You Acquired a Coin [1]

The boat arrived after a few minutes, giving us a well-deserved break from everything that had happened until that point. All the passengers and operators that had been injured in some way were taken to an infirmary, so they would embark on another boat later that day. I thought I would be more surprised to see how many people had been hurt, ranging from bruises and small cuts to broken bones. However, as my eyes watched them from afar, I was practically unfazed. Perhaps deep down, I've always known the risks and the possibilities, of what would happen to the people who lost. And truth be told, if it had not been for Justice's skill, I would be together with Grace, Arman, Dunya and all those other passengers. I was beginning to wonder if I was standing in that boat due to my own skills and abilities or due to pure luck.

And I could only hope to be, at least, a mix of the two.

I was the only operator to embark on the first boat and from the comments I heard, things in the second cabin had gotten quite ugly. There was a quota to be met, and everyone's rank was being shown to whoever wished to see it. It didn't take long for others to discover I had been one of the operators. A lot of them were not happy to talk to me, or even be near me, for that matter. That was fine, since I didn't want to stay close to anyone at that moment, either.

I needed space to think.

[Congratulations! You ranked first in the Trolley Problem challenge. The Court wants to reward your efforts.]

[Once you enter the Island, your rewards will be processed.]

The Court, huh? Something told me they had been the ones responsible for overseeing the Trolley challenge. If that was the case, what was the system? Was this Court overseeing it as well? Was someone or something else responsible? Not only that, but where they were taking us?

If my guess was right, that trolley thing had been a preliminary test. Something like a tutorial or screening test to eliminate as many people as possible, just like a job interview. They already had in mind the type of people they wanted on that "island", and I was one of them.

But why? Was it purely because of my logic, or did luck really play a part in this?

Why was I even chosen to be part of this, to begin with?

"Ah... My head hurts." I sighed, massaging my temples.

Would the 'why' even matter at that point? I was given another chance, another life. That was everything I had ever wished for. The system called us players 'new Selves', so I was probably not the only one that saw this situation as another chance. A "new game", so to speak. Because that was what my life had become; a game. A game with stages, rules and consequences. A game where I had to obey the system it was created in order to progress in order to reach the end. I had no idea what 'the end' was yet. All I knew was what needed to be done in the 'now'. And what I had to do from that point on was simple; I simply had to keep winning. Find out what the system, and the ones behind it, wanted from us. Find out what the 'end' of that game was, and what it meant for me.

And most important, what I had to do to keep my life as Park Eun-Woo; even after 'the end'.

When the boat finally reached Île de Bâton, after a few hours, it took only a couple of seconds for the boat to dock. As more people descended, slower the line would get to leave the boat and at first, I had no idea why. Only when I stepped out into the grass and looked around myself, stopping at my tracks and blocking the passage for the people behind me, that I truly understood.

The moment I saw that place, I lost my breath.

If I had ever wondered if I was in another world or if that place was a crazier hidden location on Earth, my answer was just in front of me. It was as if the sky was frozen in a sunset, with its orange, red and yellow hues painting the setting in a breathtaking way. The trees were as tall as buildings, yet there was not even an ounce of green on them, their leaves glowing and moving as if they were made of fire. The few bushes and grass were of a darker green, however as the sunlight shone on the land, the bushes and plants seemed to absorb the light and lit themselves as if they were alive and aflame. It was as if I was inside a sci-fi or fantasy movie, my eyes unable to process what I was seeing,

When I was finally able to move freely, I was baffled at how soft the earth and grass were, as if I was walking on cotton and velvet. There was a powerful scent of wood, smoke and summer, and from every direction there were cinders falling like snow. The air was warm, like a welcoming embrace telling me I was home.

I was not the only one gasping with widened eyes in awe, digging my feet into the earth to feel the grass, unable to move as my mind processed the scenery in front of me. I had never seen a place as beautiful. I didn't think any of us had.

[You have arrived at the Île de Bâton! Follow the butterflies to find your new cottage.]

[You will have two hours to rest.]

[All new Selves shall meet at the main plaza by the last bell's toll.]

I was starting to question my reading capability when thousands of butterflies flew in our direction. Their colors were not only vibrant, their wings possessed their own glow from red to blue and green and rose and black, even colors I could not even name it myself. I saw some children giggling and laughing, trying to jump to catch one of the butterflies. For a brief second, I wished a part of me still possessed that inner child, filled with hope, innocence, and joy. When did I stop having such a side? Was it when I graduated high school and enrolled in my university or was it way before then?

I really couldn't tell.

The butterflies did not stay idle, they made a trail as they flew forward, a trail that never faded or disappeared for there were always more butterflies flying and joining the flow. I must have walked for more than fifteen minutes, yet at that point I didn't care or did my legs felt tired. The landscape was so outstanding and gorgeous; it felt like the shortest walk of my life.

We reached a village and at that point, the butterflies started to descend and chose people from the small crowd. It took me one heartbeat to realize I had to follow the white butterfly in front of me, as it was quite persistent at batting its wings on my face. And it was not, by any means, a small butterfly. Hana would have passed out by that point; she was terrified of them. That thought made me chuckle, the laughter dying in my throat after a few seconds.

