reverie again.
"Wow, you actually responded pretty fast to that," Alice remarked sarcastically. "What, got nothing to daydream about?"
Luka just settled with a sigh as he wasn't in the mood to talk back to the lamia. If he was being honest, he was also feeling slightly bothered whenever Valon was spacing out. It seemed that it was all he ever did the moment they started the journey. Part of him acknowledged that his companion was probably just worried about his lost sibling and it was only normal for him to react that way.
But another part of him also had this strange feeling that Valon was thinking of something else of huge importance if all he did was contemplate in his thoughts. He didn't seem to be that anxious on the outside as he could see him smile and even casually talk to them whenever he could, albeit with the help of snapping him out of his stupors. He was also slightly concerned if Valon was really just trying to act tough in front of them. He suspected if his notable fear of monsters was what made him bothered in his mind as well.
"I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable or anything, but I wanted to ask you about your clothes. I don't want you to take any sort of offense but I've never seen those kinds of clothing before."
"Oh yeah, I also wanted to ask you about that," Alice concurred. "You have a rather peculiar set of clothes, mostly because I've never seen them before either."
Crap... of course! Of course genius! Of course, they'll ask you about your clothes. You dumb idiot!
"Nah, it's fine, I get that a lot," Valon smiled. "I guess... my family just has an unusual fashion sense and I kinda just picked up on them as I was growing up."
"Oh, that's—hmm?" Luka's words were cut short when he saw something strange lying in the center of the road. "What is this?"
Valon felt a slight twinge in his body when he saw what Luka was pertaining to. It was an odd-looking plant that was inconveniently in the middle of the road. His mind was quickly calculating different paths for him to take and he couldn't decide on which one was appropriate in the given situation.
He knew that this particular enemy was an optional encounter in the original game where Luka can choose if he wanted to fight it or not. Fighting would result in a self-explanatory battle where all the player basically had to do was to keep attacking to get over the paralysis. Not fighting it just meant not disturbing the monster and avoiding the battle completely.
Okay, if Luka chooses to fight it, he'll have to endure the paralysis caused by the Mandragora's shriek. Upsides? Normally, you'd get more experience. But this isn't a game so leveling up isn't really a concrete concept unless it somehow is. Maybe an increase in actual fighting experience then?
Downsides? If Luka wouldn't know what to do besides keep attacking, he might lose. Of course, I can just tell him that but wouldn't she try attacking me too? Hmm... the slug girl was too focused on Luka last time that she didn't even acknowledge my presence and me being the one who told Luka about the salt idea though.
If Luka chooses not to fight it, however... he wouldn't have a problem honestly. We might get to Iliasburg quicker, although that concept remained the same on either choice because it's a game, but not in this case. Alice would also praise him for having the intuition that it was not something he should even deal with because the monster was just minding its own business without harming anyone, except of course when they disturb her. Either option would still lead to Alice insulting him about being barbaric but... if I think carefully here... if Luka tried to pull the monster out from the ground and the Mandragora screams... wouldn't I technically be paralyzed as well?
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Before Valon realized it, he was too late to act. He fell backwards on his butt as his body felt paralyzed from one of the loudest shrieks he heard in his life. He instinctively tried to move but his immobilized body refused. It felt as if he had no power left in his body to move even a single muscle. He looked ahead of him and saw that Luka was on the same boat.
I was so busy with my thoughts, damn it! I can't freaking move!
Right after the scream, a naked woman rose from the ground. The peculiar plant that was once on the ground was now on top of the woman's hair with even more leaves growing on it. She had brown wavy hair with thick strands that stretched all the way to the ground. She was staring at the two individuals in front of her with an annoyed look, assuming that they were the ones who disturbed her from her peaceful slumber.
"What the hell are you doing?!" the Mandragora asked. "I was finally asleep too!"
"I'm really sorry..." Luka apologized as he tried to stand up from the ground when he realized that he couldn't move from his position. "Eh? I can't move my body... what... is this?"
"That's because you heard my scream. It can even kill people with weak hearts. And it seems that your friend over there heard it too," the Mandragora explained while Luka felt guilty at the mention of his companion's current state.
"Well, I'll go back to sleep now..." the Mandragora added before giving a tired yawn. "But I'll be able to sleep longer if I have some nourishment."
"By nourishment... you mean..." Luka said in horror as he realized the possible implications of the monster's lewd statement.
"Of course, your semen. I'll suck plenty out of you, so get ready," the Mandragora lustfully licked her lips, anticipating the enjoyment from her meal. "And then, I'll have some fun with your friend as well afterwards."
"N-no way!"
And just like that, Luka was facing his next opponent. He tried to reach for his sword in his scabbard but he couldn't. He tried to flail his arms around, stand up from the ground, but his entire body refused to move from its motionless state. The Mandragora smirked in amusement from the poor boy's pathetic attempts to move as she moved closer to him, taking his pants off.
"Damn it!"
