FlyingPotatoes

  -Akane-

  "Welcome lost soul."

  A doll, puppet, or perhaps a mannequin is currently standing behind me.

  Slender shaped body that looks like human skin with visible limbs that resembles puppet joints. Each connection gleams faintly in the torchlight, creating an unsettling impression of something both alive and not. The skin—if it can be called that—has a porcein smoothness that seems to absorb rather than reflect the light.

  Long white hair resembling thin strings of silk cascades down its back, swaying with an unnatural grace that no human hair could achieve. It doesn't move with the slight breeze in the room but seems to follow some other, invisible current.

  Kimono that felt out of pce due to its floral design. Vibrant blossoms of red and gold stand in stark contrast to the gray surroundings, the fabric appearing impossibly crisp and unwrinkled despite the puppet's movements.

  And gentle mannerisms combined with monotone, machine-like voice. Each word comes out precisely measured, neither hurried nor slowed, as if dictated rather than spoken.

  "Who are you?"

  I tried inquiring about its name, my own voice sounding jarringly human and emotional in comparison to the puppet's mechanical tones.

  After all, I just found myself here and luckily, I sense no hostility coming from it. Still, my fingers twitch at my sides, ready to defend myself if necessary.

  "One of the many limbs of the magistrate. I am here to guide new ones as per ordained by my master."

  "Limbs? Magistrate?"

  Tilting my head as I feel slightly lost seems daunting and disturbing. My stomach knots with anxiety, the reality of my situation hitting me in waves. The room feels both too rge and too small at once.

  Finding one's self in an unknown world never felt satisfying after all. Books and movies make it seem like an adventure, but the disorientation and fear are overwhelming.

  "I can sense your emotions. As such, allow me to assure you that I am here to help. In fact, my model is a non-combatant type and merely tasked to assist in various ways."

  So it seems.

  Fortunately, it is like one of those NPCs at the start of a game. The thought brings a small measure of comfort—if this world operates on game-like logic, perhaps I can learn its rules.

  "I understand. Please do tell me where I am and what to do for starters." My voice steadies as I focus on gathering information—a task with clear parameters.

  "I'm grateful for your quick understanding. Well then, please do follow me, Miss Akane."

  The puppet lowered its head once more with graceful poise before facing towards the exit. Its movements are fluid yet precise, like water flowing down a predetermined path.

  It waits for me to follow it before starting to lead the way, the soft whisper of its kimono against the floor the only sound in the otherwise silent corridor.

  "May I ask how did you know my name?"

  I noticed that this one, in fact, called me by my name, which is weird. My skin prickles with unease at this detail.

  I remember no instances of me mentioning my name.

  More so, I just arrived here after all. The puzzle pieces don't fit, and that bothers me more than I'd like to admit.

  "I will expin it ter once we arrived at the designated pce. For now, allow me to tell a brief story in regards to this world."

  Nodding my head before I found myself gulping down my own saliva as I begin to listen to its story. My throat feels dry, anxiety making it difficult to swallow properly.

  "It all started when the gods created this world. One goddess ruled over luck and fate. Her name was Dicera. Pying with mortals by her whims and guiding or corrupting their morals. The gods noticed this and decided to seal her. Dicera then got sealed for centuries long."

  The puppet's voice takes on an almost rhythmic quality, like a storyteller who has recited this tale countless times. Despite the monotone delivery, there's something hypnotic about the cadence.

  "However, everything changed when someone unknowingly unsealed her. The one known as the very first Dicer. The one Dicera directly given a blessing called immortality and a curse called corrosion. The Eternal Witch Ailoch. There, Dicera decreed, 'The world shall be changed,' and so it happened."

  My feet continue forward mechanically as my mind processes this information. The torchlight casts our shadows long against the wall, dancing and merging as we walk.

