Bab 9: Chapter 8: Leaving Bofuri
[Quest Complete]
A notification read in front of him, causing him to look at it with a frown before lifting his foot that was stepping on an undead monster.
'... Shit... I didn't tracked my level... I was having too much fun today I didn't fucking noticed it!!'
He thought before looking at Maple with a hint of panic in his eyes, but calmed himself down. Coming up with a plan to convince her to come with him inside his mind with very limited time. To his judgement, convincing Maple to come with him will be very difficult if he tries to lie his way out.
'... Shit... System!! Can I temporarily summon her to my dimension!?'
[You can, but you only have 20 minutes. That's the maximum time that I can give you to let her explore your dimension]
'... That's good enough... This is a bit risky but... I hope it works'
He though before she suddenly heard Maple's voice echo in front of him.
"Today was a lot of fun, Hiroto-san!"
Maple said as she skipped in front of Hiroto who steadily followed her from behind after hours of playing with him. Making him look at her with a smile on his face seeing how happy she is.
"Today was a lot of fun..."
He said before his face turned into a serious one, but was not noticed by Maple who stopped in the middle of the forest leading to the town. Looking back at Hiroto with a wide smile on her face.
"Let's play again tomorrow, Hiroto-san!"
She said as Hiroto stopped one meter away from her. Looking at her cheerful expression before Maple opened the settings of the game to log out.
"See again you tomorrow!"
She said, but only recieved silence. Making her look at him weirdly since normally he would immediately respond to what she said. Noticing the strangeness in his expression, causing her to feel nervous. Feeling like something bad is about to happen.
"... I think... I won't be able to play again tomorrow"
He said as Maple stared at him in the eyes. Visibly shaken by what he said before she forced a smile on her face.
"Then let's play the day after tomorrow!!"
"... Maple... I'm quitting the game..."
He said, causing Maple's smile to freeze on her face before looking at him in disbelief.
"Y-You're quitting?"
She asked, causing Hiroto to nod his head in response.
"B-But why? Didn't we have so much fun today?"
She asked her voice shook from nervousness. Standing still all trace of cheerfulness dissapeared from her.
"We did... It was really fun, Maple.... that's why I'm a bit reluctant in quitting..."
"... You're really... quitting?"
"... Yes... but don't worry. I'm sure you'll find someone else to play with. There are many other players in this game that can help you"
He said with a smile on his face. Walking towards Maple before giving her a pat on the head.
"... I'll have to leave by tomorrow... and... I probably won't be able to play anymore"
He says in a soft voice, causing the girl in front of him to look up at him. Making him see her trembling pupils.
"You still have your friend to play with, right?... I'm sure we'll meet each other again in the future"
He said as Maple opened her mouth but didn't know what to say. Making her lower her head down in front of her before she held his cloak with her hand.
"..."
"..."
An suffocating silence devoured their location as none of them spoke. Hiroto just let her hold his equipment as she silently stood in front of her without any signs of movement.
"Maple?"
"C-Can you at least... give me your contact number... so that I can still talk to you..."
"... Would you believe me if I said I don't have a phone?"
He asked with a light smile on his face, before the hand holding his cloak suddenly tightened.
"Where are you going... to suddenly leave like this..."
"... To a faraway place..."
He said as he gently patted her head while she slowly looked up at him. Wiping the small droplets of tears at the corner of her eyes. Feeling her heart go in a turmoil due to the effects of Hiroto's action of manipulating the reality of this dimension. Aiding him in influencing how Maple sees him.
"... I see..."
She said as Hiroto to place his forehead on top of hers.
"... Are you sad?"
"... Of course... you were..."
She said but stopped her words, causing Hiroto to smile in response.
"Then... what if I told you I can bring you with me... would you come with me, Maple?"
He asked, causing Maple to widen her eyes in surprise before looking at him in the eyes.
"Y-You'll bring me with you?..."
"... Yes, I've grown quite attached to you too, Maple... and I don't want to let you go just like that..."
"... B-But... Where will we go?"
She asked while looking at Hiroto who was talking with the system.
[Would you like to confirm the completion of the quest?]
"... I'll show you... and if you don't want to come with me, I'll return you here"
He said while answering yes to the system, causing a large rift in space appeared in front of them. Making Maple look at it in shock before Hiroto suddenly pulled her inside.
"W-Wait-"
She said but was far too late as she was engulfed by the rift. Making her close her eyes while they arrived inside of Hiroto's apartment. Cleaned throughly without any trace of garbage unlike in the past while a single note was placed on his small table.
"Maple... open your eyes"
He said, causing Maple to take a peak but froze when she saw that they were inside of an apartment. Making her look around in awe before looking at Hiroto's direction.
"Where are we? Is this a new map?"
She asked, causing Hiroto to shake his head to the side.
