kscans

Chapter 152 - Interlude: The Meaning of Life

An old man was enjoying wine alone at a table.

Dressed in a robe that exposed little more than his eyes, his appearance could be called suspicious. He had the kind of look that would deter even acquaintances from striking up a conversation.

The old man poured the wine on the table into his glass, tock tock, enjoyed its aroma, and then brought it to his lips. It was a shame he had no companions who shared his taste in wine, but he wasn't averse to having it all to himself, and he savored it slowly at his own pace.

This was the fortress that served as the base for the clan Blackjack. Today was the final day before the virtual reality would end for a time.

Having won the event known as the Clan War, the clan Blackjack had attracted many players from other clans as well. The place was overflowing with people who wanted to talk with members of the strongest clan.

He could have relaxed in his own room, but since it was the final day, he had decided to drink his special wine in a crowded place.

The old man looked around.

The surrounding clamor was different from his own state of mind, but that didn't matter in the least, and it cheered him up all the same. That vitality which uplifted even its surroundings, that life force, was surely the privilege of a youth he no longer possessed, he thought with a bit of self-deprecation.

It was an age of resource depletion with no hope for the future, but they were different. Though it was the fictional world of virtual reality, there was an expectation for the future. That was what invigorated the young people around him.

Youth was potential. He still had potential himself, but compared to the potential of the young, it was insignificant. Time robs one of physical strength, willpower, everything. And even if one tries to challenge something, one inevitably understands one's own limits. Time would likely steal away even the will to try and break through them.

But it was too late now. He had lived as he pleased until now. He would continue to live as he pleased until he died. This was no time to be talking about potential. What was important was how peaceful a retirement he could live.

Still, he wondered. Had his life had any meaning?

A life of just being born and then dying. As long as you can enjoy it while you're alive, that's all that matters. Who cares what happens after you're dead. Even though he thought that, he sometimes wondered what his life had been.

He didn't want to be respected by anyone. He just wanted to think that his life had been meaningful.

The flow of time he hadn't felt in his youth, at this age, made him fear each passing day. The promise of waking up tomorrow morning after going to sleep at night was no longer an absolute.

Thinking such thoughts, the old man looked at his own hands.

His thin, wrinkled fingers gave a sense of his years. But they still moved as he willed. That was because this was virtual reality.

His real body was asleep in a special kind of cryosleep. He hadn't logged out in years. He grew anxious thinking about whether he would be able to move his body as he wished when he did log out.

Sometimes he even thought that his body might no longer exist, that he had undergone cyberization.

How wonderful that would be. Even an old man could move his body freely in virtual reality. If that were the case, one could say there were endless possibilities.

But such a convenient thing would never happen. Most likely, when he logged out, his body would be in a state where he couldn't move properly. Not due to muscle atrophy from cryosleep, but simply from aging. That was a certainty.

In his youth, he hadn't feared death, but at this age, he feared it. It wasn't that he was afraid of dying. He was afraid that his life had been meaningless.

In the next world, would he no longer feel such fear? The old man thought this as he took another sip of wine.

"Relic."

He realized with a slight delay that his name had been called by a woman’s voice.

He had dozed off a bit after drinking the wine. Even though it was virtual reality, the state of being drunk was also recreated. And the cheerful clamor around him had put him in a good mood.

Relic slowly opened his eyes.

A familiar woman was sitting opposite him at the table where he had been sitting alone.

"Sonia."

Relic called the woman before him by that name. It was Sonia Wellart, an acquaintance from before he entered virtual reality.

A woman in her thirties, wearing a black leather jacket and pants, a matching black ten-gallon hat, and a red muffler around her neck.

The woman placed her hat on the table and ran a hand through her short white hair.

"Going to sleep already? You should enjoy the last day more."

"It’s old age. It seems I dozed off while drinking my treasured wine. You, on the other hand, are as youthful as ever."

"It’s because I was used as a test subject for some strange medicine. Well, it’s just my appearance. It’s appreciated that my appearance is reflected in virtual reality, though."

"Indeed. By the way, what brings you here today?"

"Today’s the last day we’ll remember reality, right? I came for a chess match. You’re not planning on running away with a winning record, are you?"

"Come to think of it, I was ahead. Alright, let’s have one last match."

"That’s what I like to hear."

Sonia took out a full chess set from her item bag and placed it on the table.

The two of them set up their pieces and began their match.

A chess match they had played many times. They knew each other’s moves inside and out, and any unorthodox move would simply create an opening. Perhaps influenced by that caution, the match was taking longer than usual.

"By the way, I heard that everyone decided to stay in this virtual reality."

"Even though it seems the resource shortage is being resolved, it’s still a long way off, so that’s only natural. There’s a difference between reality and virtual, but that’s the only difference."

"I think whether it’s real or virtual is the most important thing, though. But I didn’t think you would stay, Relic."

"I think the only choice for us is to stay, isn't it?"

"What about that person? You haven’t seen anything through to the end, have you?"

Even as they talked, the chess game progressed. At Sonia’s words, Relic’s fingers paused for a moment, but he immediately made his next move.

"I’ve already done what I can. What happens next is for God alone to know."