  "The world, divided into 6 sides. Not only that, even the foundation, the rules, the logic of this world got bent, got twisted, got turned into this new world now called Dicera by her name. That is how everyone received a mark as a proof of being a dicer given a blessing or curse by the goddess Dicera herself just like the one you have on your hand."

  (The mark...)

  I found myself staring at this new mark at the back of my hand. It pulses faintly in the torchlight, not painful but present—a constant reminder that I'm no longer in my world. I trace it with my fingertip, feeling its slightly raised texture.

  "So... How will I know if what I received is a blessing or a curse?"

  (Aside from the figure I met. I can't fully trust her yet knowing I have no idea what kind of blessing this is.)

  The question hangs in the air between us, my voice echoing slightly in the corridor.

  "That is where we are heading right now. In that pce, you will be able to learn what is your blessing and how to use it. However, we can't show you how or what it is. We can only guide you towards it. It will be up to you how you will use your newfound blessing or curse."

  "That's... fair, I guess."

  I stopped talking and simply followed her as we walk through this silent corridor lightened by the torches erected at the walls. The fmes cast shifting shadows that seem almost alive, creating the illusion that we're being watched from all sides.

  Soon enough, we reached a spacious room.

  Gray smooth walls, marble floor, and different machines and screens around where various workers are busy monitoring. The contrast between the medieval-looking corridor and this high-tech facility is jarring. The air here feels different too—cooler, recycled, with a faint hum of electricity that wasn't present before.

  As I follow behind the puppet, I found out that I am currently underground. The realization sends a small shiver through me—how deep am I? How far from the sky, from freedom?

  "Heya, newbie! Good to know another one starts again."

  I looked towards the voice and saw a woman with gsses. The sudden loudness makes me jump slightly after the hushed atmosphere of the corridors.

  Long bck hair and pure white b coat worn as proof that she is someone that belongs here. Her hair catches the fluorescent light, revealing subtle highlights of deep blue when she moves.

  In the chest pocket of her b coat is a nyard probably connected to her ID inside that pocket. It swings slightly as she approaches, her steps confident and measured.

  "Hello..."

  I simply met her gaze and lowered my head as a sign of respect. My shoulders hunch involuntarily, an old habit when meeting new people in unfamiliar situations.

  "Shy type, are we? That can't be good."

  The dy walks towards us, shaking her head as if acting disappointed. Her heels click against the marble floor, a staccato rhythm that echoes in the rge room.

  "Madam Vio. Please refrain from scaring the lost soul."

  The puppet in front of me told her to stop while standing in between me and the approaching dy. Its posture shifts subtly, becoming more formal, more rigid.

  "Oh, it's not like that, magistrate. I am simply telling her to change that mindset unless she wants to get treated as a weakling by the others above. As you know, the current morals in the Lower Side are quite bad."

  (It seems behavioral issues are present even in this pce.)

  I thought to myself as I listen along to the two. My fingers fidget with the hem of my shirt, a nervous habit I've never quite broken.

  "Ahem. Anyways, this dy here is the head researcher of this facility. She is called Vio Maximus III. Just call her Vio or Lady Vio."

  The puppet spoke, breaking the current topic smoothly, changing its course. The introduction comes with a slight bow from the puppet, its hair swaying forward with the movement.

  "Good day, Lady Vio."

  This time, I greeted her properly to avoid misunderstanding. I straighten my posture, meeting her eyes more directly.

  "Good. I thought you were a wimpy one. Good thing you are not. Or I might have had to teach you some lesson."

  Vio ughs as she pats my shoulder with an approving nod. Her hand is warm and surprisingly strong, the brief contact both reassuring and slightly intimidating.

  "Well then, Akane. I am sure you are wondering how do we know your name already, yes? It's simple. All souls coming into this world always spawn at the Area 1 spawn area. Meaning, everyone who died, teleports, or those like you, a lost soul randomly wandering into this world will appear here. And all souls that are already recorded here will have their data appear in that wide screen back there. And those like you will only show their name, and the rest is obscured until the scan is finished."

