#057 – I never expected to ever talk to you again

#057 – I never expected to ever talk to you again

“I’m getting closer, chat!” I said, looking at John’s screen as he stared into the distance at the building.

The closer I got, the better I could make out what it was. And so far, it looked like a typical apartment or office building. I wasn’t too surprised at this point. After a spaceship dungeon and a water park dungeon, I didn’t really expect this world to start throwing fantasy things at me anymore. That being said, that building over there was most likely another dungeon.

Although I really hoped it wasn’t.

“...And there’s also a river. Huh. Didn’t see that before,” I said before grinning. “Hold on!  That means if I follow it down the stream I can get to an ocean! Or mountains if I go the other way, right?”

Jeofffff: oh yeaaaah

Jeofffff: now we’re cooking

Irid123: nice

Irid123: finally some points of interest

trelipideliberitation: so are you gonna accept a quest?

“Yeah! Finally something other than trees! Ehhh, I mean probably not? I don’t think I can reliably do any of these and the penalty doesn’t feel worth it.”

I ignored the existence of the quest.

“Anyway, that building is further than I thought. I might not even make it there today, ugh… Well, not like I would want to try and sleep inside an unknown dungeon anyway.”

repeaeaeat: you can still set up some kind of base nearby

repeaeaeat: make a pseudo bed

“Maybe. We’ll see what the dungeon is about first… if it even is a dungeon. Who knows? Maybe it’s actually the base of some post-apocalyptic survivors or something.”

Jeofffff: kinda doubt it

“Yeah, me too. Anyway! Let’s get going!”

I crawled my way back down to the ground from the tree, picked up all my stuff I’d laid down, and then got going again.

I’d been feeling much better than before now that I had a concrete – hah, the building is probably made out of concrete – goal. I didn’t feel as desperate and hopeless and I was very much glad that I’d finally found something.

Whatever it was going to end up being, it ought to be more interesting than tree number fifty thousand over there.

Before that though, I reached an obstacle – the river that I’d seen from my earlier scouting session.

It was bigger than I thought and the currents looked too strong to safely swim across. Even if I equipped my special swimming goggles, the stream would probably feel like strong winds and push me downstream anyway. I didn’t want to risk that.

I hummed as I marked a nearby tree facing the river and then stepped closer and narrowed my eyes at it.

Jeofffff: bubblejump time?

“Eeeh… It’s a bit too far, don’t you think? I mean, I could maybe make it, but if I don’t it’s gonna suck.”

trelipideliberitation: you have the goggles

trelipideliberitation: ez

repeaeaeat: doesn’t your shark hoodie have a water teleport?

Jeofffff: the swimsuit should help

“I do… Hmm, it does, but the water is still gonna affect me and look at those currents!” I gestured at the river. “I don’t even know how good the teleport is or how much Tempor it costs. I never tested it. And the swimsuit… I guess that should help, but again, I never tested it…”

Maybe I was being too cautious, but I didn’t want to jump into the water only to find out that all of my water gear wasn’t enough.

GonguuH: it’s probably safer to find a place somewhere upstream where the currents aren’t as strong

“Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking, Gong.” I frowned. “Although that’s gonna take me further from the building, isn’t it…? That’s annoying… Oh, well.”

For all the amazing and magical things I had access to now, somehow, I still couldn’t cross a river safely. They were even all from a water-themed dungeon!

…Was that why it was ‘only’ D-rank? What kind of crazy loot could I expect from higher ranked dungeons?

“Ugh, I really need to test everything… Why were there no normal lakes? Why was it all life ooze?” I grumbled as I set off again, walking alongside the river upstream.

It took about half an hour, almost the time for the generated quests to time out, when something unexpected happened.

HellEnna: hello? what is this?

I froze in my tracks and blinked in surprise as the direct message window popped up in front of me.

“Oh crap! Chat! They responded!”

Jeofffff: oh shit

“Okay, what do I say…? Uhhh… they seem kinda confused? Should I explain my situation?” I mused.

AotoNana: Hello, I’m Nana! I don’t know if you heard about me.

HellEnna: I can hear you

“Oh. Huh. You can? Wait, of course. You’re watching the stream now, aren’t you?”

HellEnna: who are you?

HellEnna: yes

“Well, umm, I’m a Vcuber! I used to be a normal person living on Earth, but then was mysteriously kidnapped and I reincarnated into this empty world with dungeons and uhh, for some reason, I have this skill that makes me stream everything I see and hear back to Earth and–”

HellEnna: are you shawn?

I froze completely this time as a stone settled in my stomach.

There was a long moment of silence as I forced myself to take measured breaths even as my fists clenched tighter and tighter.

