24 Hearts

“Am I truly in my own world?”

It surprised me that I had asked such a question at all. Was I truly considering the possibility of existing within my own game?

Xian remained seated, silent as he held a smile upon his face. At least his silence gave me some time to organize my thoughts. His very existence lent credence to my theory of having been sucked into the game. As to how and why such a thing could occur, I had no inkling.

The person who could provide answers sat directly in front of me. Somehow, he had changed since the first moments I had seen him. No longer did he look handsome, no, now his body had branched out in weird tumorous growths, with decaying flesh stretched loosely over his frame. I bore through the horror that now threatened to swamp my mind as I asked my question:

“My Lord, this reality is… is a game?”

I was thankful that my voice did not tremble too much. Why had I called him Lord, though? I am generally a polite person, yet never before have I called someone else ‘Lord’. On the one hand, he had called me Creator, so perhaps I was returning the respect by using an honorific term. On the other hand, I could strongly sense an aura that surrounded him, an aura that felt as if it was compelling me to respect him. I was surprised when he gave a knowing nod, confirming that I had used his title correctly.

“Truly, it is a sign of you being the Creator, for you instinctively grasped and used my proper form of address. Now, in answer to your question, my first instinct would be to say yes, we are in your game, but the true answer is no, we are not.”

“I fail to understand this, Lord Xian.”

His eyebrows arched in surprise when I once more showed him the courtesy of stating his proper title.

“You can talk to me normally. You have that right, being what you are. To be frank, all this pomp makes me uncomfortable,” he said as he made a placating gesture with his hands.

“Then that’s what I’ll do. Okay, so you’re saying this isn’t a game?”

“Hahaha, well, not completely.”

I did not understand why Xian was laughing. Was my current misery and confusion giving him pleasure? Was this, in fact, some complex and convoluted hidden camera show and I the fool who had been conned through it? I almost shouted these thoughts at him, yet managed to keep my cool.

“Do not give me that look, for I am merely speaking the truth. While this is a… a game, it is also a reality. There are systems that a few can access, and you are the only one who can access them all. In essence, there is little difference between a game and this reality, yet those that live here do not know their reality is a game.”

His explanation sent my head spinning.

“Why am I here and how did I get here?”

“Well, you are calmer about this situation than I had expected you to be. Perhaps you believe this to be an illusion or a dream? I cannot answer such questions yet. For now, the Creator must enjoy his world as if he was playing a game. He must collect all the scattered fragments. Quite simple, is it not?”

He seemed quite certain as to what I had to do in this reality. I still reserved many doubts regarding his statement.

“Why would I want to collect the fragments, even if you say it’s all so simple?”

Xian threw his arms open as if he was orating from atop a stage.

“Oh, Creator! This game is for you, it is your duty and your destiny! To escape this place, the game has to played. You have to gather the fragments of Pernen’s heart and claim your place as his heir. Only then can you leave, for such is the fate that you have created for yourself.”

I was simply dumbstruck.

“I promise you one thing, oh Creator. If you succeed here, you shall gain great power and wealth in your original reality. But know this: You have little say in this matter. I will force you to follow your destiny, even if this leads you to hold a grudge toward me.”

“And what happens if I die here, or if I fail to collect all the fragments? Will I be trapped here for all time?”

“Ah, if you die, the game restarts and you have to collect each and every fragment once again, regardless of your previous progress. While your status as Creator grants immense potential powers to the body you inhabit, my educated guess is that you shall die, and that you shall die countless times,” he stated with a smile. His gaze then turned to the ground as he muttered some words under his breath, finally nodding as if a decision had been reached.

“Very well, I shall bend realities and aid you in the following manner: If you collect a fragment, a save will be created from where you can continue after dying.”

Xian reached into his pocket and took out a small bag.

“Secondly, I now grant you this pouch. You will not be able to open it, for it will only briefly open on the day of your fifteenth birthday. Do not lose this pouch.”

He attempted to stand, wishing to give me what he held, yet somehow he could not muster enough strength to pull himself up. Incredulous, he gave a withering glance at his legs.

“Oh. It looks like there were unforeseen complications in transferring myself into this body.”

