chapter 1

After the two was sent flying through the rift of worlds itself and entered the light zone, they were blinded by the suddenly changed in light for a brief moment.

"Can't that system manager stop being such an ass for once?!" Leonard lamented as he rubbed his eyes and try his best to regain his previously lost vision.

"Sachi, are you alright?" he then shifted his attention onto Sachi and asked her.

"Yeah, I think I'm ok...I guess, never really had any experience traveling through worlds before." she too, out of instinct gently rubbed her eyes as the change in environment was too blinding of an experience.

"But are we there yet? We should be, right? I mean we're not moving anymore." she then added.

However it was met with silence as Leonard did not answer her, out of confusion- she opened her eyes.

Instantly Sachi was greeted with Leonard face which fills with surprise and awe.

"Hmm?" she was confused, slowly she turned her gaze to where Leonard was looking.

It was there that the sight of a majestic city entered her sight.

"Oh my god...it is...beautiful." she couldn't help but comment at the sight of the majestic city, a work of arts, the city of Technology infused with magic itself.

The two of them quickly surveyed their surrounding- only to notice that they were on top of a large Pyramid towered toward the heaven itself.

[Welcome to the Crossroad of Worlds: you have 4 hours and 59 minutes left before you are forcefully transported back to your world, please enjoy the time that you have left (psst, of course, you can extend your stay time through the use of achievement point- 1,000 points for 1 hour)]

The system message informed him.

However, he almost vomited a cup of blood after looking at the last note that the system gave out. "What kind of shit is this?! This is a scam!! I tell you! This is a scam!" Leonard inner chibi shrieked as he saw the note.

"...is it even legal for the system to pull these type of scam?" Leonard lamented in a low tone of voice.

"You see a weird message interface too, Leonard?" it was then that Sachi asked him.

"Oh yeah- hold it...you mean you can see it too?" Leonard turned to her and asked in surprise- as far as he knows, he was the only that manage to see that system interface thus far, even the people that came back with him from the second world don't have it.

"Oh wait...I think I can cook up a reason why...your digital avatar has merged with your real body...so I guess that part of the Cardinal system also influenced you as well...congratulation, you just received a pseudo cheat cheat out of all this mess." it was then that he remembered the fact that Sachi real body has merged with her online avatar, he can only guess as that was the reason- maybe it is that system manager also had a hand in all of this- erm...light yeah...had a light in all of these messes.

"I think we should spend our time wisely while we're here, let not be idle and head down to the city, I am eager to see what the multiverse had to offer." Leonard stood up while dusting his pant and extend a hand to help Sachi and pulled her up onto her feet.

"Yeah, I'm curious too, let go."

The both of them walked down the stone stairway while holding hands.

Along the way of the endless stairway.

"Leonard, can you tell me about that skill you use at the end? The one that turned you into a shadow and makes you look all crazy and insane?" Sachi finally got curious about Leonard skill at the end of the Sword Art Online world and asked him.

"Oh, you mean Void Form?" Leonard scratched his cheek lightly as he asked.

"Uhm...is that what it called? Why is it look so...dangerous? For a moment I thought I saw another you- but more crazy and evil…" Sachi asked him nervously after remembering the crazy and evilness that Leonard had radiated for a brief moment during the twilight of the fight between him and Akihiko Kayaba.

"You felt that...I guess that skill was even crazier than I expected, you right- that skill is quite crazy and evil...when I'm in that form- it actually connected me to the evil and darkness of the void- which can somewhat warp my personality to that of the extreme while I'm in that form…in exchange for the raw power of course...not a bad trade-in when it's the moment." he shrugged.

"How do you feel...when you use that skill?" Sachi asked while slightly tighten her grip on his hand, maybe she felt afraid.

"Well...if I had to describe the feeling, it would be...refreshing? Unrestrained- perhaps is a better word to describe my feeling when I hop into that form- and maybe a bit of madness mixed into that mess as well," he replied.

That was the rough description of the shadow priest void form back in the game that he once played, transforming one body into that of the void in exchange for power( include boost of speed and shadow damages) however- unexpectedly in this world- or likely in Leonard case, it somewhat warped his personality, just like that of the NPCs in the game.

Of course, it was nothing too damages to his own mind, but he guessed that it somewhat freaked out Sachi

"Please...refrain from doing that in the future… don't use it unless it is the last option...can you promise me that on that one?" she stopped and looked at him with sad eyes.

"uhm...I guess that is doable...since I can probably hold my own against most people who wanted me dead back in my homeworld." Leonard scratched his cheek lightly once again as he remembered that his strength was now rivaled that of many powerhouses in the backwater kingdoms- he still had absolutely no idea about the strengths of the Empire and the land beyond that though.

"Uhm, you promised." Sachi leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before dragging him down the stairway quickly and into the majestic city that was down below.

*****

When the both of them arrived in the central area of the city itself, the both of them were stunned speechless, the district itself looks like that of any major city back in their own respective worlds- albeit the architectural differences, but the business and liveliness of any civilization can seem here.

All races include that of the non-human showed up, bartering with one another, owning shops and etcetera, just most of them prefer to walk on foot instead of using any transportation tools such as cars- maybe it is a law of the city to not allow people to use them, to make sure it won't be any more hectic than it already is?

That Leonard has to wonder.

The both of them strolled through the ancient majestic city, and occasionally glanced at the goods that were placed on display for sale- one thing to note is that there is only one form of currency in this place, and that is achievement points- it is either that or a fair trade, equivalent exchange, he noticed that people rarely take the latter though.