"Hey… are you sure about coming all the way to our city? From North Port City to here, it's about 100 kilometers. If you walk and rest properly, it'll take you nearly two days, and there's a risk of getting robbed along the way. Even if you walk nonstop, you'd get there faster… but traveling at night is even more dangerous," said Loli, concern clear in her voice.
"It's fine. I'll pay for a carriage," Edward replied calmly.
"Hey… that's pretty expensive," Bert pointed out, frowning.
"Seven medium-quality mana vials. I know. It's all I have," Edward said seriously. "But I'll get there in just three hours. It's also safer, since they include armed security."
"Alright," murmured Sig in his usual calm tone. "What time is it?" he asked, glancing toward Alfred.
"It's eleven in the morning, real-world time," Alfred answered serenely.
"Four hours outside should be enough for it to be dawn here. So hurry and book the carriage. Pack your things. We'll prepare a place for you to stay. I'll send someone to pick you up at the terminal. Four hours is more than enough to get everything ready. Don't worry, our place is safe. Once you step into our city, if anyone bothers you, just say that Sig is expecting you," he added firmly.
Loli, Bert, and Ganfall simply watched in silence. Lua too, of course.
"Yes," Edward replied, a steady seriousness in his eyes, ready to change his life without hesitation.
"Come on, Alfred," said Sig, before logging out of the game.
Alfred gave a small nod to the group and disappeared as well.
"Hey… they were supposed to help set up the traps," Loli muttered, crossing her arms, though she knew they couldn't hear her anymore.
Edward also logged out. He had to hurry to the carriage terminal.
…
Edward left the game still not fully believing what he was about to do. But a slight sense of happiness appeared on his face as he shut down the computer. He grabbed his bag, opened it, and placed his old ID inside. It didn't serve much purpose anymore"just proof of being up to date on elf tributes to avoid being drained"but it was a habit.
He reached under a loose floorboard beneath his bed and pulled out a hidden stash of low-quality mana vials. He took a few. Then, he packed two changes of clothes into his backpack and walked to the door. Before leaving, he gave one last look at his home.
That place had been his shelter for more than ten years.
Edward was an orphan. He had no one who would miss him. He never made friends. Unlike in Central Student City, there were no schools in the Port City. No one would waste resources on education. His coworkers were too busy working and surviving to even talk.
Without looking back, Edward stepped out of his home and made his way through the alleys, walking fast and without hesitation.
His steps were firm. He didn't stop, didn't glance to the sides. He knew exactly where he needed to go.
After several minutes, he reached the carriage terminal.
Modern carriages were remnants of the past. They had replaced cars"slower, with a top speed of 30 km/h, and quite expensive to operate using mana vials. The reason cars had disappeared was simple: by the year 2500, gasoline had been completely abandoned. Its use had polluted the air for centuries, and continuing to extract it was no longer viable without destroying the planet.
In its place, a new technology emerged: electric cars. Small portable reactors powered vehicles, allowing them to run for decades without constant recharging. It was a promising transitional era… until mana arrived.
The new magical energy changed the world's rules. Reactors stopped working, as if an invisible, magical pulse had disabled all prior technology. Just like brain chips, it was as if something in the air had shut them down forever.
Humanity then designed a new kind of vehicle: mana-powered cars. At first, they were rudimentary carriages. Later, they evolved into floating cars, aircraft, even interplanetary transports. But when the elves conquered Earth and destroyed ambient mana, everything collapsed again.
Magical vehicles stopped working. Only the oldest, sturdiest, self-sustaining carriages"powered directly by mana vials instead of ambient energy"survived.
Today, these carriages were used to transport goods, messages… or people, if they could afford the trip.
An old automobile factory took control of the remaining units and founded a powerful transport guild. Not even criminal gangs dared to touch them. They moved so many mana vials that they could hire every rival gang at once to wipe out any threat.
That's why it was the safest method of travel.
Edward didn't hesitate. He approached one of the trade bases known as Spic Transport.
Several carriages"resembling armored minibuses with all-terrain wheels and embedded magical tech"were parked nearby. Burly, well-armed men stood around, chatting and laughing in deep voices.
"Hello," said Edward, a little nervous.
The men immediately stopped talking. They turned around with serious, almost hostile expressions.
"What do you want?" one of them asked.
"A trip to Central Student City," Edward replied without hesitation, though a bit tense.
"Student City? A trip? Don't you want to send a message instead? Or maybe a parcel?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow. "You do know it's more expensive to transport a person, right?" he added, eyeing him as if any wrong answer might lead to trouble.
"Yes, I know. I want to leave this city. I just hope you can take me," Edward said seriously.
"So that's how it is?" the man responded, narrowing his eyes as he stared at him. "Show me the vials."
Edward reached into his backpack and, with some nervousness, pulled out the seven medium-quality mana vials.