  Her expnation flows smoothly, practiced, as if she's given it hundreds of times before. She gestures to a massive screen on the far wall, where I can see rows of data streaming by too quickly to read.

  "Scan? Is that like body scan or something?"

  Vio smiles and nods her head, a gleam appearing in her eyes at my question. The light reflects off her gsses, momentarily hiding her expression.

  "Oh. You know about it? Wait. Don't tell me, your world is advanced? Or perhaps more advanced than this pce?"

  She grabs my shoulders and leans her face close to mine with a scary smile. Her breath smells faintly of mint and coffee, an unexpectedly normal detail in this strange situation.

  "Ummm... Sorry, I don't know yet what level this world is currently at. So I can't answer. Besides, the one I'm from doesn't have the concept of blessing or curse like this world."

  My voice comes out steadier than I expected, surprising even myself. Something about Vio's enthusiasm is both unsettling and oddly comforting—a human reaction in a nonhuman pce.

  Vio stepped back and suddenly stared at me as if calcuting or thinking. Her eyes narrow slightly, head tilting to one side as she regards me with newfound interest.

  "Hoho... A world without magic or skills? Or perhaps no status as well? Ain't that interesting."

  "Ahem..."

  As Vio seems to enjoy herself, the puppet coughs, trying to get her attention. The sound is surprisingly realistic for something without lungs.

  "Oh... Sorry about that. Anyways, let's scan you, Akane. Shall we?"

  Vio rubs her head as she urged me to follow her. A strand of her hair catches on her gsses, and she brushes it away with practiced ease.

  The puppet simply holds her hand and follows behind me like a maid in work. Its footsteps are nearly silent compared to Vio's confident stride and my own uncertain shuffling.

  Vio leads me to a smaller room with gss walls. Upon stepping inside, I noticed that the walls or gss walls are actually one-way only. I can't see the view outside from here. The gss reflects my image back at me, pale and wide-eyed, looking smaller than I remember.

  "OK, Akane. Simply stand in the center."

  I followed her order and stood at the very center. The floor beneath my feet feels slightly warmer than the rest of the room, and I can detect a faint vibration, as if machinery is running underneath.

  Vio then smiled at me before taking something out of her pocket.

  It is a small cube-like item as small as the die I picked up. It gleams with a metallic sheen, symbols etched into each face that remind me of the die that brought me here.

  "Scan her."

  Or so I heard Vio speak through it.

  Perhaps it's a phone-like object or maybe a communication device. She holds it near her mouth, speaking clearly and with authority.

  As Vio gave the order, the circle around the pce I stood shone brightly. The sudden light makes me squint, raising my arm instinctively to shield my eyes.

  A pilr of light appeared with me at the center.

  No feelings.

  No sensations.

  Just bright light, so intense it seems to pass through my closed eyelids, through my body itself.

  And a minute ter, I heard a voice—probably a system voice—inside the room that said, "Scanning complete."

  The light fades gradually, leaving spots dancing in my vision. I blink rapidly, trying to clear them away.

  Vio and the puppet approached me as I stare at the floor, watching the light dissipate. Their figures slowly come back into focus as my eyes readjust.

  "There. It's done. You can now say 'status,' and you will be able to see your stats and skills."

  Giving Vio a nod, I gulped before saying the word. My heart pounds in anticipation, a mixture of fear and excitement making my voice barely audible.

  "Status."

  Instantly, a translucent blue screen materializes before me, floating at eye level. The text glows with a gentle light that doesn't hurt my eyes to read:

  Akane Mizuki

  Level: 1

  Str: 1

  Agi: 1

  Dex: 1

  End: 1

  Int: 1

  Wis: 1

  Luc: 1

  Avaible status dice: 6

  Skill set: Manufacture set

  Skills: Bakuretsu Keibi, Kogata Sochi, Akai Tenkai, Kanzen Shufuku, Jido Meirei, Akane no Utsushi.