“...Who are you? Who is this… ‘Shawn’ that you are talking about?” I said as calmly as I could, although I knew that my voice was shaking.

HellEnna: shawn is my brother

HellEnna: they said he’s been missing for over a week

No.

This person couldn’t possibly be…

“...Emma?”

HellEnna: how do you

HellEnna: are you shawn?

I breathed in and out.

“I am not Shawn. I told you that years ago, Emma,” I said through clenched teeth.

It was my sister. Why the hell had the skill automatically made her into a moderator? This was like the fucking quests all over again. The system just couldn’t help but stab me where it hurt the most.

HellEnna: sorry

HellEnna: nana then?

I was about to snap back a biting remark when I registered what she’d written and blinked in bafflement.

“...Uh, yeah. Nana is fine.”

HellEnna: so it’s really you?

“It’s me…” My eyes narrowed. “And is that really you, Emma? The last time we talked, you–”

I belatedly remembered that the entire stream chat was exploding with messages as everyone listened in on this incredibly personal conversation.

“Chat, time out. This is… very personal,” I said as I summoned John and sent him as far away as possible. I ignored the messages in chat whining about wanting to listen in.

Then I took a deep breath and let it out.

“The last time we talked, you called me a delusional loser and a pervert. And now you’re fine with me being a girl?” I said accusingly.

Then I realized that she probably couldn’t hear me either and typed it in the chat.

HellEnna: I’m really sorry

HellEnna: genuinely

HellEnna: I regret saying all of that to you

HellEnna: it’s a long story

HellEnna: i had a long time to think about everything

Some tension bled out of me, but I still couldn’t help but stare in bafflement.

Was that it? She just… had to think about it? That was all it had taken?

HellEnna: my husband’s brother is trans too

HellEnna: I was shocked at first but we talked and he helped me understand it better

“I see…” I said neutrally while continuing to transcribe my own words into the chat with her.

Maybe a little unnecessary to speak out loud, but it made me feel more grounded.

HellEnna: I wanted to contact you and apologize

HellEnna: but you changed your number

“Yeah…” I murmured. “Father kept hounding me. Even when I blocked his number, he got another phone just to keep pressuring me.”

HellEnna: I cut ties with him not too long ago too

HellEnna: I still talk to mom sometimes though

“Right…”

I wasn’t sure what to say. Good for you? I didn’t particularly care about anyone in my ‘family’. I hadn’t cared in a long time. Moreover, I was still currently talking to someone I’d cut ties with in the past.

“So why are you contacting me now? You’re not the type of person to watch Vcubers.”

HellEnna: the police contacted me about you being a hacker

I opened my mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

“...Seriously? Did Snitch actually report me in the end?” I asked in disbelief.

HellEnna: I told them I didn’t know where you lived

“Right…”

HellEnna: the next day they said they found your apartment and it was empty

HellEnna: and there was ash in your bed

My eyes went wide.

“Ash? What the hell?!”

I had felt really hot on that day, but I hadn’t expected to have been burned to death in my sleep!

HellEnna: the ash glows

HellEnna: it’s weirdn/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“It’s special ash…?” I asked, baffled. “No, wait. I was in that bed! Or like, my old body, I guess. That ash is me! Wait, hold on…”

I opened the Phoenix Blessing’s description and scanned it to find the supposed skill used to reincarnate me.

‘Molten ash of new life’

That was… Wait, but how did that even work if the ashes were still back on Earth? It felt like the kind of situation where the ashes would then be used to reincarnate someone, so…

HellEnna: when they showed me, I remembered a friend talking about a streamer being reincarnated by a phoenix

HellEnna: and the special site

HellEnna: so I went there

HellEnna: and there was a message waiting for me

“I… see… Wait, the message was waiting for you?”

HellEnna: I didn’t even log in

HellEnna: yeah

“Well, that’s… actually not even the weirdest thing I’ve seen so far, to be honest. I guess the site just innately knows who’s using it…?” I mused.

HellEnna: are you really in another world?

“Well… Yeah? It definitely looks like it.” I shrugged. “I could also be in some kind of advanced virtual reality, but I don’t like thinking about that possibility…”

HellEnna: I see

HellEnna: I’m so sorry

HellEnna: for treating you the way I did

HellEnna: I wanted to apologize

HellEnna: even if I can’t do it in person anymore

I cringed at the implications that I would never get back home.

“It’s… Well, not fine, but… I think I’m mostly over it.” I tried not to let my hesitance show in my voice. “I stopped caring what others think, you know?”

HellEnna: still

“And anyway! It’s not like I’m stuck here forever! I’m definitely getting back home one day! No matter how many dungeons I have to crawl through!” I declared with enough enthusiasm that I almost convinced myself.