"So, you want to get out of this place… Smart thinking, coming to us," the man said, then let out a friendly laugh. "Hey, Stur! Register the traveler. I'm taking this trip anyway"gotta go see my niece," he shouted toward the base. Then he turned back to Edward and pointed calmly toward the interior. "Go in so they can log your info. It's for your safety… and ours."
The Spic transport company was known for doing things right. They used a tracking system that recorded every trip"if a driver committed a crime"robbery, assault, even murder"it would be logged into the system, and the company itself would go after them. They had a reputation to uphold in a half-destroyed world, and it was no coincidence they made so much money.
Fortunately, the company's boss was one of those rare honest people who believed everyone was in the same sinking ship: survival. Why make things worse by killing your own, when everyone was just trying to escape the elves?
After registering his data and destination, Edward was guided back to the man he had spoken with earlier. Another man, armed and with a solid presence, would be joining them as security for the trip.
The driver was a muscular blond man with a stern expression and rough features that could make anyone tremble with just a look. The guard, in contrast, was calmer. He had a soft smile, black hair, dark glasses, and a scar running from his earlobe down to his neck. His name was Dean.
A bit nervous, Edward climbed into the carriage. The vehicle looked like a small bus"its official name was magic carriage, a marketing attempt to suggest they were still in the age of magic, though in truth it was just a mana-powered automobile.
He handed over the vials before boarding and sat as far back as he could. There wasn't much space; several boxes were stacked in the rear of the carriage, and some glowed in strange colors… but that was none of Edward's business.
The driver, whose name turned out to be Joe, climbed in shortly after. He gave Edward a quick glance, then took the driver's seat. Without a word, he pulled out five medium-quality mana vials and plugged them into a console beside the steering wheel.
Dean, meanwhile, sat in the front passenger seat, calmly watching everything.
Seconds later, the carriage started. It left the terminal in complete silence, gliding smoothly through the gray streets.
Edward stared out the window, watching as the city slowly faded into the distance… and doubt began to set in.
Had he done the right thing? Now that he thought about it more clearly, everything felt too rushed. What if the players had lied to him? What if he couldn't find a place to stay? What if Central Student City was even worse? What if it was all a trap"to enslave him… or drain him?
Maybe he had been confused by how real the game felt… but in the end, it was still a game. And now, in real life, he had made a radical decision.
For the first time in years, he had made a choice on his own… and he was scared it might've been a mistake.
His hands began to tremble slightly. His breathing quickened. His chest tightened. He was on the verge of hyperventilating.
"Hey… you alright?" Joe asked, glancing at him through the rearview mirror.
"Uh… yeah. I'm fine," Edward replied, trying to calm himself.
Joe looked at him for a couple more seconds, then turned his eyes back to the road and spoke.
"You're leaving everything behind, aren't you? You're not coming back. Starting over from scratch."
"How… do you know?" Edward asked, surprised.
"Hah. Because not many people pay to travel by carriage. It's expensive. Only those who are running… or those who are really determined to start over. And there aren't many of those."
"And the ones who did it… do you know what happened to them?" Edward asked, genuinely interested, locking eyes with him.
"Most don't make it," Joe said bluntly, which only made Edward even more nervous.
"But the ones who did… did really well. They took the step they believed was right. And they made it. Now you're stuck wondering what'll happen if you fail… but what if you never tried? What if you gave up because of fear? What would you go back to?"
"I… I guess I'd look for a job in some factory," Edward muttered, almost uncertain of his own words.
"A factory?" Joe let out a dry laugh. "Pfft. Those places only exist to squeeze you dry. You'll die from overwork before they even drain you. They pay you just enough to eat and survive. Even someone using a mana-extraction machine every day will live longer and better."
He paused for a moment.
"And that's the worst part. And even then, you'd still be better off than working in a factory."
Edward had nothing to say. It was true. He could barely eat. The only reason he didn't use an extraction machine was because it drained vital mana"shortening your lifespan. But after so many years working in that factory… who's to say he hadn't already lost twice as much life as he would've using one?
Worse still: his body was so worn down that he might not even be able to use a machine now, even if he wanted to.
"You're making a good choice, kid," Joe said in a gentler tone. "Central Student City is one of the best places to live. It's peaceful. Yeah, there are smugglers, just like everywhere. But they don't mess with civilians. The only reason more people don't live there… is because there aren't many jobs. Most folks rely on extractors. But still, they live better than people in most other cities."
Edward let out a small breath of relief. At least that part matched what the other players had told him.
"Are you from there, sir?" he asked.
"Yeah. We both are. Though we're more on the adventurous side. This job lets us travel, visit places, even fight if needed. It's a shame to see how toxic and rotten the world has become… but there's no changing that," Joe said with a calm smile.
Dean nodded in agreement beside him.
Edward wasn't as nervous as before. Whatever came next… he was already on the path.
And if what the players told him was true"
Then his life was about to change forever.