Chapter 25: Start of the Journey
"That was an interesting conversation. Really, it let me see things differently."
"Yeah, it helped me to sort out my thoughts… Thanks."
Charlotte thanked professor Erickson with a sincere smile on her face. They had been talking for almost two hours. Fortunately for him, he had canceled today's afternoon lecture because he was having a conference and wanted to have some space afterwards to do some personal things. Though now he had to work overnight to do that.
Gut on the other hand, had a tired expression. He understood close to nothing of that they talked about. At most he knew particular names and some hearsay of the stuff they said.
"But you know, I feel you're more uncertain of things than you were before."
"Well, because of what's happened recently and this machine I told you before, I'm having difficulties on my thoughts regarding my knowledge." She said with a wry smile.
"Hmm I guess that's true; I can't wait for the day you can tell me about this theory you developed without there being any issues."
"When things have calmed down and I'm in a less troublesome position, I'll certainly tell you more about it."
"Thanks for saying that, it means a lot as a researcher. Regarding your current self, are you feeling better?"
"Yes, I decided not to mind the place I find myself in and try to go forward."
"Well, that's a good train of thought, albeit a bit dangerous."
"What do you mean?"
"If you stop looking besides you and ignore the things that surrounds you, when you arrive somewhere where you can obtain your desires, where will you be? And, how will you come back to inform the people that you left behind that you found your own answer? Even if you trust someone to take you to a safe place, that haven could easily be around more dangers if you leave its periphery."
"Oh… I think I understand what you mean, I'll be careful not to completely forget my surroundings." She said, nodding at his words
"Please do so, to at least not forget those important ones."
"Thanks. We're leaving now." She was smiling softly at his words.
"It was a pleasure. Be sure to keep yourself safe."
"You too, professor."
Getting up from their seats, Gut and Charlotte said their farewells and went out of the building. It was close to five, so the sky still had some light shining on the horizon.
"Uh, it's Lucuaria and Bralan, so it's already the time for them to be together."
Every four years, the two moons joined together in the sky, they could be seen at the same time for two months, and when they were at its closest, there was a celebration. In most old cultures of the world, it was deemed as the sign of change, others saw it as something divine. On this age and time, thought, the scientists had long explained that it was because of the difference of length of their orbits. It just so happened that it took four years.
From what she could see with the naked eye, they'd be the closest in around ten days.
<Really… All the romance is somehow lost with all the explanations. The beautiful meaning it held before is now but a conclusion of a theory.>
When the celebration of the moons reuniting in the sky was over, the Olympics would start. It was one of the old traditions that had lasted long enough to integrate into society.
Charlotte started to think. Once she was done with understanding the machines she had developed, what would she do? How would she feel at the end? Would there be something else to it? Or was that the culmination of knowledge she could attain?
Even if she was a researcher and liked to follow the principles of science and causation. She also liked the mysteries of the world. The wonder of not knowing things and coming to know them, was something that excited her like no other thing could.
"When do we leave?" She asked while walking behind Gut. A little lost in her thoughts.
"We part tomorrow, remember?"
"… Oh, right." She didn't remember at all.
"We can do whatever it is that you want for now. But do tell me first, to be sure there will not be any problems."
"Understood… Hmm, for now, let's go to a mall, I'd like to buy some things."
She asked where the nearest mall was and walked for a while. When they arrived at it, they went to buy some basic utensils. A toothbrush, a hair comb, a phone and a playing device to kill time.
"It's a wonder how well this ID was made."
"Of course, Jonh is an expert in that regard, and the reason he will not betray the ones who asked him for a job. He is too deep on the mud, he will only be going down if he does something unsightly like that."
"I see." She nodded in understanding, not looking at Gut in the eyes.
She was playing with her new gaming device, creating her character for a game online.
Gut had told her that this fake ID was so well done it was in the data base of the government, giving her free access to the things one could normally have. That's the reason she also bought a phone. He told her, however, that she couldn't call anyone she knew. The reason being obvious. They'd constantly be monitored, waiting to track her back. It was only something for emergencies and to communicate between the two of them.
"Why did you buy that device, though?" he said pointing to her new gaming console.
"Hmm? Oh, it's just something to kill time, I've nothing better to do until we arrive a Paversia anyway."
"There are other better things to do rather than playing video games. Reading, watching shows, drawing. There are many different things that can be done instead of… That."
