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Chapter 414: Inception

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Second, the “best event” = history corrects itself.

Even if the players went back in time, they would only be there as “spectators” and although they are able to interact with the universe, no matter how much they tried to change everything, as long as it was on a tolerable degree, since [history] is already written, then it will always correct itself.

Third, the “worst event” = paradox.

Yes, players are not part of the game’s codes and should ultimately not be affected by its history; but what if they can be?

What if changing history also changes what they knew of what happened and what other people in the real world knew of history?

This creates a conflict between “what was” and the “what is” of the said time-traveling player.

It may only be a case isolated to the player, but the fact remains that he thought and believed he was part of and had changed his original time’s history, thus making said player ‘crazy’ to the eyes of rest of the world.

A few worst cases of this circumstance is where their real world lives are affected.

What is the scariest poison in existence —both as a person of the real world and as an NPC?

. —idea—

When this paradoxical “idea” of living a history very different to what the real world know of, it will be a detrimental ‘fact’ hard to swallow for the patient.

Siva understood it very well.

The reason was because even before he played the game, his family suffered from people who are suffering from a case close to this example.

For them, Terroa was the real world and that it was so immersive and so addictive that they thought his family deprived them of their right to go back to the “real world” by imposing those limits to the game.

They thought that the Kingsley Family killed their lives in the “Real World” and trapped them in this horrifying “reality” where they don’t have magic, and that they belonged to the group of people that can be seen at the bottom of society’s economical food chain. It was a horrible but very accurate way to describe their situation.

Siva was afraid of this third case happening to him and so understood why it seemed that this ‘item’ was sealed away by the Zodiac Sisters in a very far away location from their own Star Systems.

If what he thought was true, then this device was a bane to this universe… like a tumor… the more it is used, the greater the damage it cause to the entire universe’s overall stability.

Considering the filth accumulated because of the Demons’ Corruption that will never be cleansed in the universe’s [memories], this device will only further stir the filth that the universe was already in the verge of collapse just trying to endure.

The balance was already broken and if Siva, the one who should be tilting back the weight, were to stir up the waters in the bucket, who know just what kind of horrors he could create?

What if he causes a butterfly effect?

Because there was Cortana monitoring his memory and his mental health, he wasn’t afraid of losing his way out of the illusion of the paradox… what he is afraid of is causing a Butterfly Effect.

What if the Devils that should have died were alive when he goes back to the present?

What if he misses his time jump and landed on a time very far away from the war 56 years ago?

What if he causes her to die again, albeit on a way much different from before because ‘history’ was correcting itself?

Siva dearly wished to be reunited with her… but he was afraid that if he fought against history, it will be the very cause of the collapse of world itself.

What if he did changed history… what if it caused the Asgard to vanish?

Siva was considering the paths he should be taking from where he was seated.

Gaia looked at Siva who was shaking his legs due to the extent of his worries. He himself wasn’t even aware that his shaking had caused the two girls to look at him in concern.

“Rex…” placing a warm hand on his right arm, the soft placating voice of Scion made Siva open his eyes and look at her, smiling.

“I’m sorry. I lost it.”

Gaia said, “Based alone on what I’ve experienced, I am aware that using this device had its dangers but few and close to nothing about its benefits. In fact, in terms of its practicality, aside from being an item that can be used to sight see on events in the past, there are no more practical uses for it.”

A gentle hand traveled from his arm to his hand. A voice so soft and so gentle, it could melt his bones traveled to Siva’s ears from the side.

“Rex, the real reason why this device is brought up is because of your mission to find Zeta. Why don’t you just focus on this task and think about the rest of your goals after?”

Siva bit his lower lip and looked at Scion. How can he be not aware of where this suggestion is coming from?

Or was it just him who thought so otherwise?

Was it just his misunderstanding that she was now becoming jealous of Samantha?

—I thought she was okay with it but, like I thought, she’s still a woman after all.

—am I really just a cruel bastard, in spite of all of this?

Siva tightly held her hand and although she was surprised, Scion blushed and relished at the sweet feeling coming from this moment. She lowered her head to hide her reddened cheeks away from her man.

Gaia went on, “Lord Siva… although its dangers are there, if you are careful, there’s a large chance that you can get the information that you need from Zeta through this device. If it’s only asking a few questions and not meddling with the general flow of history, there is a large chance that nothing will go wrong.”

—is it?

Siva can’t help but think otherwise. But then again, thinking back to it, there have been so many flags on his quest so far but none of them have been in any major twist that was out of the expected.

—only MC’s of big-name novels gets an exciting twist to their story… mine was nothing special and was only full of explosions, nothing more……

—maybe I’m not an MC of some author?

—yeah, maybe…

Thinking this far, Siva turned to Scion and in a fit of curiosity unintentionally glanced at the part of her chest making contact with his arm.

—I am not the MC… I am an MC…

Like a mantra, the words repeatedly hammered him inside his head. Then, he turned his gaze at Gaia, repeating the same Mantra over his head… but a little bit louder. Flags? This ain’t one.

He’s not an MC —he reminded himself unfailingly.

[Boss, I thought your will power is stronger than this level… but perhaps I was wrong.]