"Maple... what if I told you, I didn't belong to that world... I'm just a visitor, and this... this place is where I came from..."
He said as he pulled her out of the apartment, causing her to see the familiar scene of the real world outside of the game. Making her widen her eyes in bewilderment.
"H-Hiroto, h-how..."
"Maple... This is my world"
He said as Maple looked at her own body. Noticing that her equipment was still in place before she checked her status. Shocked that it really appeared in front of her.
"... I can't believe it..."
She said as she tries to digest everything that was happening in front of her. Making Hiroto smile before he pulled her inside the apartment, since it would be really weird if his neighbours saw her wearing that kind if outfit.
"S-So Hiroto-san was not from my world?"
She asked as Hiroto prepared a glass of water for her to help her calm down. Making him nod his head as he let her sit down on his bed.
"Yes, just try to calm down... alright?"
He said as he passed the glass to Maple before sitting down on the bed at a considerable distance from her.
"L-Let me digest everything first..."
She said as she drunk the water in her hands. Making Hiroto smile before he suddenly felt pain all over his body as two notifications appeared in front of him.
[Please prepare for a body of possession of the host's original body]
[The character that the host is possessing will not be returned back to the dimension]
The notification read. Making Hiroto panic before he suddenly ran towards his bathroom. Leaving Maple alone who dazedly looked at ceiling.
"I forgot-"
He said before his soul was suddenly extracted out of his body. Making him feel weak as all senses of his body dissapeared like he was one with air, causing him to see his own body fall down on the ground.
"W-What..."
He muttered as he looked at his own arm. Seeing that it was translucent caused him to panic as he watched the body on the ground get sucked by a rift in the space. Making the system spit out his body that fell on the bathroom floor.
[Please stay still, host]
The system said before he felt his spiritual body get forcefully pulled inside his original body. Making his vision temporarily blacked out before he regained it along with his senses, causing him to stand up in shock. Looking at his own body as he proceeded to examine it.
"W-What the fuck just happened..."
He said while breathing heavily. Remembering the weird sensation of losing all of his senses like he was stuck in a dream where he couldn't move, causing a drop of sweat to flow down his cheek.
[Body possession process complete]
[Host, please avoid bringing he character's body in your dimension next time... Your soul was almost damaged if I hadn't reacted quickly]
"S-So the pain just now..."
[Yes, that was you feeling a crack in your soul since you were a soul that was inside an incompatible body. The reason why you felt no pain in the past due to the interference of the system. As long as the quest exist, you will not feel any pain or damage in your soul while possessing a different body... but that's a totally different story when you confirmed its completion... Just like what you did a while ago]
The system explained as he watched his host pant while kneeling on the ground. Like he couldn't believe what just happened.
[Next time... Leave the dimension travel to us. You might kill yourself if you act recklessly again in the future]
"I-I understand..."
Hiroto said as he wiped his sweat with his arm. Trying to calm his emotions down before he heard someone knock on the door of the bathroom.
"Hiroto-san... Are you in there?"
Maple asked in worry. Hearing his panicked and pained tone from the bathroom. Making Hiroto glance at the direction of the door.
"Are you alright?"
"... Yes... I'm fine..."
Hiroto said as he hurriedly wiped his sweat away. Making Maple sigh in relief before the thought of Hiroto's invitation surfaced on her mind.
"Hiroto... about your invitation..."
"... What is it?"
Hiroto asked as he felt his heartbeat thump in his chest. Anxious about her answer to his invitation, causing him to nervously clench his fist as he waited for her answer.
"... If I leave... what will happen to my world... To my parents and friends... What will happen to them?"
She asked as she placed her palm on the door, causing Hiroto to contemplate before he answered her question.
"Time will be frozen in your world... Even if you stayed here for 2 years, not even one second has passed in your world... So even if we return back to your world. Everything will still remain the same"
He answered, causing Maple to lower her head. Thinking about what she should do, since if what Hiroto said was true. Then, nothing will change to her world even if she stays with him.
"... What if I grow old in your world..."
[She can't grow old in a dimension not her own. So the concept of age is removed from their bodies after you've summoned them. That is one of the features that the system has added due to avoid the host from committing suicide after watching his loved one die, and to resolve a few problems concerning the time ratio between dimensions]
"You sound like you've experienced your host committing suicide..."
[Because we did... Multiple times after they watch their partner die of old age when they can't die due to the system... Think of it as a kind of reward for your services]
The system said, causing Hiroto to nod his head as he flashed a grateful smile at the system's direction.
"You will not grow old physically, Maple... but only mentally. That's why even after 12 or so years... You would still stay the same. You can't die from old age in this world"
He said in an assuring voice, causing Maple to clench her fist that was on top of her chest. Hesitating on her decision for a few minutes of silence before she answered him.
"... I want to be with you, Hiroto"
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone