Game Opportunity Becomes Reality Episode 145
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Game Opportunity Becomes Reality Episode 145
35. Story of Home (3)
An abnormal phenomenon that plunged the world into chaos following a massive natural disaster.
Judging from Benjamin's reaction, this seemed to be the main point.
Seeing how pained he looked, I cast a 7th Circle Recovery spell on him.
He seemed to feel better, though I wasn't sure why, and bowed his head in thanks before continuing his story.
"Among the many abnormal phenomena, four stand out as representative. The first was a plague."
Something felt off from the very first one.
"A virus with extremely high transmissibility and deadly lethal power squeezed through the cracks of a society in need of repair and began spreading terrifyingly. This virus, which mutated again and again, was incredibly difficult to fight. Infected people died in tremendous agony. It was a demonic virus that left deep trauma not only on the infected themselves but also on the families watching them die. This virus was never contained before I came to this world."
Was this a 21st-century version of the Black Death?
With magic or divine power, it could have been dealt with easily, but that was impossible on Earth.
"The second is the toxic zones. Poison gas filled certain areas, restricting people's range of activity. If you mistakenly stepped into a toxic zone, you'd die in just a few minutes. The poison penetrated the body not only through the respiratory tract but also through exposed skin."
"Is it something like toxic gas caused by the earthquakes?"
"We don't know the details either. Some said it was toxic gas from the earthquakes, others said it was radiation, but because of the virus, we lacked the manpower and equipment to investigate. However, it isn't heavily affected by wind, and it lingers in one place regardless of whether it's lowland or highland. The problem is that these toxic zones not only restricted where people could go but also blocked access to existing facilities, making it very difficult to restore the social network."
One thing in his words caught my attention.
That was radiation.
If society had been destroyed by a great disaster, I couldn't even imagine what had happened to all those nuclear power plants.
I asked about this.
"You really know Earth's situation well? Surprisingly, the damage from nuclear power plants wasn't that severe. Of course, I can't say there was no damage at all, but most countries managed to hold things together."
"That's a relief. Please continue."
"The third is... the emergence of mutated creatures."
"Mutated creatures?"
"Yes, mutated creatures originate from the toxic zones, and insects are the primary subjects."
He then operated his smartphone and showed me a few photos.
They showed a mosquito the size of a forearm, a centipede bigger than a person, and a giant hornet covering an entire car.
But it wasn't that they merely looked like mosquitoes, centipedes, and hornets their appearances were far more lethal and grotesque than ordinary insects.
"They're poisonous insects that threaten people's survival. Fortunately, the military regularly burns and cleans out the toxic zones to prevent damage, but if management becomes even slightly lax, the poisonous insects quickly multiply and pour out."
I understood why he had reacted so uncomfortably.
Was some demon wreaking havoc on Earth?
Just hearing about it, I could feel how terrible Earth's condition was.
"Rondel seems safer by comparison. And yet you still want to return to Earth?"
"Yes, because that's where my family and friends are. And while there are certainly many threats, people are slowly overcoming the crisis. It's not all despair."
No matter how bad the environment, home is home.
I could fully understand that.
"What's the fourth and final abnormal phenomenon?"
"The last one doesn't cause much damage, but it's the most difficult to accept through common sense. New terrain is appearing all over Earth."
"New terrain?"
"Like islands suddenly rising from the sea where there was nothing, or mountains appearing in the middle of wide plains things like that."
Couldn't that just be crustal movement caused by earthquakes?
"The land that rose from below the ground appears as perfect islands and mountains covered in dense forests. Moreover, this newly formed land has no miasma, and when it appears in toxic zones, it purifies the existing poison. That's why some people call it holy ground. I happened to be investigating one such island when I fell into the sea and ended up here."
Benjamin guessed that the damage from the Great Calamity and the virus had been so severe that Earth's population must have at least halved.
"The situation on Earth from 2020 to 2022 could be summarized roughly like this."
After hearing the full story, I showed reactions of wonder and interest, yet my expression remained utterly cold.
I simply couldn't accept these changes on Earth as something unrelated to me.
From an Earthling's perspective, these situations might seem like nothing more than inexplicable anomalies and great calamities, but to me, they felt far too deliberate.
