Chapter 27
Ethan returned to his room after telling Bien to rest. Then, I entered Limbo. In other words, I took a nap.
Limbo was slightly different from before. The size of the room, which I had thought resembled the audience chamber of the Charasen Citadel, had grown larger. Beyond the audience chamber’s door, there was a small corridor, a parlor attached to the corridor, and a bedroom connected to the audience chamber. The place where I woke up was the bedroom. After looking around Limbo once, I spoke to Demi.
“Who’s that?”
What I pointed at was unmistakably a spider-like being. Its head was clearly spider-like, covered with eight eyes and fluffy white fur, but below the neck, it vaguely resembled a human at first glance. However, it had six arms, and while its hands had fingers like a human’s, there were fewer fingers, and they were black and hard. The rest of its body was covered by clothing. It wore a white silk hat and a smooth white suit, but the spider’s abdomen protruded behind its hips. At first, I almost said, “What’s that?” but since it was mimicking a human, I respected that and corrected myself to, “Who’s that?”
<Why don’t you greet them yourself?>
As I approached, the spider, about waist-high to me, elegantly removed its silk hat and bowed.
“Greetings, Sir Ethan Dora Charasen. I am Zirra, the ‘Broker.’”
“Uh, hi, Zirra. But I don’t have a title yet, so you don’t need to be so formal. And Sir Charasen is my father.”
“This Limbo is Sir Charasen’s mental world and domain. Thus, Sir Charasen is the master of this territory and deserves such respect. However, if that address displeases you, I shall refrain.”
“Just Ethan is fine.”
“Then I shall address you as such, Ethan-nim.”
“…Can I ask why you’re here?”
Zirra spoke.
“My race has, for generations, handled interdimensional relay tasks—what Terra’s language would call dimensional broker work. My race deemed it worthwhile to dispatch an agent to Ethan-nim’s Limbo, and thus, I have arrived. I shall deliver requests from beings of other dimensions to Ethan-nim, and should Ethan-nim complete those requests, I shall provide you with the profits.”
“Can you explain it more simply?”
Zirra said.
“Among Ethan’s quests, ‘Broker Quests’ will now be added. Unlike existing quests, these quests will appear without any connection or context to Ethan-nim’s goals, but upon success, you will similarly receive rewards.”
An increase in the number of quests was simply something to welcome. However, I grew suspicious of good things happening without reason.
“What’s the potential downside for me?”
Perhaps surprised by the question, Zirra scratched its chin.
“Hmmmmm. Unlike our race, humans are not adept at multitasking, so having many quests could cause confusion.”
Demi explained.
“Leveling up means receiving a comprehensive reward for the achievements accumulated thus far.”
“Why? Why not just give proper rewards each time? Split them up.”
“…The system doesn’t work that way.”
Having confirmed there were no downsides, I shook hands with Zirra, saying let’s get along well.
“As your level rises further, Limbo will expand, and new guests will arrive.”
“I’ve checked the added spaces. There’s a parlor and a bedroom.”
“Indeed.”
“Is this place really the Charasen Citadel I know?”
“Not necessarily. Limbo reflects the user’s experiences. It appears to take the form of the Charasen Citadel because you consider it a safe and familiar place.”
“The structure is definitely a bit different. But it’s similar to the citadel I know. There’s even a Lokaf board.”
Lokaf was a game similar to chess, differing in that each piece had a point value, and as long as the total points were equal, players could place different pieces in varying numbers. People fond of Lokaf sometimes carried their own Lokaf pieces.
“If you wish, you may spend time in Limbo with the other guests.”
I looked at the Merchant, Broker Zirra, and Administrator Demi in turn. Then, I thought about whether I wanted to hang out with them.
“Well, not today.”
I brought up the B-rank Lottery.
“Can I draw now?”
“Of course.”
Demi presented the lottery box.
I reached in, and for some reason, it felt like the B-rank lottery box was smaller inside than the C-rank one, with fewer tickets.
“You’re taking your time.”
“I figured I might not get to draw a B-rank for a while, unlike a C-rank.”
“That’s likely.”
I drew a ticket, and my eyes widened.
[Archive Acquired!]
[Archive: Metallurgy (B)]
I learned about the entirety of metallurgy: melting ore in a furnace, refining it, pouring it into molds for casting, shaping through forging, heat-treating through quenching, reprocessing, and surface treatment. It was immense knowledge. I knew almost nothing about traditional blacksmithing, but I could tell there was an overwhelming gap between Damarat Yumaha’s metalworking technology and Terra’s. Sharing this knowledge with blacksmiths could bring tremendous wealth and fame. …And then, I sighed.
