Aria's Decision

Aria felt overwhelmed by the confusion that took hold of her, as she closely observed everything around her. The landscape before her eyes was exotic and completely unlike anything she had seen before. The jungle-like environment was filled with objects that seemed to float in the air, creating a sense of unreality. Zigzagging rivers defied gravity, following a winding path until they reached the grand palace in the distance.

The water flowed down the tall towers of the building, creating a mesmerizing sight. It was like watching crystal-clear clouds moving slowly yet steadily. The sound of the water splashing against the walls echoed through the surrounding area, providing a sense of calmness and tranquility. As the water continued to flow, it seemed like it was breathing life into the structure, giving it a new sense of vitality. The sunlight reflected in the water droplets created a beautiful shimmering effect that danced on the enormous dome located in the center of the structure.

She audibly swallowed.

"This is not Earth."

Although it was an evident reality, it was impossible not to be surprised by such a landscape, where the laws of physics were being broken as if it were entirely natural.

Gradually, Aria's confusion dissipated as her gaze moved among the people present.

There were about eight people, but what might surprise the most was the presence of both the elderly and children.

All had been summoned by Nexus, and surprise, confusion, and fear seemed to be the prevailing emotions among the attendees.

"Emily!"

Aria's voice would ring out loud and clear, causing more than one person to be taken aback and look at her with a mix of difficult-to-express emotions. Could her sister be there? The young woman with silver hair began walking among the crowd, trying to find her sister's figure, but... it seemed futile.

"She's not here..."

She murmured, disappointed, letting out a sigh. It was evident that finding her sister wouldn't be so simple. Was she okay? Worry invaded her, but she tried to focus her mind on the dilemma she was currently in.

"Excuse me, where are we supposed to be?"

Aria would approach a person wearing a coat, partly obscuring their face. He was the closest person, and she didn't think too much about her actions.

"Huh? Are you stupid or something? Can't you see we're in another dimension?"

The person spoke condescendingly, looking down on Aria with an unpleasant expression as he put his hands in his pockets. Did he think he was some kind of gangster or something? Aria raised an eyebrow, surprised by the hostility the person showed for no apparent reason.

"I just want answers."

"And what makes you think I'm here to answer your stupid questions?!"

His aggressive voice was accompanied by a movement of his hand, reaching for the collar of Aria's white tank top, displaying anger that took her completely by surprise.

Her brow would furrow again.

That attitude reminded her too much of her supervisor, an ignorant man who would explode like a volcano over the smallest mistake. Was she still going to deal with people like that even in this dimension? It already felt like just another day at the office with such treatment.

"Don't you think you're overreacting, little man? Calm down a bit."

A new presence made its appearance, and Aria gave the person an inquisitive look.

"She's huge..."

She thought as she saw what appeared to be a woman grabbing the hand of the person in question, trying to make him release his grip on the collar of her clothing. What drew the most attention was not their immense muscular build or their height but the black armor they wore on their body. It was imposing, and a mischievous smile played on their face, as if they considered it all to be a childish quarrel.

"Who do you think you are?!"

The man shouted, but suddenly he started groaning in pain, loosening his grip on Aria's clothes. The woman was squeezing his hand with great force, or at least that's what Aria could infer from the look on her face. In a short time, he was on his knees, begging for mercy in a pathetic manner.

"Oh yes, that's how pathetic my supervisor is."

Aria would say out loud without worrying too much about being heard.

"Hmm?"

Something caught her attention—a faint, unique glow emanating from the hands of that mysterious woman. The light was as strange as it was fascinating, and although Aria felt like she might be hallucinating, it somehow felt extremely familiar.

[.....!!!!!]

A loud sound resonated throughout the area, causing Aria to startle slightly. Before her eyes, a strange semi-transparent interface appeared, displaying golden letters characteristic of the entity known as Nexus.

[Welcome, challengers.]

[You are in the Wildush Jungle - 53 dimension, where you will have to complete one of my tasks to prove that you can find my most precious treasures.]

The text appeared in front of Aria's eyes, letter by letter, just like the last time, but she still couldn't fully comprehend what was happening. It seemed that this strange occurrence wasn't limited to her alone, as she looked around at the others, noticing how they were all staring forward as if something was there. Well, everyone except the tall, red-haired woman.

The eyes of that woman and Aria met for a brief moment.

A smile appeared on the woman's face, as if she knew something that Aria didn't.

[Inside the ruins of the Grand Palace of 'Plushhaven,' there is an artifact that I want you to find for me.]

An image of a golden medallion appeared in the hologram, a relic that seemed to combine different human cultures while also being something entirely different.

[You must be careful with the 'Fuzz,' the inhabitants of this dimension, as they pose a 2-star danger.]

The word "Fuzz" was framed, and beneath it appeared an image of a furry ball with yellow eyes. Aria blushed at the sight.

"How adorable!"

That's what both Aria and a girl who didn't seem to be older than 12 exclaimed in the building. Wasn't it too cute? It reminded her of one of the stuffed animals she had once had at her parents' house.

[If you manage to complete this task, you will be closer to receiving what you desire.]

The strange interface that had appeared moments ago disappeared. While it was a strange situation, everything she had experienced so far had been even more surreal.

"If you want to avoid trouble, it's best to stay in the temple."

Those words were spoken by the mysterious woman, who looked at the others with a concerned expression. Her golden eyes landed on Aria, and for some reason, she felt like the woman was analyzing her beyond a mere glance. Or was it just her imagination?

"What kind of trouble could we encounter if we leave the temple?"

An older man among the group spoke with a hint of concern in his words, trying to learn more about the environment they were in.

"This is not a walk in the park. As you can see, this dimension is dangerous. There are creatures that could end your lives."

She responded with a serious tone, then began walking out of the temple with some haste.

"But I'm not the one to tell you what to do. I'm just warning you that if you decide to venture out, remember the warm feeling you experienced when you arrived here."

Her gaze fell on Aria again, and this time she gave her a smile before leaving. What was all that about? If she was going to explain what was happening, she should have been more specific or told them everything that was going on.

"Really, some people just love to be mysterious," Aria thought.

Only a few minutes had passed since that woman's departure. The group was disoriented, and tension filled the air. Some of those present were not happy, and the first to express their displeasure was the same man who had acted aggressively before.

"This is ridiculous! She only warned us to stay here because she wants to keep the treasure for herself. It's clear that she wants Nexus's wish! And I won't let her have it all to herself."

Although his words sounded like a tantrum from a small child, he had a certain point, and it shook more than one person, including Aria.

She couldn't just stay there doing nothing. If she wanted to find Emily and understand what was happening around her, the best thing to do was to extract more information from that woman who disappeared into the foliage.

With great reluctance, knowing that she might be committing the gravest mistake of her life, she decided to head in the direction the woman had taken.

"I hope I don't regret this," she murmured to herself.

"Please don't take any risks..."

Those words were spoken by a worried old woman, but a group of four people were determined to leave the temple.

But as soon as Aria set foot outside the temple, a strange figure appeared before her. It was a black furball that was no taller than a meter, more like the size of a cat. She swallowed hard; obviously, it was a cute creature, but she couldn't trust the appearance of such a being.

However, despite the woman's warning, Aria had a strange feeling that something wasn't right. An unpleasant sensation filled her body and mind as she stood so close to that creature.