A Reflection On The New World!

Time is something that affects everyone. Where I am from it is commonly accepted that time moves linearly. What happens today is tomorrow's past, and so on and so forth. What could be traced along the timeline are accepted as events, if you want to be technical, then you could refer to them as canon events. 

From what I've learned in my basic research from the books, Horace, Claire's attendant, was shocking. Cy of Tocorant was a being that rose to power several centuries ago, and Tenumi's history was crafted by his actions. The fingers traced the exposed writing on the holy scripture of the Cyto's religion, and one stanza caught my eye;

'A devil cloaked in fur rallied the lord, and thus a deal was made. His holiness smelled the deceit of his partner and for his actions banished the devil to a cave. The devil's bloodline was tainted, and those who inherit will claim vengeance in their father's name.'

At first glance, I thought nothing more of it. I cast doubt upon the validity of the statement, but it was when I put my mind to work that something clicked. The wooden legs of my chair scrubbed softly as I found myself standing. My desk was filled with various texts of this world, most of them involving the history of Astana and her leaders. I didn't limit my pursuit of knowledge there. Any information that Horace could retrieve for me was added to my pile. Three days had passed since Q and Claire's quest, and I have made myself useful in my task.

My eyes bounced from the colored leather of several books before I found the one that I was looking for. Its dark green cover had several signs of wear on it, but it served its purpose.

"There.", I muttered as my finger pinpointed the words. "The Siege of Razor's Edge by Grand General Ytocoalas'." 

From what I've understood about this Ytocoalas figure, he was a man who was famously a farmer turned warlord. His origin is not completely stated, but it is understood that he was from the Tenumi countryside. He raised an army and with it, he launched an attack at the city of Razor's Edge over three hundred and fifty years.

Normally that's information that one would pass over, but something didn't sit right with me about that. 

"A devil cloaked in fur… That could be a beastman of some kind. If I factor in what I know about Infinity Unleashed, in its lore, Kitsunes were the race famed for their large number of historical betrayals. They were stated to be cunning warriors that were countlessly plunged into many civil wars."

That fact in itself is ultimately the reason that I chose to become a member of the Kitsune race in Infinity Unleashed. There were some rooted prejudices there, but it was mild at best. At worst, if I were accused of any crimes in an openly hostile territory, the court of public opinion would not be in my favor. There were times when Da Boyz and I were chased out of towns because I made a miscalculation in my schemes. 

It was not common for me to make those types of mistakes, but there was one notable that pertained to the relevant events. It came down to a specific clash with a neighboring power in our area during our playthrough. A clash with the Kistune mercenaries of the Claw clan.

"Even now that shit irks me to my soul…"

Following our brave efforts in repelling the invaders from the various guilds that attacked our fledgling capital, I sat down with our newest recruit. It was a rarity to interact with Unique NPCs, but I had suspected that I found one in the form of Cy of Tocorant. Cy was a pretty aloof man with bright ideas. His people were persecuted, so he fled to seek help. Recognizing it, I offered the man an olive branch. He accepted, and thus I believed that our story was going for a turn.

I even went out of my way to introduce him to Bonner and Q. He was going to be my ticket to the top of the hierarchy. As my ticket to the top, I made sure to power-level this man to where he was on par with us at the time. A level sixty-six NPC would cause above-average players to falter, but I knew that he would be a small fish in a much larger pond if that continued unchanged. That would not suffice in my eyes, so I went beyond what was necessary. 

I even gave Cy incredibly powerful armor and weapons that I acquired by dungeon diving. I went all out for this path. There were many times that Infinity Unleashed's realistic NPCs pissed me off. It was often that my subordinates acted on their own, and Cy's raid on the Claw clan fucked up my plans to the Nth degree.

It was quite difficult to piece things together at first, but there was a mention of such of event in many of Tenumi's other history books. As I overlooked the written details of my research, I found my attention being pulled away. A soft knock had occurred on my door, and as such I pushed the books away and answered for them to enter.

"You may enter, Bud. The door is unlocked.", I said, and sure enough Bonner's figure slipped through the opening door.

The stoic face of my elven comrade was the center of my attention before he raised another book in my sight. I pointed to where he could place it, and he followed with no hesitation.

"We found out that they were alright. They had trouble going to a nearby village named Ava, but the two of them are continuing as planned.", Bonner said.

