NOVEL WEB Arc 4: Experience the Story – Chapter 3
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Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.
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"Speech"
Arc 4: Experience the Story - Chapter 3
It's been about an hour since I realized that I'm far more messed up in the head than I initially thought—especially after spending so much time with Nyarla and the others. I can't say I don't have any regrets; that would be a lie. But despite everything, I know I have to keep moving forward. After all, I have a better life ahead of me and intend to make the most of it.
"Why is there a blockage leading to the upper floors?!" Weiss demanded, her voice filled with frustration. Without hesitation, she delivered a powerful kick to the obstruction, the impact echoing through the air. The force of her strike shattered the steel wall blocking the way, sending debris flying as the path to the upper floors was cleared.
"Couldn't you have just let Jin make it disappear?" Ruby asked Weiss as she stepped through the remnants of the destroyed steel wall. "I'm pretty sure you've just alerted half the city with that stunt. We're going to have a lot of unwanted attention heading our way now."
Honestly? I'm just moody because we couldn't have sex with Jin," Weiss frowned as she stepped through the destroyed steel wall. She glanced around the area, which revealed nothing more than a stairway leading to the floors above.
"I think what Ruby is getting at." I started as I began walking up the stairs alongside Ruby and Weiss. "Is that we're going to spend most of our time running from nearly every native in this world. We can handle the important characters—without killing them, of course—but we still have to be careful. We can't afford to cause trouble for the unimportant ones, at least not directly. If we do, we're at a huge disadvantage since we're not allowed to kill anyone here nor cause any disturbance to the unimportant characters. The only exceptions are the other students and contractors."
"How else are we supposed to find out if we're disturbing an unimportant character? Or, for that matter, how do we even identify them?" Weiss asked, her frown deepening.
The restrictions placed on us were clearly wearing on her, and the thought of trying to figure out the loopholes in these limitations would prove to be a challenge.
"This is how. Ghost, come over here for a second." I called out to Ghost, who reappeared in a flash. I snatched it from the air and casually tossed it over to Weiss. "Ghost, activate Multiverse Basic Guidebook Mode, and enable the Secret Arts to scan others without being detected."
"As you command, C-C-Error... updating... As you command, Sho Jin," Ghost stuttered, nearly calling me Caretaker before the Secret Arts kicked in, interrupting it mid-sentence, where it 'punched' Ghost, causing a momentary bug out before functioning correctly again, then calling me by my actual name now.
It took a few seconds, but eventually, Ghost transformed, reshaping itself into a sleek wristwatch that attached itself to Weiss' left wrist. The transition was smooth, and the watch fit perfectly, seamlessly integrating with her appearance.
"Ooh!" Ruby exclaimed, staring in awe at Weiss' left wrist, where Ghost had transformed into the wristwatch. She turned to me with eager eyes. "Hey, Jin, do you have anything cool I could use?"
I reached into my mindscape and pulled out a small crystal orb—Aldan. I still had the Sacred Treasure of Merlin in my possession.
"Here you go, Ruby." I said, handing her Aldan. "Just make sure not to sacrifice it, okay? I'm not entirely sure of all its abilities, but from what I understand, it should allow you to display locations whenever you wish to look into it. That's assuming it could do such a thing without the powers and knowledge of the original wielder. Feel free to explore and see what you can discover with it."
"OOH!" Ruby exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement as she stared at Aldan in her hands. "I have no idea how to turn this on." Then, she looks at me with a hopeful expression, as if expecting me to have the answer to her problem.
Fortunately for her, I had gained basic knowledge of Aldan when I obtained it, including how to activate it. I knew it could serve as a medium for various functions, although the specifics were still unclear to me. From what I understood, it had the potential to enhance whatever it was used for, though its full range of capabilities remained a mystery.
"Try doing whatever you did to activate your summoning circle with Aldan." I suggested to Ruby. "It should work similarly."
Ruby followed my instructions, and Aldan began to glow with a soft, radiant light. The orb's surface glowed as it activated, lighting the surrounding area.
Ruby peered into Aldan with a focused expression and then reported, "Oh, hey. I see a random schoolgirl running away from a serial killer. He's a large man with short dark hair, wearing denim bib overalls and a white smiling mask. He's wielding an axe and is covered in blood."
"Here, let me see if I can get Ghost to scan her through Aldan." Weiss said, positioning her left wrist so that Aldan was clearly visible. To our surprise, Ghost became active and projected a holographic screen above the flat surface of the wristwatch, displaying detailed information from the orb's readings.
Displaying: Basic Information
Important Character: Yuri Honjo
Role: Main Protagonist of High-Rise Invasion
Gender: Female
Age: 16
Occupation: Student
Status: Alive
"That's... really basic." I sweatdrop at how little the basic information is.
"Try scanning the serial killer, Weiss." Ruby suggested. She managed to zoom in on the axe-wielding murderer through Aldan's display. The image sharpened, focusing on the menacing figure.
"Alright." Weiss responded.
