(2)

I chose the broad-nosed brat, "You, the one on the right, stay here. The stone chin can go!"

Krisillis was standing behind. I said, "You may go to this guy's spot. I need to have a talk!!"

Without hesitation, he walked away. His tiny lion turned into an insect and flew around him. Kendor said, 'He is making sure we do not doubt him!'

'What a weirdo?!', I commented.

My focus shifted to the bartender in front of me, "Tell me everything about this place. What kind of afterlife is this?!"

He stated, "You're mistaken about something. This isn't the afterlife!"

[But other than me and Krisillis, everyone here is a skeleton. If not for Kriassilis imbuing a concealing spell in my earrings, his grand law would have long figured out that I was an alive soul right when I stepped here.]

I asked, "Tell me the details of your statement!"

He continued, "After a person dies, they come here to take the trail for entering the afterlife. May it be hell or heaven!"

[Idiot, if one's karma resonates highly on the red side, they would receive hate wherever they go, living the life of trash. That's what hell means in the entirety of existence.

On the bright side, people with more blue aura or positive karma to be more specific receive all kinds of luck and live with a lot of riches.

But the people here are stacked with both positive and negative karma. Good and evil are living in seemingly perfect harmony. But that's impossible in terms of common logic.]

He narrated, "Before coming here, I was the bar owner of so many taverns. But after being poisoned to death, I entered this dimension. The people here called this place 'The Artificial Sanctuary'. 'Artificiary' in short. Please don't ask me why it was named like that. Nobody knows the answer to that!!"

[Most probably a place grooming talents from the afterlife. 'Sanctuary' refers to the dwellers who reside inside this wilderness. The perpetrators could be nonetheless crooks and mutant asymmetrons. When I was teleported to that pillar, I sensed the presence of a cursed reaper.]

The narration went on, "In this sanctuary, there are a hundred 'Earths' stacked one after another like a building. This world is called 'First Earth' where all souls enter and start their journey full of quests!"

"What quests?!", I interrupted. He elaborated, "There are 'Main Quests' you get when taking a trial inside the pillar.

Second ones are called 'Fiery Quests'. You are to clear 'Fiery Mists' that appear in the outside wilderness of every earth. People simply call them dungeons.

The third ones are rare occurrences called 'Commissions'. They aren't quests but tasks given by 'High-Off Judges' to complete in exchange for a reward!!"

I pointed out, "High-Off Judges?!"

He emphasized, "Sorry, I forgot to tell you the most important thing. Just like how video games have 'Players', this dimension has 'Reincarnations' that is ourselves. We were termed as such 'cause this journey for reaching heaven is no different from living another life.

There are also beings who oversee our journey!"

I jumped in, "They must be 'Judges', right?!"

He replied, "Yes, there are three classes of judges namely 'Lower Judges' who oversee quests inside the pillars. 'Intermediary Judges' overseeing fiery quests and challenges between fighters.

Lastly, 'High-Off Judges'. They oversee commissions and all the earths. They're like politicians in this realm!!"

I questioned, "People keep calling this place 'The First Earth'. Why not 'The First Floor'?!"

He answered, "When you enter this earth's pillar, you'll have to cross a hundred floors full of trials which are counted as this world's main quest. After completing the main quest, you will gain access to ascend to the next earth above this one.

We don't refer to them as floors because we hate to put worlds under the same category as building floors!"

I commented, "The last part was what I asked for!"

He countered, "Nope, I said the necessary ones. Try saying 'Auto-Status'. You might understand!!"

I followed, "Auto-status!"

---beep---

| Welcome to Artificial Sanctuary. |

__________

A translucent rectangle tab dyed black and outline white spawned before me. The bartender labelled, "The tab which popped in front of you is an Artificiary Tab. It displays every single detail about you. If you don't want others to see it, you can think of it being visible only to you!"

---tap---

I pressed the imaginary screen pad.

---beep---

| Artificial Sanctuary's Autopad

Artificiary Status:

Name - Drake Adrian

Age - 0

Species - Human

Soul - Dark

History - Newly Arrived

Former Status:

Name - Drake Adrian

Age - 2089

Species - Human

Soul - Infinito

History - Born in a low-class family. Rose to the level of a deity. Ruled five worlds for two millennia. Died fighting against ten thousand ligons and wygers.

<Further Info> |

__________

The bartender widened his eyes in shock, "You… were a deity?!"

I said, "Yeah!"

He attempted, "Died fighting a thousand 'Ligons' and 'Wygers'? May I know what they are?!"