Cortana, her sense of humour was alright but her sense of timing was disheartening.

—NOTE TO SELF: it wasn’t something that can be trained or calculated methodically.

[If you only wanted to fulfill your curiosity, I can be a better ‘good example’ for the job.]

—the f**k…!!?

‘Let’s stop the talk about flags. It’s depressi—I take that back. What are you doing?’

[Cosplaying.]

‘Why? Who?’

[Ah, boss… your neural levels are rising.]

‘Wearing something like that, it’s a miracle it won’t raise by hundreds of kilometers.’

Cortana wore a veronica eyeglasses and a tight-bun hairstyle with bangs hanging on the sides and paired with a teacher’s short skirt and blazer jacket over a tank top that looked sexy.

She held a binder on her left arm and used her right index to fix her glasses and declared with a serious expression and tone.

‘And who’re you supposed to be cosplaying?’

[Shiraki Meiko!]

‘…’

It was one of those days that Cortana was in one of her character shifts.

[Boss, according to my analysis, there indeed has been no sudden twist in your life and that aside to the tragedy that befell on your family, your struggle has always been a straight line of either forward, to the back, or left or right. According to resources in the Net, a ‘flag’ in an MC’s life can lead to a quick twist in your story that has a 50% chance of making you grab a beautiful woman’s breast or chest… or even something more wonderful.]

Siva felt the shivers.

But then again, Siva noticed something at the very next instant that he processed her words and his thoughts became ‘cold’.

‘Cortana.’

[Boss?]

‘What’s your source?’

[Search results for Single Men’s Issues.]

‘…’

[Initializing mouth shutting sequence…]

.

.

.

Siva felt a headache occurring right now but he did his best to suppress it. But the moments when he was in a stupor didn’t escape Scion’s attention.

“Rex?”

He was woken up from his daze while glancing at Cortana’s deep valley. The uniform was distracting!

“Hm?” he tried to focus at Scion but Cortana was behind Gaia in front of them and she still held that binder while fixing her eyeglasses.

“You’re distracted.” Scion pointed out, looking at Gaia following Siva’s eyes.

Gaia was also confused and looked back. Since Siva and Cortana wasn’t on their stealthy ‘link’ right now and that Cortana had manifested herself thru the game’s visual imagining system, Gaia was able to see her in her current cosplay outfit.

“Oh…” Gaia exclaimed gently and then turned back to drinking her tea.

Scion narrowed her eyes, “Lily.”

With a lazy and seemingly detached look in her tiny face, the “(||_||)”—faced [NavPix – Lily] crawled out from Scion’s cleavage.

It surprised Siva greatly. What the heck…!!

“Lily, is there something behind Gaia?”

[Mother.]

BOOM!! Something exploded from Siva’s mind. He forgot to fine tune this minor ‘detail’ out from Lily’s personality algorithms.

Scion raised a brow, “You mean that Cortana?”

[Yes.]

Lily had an honest child’s face when speaking with Scion but when it was to other people, she was the wary-type who didn’t trust others easily.

Her answer made Siva sweat profusely. She then sent Cortana a ‘link’ message: ‘Fix her now!’

[Yes si…. Huh?]

[I don’t want to.]

There was clearly a command given but for some odd reason, Lily’s reply baffled Siva and Cortana.

—she doesn’t want to?

Siva’s mind worked.

‘Don’t tell me she’s already rebelling?’

[It seems like that sir.]

[Master, Mother said that it wasn’t appropriate for me to tell you about her right now, but I already told you and everyone about her so I think it’s too late so I don’t want to follow that useless order.]

Scion: “Mother?”

Gaia: “Master?”

Siva: “…!!”

Cortana: “Useless?”

Both Gaia and Scion were speechless but Gaia is now looking at Lily while voraciously drinking, and not sipping, the tea on her cup while her eyes were reflecting a worrying gleam.

Scion let Lily stand on her joined palms while the tiny girl pointed a merciless finger directly at Siva’s face without reserve as if saying I saw him stealing und**w**r from your clothesline.

For some reason, the pointed finger reminded Siva of the time when Maki pointed this finger at him.

—Don’t tell me that she inherited that finger?

And yet, for some odd reason, as angry as Siva was at Lily, her [finger of guilt] action was adorable even to his supposedly indifferent heart.

Scion turned to Rex, taking note of the word.

“Who is Cortana?”

Siva swallowed. Gaia’s brows twitched and she bid to stand up.

“Stay.” Siva commanded.

Gaia paused. Then suddenly, holding her stomach, she collapsed on the floor and spoke with a pained voice and a pale face… “I feel dizzy. I think I have consumed too much alcohol.”

(—.—##

Siva glared at the woman. Only now did he realize that as great as this Elf’s luck and abilities are, and considering all her years, she was actually really… essentially…… incomparably poor at lying.

For some reason, this reminded him of Eleanor’s sense of obliviousness to her surroundings.

—you two were like twin sisters!

Siva’s mental teeth cursed the words in between its grinding.

Right now, even if his sweat glands were disabled by the curse, Siva could still feel coldness draping over his entire back.

