Chapter 2

There was no difference in the help menu. Everything was exactly the same. Lyn sighed and looked at the other heroes.

"Just like a game."

Lyn muttered.

"This isn't just like a game, it is a game. I'm pretty sure I've played it before."

Motoyasu started boasting.

"It's a world based on game mechanics. So for simplicity's sake, it is a game.

"Yeah, it's really popular. You played Emerald Online?"

"What are you all talking about? This world isn't an online game at all, it's from a console game."

"Wait, that can't be right. Isn't this a VRMMO?"

"Huh? Even assuming we've entered the world of an online game, that's still something you play with a mouse or controller, right?"

Ren tilted his head in confusion at Motoyasu's question.

"Mouse? Controller? Why are you talking about antiques? Aren't all the online games these days VRMMOs?"

"Did you hit your head or something? Those kinds of games only exist in science fiction."

"What!?"

Ren objected loudly.

Itsuki raised his hand.

"Umm... everybody, what game world do you think this is, exactly?"

"Bravestar Online."

"Emerald Online."

"I see. By the way, to me, it looks like the world of Dimension Wave, a console game."

"Wait, wait, we can sort this out."

Motoyasu touched his hand to his forehead and tried to get a grip on the situation.

"Ren, according to you this is a VRMMO, right?"

"That's right."

"And Itsuki, you understand what he means by that?"

"It's a term I've seen in science fiction games before, yeah."

"Okay, same here. Then, Ren. This 'Bravestar Online' you mentioned, it's a VRMMO?"

"Yeah, I used to play it all the time. The way this world works really resembles the systems it uses."

"So, do any of the games we've mentioned exist in your world's past?"

Ren shook his head.

"I consider myself something of a gaming history buff, and I've never heard of any of them. Are you sure they're famous?"

Motoyasu nodded.

"Simple, we are from different worlds."

Lyn spoke up.

"Huh?" The three heroes looked at Lyn.

"Then, how about a question based on common knowledge? Like, the name of the current Prime Minister, for example."

"Ah!"

Everybody nodded in agreement.

"Okay, all together now..."

gulp*

"Yuta Masato."

"Yawara Koutarou."

"Kodaka Enichi."

"..."

"See. You guys aren't just from different times, but also from different worlds. The weapons we hold adapt to our game knowledge to make them easy to use. That is the same reason why you all find familiar game mechanics and upgrades. In reality, the more methods and games we know, the more upgrade methods we can use," Lyn explained, looking over the faces of other heroes.

"So what game does it look like for you?" Motoyasu asked. Lyn didn't play any games in years and instead traveled from world to world. But he didn't need a rumor about his ignorance to travel around the castle. So he used the name of a game one of the heroes from his world played and make up a few others.

"This reminds me of several games meshed together. Crimson quest, VRAT, IsuL, and Ranshe. Crimson quest began with four heroes summoned to defend the world from the throne room, the same way we are. The other games have some of the same upgrade methods and even the waves of calamity."

"Based on the way things have been going, I'd wager we all ended up here under different circumstances, too." Lyn continued.

"That seems likely. I can't say I'm really interested in small talk, but I suppose we should at least consolidate our information."

Ren started telling his story. From the way he was talking, he clearly wanted us to think he was cool.

"I was on my way home from school when I stumbled onto a murder in progress. I remember up to the point I tackled the murderer to help my childhood friend, but after that..."

...He kept absentmindedly rubbing his side as he told his story.

Saved a friend. He seems useful. And his aura feels familiar.

"Anyway, before I knew it I was here."

"So you saved your childhood friend, huh? That's pretty awesome."

He laughed off Lyn's compliment with an affected air of coolness.

"I'll go next."

Motoyasu lightheartedly gestured toward himself.

"Before I came here, I had a lot of girlfriends, you know?"

"I figured as much."

You are quite the chick magnet.

"And so, because of that..."

"...you were two or three-timing them and got stabbed, right?"

Ren's question was obviously sarcastic. However, Motoyasu just blinked his eyes in surprise and nodded.

"...Women are scary."

Idiot. He's gonna die first or unlock some lust spear.

"As for me, I was crossing the street on the way home from cram school, when a dump truck came barreling around the curve at full speed. After that..."

"..."

Not much info. Oh well.

"My turn? Took a bullet for an old friend. Woke up here," Lyn said, not caring if the others believed his made-up on-the-spot story.

Their stares were icy. Is it the shield again?

"But...that guy...shield..."

"Of course...right?"

"Yeah..."

Looking down on the weak eh?

"Yup."

"That's right."

"More or less."

"If you got something to say then say it!"

Their reaction to Lyn's reaction was split. Ren glared at Lyn, while Motoyasu and Itsuki were smiling.

"Don't worry, your good buddy Motoyasu is here to tell you how it is."

Motoyasu walked up to Lyn and draped his arm across Lyn's shoulders. Something about the look on his face was really suspicious.

"See, there's a class in Emerald Online called the Shielder, that - surprise, surprise - uses shields as its main weapon."

