Pandora of Fantasy And Reality Chapter 63

World Crisis

The World of Discernment.

In a decaying city.

Mariela was leveling up and gathering materials together with Nanako,  Sierra, and Guruguru at a mountain of rubble that was a metropolis in  the past.

Mariela drew her bow and fired her arrow. It hit a monster that looked like a box of machine.

Right after that an explosion occurred and dealt a large damage.

「That’s amazing big sis!」

Guruguru became excited. He was also a high elf like Mariela.

But, Guruguru’s strength was slightly inferior to Mariela, perhaps  because he prioritized advancing to the next stage first. This must be  the result of Ponsuke’s party diligently hunting the field bosses and  area bosses.

Mariela was stronger than Guruguru thanks to that really slight difference and also experience.

「You three, made some preparation first beforehand. Your efficiency is too bad like this.」

The monster burst into red particles and vanished.

Mariela was on guard against the surrounding while sighing and looked at the three.

The three’s combat style was fundamentally haphazard. They weren’t  adjusting their equipment and item for something suitable against the  monster that they would fight.

Sierra was looking at Mariela with adoration.

「You’re amazing Mariela-san. I look up to you!」

Mariela scratched her cheek with her finger while putting a troubled  look. She then stretched to hide her embarrassment, and also relaxing  because they had fulfilled their quota this time.

(I prefer to be told that by Ponsuke though.)

Originally she wasn’t a gamer, so Mariela herself had the tendency to  slack with advance preparation. In the first place it would stand out  if a gamer didn’t do any advance preparation.

Though no matter how excellent she was as an high elf, to the  surrounding she only looked like a casual player from how she was in the  same party with Ponsuke.

Nanako looked at Mariela.

「……Mariela-san, are things fine with Alfie-san?」

What Nanako wanted to say was 「Is it alright to not make up with  Alfie?」. The rumor about the two of them was already spreading within  the guild.

They could only login for two hours of real world time, but the time that they experienced in the virtual world was four days.

Blaze thought that it was strange for Ponsuke to be absent and he  asked around to the guild members. That caused the information to  circulate.

Mariela smiled a bit sadly.

「Alfie? It’s fine. That girl also hate me after all. ……Perhaps, we won’t play together anymore.」

Mariela was reflecting on her own failure.

The real Ponsuke was her junior in her part-time work.

Not only she quarreled with Alfie using smartphone right in front of him, she also showed him such an ugly scene.

They were also kicking and stepping on each other’s feet under the  table, and their faces while typing on their phone weren’t smiling at  all.

(……I don’t have any face to look at Ponsuke anymore. Perhaps I should also change part-time work.)

She was pleased with the hourly wage and treatment in her current  workplace, so she felt uneasy about going to work somewhere else but……if  possible, she didn’t want to face Ponsuke――Akito after what happened.

She didn’t hate him.

But, she had only showed her bad side to the person she liked.

She was too ashamed to face him again.

Guruguru put his hands on his waist.

The barbarian style that he was proud of was only giving the  impression of a wild girl to the surrounding. His navel, shoulders, and  even his thighs were exposed.

「Big sis, you’re completely useless in RL huh. If it’s big bro  Ponsuke then he will surely forgive you, so it’s pointless to worry  about it. Should I go together with you to apologize?」

Sierra poked Guruguru with her staff because he was acting childishly.

「That hurts, Sierra.」

「The problem isn’t that simple. You should be quiet Guruguru.」

Nanako also consoled the depressed Mariela.

「Surely everyone will be able to have fun as a party again. Because, the three of you are really close with each other.」

A real high school student was being consoled by real middle school students.

Mariela pressed her hand on her face.

「……I hope you’re right.」

It felt like there was a gaping hole in her heart, as though the fire  had gone out from her. The game itself was fun but……Mariela’s  motivation to continue playing it was fading.

(The time inside the game……there are still two days remaining.)

Her thought was only filled with how she would pass the remaining two days.

◇

Hospital.

「……I’m not sleepy at all at this time.」

Akito was lying on a bed. He was carried to this large hospital after he fainted.

It seemed there was a doctor at the nearby table. It seemed the  doctor helped with the first aid treatment and the treatment after that.

He wanted to thank the doctor, but the hospital staff wouldn’t tell him the doctor’s name.

He asked the physician who came to check on him to tell the doctor  his thanks, and then he was told that he would only need to stay in the  hospital for a day.

「The last time I was here was when I wanted to acquire my qualification huh.」

In this era, being hospitalized itself wasn’t rare.

Because many people were receiving education by using VR.

But, he automatically woke up when 4 o’clock came.

He had to prepare and then login. His body had learned that habit completely.

The clock’s hand was passing six o’clock.

He picked up his smartphone, but there wasn’t any new message.

The last message he received was an apology from Alfie and Mariela. But, their message sounded strangely distant.

