Chapter 2: The mirror world part 1

[You have slain the "Infected," a Vestige more powerful than you. Difficulty bonus obtained.]

Shoun re-read the message from the Codex. He still couldn't believe that, in an instant, the Brute that was about to kill him was now dead.

In this world, there are different ranks. Depending on how many Vestiges you kill, the higher your rank becomes. When you kill your first Vestige, you unlock the Seeker rank, along with the Vestige Codex, which allows people to view their status window and access various other functions.

Humans have so far reached up to rank 5. The ranks, in order from 1 to 3, are Seeker, Apprentice, and Dominator. Ranks 4 and 5 are a bit more complicated.

Each rank requires more points to ascend, meaning more Vestiges must be slain. Additionally, the Vestiges must be of equal or higher rank to count.

As far as Shoun knows, the first five ranks of Vestiges, which correspond to human ranks, are Grunt, Wretch, Brute, Executor, and Overlord. There have been sightings of stronger Vestiges, but those are outside inhabited territories and are beyond what humanity can currently handle.

Shoun turned his gaze to the masked man, who was also observing him. Shoun used a function of the Codex called Inspect, which allows you to view the rank of the person or Vestige you target. This function can only be used on individuals of a rank lower than yours, equal, or up to two ranks higher. Shoun had already used it on the Brute he had just encountered.

—(He's an Apprentice... How could he kill that thing in one hit?)— Shoun quickly thought of several explanations. After all, neither he nor the Vestige had sensed the masked man's presence until it was too late, which spoke volumes about his skill.

But the main clue was that sword. When a Vestige dies, there's a chance it leaves behind parts of its body, which can be exchanged for artifacts. Clearly, the higher the rank of the Vestige, the better the artifact. So Shoun thought it was likely that the sword was either a Brute-level artifact or an Apprentice-level one with a very special ability.

The Vestige's body began to dissolve into the air until nothing remained. The masked man watched this and commented, his tone as monotonous as ever.

—What a shame... I had a good feeling about this one. It's been a while since I got a new artifact.

After those words, silence fell again. Shoun had exhausted all his electricity and was drained, but he didn't dare let his guard down around the masked individual. After all, he could probably kill Shoun if he let his guard down.

It wasn't uncommon for some humans to kill others for points. Just like with Vestiges, you could gain points by killing someone of equal or higher rank. This was clearly illegal, but you could never be too careful.

—(Though... I'm of a lower rank, and he saved me. I don't think I should be too distrustful... not that much).

Shoun got up from the ground after catching his breath and looked at the masked man before speaking.

—...Thank you for that. You saved my back there.

—Don't worry about it. That thing was my prey anyway.

Shoun tried to thank him, but the masked man dismissed it as if it were nothing. He turned and began walking out of the alley, stopping at the exit.

—Are you coming? — The masked man asked. Shoun didn't dare disobey and hurried to follow him. He wasn't in a position to refuse.

As mentioned earlier, Shoun had no electricity left. Normally, a Vestige Codex user would have a core filled with spiritual energy, but in his case, his ability made him store electricity. While he could still activate artifacts or technologies using his electricity, just like a normal person would with spiritual energy, this fact came with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

One example of this was that if he couldn't absorb electricity from somewhere or take the time to generate it himself, as was the case now, it wouldn't passively regenerate like spiritual energy.

—What's your name?— The masked man asked bluntly as they continued walking, snapping Shoun out of his thoughts.

—My name is Shoun, Shoun Foster. What's yours?

—...I'm Kaze. Nice to meet you.

—(Just a name? What kind of name is Kaze anyway?)

Shoun scratched his head in confusion. After a moment, he considered that Kaze might be using an alias. After all, he was wearing that strange outfit and mask, though the reason for using a fake identity eluded him.

—Nice to meet you... Kaze... Could you tell me what this place is? It's very similar to the city, but at the same time, it's nothing like I've ever seen before. Is it the ability of a Vestige?— Shoun finally asked what had been tormenting him since he arrived in this place. The fact that it was familiar yet unfamiliar gave him a deep sense of unease, and the possibility that it was the ability of a Vestige scared him even more. If that were the case, what rank would a monster capable of recreating an entire city be?

—This place... I call it the Mirror World. As you said, it's like the city, but without color—only white, gray, and black. It's full of those things, and most of the rules you know often don't apply here.

—What do you mean by that last part?

—Well, let me give you a practical example. After that fight with the Vestige, you should be feeling a bit tired. Do you feel thirsty or hungry, for instance?

Shoun thought for a moment but quickly shook his head. Though he couldn't see it, Kaze imagined the response and continued.

—In many areas I've been to, like this one, basic human needs are eliminated. In others, gravity becomes much weaker. Things like that are normal here, so you always have to be prepared for the unexpected... As for what this place actually is, I have no idea.

—(This is insane. I can't believe a place like this exists... except I'm standing in it right now.)

Shoun lamented his situation internally once more and asked a question that was, at the very least, urgent.

—Everything you're telling me sounds problematic, to say the least. How do we get out of here? Do you even know how?

Shoun tried to keep his tone calm, but at times he failed. It was understandable, considering his lack of strength at the moment and his not-so-friendly past experiences with Vestiges.