  "Whoa... So this is what my status looks like. That said, why do some of my skills have my name in them?"

  Vio ughs as she watches me looking at my status screen. The sound echoes in the small room, warm and genuine.

  "What?"

  I asked, pouting. Heat rises to my cheeks at being ughed at, a familiar feeling that's almost comforting in its normalcy.

  "First timer's reaction is always funny. Sorry about that. In regard to your question, it's because skill sets are tailor-made to individuals. It's like a unique feature. So some skills are mostly named after their owner."

  "So that's why..."

  I look at my skills again and notice that it is mostly about creating or producing this so-called miniature device. The words hover before me, both familiar and strange at the same time.

  "How do I see a description of my skills?"

  I look at Vio, who is now talking to the puppet in hushed tones. They pause at my question, exchanging a gnce I can't quite interpret.

  "Just tap the name of your skill, and a popup with description will appear."

  (Let's see...)

  I tried tapping the skill named "Kogata Sochi." My finger passes through the holographic dispy, but it responds as if I'd touched a physical screen. The sensation is strange—like pushing through a membrane of cool water.

  A new window expands from the skill name:

  Kogata Sōchi (小型装置) - "Miniature Device"

  *Create small but ingenious magical devices that reflect user's compact yet effective nature. (Create sentry/drone.) (Activation time: 5 seconds.) (Can only hold 2 and can gain more slots by meeting certain conditions.)*

  (Oh... So I can create drones and sentries. Is it because my hobby is building action figures? Surely not... Right?)

  The connection seems too specific to be coincidental, sending a small chill down my spine. How much does this world—or Dicera—know about me?

  "So? Are you satisfied with your skills?"

  Vio approached me with a curious look. She leans forward slightly, studying my expression with scientific interest.

  "I guess? It's not bad as far as I can see."

  She nods at my response, seeming pleased. Her gsses catch the light, briefly hiding her eyes.

  "Perfect. Now that you know, are you willing to take a one-week css? Or would you like to go to the surface already?"

  "Css? About what?"

  Vio took something out of her b coat pocket.

  It was a shape I am very familiar with, its outline instantly recognizable even before I see it clearly.

  (That looks like a phone.)

  And as I watch her fiddle with the device, it cemented the idea in my head that it was, in fact, a smartphone device. The glow of the screen illuminates her face from below, casting strange shadows.

  "Basically, survival skills, leveling mechanic, economy, history, and combat training."

  Hearing those lined up made me giggle a bit. The sound of my own ughter is startling in this clinical environment.

  "It reminds me of my high school. Alright. Let me join. Oh wait. Is that free?"

  Vio and the puppet look at each other before Vio started ughing while the puppet simply sighed. The puppet's sigh is surprisingly expressive for something without lungs.

  "Yes... Hahaha, sorry... Your reaction is so funny."

  The puppet spped the back of Vio, making her stifle a bit. The casual interaction between them seems oddly human, despite one being clearly not.

  "The training course is a free css for a one-week duration, Miss Akane. We only ask you to help us in solving simple quests like hunting monsters within your level range for the duration of your stay in Area 1 or, at the very least, whenever you are in this area, as most of the dicers frequently move from different areas to explore the world."

  The puppet expined to me while Vio was trying to calm herself. Its voice remains even and measured, a stark contrast to Vio's bubbling ughter.

  "Good to know. And yes, I agree. Please."

  "Got it. Please do follow me, and I will enroll you in the css, Miss Akane."

  I started following the puppet as we leave the finally calm Vio waving at me. As we exit the room, I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the gss wall—red hair, curious eyes, and the faint glow of the mark on my hand. I barely recognize myself.

  A new world, new rules, new skills—my adventure has truly begun. The thought sends equal parts excitement and terror coursing through me as I follow the puppet deeper into this strange facility.

  FlyingPotatoes