A New World, An Immersive Game Experience

"Hey! What insane thing are you thinking?" Eldrian shouted.

"Huh?" Jade looked around and decided without delay to never speak what she just thought of aloud. "Nothing..." She threw a wonderful smile at Eldrian, which, as normal, did not phase him one bit.

A truly vexing situation for Jade.

"I don't believe you." Eldrian said with a frown.

"That's the cave, isn't it?" Jade rushed forward, wishing to escape the interrogation she felt coming.

'She's really strange...' Eldrian shook his head and smiled. He was starting to like her. She didn't seem capable of hiding her emotions or thoughts, which was refreshing.

Eldrian didn't know it was because she was so used to being pampered and surrounded by people who were charmed by her. She had never faced anyone who challenged her. Sure, the old fogies -as she called the secret leaders of Miracle- weren't taken in by her charm. But they still showed the due respect because of her position and allies.

He was the first to treat her first as an enemy, and thereafter so coldly. Not changing his stance, even after spending over an hour with her.

"What's so special about this place, anyway?" Jade asked after Eldrian caught up.

"Are you seriously asking that?" Eldrian couldn't believe her. Pointing to the crystals he had left behind, he asked. "Why were you interested in them? I saw you playing with them when I first woke."

"Their pretty." Jade's reply was filled with innocence. A reply Eldrian couldn't even register.

Sure, the crystals were unique. Thanks to the mana flowing in them, they had a light, internal glow. Something you wouldn't see in normal crystals. But to think that was all she noticed.

"P-pretty?" He stuttered, "I-is that all?"

"Mmh? Is there something else?"

"Forget it." Eldrian tried to wave her off, but now she was interested.

"No way! You promised to answer my questions! What's so special about these crystals?"

"Sigh..." Eldrian rubbed his head. She might not be able to contain her emotions, but that truly had a downside, too. 'I'll go insane if I don't lose her soon.'

However, Eldrian did not want to explain what he had been up to. She was still part of Miracle, even if she gave off the presence of a runaway princess. She was likely going to return to her home, and then Miracle would get a report of what he was up to.

"Their special." Eldrian replied, moving to remove the traces of the array that should have beguiled an onlooker to lose interest in the area where his cave was.

Trying his best to figure out how the hell she got inside without moving the stone slab, which was certainly far too heavy for a normal person to budge. Nor did she destroy the array.

"Hey! That isn't a proper answer."

"Yeah, well. It's all you're going to get. I can't trust you aren't a spy for Miracle."

The face that Jade made hearing this was... Priceless.

Shock, disbelief, astonishment, confusion.

—

"That was... painful..." Eldrian grumbled after finally having lost the girl somewhere in the forest. She truly had tried to chase after him again.

This time, she had managed to keep up with him until her seventh fall. Near the end, well. Let's just say a bit too much skin was starting to show through her torn clothing.

'She really was persistent.' Two joined Eldrian in a deep, long sigh. They had almost started to feel sorry for her.

'I really hope she isn't going to chase me further. Luckily, these mountains are vast. I think it will be best to find somewhere deeper in the mountains to hide until...'

'Agreed. I wouldn't be surprised if they have drones or something surrounding the place. Trying to find us once we move out.'

"How's the spell formation going?" Eldrian asked. Falling back into his habit of speaking aloud with his real-imaginary friend.

'Mmm? I've already finished all the Tier 0 to Tier 3 spells that we know.'

"Cool, any problems?"

'Well, of course, the lack of mana. Currently, they are only built out of the space of our soul. To give them substance and permanence, and allow them to work as relays to cast, I need to fill them with mana.'

"You can do that once we return to ANW... Right, what is our soul like when I am in ANW and you are here?"

'Ah, that won't solve everything. I'll construct it more securely within this space so it remains even when we jump...' Two hesitated to answer the second part. 'I-it... It is like back when you first learned to feel mana,' he finally replied.

"So, just a small mental room? Does that represent your state or our earthly body's normal state?"

'I have no idea.'

"And about the size difference, world missing, and solar system missing... Doesn't it feel like the two are too disconnected?"

'It is indeed strange. If it is supposed to be our soul, it should be constant...'

"If we think according to our ocean concept. Then, Earth might be a different ocean. And our soul here is a different bubble in a different, no... something's off."

'Wouldn't that mean our soul isn't really travelling between the two worlds?' Two ignored the part where Eldrian lost focus.

"I'm more thinking that only the core of our soul moves. The excess, that which we gained as XP from others as a player, remains in ANW."

'Ah, so then, this is a representation of our actual level?' Two quickly understood what Eldrian was getting at.

"Yeah, that's the idea." Eldrian wanted to jump into his mind to see how large his soul was, but he first had to find somewhere hidden to hide.

"How large is it? Compared to in ANW? Right, can you confirm if things are out of phase or not?"

'I can't. It was just a theory.... About the lich's soul. It is possible it did not travel with us.'

"Isn't that a problem?"

'It shouldn't be. I cleansed it and it was now basically just pure energy. You haven't had any memory overlaps since clearing the fort, right?'

"So that's why. I thought it ended a bit faster-"

'Did you want to take your time?'

"No, this is for the best. I am just thinking it is a bit sad to lose access to the knowledge we might have gained but, that is a dangerous path."

'Agreed.'

Finding a delightful spot with spring nearby, Eldrian searched for natural caves. "What about the size?"

'Perhaps... a thousand kilometers?'

"So a tenth?"

'I'd estimate.'

It was still massive, but there was an impressive difference. "Any idea how the conversion of XP and soul size works?"

'We have around 10 billion XP. Since ANW soul is around 10 thousand kilometers...'

"Divide by a million. I see. That would place our earth level at around..."

'Somewhere in the thirties.' Two replied, recalling the XP requirements along the way.

"Yeah, not bad."

'Not bad at all...'

Finding a suitable spot, one that was hard to get at if you didn't have superhuman strength and agility, Eldrian placed down the things he had bundled in his shirt and tied around his neck as a makeshift bag.

"Right, now I need to go hunting, test the water, make some pots, cook..." Eldrian sighed. So much to do to ensure when he left, his body wouldn't rot.

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