HellEnna: I hope you can

“Mm… So, anyway…” I hesitantly began. “How are you doing? I heard you have a husband now…?”

HellEnna: yeah

HellEnna: and two kids

I blinked.

“...Huh. Really? Uh, congrats…?”

Wow, I felt awkward right now.

HellEnna: thanks

HellEnna: is there anything I can do to help you?

I frowned.

“Well… Not really? I’m kind of on my own here. I guess you could tell my landlord that I’ll be gone for a while… Ugh, but I’m probably gonna miss my rent payment and get evicted anyway.”

HellEnna: I mean to help you right now

HellEnna: in the other world

I shrugged.

“Probably not. Look, I… I can handle this. I’m a much stronger person than I used to be. I already conquered one dungeon! All on my own! And now I have all sorts of magical items, so the next one will be a breeze!”

I didn’t actually believe that, but I wanted to be optimistic.

HellEnna: alright

HellEnna: I’ll stay here for a bit

HellEnna: just ignore me

HellEnna: treat me like any other viewer

“Sure, I guess…? I’ll add you to the group chat for now.”

After doing so, I then finally glanced at the group chat again and quickly scanned through all the messages before stopping on one.

trelipideliberitation: she can do that one quest now lol

trelipideliberitation: instacomplete

…That was true, wasn’t it? Just a few minutes ago, that quest seemed like a cruel joke, and now…

“Okay, you can come back now, chat,” I said while making John waddle his way back to me before dismissing him altogether. “So… the other mod was Emma, my real life sister. We, uh… had some… disagreements in the past, but… we’re trying to reconnect now,” I summarized, using a copious amount of euphemism.

HellEnna: hello everyone

“And… You’re right, Trelip. I can probably take that quest now. Although… Will it autocomplete? Eh, probably. Streamer worked retroactively, so I don’t see why not…”

‘Writing home’ Side quest accepted!

Main objective:

Contact some from back home and tell them about your situation.

Side objectives:

Have them tell you about the situation back home in return.

Rewards - 1SP

Penalty for failure - 2SP

“And–”

‘Writing home’ Main quest complete!

Main objective:

Contact some from back home and tell them about your situation. [ACHIEVED]

Side objectives:

Have them tell you about the situation back home in return. [ACHIEVED]

Hidden objectives:

Contact someone you haven’t talked to in a long time and reconnect with them. [ACHIEVED]

Reward:

+2 SP

Small Tempor expansion ticket

‘Budding quester’ achievement unlocked!

+1 Skill point

‘Quest speedrunner’ achievement unlocked!

+3 Skill points

“It worked! Wait, two achievements as well? Nice!” I cheered as one of the tickets appeared in my hand. I quickly scanned it with Appraisal.

Small Tempor expansion ticket

A system consumable that increases your total Tempor reserves and regeneration by 2% when consumed.

“Pretty standard.” I nodded to myself. “More Tempor will definitely be nice even if I’m running low on my Bullet Time juice.”

Consume 1x Small Tempor expansion ticket?

Y/N

I mentally clicked yes and then went into the achievements to see what exactly those two new ones were.

Budding quester - Complete three different quests. [COMPLETE]

Quest speedrunner - Complete a quest the moment you accept it. [COMPLETE]

“Huh. There was literally an achievement for doing that. I didn’t even realize,” I mused. “And it doesn’t even feel like I’ve already done three quests, but hey, I’m not gonna complain.”

HellEnna: so that’s how you get skill points?

“Yeah. Quests and achievements. Mostly just doing specific things and getting achievements for them, really.”

HellEnna: what can you do with them?

“Well, so far, it’s just for buying skills and upgrading them. There might be more uses, though.” I shrugged and opened the skill list. “See, here? I have tier one phoenix skills because apparently a phoenix reincarnated me, and then I have tier one and two human skills cuz I’m a human. I unlocked the tier two ones pretty recently after maxing my racial skill.”

HellEnna: sounds complicated

HellEnna: racial skill?

“Yeah, this thing right here,” I gestured in the air and mentally opened the description for Streamer. “Streamer, the skill that lets me talk to everyone in the first place. I bought all the upgrades and–”

I stopped and blinked in surprise.

There were three more upgrades available for Streamer. And the skill itself had been marked as ‘Tier 2’.

When had that happened?

Streamer (Tier 2):

Stream your own sense of sight and hearing to a familiar audience and read their responses, reactions, and other feedback. This cannot be turned off. Output is censored during bathroom breaks or scenes of nudity.

This skill works retroactively.

Half of your Tempor reserves are locked for this skill’s use.

Upgrade: Feature complete (5SP)

Upgrade: Action hero cameraman (5SP)

Upgrade:Stream overseer (5SP)