"Oh, are you trying to resist?" the Mandragora asked as she intently eyed his growing member with salacious intents. "I'll just have to lick you all over, then."
The Mandragora buried her face in Luka's groin as she started to lick Luka's penis.
"A-ahhh..."
"Haha, what a cute voice. Let me do something even better then."
"Ahhhh!"
Luka moaned in pleasure as he felt the monster's long tongue wrap around his manhood, sending pleasant sensations throughout his body. The Mandragora picked up the pace, earning her more moans and pants of ecstasy from the boy.
"How is it? Amazing, right?"
"Ahhh..."
Luka endured the monster's continuous assault. He tried his best to move but the paralysis held strong and it didn't help that the Mandragora was furiously ravishing his penis with lustful hunger as he tried everything in his willpower to resist. It was getting more difficult as he started moaning loudly and panting in fatigue as he felt weaker every second from the shameful treatment he was receiving.
Watching not from afar, Valon was also struggling to break out of the paralysis. He couldn't move his arms to reach for any of the available arsenals that he had nor could he use his M.A.D.
He cringed inwardly every time he heard the poor boy getting violated and he felt more uncomfortable from the lewd noises coming from the Mandragora's fellatio followed by Luka's moans of pleasure. He tried his best to not look at the scene happening before him but he still felt dirty and shameful from being an indirect witness and he felt worse when he realized that he was going to be the monster's next victim.
Grrr... I can't move and I can't just let that monster violate Luka or me. But I gotta do something!
Valon glanced at Luka, widening his eyes in horror when he saw Luka's worn-out expression as he was panting both in ecstasy and exhaustion while the Mandragora continued her relentless assault on the boy. As far as he could tell, he hasn't ejaculated yet but he knew that Luka's sexual stamina was incredibly low and he was known to be tremendously weak against pleasure attacks.
No, you have to fight it Luka! I may not be able to move but I can still communicate with him!
It was a pleasurable hell, that was the best description Luka could think of as he felt the shocking but pleasant caresses from the Mandragora's slimy tongue. It wrapped around his shaft, sending a gentle tingling sensation in his body. He didn't know how much more he could take from the monster's constant assault. He tried to think of a way to get out or to even move an inch but his body remained stubborn from where it was.
I-I c-can't move... n-no matter how much I try... ahhh... it f-feels so good...
Luka was panting vigorously as the monster started licking him faster. She could feel that he was getting close and she was eager to feed on his semen. As Luka slowly succumbed to the pleasure, he heard a recognizable voice behind him.
"Luka! D-don't give in!"
"H-huh?" Luka broke out from his momentary trance from the pleasure when he heard his companion's voice behind him.
"I know you can't move... and neither can I... but you have to keep fighting!" Valon shouted with conviction. "You have a dream to fulfill don't you? Then... use that to power your drive! You can't let this paralysis stop you, fight it! You're not just gonna lose to some dumb plant are you?"
Luka felt encouraged by the man's words. His words struck him like lightning as he felt his strength to fight coming back to him. It was faint but it was enough to motivate him to act.
He's right! I can't just lose here... not when I have a dream to accomplish... for coexistence!
Luka screamed internally as he exerted all of his efforts to fight the paralysis. He tried moving different parts of his body from his head down to his toes. He tried to change his body position, flail randomly, roll down with his weight, or jump from the ground; but he still couldn't do anything. The temporary boost of willpower was starting to diminish when he realized that he had no progress of moving from before.
Grrr... why can't I still move? Is the thought of my dream... not enough?
"Some dumb plant?" the Mandragora asked in offense, surprising the two men. "How dare you refer to me as just 'some dumb plant!' You know what? Just for that, I'll ravish you first instead!
The two men were shocked by the monster's declaration as she went underground and popped back up beside the terrified technician. Valon couldn't do anything but watch in horror as the Mandragora approached him with a wicked smile on her face. His instincts took control of him as he tried with all his might to run away, but his body still refused to move.
"Fufufufu, now we'll see how you like it being raped by a 'dumb' plant!"
"N-no w-wait!
Luka's guilt grew when he realized what was going to happen. At first, he felt bad that his companion suffered the same fate as he did from the paralysis because of what he did by pulling the plant from the ground. And now just as Valon motivated him to fight, the man was going to be molested by the monster against his will. All of this wouldn't have happened if he only left the plant alone and now because of his carelessness, they were both going to be the monster's meal.
"N-no please!" Luka begged. "Leave him alone... it's not his fault that you were disturbed in your sleep. It was mine... so please don't assault him..."
"You're right that it wasn't his fault," the Mandragora replied. "But he brought this upon himself when he insulted me! And don't worry, once I'm done with him, I'll come back to you."
"N-no!"
No... Valon! This is all my fault! If only I didn't pull that thing, none of this would have happened! Even when he couldn't move, he encouraged me to fight... he didn't have to be involved in the mess I made...