Beneath his breath, he started to chant a few muttered words that meant nothing to me. When he attempted to stand once more, he did so with consummate ease. It was only then that I realized how tall he was and how young I was. Xian went down upon his knee, coming to my level as he handed me the pouch. As it touched my palm, I sensed immense power radiating from it. He then proceeded to hold his hand over me in benediction.

“Finally, I grant you my protection. Know this: you need to be stronger to be able to use this blessing to its full extent. I apologize for placing such restrictions upon it, yet I trust that you will understand when the time has come,” he said as an arcane power radiated from his hand. It flowed through me, and it felt amazing. A sudden sadness came to him then, and he struggled to look me in the eye.

“You can blame me for everything. Once it is all done with, I will place my life in your hands. Until that time, all that matters is collecting the fragments.”

Once again, his words had struck me dumb as I tried to guess at the hidden meaning of his utterance.

“The journey will be tough and you will experience great pain, both physically and mentally. You might get worn down. Please, Creator, know that I wish only for you to enjoy the game. Until we meet again.”

He motioned with his hand and simply faded into nothingness.

Find joy in playing this game? Bullshit. How did this happen?

I reached out with my hand to the spot where Xian had been mere seconds before, feeling nothing but air. I promptly proceeded to slump down on the bed with a sigh. It must have been hours ago that I had celebrated my newfound wealth after dealing with Company K. A nagging doubt that I would never return to the plane known as the earth started to grow inside my mind. My friends, my family… my computer! The two years that I had spent in the army and the turmoil it had caused in my life… had it all been for nothing? Complaining about things never achieved anything. I knew this.

This reality was, well, reality. The realization did not shock me that much anymore. I had expected to be utterly distraught, and yet for some reason, I was okay.

With a sigh, I decided to explore the parameters of this world, starting with my body. There was no visible or tactile method by which I could input commands, yet the mere thought of my status summoned the holographic window, which, in essence, was my character sheet.

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「Player Status」

[Name: Judah Arche]

[Title: None]

[Level: 1]

[Specialization: Black Claw _ Shadow Magic Swordsman (Hidden_A)]

[Number of resurrections: 0]

[Strength: 20(D) / Potential A]

[Health: 15(F) / Potential S]

[Agility: 15(F) / Potential SS]

[Magic: 30(D) / Potential B]

[Magical Resistance: 50(C) / Potential S]

[Luck: 75(B) / Potential A] ◀ Special]

[Points remaining: 0]

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My mouth was agape as I read my new name.

“Judah Arche? Wait a fucking second… Are you serious?” I shouted at the top of my lungs, still staring at the display before me as I broke into hysterical laughter. My god, I was Judah the Judas. I should have recognized his face the moment I had picked up the mirror. It seemed that, of all the great variety of characters I could have been, Xian had chosen Judah Arche as my path.

I stared at the display, wishing for the letters to change into some other name, yet this did not occur. I remained Judah, the rival of the protagonist in my game. He was skillful and had great attributes, and even had the looks, yet the thing that Judah Arche lacked most was luck. His female companions were all torn from him during the story, and in the end, the protagonist betrays him.

The short of it was that Judah had collected fragments of Pernen’s heart and had it sanctioned by the temple, a thing which the protagonist could never have done. In the end, the protagonist steals all the fragments from Judah. I made him as a way to keep the story interesting and to act as a stepping stone for the main character’s rise to power.

I had created Judah Arche as a foil.

I had set him up to fail from the start.

I am Judah Arche.

* * *

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Hint 1: Traits and skills are given to all NPCs who start off with five slots. You can complete Quests and earn achievements to open additional slots for special NPCs. The maximum number of available slots is 10.

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「Player Status」

[Name: Judah Arche]

[Title: None]

[Level: 1]

[Specialization: Black Claw _ Shadow Magic Swordsman (Hidden_A)]

[Number of resurrections: 0]

[Strength: 20(D) / Potential A]

[Health: 15(F) / Potential S]

[Agility: 15(F) / Potential SS]

[Magic: 30(D) / Potential B]

[Magical Resistance: 50(C) / Potential S]

[Luck: 75(B) / Potential A] ◀ Special

[Points remaining: 0]

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