A Side Villain…

"Is this your first time going there?" Takashi inquired.

 

"That will be the first time."

 

"Then we'll have to go to the guild master's office."

 

"Sure, let's go there."

 

“If I may ask, how did your father die?” Akira asked Takashi after a while on the way to Porta Nigra.

 

He was perplexed as to how a character who was present in the game even at its later stages could now be dead, completely forgetting the fact that he himself was an exception to that rule.

 

"My father?" Takashi inquired, clearly uncomfortable sharing this information.

 

"It's fine if you don't want to share it; I understand." 

 

‘Sigh’

 

“Well it’s not really a secret or something so why not?” Takashi sighed and narrated the events leading to his father's death.

 

“You know the whole deal behind Porta Nigra right?” He asked.

 

Akira nodded and reflected on the Blossom City's hidden truth, which had also changed as a result of the church's involvement.

 

A dungeon had appeared out of nowhere somewhere in the history of this border town, but due to certain factors, such as the fact that this was a disputed area, it was subject to constant warfare, resulting in mana fluctuations, making it extremely difficult to detect a new dungeon.

 

There was also the fact that this dungeon was probably the smallest on the entire Origin continent, making its discovery even more difficult. Finally, the presence of a dense holy aura courtesy of the Church and Saintess made it highly unlikely that a dungeon could occur here.

 

So, while the two empires fought over ownership of this location, the dungeon was left unexplored, which caused a huge problem over time, as the monsters inside the dungeon continued to grow because there was no deterrent to their growth.

 

And when the dungeon's threshold for monster storage was breached, it exploded, a phenomenon later known as dungeon desync. The monsters that emerged from it caused unprecedented mayhem and destruction, which soon caught the attention of the empire and the church.

 

The capital and the Church both quickly dispatched their strongest warriors to the scene, and to say that even they were horrified by the destruction caused by monsters would be an understatement. 

 

The church's apostles quickly dispatched the lower tiered monsters with their AOE spells, while the groups from the capital fought the high tiered monsters, which proved to be quite difficult to deal with. 

 

These high ranked monsters not only had the strength of a high tier being, but also the intelligence of a human; they could rally the other weaker monsters around them, create a formation that would increase their strength even further, and retreat when they felt threatened.

 

After fighting for a while, the apostles of the church and the other groups understood that these high ranked monsters could not be defeated in the traditional way, so they devised a scheme in which they would create an alternate dimension similar to that of the dungeon. 

 

They first encircled all of the high-tier monsters, then used the artefact 'Osix' to create an alternate dimension in which all of these monsters and the unstable dungeon would be stored, preventing further destruction in the empire.

 

The 'Osix' was the same device used by the cultists to capture Ivan Feodor and the members of Dark Swords in another dimension; it was a very powerful artefact with one major flaw i.e. it needed a constant flow of mana.

 

While this did not appear to be a major issue, the fact that this constant flow of mana would have to be adjusted to meet the requirements of the artefact was. For the time being, this was resolved by constructing a small base for the adventurer to supervise the artefact and protect it from monsters.

 

With all the monsters and the destabilised dungeon carefully put into the alternate dimension created by the "Osix," now came the bigger problem of managing the consequences that this whole fiasco had caused.

 

The presence of a dungeon right underneath the noses of both the church and the empire indicated a huge lapse on their information network and that had caused the lives of thousands of people, people that were innocent and had nothing to do with all this.

 

Rather than accept responsibility for their inaction, the Von Astrom empire and the church decided to save their reputation by suppressing the entire ordeal and ensuring that the general public was unaware of it. The Romanov empire attempted to raise this matter in the Dragon council, but they, too, deemed it unnecessary.

 

As a result, in a few hundred years, both the people and the rulers had forgotten about the "massacre."

 

“It’s a very sad story.” Akira replied to him when he thought of the injustice done by the Von Astrom empire on its own people.

 

He didn’t knew that the Church was an equal partner in that crime.

 

"It was, indeed, a sad story, but guess what? We humans are like that; it's in our nature to prefer the easy path over the difficult one. We don't want to accept responsibility for our mistakes, but we also want everyone to praise us." Takashi said back.

 

“It’s true we are like that.” Akira laughed a little to ease the situation.

 

"My father tried to change that, and he was a fool for it, because what else do you expect when an ordinary guy wants to fight an entire empire? He dies, leaving his family to fend for themselves." Takashi's tone was melancholy and helpless.

 

“I am sorry.” Akira didn’t knew what else to say, he was an orphan in his previous life but he hadn’t experienced what it was to lose someone important.

 

“It’s okay, anyways we are here.” They had arrived at the adventurers guild building which paled in comparison to that of the capital.

 

The building was small, with only the ground floor, and the entrance had two doors that flapped open when someone passed through them. Inside, there was the traditional receptionist's desk, a notice board with mission listings, and a small office in the corner for the Guild master.

