Depraved Veracity

Upon hearing my answer, instead of replying properly, Daniel gave me a scrutinizing look right in the eyes—again—while folding his hands in front of his chest. His face didn't show any expression.

Not yet.

Because afterward, the corners of his lips lifted, and he shook his head. "Controlling life, huh? Dang, Kid, I know what you mean, but... it feels like I just gave a knife to a demon child. Geez. But I am a man of my word; wait here."

Oh? Daniel seemed to grasp the implications of my words that I could exploit in potentially troublesome ways, just like a child discovering creative but mischievous ways to use new tools.

But Daniel was a man of principle, as he stated, so even though he knew I would be a problem, he still offered me help, as we had previously agreed. Ha! So eat that principle! I observed as Daniel began the modification with fingers dancing around the holographic screens. And it turned out the process was faster than I thought.

In less than a minute, Daniel had closed all the screens and looked back at me.

"Let's do a little testing in the back."

Nodding, I followed him to the back of the room, where there was an empty area with black floors and walls. That color probably came from the fact that it was made of carbon, complete with green neon stripes at regular intervals for lighting.

Without warning, Daniel threw my Heart Core, which, fortunately, I could catch it quickly. He whistled in return. "Not bad."

Ding!

 

"Okay. Your hoverboard now has enhanced stability control. It will respond better to your movements, making it easier to control even at high speeds. Try summoning it out by dropping your Heart Core."

As I dropped the crystal orb seconds before impact with the ground, it released digital particles. These fused to form an iron and metal mass that slowly intertwined into a solid object: an elegant board consisting of a glossy black base, a shiny white middle layer, and a top of the same color. Two compact jet engines were installed at its rear.

I mounted the hoverboard as it hovered above the ground. When I leaned forward, expecting a smooth start, the board shot forward unexpectedly, accelerating much faster than I anticipated—Ah!

I almost crashed into a wall!

Swoosh!

The sudden burst of speed caused me to swiftly adjust; I shifted my weight, leaned, and twisted to avoid the wall or other obstructions in the workshop. Despite the shock, it was thrilling—Ah! I almost crashed again but to no avail! I managed to dodge nicely now. It took me a while to stop the board smoothly, yet suddenly, in front of Daniel, I caught my breath, attempting to appear unfazed.

"This... was good."

Daniel, who had watched the entire spectacle, chuckled. "Seems you hang on to it, eh? I intentionally made it a bit messy earlier, but you adapted quickly!"

'Hey! So that was him?!'

"You feel it? The board's got a bit more kick, right? Hahaha! What's with that face? I just wanted to see if you could handle it. You passed the test; take it. The setup is good to go."

Ding!

 

 

Other notifications appeared, but my main menu took over all the screens. It instructed me to press [Inventory], which revealed a new slot titled [Mount]. There, the status of my hoverboard showed up, from the engine (which was still basic) to the full display and blueprint. It even had its own Grade level that could be upgraded.

Finished checking it, I closed the screen and lifted my Mount, which instantly dissolved into the crystal orb form in my hand.

Mount was acquired... but I knew we were far from done, as Daniel had yet to let me go. Letting go in the sense that he hadn't sent me to the next task. Usually, [Main Story] had a chain event, no? So I stood straight, facing him, and the smile on his face returned. I knew I wasn't the only one making observations here.

'This NPC is also trying to learn about me.'

This wasn't the result of my wild thinking, as World: The Origin was designed to provide feedback and adapt based on the player's actions. The way Daniel approached was unusual, no? Unlike most NPCs, went straightforward when handling Quests? Therefore, I was optimistic that I was now in a [Hidden Event] triggered by my desire to modify Mount while I couldn't. Because I managed to attract Daniel's attention.

This was a [Debate Session]—similar to a mini-game that needed logic, knowledge, or charisma to achieve specific objectives. The objective, namely, to deepen character relationships that also affected my reputation within the game. Get it wrong, and it could be troublesome.

Much like how players chose to only "look" at Noir even though they idolized her. Not even saying hello. Since this event happened randomly...

'...with penalties for wrong moves.'

After a long period of nothing happening, Daniel let out his usual giggle with his prosthetic metallic hand clenched in front of his mouth. "What's with that look? We are done here. Go."

I raised an eyebrow. "Do you really want me to go?"

"Ha!" He stifled his laughter, turning his head to the side. Based on his expression, he looked for someone to joke around with (probably me) before looking at me again. "Not bad. You have high awareness, eh? Here!"

Daniel suddenly threw his cell phone at me! But wait! Wasn't this an opportunity? With this device before me, I could peek at the system and find out about the strangeness that made me forget about the VR:Scanner—

"Just kidding." He snatched it from my hand. "You really don't know when to stop, huh. What is in front of you isn't necessarily your business."

What? So he tossed his cell phone and quickly snatched it back, only to create a moment of surprise to test my curiosity? Then what? Remind me of boundaries? Oh, well, annoying! Who did he think I was?!

