Chapter 90 Kaiden... Katley?
"Alright! With this, the second part of the event is coming to an end!" A yippie cheer sound echoed in the room, accompanied by a burst of sparkling confetti that showered everyone with vibrant colors. "The idea is the next..."
Above Dante's head, a thought bubble materialized; in it, a poorly made drawing that appeared to be made in kindergarten with crayons showed everyone scattered in different locations and their stick-figure forms surrounded by playful, swirling lines. "We appear!
The thought bubble crumpled up like a piece of paper, dissipating with a rustling sound, revealing another sketch behind it. And now a stickman that resembled Dante was grabbing everyone with its outstretched stick arms, "We teleport everyone to a safe place!
The stick figures were now joyfully raising their arms, surrounded by a rain of flying streamers and confetti. "We get together!" With a playful pop, the bubble exploded, sending cloud fragments scattering everywhere, and he continued, "And remember, you can message us. If we don't respond, we're probably busy. Even if it's quite unlikely, something might just happen that makes him take a detour from the main plan."
In approximately 10 minutes, the first part of the event will end, and the second part shall begin, teleporting everyone to a new place.
He could feel the rain of ideas buzzing just beneath the surface, and he knew that he had just started learning how to use his abilities. To truly understand and master his new abilities, he would need to push himself further.
Perhaps going into a random world and fighting strong enemies will do the job. Only through these challenges could he commit and understand the extent of his limits.
He began to wonder what kind of world he would find himself in next time. Would it be a fantasy world filled with magical creatures and magic? Or perhaps a futuristic sci-fi world abounding with advanced technology and alien lifeforms? He thought, 'Thalassa and Daniel might come fancy there!'
Just thinking about it was thrilling. Each probable door opened more doors and windows, sparking his imagination. Would he land in a world he recognized or be left to wander into an entirely unknown universe?
Perhaps he should go with the mission of the system; it would be easier to convince everyone that he comes from an otherwordly place where their world was merely one of many written by some unseen author or doing those weird missions like killing a priestess or go to the MLP world and farm the experience of doing those simple missions.
His brainstorming was interrupted by a delicate flutter of wings that didn't come from Su Yuan. Rather, it was a butterfly, a seemingly ordinary yet captivating butterfly, that landed gently on his hand. "Oh, hello there, little one!" he greeted the butterfly warmly. You came too late, as I am about to fade, but wish me good luck!"
The butterfly wasn't unique or anything; it was a common butterfly, yet it somehow managed to catch his attention. Perhaps it was the beautiful design or just Pinkie Pie's inherent curiosity that often led him to appreciate the small wonders of the world.
The cold voice of the system echoed inside everyone, "Ten seconds left before being teleported."
Dante turned to his friends, who stood beside him; with a confident grin, he waved and called out, "See you soon!"
As the final ten seconds ticked down, Dante felt the familiar pull of teleportation magic surge through him. Without even thinking twice, he immediately jumped into action to gather all of his friends.
First, he went for Thalassa because she was the closest to his position. Next came James, followed by Su Yuan, and then Daniel. Each appearance was a brief flash from everyone else perspective, and just as Dante got ready to bring Elizabeth into the team, an unexpected voice broke through the air, halting him mid-motion.
A voice, both familiar yet tinged with a strange unfamiliarity, rang out. "Hello, Dante~h! I didn't expect you to attend this event... When I spotted you, I had to split from my team just to say hi. And trust me, they won't be quite happy about that. So, to cut to the chase, I'm in a bit of a rush."
Dante's heart skipped a beat,. Amix of joy and surprise filled his face as he exclaimed, "Kaiden Katley, long time no see!" He quickly materialized a pair of tasty cupcakes to share with her. But as he stepped closer, an unseen weight seemed to hold him back, like a shadow, an inexplicable cold reluctance crept over him.
Despite Katley's seemingly cheerful demeanor on the outside, Dante couldn't shake the sudden feeling of nothingness that abruptly gripped him. As he looked at her, an unfamiliar and obscure aura seemed to emanate from her.
But this delved his mind to another question...
"
W
H
Y
?
!
"
She didn't emanate any kind of danger; simply, there wasn't any type of malice nor traces of hostility in her posture; whenever his senses tried to pick up any kind of negative emotion, he just found a blank, featureless landscape being filled with ABSENCE.
Yet... it was this absence, this palpable void, this disconcerting emptiness that left Dante feeling unnerved and uncertain.
Her recognizable otherworldly hair flew with the air and shone brightly thanks to the sun, with the colors shifting like a liquid that reflected Dante's face as she calmly spoke, "We met before you entered the event... but yeah, long time!"
As these two were just exchanging James felt extreme puzzlement, he felt the sensation of already meeting the girl in front of him, "Haven't... we meet earlier?"
Kaiden analyzed her from toe to head, not everyone realized it but Dante managed to see slight surprise from her, "Nope! first time we meet!" she seemed slightly fascinated by his reaction as she even took notes.
Katley's inscrutable gaze remained fixed on him, her smile never faltering. "What's the matter, you seem a little wary of me," Her words sliced through the tension like a knife. "Did I do something to make you uncomfortable towards your persona?"
...
...
...
What exactly is a lie?
Well, according to common sense and what we know, it could be simplified to 'it's a fact that isn't a truth.'
But this nudges us toward a deeper question: What is truth?
Again, to not delve too deep, let's go by 'something in accordance with facts or reality.'
Now, with these definitions in mind, imagine someone telling everyone that the middle finger is a symbol of peace.
Of course, you, I, and practically everyone else would know that this statement is false.
But consider this scenario:
Imagine raising a son in complete isolation, hidden deep in the woods. You're his only link to the world. You teach him everything, including that the middle finger means peace. And for him, this belief is as solid as the earth beneath his feet.
Then, one day, he steps into society. He uses the middle finger, thinking it conveys peace.
Is he lying?
The answer is no...
.
..
...
Because that's the only truth he knows
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Authors note:
Isn't this a bit rushed?
...
...
...
Since chapter 14... That's all I have to say.