“…I can’t use this.”
“Why not?”
“Some parts could be applied immediately. That alone could bring significant advancements to ironworking. But Damarat Yumaha lacks the infrastructure. For example, it’s said that metal must be maintained at specific temperatures, but as far as I know, blacksmiths don’t even have the concept of precise temperature measurement, let alone the tools.”
“You might acquire a synergy skill.”
“Anyway, it’s meaningless for now.”
Moreover, I wasn’t sure if leaving school to meet blacksmiths would be worthwhile.
“And explain the ‘portable solar generator’ to me.”
Demi said that some of Terra’s tools consumed an energy called ‘electricity,’ and there were various ways to charge this electricity. This device used sunlight to generate electricity and transfer that energy to other devices. The portable solar generator consisted of a wide black panel to capture sunlight and a connected terminal, as Demi described.
“So, it’s like magical power that can only be used for Terra’s magical tools.”
“It’s slightly different, but you can understand it that way.”
“Then what about this?”
Saying so, I approached the Merchant. The Merchant didn’t even nod as I approached, but when I pointed at an item, it responded immediately.
The Merchant said.
<That’s a battery and battery charger. It’s compatible with your portable solar generator.>
“What are batteries used for?”
<They go into Terra’s smaller devices.>
“My handgun?”
<It doesn’t fit.>
The Merchant picked up a card from the corner. The card transformed into a rectangular box.
<They fit in this ‘radio.’>
“What’s this thing do?”
<It lets you listen to radio broadcasts. Radio broadcasts refer to wireless communication using electromagnetic waves.>
Demi pointed out.
<But since there are no radio broadcast stations in Damarat Yumaha, you won’t hear anything.>
Looking at the stall, I picked up another card.
“It says batteries go in this one too?”
<That’s a flashlight. A tool that emits light.>
When the Merchant demonstrated, I was impressed. The Merchant showed how to increase or decrease the flashlight’s brightness, send distress signals, and even emit different colored lights.
“Cool, huh?”
Demi pointed out.
“I don’t recommend it.”
“Why? I can’t even cast a light spell. This is better than that.”
<But I recommend the battery charger. Buy that and keep your D-rank Lottery Coupon.>
I did so.
As I approached, Demi pointed to a table beside it. On the table were three bags.
<I was going to introduce them before you left Limbo.>
The box on the left was red. Inside the red box were several cylindrical bottles filled with transparent liquid, smaller vials, clean cloths and gauze, bandages, topical and ointment medications, and basic over-the-counter drugs.
<It’s a first-aid kit containing all sorts of emergency and medical supplies, from anaphylaxis treatment for acute allergies to morphine injectors for severe injuries. If you choose this kit first, you’ll automatically acquire the archives and skills for using these tools.>
The box on the right was orange. Inside the orange box were a rope, firestarter, lighter, compass, thermometer, thermal blanket, clean water, long-lasting emergency food, survival books that could be torn up for kindling, and a flare gun.
<It’s a survival kit to help you survive in remote or harsh environments outside civilization. Likewise, choosing this kit first will automatically grant you various archives and skills.>
Finally, the box in the center was black. The black box was simpler than the others. To me, it contained incomprehensible long rods and what looked like a vest.
<It’s military gear, including a suppressor, RMR, and other handgun modification parts, extra magazines, and body armor. Similarly, choosing it first will grant archives and skills, and also…>
Demi picked up a small rod and clicked it. A bright light shot out.
<It includes a flashlight.>
I asked.
“You’re giving me all this?”
<It’s because your level has reached 2. Each box represents a ‘class’ you’ll choose.>
“My class is student.”
<You can call it a ‘class’ in Terra’s terms. The red box is ‘Rescuer,’ the orange box is ‘Survivor,’ and the black box is ‘Agent.’ After you die and return to Limbo for the first time, you’ll choose one. You must pick one now as well.>
“Got it?”
<Rescuer, Survivor, or Agent—which will you choose?>
A one-time choice. But my deliberation wasn’t long.
I chose the black box.
A Rescuer could save others, and a Survivor was advantageous for surviving alone. But what I had to do wasn’t either of those. I now had to kill others.
“Now, explain the most important thing.”
<Save/Load, right?>
I listened to Demi’s explanation.
And three days later, I shot Shirund Zen between the eyes.