"I see. Well, even if you stayed in reality, you wouldn't be able to know the result, I suppose. Then this is certainly better. And the food there is so bad you can’t stand it. I wish they would at least let us eat while deceiving our sense of taste."

"They wouldn’t do that for a criminal. But this is like a prison break. It’s a shame I won’t get to see the warden’s frustrated face."

"I wanted to see that too… ah."

"Checkmate. You were too focused on the conversation."

"…That’s dirty. Coming at me with a different move than usual when I’m focused on the conversation."

"It’s the same as magic. While diverting attention with one thing, you set up your real move… Our work was like that too, wasn't it?"

"Well, that’s true… Is something wrong?"

Relic’s eyes had caught sight of a girl dressed as a mage.

"No, one of the clan members just went up the stairs. It seems she went to the rooftop."

"Ah, the Goddess of Annihilation. She’s quite an interesting girl. Are you curious?"

"A little. I feel like that girl is similar to my old self. Not in appearance, but in her way of thinking."

"The part where she seeks power without a purpose?"

"…She’s a girl who knows that power is necessary to accomplish something. It would be good if she could find that something, but if she doesn’t, she’ll end up showing off her power for fun, like me. We’re in the same clan, so I am a bit worried."

"If you’re concerned, why don’t you go to her? I’ll stay here and drink that treasured wine of yours."

Relic considered Sonia’s suggestion. But the answer came quickly.

"Alright. Even if I talk to her, her memories will be erased, but for this last time, she probably won’t refuse my company. Then, Sonia, this is farewell for now. Let’s meet in the next world."

"Sure thing. Well then, see you in the next world."

Sonia said that and lightly raised her glass of wine. Then she began to drink.

Relic walked along the wall toward the stairs leading to the rooftop. As he did, he observed the people there.

The Brandle Siblings from Dragon Soul, Mist from Undead. He only knew that many, but he was a little surprised to see that members of the clans that made it to the top eight had also come here.

For Relic, virtual reality was nothing more than a game. He wasn't at an age to take games seriously, but the clan he had joined was surprisingly strong, and they had won the event called the Clan War.

It would be a lie to say it wasn't fun. Here, he could move freely without feeling the decline of his body. He wasn't the type to exercise in the first place, but with a body that didn't tire, he could move as much as he wanted. Repeating the same actions over and over, engraving them into his virtual body. His real body probably wouldn't move like that, but in virtual reality, there were no limits.

He had worked hard not to be a burden, and as a result, he could say he had achieved decent results.

He had sometimes thought about what he was doing, getting so serious about a mere game, but he smiled a little, thinking it hadn't been a bad time.

"May I have a moment?"

He was spoken to while walking. Two unfamiliar women were in front of Relic. They were dressed as maids.

"May I help you?"

Relic changed his tone from when he was talking to Sonia. He only used a casual tone with Sonia, and he used polite language with everyone else.

"Do you happen to know where Ivan-san is?"

Ivan. The leader of Relic’s clan, Blackjack. He was called the Hero, but that had nothing to do with his strength, it was a nickname he earned because it was widely known that he was going to confess to a seemingly impregnable woman.

Relic was a little troubled. Ivan wasn't here, he had gone to another base. He could say he didn't know, but since they would find out anyway, Relic decided to tell them.

"Ivan has gone to another base. He is not here."

At Relic’s words, one of the maids’ shoulders slumped. It looked like the end of the world for her, but he decided not to press the matter. He wanted to do something for her, but there was nothing Relic could do.

"I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help."

The maid who seemed to be fine bowed her head.

"No, not at all. Thank you for telling us. You’re in a hurry, aren’t you? I’m sorry for stopping you."

"Please don’t worry about it. Well then, if you’ll excuse me. If we meet in the next world, I promise I will be of service to you then."

At Relic's words, the female maid was surprised, but she immediately smiled.

"Yes, I look forward to it then."

Relic gave a light bow and started walking again.

My tongue is surprisingly loose. The wine must still be affecting me. Or am I excited about the next world? Either way, it’s not a bad feeling.

He had said something to that maid that he would never normally say. He felt embarrassed after saying it, but figuring she would forget anyway, he climbed the stairs to his destination.

When he stepped out onto the rooftop, he saw a beautiful sunset and a girl gazing at it.

Relic liked beautiful things. But the beauty Relic sought was found in orderly systems. Something that could be obtained upon reaching it after navigating through numerous traps… no, he believed that beauty was in the process itself.

To obtain that beauty, he had invested his knowledge, experience, money, everything.

The result was the brand of a criminal.

He had no regrets, but when he thought that the girl before him might end up the same, he felt a little pity. When obtaining power becomes the sole purpose, one starts to want to use that power without reason. That will surely bring misfortune. It's the same even in virtual reality.

She probably wouldn't end up like him, and talking to her wouldn't change anything. Maybe it was he who wanted to change. Or maybe he was hoping the girl would become like him.

With his thoughts in a jumble, Relic approached the girl before him.

"So this is where you were."

The world would end soon. Talking with a girl who resembled him on the last day wouldn't give his life meaning, but with the hope that something might change, Relic called out to the girl.