Hana… Had she been transported to this world as well? And if so, was she here? I tried not to think about it too much, even if the very sight of the butterfly made my chest hurt.

My cottage, surprisingly, had my name. That was not something I was expecting at all, especially when that system seemed to see us like disposable toys. Yet there it was, in purple letters right on top of the dark wooden door; my name.

'Park Eun-Woo'

For a brief moment I was terrified it would show my old name, yet when I finished reading I let out a sigh, my muscles relaxing as relief flooded me. That was right, I was Eun-Woo on that world.

And I would always be.

The door took a few seconds to open once I turned the doorknob, and as soon as it closed behind me the systems messages started to flood in front of me.

[You reached the Top 1 at the Trolley Problem challenge! The Court gifted you the Primal Sword.]

[You survived the Jolly Train! You earned 1500 points.]

[You achieved a conquest!]

[You were the first Self in your group to surpass 5000 points. You earned a bonus of 800 points.]

[You have received a message.]

[You have received a message.]

[You received a friend request from new Self Hildr Dahl.]

[You received a friend request from new Self Halvard Dahl.]

[From now on you can open the menu.]

[From now on you can use points for upgrades.]

I had to read and close them one by one, the messages completely blocking my view.

There was a lot of new information I could use at that moment, yet I started with the thing I was most curious about.

"Open menu."

Icons popped up in front of me—they were quite intuitive, that was good. User interface was quite important after all. Judging by the icons, there was Mail Box, Inventory, Friends, Status and Skills and... One I could not decipher. What was that, a star? A sword? I tried to click on it, yet nothing happened.

I clicked on Inventory. It was empty except for one item. I checked its description.

[Primal Sword: The Ace of Wind]

[The mythical sword belonged to the Court of Swords since the beginning of creation. It is the manifestation of the Court's ideals and beliefs. It holds within the power of Air.]

[Rarity: Unique]

That... Seemed quite interesting. Yet what exactly was the manifestation of the Court's ideals and beliefs, I didn't have the slightest clue. I wanted to learn more about the Court, however where could I even start? On the left corner of the inventory, there was another thing written.

[Total Points: 7398]

Okay, that was quite nice. It seemed like a lot, at least. I wondered if there were shops where I could use or exchange these points. Thinking about it, the system did tell me I could use them to upgrade, right?

I closed the inventory and opened another window. There were only four icons: two crossed wands, one chalice, a sword and, at last, a coin. Yet what the heck did each one mean?

With that thought, words appeared beside the icons. Beside the wands, 'Phys'. The chalice, 'Vis'. 'Wisdom' for the swords and finally, 'Luck' for the coin. I kept staring at the word 'Vis', trying to figure it out what it meant yet nothing useful came to mind. Maybe it was the system's version of mana? Each status was at '1', and how far each one could go, I had no idea. In some games it maximized at 100, while in others they could go as high as the player's level. So which type of limit was this system following?

Well, although that was not completely clear, at least I could tell what the icons meant. Yet which one should I focus on? Physique? Luck? I already felt quite lucky, at least on the past day. I had to think well, since I was not playing some online game where if I messed up my character, I could just create a new one. This was 'me'. I had one chance to make it good and I couldn't start off with the wrong status.

Considering the last game, the thing I depended on the most was my physique. Perhaps if I had been stronger, Giorgio wouldn't have kicked me out of the train. The next trials could involve running or some other physical competition.

I tried to increase my strength by clicking on the wands icon.

[You must convert your points in order to evolve your Wands status. Do you wish to convert 100 points to three Wands?]

Huh... That was a bit expensive. Especially if the price increased along the way. I recalled my total amount of points, scratching the back of my head. Screw it, why not?

The moment I confirmed, red light circled around me before entering my skin. It was subtle, yet I could feel a slight change. My body felt somewhat stronger, lighter.

[Wands: 4]

With only 4 points total, I could already notice a difference, huh? That really made me itchy to convert more points and see how far that could go. However, that would be something quite stupid to do at that moment, when I didn't know what else I could do with points. If those points were this world's currency, then I had to spend them with care.

Finally, I clicked on the mailbox icon. There were two messages, both quite similar.

[Dear mister,

Thanks to you me and my brother got here safely. Send us a message when you arrive! My brother really wants to see you again.]

[Hey. My sister and I got here okay, so we are really grateful to you. Reply back to me when you get here, Hil keeps crying afraid that she will never see you again.

If you make a girl cry like that you are going to be a real piece of trash.]

I had no idea how they discovered how to send messages so quickly, I hadn't even thought about the possibility until I saw I had received some. How did they even find me?

For the first time I shifted my focus, looking around at the cottage. The walls and floor were made of wood, and it had a real rustic feeling to it. Overall, it had a warm and cozy vibe. There was one bed, a small kitchen on the right, and what appeared to be a bathroom. I desperately needed a shower or a bath. After that...

Maybe the twins had learned more things about that place that they were willing to share.