What doesn't kill me, Might make me kill you .2

For the past few hours, Aiken had been fixated on his status window, repeatedly clicking the 'Log Out' button. He shifted his attention to Althea, hoping she might hold the answers he sought.

"What exactly are you?" Aiken initiated the conversation, hoping that their exchange of messages would proceed as he intended. "I've already told you, I'm your fairy companion, the Fairy of the Three Lights – 'Sun', 'Moon', and 'Stars'." Aiken nodded, signaling his comprehension. "So, are you an AI or a player?" Aiken's tone sounded somewhat interrogative, but his aim was simply to gain a clear understanding, avoiding any potential misunderstandings and future regrets.

However, Althea remained silent, her expression void of any response. Aiken was caught off guard by her emotionless gaze and decided to drop the sensitive topic. "Well, anyway, I just want to calmly understand and formulate a theory. But all I've got is just... a ridiculous idea," Aiken mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. He realized he needed to set aside nonsensical thoughts and focus on the bigger picture. Why was he trapped inside the game when he vividly remembered being hit by a truck? Could he be dead, or perhaps unconscious and logged in? Aiken's mind raced with questions and doubts.

"If you don't stop being careless, you'll be permanently deleted," Althea offered a hint, causing Aiken to abruptly halt his pacing and grasp a partial understanding of his perplexing situation.

"So, I'm not merely a collection of binary data in the virtual world, but a separation from my actual life and soul," Aiken attempted to come to terms with this revelation, though the concept felt too outlandish to fully embrace. There was a saying that a person's game character was their second life. And now... his game character had become his physical form. Aiken gingerly touched the bandages around his chest, flinching slightly as he felt a twinge of pain from the bruises.

With Althea now in her teenage form, Aiken felt a bit flustered. He recalled his lack of experience interacting with girls, usually being the one avoided by them. Uncertain of how to act around her, Aiken simply allowed Althea to work her magic. A sudden burst of bright sunlight cast a romantic glow over the scene. As Althea chanted under her breath, a warm and wondrous light enveloped Aiken, causing his bruises to heal.

"I suppose fairy magic can still affect villagers like you," Althea remarked, returning to her diminutive size. Aiken removed the remaining bandages, only to discover a large scar on his left chest, leaving him baffled and confused.

"Wh-what the---! How could this happen!" Aiken exclaimed, his eyes fixed on the large scar that now marred his left chest. His shock was amplified as he remembered the burned wrist he saw earlier. "How in the world is this even possible?" he questioned, displaying the burn marks on his wrist to Althea. He understood that the game incorporated players' initial basic features, like height and weight, both in-game and outside. Such details could affect a player's experience in the game, just like in the realistic world of Lethe.

In response, Althea equipped Aiken with a dragonskin coat +15 for defense and a black robe. The robe served to conceal his true identity as Cziell, ensuring that the formidable Cziell remained disguised as a mere Level 1 Villager. Aiken accepted the items without protest, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts.

As he moved through the crowd, Aiken felt the weight of the armor and the eyes of other players upon him. A man clad in heavy armor, armed with a sword and a massive shield, approached Aiken. Unaware that someone had pulled his hood down, Aiken continued walking, leaving everyone around him in awe. "Wait, isn't that the rumored Cziell? Wasn't he missing along with the other 14?" murmurs spread through the crowd. Aiken passed through the Beginner's Town, oblivious to the commotion he had caused.

"I must find the truth. I must discover the reason for my existence here. And if I don't have one, I'll create my own!" Aiken's determination surged as he walked ahead. His purpose was clear: he would find the other 14 missing players and uncover the mysteries that surrounded them.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───