2 – Ruins, Albyon (2)
What should I say?
A player who crossed over from another realm? Just woke up here, you say?
From the start, that side is even more suspicious. What I have to choose here is…
“…I still can’t remember…”
“That’s a feeble excuse.”
Scarlet Peridot sighed. But ironically, the barrel shifted to the side.
“I know that you’re not a soldier of Harvest. I’ve already performed a genetic test through your blood.”
“…Then why?”
“Because I really don’t know.”
Scarlet Peridot looks up at me.
“How did you come back to life? Your life signs disappeared in an instant. There was only one dragonkin left alive inside Albyon.”
“……”
“But now there are two. Although I asked for the reason, I haven’t heard an answer.”
“…What do you want to say?”
“I don’t know how you found this place, but leave within one month.”
“One month?”
“Yes, one month. If I see any suspicious behavior before that…”
She stood up and passed by me.
She has a lovely voice.
As long as she doesn’t make a harsh sound.
“I will personally kill you.”
One month.
After that, she refused to talk. Occasionally she would come to see me, but it seemed like she was just checking on my health.
Scarlet Peridot.
She seemed kind, yet guarded towards me. It seemed natural in a way.
I managed to get inside somehow, but I soon faced a situation where I had to leave. It hurt to realize that the food, electricity, and water were not mine.
To begin with, just one month.
Why did they give me such a grace period?
“I won’t answer your question.”
“Why?”
“Because you evaded my question too.”
She remained cold and distant. Since it seemed like she built a wall between us, I couldn’t say anything else.
The first week passed by aimlessly.
During that time, all I did was calm my mind. After coming to this world, I realized that I had to adapt to this world no matter what.
There were days when I felt nauseous and vomited, but after three days, it disappeared. The fact that I couldn’t go back made me feel like the sky was falling, but somehow I endured it.
I endured and continued to endure.
Let’s keep enduring.
Eventually, I was able to set one goal.
Surviving in this place.
It’s just a small thing, right?
Calm your mind and face reality, then the next step becomes clear.
I have to gain something here. If I leave without doing so, it’ll be the same as when I first arrived in this world.
The first thing I did was ask her to share the data with me.
“…Share the data?”
She looked at me in surprise while reading a hologram book.
“Why?”
“I don’t want to die.”
“……. “
Unexpectedly, she cooperated sincerely while silently looking at me.
“What’s your account ID?”
“Do you not know?”
“Are you maintaining the setting of having lost your memory? Bring your terminal.”
“…What is that?”
“It’s the way to go. Elite warrior Drakan Lundveil.”
She sarcastically found my “account” and quickly pointed out that it was the ID I had entered thousands of times in the tutorial.
Upon accessing the account, I was able to utilize the network of the dragons.
The network of the dragons.
A virtual reality system created for information sharing.
Although I already knew most of the information about dragons through the settings, I was a bit awkward at first. Doing it myself was a different story than just hearing it.
Every time, Scarlet Peridot sighed and helped me out.
“All sites are closed. You can only use personal data storage. There are only two of us left alive, so the data we can share is limited to each other’s personal data.”
“…By any chance.”
“I’ll give it to you. Just don’t bother me.”
“Thank you.”
I received personal data from her. I glanced briefly at Scarlet Peridot.
A cold face. Why would she offer to help so readily when she looked like she wouldn’t give a grain of rice?
Could it be that she…?
“Mark the calendar every day. There is no change. Remember that you have to leave here in a month.”
Well, yeah.
“…Yes.”
I started to grasp the rough information about this world. It was a different feeling from when I read the settings book like crazy.
Studying to survive.
I stayed up day and night, continuing to study with only the minimum amount of food. Scarlet Peridot, who was initially skeptical, would quietly put her food down and disappear after seeing me.
Time passed. It passed quickly. Another week had gone by in no time.
“…Whew.”
After acquiring rough information, I closed the data in the library. The forced cramming of knowledge made my brain ache.
Surprisingly, however, I had fully accepted most of the information in my head. Is it amazing to say that my body itself was surprising?
Indeed, the word “dragon” was not used in vain. The wandering mercenaries of the dragon race, which were rarely seen in Frontier Online, boasted nearly monstrous combat power.
A brain that never forgets anything once it has seen it. And on top of that, this body is…
Even if they didn’t sleep until late, they weren’t tired, and even if they were injured, they recovered quickly.
The wound that was pierced to Harvest’s janitor disappeared without a trace of scars. The same goes for the remaining odor that stuck to his body when he came in a hurry.
In addition, their civilization was more advanced than other races. Amazing equipment was several steps higher in tiers compared to other races’ titans.
The dragon race was originally the most technologically advanced native species on this planet.
For Harvest, these dragons were probably a more dangerous race than humans.
If I were Harvest, I would have removed them first for sure. This race is dangerous. They are no different than the worst enemy to those who dream of exterminating intelligent lifeforms.
Having finished studying, I turned my head. I looked straight ahead towards the Flame Tail’s core.
