Once they reached the top of the hill, Astrid still had the energy to jump and twirl like a kid.
"See? I told you this was a shortcut!"
We've been outside all day… how does she still have this much energy?! Alan thought, trying to catch his breath.
"J-Just give me a second, p-please!"
"Look, Alan, the view from here is incredible!" she said, beaming, arms thrown wide.
Still panting, Alan followed her gaze, taking in a sweeping view of the region. Beyond the Beginner's Town three hundred yards out and the Virmion Woods behind them, a magnificent blue mountain rose on the horizon.
Long gone are the sterile lands, gray clouds, black seas, and dried-up rivers of the old Earth, huh. Just like Alvearium Enterprise's ads promised: 'The Novus is a new beginning! Be whatever your heart desires!'
Sure. At least until the Santa María reaches its destination…
"Do you like what you see?" Astrid asked, locking eyes with him.
"I do…" he replied absently, eyes drifting to her lips, his mind still on what had happened half an hour earlier.
"Alan?" She gave him a funny look. "I'm talking about the scenery. Do you like it?"
He straightened up. "Y-Yes! A truly stunning view! Really puts things in perspective, seeing what Earth must've looked like centuries ago. Am I right?!"
He laughed loudly, hands on his hips.
Unconvinced, she narrowed her eyes. "But what was with that gloomy face a second ago? Thinking something dark again, Mr. Warden?"
He sighed.
Come on, Astrid, what do you want me to say? That despite the blast I've had fighting monsters with you every single day, I think this is all a waste of time? Look at us. Stuck in a semi-medieval setup, learning swordplay and roleplaying as mages, instead of learning to use a gun, fix solar panels, or keep our home ship running!
"Astrid… I…"
She grabbed his hand. "Have I told you your sulky face is especially cute?" she said, deadpan, before breaking into a grin. "Come on, let's see what they give us for killing the Weasenox!"
As they ran down the hill, Alan felt the wind hit his face, filling his lungs with clean air.
Not just that. I can feel my legs working, and my heart pounding like crazy… So just like pain here feels real, this hand I'm holding—hers—feels just as genuine.
Unus, the Beginner's Town, lay ahead, built to welcome every new arrival to the Eurola region. Its shops and restaurants were modest wooden huts, and the only two-story buildings were the Town Hall and the Moonlight Dream Inn. Yet Alan and Astrid were in no hurry to leave it behind.
"I hope this doesn't take long. I'm starving!"
"We've already cleared Caeruleum Mountain and Virmion Woods, so what's next?" he asked, prompting her to lift her chin proudly.
"Dylak's Mansion, obviously! Let's show the guys who talked down to us the other day that we can clear that whole dungeon ourselves!"
"Wait, didn't we hear that place is like, super hardcore?"
"So what? After today's adventure, I genuinely think we can take on anything The Novus throws at us!"
"Which reminds me, are you still in for starting a guild together?"
"Absolutely! Got a good name for it yet?"
"Well, I was thinking about that spell you improvised to save me, and it's kind of inspiring, you know? So let's become the 'Shooting Stars' and soar the skies!"
Astrid pouted her lips. "Rejected. Sounds lame and girly."
"What?! It does not! And you're obsessed with astronomy stuff anyway! ASTRO-nomy… ASTR-id… Get it?"
"I've got a much better one: 'Death Bringers'!"
"Pass. Do you want to scare off everyone we meet?"
The Town Hall's interior looked more like a bank than a government office. Female employees in Victorian-style dresses worked the reception desks, processing a steady stream of gold and valuables. The woman who greeted Alan and Astrid had a long violet ponytail and fox-like ears. The title 'Unus Town Mayor' floated above her head.
"Good morning, aspiring heroes! What can I do for you today?" she said in a sweet voice.
"We may have failed on bringing a Scarlet Woodcap, but we got this!" Astrid said proudly, slapping a blood-stained fang onto the desk.
"Wonderful! Congratulations on defeating the Weasenox." The mayor smiled brightly. "As a reward, you may choose a weapon from this list."
She waved a hand, and a System window opened in front of them.
"Only one weapon? There's two of us, you know. But whatever," Astrid said, exhaling. "Could we also get a form to register a new guild?"
"Right away, Ms. Bradford," the fox-eared woman said, conjuring a second window, her grin never wavering.
Alan noticed with amusement the moment Astrid cringed at the way the Mayor addressed her, but it was inevitable. All NPCs called her that by default.
"Let's check the rewards first, eh, Alan?" Astrid turned, catching Alan openly observing the NPC, who did not seem to mind in the slightest. "W-What are you ogling at, you creep?!" Astrid hissed, glancing between the NPC's curvy figure and ample bosom.
"I've been wondering for days," Alan said, eyes still on the woman, "are these NPCs considered some kind of advanced AI? They're part of the System, sure, but what's actually running them? Do they start repeating themselves after a long conversation?"