Just as the goddess Sepia exists in Rondel, could a god existing on Earth be passing judgment on humanity?
And so I sat quietly, mulling over Benjamin's story while he kept stealing glances at my reaction.
His expression showed he had so many questions.
But my questions were not yet over.
"Do you know what the situation is like in Korea?"
I hesitated for a moment, debating whether to ask, but in the end, I couldn't hold back.
When I specifically asked about Korea, his eyes widened, and a hint of "could it be?" flickered across his face.
But he didn't show that emotion and simply answered my questions obediently as I had instructed.
"Korea is one of the few countries in the world that has weathered the crisis well. During the Great Calamity, China to the north acted as a barrier, and Japan to the south acted as a breakwater, so the damage wasn't severe. I've heard that toxic zones are relatively few there, and they've effectively contained the virus as well. Thanks to that, they've been able to offer a great deal of help to the international community."
Well, that's a relief.
That was the first moment Benjamin earned my approval.
I neatly ignored Benjamin's curious gaze and thought to myself.
This person named Benjamin, who came from Earth in a way different from before.
The abnormal phenomena occurring on Earth.
Whether these might be connected to the goddess's cryptic prophecy and affect Rondel in some way.
'I'm forcing the pieces to fit.'
But I soon shook off that thought.
I couldn't hide my bewilderment over the abnormal phenomena on Earth, but there was nothing I could do about them right now.
At the very least, knowing Korea hadn't suffered major damage eased my uneasy feelings somewhat.
So I sincerely told Benjamin, who had faithfully answered my questions, about the method for returning to Earth that I had mentioned earlier.
"Dimension shift isn't possible right now. You'll have to understand that."
"I know it's not easy. I already heard that from the High-rank Mage I met through Lady Michelle. That person treated me like some kind of oddity, saying travel between other worlds or dimensions was impossible."
"That's the general view of the magic world. Not just High-rank Mages every Grand Mage would give you the same answer."
"But Your Highness the Duke possesses a method, don't you?"
I nodded at his earnest reaction.
"I hold relevant research materials. They're close to completion at a stage where if I keep pursuing the research, I'd be able to find the answer."
His expression brightened.
But I couldn't offer him nothing but hope.
"Still, you must understand that there's a chance of failure. But what's certain is that I'm the only one who can succeed at this, and the only one with the will to do so."
"So at this stage, I just have to trust and wait."
"The fortunate part is that the time difference between here and Earth is roughly 10:1. Even if you spend ten years here, only about a year passes by Earth's reckoning."
"Ten years... Is that how much time is needed?"
"It could be faster, or it could be slower. Nothing is certain. But I also have a strong desire to see Earth for myself. That's why I plan to continue researching dimension shift steadily."
Of course, that wasn't something for the immediate present.
My serious research into dimension shift would begin only after I reached the 9th circle and obtained every Opportunity.
"As I thought, Your Highness Duke Lawrence also shares the same "
He asked with firm conviction.
I shook my head in response.
"I am someone born into this world, with a precious family in this world."
"Is that so?"
"I merely possess memories of a past life."
"What?"
"Well, it means I was a Korean from Earth in my past life."
His eyes went wide as lanterns.
A delighted expression spread across his face he seemed relieved to have met someone connected to Earth.
I let out a small laugh, then wiped the expression from my face.
"From now on, I intend to support your daily life. And I'll help you adapt to this world. In return..."
I cast magic on him.
The spell was of the 8th Circle and carried a powerful binding force.
"You must not reveal my secrets, the story of Earth, or Earth's knowledge to anyone unauthorized."
A brilliant light followed as the magic took root within him, and I continued my warning.
"If you break this oath, you will die."
"Understood. I will keep it without fail."
Unless he was a fool, he couldn't have failed to realize I had placed some measure on him.
Even so, Benjamin nodded with a bright expression.
He understood that he had no choice either.
"Still, I am deeply grateful to have met someone with whom I can share stories of home."
"I too was able to gain quite useful information."
With an 8th Circle spell binding him, I could now rest easy.
Having cast off a major concern, I no longer showed him any hostility.
Perhaps he sensed the shift in my demeanor?
He asked cautiously.
"May I ask one thing?"