"Well, now, this's something new in you. I didn't thing you're bothered by it so much. Hehe, I've grown fond of them. I don't usually play but seeing as I have the time, why not."
"Sigh, playing video games is something that consumes one to the point of not being able to tell apart reality and the game world."
"Uh. A game is a game, nothing more, nothing less. I believe it's the same with books or movies. If one becomes engrossed too much with something fictional like that, it can turn out in a mental sickness."
"You are completely right," he nodded his head, "if you have that mentality, then I guess there is no need to worry."
"Yep, now, let me play a bit. You're distracting me. Heh."
"…"
Chuckling to herself, she finished setting up her character. It was a tall and well-endowed woman. Long hair and serious eyes. As if she could conquer the world given the chance!
<Why am I not like her… Right, games are like that, they're especially made for those who are dissatisfied by some aspect in their lives…>
The main reason she played this game was because of its versality, or at least that's what she found while looking for something to play. She wanted to know how things could mesh up together, and also learn some cool sounding names for her scripts. Ahem.
One could create new skill sets and have up to three jobs going on at the same time. There were close to 30 main classes, and other 60 specialized ones. Combining them was the fun part of the game. Though there were already guides telling people on what was the best combination and how to get the best things and what not…
<I'll play to enjoy, not to be the best!>
Her chosen name was Frecks. Even if it was a reference to her hated freckles, she didn't dislike the name. Also, who'd think that the name one chose was something one hated instead of liking?! They'd never think of associating them! She thought to herself when naming it.
She was troubled about the first main class, though. There were too many! Only one class could be chosen at first, and when reaching level 50 she could choose the second. At the max level of 100 she could choose the third. Base level and class level were different, so it was easier that way.
<Hmm, I'm framed as a thief, so I'll go with that.>
Frecks the Thief!
She then started to play.
They arrived at a hotel one hour later and immediately went to their room, it was a shared one. She stopped playing when they arrived to the hotel, it was so boring grinding her way up to be the best!
Charlotte took off her clothes and waited for Gut to cure the burn on her back. Once done with that, she went to 'sleep'.
Entering the Crystal's Space. She tried to think of ways to brown spot disappear to ease her mind. It has expanded a little again. She realized that even though it was a little bit bigger, it whitish now.
<Hmm. Maybe it's not that bad and I was worried for nothing?>
She decided what she was to try now and tore the one on her left arm apart. She had in total six marks: one on her left arm, two on the right, two on each of her legs and the biggest one on her back.
She tried to think of ways of suppressing it and realized after thinking for a while,
<I don't know how to create things here!>
She could move dust and make them join them together, but she didn't know how to create things from nothing like the black spots that appeared when she tired herself.
"The black spots… I can try with them."
She then started to accumulate and disperse dust repeatedly until she felt it was enough. Getting out of the space. She felt her mind be a little bit tired and went to slept for real this time.
The next morning, she woke up and entered the Crystal's Space again. There it was! One more dark spot in her vision!
…
"This shouldn't be good…?"
Though it was not as big as the ones before, it was enough to try things out. Last time she had exhausted herself trying to get it out of her vision. This one being smaller than the one she used before would help her not being as tired.
After it was completely gone from her sight, she looked around, trying to find where it was. She couldn't find anything around her. Calling forth the External Projection, she didn't see it either around her nor any new thingy on her body. The brown ones weren't darker either.
"I can't use it…"
She was now feeling physically tired.
"So, messing with the outside makes the mind tired but messing with these strange things makes one's body tired…"
She decided to tire her mind for now, after all, when moving, she didn't need to think, Gut was the one guiding them!
And so, their day started. She came back to reality and took a shower, put something on and waited for Gut to be ready, he still had to do his little trick with her face and put ointment in her back. Afterwards, they ate breakfast and toured the city for a while.
In the afternoon, they took a train to the next city.
*****
On the third city they visited since parting from Monnimoyas, they had to go to a cheap hotel as they couldn't find a good one that had free rooms. They only had a small restaurant and served her a kid's menu, even thought she had ordered two servings. Their cravings for food had increased since she started going to the Crystal's Space. On the first day she had eaten two servings of a normal man. She was smaller than a normal man which meant she had eaten more than double her usual servings.
That's why when they served her only one dish, a kid's dish at that, she asked for more but the waitress didn't get her order through. Speaking with the hotel's personnel didn't make things better, instead they started treating them badly. Ignoring any request they made after that.
