When Nyx had caused a commotion earlier, dozens of onlookers looked on in confusion: some on the verge of laughter, others preparing to ask questions. But before anything could escalate, the innkeeper and the frivolous adventurer swiftly came to her aid. With just a sharp glare from the fiery red-haired innkeeper, the crowd immediately dispersed, returning to their daily lives as if nothing had happened, unwilling to risk incurring her wrath.
Of course, there was one person even the innkeeper couldn't control, and that man seemed to be laughing hysterically.
"Hey, Young Miss! Hahaha! What an entrance! Hahaha!" he laughed frivolously like a madman, slamming his leather-covered thighs.
Normally, the momentary glances from those around her and the laughter of the frivolous adventurer would usually annoy her, but this time she felt like dying, and heat rose on her face.
In the first place, the reason she fell down the stairs was that her original body on Earth was relatively tall. Because of that, she completely miscalculated when stepping down. On top of that, she was still momentarily dazed from the sensation of just having used magic.
Which ultimately led to her social demise.
'...Damn it, why do bad things keep happening?' Nyx grumbled.
"Are you really alright, Young Miss?" The innkeeper said softly, concern etched across her face.
After all, when the innkeeper saw Nyx's grumbling expression, she was slightly worried. It looked like she was in pain. But after a closer inspection, she noticed the red tint on Nyx's ears, she couldn't help but find it adorable... her lips resisted curling up
"...Yes, I'm completely fine."
Even though Nyx had fallen from a decent height and rolled down ungracefully, her body was completely unscathed—no broken bones or twisted limbs, unlike what would've happened back on Earth.
'...I've also increased my status when I watched a fragment of the original Nyx.'
Nyx was seated at the front counter of the inn, with the innkeeper behind it and the frivolous adventurer at her side. So, when Nyx, who had been sitting upright, suddenly slumped forward out of embarrassment and rested her forehead against her forearm on the counter, the innkeeper couldn't contain her emotions any longer.
"You're just too adorable, I can't!" She voiced out her excitement, unrestrained.
'Gahh! I need to change the topic fast!' Nyx grumbled internally, feeling as though her head might split open if this continued any longer.
She rose from her slumped position and straightened her back, as she asked in a composed tone, " Umm, why do you keep calling me 'Young Miss'?"Her voice and expression were composed, but the deep red coloring of her earlobes made her embarrassment all too obvious
Still, the innkeeper had already gotten enough reaction from her, so she just smiled at the realization, and answered seriously.
"You're from a noble family, aren't you, young miss? Also, regarding your appearance, personally, I think you are very cu... I-I mean young!" She fumbled, at least she tried.
Nyx pretended not to hear, then turned her gaze to the adventurer.
"For me, I just went along with it."
The frivolous adventurer said nonchalantly with a thin smile, as if the laughing session moments ago had never happened.
"...Ehem. First of all, just to clarify—I'm eighteen years old. And secondly, I'm not a noble and I don't have a last name..." She said in a sharp and serious tone, making sure to clear up any misunderstandings. '...Probably.'
The innkeeper and the frivolous adventurer exchanged surprised glances, especially the frivolous adventurer. Then, when the innkeeper was about to reply, the frivolous adventurer cut her off.
"...Eh? For real?! You're a young lady instead of a Young Miss?! You're making me sad here... I'm 24 years old, and I'm in my prime!" The adventurer said, as he then proceeded,d dramatically slumped in place, letting out a heavy sigh.
"Kuuh, genetics are cruel!"
Someone retorted, someone that was annoyed that her words had been cut off by the man.
"...You're just ugly, stupid."
The adventurer completely slumped in defeat.
On the other hand, Nyx was bewildered by the man's reaction. She couldn't keep it out of her mind.
'...I mean, I guess I'm pretty short... too short for my own good, actually. And my appearance seems... fine? Beautiful, even...'
She was genuinely puzzled. She didn't care that much about appearances to begin with, and her appearance didn’t look underage by her standards either.
