Chapter 2

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My presence is gradually getting farther and farther away. My soul fells like it escaped out of me.
Although I’m not using the VR machine, I’m feeling this usual sensation of using it.
I slowly come to my senses and gently woke up.
Seeing a snow-white room around me was quite unpleasant. This is the sixth time that I’ve seen this room. The starting point of IRURANDE.
I was inside a huge transparent cylinder type container. A lukewarm liquid fills the container making my skin transmit a slimy sensation.

「How do you do, drifting soul. I am in a sense what you call G.o.d!」

A girl with characteristics of having pink hair and a genderless face, a familiar face I’ve always saw within the game’s starting-point.

「Do you understand what I’m saying? Just in case I’ll bestow you the language and common sense of this world. Come, let me hear your voice, your first cry in this world.」

From deep within the self-proclaimed G.o.d was looking very happy.
I opened my mouth. The liquid started to flow inside my mouth but strangely I was still able to breathe.

「h.e.l.lo,world」1

It was my unbreakable rule to always say this in the beginning. I waited for the reply with antic.i.p.ation.
G.o.d as always, blessed your new life and answered.

「You’re always like that, right? sometimes it’s good to change and try something different.」

However, G.o.d said a totally different line unlike from the game was outside his expectation.

「Fufufu, surprised? Until now, was just a game. But, it’s different from this point onward. Well it’s time for you to wake up and see reality. The new life that you yourself has chosen.」

The container started to cracked then it broke, and I was thrown out together with the liquid filling it.

◇　◇　◇

「Err, should I call you Souji? Or is it better if I call you by your in-game name “Cland” that you usually use?」 2

Souji is my real name. Cland is my game character name.

「Souji is fine for me. But, I want to severe the uses of my former real life and anything related.」

「O~K! I understand」

“Memo~♪ Memo~♪” while saying this G.o.d writes my name on the parchment with a quill pen.

「Now, I want to hear something from you?」

「First of all, I want to know if it’s true that this is not a game anymore as you say.」

「Yup, it’s true. It’s not just a game anymore. If I’m gonna put it in you own words then it’s a different world perhaps?」

「I see…」

「Now I understand.」

「After all, without the use of any VR machine I was sent to this world. Also, I want to believe it’s true.」

And I don’t have problems with it, cause in this way I was able to come to IRURANDE.

「Hmm… I understand. In addition, there is only four minutes and thirty seconds left, I usually answer within that time.」

「So that’s it. It’s the time limit.」

「There are limitations on how a G.o.d can meddle on human lives and how much power we can use. I actually used a lot of my power just to bring you here. …Four minutes and ten seconds left… I actually used up my dormant power as well.」

As if that was nothing at all, G.o.d was laughing cheerfully,
If we’re running out of time then I’ll squeeze all my questions.

「First, G.o.d said that this was reality. Then if so, what was the IRURANDE that I was loggin-in so far?」

「That was a game. A simulation of this world that I created using my power. With that game, you have experienced this world’s future. Because I’m the G.o.ddess of fate and future. I’m quite good at this kind of things if I say so.」

Strangely, I was quite convinced by that.
IRURANDE was obviously overwhelming.

「For what reasons, was that game made?」

「Because a hero was necessary to save this world.」

「I don’t get what you meant by that」

「My, my, please calm down. Should I talk in order?」

With those lukewarm eyes directed at me, looks like G.o.d want to say pay more attention. There’s no helping it.

「There is a rule which states that G.o.ds cannot meddle with the world. I cannot make a hero myself. Therefore, first I made a body that has potential to be a hero. That was the soulless homunculus. Because it’s a taboo to create a soul, I first made the flesh. I use all my power to its limit to make the best homunculus and incubated it for six good old years.」

G.o.d with a “Peta~♪Peta~♪Peta~♪” patted the Homunculus=Me, seems to like it very much. 3

「Isn’t it strange. As I’m already used to the game I’ve already known, this homunculus was never strong to begin with. If this doesn’t grow as planned I will be defeated by those hoodlums in that side.」

「Um, yeah. Because originally I cannot make something that would deviate from a human being. If it’s only a human being with a strong vessel, that I can make. 4But, there will be no meaning in doing that. That’s why, I disregard absolute strength and focused on the qualities to its limit. With that the chance of becoming a hero rises」

「Certainly, this homunculus is overflowing with talent.」

「Right?~♪ But I didn’t expect the next problem to be possible. Unless this child grows well, it can’t utilized the power within itself. Talent is just talent. I was troubled as what to do after inserting you soul into this child. 」

I understand. When IRURANDE was still just a game there was almost 200,000 players, even using the homunculus to the limit there where some who was not able to succeed.

「So that is why, that game is like that.」

I have just a single hypotheses on this.

「Maybe, it is like you think it is. Finding the best soul in the game and using it. Only by your worlds logic was this a game, Undertaking selective test of hundred of thousands of players without a sence of incongruity. I disguised this to be just like your fantasy game and let you experience a simulation of this world. And among those people, it was only you who could use the homunculus to it’s best. That’s why I called out to you.」

Such a magnificent speech.
After disguising itself as a game to create a homunculus with the best quality and to look for an appropriate soul, then letting you experience that’s world’s future and finally selecting the best soul from hundred of thousands of players and pulls it toward their world.

「That was an interesting by-product. The magic you created. It’s took three hundred years in order to rise up to the same rank as the standard on this world. It will surely be a help to you 5 When it was still a game, advice from a great magician of this world was heard and information exchange created the structure of the magic development. My choice was spot on.」

「Magic huh, but I can’t access the database anymore.」

If it was the usual I’ll open the menu and access the database to download those magics but I can’t anymore.
The Virtual Development Enviroment for the magic creation manifest inside my mind, but I can’t gather any data.
At this rate the innumerable magic that was created and compiled by different players won’t be available.

「Don’t worry, all the exchanged information and registered magic in the database are all inside you.」

“Ton~♪Ton~♪To~♪” G.o.d was tapping my head.

「Try to recall them, you should know it.」

「Aahhhhh」

One after another, information flooded into my head.
The magic that all the players from the game developed and the Hints-and-Tips acc.u.mulated. And all the information from the real world and information registered in the game rushed to my head.

「If my body is organizing the information, then at least give me an index.」 6

G.o.d sipped her tea while ignoring the me who was suffering with information intoxication.
I force the information down with all my power. And she still didn’t listen.

「This is my game experience, am I right?」

「Well you can say that is correct, and at the same time it’s also wrong. This is the calculated result of taking all the information of this world expanding to its end. 7 Naturally, things may be slightly off.」

「In the end, Why is a hero necessary? What actions should I take.」

「The end is coming, thus the need for a hero. I can’t say what’s gonna happened in the end. Meddling with the system is off-limits to us G.o.ds. In the game you experienced, “The End” was not emulated. So I can’t say what you should do. This is the limit on what can a G.o.d meddle to. I want you to be stronger than anyone else. That’s the only way.」

When G.o.d finished talking I stood up.

「It’s about time. I’m going to take my rest. I hope that you may find happiness in this world. In a sense it’s because you’re my son. And, the money is in the usual place. Good night.」

And she kissed my cheek, and with a smile…. and disappeared.

「Saying such selfish thing and in the end she just disappear.」

I stroke my cheek. The sensation of her lips still remains.
I became motivated.
To the body with the best talent, crystallization of the wisdom of hundreds of thousands of people from the real world was inside.
Surely, even when the “End” comes, I’ll be able to survive.

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