NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: Bitterness
"Alright, alright, there are just a few more scattered fragments who knows where, there's no problem with that... fuck! We're not talking about one or two more, but almost ten times the original! How on earth am I supposed to find them?!"
Mark cursed for several minutes before he finally managed to calm down.
Inhales
"Can I at least know what happened?" -He asked wearily.
[Due to the reincarnation system in this world, Origon couldn't maintain contact with the fragments, causing the instability created to make them divide.]
"Wasn't he responsible for reincarnation?" -Mark asked, doubtful.
[Think of it as a pyramid system, where Origon's reincarnation system is at the top, while the others are at the bottom. There are cases where souls are too powerful to be reincarnated normally, and that's when Origon comes into play. Also, keep in mind that he cannot interact with the material world.]
"Haaaa... so I want to ask a question. Even though you're my guide, why does it seem like you don't know many things?"
This was something Mark had noticed. Every time the Guide answered, it didn't seem to provide a complete answer.
[That's the truth. There are few souls in this world sent by Origon, which is why the information I possess is limited. At the moment, I'm nothing more than a plant that has just rooted itself in the world, but the more you interact with this world, the more easily I can expand my influence, facilitating the search for the fragments.]
"So the more active I am, the better my chances of finding them, is that right?"
[Yes.]
This information lightened his mood a bit, but when he thought about the five-year limit, he felt agitation growing within him.
Slap!
'Getting worked up now would only make me sick sooner. I've been in this new place for just a few hours, and there's still much to learn. As my parents used to say, one step at a time, and you'll reach your goal.'
Slapping his face, he dispelled negative thoughts and focused on what he needed to do at the moment.
[I would advise the host to start heading back to the town before it gets too dark. You never know what darkness might hide.]
With the Guide's suggestion, he shifted his gaze to the horizon, where he could see a walled city, and began to walk.
"By the way, will you stay floating near me?"
Considering he was in a fantasy world, he didn't know what common sense was, but even so, he didn't think it would be normal to walk around with a glowing screen beside him.
[In truth, only you can see me, but I'll remain hidden within you, as there's a God in the town, and there's a risk he might detect me otherwise.]
"Now that you mention it, I'm curious about something. Are the Gods here similar to Origon, or are they like in mythology?"
[I would say more similar to mythology, although with some differences. When they descend into the mortal world, a God is identical to a mortal, with the only difference being that their presence immediately lets you know they are a God.]
"I see, so you suggest that I join his Family?"
[Regarding that, I want to make sure of something first. In the meantime, I would advise you to rest today. You've experienced far too much in a short time, and there's a risk that your body may feel the effects.]
Mark nodded silently. He had indeed lived through too much; he couldn't even remember the last time he had slept for more than three hours.
"Just one last thing, even though this is more of a personal curiosity. What exactly are you?"
[I am Origon and a completely different entity at the same time. I was born from him but with different ways of thinking and reasoning. In the end, Origon can't be assumed to be a single individual but rather an existence at a higher level.]
"That's strangely fascinating. So, 'Origon' and the Gods of this world are completely different?"
[I believe that just attempting to compare is wrong. It's like trying to find the difference between you and an ant, a completely senseless comparison.]
'...Did I seriously talk to such an existence?'
He also remembered how he had behaved and the tone with which he addressed him, making Mark feel quite strange.
Later, the Guide explained the situation of the city he would be heading to. As it had told him at the beginning, to the west of the continent, there were several canyons leading to the now-lost dwarf kingdom said to have been destroyed due to the miasma that had formed. This miasma was poisonous to people, but for monsters, it was nothing more than a power-enhancing tonic. This made a part of the west a dangerous zone, but it didn't stop people from going there.
Many rare minerals and artifacts were hidden along the canyons, attracting people's greed. This led to the construction of cities near the various branches of the canyon, thirteen to be exact, each named with a number. City "1" was considered the best with the highest level of strength as it was located in the area where the canyon was deepest and contained more treasures, while city "13" was the exact opposite.
And it was in city "13" that the body Mark had been born into originated. The area had almost no treasures, with only a few low-level monsters. Even the security level was at its lowest. Usually, every city should have a mayor with a private army, but city "13" had nothing like that.
In command was a criminal gang that did whatever they pleased since a level 2 was in command, and the only God from whom you could receive a blessing was with them.
"Did I start in ultra-hardcore mode? Because otherwise, I can't explain it." -Mark commented dejectedly once he arrived near "13."