 

Once in Takashi didn’t looked anywhere else but went straight towards that office with Akira on his back. He knocked the door twice and waited for the reply which came soon enough,

 

“Come in.” 

 

The door opened and both of them went in there, the guild master’s room was very neatly arranged with all of its furniture, bookshelf, curtains, artefacts, trophies placed at perfect place. 

 

The guild master sat opposite the table, fiddling with his watch; he didn't look a day older than thirty years old, and his red luscious hair and green hazel eyes complemented his handsome appearance.

 

“Hello Takashi, long time no see. How have you been?” He asked with a smile on his face.

 

“I have been great, can’t complain and I presume you have been good as usual?” Takashi looked much happier here.

 

“You know me kid.” And he laughed after that.

 

"But Takashi, who's the kid behind you? Does he want to be an adventurer or something?" he asked lazily.

 

“Porta Nigra.” Takashi said and all the laziness on Guild master’s face vanished like it was never there.

 

“Is he?” He inquired seriously.

 

“Yes, he is.”

 

“Interesting, what’s your name kid?” 

 

“Akira.” 

 

“What’s your family’s background?” 

 

“Both of my parents are retired adventurers, my father had opened a small gear shop in the market district while my mom is a simple homemaker.” Akira replied honestly fully knowing what kind of man this guild master was.

 

“Quick and honest, I like that but still how have the times changed? A mere teenager who doesn’t have any special family knows about the deepest secrets of the empire. But who are we to question anything?” He said while standing up from his seat and going over to the bookshelf.

 

“Before we go in can I have your ID, young man?” 

 

“Sure.” Akira replied while handing over that, he had deliberately not updated it in a long time so as not to raise any suspicion.

 

The guild master looked at that and with each passing time became less and less interested, in his mind he couldn't understand as to how this kid with such trash abilities could get into the Origin academy much less about the whole Porta Nigra thing.

 

‘Sigh’ 

 

‘Have the standards of the Origin academy stooped so low or is there something I am missing? It’s better to be on the safe side rather than leaving a variable. We can’t fail at this stage.’

 

“Follow me.” He said while handing over his ID card.

The guild master then went to the bookshelf behind his chair and moved one of the books; the entire room was suddenly illuminated by a blue light, and various glyphs began to form on their own. After a while, they merged to form a larger glyph, which opened a portal-like gate.

 

“No matter how many times I watch this, it never ceases to amaze me.” The guild master commented.

 

 “This portal or as we say Porta Nigra will take you to Sector X.” 

 

“Thank you.” Akira said and entered the gate like portal.

 

Once inside, the glyphs supporting the portal disintegrated into dust particles, illuminating the entire room like a dance of fireflies; the scene was so captivating that both the guild master and Takashi couldn't help but focus on it.

 

"Did you double-check it, Takashi?” The guild master leaned back in his chair and inquired. air and asked.

"Yes, his mana signature shows no signs of being tempered or distorted." 

 

"Good, in this day and age, we can't trust anyone; everyone could be a threat."

 

"You are correct, guild master, but I still don't understand why someone so young is going in there." Takashi may not have shown it when he was with Akira, but he was awestruck by him from the start.

 

"The world is changing Takashi; what was unthinkable a century ago is now well within our grasp." His tone smacked of nostalgia.

 

"In any case, I believe you should leave."

 

Takashi then left his office and returned to his shop, where some other customers awaited him; his day had only just begun.

 

After some time, the guild master used his watch to contact someone.

 

"It's me." 

"Yes, sir." A voice came from the other side.

 

"Akira, Origin City, is a student at the Origin Academy; his parents are retired adventurers."

 

"All right, boss... did you say the origin city?" 

 

“Is there something wrong?”

 

"Boss, the extermination groups are combing every nook and cranny of that city; it's like entering a dragon's lair." The man on the other end of the line was clearly dissatisfied with the mission.

 

"Tsk, those cretins had to be there."

 

"All right, then wait for them to leave and then bring all of the information about that boy."

 

"All right, boss."

 

"Akira huh, let's see what you've got for me."

 

Back with Akira, after entering the portal, the first thing he noticed was the presence of a gigantic orange moon illuminating the night sky of the alternate dimension. Then came the notification from the system.

 

“No.” 

 

 

“Dude you gonna move or what?” A heavy voice came from behind prompting him to turn back.

 

"Oh, sorry about that." He had forgotten, in his excitement, that this was a bustling market, not an empty field.

 

Market? Yes inside the safe zone of Sector ‘X’ a market had been established over the years, in this market, all the spoils of war with the monsters outside the safe zone were sold and bought.

 

It was founded by the officers in charge of this location because they believed that the adventures would require a location like this. It would also cater to those who wanted to buy something unique, something that could only be found here.

 

The size and volume of this market have only grown over time; the special items available here were in high demand among the top adventurer's community, and some would even pay extra to get their hands on some special items.