It was guarding that very spot where I first opened my eyes here. Occasionally, there were flame reactions inside the core, but nothing else showed up.
In my mind, I wanted to transplant it to one of the Titans outside. However, if I did that, I would be chased out immediately instead of one month later.
“…Maybe later, I can steal one Titan secretly…”
“No you can’t.”
The door opened without knocking. Scarlet Peridot placed a tray in front of me.
“Please remember that you cannot take any military item from here.”
“But still…”
“All the reserve vessels here belong to Albeon. That means it’s something we cannot own privately.”
“… Even if Albeon has been destroyed…”
“Rules are rules. The law is the law.”
She gestured towards the calendar with an arrogant tone.
“Two weeks left, Draco. We’ll provide emergency food for you to take with except for Titans.”
Suddenly, curiosity arose.
“What will you do if I leave?”
“I’ll protect the last heritage of the dragon race.”
“But why?”
“That’s what I have to do as a dragon.”
“But…”
“Have a good day, Draco.”
She left the room. It seems like there is some situation I am unaware of here.
… Moreover.
From Noble mtl dot com
I felt her gaze looking at me getting further apart gradually.
Roughly grasping the information, my next choice was to make use of the combat simulation system.
She didn’t say anything this time either. She just looked at me.
Like that, for thirty minutes.
As I was muttering to myself, unable to even connect, Scarlet Peridot let out a sigh.
“Is this how you operate? The urban cityscape would be ideal as the background. Since battles usually don’t happen in desolate wastelands.”
“……”
“The opponents will be three. That’s where we start. Act not to subdue clumsily, but to kill.”
The lid of the capsule closed with a thud. In an instant, consciousness plunged into the abyss.
And when I opened my eyes again…
-It felt like the same sense of unfamiliarity as when entering the virtual reality game, Frontier Online.
“……”
Armed with just one rifle and a pistol, there were no Titans, of course. Considering the rampant incidents of robberies and alley ambushes in this world, it was more common to not have a Titan by your side than to have one.
I immediately entered the urban cityscape battlefield. Controlling the body that felt unfamiliar, I gradually gained experience in close combat against humans.
In the first attempt, I couldn’t capture anyone and ended up dead.
The second attempt was the same.
On the third attempt, as soon as I stepped out, a bullet pierced through my head.
Even if only 50% of my senses were applied, it still hurt. Scarlet Peridot let out a sigh as I screamed and jumped out of the capsule.
“Control your breathing.”
He scoffed.
“…Sigh.”
I was gasping for breath. Only 50% of my senses?
It didn’t seem like it was just that…?
“Should I lower the base synchronization rate from 80% a bit more…”
“80%?!”
Somehow, it felt incredibly painful!
Scarlet Peridot narrowed her eyes.
“If you’re a fighter, it’s common to maintain a combat simulation synchronization rate of over 80%. Anyway, you only have one life. What can someone who can’t even get past fake death do on the front lines?”
“…Did you use this too, Scarlet?”
“Of course.”
“What about your records?”
“If we use the urban combat as an example…the battle lasted for 2 hours. The number of eradicated creatures was 62, and their grade was A.”
“Really?”
“Dracan. Broaden your senses. There are no limits to the dragon race. They move, and move again. As long as you have enough bullets, you can keep killing them.”
The girl in front of me looked down at me.
“Dragons are strong. Being good with Titans isn’t the end. The real strength of dragons lies in their body. If you bring out your potential to the fullest, you can fight other races with armor just as easily as if you’re fighting barehanded.”
“…….?”
“Take a breath of dragon’s breath into your chest. If you decide to do something, move immediately. If you really forget everything, aim for the first step.”
“The first step?”
“You don’t know anything at all. It means adapting to your body. Because dragon’s senses are too sharp, sometimes it can be a hindrance.”
She stood up and took a few steps back.
“But if you can handle it properly, you can feel anything. Dragon’s unique senses and power can even enable you to do things that seem impossible. If you become skilled in controlling your senses, you can even dodge bullets in front of you.”
“…….?”
“Of course, it’s less about seeing and avoiding than predicting. But you’re also a dragon, right? Besides, your record in the great battle was S rank. You were one of the few geniuses in Albeon.”
She stared at me.
“Even if you forget your memories, your body will remember it over time. Dracan Lundvale, the youngest elite warrior, graduated from the military academy at the top of his class. That’s how well known it is, even to someone like me who doesn’t show emotions.”
Suddenly, I became curious.
“…Why are you being so good to me?”
“Curious?”
“Yes.”
“If you’re curious…”
She pointed to the combat simulation capsule.
“Go in again.”
“…Will you tell me then?”
“No.”
“……?”
“It’s telling you to train. Dracan. We only have two weeks left. Don’t forget. Time is running out.”
“Is there something after two weeks?”
“There is.”
She covered her face. Looked up. Only half of her expression was visible.
“You’re leaving today, right?”
Still a cold expression.
Scarlet Peridot was truly an enigmatic person.