"And."

"At first, the high defense is really nice, but as you progress through the game it starts to get overwhelmed by the ridiculous amount of damage the enemies can dish out.

"And..."

"In short, at high levels, it's a loser class that absolutely nobody uses."

"Ok, that's your game tho isn't it?"

"Yeah, it was terrible and barely anybody played it, so they never bothered to fix it. Last I heard, they had decided to just get rid of it altogether."

"*Sigh*, this is just like CQ," Lyn said.

"What do you mean?"

"Let me ask you this. Do you believe you have divine protection and can't die in this world?"

"Well yeah."

"Duh."

"That's right."

"Unlike the other three games I played, Crimson Quest was a single-player, choose your own adventure game. Crimson Quest was a game about four summoned heroes. Sword, Spear, Shield, Bow. At the beginning of the game, you got to choose which hero you wanted. You had to face the waves of calamity. The waves were getting harder with each time and the heroes had to fight it together. You got a lot of ways to upgrade your weapons and face of against the waves."

"If one hero dies, the waves get exponentially harder. It's like playing the game on hell mode. If two heroes die, the waves become impossible. If you die, you get launched to the very beginning of the game."

"Damn. That sucks." Motoyasu replied.

"That's not all. If you lose once, the game resets. But when you play the game again, some things will be a bit different. The dialogue will be slightly different, some choices the other people make will be different, clothes may have a different color. If you die again, some characters may swap positions, or disappear entirely. The more you die, the more different the world becomes. And worst of all a shadowy figure keeps following you, reminding you of how many times you lost like "So this is the 17th world you are protecting? Will it die as well?" or "wow, 22 for 22. Gonna make that a 23 for 23?" or "just give up, it's been 89 worlds. You keep on failing," while showing you fragments of what happened in other worlds. The shadowy figure will keep trailing behind, invisible to any of the other NPC's. And you can't even get rid of it unless you hack the game."

"Wow. That game sounds complicated as hell! How many endings does it have?" Itsuki asked.

"Excluding the random world stuff? Over 2000. But with the other worlds, it has over 20000. It takes up like 287 TB of memory."

"WHAT?! TB? Over 20000 ENDINGS?!" Motoyasu screamed.

"It was a pretty expensive game. Worth every penny."

"Anyway, what's the terrain like?"

"The names are different, but otherwise it's essentially the same. Which means there's a good chance the monster distributions are the same, too."

"Since each weapon's hunting ground is slightly different, we should avoid going to the same areas."

"Yeah, that's probably the most efficient way to do it."

"Honorable Heroes, we have prepared a meal for you."

We opened the door, and an attendant escorted us to the knight corps' dining hall. It was like a scene from a fantasy movie. Rows of tables were packed with food, like an all-you-can-eat buffet.

"Everybody, please help yourselves to whatever you like."

"Seriously? We have to eat at the same time as the knights?"

Ren grumbled under his breath.

Brat.

"No."

The attendant shook his head.

"After you've had your fill, the food here will be used at your introduction."

"Well then, let's eat!"

And so, the heroes indulged in the cuisine of another world.

Tasteless.

A few minutes later, they returned to their room.

"Do you think they've got a bath here?"

"It's a medieval setting, so chances are they have outdoor washtubs."

"I'm sure they'd prepare one for us if we asked."

"Eh, that's okay. It's just one day, after all."

"That's true. Anyway, I'm tired, and we've got a big day tomorrow, so I'm gonna go ahead and hit the hay."

The rest of the heroes followed Motoyasu's lead and went to bed too.

This world is screwed.

The next morning.

After breakfast, the three heroes waited with excitement for them to be summoned.

"Welcome, Heroes."

Fame searching bastards. None of them look genuine. And that red hair looks like a princess in disguise.

They bowed in greeting.

"As promised, we have gathered companions to follow you on your journey. They are all eager to make your acquaintance."

Sure they are.

"Now, future heroes of this country. Choose the one you wish to serve."

Stupid and inefficient.

One by one, the adventurers briskly crossed the room and gathered into groups in front of each of the heroes.

Ren: 5 followers.

Motoyasu: 4 followers.

Itsuki: 3 followers.

Lyn: none.

Good.

The king didn't seem quite sure how to respond.

"H-Hrm. To be frank, I never imagined something like this could happen."

"He isn't very popular, is he?"

"That's fine. I don't want any companions," Lyn spoke up, getting a few odd looks from people. Even the king looked surprised at Lyn's compliance. "Though since I'm going solo, I'm sure you can spare me a few extra coins to help me equip myself."

Lyn looked at the king and just for a moment the king had a murderous glare. But it disappeared just as fast as it appeared.

"My Lord, I will travel with the Shield Hero."

One of Motoyasu's subordinates raised her hand and volunteered to join my party.

"Oh? Are you sure?"

"Yes."

This voice belonged to the red hair that Lyn suspected to be the kings' daughter. The aura around her unnerved Lyn.

She will stab me in the back the first chance she gets. She has the same damn eyes as her.