—Don't worry. I know this area. As long as we don't venture too deep, we're relatively safe. But to ensure that, you'll need to follow my rules from now on. Is that okay?

—No problem. As long as I get out of here, I'll do whatever you need.

—Good.

After that exchange, Kaze suddenly stopped, causing Shoun to nearly bump into his back.

Kaze began channeling his spiritual energy. Gradually, the air around him started orbiting at high speed, forming a dome of air. From his perspective, you could see the air swirling around him, but from the outside, it was almost invisible.

—With this, they won't be able to see or hear us. Unless we get too close or run into an Executor, but that won't happen. The ones I know are far from this area.

Shoun felt a cold sweat run down his back at the mention of a Vestige stronger than a Brute. Executors, rank 4 Vestiges, were known for being ridiculously powerful. While it was possible to take down a rank 3 Brute if you were one or two ranks lower under special circumstances, an Executor was a completely different story for many reasons.

—Perfect... Can we keep moving, please?

—No problem. From now on, I need you to move quickly with me. I can't maintain this forever. Also, try to recover some of your energy. I more or less know what moves around these parts, but who knows what fate might throw at us later.

Without waiting for confirmation, Kaze started running, catching Shoun off guard, but he quickly followed.

Shoun could barely keep up with Kaze, who clearly wasn't running at full speed but was still much faster. This was due to two factors: the first was Shoun's lack of electricity in his core, and the second, more important one, was the difference in rank.

When you become a Seeker, you gain the Vestige Codex, your two basic abilities, and the capacity to use the spiritual energy residing in your newly formed core. But aside from that, Seekers still have a human constitution. Of course, there are abilities that specifically enhance that aspect, and Seekers can use spiritual energy to strengthen their bodies, but this energy is a limited resource.

—(Damn, I haven't been able to recover any of my electricity in this time. I need to do something... but there doesn't seem to be any electricity in this place.)

Shoun glanced around for a moment. There were no lights on or anything else that could indicate the presence of electricity. Although the city was illuminated by a white glow that made it look even more unnatural, he couldn't sense anything electrical.

In those brief moments of observation, Shoun noticed that certain parts of the Mirror World were disintegrating, as if turning to dust or ash. Small pieces of buildings or structures floated away with the wind without any provocation, remaining suspended in the air indefinitely, and sometimes they would rejoin as if nothing had happened.

But what unsettled him the most was the interference that occasionally appeared in certain parts of the city. It was in small areas, like benches or parts of buildings, but it was omnipresent, similar to the interference that every Vestige had.

—(I definitely want to get out of this place as soon as possible... I never practiced this, but I have no other choice)— Shoun focused inward, feeling his core. It felt dull, empty. But quickly, the young man tried to fix that. With all his being, he generated a spark, then two, then three, slowly recharging his core as he continued to follow the masked man. Though, due to multitasking, Kaze had to adjust his pace to avoid leaving Shoun behind, something the latter didn't notice.

After running for a while, Shoun managed to partially refill his core. It wasn't much, but it was enough to rid himself of that uncomfortable feeling. He turned to Kaze and asked.

—Where are we going?

—We're heading to one of my safe zones. If we want to get you out of here, we need to reach a safe place first.

Shoun simply nodded at Kaze's explanation, who had been speaking in the same monotonous tone the entire time. But what bothered him wasn't the tone—it was a question he hadn't had time to ask himself before.

—(How did I even end up in this place in the first place!?)— That question made him cautious around Kaze, as he associated his arrival with the stranger. He tried to relax, though, as he felt Kaze didn't have bad intentions toward him. After all, if he did, why would he be helping him?

—(Being so distrustful is a bad habit of mine... He doesn't seem like a bad guy. He just seems like a weirdo, not a criminal. Now's not the time to make accusations.)

As Shoun pondered the situation, Kaze suddenly stopped again, causing Shoun to nearly crash into him. He wondered if stopping abruptly was a bad habit of the masked man.

—What's wrong?— Instead of answering, Kaze simply pointed toward a small group of three Vestiges, which Shoun quickly inspected. —They're just Grunts.

At that moment, Shoun relaxed noticeably. Kaze was a full rank above those Vestiges, and with his artifact, he should be able to take them down easily. But after a few seconds of neither of them moving, Shoun grew confused and asked Kaze.

—...Is something wrong?

—Hmm... Not really.

—Then why aren't you going to kill those things? Or should we go around them?

—Oh, you mean that. Well, those Vestiges are right in front of my safe zone. They're just Grunts, so I won't get anything for killing them. That's why I'm waiting for you to take care of them.

—Huh?

After those words, Shoun was genuinely confused. His first thought was that it was a joke, and a very bad one considering the situation.

—Sorry if I'm not laughing, but I'm not in the mood for jokes. I really want to get out of here, so would you mind handling it?

Kaze didn't respond and just stared at Shoun—or at least that's what Shoun thought, since he couldn't actually see Kaze's eyes. Curiously, the mask didn't have any holes, making it a mystery how the young man could see through it. After a moment, Kaze responded in his usual monotone.

—I already told you, I won't get anything for fighting those things. You, on the other hand, will. So the most logical thing is for you to kill them and clear the path.

If it weren't impossible at that moment, Shoun's jaw would have dropped to the ground.