She got angry at the treatment they were giving her and didn't want to eat her food. Not having appetite to even finish her meal, she hurried to the room they were in. A while after that, Gut came in and gave her a plate with the food she had not eaten.
"Really, the people in this Villeshitvil are awful! I won't recommend anyone to come here! This place is now crossed in my map!" she said with smoke coming out of her ears.
After hearing her vent like that, he raised one brow, he said skeptically.
"You made a map? When was it?"
"Yesterday! That town was so calm and with so many trees and flowers, it was a nono if I was to leave like that, so I started writing a journal on the places I visited! Yep, now this one is crossed, never to be here again."
Nodding at her grandiose idea, she ate the food Gut brought.
"It is normal for the people here to despise those who do not believe in the same god as they do, we're close to the diocese state of Danpasia after all."
"Well, now I know what country I'm not visiting! It's a loss if you behave that way to tourists! Being racist is nothing but their own ego acting like a kid not wanting to share their toys! Fools, they're fools!"
"Though that is not a good way to say it, I concur with you. Anyway, you do eat a lot, will you be okay this night with so little?"
"Uhm? Well, I just have to starve myself tonight, I'll eat more tomorrow."
That was a mistaken idea, she didn't know about the true pain of starving. After an hour of finishing her little meal, she was going nuts with hunger. Her belly was howling like a mad beast. When she entered the Cristal's Space to see if she could distract her troubled stomach, she was surprised to still feel hunger in there. It was even more terrible than on reality!
"Uh? They look like candy… I wonder if they're edible…?"
Losing to her instincts, she tore the one on her left arm and somehow bite it! Realizing what she had done, she muttered:
"Uh? I can eat it?... Now, this is what I call progress."
She was still feeling hungry, though she had calmed considerably after this discovery.
<I still need to eat something.>
Going back to reality, she got up from her bed and put some garments on.
"Hey, I'm gonna buy something to eat."
"…"
"Be right back."
Going out of the building, she started to walk on the street. There wasn't anything open, it was only ten in the evening and though this was not a commercial zone it was still weird for nothing to be open. They had found this hotel after walking to this part of the city and thought it looked nice on the outside. What a mistake it was!
Charlotte saw lights of a store in the distance and walked towards it. Arriving at it, she saw it was a love hotel. Looking to both sides, she didn't see any other open store near her. She sighed in her heart and went in.
"Excuse me."
Raising her voice when she saw there was no one on the counter, she started to despair.
<So hungry…>
After some minutes, someone came over.
"Sorry, I didn't hear you."
"It's ok, I wanted to know-"
"We're out of rooms, please come another day."
"No, it's not that, I'm just-"
"Then why did you come? This is place is to have pleasure or similar things."
"… Will you let me speak?"
"Go on, no one is stopping you."
"… You have food?"
"Excuse me? Does this place look like a restaurant for you? Or do I look like someone working for a restaurant to you? No. Go out, you're interrupting my work."
She snapped when she heard the man talking in a rude way.
"Fucker, do you know where I can find a place to eat?"
"What did you just call me?!"
"I called you what I saw, a fucker who's constantly bitching."
"You little, I'll show you to respect the adults!"
The man started to walk towards her. Taking a step back, she realized her mistake. She was in a strange part of a city that had nothing else around it, she was a little 'boy' who didn't have anyone at her side.
<Damnit, life's so hard.>
Turning around, she went out of the building and started to run to her hotel as fast as she could.
She despaired when she arrived at its door. It was closed and the man was still running to her!
Slamming her hands on the door, she shouted as hard as she could.
"HEY! HELP ME! SOMEONE WANTS TO RAPE ME! HEEEY!" She shouted as hard as she could but couldn't hear anyone moving on the inside.
Saying it was a rapist was always a good way to call for help. Except that in this occasion, there was none coming to the rescue.
"This fucked up place!" she kicked the door and started to run.
She could see that the man was too close to her now. She decided to keep running until he gave up. Even if she was hungry, she found she had plenty of energy.
After running for more than ten minutes, she saw the man has given up and had started to walk away. There was a problem, as they kept running, she had lost her way, she didn't know where they were, she decided to follow the man from behind.
<He must be going back to that love hotel.>
Following the man for a minute, she saw another man coming out of an alley close to where the first man was going. They greeted each other and talked for a while, they then looked back in her direction at the same time.
Getting the chills, Charlotte stepped back. Unfortunately, she bumped into someone.
"Hello, boy. What a pleasure to have you here."
"!!"
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