"It's alright. I would much rather you help the spear hero level up his firepower rather than focus on my defense. I will level up on my own."

"Dude a gorgeous maiden just offered to join your party! Are you really going to refuse?!" Motoyasu half screamed half-whispered to Lyn. Lyn gave him the blankest poker face in the history of poker faces.

"Yes."

Motoyasu was flabbergasted. The king looked at Lyn with confusion and a bit of anger.

"Unlike you, I have no interests in women, I care about having reliable teammates for the wave. I'm able to take care of myself, it's you three I'm unsure about. I don't want to watch this world burn just because one of you fails." Lyn replied, glaring at Motoyasu.

"Very well. Shield Hero, because of these decidedly unique circumstances, I will make a special exception just this once and increase your aid for the month over that of the other Heroes."

"Yes, your Majesty!" Lyn says, still glaring at Motoyasu.

"Then, I shall distribute the funds."

"I hereby bequeath 1000 silver coins to the Shield Hero, and 600 silver coins to the other Heroes. Use it to equip yourselves, and then begin your journey!"

"Yes!"

And so, their audience with the king ended. Everybody filed out into the hall and began their self-introductions.

Lyn walked in front of the rest of the heroes and started to look for the exit. Thankfully it wasn't hard to find and the second Lyn crossed the drawbridge from the castle into the town nearly, he started to look around for the nearest blacksmith. After about ten minutes he was in front of a shop with a conspicuously huge sign, emblazoned with nothing but a sword.

The one consistent thing about his adventures was visiting the blacksmith first.

"Welcome!"

The shopkeeper bellowed out a greeting as we entered. His enormous, muscular frame was exactly what you'd expect from the owner of a weapon shop.

"So this is this world's weapon shop...?"

Lyn muttered.

"Ah, a new customer! The fact that you came in means you must have an eye for quality! The name is Erhard by the way.

"Lyn. Your shop is famous around these parts, that's so I thought I'd check it out."

"You flatter me! Anyway, what can I do for you strangely dressed fellow?"

This is the first time Lyn remembered that he has been traveling in the same clothes he was summoned into his world. A jacket, dark grey pants, and a green T-shirt.

"I'm the shield hero. I need a sword and a dozen small cheap daggers."

"Wait, you don't mean... you're a Cardinal Hero!?"

The shopkeeper stared at Lyn for what seemed like an eternity.

"You don't seem very reliable..."

I fought everything from monsters to demons in several worlds... for this.

If it wasn't for the circumstances he would punch this man in the face right now.

"Seriously?"

"I'm just saying if you don't load yourself up with quality equipment nobody will take you seriously."

"I'm sure you'll help me with that now won't you?"

"Sure. What's your budget?"

"Just get me any cheap sword and the cheapest daggers.

"Alright? Wait there moment."

The shopkeeper left the counter and wandered around a bit, before finally returning with a pile of daggers and a single iron sword.

"Here you go. Wanna explain what you will do with all this?"

"Since I'm the shield hero, all the weapons I hold fly out of my hands. But if I hold them long enough, they do quite a lot of damage. The sword is for the shield to absorb."

"For the least expensive sword, I got an iron sword. We've got even better weapons in stock, of course, but this is the cheapest sword I got."

"How much?"

"20 silver for the sword and 5 per dagger." Lyn grabbed 12 daggers and the sword and dropped 80 silvers onto the table.

"And I would like a cheap set of armor. Preferably one with a mask and a hood."

The blacksmith went over to a random set of armor and gave it to Lyn. Surprisingly it was a perfect fit.

"30 silver," the blacksmith said. Lyn put the money on the counter.

"Nice doing business with you," Lyn said, walking outside. He searched for the nearest alleyway and walked in. After making sure no one saw him, he dropped all of his coins into the shield's gem.

With this, he got the [Bank shield] with a 0.1% fortune up a week.

He dropped the sword into the shield.

.

.

.

.

Sword Class unlocked.

Simple sword unlocked.

Defender sword unlocked.

Lyn smiled to himself. The simple sword looked just like Ren's. The defender's sword, however, was the sword he used in his world. It was his first weapon. It was a combo of a long sword, and it doubled as a shield, hence the name.

[Defender Sword] (Unawakened) Lv. 1 0/20 C

Stacked Amount: 1

Equip Bonus: [120 Defense, [120 Attack]

Ore Equip: none

Item Equip: none

Soul Equip: none

Food Equip: none

Gem Equip: none

Money Equip: none

Stat Level: none

Mastery Lv.: 0

Item Enchant: none

Status Enchant: none

Spirit Enchant: none

Magic Residue Enchant: none

Money Enchant: none

Exp Enchant: none

Weapon Assimilation: [], [], []

Lyn switched back to the shield.

I have a contingency plan now. I hope I won't have to rely on it in this world, but with how things are turning out, I probably will.

He looked through settings and found a skill he was looking for.

OVERDRIVE (locked)

Multiplies all stats by 2.

Alright, everything is here. First order of business, find the hourglass.