"Here we go again," Astrid said, crossing her arms. "Curious Alan. No, better yet. 'Alanytical.'"
"S-Sorry, I really zoned out there. Won't happen again. What were you saying?"
She sighed, hiding a smile. "Help me pick a reward while I fill out the guild form, okay?"
Alan nodded and skimmed the reward list, but the rising chatter around him kept pulling his attention.
"Man, this place is awesome. Who would've thought it'd be like a video game?"
"Right? I wouldn't mind staying a frozen vegetable for the rest of my life. Everyone looks hot as hell, and we're basically immortal."
"Hope the Santa finds nothing but poisonous planets the whole trip, so we're stuck here forever."
"Seriously. Who in their right mind would want to go back? Especially if we end up stuck on some lame-ass rock in the middle of nowhere."
Great. Just great, Alan thought, jaw tight, his gaze drifting absently over the reward list.
That's exactly what I'm talking about. Should we really be wasting time playing here while our families—and the rest of the 'non-legal'—are literally waiting to die? We left a dying Earth a week ago, and all we've done is eat, drink, and fake some hollow sense of accomplishment. This… this feels wrong.
The thought pushed him to turn and say something to those Users—teens, just like him—but Astrid grabbed his arm and looked straight into his eyes.
"Don't," she said quietly, a faint smile on her face. "I've noticed something's been bothering you for a while. So listen… don't feel guilty for living in this utopia. Dwelling on what we left behind instead of what's ahead gets us nothing. We already said our goodbyes, didn't we? So stay proud of what those we left behind sacrificed, and just live fully, for them. That's what a shooting star does, right? It keeps moving forward, no matter what?"
"Astrid… how did you know?"
She laughed, tapping his forehead gently. "Because I've been thinking the exact same thing since we logged in, silly. So! Made your choice yet?"
He smiled at her and tapped the reward screen.
"Here's your new Beginner's Elemental Staff, Mr. Warden," the NPC said, setting it on the desk.
Astrid stared at it, frowning. "Why don't you pick a sword?"
"Take it, Astrid. So you can save me again next time."
She picked it up with trembling hands and pulled it close. "D-Deal!" she exclaimed, cheeks flushed, hurrying toward the exit.
Watching the way her short blond hair swayed with every step seemed to ease something tight in his chest.
I'm still not convinced, but I can't deny that being here, by your side, makes all of it worth it.
As he turned to follow, the NPC called after him. "Mr. Warden, before you go, would you mind signing the guild's form? Just press your thumb on the red dot, and you're all set."
"Ah, sure," he said, following her lead. Just before the window vanished, he caught a glimpse of the registered name: 'Shooting Stars.'
That was the name Astrid picked.
"Hurry up, Alan, I'm starving! It's pizza time!"
"Coming!" he called, waving goodbye to the Mayor.
What am I even doing, worrying about a future this far off? Astrid's right. Instead of beating myself up over how we might screw this up before it even starts, I should just focus on what's right in front of me!
Smiling at the thought of a brighter future, Alan Warden quickened his pace, determined to look at the bright side just like she did—right before a red System window cut across his field of vision.
WARNING!
COMMUNICATION WITH THE NOVUS SYSTEM HAS BEEN LOST.
His legs locked. Reality seemed to freeze around him, and the image of Astrid waiting at the door burned itself into his mind.
And maybe it's just my imagination, but I swear I can hear her voice in the distance, screaming my name…
NOTICE:
USER #29317 ALAN WARDEN — YOU HAVE LOGGED OUT OF THE NOVUS SYSTEM.
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A violent wave of motion sickness hit him all at once. He vomited, and the ventilator over his face sucked it away instantly.
A beeping sound echoed from inside the pod as a cloud of steam billowed out the moment the hatch opened.
This is the worst I have ever felt in my entire life.
Disoriented, he sat up, dragging a hand through his hair, eyes shut. "I'm not in the Novus anymore…" He squinted as his eyes adjusted, slowly making out a round silhouette hovering beside him.
A Santa María drone, probably.
[Passenger #29317, Alan Warden. Your presence is required in Room #13, East Wing, Block C. Priority: immediate.]
Yeah. That tracks for a drone.
"Why'd you log me out of Novus? Protocol states—"
[We will be your escort. Follow us, please.]
Us?
"Even though you're asking nicely," he grunted, "I need a minute to recover from the decompression, okay? I can't just walk after—"
[We will drag you out if necessary.]
At those words, something in Alan's gut went sharp—the same instinct that had kicked in when he was surrounded by Weasemin only hours earlier.
But why would I feel threatened in real life too?
The nausea cleared instantly as he finally noticed the five white automatons standing in a line in front of him.
As if they think I'm a threat.
"What the hell is going on?" he asked the drone hovering at eye level.
Its red LED locked directly onto his eyes.
[Passenger #29317, Alan Warden, you are under arrest, on suspicion of conspiracy against the Santa María vessel and humankind.]