 

"If I want to buy something, I still need to find an agent. Why do the developers have to make it this lengthy? First, I need to find a shop owner who will take me to the guild master, who will then open the portal."

 

"This felt so good when I was playing the game, but doing it in real life is exhausting," he sighed, remembering how easily Richard did it in the game.

 

“Anyways, let's find my agent.”

 

The market inside the safe zone was spread out, as were the small roads that intersected at right angles; there weren't many shops to talk about, but there was variety. Monster cores, teeth, fur, skin, bones, and blood were all available for the right price.

 

There were also shops selling weapons and artefacts dropped by high-ranking monsters, and the interesting thing was that even they didn't know what the full potential or feature of the artefact or weapon was.

 

To buy or sell anything, one needed an agent who was approved by the officers in charge; they would charge a one-time registration fee and a small fee for each transaction.

 

"Hello, little brother, do you want an agent?" said a woman's coquettish voice.

 

"Look at how cute he is, little brother, are you really an adventurer?" said another woman from ahead.

Akira turned his head and looked at the two women standing on either side of him; for the first few moments, his mind couldn't stop thinking about how perfect they were, as if nothing else could have described them better than the word 'perfect.'

 

Perfect face, perfect hair, perfect dress, perfect proportions, it was as if they had been custom-made to the smallest details. But Akira knew that these ladies were using their 'bewitching' and 'charm' abilities, which worked similarly to an aura.

 

So he quickly remembered the mana theory skill that reflected auras which activated after he did the calculations and instantly cleared his mind.

 

"Sorry ladies, I am a little busy." No matter how nice they appeared on the outside, it was not worth paying attention to them.

 

These 'perfect' ladies were also set up by the officers in charge to milk money from the male adventurers, which is a pretty good scam if you fall for it, which many do.

 

"Little brother, you're breaking my heart." One of the ladies quickly came ahead and grabbed his hand.

 

He channelled the mana in his body, and a small flame appeared in that hand, causing the lady to yelp and flee.

 

"I don't want you to bother me," he said coldly, otherwise they wouldn't have stopped.

 

"Hmph, arrogant fellow," they snorted and walked away.

 

Akira continued on his journey, and several other agents tried to entice him to use their services, but he ignored them because the best one was someone else.

 

After a while, he came to the end of the market, which had only one shop, and his face lit up when he saw that this was where Roberto worked. 

 

"Richard will manage without Roberto; after all, he is the protagonist." He reasoned that in the game, Roberto, a failed agent, had been paired up with Richard and his group.

 

Roberto wasn't a failure, as many would believe; he just didn't have as much luck as the other agents, which changed when he met Richard.

 

"Let's hope he'll be lucky for me as well."

 

KNOCK KNOCK

 

Voices of someone running and tripping over themselves came from inside, as if the person inside was in a hurry to get somewhere, and from what Akira remembered of Roberto, he was someone like that.

 

"Hello, hello, I am Roberto Marcello, the best agent in all of Sector X," he said all at once.

 

“Jeez calm down man.”

 

"Huff-huff, sorry, but I am the best agent in the business." 

 

“Cool, sign me up.” Akira gave him a smile and tossed him a platinum coin.

 

“Huh?” Roberto fumbled and failed to catch the coin.

 

In Blossom City

 

Evelyn and the others were sitting in one of the taverns, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that their goal of finding Princess Kiara had not been met. 

 

They had done nothing but search every nook and cranny of both inside and outside the city for the past three days and had discovered nothing about their whereabouts. It was as if that person had never arrived here, but that was not the case.

 

She was definitely here but they were not able to find her, if not for Evelyn using her dragonic senses all of them would have been in total darkness. That was why they had all gathered to meet here and discuss their further strategy.

 

“Can someone explain to me why we are not able to find her?” Drake asked with a confused tone.

 

Previously, he had boasted in front of everyone that his group would find Kiara in less than two days due to Shin's expertise in this area, but he had also failed.

 

"She's too good," Lana, who was sitting next to him, said.

 

"Damn she is, and guess what? When my group and I were looking for her, we came across someone who resembled that 'boy.'" He said and laughed.

 

"That 'boy,'" Richard inquired, his face perplexed.

 

"I wouldn't be too sure, we did see someone like him but only for an instant before he vanished from sight," Shin said calmly.

"Here I am worried about my sister, and you want to make a joke?" Aurora was the most depressed of the group and didn't agree with what they were saying.

 

Drake apologised, "I am sorry."

 

"Which boy are you talking about?" Lily inquired as she sipped her fruit juice.

 

"Oh, he's the same-" Richard couldn't finish his sentence because the tavern door opened and Evelyn and Ichinose entered with someone else.

 

She was dressed in white and wore a small veil over her face, revealing only her eyes, but that was more than enough to place her alongside the likes of Aurora, Evelyn, and others.

 

"She is Sophia, the sole heir to the position of saintess," Ichinose explained.

 

"Umm hello everyone," she said in the softest voice she could muster.