Luka gritted his teeth in anger—anger from himself for his mistake and for being weak. His companion was now going to be raped by the monster. He never wanted that to happen, he never wanted Valon to suffer from his blunder.
With the growing guilt combined with the sudden rage building up, he felt his fighting spirit recover in him. And with an unexpected showcase of strength, he broke free from his paralysis as he quickly unsheathed his sword from its scabbard. Time went by fast as before the Mandragora was able to take Valon's pants off, she was struck by a high-speed slash.
"Kyaa!" the Mandragora screamed in pain as she tried to register what happened to her.
The monster was met with Luka's serious expression as he prepared for another attack. The Mandragora was surprised by the boy's tenacity but her annoyance became more noticeable.
"You don't know when to give up, do you? You pull me from the ground, insult me, and even have the nerve to hit me?" the Mandragora grunted in irritation, burying herself back into the ground. "Fine, whatever! I'll just go sleep somewhere else!
Right after the monster left, Luka immediately rushed towards Valon with a worried expression on his face.
"Valon! Are you alright? Can you move now?" Luka asked, offering him a hand.
The technician tried to grab the boy's hand, and when he was able to reach out, he grasped his hand firmly and carefully stood up from the ground. He felt exhausted but not for the reasons one would think as the paralysis didn't strain him physically. He dusted himself as he turned towards Luka.
"Thanks dude!" Valon replied while panting. "That was... unpleasant..."
Valon didn't want to recount the mindboggling experience he had. The moment that the Mandragora touched his pants, he caught a glimpse of a recent disturbing memory when he was caught sneaking into the Gamma Research Facility. His instincts quickly took control of him as they tried to get him out of the situation as fast as they could.
He felt the same sensation from when he was being violated by the slime girl, except this time, it was more vehement. He knew what he saw, but it was something that he didn't want to fully acknowledge for specific reasons that he kept to himself.
"Valon, look, I'm really sorry about what happened," Luka apologized. "I did ask what that plant was but when you weren't answering, my curiosity got the better of me, and well..."
Valon wanted to say that it was his own fault and not Luka's for not paying attention to his question but he immediately realized that if he said that, then Alice might question him for having the intuition of what it was. He could argue that he had encountered Mandragoras before but the thought about Ilias watching him still bothered him, even though he already said some things before that would've already gotten her attention.
"Nah, it's fine. You were able to break free of your paralysis, fend off the monster, and save me," Valon smiled, trying to comfort Luka. "So you have nothing to apologize for! And that display of strength was impressive, so that's a win in my book."
"You drove it away? How absurd."
Just as Luka was appreciating one of the only compliments he had received so far, he was met with a venomous tone of disdain from an all-too recognizable lamia—a very rude one too. His feeling of relief when Valon told him that he had nothing to apologize for was shattered instantly after acknowledging the presence of his so-called 'other companion.'
"And where did you go off to?" Luka replied with equal spite.
"If there's even a chance of combat, I'm going to hide," Alice answered coldly. "I told you before that I'm not going to help you, didn't I?"
"But how horrible, you attacked that Mandragora who was just minding her own business sleeping..." Alice added. "What a barbarian. And to think you got someone else involved from your recklessness."
"No, no. She was the one who attack... erk..." Luka tried to defend his already-damaged pride but he had nothing good to reason with. "Alright, alright! It's my fault, I acted without thinking, I know..."
"Hahaha... so you have a violent side in you... that's good," Alice laughed mockingly. "With barbarism like that, you won't be able to fulfill your dream."
"T-that's not right!" Luka defended. "That was just a mistake!"
"Haha... well, then make sure you show me your true character."
"I-I'll be more careful from now on..." Luka declared as he continued their journey to Iliasburg.
As Luka and Alice continued walking, Valon followed with a bit of hesitation. He also felt upset at himself for being careless when he didn't try to stop Luka from approaching the plant which resulted in the both of them getting violated. He felt weak when he was paralyzed and he couldn't do anything to stop the monster's molestation.
Ugh... somehow things just get worse every time. Without Luka, I don't know what would have happened to me. And somehow, I also need to get stronger myself in case Luka wouldn't be there for me. Not that I doubt his strength but I can't rely on him too much. I still have my own mission after all. And the next location we're going to is gonna be problematic. Because Iliasburg is where Luka meets one of the Heavenly Knights for the first time.
Valon then stared at a small armband device that was strapped on his right arm, the one he built earlier. It was the best thing he could think of to make with the parts that he had available. It was also collapsible as he tried to make the design as discreet as possible. He didn't plan to use it immediately as he had other plans to add on the device and it had questionable structural integrity but it would serve as a temporary defensive mechanism for when things suddenly go wrong.
Hopefully, I won't have to use this yet though.
Valon could only sigh in resignation as he braced himself for what was about to come.
And that's a wrap! Okay, I originally planned to include the Iliasburg scenario in this chapter but after a few rewrites, I decided that it was best to separate it.