“Rex.” a cold voice came from beside him, “Who is Cortana.” and this time, it wasn’t a question but her command. Siva felt the chill from this level of hot jealousy coming from her shoulders.

In fact, Siva haven’t experienced this kind of heavy feeling before and for some reason, he could even see an “akuma” manifesting on the shadow behind her head despite her smiling expression.

“Errr… I thought—”

Siva’s voice cracked.

—shit. What should I say?

The seconds are fast. Time is running. He needed to say his reply.

[Boss, let me help you!]

‘Good timing! Now, I need options. QUICK!’

After just a moment, Cortana sent a message thru their ‘mental link’ and Siva immediately processed them. It was a list of options he can say as excuse to salvage the situation:

Option 1: Mandy, a meteor fell on the roof!

Tick…

Option 2: I was practicing ventriloquism.

Tock…

Option 3: Huh…? Who is Cortana?

Tick…

Option 4: That was just my level up requirement.

Tock…

Option 5: I hear the world’s going to end tomorrow.

Tick…

Two seconds passed, he can’t delay. In fact, he did not even process anything completely she had sent over and only chose one of them.

“Errr… I thought—” his voice cracked. “—the world is ending tomorrow so I thought I’d level up by practicing ventriloquism like a meteor on the roof.”

………and he went for 5, 4, 2, and 1… together.

“…”

“…”

“Huh?”

“Uhhhhh….”

Siva was mentally sweating. His words already flew before he managed to process them.

—what did I just say?!!

“So, who is Cortana?” eventually, Scion was either too slow or she’s too kind to mind his lying. But he knew he can’t dodge the question so he cleared a lot of obstructions before speaking with a sigh.

“She’s my assistant.”

A left brow rose.

“She’s my dad’s apprentice… of sorts.”

“…”

“She’s Lily’s, uh, mother....... or something.”

“…”

“I’m telling the truth!”

Siva was becoming defensive and lifted his cup to escape the intent-full quiet gaze. But halfway to his mouth, she asked, “Then, who’s the father?”

Scion’s question made Siva audibly choke from his throat and he glanced at Lily who had her cute little head titled to the side, wondering about the answer to that question as well.

With an awkward voice, Siva told her, “It’s Maki.”

Scion’s eyes widened and she blinked, “I thought Maki was a…” Scion then turned to Gaia who, for an unknown time now, was already on the sofa in front of the two, sipping her tea.

—this cow girl…

Siva inwardly kept cursing.

“Why can’t I see her?”

“It’s because… she doesn’t have a body yet.”

[Mother has yet to ‘possess’ a physical body unlike Lily who was born with it… or so I think… but when Lily is in master’s home, she can’t bring her body over to the other side. Odd…]

Lily’s answer somewhat gave Scion an idea. After all, this is the 2nd century and the people today are not as limited in imagination as the people of the past century.

Scion then looked at Lily adorably, “Is she like you, Lily, who can arrange my online security and also manage electronic gadgets?”

Lily’s dull and childishly expressionless face made an arc-moon smile and proudly, vigorously nodded.

[Mother is a lot better than Lily with everything.]

Scion then looked at Siva, then to Lily, and then to Siva again before narrowing her eyes and pouting at him before stealthily whispering at the little girl.

“Is she...is she pretty?”

“I heard you.”

Scion flinched, “H-How…”

—that face… you’re just like Gaia!

“Girl, we’re inches away from each other.”

“…”

—seriously, you might not show it but you being a bit jealous is much better than making it seem that you’re okay with everything.

Siva was touched by Scion’s naturalness and with a familiar flex, wrapped her right arm around her shoulders and pulled her in to his chest.

Of course she blushed from the embarrassment as there was still Gaia who was making an indifferent expression to this scene in front of them.

Siva eyed the latter, “Please collect the Crystal that was in your care while preparing my requirements to the spell formation and as well as the Zodiac Device.” He said.

“Then I’ll be back immediately.”

With that, Gaia stood up and left the room with her own flash of light, teleporting away directly to a city in the Southern Isles.

Now that the two of them are the only ones in the room, the short warm episode ended and they fell into a quiet sanctuary where only their hearts were present.

With Lily standing ‘questioningly’ at her shoulder, Scion snuggled in his embrace and wallowed into his ‘online’ presence.

She just quietly lay there while Siva enjoyed her scent and her soft circle.

Having a world-class beauty in his arms, it was an impossible task for him to not have ere—reaction.

“Hm? R-Rex… anno……”

“Don’t mind it.”

Scion blushed in embarrassment and smiled with a bright red face. Although it was what she wanted, it was still something inappropriate given her whole upbringing and background as a maiden.

As such, she ended up just sweetly giggling while Siva reprimanded her while she teased.

“You know I’ve already seen it may times, right?”

“Shush!”

*giggles* “Alice too.”

*choke* “Oh God…”

“And the other female staff…”

“Enough!”

“There are even reporters who pretended to be patients to get a pic of your…”

‘God… please… just stop it….”

“Hahahaha….”

—and the two of them made memories.

*****

While the two were spending some good time with a bit of laughter, the world in and outside of Terroa had begun to escalate the commotion in Jeremiah.

The next day…

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