Game's starting point

"Welcome to Ether." Instead of a child-like voice, it was a mature and sultry voice that rang in the ears of Ten.

The sound of whistling, and rail squeals echoed in Ten's ears. Releasing small groans, his eyes finally propped up.

The first thing to enter his sight was whiteness. Ten was quick to register he was in some kind of moving locomotive that was painted all white.

A train? He thought, looking from his front to his side. At his side was an old woman. The woman was clutching her dress, her face twisted up in fear as she rocked herself front and back.

Above her head was an illusionary template that had a few familiar words on it—

Player: Esther Scotts

Level: 1

Talent: UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS

It seemed the old woman was a new player, like him? He looked away from her, his gaze to the other people in the train.

A young woman, a small boy, a young man, and an old man. Differing people, all having one thing in common, the template above their heads all indicated they were new players.

"What is going on? This isn't Call of allegiance." A young man with a beanie covering his hair said, swallowing thickly right after his words.

Ten looked at the young man. Call of allegiance? Why would he think this was Call of allegiance…. Unless…. Ten thought back to previous events, the memory of him clicking a dead link flashing.

Amongst the disarrayed crowd, the sound of boots clicking called for everyone's attention. It was a man with gray hair peppering his black, wearing a fine black suit, approaching the front of the train.

Ten's gaze followed the older man with his hands behind his back, looking aristocratic and displained. Above his head was also a template, but Ten was surprised the Template was different from the ones he was used to.

Non playable character [NPC]

Name: William Preston.

Rank: UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS

Description: He is the head lounge car attendant of the National Ether Train for New Citizens, and also the former butler of a renowned Family.

Remark: You can do nothing wiser than listen to this NPC.

Ten was not expecting that remark. The way Ten saw it the NPC was supposedly the head lounge car attendant of the Ether Train for New Citizens, so could it be this be an NPC meant to give out background information?

The man with a stern expression started to talk. "Good day, Sirs, and Madams, I am William Preston."

Nobody said a word to reply.

"Welcome to Ether City, citizens. Ether is a city with a population of 1.5 million, and still growing, our splendid Ether City follows the Eldritch Empire's constitutional monarchy.

For those of you who are super-powered humans, I am afraid you must wait behind for our qualified personnel to perform a routine check. Super-powered humans harnessing dark energy will be arrested on spot."

Ten was struggling to keep up with the words, but they were sinking in with each passing second. Firstly was Ether City, the system had welcomed him to Ether City as well, following gaming logic Ether City should be the starting point of the game?

Moving on was the man's mention of the Eldritch Empire. By his words it was safe to assume Ether City was under the Eldritch Empire, to which the NPC felt the need to comment used a constitutional monarchy.

Then there were super-powered humans? This one wasn't actually that hard to grasp. He had checked his personal information before, the talents, the class, these was something that propelled every person in the train to superhumans, and the basis of this game surrounded the logic that superhumans were a real thing in Ether City.

Lastly, the one that frightened Ten the most…. The NPC was too realistic. Maybe because Ten never played RPG with a gaming helmet before but he knew that the difference was still broad either way. The words were so fluid, and although the man's words were cold…. They still possessed a certain kind of humaneness to them, something that an average AI could not duplicate.

Then again…. A system that transferred people from the living world to this game world could not be considered average. Still, Ten was weary, he took note to be careful of these NPCS as your average NPC.

The train stopped, and with a sound the train doors opened. Boot sounds were heard and two men made their way inside. Both men were in their youth, putting on a black suit, one with slicked back black hair, and another with messy brown hair.

The older man— William stepped aside. "Gentleman." William said, making a gesture at both men.

The one with the brown hair started to talk. "Listen up, everyone make a line, those who are superhumans will be made to stay back, those who are not may freely pass."

At those words, a brave player piped up. "What kind of segregation is this?!"

Ten glanced at the player, a young man with his hair dyed green. The young man was fairly handsome, like a magazine model.

Ten glanced back at William with the remark on his template saying to listen to him. Ten wondered if the young man was unable to see the advice?

Not William nor the two men in black answered him. The one with brown hair continued. "Straight line, do not waste our time."

The young man unfortunately continued as well. "This is ridiculous! Why did we have to listen to yo—"

The next moment a hole was on the green haired man's head, and a bullet lodged in his head.

"That was unnecessary." The man with the slick black hair said.

The brown haired youth tilted his lips into a smile hinting at promises of fiendish. He tapped the strange gun which looked translucent, yet same like a normal gun at the side of his head.

"Eh, he probably was a superhuman anyways." The brown haired person said casually as if he did not just kill someone.

Ten found his heart racing…. As an average student by day and a semi otaku by night, the most dramatic thing Ten had faced was when he was still living with his parents.

Now he felt shudders all over his body, and it took all his willpower to feign a calm expression.

This guy is a lunatic! Ten thought in his head.

The line still had not been forged. Everyone was obviously terrified of these people but fear of being killed either way for being a superhuman made their knees weak.

The smirk on the brown haired person's face broadened. "Fan-fucking-tastic, looks like I'll get cause a massacre today."

The legs of these inexperienced players trembled…. They shouted at their bodies to cooperate and stand up, but their knees which had turned to putty refused to respond.

The brown haired man raised his gun again, ready for kills, but surprisingly there was a person at his front, the only person on their feet.

The person had his hands inside his pocket as he said. "Well."

Ten found his heart pounding excessively and screaming at him to let it out so he could die alone. Who knew standing close to this asylum escapee could feel like he was teetering at the edge of danger.

"Oh, someone stood up." The brown haired person did not drop the gun, simply moving the translucent looking gun to Ten's face.

"I feel like I should mention that your finger is very close to the trigger of your gun which is very close to my face." Ten muttered, struck stupid by the closeness between the gun and him.

The brown haired person had a fleeting glint of surprise in his eyes.

So up close to this madman, Ten actually remembered to look up at his template. His was—

Type: Non playable character [NPC]

Name: Yohan Waylon

Rank: UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS

Description: He is a member of the Black Core organization dedicated to controlling Superhumans. He is also well known as a chuunibyou to his associates.

Remark: Some know him as Neurotic Fiend…. I think you know what to do.

Ten mustered up every strength he could find in his depths not to swallow at his information. Neurotic Fiend?

'Does it mean I am right, and this dude is batshit crazy?'

"You pass, you are free to go," The slicked black haired person broke the silence, with a purple dimly glowing stone in his grasp. "You should…. Possibly change your costume so as not to frighten people." He added much to Ten's confusion.

Ten didn't say a word, dragging his feet and coming down from the boss.

The brown haired person— Yohan Waylon continued to look at Ten as he left, his eyes squinting a bit.

'Interesting idiot.' Yohan thought.

Ten after coming down from the train found the will to remove his trembling hands from his pockets. He breathed out, feeling like he had just escaped the lion's den.

Recalling the black haired man's words just now, Ten looked at the reflective mirror of the glass.

Ten who was astounded had his eyes so wide they could pop out. "What the actual fuck?!" He yelled way too loud.