Her thoughts were cut off by the sudden action of the innkeeper.
"Ah, by the way, young miss—speaking of names, we're sorry for not introducing ourselves earlier. We kind of got carried away, ahem!"
She regained her composure, her voice shifting into a more formal tone.
"Let me do it properly this time. My name's Julia, and I'm a commoner. I bought this inn with the money I earned during my years as an adventurer."
She then pointed to the man sitting beside her.
"And this guy over here is Nelson. He's a 3rd-grade adventurer and pretty well-known around here, especially in the outskirts of the kingdom."
"Pleasure to meet you, Young Miss."
Nelson, the adventurer, said a carefree tone.
"My name is Nyx. Also, please call me that starting from now..."
"Alright, Young Miss!"
Julia, the innkeeper, said with a wide smile.
The status window popped up like a bolt of thunder, jolting her senses awake.
"...Sigh. I'm hungry, so could I please order?"
Nyx resigned to her fate and just moved on from the matter.
Afterwards, Julia happily brought over food for Nyx. Despite her earlier claim that it wouldn't be free, everything Nyx was served came at no cost. She accepted it with reluctance, but appreciated it deeply.
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The streets were lined with wooden houses, some even made of concrete, but most stood only one story tall, unlike the towering buildings you'd see back on Earth.
Though this was the outskirts, a distant golden castle could still be seen in the center, towering over everything else. Surrounding it all were the kingdom's outer walls, reaching 30 meters high, enclosing the entire kingdom.
True to its name as the outskirts, the citizens living here didn't appear wealthy. Some kids ran around playing tag, while the adults wore simple tunics, aprons, or leather clothing, just like the kind you'd expect to see in a typical fantasy RPG.
Two kids, dressed in simple tunics and who looked like brothers, were playing tag on the concrete streets, though it seemed like they were in the middle of a small argument.
"Hey! You're tagged! Why am I still the one who's it?"
The younger one retorted.
"Hahaha! What are you gonna do about it? Cry?"
The older one mocked his younger brother, his face filled with dominance.
So, the younger one did his ultimate move.
"...Sniffs, uwaaah! Mother! Brother's cheating!"
Crying.
"...Oh, alright."
Their mother quickly arrived at the scene, angry.
"Hey! What did you do to your brother?"
Instantly leading to his demise.
"...Uhh no!"
"No talking back! You're the older one!"
The younger showed a little smirk while crying, with his eyes saying, "that's what you get."
There, Nyx was watching the whole thing, letting out an awkward laugh. Yet, for some reason, tension was visible across her face.
"Haha... How devious."
Nyx stepped out of the inn for a "walk," using the excuse that she needed to let her stomach settle. She couldn't exactly say that she was going out to explore the new world she was currently residing in either.
Julia had given her so much food that she couldn't refuse and ended up eating all of it. It also worked out in her favor, though she might not need to do so in the first place and could just come out like a normal person.
"...To be fair, walking outside the streets after a meal is also something I genuinely enjoyed back on Earth."
She reminisced in her thoughts.
But this time, she had other reasons for doing it.
Nyx looked at her status window with a grim expression.
Mission Log Updated!Mission: Find the Fated IndividualReward: ???
Nyx's heart raced, her rationality clouded by rising anxiety.
While she was eating at the inn, the status window suddenly popped up and along with it, a golden trail of light appeared, visible only to her. No one else seemed to notice it, confirming it was something only she could see.
'...Who in the world could cause a skill so high-level that even the system can't evaluate its rewards?'
Her face twisted into a grimace at the thought, countless assumptions flooding her mind. She gulped down her saliva, anxiety visible on her face.
Then, she had wandered far: down dark alleys, empty streets, and abandoned buildings that only added to her ever-growing anxiety.
"...Damn it, what in the world is happening?"
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After a while, she arrived at her destination—a hill with a beautiful view of the sunset.
Colorful flowers bloomed across the grassy patches, and the golden trail led to a young man standing at the edge of the hill.
