Mature Content Warning: A mild bit of bad language

Author's Note: This chapter segment is shorter than normal, but it is the end of the chapter and it provides some important stuff. :)

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Chapter 42.3: Upgrades and Understandings

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It was an uncommon event. He rarely drank alcohol, but somehow it felt right. Scott sat on the front porch of the mountain cabin and gazed out into the distance. The mountains ringing the area provided a beautiful scenic backdrop.

“Hey, did you know that there is a hot spring resort on that mountain over there.” said Gambol. He pointed to a mountain in the distance.

“No I didn’t. Have you been?” asked Scott.

The ninja master nodded. “Once, but I was never given the chance to actually enjoy the place.”

“Why not?”

Gambol shrugged. “I was on a job. It ended and I had to go.”

“Can you talk about it?” asked Scott.

Laughter was Gambol’s first response. “Sure, it’s not like any of this is real.”

Scott blinked. “What do you mean?”

Gambol shook his head. “Well, to the people here it’s real. So, there is that... I meant being a ninja, human, all of that.”

Scott nodded once then looked to the one of the other mountains for a moment. Sometimes he forgot the truth of this world. Everything here was made to be a game for a group of gods to play around. There were so many questions that he wanted to ask, but he did not know if he truly wanted to know the answer. Still, he did have those questions.

“Gambol, can you tell me something?” asked Scott.

“I can try.” said the ninja master.

Scott lifted his head and looked to the sky for a moment then looked back down at the mountains in the distance. “What is Origin hiding from me?”

The ninja master blinked then looked closely. “What do you mean?”

The Noob sorcerer shook his head. “I don’t know... I just get the feeling that there is something that she has not told me yet.”

“Like what?” asked the ninja.

“I thought that she had told me everything, but every now and then I will mention something about the future and she will smile for a moment then she’ll get this weird look and turn away.”

Gambol rubbed his chin for a moment. “She told you about her, right?”

“She’s told me a bit. I don’t doubt that there is a lot more to learn, though.” said Scott.

Gambol nodded. “True, and she has been dealing with those idiots on the board of late, too.”

“Hmm?” asked Scott.

“Oh, you don’t know about that?” asked Gambol.

“I’m not sure. She might have said something.” said Scott.

“Ah, well the board is giving Origin and her family a lot of crap lately. Profits took a slight drop, I think, and whenever that happens they start wanting to stick their finger in ARS and fiddle with the world settings.”

“I take it that is not a good thing?”

“No, it’s not. They’re a bunch of suits who don’t even play games, if you can believe it. Every time they get involve the place gets wrecked and the whole world needs to be rebooted.”

“What happens to the people living here?” asked Scott. A shudder skittered along his spine. He could already guess what would happen.

“Most of them die. The few who are left often wish they had. Everything changes and it is rough. Divine intervention won’t work until the new system is in place, so decades tend to pass before even basic healing magic works again.”

“What? Are you serious?” asked Scott. He could not believe what he was hearing. Gambol had casually explained that a bunch of guys were casually deciding on implementing the end of the world and hell on ARS.

“Yeah, it’s happened a few times. It sucks too. Everything changes, and not necessarily for the better.”

Scott looked down at the ground. Was that what was going to happen? Would a bunch of assholes casually decide to end the world? Rhea had mentioned a few things here and there, but she had never gone into detail.

“Don’t be so down about it guy. Maybe you’ll win.” said Gambol with a smile.

Scott blinked then stared at him. “Win...? What would I be winning?”

Gambol tilted his head to the side. “You don’t know?”

“No...”

“Oh! Well, you’re the champion of Origin, right?” asked Gambol.

“Yeah, I think so. She kept saying I was her champion...” said Scott.

Gambol laughed then shook his head. “No, no... Well yes, but no.”

Scott looked at the ninja master. What was he on about?

“You don’t know?” asked Gambol in surprise.

“No... Probably not.” said Scott.

Gambol grinned. “You’re the champion of Origin, not just your girlfriend but the company itself.”

“What does that mean...?” asked Scott. He had a glimmer of a thought, but he did not want to assume things.

“You’re the central combat figure who’s destined to battle the forces of the board in order to defend the current world setting.”

“Are you serious? You can’t be serious!” exclaimed Scott.

Gambol smiled. “If you win, the world goes on. If you lose, the world will be brought to ruin and people will live in a constant nightmare for the rest of their short and horrible lives.”

“The hell...?” asked Scott. His eyes widened slowly. What did that great grinning ninja just say to him? He had not just told him something that insane.

“No pressure, right?” Gambol laughed cheerfully.

Scott’s left eyelid began to twitch spastically. When Rhea returned he had a few choice questions to ask her. This... He didn’t even know where to start with whatever this mess was, and he wanted to know his real part in it.