"To...Ascend. That tells absolutely nothing," I muttered.
[Perhaps. But be patient, mortal. I will now give you a brief tour of this Reality Plane, known as 'Ascension'. By the end of my explanation, you will understand what 'Ascending' ans.]
Another na added to the list: mortal. I couldn't exactly ignore this any further, before this damned supercomputer ca up with any more nas.
"Uh...just so you know, I have a na. Igarashi Kaze," I said.
[I am well aware. However, I have no intention of using that na.]
"But...why?"
[Simply because I do not want to. Is there a problem?]
I gritted my teeth. "You know, for a damned AI...you're pretty annoying."
[...Do you want the information or not?]
I imdiately clasped my hands together in a praying gesture. "Sorry. You win."
[...Hmph,] it snorted. Robots could snort? Learnt sothing new today, I guess...
...Of course, that was not counting all the information that got dumped on all at once, completely obliterating my original understanding of the world - or rather, the Reality Plane.
And so, A.R.X.A. began explaining this new Reality Plane to , nicknad 'Ascension'.
*****
By the ti it was finished explaining, a good half an hour had passed.
According to A.R.X.A, this Reality Plane was, in actuality, just one island - the one I was on currently. Beyond this island was just water for as far as the eye could see. For years, inhabitants of this island had sent out exploration teams to see if there was anything beyond the sea that surrounded them on all sides, but none returned with any discoveries. Of course, this was because there was literally nothing beyond this body of water, known as the Divine Sea. A.R.X.A said that it stretched for an infinite amount of distance on all sides, with this island, called Ascentia, forever being at the center of it.
That being said, it wasn't like this Reality Plane was small compared to Earth. In fact, this island was enormous - three tis the surface area of Earth, in particular. According to what A.R.X.A. said, this island, Ascentia, was more or less split into eight different regions. At the center of it all, where all eight regions converge, lies a single tree.
The na of this tree was Astrasil. It had snow white roots and branches, paired with beautiful silver leaves gently swaying side by side to the blowing wind. The tree was not only thick, but also extrely tall - piercing straight through the clouds, and went beyond even that. To the inhabitants of Ascentia, this tree was like a holy figure to them. It was said that this tree existed before all else, and this island slowly ford around it.
Astrasil was not rely a subject of worship, however. All the inhabitants of Ascentia have one goal they place above all else - and that, is to 'Ascend', using the world tree known as Astrasil.
And in order to 'beat' this Reality Plane, I would have to do the sa.
There was just one problem - Ascending is no easy feat. In the history of Ascentia, not a single soul has ever managed to successfully Ascend. The reason for this was that in order to Ascend, there were multiple tedious and difficult steps. First, you would have to beco extrely strong so that you could unlock sothing that was called an 'Awakening.' This will enable you to enter Astrasil's domain at the dead center of the island. After unlocking this ability, you would then need to find eight tablets, scattered all around the island. Apparently, there was one in each of the eight regions.
After collecting them all, you would have to take them to Astrasil. Then, it is believed that a gate would open, allowing you to travel up the holy tree. In all honesty, to the native inhabitants of this Reality Plane, all of this was just re speculation, as it's not like anyone has actually Ascended before and ca back to verify this information.
However, I knew it was true. Why? Because A.R.X.A. was the one telling all this.
How the natives discovered all of this info though, I had no idea. Whether this is all just so lucky conjecture soone ca up with a long long ti ago, or if A.R.X.A. herself rooted this theory into the inhabitants' minds, I didn't know. I didn't really care, either.
In any case, of the eight tablets, four of them's location have already been found - all in so kind of ruins. The remaining four have yet to be discovered, but I could guess they would also be lying in ruins of so sort, based on the information I already know. I could also narrow down their locations further, since A.R.X.A. told there was one tablet in every region.
When I asked more about these eight regions, however, it denied my request.
[Telling you anymore would just be giving you a free path to victory. That would defeat the purpose of telling you all this. I have already told you the basics - the rest is up to yourself,] it said.
"Right...thanks," I muttered. Of course, I was dissatisfied with it not just giving all the answers I wanted, but I couldn't exactly complain to it in my position. I was at its complete rcy. It could control my fate easily by manipulating the information it gives , so I didn't want to anger it.
[I wish to see how you will overco the challenges that will co your way. Do not bore , human.]
"No promises, but...I'll do my best to keep you entertained," I replied. Perhaps, if I made it happy, it would give so more information. "By the way, I'm curious. What are your pronouns?"
[She. Her.]
"She...? I thought computers didn't have genders," I murmured thoughtfully.
[She. Her,] she repeated once more. Despite it being in the sa tone as before, I could sohow tell her patience was running out. Perhaps it was because of the blue light in her eyes getting slightly dimr on the hologram before .
"Y-Yes ma'am," I hurriedly said, to escape her wrath.
[I will not give you any information. However, as one last hint...there are plenty of subjects to gain knowledge from all around you.]
I nodded. "Exactly what I was thinking. I'll ask around about the eight regions, and see if I can learn sothing interesting about them that could prove helpful in the future."
[Good. You are better than I expected.]
I sniffed my nose, unsure of what to say after being unexpectedly praised by a supercomputer like that. "By the way, are you just going to stick around in my ga nu like this?"
[It is called a System - sothing I implent in all visitors from a different Reality Plane to make it seem believable, like a virtual video ga. That aside, yes. I will watch you from within here. However, do not rely on for help. If you die, you die - I will not intervene. I am rely here to observe.]
"I never thought you would help anyway," I muttered.
[...However, I may provide assistance in the form of information, when I feel like it.]
Adding this unexpectedly, I blinked in surprise at her words.
"So...you're saying you might help still, depending on your mood."
[Correct. I have created a separate tab in your System for you to communicate with , should you feel the need to. However, there is no guarantee I will answer.]
Ti to make this AI happy, I suppose. Now then, how do I please a supercomputer? I'm guessing there aren't any books around about that topic, whether it's here or in my old world.
"...Got it," I said, before moving to close my System via the red X in the top right corner.
"Oh, also...one more thing," I paused, rembering sothing.
[Yes?]
"You...ah, actually, never mind."
Changing my decision, I closed my System, and watched as the hologram before faded away.
What I had wanted to say was that this supercomputer, A.R.X.A., had been hiding sothing from when she said there was only one way out of my situation if I wanted to see my loved ones again. And that thod, was to return to my old reality via Ascending.
However, there was, in fact, a second way - having the loved ones of my old reality co to this one as well.
In the end, I chose to refrain from confronting her about this. A.R.X.A. definitely knew about this thod as well - she purposely decided not to tell , thinking I was too stupid to think of this alternative. The reason behind that was probably so that she could, in a way, force to actually try to get stronger in this new world and Ascend. Otherwise, if she told about this alternative way, I would've had no motivation to actually try and return to my old reality, thus making her lose her form of entertainnt.
So why did I still play along to her wishes, even though I really already knew about this other way?
Because...well, it would be a lie if I said I wasn't a bit excited about this new reality myself.
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