You know how games always have those hype-building pre-launch events?
The devs hand out free costumes or limited-time items like Digital arts, covers and posters to get everyone excited.
I'm not sure how a "game event" works in the real world, but Aoi's memories confirm the famous NPCs are here.
So, there's a good chance 'that place' exists too.
[Sector Zero: The Splicing].
It was a secret dungeon that flew under everyone's radar.
Most players didn't even know it existed for their first playthrough, requiring certain conditions; In-game money, map and specific directions.
There was a catch, though.
Going there usually tanked your affection with the heroines. Sometimes it even made them hate you.
However, those who went out of their way to explore found something more. Something very good.
[Hidden Pieces]
Special items that don't exist or cannot be acquired in the later gameplay. They can basically break the game balance.
Not completely, but they are strong enough to carry the game in the long run.
So, it was the ultimate choice: be a "Rush Goon" who grabs the loot, or a "Patient Goon" who cares about waifus.
I checked the calendar.
[ Date: April 3rd ]
It means it's still spring break.
I need to locate the dungeon. That won't be difficult. The problem is... I need weapons.
Aoi couldn't swing a sword or cast a spell to save his life.
Technically, the dungeon is a tutorial-level cakewalk.
But looking at my pathetic E-rank stats…
"Sigh."
But then, I remembered.
'Oh yeah…'
I pulled out the necklace I was wearing and gripped it with both hands.
"Is this how I do it?"
I closed my eyes and tried to pour my mana into it. It was a rudimentary skill, the kind of thing a child learns.
However, recalling Aoi's memories, I hesitated.
He had a history of causing artifacts to malfunction, his immense, unregulated mana overwhelming their delicate enchantments like a power surge frying a circuit.
I tried to be gentle, but the moment my mana connected, the necklace ejected everything out at once.
Whoosh!
Clatter. Thud. Rustle.
A mountain of stuff buried the floor. But… it wasn't weapons or potions.
To anyone else, it was junk. To a child, it was treasure.
There were drawings of stick figures, crude drawings in crayon.
Old family photos. A cute little suitcase. Dozens of children's books with dog-eared pages.
Faded photographs of a smiling boy, a cute and chubby boy.
It was all stuff a kid would hide away. Treasures.
I picked up a photo. He looked happy in them.
I sifted through the pile, as I looked closer, I noticed a pattern.
The clothes were small. The dates on the photos were old.
But all of them were from when he was young—maybe eight or nine.
After that age, the timeline just cut off.
It was like his childhood ended right there, there was nothing from his teenage years.
It was a time capsule of the exact moment his life went wrong.
The only other things were the black suitcase and a bunch of books.
I stared at the pile, and suddenly, I remembered why. Why he hid them. Why he never took them out.
"—!"
The nausea hit me instantly. I covered my mouth, scrambled up, and ran for the bathroom.
I spent the next few minutes hugging the toilet, puking my guts out.
When the spasms stopped, I washed my face and stumbled back into the room, I looked at it properly for the first time.
The developers had written Aoi as a monster—a creature defined by greed and lust
And there might be things related to that trope, things the devs added to make him look repulsive.
He was supposed to be the "Ugly Bastard" villain after all, right? You'd think his room would be full of creepy stuff or weird collections.
But it was empty.
The room lacked personality, and comfort.A cabinet with his clothes. A simple bed. A table.
Everything seemed to be the bare minimum. It was as if Aoi never wanted this place to be his home. Or rather... this place could never become home.
The little Aoi couldn't accept this place.
On the desk, there was a letter for applying for the Academy dorm, showing his desperate desire to get away from here.
I took a deep breath, trying to push the memory down.
Seeing the mess I made and the sad memories attached to it... yeah. I knew life was going to be hard in the future.
…
It took a lot of effort to stuff those memories back into the necklace. Once that was done, I pulled the suitcase onto the bed.
Aoi might have spent his life avoiding these things, but looking at them now, it's clear his parents were doing more than just raising him.
They knew. They knew about his condition, and they were trying to fix it.
They weren't powerful mages or scholars, but...
I opened the suitcase. It was full of papers. There were stacks of handwritten papers regarding mana defects, notes on mana conditions, theories on overflow, and even a few mentions of... demons?
Ah. That explains it.
It suddenly clicked—this is probably where Aoi got the idea that demons could help him later in the game.
But his parents weren't cultists. They were just desperate. They were searching for a cure for their son.
And he was just following his parents' trail.
Shaking my head, I pushed the sentimentality aside and picked up the thing I was actually looking for.
The gloves.
His mom designed these for him since he couldn't use elemental magic.
They looked like stylish jewelry, but they were tipped with sharp claws.
She even made them look cool so he wouldn't feel bad about wearing them.
I slipped them on and flexed my fingers.
Heavy.
They weren't as light as I thought. The materials in this world are definitely different. Aoi hadn't touched these since his parents died, so they felt kind of alien in my hands.
But this... this would be my weapon.
…
Next day,
I was relaxing on the train.
It's kind of a relief that this world has modern tech. Trains, guns, plumbing—it makes life way easier. I actually managed to sleep like a log last night.
I stared out the window as the forest and towns turned into a blur.
There weren't many passengers in this car.
Where I was going... it wasn't exactly a popular tourist spot.