“Remember what I said before, about entertaining the ones observing this world?”
He nodded.
“The one who selected you is considered your sponsor, and it is they whom you will entertain by modifying the story to their liking.”
Ari frowned. “I’m just a puppet. Is that it?”
Sandrias shrugged. “Some sponsors offer greater freedom to do what you wish if your actions align with their tastes.”
‘You simply have to pursue your desires and live out your wildest fantasies. Is what Reality Bender said… It might not be that bad then.’
“I see. Then, regarding the acquisition of coins.”
“You will receive requests through the system that will grant you coins as a reward. In turn, coins can be used to upgrade your skills and abilities.”
‘As expected. And thanks to Reality Bender, I can save my coins. But what am I going to do with them now?’
‘...What if?’
“Is it possible to convert coins into Ascension Points ?”
Sandrias’s eyes widened. “How did you know about that?” she asked. “I would advise against converting coins during the early stages; upgrading skills and abilities is important too.”
“I just had a hunch. Don’t worry, I’ll only convert when necessary.”
“Good,” she remarked.
“Are the requests given directly from my sponsor?”
“Not exactly. Sponsors provide an outline of what they wish to see, and the system generates the requests accordingly,” she said. “However, there may be times when they give direct requests and rewards.”
‘I can work with that.’
“Now, you should become accustomed to using Synchronised Modifier Vision.”
“Synchronised Modifier Vision?”
She nodded. “It is allows you to identify things reted to the world and the story.”
“What exactly can I see with SMV?”
Sandrias giggled.
“SMV will improve as your rank rises. At a certain rank, it will tell you anything and everything that you may want to know about this world.”
“Anything?”
“If your rank is high enough.”
“How do I activate it?”
“Recall a world that you have observed in the past, using that as a reference, say...observe.”
Ari focused on a webcomic he recently read, then said,
“Observe.”
A radar-like scan enveloped everything in sight. Suddenly, it felt as though the world around him glitched, albeit for a brief moment.
He looked around and saw nothing, well, retively nothing new. Except for a ton of question marks floating above everything.
He turned to Sandrias.
[???]
His eyes felt as though they were on fire.
“What the hell is this?”
“Why are they burning?”
‘Is she doing it to me again?’
Following that thought, a wave of dizziness and confusion enveloped his mind, causing him to colpse to his knees.
His eyes rolled in his skull as he felt his will and his very being colpsing.
Suddenly, gentle warmth enveloped his mind, restoring his sanity and further shielding it from degradation.
An intoxicating scent brought Ari's consciousness back, and he awakened to a supremely heavy, yet marshmallow soft sensation around his face.
‘Goddamn. If they feel this good on my face…’
Overwhelmed by the unearthly sensation, he obeyed his instincts and began snuggling her voluptuous chest
Instead of stopping him, Sandrias expertly massaged the back of his head with her fingertips, further stimuting his senses to induce a trance-like state.
Ari no longer knew who, or where he was, existing only in that moment of bliss.
“Looks like you recovered sufficiently,” Sandrias said, stopping her massage.
“Not yet, I need ten more minutes.”
She giggled. “I have indulged you long enough.”
“How about five more minutes? But allow me to use his hands.”
Removing her hands from the back of his head, she pced them on his shoulders and gently pushed him back.
Her striking violet eyes stared into his, a look of amusement on her face
“Ari, your charm won’t work on me.”
He fshed a mischievous smile. “Oh? But I haven’t even tried yet.”
She smiled. “I should have warned you not to look at me. I apologise."
“What was that?”
She sighed. “To put it simply, your rank is too low.”
“I see. Will that happen every time?”
Ari didn’t want to experience that each time he encountered something for which his SMV was under-levelled.
She shook her head. “This was an exception; the question marks alone would indicate whether you are at an appropriate level.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Now that we have covered the basics, it’s time for you to leave the Upper Garden, Ari.”
“Already?”
Sandrias nodded. “You will head to the designated trial area as per your sponsor's desires,” she said. “If you survive, you will then be transported to the main world, where your sponsor has prepared a backstory for you.”
“So, if I fail in the trial, I won’t even make it to the main world?”
“Correct. But I have faith in you, Ari,” she said. “Remain true to yourself, and I am certain you will be greatly rewarded.”
‘Is that so? Then...’
Ari reached for her chin. “Will I see you again?”
When she did not respond, he gently pinched her chin. “After coming all this way to see you, it would be a shame to just leave like this, wouldn’t it?”
Sandrias grinned. “Are you trying to seduce me, Ari?”
He shrugged. “You told me to remain true to myself, and I would be rewarded.”
She giggled pyfully. “You know, if I were any other woman, I would have let you have your way with me.”
She leaned in, tickling his ear with her warm breath. “Allow you to touch and explore my body to your heart’s content.”
Ari immediately recalled the feeling of her voluptuous body, causing his hands to twitch.
Sandrias backed away. “It is a shame that I am not, right?”
She winked.
Ari grinned. “Such a shame, but it won’t remain this way forever.”
He leaned into her ear. “However long it takes for me to return, one day, you will surrender yourself to me and become that woman.”
Sandrias' eyes widened briefly, and the corners of her mouth curved ever so slightly.
“Something to look forward to then.”
She pced her hand on his cheek. “Until we meet again, Ari.”
He winked. “Until next time, Rias.”
She grinned. “Cheeky.”
She pressed her overwhelmingly soft and supple lips against his, causing the hair on his body to stand on end.
Before he could take things any further, a bright light enveloped him, forcing him to shut his eyes.
His entire body vibrated as though he was about to phase through a wall.
Before the feeling became overwhelming, his body became extremely light, and the sensation, along with Ari, disappeared.
When the bright light faded, a dull, somewhat eerie sight greeted him.
Thick grey clouds bnketed the sky, creating a gloomy atmosphere.
A cliff face blocked off any thoughts of retreat, and at the front, a rugged ndscape stretched beyond the horizon.
On the bright side, he wasn’t naked anymore.
They dressed him in a pin grey V-neck T-shirt, bck cargo pants, and combat boots.
The only thing cking was a long bck coat to complete the look.
‘Let’s see what else they gave me.’
‘Inventory.’
He tried his luck, hoping the command would work.
Fortunately, a video game like Subspace appeared before him the next moment.
To no surprise, the inventory was bare except for a standard short sword.
He summoned the weapon and inspected it.
[Trial Sword: D-Rank]
Ari swung the sword, creating a satisfying sound as it sliced the air.
‘Not bad.’
Just then.
[System Message]
[Your Trial Will Begin Shortly]
[Trial Of Strength: Clear The Horde]
[Time Limit: 10 Minutes]
[Failure: Death]