Just NPCs
Aiden gripped a peculiar dagger with a cross-shaped handle. Beneath him, the subdued player thought, 'This is, just like...'
A single-player map now allowing multiple players to gather. A quest where options vanished after stacking, enabling free conversation. An NPC who understood every word in that free dialogue and responded accordingly.
Until now, he'd somehow rationalized these new systems. Viewed in isolation, they weren't impossible within the game. Not being a programmer—and not living in a world with magic—he could only shrug it off as something implemented because it was feasible.
"Don't resist. You're not just dealing with me here."
But watching Aiden, who didn't see players as protagonists but recognized them simply as players—it planted the inescapable thought that all of this was designed to make them perceive the game as reality.
Realization: 9%
Warning. Every time Realization progresses by 10%, changes will occur in the given reality.
The knowledge that Realization was advancing further echoed in Aiden's mind. Considering how stubbornly it had resisted growth compared to other metrics, this was major progress. Come to think of it, what had caused the increase?
'Subduing and repelling a player?'
Aiden dismissed the thought immediately. If that were the reason, the Player metric should have risen instead. With no clear conditions provided, it might have just climbed due to something unrelated.
Either way, now wasn't the time to obsess over numbers.
"You know who I am, don't you, player."
"Aiden, right."
The player finally spoke from his own mouth. As expected, he could answer questions treating him as a 'person, not a player'—just like last time. True to his appearance, his voice was heavy and serious, like most players.
"I'm going to ask questions now. If you don't answer, I won't let you return here. Understood?"
"Got it. Yeah, got it."
The compliance surprised him. Having stayed silent until now, the act of speaking felt awkward in itself. Still, easier was better.
"You planned to awaken something here and hunt it. What made you start this madness?"
"Levels. For levels. To grind EXP and get stronger before other players."
Aiden nodded as if understanding. Awakening golems to farm 'experience' and grow stronger by destroying them. Thanks to the voice that had once explained the RPG ability, it wasn't hard to grasp.
'So that's a method.'
Honestly, Aiden had viewed RPG as a perk that simply made growth more visible. He hadn't realized players deliberately dove into strong foes to stack 'experience' for rapid leveling.
It seemed efficient, but... he couldn't endorse the approach.
"That doesn't justify roaming around killing people. I doubt you'd even gain 'experience' from it."
"......"
"You really can't speak outside Q&A... Why kill people?"
"To make the golems rise from the ground. They're like guards here."
"So, they were just a means to summon golems?"
"Yeah."
Something was deeply wrong. No matter how he parsed it, the player treated people not as people, but as disposable tools to summon experience fodder.
The number jumped dramatically from mere thought. It had held at 19% moments ago—a 5% surge. That realization wasn't just ominous; it signaled something crucially important.
'...This mindset is normal for players?'
His grip tightened on the dagger. He barely stopped himself from plunging the blade into the player's throat. This player was undeniably dangerous enough to warrant elimination.
Yet calling them outright 'evil' didn't fit. Minor incidents in the village vanished as if they never happened. Survivors filled the gaps, life resuming seamlessly. So players felt no hesitation, assuming everything reset by the next day.
'If their actions stayed at Sephirah's level—and I could stop them...'
Players had common sense. No lack of guilt or emotion. Just stop the mindset that 'it all resets anyway, so anything goes.' For every one of them.
In this world where even that common sense was fracturing, problems would arise eventually.
"Player, do you intend to stop your actions?" Aiden said.
"Huh?"
"I'm asking if you could just live here without killing or dying."
The player pondered silently before relaxing his expression slightly.
"Nah, no way. That's ancient history."
Like a gag removed, words poured out.
"That's it, right? 'Killing freely is bad. Show mercy.' That old plot. When's the last time an NPC begged like that?"
The player had encountered such stories before: narratives critiquing remorseless player killing, urging them to treat NPCs as 'people.'