Displaying: Basic Information
Unimportant Character: Axe Mask
Role: To chase and die in a scene with Yuri Honjo
Gender: Male
Age: 45
Occupation: Axe Mask
Status: Alive
"Well, we can be certain that Yuri won't be dying anytime soon." I said dryly, observing the information on the screen. "So, what do you girls want to do next? After all, this is part of your class assignments."
"I'm betting that this Yuri Honjo might be one of fate's chosen ones we could influence while we work on spreading madness everywhere." Weiss mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully with her right index finger. "The main question I have is whether we only need to complete the true goal of the class assignments or if we also need to achieve the short-term and long-term objectives."
"That's a good question. Too bad we can't ask Featherine right now." I replied to Weiss. Then I noticed something unusual sticking out from the back collar of her shirt. Blinking a few times, I realized it was the exact same letter from before, complete with the wax seal. "Hold still for a moment, Weiss."
I carefully removed the letter from the back of Weiss' shirt, causing her to yelp in surprise at the unexpected find. As she turned to face me, I broke the wax seal with a practiced flick and unfolded the letter. The parchment crackled softly as I opened it, revealing its contents.
To the Esteemed Students,
Greetings, child of man; I find myself compelled to pen this missive in recognition of your recent inquiry—a question that, amidst the sea of mundane queries, shone with a rare spark of insight.
Though still in its nascent stages, your curiosity has not gone unnoticed. Such a question reflects a budding understanding of the complexities that lie beyond the superficial grasp of most. For this, you have earned my commendation.
I am pleased to grant you a boon in honor of your initiative and encourage further pursuit of knowledge. As the first to raise a question of such merit, I shall bestow upon you the privilege of alleviating your burden of the short-term goal from your current endeavors. This shall afford you a respite from that particular challenge while you remain tasked with your journey's long-term and true goals.
However, do take note that the restriction you face shall persist, as it is an integral component of your overall growth and development. The path to enlightenment is seldom without obstacles, and it is through overcoming these constraints that one truly ascends.
Continue to seek knowledge with the same fervor, and you may find that even greater rewards await those who strive beyond the ordinary confines of understanding.
Yours in eternal wisdom,
Featherine Augustus Aurora
"Huh..." I blinked, processing the information as I finished reading the letter. The words on the parchment were clear, but their implications left me momentarily speechless.
"It looks like Featherine is really watching all of us." Ruby gave everyone a wary smile.
"At least we now know that we need to focus on completing both the long-term and true goals." Weiss sighed, her shoulders slumping as her arms dropped to her sides. "Unfortunately, the restriction hasn't been lifted. It would make things so much easier if we didn't have this limitation."
"Look on the bright side, Weiss." I said, placing both hands gently on her shoulders. The touch seemed to help her relax slightly as she met my gaze.
"What's the bright side?" Weiss raised an eyebrow with a slight smile.
"With the help of Ghost and Aldan, we can avoid any encounters with the unimportant characters while focusing on the important ones, as well as the students and contractors wandering around." I gave her a confident grin.
"Yeah, Weiss." Ruby agreed. "The restriction won't affect us too much as long as we avoid meeting the unimportant characters and ensure we don't disturb them in any way." She paused for a moment, considering her next words carefully. "Although, we might need to come up with a few plans for dealing with them in the future. We will eventually encounter them, whether we like it or not."
"If anything, I bet the other students have harsher restrictions than us." I said, then paused suddenly as a realization struck me. "Students... The restrictions only affect students, not contractors." I stared at Ruby and Weiss with wide eyes.
"Don't be silly, Jin. There... is... no way..." Weiss's voice trailed off as she fell silent, her eyes widening as she recalled the letter detailing the class assignments for her and Ruby. The realization hit her, and she seemed to understand the gravity of the situation more clearly now.
"I pity the students who don't have any contractors now." Ruby said, her voice full of sympathy. She paused, then added. "Actually, maybe not all students. I'm pretty sure Taejin wouldn't have much trouble without a contractor."
"Knowing her, she might have figured out a way to bypass her restriction and is probably just beating up anyone who gets in her way." Weiss snorted. "It's best we find her, though. Not that I care about her, but she still hasn't finished teaching me Renewal Taekwondo." She added quickly as we stared at her, the urgency in her voice clear and the fact that she does, in fact, care about Taejin.
"Right. She still hasn't finished teaching you the Renewal Taekwondo." Ruby said with a grin. "Not because you two started developing a friendship. Not at all." Her playful comment made Weiss's face flush with embarrassment, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red as she tried to hide her reaction.
"Quiet, you! Ju-Just hurry and find her already!" Weiss huffed with frustration as she turned away, trying to hide the deep red of her flushed face. "If anything, I just want to see if Taejin is worth bringing along, given her strength and all. Having her with us would make completing our class assignments easier. In return, we can help her with hers as well." Her tone softened slightly as she explained her reasoning, clearly still flustered but focused on the practical benefits.
Ruby and I share a look with each other.
Crazy voices; I do hope Taejin doesn't end up being part of those who I fuck with. Sexually, I mean. I already got Heaven pantheon on my ass. I don't need Taejin's pantheon to join on this.