His face was remarkably handsome, with sharp features cast in the golden light of the setting sun. His alabaster skin glowed softly, his icy blue hair swayed in the wind, and his tall frame, around 6'2" ft, stood dignified. Yet, his eyes were completely devoid of emotion.
The wind howled quietly, and a gentle breeze enhanced the even more silent atmosphere. Yet the man didn't move, as if frozen in time.
Thump, thump, thump
Nyx's feet started running on their own. Her body reacted before her mind could catch up. She raised her right hand and cast her magic at the man.
Regardless, she still kept on trying over and over again while her feet kept on running as fast as she possibly could.
Until a miracle happened.
The User's emotion has reached a certain threshold.Amplified Emotion -> FearEffect: Full Mana Recovery
Completely disregarding the miracle out of her own emotion.
She focused all her senses on the man’s back, pulling with her will like a magnet. Even if it consumed all her mana, she just needed one moment.
As the man started to jump off, his body was mysteriously pulled and his wide shoulders crashed into hers, causing both of them to fall and scatter on the ground.
Haah... haah.. haah...
Nyx gasped for air, her heart pounding harder than ever. She looked like someone who had just run a marathon.
'...Haaah, what the hell! I-I don't understand anything anymore.'
Actually, she had a suspicion from the very the moment she realized the man was about to jump off the cliff.
And with that, a dangerous idea popped into her mind.
'I don't know if I'll be coming out alive with this...'
Nyx's breathing started to stabilize, and her gasping completely stopped, true to the SS-rank trait Hollow-Born.
She then looked at the man beside her. He was breathing, alive. But his body lay still, like a broken doll.
'...I have no choice. This will keep on happening again in the future.'
She steeled herself as words parted from her lips,
"How is life," Nyx said, her voice composed and heavy, "Regressor?" She spoke, one that carried weight, as if she knew far more than she let on.
The grassy patches rustled, and clarity slowly seeped through to the his eyes. His body, once limp like a broken doll, began to move, and his expression twisted in complete shock, as if he'd just heard something utterly unbelievable.
And in a flash—
Nyx, who had been sitting, was now lying down in the patch of grass, her wrist bound by the man's hands. His body hovered above her.
"...Who are you?"
His eyes and voice were cold as ice. His face froze over with a blank, terrifying calm. His words carried a portion of killing intent.
Nyx, despite being restrained, remained calm. She had expected this. And even if she wanted to resist, all her strength had been drained by the tension moments ago.
"...Let's ta—"
Whoosh
A relatively powerful, yet controlled gust of air slammed the young man's body.
A rustling sound could be heard from the bushes, and a familiar figure emerged.
"Hey now~ Young romance does get pretty heated up, huh? To be honest, I am only here to observe... but, it seems like something dangerous is going down."
The adventurer said in his usual carefree tone, walking slowly as he closed the distance between them.
Nyx stood up from where she had been pinned and tried to reason with the frivolous adventurer.
"N-no, I'm fine. You don't need to—"
"Young miss, no, Young Nyx... You may not know, but that man let out a killing intent. And more importantly, that young man over there had some rather disturbing rumors. Months ago, they said that he suddenly stopped moving as if his soul was sucked away. Now he's suddenly moving and letting out a killing intent?"
Nyx let out a complicated expression. She was aware of the risk from the very beginning, yet it was a risk she was willing to take. After all, that man would never kill an innocent.
Nelson noticed Nyx’s complicated expression, yet he remained resolute.
"I may not know the circumstances, Young Nyx, but that young man over there is currently mentally unstable. So what can I do? Hahaha."
Then the face of Nelson, the 3rd-grade adventurer, completely turned dark.
"I'll beat some sense into that kid for roughly handling a lady. Isn't that right?"
The young man with icy blue hair stood up with an annoyed expression on his face, and looked like he was grabbing something in the air itself.
Nelson’s tone dropped, as cold as ice.
"The sole Heir of Aldyvorn... Cael Aldyvorn."
The protagonist of the game Echoes of the Fallen Sun.
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| Chapter 5 - Turning Point