「……Is it, over already I wonder.」

Would the result be different if only he was able to carry himself better?

Such thought occupied his mind.

It felt like the time was moving very slowly.

.

.

.

Nine o’clock.

He received an examination and they found nothing wrong with him, so he was released.

He thanked the doctor and left the hospital, but when he looked at his smartphone at the lobby, there wasn’t any new message.

「Perhaps I should contact them from my side.」

He sat on a bench and thought about what to write in his message.

Then there was a girl walking toward him.

「We met again.」

The girl was smiling radiantly.

She had a wavy brown hair.

Her purple eyes were pretty.

She looked delicate and wearing the clothes for this hospital’s patient.

Her white skin was pretty, but it was telling him that she was unable to go outside much.

「Eh, um?」

But, Akito wasn’t familiar with her.

Who was this girl before him? He was desperately trying to remember her while the girl was staying quiet smilingly.

But, she noticed that Akito didn’t remember her and apologized earnestly.

「That was a bit mean. Look, before I was on a wheelchair and my eyes were like this……」

Akito remembered. She was the patient who mistook him as an acquaintance.

「The girl from that time! S-sorry. I didn’t realize. Even so, you have gotten a lot better.」

Previously she was being pushed on a wheelchair, but now she apparently could walk on her own.

「It’s thanks to everyone. I have been helped by the doctor, the nurses, and a lot of people.」

The girl said that and sat on the bench. She asked Akito why he was here.

Akito answered her vaguely 「For an examination」.

There was no way he could say that he got hospitalized from getting punched by girls unconscious.

(The fists of those two……really hurt. There was also one other person who got elbowed, I wonder if he’s alright?)

A nearby monitor was broadcasting at the National Diet.

『Minister, what happened to your face……』

『Are you curious?

『N-no, m-more importantly at this time National Diet’s――』

The minister’s intense stare overwhelmed the reporter.

Looking closer, wasn’t that person looked really similar with the old gentleman yesterday?

(No, as expected it’s impossible for someone like that to be in that place.)

The girl took out her smartphone.

「Err, I know that it’s really rude to ask something like this but……」

「W-what?」

The girl made a request to Akito.

「Can I ask you to be my friend? I have been hospitalized for long and have few friends.」

Akito was surprised, even so he said 「Are you alright with me?」 and exchanged phone number with the girl, [Wakamiya Nanami].

(Nanami? Eh, could it be……)

Akito lifted up his face while Nanami who was rejoicing from getting  his number stood up. She waved her hand at Akito with a smile.

「I’ll contact you later. Also, let’s meet again……Ponsuke-san.」

Nanami――Nanako said that it was her time to get examined and left. Akito saw off her back with a conflicted state of mind.

「I see. So she’s Nanako-chan.」

So something so incredible could actually happen, Akito thought in relieve while also tilting his head in puzzlement.

(Could it be, she noticed that I’m Ponsuke?)

There was no use thinking too deeply about it.

Akito stood up to leave the hospital. He planned to send the message later.

Another voice called him again when he started walking.

「Excuse me. You’re Naruse Akito-kun right?」

It was a male with unhealthily large body.

Frankly he was fat, furthermore it was a fatness in an unhealthy way.

His weight was definitely over 100 kg.

He was wearing a suit and talked to Akito with a smile.

「U-umm――」

「I have a lot of things that I want to talk with you. Can you come  with me to a café or a restaurant so we can talk……Ponsuke-kun?」

The man’s words made him wondered if he had overheard his  conversation with Nanako just now. But, that didn’t seem to be the case  at all.

Akito didn’t sense anyone nearby at that time.

「Who in the world are you?」

Akito was on his guard. In respond the man――.

「Please don’t look wary like that. We have met several times inside  the game, so it hurts if you look at me like someone suspicious like  that. Will you understand if I say I’m the information broker?」

Akito’s eyes widened.

He had encountered two of his acquaintances inside the game just one day after the offline gathering.

It was as though, something had started moving……that was what he felt.

.

.

.

The man――information broker was eating a lot in the family restaurant.

In contrast Akito was eating lightly. It felt like he was going to be full just from watching.

(Pizza and Doria, in addition there is juice……how astonishing.)

The information broker spoke.

「I’m a researcher in RL. My research is about VR.」

「About VR?」

VR that had spread all over the world was being used in various  fields. It wouldn’t even be an exaggeration to call it as an important  support for the life of the people in this era.

A lot of people were working in such field.

「It’s game related. Well, it’s also related to Pandora although that’s not my main research.」

「Are you someone from the dev side?」

The information broker was someone from the management side.

Akito was thinking that, but the information broker drank his juice through a straw while shaking his head.

「I’m not. I’m more like a subcontractor. No information from the dev  came to me. I’m also purely a player. But, we won’t be able to enjoy  playing like before after this.」

The information broker took out a tablet.

(It’s not connected to network?)

The disconnected terminal was filled with several data.