The city was surrounded by poorly maintained walls a few meters high, and even from the outside, it was clear that the situation inside the city would not be good. There were huts scattered around with people living in disastrous conditions. Trash and sewage were scattered around, making it almost impossible for Mark to breathe, but the people he was looking at didn't seem to care, with their dull and lost gaze.
'If the situation is so disastrous, why don't they go to other cities?'
Now that they were near the city, the Guide had retreated into his body, and as he had explained, they could communicate directly with their minds, so he wouldn't appear crazy talking out loud to himself.
[Each city is many kilometers apart, and the presence of monsters and the difficulty in transporting food and water make the task almost impossible. Additionally, even in the other cities, you still have to pay to stay inside.]
'In the end, it's always about money, huh.'
Shaking his head, he glanced at those people one last time before heading towards the city entrance. There, the "guards" stopped him to inquire about his identity, but after showing them the badge he had found in his pocket, they let him go, albeit not before frisking him in case he had anything valuable on him, only to click their tongues in annoyance when they found nothing.
'Pieces of shit.'
Once inside the city, he mentally insulted them while looking at them with disgust, but even so, he did nothing rash that would draw attention to himself.
Now inside the walls, he had a better idea of the city's situation. Many houses were old and damaged, the streets were mainly made of wet soil, which Mark hoped was due to water. Even though the sun was almost set, there were still people working with noises echoing from every corner.
'I doubt the nightlife here is very pleasant.'
The only thing standing out in that hole was a gigantic villa at the end of the city, where he presumed the gang's headquarters was located.
"At least the air is more breathable here, right? Haaa."
Mark could swear he had sighed more that day than in all the years he had lived, but even so, he continued in the direction of his "home."
He kept walking, observing people, occasionally seeing strange races that caught his attention. However, he didn't stare at them for too long to avoid looking suspicious.
When he arrived at the orphanage, he saw a small building that, like the others, was in poor condition. Still, if there was a positive side, it was the small garden next to it and a well that facilitated water collection.
'Information I need to know about this place?'
[From the information I gathered from the body you inhabit, there are a total of seven people inside. Six are children between seven and ten years old, while the last person is the director, whom everyone calls Sister Agata.]
Clank
"Ah! It's big brother Mark!"
"Mark!"
"Big brother!"
While he was thinking, the door of the building opened, and several children came out, surrounding him as they excitedly talked to him.
"Um... hey..."
Suddenly being surrounded by so many smiling and excited children, bombarding him with questions, his response was filled with discomfort and uncertainty about how to react.
"Big brother Mark is acting strange today."
"Maybe he ate something weird?"
Seeing the strange looks from the children, Mark felt sweat trickling down the back of his neck.
"Come on, kids, what do I always tell you? When Mark arrives, you have to let him rest. Come on, go get ready and go to sleep."
"All right, Sister Agata!" (all)
At the sound of the lady's voice, the children obediently went inside, allowing Mark to see his savior.
She was a lady wearing a dress similar to that of nuns, with long gray hair and a face marked by wrinkles that indicated the passage of time. However, at the same time, her voice and her smile were so warm and affectionate that they could melt anyone who encountered her.
"Welcome home, Mark. Everything went well?" -She asked, smiling.
"Just... a little accident. I slipped and lost the herbs I collected." -Mark said, avoiding eye contact.
According to what the Guide had told him, the old Mark often went to the canyon to collect medicinal herbs that would then be sold to support the orphanage.
"Oh, my! Are you hurt anywhere?" -She approached, worried, wanting to make sure he was okay, forcing Mark to use all his willpower not to distance himself and seem suspicious.
"Nothing like that. I just slipped and lost the contents."
"Haaa, the important thing is that you're fine. I couldn't bear the thought of something happening to you."
Agata gently caressed his face, as a mother would for her child, increasing the bitterness Mark was feeling.
"Oh, look at me, you must be hungry. I'll warm up the broth for you right away."
Before she could leave, Mark interrupted her.
"N-No need. I'm just tired, so I think I'll go to sleep right away."
"I understand, dear. Then I'll leave it for you tomorrow morning, so you'll have a heartier breakfast."
"Okay... thank you."
"Come on, we're a family; words like 'thank you' are not necessary between us."
Looking at her warm smile one last time, Mark headed towards the room the Guide had indicated with a heavy heart.
The room was relatively small, with the bed taking up most of the space, but Mark didn't mind. He fell onto the bed with his face buried in the pillow.
'He didn't have parents, but he had a family that cared for him...'
He almost wanted to kick the Guide for overlooking such a fact, but with his head feeling like it was about to explode from everything that had happened and his heart feeling unpleasant, he fell asleep before he even realized it.