I interpreted, "Ligons, they are creatures born with rock-hard scales. Their heads burn with aura making them seem like lions. They don't have wings but shark-like gills which exude high wind pressure. That's what gives them the ability to fly.

On the other hand, Wygers are hairless tigers born with fins and two bat-like wings!"

[I met those species in my previous life. This info is no more than a made-up tale.]

He attempted, "May I know what gave them the upper hand in killing a deity like you?!"

I said, "Ligons are measured from 100-400 metres while Wygers grow in 250-300 metres range. For your note, they never had the upper hand in killing me. I just died due to the excess fatigue and injuries from killing them without anyone's help?!"

"Gulp!", he swallowed his saliva and asked, "What about your family?!"

I said, "I already sensed my end. Therefore, I passed all my properties to my children beforehand!"

"That's relieving!", he said and placed a glass before me, "Please accept this 'Negroni' from me!"

I sipped the glass.

[Pretty average. Krisillis is much better.]

I exclaimed, "Add these three glasses in my name tab. I'll give you the money after completing the pillar trails!"

He bowed, "As you wish!"

I asked, "You're believing me?!"

He emphasized, "How can I not put faith in the words of a deity?!"

[... This motherf**ker put my pride at stake. Damn it, I'm left with no choice but to come here.]

I blinked after remembering something, "Now that I think about it, I need to know something first!"

The bartender responded, "Please ask!!"

I attempted, "When I entered here, the bystanders nearby kept spouting the word 'LLB' while looking at my face. What is that?!"

"Gasp!!!", he jumped back after hearing me. Not that I cared but Krisillis showed a slight flinching movement which caught my eye. I questioned, "What's with your shocking face?!"

Broad-nosed bartender asked, "That pressure earlier… was you?!"

I said, "I forgot to hold back my power since I suddenly got here. Now tell me what's an LLB?!"

He brought himself together with a deep breath, "Phew…!", and began his explanation, "An LLB refers to entities who break the restraints of the artificial sanctuary!"

I became puzzled, "Restraints?!"

He told me, "At the bottom of your status pad, you'll find a button mentioning 'Further Info'. Please, click it!"

I clicked as he said.

---click---

| Artificiary Progress: 000.000

Statistics:

Strength - 0

Speed - 0

IQ - 0

Mentality - 0

Adaptability - 0

Character Abilities: 1

Martial Arts - Sense of Martiality |

__________

My details popped out in different order. Broad-nose started his elaboration, "Artificiary Progress is the extent of your accomplishments. Yours is displayed with total zeroes since you didn't take any trials. For instance, if you completed ten trials in this earth's pillar, the progress would be shown as 000.010. And if you were to complete all the hundred trails, it would show 001.000, making you gain access for entering the next earth above!"

I interrupted, "Hundred trials per earth, eh? So, if I were to accomplish four hundred and twenty trials, my progress would be shown as 004.020, where the digits before the decimal mention four earths and the ones after the decimal point out my number of trials accomplished in the fifth earth, is that it?!"

He nodded, "Exactly!!"

[What a complicated numbering system?]

He carried forth, "Secondly, Statistics. They are like your innate properties. I think there's no need to explain about strength and speed. IQ is your brain's mechanism for how you think and handle a situation. Mentality refers to the brain's steadiness. Lastly, adaptability is the speed at which one could adjust to their surroundings!!"

[I told Kriassilis about my fighting trait during one of our drunken occasions. Did he choose it to be my ability? Well, not that I feel bothered but 'Sense of Martiality' is beyond comprehension. Even Kendor failed to understand its mechanism. No way in hell could mere irregulars understand it.]

He continued, "Character Ability is your speciality!!"

I commanded, "Got it, get back to the main topic!"

He emphasized, "LLB abbreviates to…

'Law' and 'Limit' and 'Breaker'. As you can see, most of your properties are zero. In normal cases, even your Character Abilities should've been zero. But it is not.

That's what LLBs are. Their presence breaks the restraints to begin anew by having a Character Ability right from the start!!"

I stated, "But that doesn't clear my doubt!"

He countered, "Whenever an LLB descended to this Artificiary, a sudden pressure freaked out all the people in the realm. Reincarnations from upper earths come down to kill them whereas some come for scouting. I'll do my best to keep your secret!!"

[But that disguising tribal guy over there heard all our conversation. I'll set him aside for now.

The biggest problem is my being an LLB. If members from upper layers come down searching for me, this bartender and all the innocent people living nearby will get swept away for no reason. F**k staying low-key.

No, maybe I'm thinking too much. Krisillis lives under this turf as a part-timer due to his talent in bartending. He'll surely protect those around here, right? Right?]