「I want you to choose. Do you remember how I called you a Selector before? You’re a special existence.」

The tablet’s screen was projecting the image of the underground  colony that he once see during a field trip of his middle school.

The underground facility where mankind was staying for a long time in the past.

Now that facility was containing the new type of electricity generator.

「If I remember it right, this is the new reactor that is using moon’s technology isn’t it?」

The information broker nodded.

「It’s an unknown energy on earth though. It’s an excellent facility  that will be able to supply electricity semipermanently if it works.  Well, that’s a lie though.」

「Lie? Eh, so this is just a normal generator?」

The information broker displayed the next set of data.

「No. It’s a weapon. Furthermore you can say that this weapon is exceptionally horrid.」

The energy that was considered as harmless to human body had some  kind of will and it was excellent as an energy. In fact even perpetual  motion machine wouldn’t just be a dream using this energy, but the  problem was its effect to human body.

「Weapon? Eh?」

「What do you think is the dearest wish of the people on the moon?」

The people on the moon were the rich people who transmigrated to  there in the past――did they have any kind of objective? Akito never even  considered such thing.

「They want to return to earth. But, we……humans are on their way.」

The moon residents had a dream of returning to earth one day and became earthling once more.

But, unlike them who ran away, there were people who were sleeping  underground. It seemed that before this they had never even considered  such possibility.

「No way! Because, our ancestors went through cold sleep――」

「Apparently the moon people thought that our ancestors’ effort  failed. In fact, there were really some facilities that failed like  that. That’s why, they’re planning to reset the earth.」

And then when the earthlings were gone,

They would spend a long time to restore earth’s environment, and then after that they would descend. That was their plan.

「There are many empty lands. Even without doing something like that――」

The information broker showed Akito the data about the moon residents’ physical data.

Akito was shocked by the number.

「T-this――」

「Did you watch the news when the envoys from moon came last time?  Even with these numbers they were actually considered as trained elites  on the moon. Most of the people up there won’t be able to endure living  on earth. And even if they can, their physical ability will be far  inferior than earthling. They are scared you see.」

Akito couldn’t believe it.

The people of the moon who were in possession of technology that  surpassed even earth was actually scared of them. It was unreasonable to  ask Akito to believe such thing.

「But, how did you get this info――」

「From VR. Naturally the moon people were also developing it, but the  VR research on earth had advanced by leap and bound. It looks like the  use of VR for game was also really delayed on the moon.」

Apparently life on the moon couldn’t be said as very well-off.

「Now they started playing game too. Well, I’m involved with the game  that became the base of that. From there I obtained information using a  slightly illegal method.」

Apparently the people on the moon were looking down on earthlings as primitive or savage.

Apparently they didn’t find it amusing that such race was monopolizing the abundant earth.

But, there was one thing that bothered Akito.

「But, even if you tell me something like this, I’m just a student――」

「I know. But, at the same time you’re a Selector. You……if you’re told  that the world can be saved with Pandora, will you lend your help?」

The information broker spoke.

「Pandora’s server is also located in the underground colony. It’s  possible enough to access it. Now is the only time. If the test run has  started, all living creatures on earth will die and this planet will  become a dead planet again.」

Akito could only listen to the story that was too big in scale.

Besides, what could someone like him possibly do about that?

「B-but, are you planning to save the world with game? Because, it’s just a game you know?」

The information broker gave an important talk to Akito.

「……The danger isn’t only coming from the moon. Even the earth is a  horrible place. Haven’t you noticed it Akito-kun? You’re already being  greatly affected by Pandora.」

Akito wanted to tilt his head and asked him what he was talking about.

The information broker said.

「I seriously believe that this is possible if it’s with you guys  Selectors. After all, the game called Pandora……is a test site using the  people of this country, and this project is spearheaded by the  government. And the chosen people among all these people are you guys  the Selectors.」

「W-what are you――」

「There’s no time. Make your decision within these several days.」

「T-that’s impossible. This is impossible for me.」

Perhaps he was being deceived.

Surely this person was trying to deceive him. But what was the merit of doing that? Even for a prank, all of these was too much.

However, the person looked completely serious.

「……I understand your feeling. But, it will be over for earth if you  Selectors don’t lend your help. Are you alright with losing your  important family and friends?」

The information broker finished eating, paid the bill, and left the restaurant.

「What the hell. How did a game become related with the danger to the world? Someone tell me that this is a lie.」

It would still be better if this was just a prank.

Got you, his heart would be saved if only someone told him  that right now. He would be enraged by the prank, but he would be able  to laugh it off later.

However, he couldn’t think that all these were just a prank from the information broker’s atmosphere.

He didn’t understand what kind of reason he could have to lie to him.

Akito could only look dumbfounded.

「What should I do here?」

Akito who was at a loss tightly held his smartphone.

The screen was showing the wallpaper that was a photo of all the guild members including Sololy.

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