Addiction In Real Time

Even though the rain is gone, everything's still wet and people aren't coming out yet. I walk around for a bit and am glad that this place doesn't have many inclines. While I can pace around on flat surfaces for a long period of time, that all changes when inclines are introduced. My leg muscles wear out super fast and I just cannot walk for much longer afterwards. It's a total pain, but I'm just glad I don't have to experience it here.

That's when something catches my interest: a gazebo. Not a Dread Gazebo, guess those aren't a thing here, just a regular one. And it had a notice board under it with plenty of papers, oooh! Pictures are worth a thousand words, but to someone who's new like me, words will still do just fine. I rush over and start reading them.

"Let's see… an ad for a newspaper, guess sales aren't good. A petition for required education, is that just a thing for here or elsewhere? And someone advertising their… CohmpClub chat room on the ManaNet, what?"

Actually, now that I look at some of these papers more closely, a lot of them mention a "ManaNet Runelink" and have a bunch of runes on the bottom.

"Does this… translate to anything?"

I showed one of the lines of runes to Kandance, hoping that she could provide an answer. And… well, I got one.

"It's absolute gibberish. I would know, I made the original rune language."

"Huh…"

"It precisely says something akin to: mmm.ihiufyicvbkbhkopcnfw.net."

Cannot for the life of me figure out what that middle part means, but the first and last three letters, combined with context clues from the papers, tell me everything I need to know. These Runelinks are URLs for online sites, and the ManaNet is this world's version of the internet. It also likely runs on mana, since it's in the name and I assume one of the m's at the start of that Runelink also stands for mana? As for CohmpClub, it's probably a site where people can host chat servers. Something I was very addicted to back on Earth.

"Hmm… hey, I think this place can give some answers…"

One of the ads in the corner mentions a "ManaNet-themed restaurant" in Camlyonn celebrating a million visits in its first week of opening. Damn, must be pretty popular. And popular places have a lot to say, so off I go!

… And I'm lucky I did, because the place is opening soon and a line is starting to form. Actually, there were like four or five people already there and I just stood behind them. Looking closely, they have camping gear out. Are these the fabled "overnighters" I've heard about? The ones that camp outside a store until it opens to get the newest stuff first? There's one Hewmitahl, one Deinaaz, and three cat-based Gaolras… uhh…

"What's the plural for them, Gaolrases? Gaolri? Just Gaolras?"

"Gaolri."

Three cat-based Gaolri. Nice save, Kandance. They all have similar hair color by the way, so I assume they're siblings. Also, the moment I turn around, I see a whole bunch of people from all the races behind me!

"Hold on! They let Dreimaaz live here?! WHY?!"

Ah, of course Kandance would be upset about that. Too bad, so sad, that's what happens when you let a new race spread. Anyway, I see someone inside the building light up an "open" sign, and I feel compelled to run in behind the other five. I am right to do so, seeing as everyone behind me almost beelines past me, stopping right at the entranceway as I'm able to get in!

The line becomes more tame after that, thankfully. Now that I can look around, it gives me some ideas as to what kind of place this is. It's much bigger on the inside, about the size of a warehouse I'd say. Probably some spatial distortion magic since I feel my ears tingling from ambient mana in the air. That's interesting, since this place seemed as big as the general store from the outside.

Speaking of seeming like stuff, this place looks like an internet cafe. Those aren't common where I come from, but I've seen some in various pieces of media. You can rent a little cubicle-sized space that has a computer, and you can order food and drink from there as well.

Unfortunately, I don't get to look around as much as I want, as everyone in front of me has finished checking in. Which means I gotta do the same if I don't want the mob behind me to jump at my spot. So I go up to the counter, which is being managed by a female bat-based Anthras in a suit vest.

"Hourly or daily?"

Ah, they have cubicles you can rent for multiple days? Well, in that case…

"Daily. One should be fine…"

Actually, do I have money on me? My background would suggest no…

"Twenty Yehlgold, please."

I dig through my pockets. If I can't find any, at least I now know that the currency of at least this town is called Yehlgold.

"Here."

Ah, I do have some on me. Good.

"Anything I should know as a first timer?"

Better to be safe and ask these sorts of things.

"Avoid sketchy Runelinks. Still got a few of our Compcasters bricked from a couple of newcomers who didn't know any better…"

The cheery and squeaky voice of the Anthras went monotone and flat when bringing that up. Guess being emotive is just a quirk everyone in this world has. Regardless, I get a stone with a number engraved on it, presumably to access my cubicle. 

You know, I hadn't thought about it before, but Fanta Regauss uses the same numerical system as Earth, doesn't it? Even Kandance's evaluations on the God Pad and the Mortal Form used them too. Are numbers and math one of those universal constants? I used to like math when I was young, probably because I could do it so well. Now I'm older, and math is easier when I have the tools but harder when I don't. But that's true for everyone, isn't it? I mean-

"Next in line."

Shoot, right, gotta move! I briskly walk away from the counter and into the hall of cubicles, which is mostly pitch black aside from some magical neon-like lighting lining the floors and walls. Kinda makes this place look like a laser tag arena, it's just missing a big structure in the middle for everyone to fight over.

A neat feature of the numbered rock I got is that it's making a magic trail appear whenever I focus on it. That probably leads to my spot. Good thinking on whoever designed this place. It makes finding the location a whole lot easier, and I get there without troubling anyone. I also notice the three Gaolri siblings all crammed into the cubicle behind me. Part of me wants to call it cute, another thinks that'd be rude. Ah well.

Settling in is easy, and I slide the door closed to lock it for privacy. There's a button labeled as "call order", probably to get some food delivered. And then, in front of me, my addiction rekindler in another world: The ManaNet.