"Right. That's good. I'm making good headway on my end as well. I have a few theories bouncing around the ole' noggin', but I have one solid one.", I respond.

The man perked up at my words, and his head tilted with curiosity. I didn't take long to indulge him. My finger went down, tapping the notes that I acquired over my day-long research session. 

"There is too much in common between the lore of Infinity Unleashed and the early history of this variation of Tenumi. Most of it is divulged here and there, and as such, there are events that I don't recall at all. The founding of the Great Kingdom Of Tenumi, or the founding of the Cyto Religion."

"That's to be expected. We are in another world. Likely, we aren't in the exact world as the game. After all, Astana didn't exist wither, but here we reside. The Angea didn't exist, so there are things that call that theory into question.", Bonner responds.

"I imagined that I might have been reaching, but upon analysis, I think that we are in that same world, server and all, but…but… but here's the caveat…", I pulled my finger from the paper on the desk, and turned to face the man with my body. 

I pointed towards him, and in a serious tone, I spoke, "We've been displaced along the timeline of this world. Same world… a different time. I think we are in the future. That update fucked us over big time."

The stoic expression of the elf cracked as he chuckled warmly. He placed his hands underneath his chin and processed my theory.

"Claire's mother has led this city for a century or so, right?", he asks.

"Yeah. Give or take.", I respond.

"It's possible, but how is the question? We were on the outskirts of Stormpass when we met up before we ended up in the Hidden Grotto, so why didn't it place us there."

That was a good question. A question that I hadn't put too much thought into, so I could only speculate on the fly.

"Perhaps, the game warped when the lights flickered off. I'm not even sure that we are in the game, considering all of our spontaneous changes. Perhaps, we are in an alternate, alternate reality, where the events transpired, and the update happened. We were displaced and then some freaky deeky magic shit happened, and we were squooshed into this time period."

Bonner would nod his head at my explanation seemingly taking it under further examination. He placed his hands on his waist before raising one of them to twist a braid hovering over his shoulder.

"It is complicated, to say the least…", I say, breaking the brief silence. 

I gestured to the man that I would be standing up, and in response, he made preparations to stand aside. His arms crossed across his chest as I surpassed him in height. I closed the book that I had been reading prior as Bonner made his way towards the exit.

"It is, but thinking too much about it won't solve much. In the end, does it really matter?", he asks in his howl-like tone.

"I suppose it doesn't. After all, whether or not the past plays a factor in our future remains to be seen. We may not know how we were sent here or even why, but we hafta make the best of it either way.", I respond 

I joined him by his side after he exited the room. As soon as I backcrossed the border of the door, I performed a practiced motion. Over the last few days, I learned something new about this new body of mine. More specifically, I learned that my tail is more than a furry decoration, it actually is prehensile. For now, it has a limited range of motion, but I have been doing some exercises such as using it to close the door as I walk out just like I did then. 

Bonner was taken aback the first time he saw me execute that action, but now he's gotten used to it. He has always been a quick adapter, I'll give that credit.

"How's things on your end? I would imagine that the magic that Claire used would be difficult to replicate for us. Since she not around to properly teach us.", I questioned the man as he traveled down the short hallway towards the stairs.

"It is troublesome, but we'll speedrun it. Horace has taken the time to show me the basics. It seems that it requires some level of chanting, but I suspect that there might be more to it. I require more time, so don't expect quick results. You should take your nose out of those books, and join in soon. I'd rather you not be incompetent, and recklessly charge monsters like the Lynx again."

"I kicked the Lynx's ass if I recall correctly. You were too cowardly to face down a beast of that caliber. On the flip side, I stood on the vanguard, and took decisive action when the time was right."

"pSh- What do you mean, Mark? Course, I'm not going to try to duke it out with a fuckin' monster thrice my size, and I believe you're misremembering what actually happened. The beast must've given you false memories when it knocked you around like fodder."

"Alright now Bonner, Fodder? You're calling me fodder, but I brought the cave down on the bastard, and halted its pursuit."

"Jacket was the one who brought the cave down, and it was I who found our escape route. On the other hand, all that you did was put us in that situation in the first place. That in itself is hardly worthy of praise."

"I'm not surprised that you see it that way. It's not like I have you pegged as a man with incredible foresight. Battling and defeating that Lynx could have boosted us in any unforeseen way. While we don't know if there are any experience points to be gained in this world, it is on the safe side to simply defeat any monsters that seem rich with it."