"How do you know what's before me isn't any of my business? Are you a God or something? Or because 'I am older than you' bullshit? Fuck off."

Daniel's grin vanished when our eyes met, his gaze sharpening as though reevaluating his initial thoughts. He then leaned back, adopting a thoughtful look, though a hint of playfulness remained.

"Touche! Most would have taken their prize and left, but not you. You challenge, you push back. What caused it... what..." Now, he seemed to be reassessing me as if pondering what motivations had prompted me to behave differently from what he expected (obviously because I wanted to investigate something here!).

Again, what did he think I was, a child with a leash?! Don't equate me with other players who passively accept situations! I glared at Daniel. And he replied with his head swaying left and right as if thinking something before slouching and giving me his initial cold stare. "What are you planning from this early on?"

With a scoff, I replied, "Why don't you find it out yourself?"

And he let out a smirk.

Ding!

Ding!

 

Oh, we became friends?

I thought my level was still too low to establish friendships, like when I tried to make an effort with Noir? But it seemed friendships with AIs depended on the status they held. For example, befriending the "Leaders" required our status to be equivalent to theirs. As for regular AIs, the requirements were even lower (provided the said NPC was willing to be a friend).

"Go to Chris and try to get some counseling; you need it." Daniel made a shooing hand gesture. "And remember, don't burn the academy!"

Ding!

 

Sighing, I gave him one last glance before leaving the main building of the Gear Department. Taking out my hoverboard, I rode through Vaughan's streets towards Chris's location.

While on the road, I reflected on what had happened... something about how I had acted up.

Although Daniel's words—plus his annoying behavior—felt like a slap in the face since I was here to solve a problem thrust upon me, I didn't need to let it bother me. I could, at least, conclude that Daniel respected boundaries once they were clearly established, as shown when he took back his phone. Even so, he was still willing to engage after a confrontation. Nonetheless, it was likely based on his caution towards me as someone troublesome to keep an eye on.

It was the traditional approach: an enemy might be more easily observed if they were near you... as a friend, right?

 

 

When the screen banner disappeared from my view after three seconds, I realized this building resembled an office. Sharp, clean architectural lines, sleek furniture, soft lighting, and walls decorated with digital screens displaying schedules all emphasized the business atmosphere.

The Quest clue indicated I should go to the topmost floor. So, I waited in front of the elevator, letting a few people rush out before stepping in and waiting for my floor to arrive. When I reached the top, my [Map] pointed to one of the doors. Upon opening it, I found that locating Chris was relatively easy.

There was only one person in the room.

A man with long, flowing purple hair. His clothes were simple yet elegant—a pure black suit. He looked up when he heard the door creaking open, revealing his purple irises. "You must be one Daniel mentioned. Please, have a seat."

Complying, I took a seat across from him.

Chris's room was spacious and well-lit. Right behind him, a large window offered a panoramic view of the academy grounds, and there was a sense of tranquility here.

'I kinda like it.'

"Let's see..." He took a piece of paper. "Your first test was good. [Stability], [Tactics], [Focus], and [Reflex] are quite notable. But then you picked on one of the Senior Staff, hm?"

Daniel must be the Senior Staff member he referred to, as I have only encountered two NPCs so far.

When I remembered how Daniel had ordered me to meet Chris, it became clear that the man before me wasn't regular staff. Another clue was that after meeting Daniel, other players were guided by different names—ordinary NPCs available during their free time—not a specific mention like Chris.

This confirmed what I thought: my [Main Story] had shifted.

'Just a bit... maybe?'

Well, my [Main Story] had shifted a bit because I could still readjust and start preparing for the stages ahead. So it would be better if I replied honestly since these types of people who seem gentle—not to mention always smiling—like Chris usually have their own dark side. And people like him were the hardest to deal with; they were manipulative themselves.

Even though I knew that not all people in power were essentially evil or had bad intentions—like me, for example (or maybe not)—but...

'...I didn't want to be confronted by troubles beyond my control.'

Thus replied, "Daniel is approachable that way."

"Oh?" Tossing the paper in his hand onto the table before him, Chris interlaced his fingers and rested his chin on them. "How did you know that?"

"Intuition."

Hearing it, he nodded and leaned against the chair with a smile, though still thin, as if to show he was interested. "Daniel only 'sees' those above him. You, as a new student, must have found it difficult to gain his attention. Good enough."

"So, are you going to counsel me?"

"Why should I?" His eyes went to me. "Not a 'counsel' that you need, anyway."

Huh?

I opened my mouth to ask—

"Did Daniel explain about [Equipment]?"

—yet I wasn't going to because Chris interrupted me first. I merely answered his question with a short shake of my head.

As it turned out, he explained IN DETAIL about [Equipment] and all the ins and outs of the [Inventory] that I already knew about. Then, he explained [Daily and Weekly Quests] as well!

'Ah, what a waste of time!'