"Hilarious in hindsight. Why should we care about you NPCs? Doing funner stuff is obvious."
"What are you even—"
"Everyone's over those stories already."
The flood of words left Aiden speechless. NPC? It seemed to refer to non-players like himself. Nothing else came to mind.
Realization: 9%
Realization: 10%
Realization: 11%
His heart pounded. His vision filled with 'Realization.' It had breached 10%. His sight shook like an earthquake. All hearing funneled into the player's voice—nothing else penetrated.
What was happening? What had he heard to trigger this?
"NPCs aren't even people anyway, so what's the—"
"Shut up."
What did the player—or the System—want from him?
Dark red blood splattered the cross-shaped dagger hilt. The player died definitively this time. No return.
As the words cut off, the turmoil vanished, senses normalizing.
'...Couldn't let him finish.'
A mistake. No intent to spare him, but he should have heard the rest. Yet the urge to silence overrode everything, guiding his hand.
"Hoo..."
Exhaling cleared his head slightly. Plenty of players left to hunt; Sephirah could relay whatever this one meant to say. No casualties otherwise. Barring this one, immediate threats were neutralized.
"Mister, you okay?"
"Yeah, just saw something weird in front of my eyes earlier."
"Hmm..."
Claire, finally returning to his side, eyed him suspiciously. Was something off about him? Or the corpse underfoot?
She glanced between player and Aiden, then spotted something incoming.
"Watch out!!"
She lunged at Aiden. Thud. A weapon embedded where he'd sat—a pitch-black dagger built solely for throwing, noseless.
Turning toward its origin, a hooded burly man stared back.
"You were watching."
Aiden yanked the thrown dagger free. Aiming with System assistance like spear throws, he hurled it back at the retreating man's head.
It arced perfectly as predicted—yet the player dodged with just a casual head tilt, not even turning.
"What the—how'd he dodge?!" Claire blurted in shock.
The player pressed on indifferently, despite witnessing everything.
No strong faction ties, sure—but that little loyalty?
"Chase him, mister?"
"No... No need to pursue a retreat."
Claire eyed the slow-walking figure, weighing capture. Same kind as her—better preemptively?
Viable, but aggression might make players wary of 'NPCs.' Better to stay underestimated for easy wins.
"Yeah. Chasing rashly and missing just marks us. Got it."
She relented—not fully convinced, but agreeing. All the more appreciated.
By the time Aiden looked back, the player was gone.
"Phew."
Claire spoke, relaxing.
"Not scared of that no-look dodge or anything."
"Sure, sure."
"And get up already. How long you gonna sit on a corpse?"
The heavy mood evaporated instantly.
No deaths. None forthcoming. Wounded stabilized—others' job to nurse.
Claire grasped players' nature without witnessing horrors.
"So... three players dead today alone. Total how many?"
"Thirty total. Down to twenty-seven now."
"We gotta do this dangerous crap nine more times...?"
Aiden shook his head, dousing the easing tension.
"No way it's just nine."
"Right? No way every encounter's a deathmatch like today."
"They don't always roll in threes. Nine's way too low."
"...That's what you meant?"
Six encountered so far, including Sephirah and Hasselhoff. Seemed many—but twenty-four unknowns remained. Undoubtedly secrets exceeding their numbers.
He knew less than half about players. The voice assessed thus. Unknowns revealed raised metrics—no guarantee of steady climbs or point rewards. Others unchanged. Good or not, unclear.
Partial information on 'Realization' provided. Express intent to view.
Understanding of 'Player' deepened. Express intent to view updates.
Ignoring messages, he glanced down. Crucial info appeared—like when other metrics hit 10%. Realization breaching 10% triggered it. Timed to avoid overload earlier?
'Pointless. Can't share or show anyway.'
Claire's gaze prickled. Mere seconds viewing, yet awkward.
If only they could see together.
"Mister."
If only.
"What's in front of your eyes, mister?"
...It'd make things much easier.