"Go ahead."
"Could Rondel's magic solve Earth's problems with toxics or viruses?"
I gave a light nod in response.
"Those are problems magic can resolve with ease."
He marveled at my answer and spoke.
"Perhaps the reason I came to this place was to meet a savior."
A savior, what nonsense was he spouting now.
* * *
There was a brief commotion, but the situation afterward didn't change much.
The Kingdom of Rhinehearts was still marshaling its strength in preparation for the war against Croisen, and I had officially announced the Heaven-Piercing Fortress development, making regular appearances at the Mage Tower while devoting my remaining time to gameplay.
A month had passed since I brought Benjamin and Michelle into my domain at Otis, and my in-game level had reached 255.
Things were going smoothly, all things considered.
"Have you no intention of using more administrator privileges?"
"Huh? I've already used three."
I was in the middle of reviewing dimensional shift research materials at Manuel Lucas's Mage Tower when Chester out of nowhere urged me to use my administrator privileges, so I couldn't help but be puzzled.
I had acquired five administrator privileges each from clearing stages 7 and 8 of the Opportunity Quest.
Having saved one of the privileges gained from clearing stage 7 of the Opportunity Quest, I had six in total after obtaining the stage 8 rewards.
Currently, I had used three of those six.
'As for where I used the three '
The first was used to bolster the fake Opportunity Seeker Lewis Fairmont, who had been captured by the Bringham Empire, making him seem more convincing so he'd appear to be a genuine Opportunity Seeker.
Thanks to that, even the Imperial Family Mage Tower of the Bringham Empire, which had initially been uncertain, came to lean toward believing he was real successfully sowing confusion.
That bought me even more time, so it was a perfectly appropriate use.
'Bringham Empire's investigative abilities were better than expected and caught me off guard, but with this, I can rest easy for years to come.'
The second use of administrator privileges was laundering the 200 trillion in cash obtained from clearing stage 8 of the Opportunity Quest.
Given the sheer magnitude of the sum, I decided to launder it steadily over the course of a year.
And the third and final use was investing the laundered money into stocks or futures to grow it.
Chester estimated annual returns of 10 20%, which was quite decent.
In the process, I bought a fairly solid investment firm, and the Mage Tower's funds were also steadily funneled there to generate returns.
I heard that Grand Duke Lucas had also grown no small amount of money through such investment programs.
'From a long-term perspective, it's an absolutely necessary tool.'
So I'd already used three of my six administrator privileges what was the rush to urge me to use more?
At my question, Chester gave an awkward smile.
"It's because I have a feeling the remaining three uses will stir up chaos."
Not understanding his words, I had to tilt my head.
"Based on my own deductions, the remaining uses of the privileges seem to be related to war."
I wore a slightly sheepish expression.
After all, I really did intend to use Hollywood's administrator privileges to cripple the Empire's social networks in the war against the Croysen Empire.
"So it's really not possible?"
"Because it would go against the ideology of the Hollywood System, which was built for the benefit of all."
Originally, administrator privileges prohibited acts that directly harmed the world.
But cases like the fake Opportunity Seeker incident were recognized as exceptions.
The reason was that Chester himself admitted their preparations had been lacking when it came to protecting Opportunity Seekers.
That led to major disasters, including the outbreak of war between the Prius Republic and the Bringham Empire, and as I watched it all unfold, I realized something.
No matter how many restrictions were in place, as long as I could make Chester understand, I could exercise requests that deviated from the rules.
Playing with words like that was somewhat of a specialty of mine, so it was only natural he'd show such concern.
"Hmm..."
Thanks to that, I had to put on a troubled look, just like Chester's awkward smile.
But then again... I figured it didn't matter much. It was all for my own survival.
If I died, the Opportunity would be worthless anyway.
"Let me think about it."
When I said that with a bright smile, Chester shook his head.
"You don't look like you're thinking about it at all."
"Haha."
I placed the dimension shift research journal back on the bookshelf and changed the subject.
"How are things looking with the Croysen Empire?"
This question wasn't directed at the Opportunity Administrator but at him, the hidden supporter of Blue Moon.
At my question, he furrowed his brow and answered.
"They're preparing for a major war. I don't think they'll wait more than three months at the latest."