His Mission

"Like I've said before, we were rendered unable to change anything in Eredith, but that's most likely because the enemy has already made precautions that prevents us from interfering."

"However, unlike us, you are an anomaly. Essentially, a bug to the system made by them." Regina smiled.

"You're a real inhabitant of this world, but unlike other characters, you.. seem to have escaped some parts of the system. Your memories are forever intact no matter how many times the world restarts, right?"

Lucas nodded, confirming the angel's words.

"That's exactly what we need. A small bug to the flawless system that the Goddess couldn't breach. You.. might just be the key to salvation."

"..But I don't have any special qualities. You must've already known this, but the Players always receive a special trait upon entering Eredith that'll help them in their respective fields." Lucas muttered.

"Don't worry. I can change you. Release you from the shell called Lucas the Alchemist, and slide you into the roster of the next batch of Players."

"You.. can?"

"In theory, yes. The first good sign is the fact that you're able to enter this realm. When we were searching for any potential clues, we've tried teleporting creatures inside the world to our realm to investigate deeper, but we couldn't."

"..Wait a minute." Lucas thought that something was suspicious. "How come.. you've never found me before? I'm not saying that you're lying, but I'm right here. At the first city the Players come into. Why.. did it take so many resets before you arrived?"

"I'm not so sure about that either. I know that you'll find it ridiculous, but we really have been searching for results nonstop. Believe me, we're not that stupid to ignore the beginner town! We've looked through this place countless of times!" Regina defended herself. "Only... should I say, 'something' prevented you from being discovered?"

Lucas was starting to become extremely wary about his whole scheme, but then he realized something.

"Could it be..?" His eyes widened.

"What? What is it?" Regina's ears perked up.

"You see.. I've never been able to exit my store. I've heard from other Players that sometimes, the characters are not present in their designated positions. As for me.. The moment I try to exit the store, a strong force pulls me back." Lucas explained. "Does that have anything to do with it?"

"Hmm.. That is indeed strange.. I'll have investigate that later." Regina said. "More importantly.. Are you able to trust me now?"

Traces of anxiety could be seen in her expression. She looked like she was being chased by a vengeful ghost, which showed the urgency of the situation.

"..For now, yes." Lucas wanted to take this gamble.

"Okay, thank you. This is what I.. No, we're going to do. The fact that I can bring you here means that you are somehow still under the control of the Goddess, which makes me able to tinker with you. I'll tinker your status and make it so that you're considered a Player. Then, you'll go out there and blend in with the new Players. That's roughly the plan. Simple, is it not?"

"Once I become a Player, what do I have to do?"

"Clear Eve." Regina's eyes narrowed. "Just like any other Player.. do your best to climb the tower. Finish the highest floor."

Regina said it so casually that Lucas almost started bursting into laughter.

"H-Hey! You're thinking negatively, are you not?" Regina pouted as she complained.

"How could I not? The highest floor... Hell, not a single Player have made it past the fiftieth floor. Your expectations are real high."

"..You're not them. You're an anomaly. A being not under the control of the enemy." Regina said. "The Goddess is with you. Do you seriously believe that we won't give you any special perks?"

Lucas lowered his gaze.

"With the Goddess' blessing, you are bound to grow exponentially. However, all that comes with a great risk. We might be able to mask your identity, but no matter how hard we try.. They'll grow suspicious of your existence sooner or later. They'll realize that you're not one of their playthings."

"Before that time comes, before you get discovered, you need to get strong. Tread carefully, become stronger than anyone else, so strong that you become an irreplaceable figure in this lesser world. By doing that.. you will be able to fully utilize your power."

"I won't give everything to you in an instant, because that is just a recipe for courting death. You will have to go on your own adventure, and come into the Tower just like any other Player would. Destroy it from within."

Lucas' heartbeat sped up.

A Player. How many times had he envied those folks? Now, he was about to become one of them. It was a bit laughable.

The whole tirade was nonsensical. He was being asked to participate in a suicide mission. Play the impostor's role, and somehow stay under the radar of the enemies while simultaneously getting stronger to clear the tower.

Two goals that were the complete opposite of one another.

But...

Lucas nodded. "I agree. I want to participate."

It was almost an instant agreement. He didn't have an ounce of hesitation. He didn't care what danger awaited him, he just wanted to.. be free.

"That's a good answer." Regina praised. "There is one more thing that I want you to be aware of. It's more like a precaution than anything, but.. Our endless speculations have led to one possible answer out of many. It is a terrifying thought that we desperately want to avoid."

"...Tell me more about that."

"The Great Cataclysm. It's only a theoretical event, but it's said that it could be triggered upon messing with dimensional realms without care. Causing Eve to become unstable, vulnerable to imbalance. It is an occurrence that will just continue to consume everything around it, obliterating billions upon billions of lives... Destroying every single world in existence."

"We've noticed that throughout the versions, the seed of Eve in Eredith have deteriorated beyond a safe point. Inviting foreign inhabitants and selfishly making up this system, sealing Eve's grace.. It won't be long until the world is destroyed, I'm afraid." Regina frowned.

"If that happens, the Great Cataclysm might not be a dream anymore."