Upon entering the bottom floor of the building, we both stepped into the living room which now served as our meeting room. While it would normal to see Horace performing some household chores here, today was different. The room was vacant other than Bonner and myself.

"So he isn't here..", I said, confirming the obvious. " I would have asked him to do something for me, but… looks like I'll just do it myself."

"And what might that be?", Bonner asked.

"There is still information that I require. Information such as locations of cities, and towns. Basically, I want to learn the general location of the regions on Tenumi. I want to combine the modern-day geography with the one of old that I have in my mind."

"So you want a map? Isn't there one around here?"

I shook my head in response. Prior I had searched around the premises, and couldn't locate one. It would be strange to not have one considering the lack of technology, but I assume there was a reason for that. That is what I told him.

While it was not the top of my priorities, I did believe that it would be useful to have one on hand. Having knowledge of the territories on this new timeline of Tenumi could better aid me in planning for our future.

"There should be a cartographer's shop around here if not, I could traverse to one of the better districts for one."

"And if there is, how do you plan on getting the map? I don't recall you having any of this world's money. Even if you did, you don't know the price range. You could get swindled.", Bonner retorts while narrowing his eyes.

"You underestimate my intelligence, Mr. Bonner. If there is anyone who could barter a good deal, then it is me."

 Bonner stood there with a look of apprehension coloring his dull features. The elven man placed his hands behind his back before looking away toward the room before us. He contemplated my words before resignation slipped out of his mouth in the form of a soft exhale.

"I recommend that you try not to get caught in your act. You may be aware that this isn't a game, but I know that you will be reckless. Try not to draw too much-unneeded attention your way. Claire believes that we are being surveilled, so it's only a matter of time before they confront us. Just because we've remained hidden for a few days doesn't mean that the people that you and Jacket rubbed the wrong way have forgotten."

A short silence ensued as the shorter man hardened his facial features to its stoic setting. He seemed conflicted, and I understood his concern. The soft pattering of my boots filled the room. As suddenly as they started, they stopped with my new location being only a few inches from my friend.

I chuckled softly at the expression that the elven man was making when I approached. He seemed confused as my right hand found itself resting on his shoulder. Instinctively, my hand traced through my facial hair, taming any stray hairs that broke rank.

"If you keep making faces like that, then you'll never acquire peace of mind. I understand that we are fish out of water, but you can't allow something that we can not change to waver your spirit. We're going through the tutorial stage, Mr. Bonner. While we're recommending advice to one another, then I recommend that you try to enjoy things a bit more. For now, we are aimless, and tied by unknown factors, but things will change soon enough. Since I find myself stuck here, I have a grand desire for my new life here."

"Grand desires?", he questions.

Bonner's head tilted slightly and his eyes were filled with curiosity. 

"Yes, my friend. At the banquet, Qayshawn and I spoke, and he wanted to enjoy himself to the fullest in this new world. To test his might against any that he could. Monster and human alike. I am of a similar opinion, but now I found a new task worthy of my devotion."

"I assume serving Claire isn't that grand desire? A man as proud as you are wouldn't restrict yourself. As you say, there isn't much merit in doing that."

"Ah, you know me well. This side quest is a means to an end. I'll side with Claire as long as there is merit for us to do so."

"As expected, so what is this grand desire that you suddenly have?"

I couldn't help, but feel a mischievous grin slip onto my face. Normally I would explain it to him, but I felt that teasing him would make things far more interesting. So I utilized the hand that was stroking my facial hair before covering my lips.

"That is a secret.", I told him in an amused tone.

My sudden withdrawal of information caused the man to roll his eyes at the display. He shook my hand off of his shoulder and stepped away in a huff. Seeing the elven man essentially pout was always an amazing sight to me. His reactions were always the best.

"Aight now, bud.", he retorts coldly, and the man crosses his arms across his chest.

It was already in the evening, so I didn't want to waste any more time than I needed to. After all, I had no real idea where a cartopher's shop was located. It would be a task to find one, and then I would have to figure out where I will find the money necessary to purchase one. That was a task that standing around would not solve, so I took my leave. Though I did have some final words for my friend as I left.

"Now that you've hooked, you are honor bound to make yourself competent for us. I will be counting on your strength in order to achieve that grand desire."