130 - The Learning World

The scorching sunlight pierced through, forcing my eyes open. I grabbed hold of my hazy mind and propped myself up on my elbows. Rubbing my eyes finally cleared my vision bit by bit. I replayed yesterday's—no, just moments ago—events. Something had suddenly charged at me and collided. What should have been a light shove felt like it was sucking my very soul out.

"Isn't this the Abyss 15th Branch?"

It was the familiar space that had first greeted me upon my death in Part 1. It was also the world I'd originally aimed for. What happened? I made it here eventually... Was it a hallucination? Or did skipping through the open world cause the collision?

My questions dissolved the instant the inn door swung open.

"You're awake, sis! Do you know how worried I was, nyang?"

"Adella? What are you doing here?"

This wasn't the Adella from this world. She knew nothing about me yet. And above all, she was calling me "sis" instead of NoName. My body, swapped with hers, had reverted to normal—my golden hair cascaded through my fingers.

"I... I dunno! This devil suddenly appeared, and I was running like crazy, then boom—you were right there in front of me...!"

Adella babbled incoherently. Frowning with a hunch, I opened the event log.

The skill ended, so during the soul swap reversal, it dragged Adella into this world too? I stroked my chin, pondering deeply. It might actually be for the best. Mephistopheles would still be summoned, but with Adella by my side, she wouldn't be in any danger from it.

Our eyes met briefly.

"Adella, try saying 'What are you doing?'"

"What are you doing, nyang?"

"Now say 'Is it fun?'"

"Is it fun, nyang? Like that?"

Yeah, that pronunciation was cute only on her. I had no desire to live in that body myself.

"Pack up for now. If we head to where Jin Chronicle was, we can jump to the next world."

"Wait, sis!"

Her hand overlapped mine on the door handle. We locked eyes again, her expression intense and meaningful.

"What?"

"This place feels off no matter how I look at it."

"It's a weird world. I've passed through it once before."

"Not like that! It's way more...!"

Clunk! The door flew open before I even turned the handle. I nearly lost my balance and tumbled with Adella, but I wasn't falling for it twice.

"You two alright? Sorry for swinging it open without warning—didn't realize you were coming out."

Adella jolted at the gravelly middle-aged voice and fled to the room's corner. Stocky build, wrapped head to toe in layers of black cloak—his shape was impossible to gauge. But as someone I'd seen as often as Adella through countless regressions in Part 1, I recognized him instantly, even altered.

"Gestalt...?"

"Oh ho, you know me too?"

His hair was thick and full.

I glanced sideways at the chat window. So we were in the past world, but not my past as a player—that was the issue.

"Mind joining me for a favor? We're sword-for-hire types, no good with kids. Could you watch her just till tonight?"

Like my first visit to the branch chief's office, we descended underground, passing a narrow corridor. Light leaked from the last door's crack—someone was inside.

"Kid won't listen worth a damn... Haha, but you're kin, so she'll behave, right?"

He chuckled slyly, patting Adella's back. Unable to just take it, she dodged his rough hand and sidled to me, linking arms.

Creeeak.

"Thanks a ton. Mom's coming tonight. Poor thing must be lonely."

Tension building, Adella took a deep breath and cautiously opened the door. A tiny two-year-old toddler barreled out—thud!—short legs failing to brake, sprawling flat before us and bursting into tears.

"Waaahhh!"

A cute tail adorned the child's back, silver like Adella's.

"Adella?"

"No way... that's me...?"

Not even the roadmap devs could've predicted we'd regress to Adella's past. Life was an endless chain of uncertainties.

* * *

"Um... th-that kid? Can we stop now, nyang...?"

"Kyaa! Sis, again! Undo my hair!"

"NyaAaAaH! Don't yank so hard!"

Adella wailed, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her whole body screaming for rescue. The kid, oblivious to her scalp, twisted hair every which way, winding fingers through it—Adella's shrieks climbed decibels.

"Huff... huff... This is a nightmare. No worse nightmare exists! Sis, slap my cheek hard—wake me up!"

It hadn't felt like long, but the sun was already dipping low. Past data meant time flowed faster here? Adella, though, sensed every dragging second and eyed the night eagerly.

"Adella, remember your childhood?"

"Childhood? How many even remember that, nyang?"

"Hmm..."

"Anyway, weird how Gestalt knew me from way back. Stalker vibes? Eek, chills!"

Adella had no memory of visiting the Abyss branch as a baby. Her mind was in turmoil now. As a reincarnator, I was an exception, but humans generally forgot early years. We'd existed then, yet relied on photos or videos to prove it. What separated that from AI?

While Adella played with "baby Adella," I'd scouted the capital. No NPCs at the famously crowded Remnant Academy—just Jin Chronicle or Alphonse Schipot warming up at the arena. A "learning world" for NPCs to recall their pasts made sense. The devs' tool for flashback scenes, as viewers said.

Knock knock. Despair for the happily playing child, salvation for Adella—the sound rang through the door.

"Can I really meet my real mom? Always wondered what she looked like."

The grown adult brimmed with more anticipation than the kid. But contrary to expectations, the door stayed shut amid incomprehensible shouting.

Exchanging glances with Adella, we sat the child down and pressed ears to the door cautiously. One voice was unmistakably Gestalt's. The shrill other was female, details unclear.

"How'd you raise her into this? You call yourself human? Huh?!"

"Not your brat—why yap? If you care so much, take her yourself."

"Kids aren't objects to 'take'! Why are you like this? You weren't always!"

"Sigh. What was I like then? Hell if I know—that's why I'm asking, Gestalt."

"Y-You...!"

Gestalt's voice trembled with rage. Adella's face grew deadly serious as she listened. Her hand gripped the knob. One twist, and she'd see her faceless mother. But for the strength in her grip, the handle didn't budge.

"Don't live like that anymore. Or if you must, alone. Not Adella. Don't drag your daughter into the pit you dug, got it?"

"Big talk—scared I'll bite? Do what you want. Never saw her as mine anyway, even from my womb. Oh, no child support needed?"

"You really till the end..."

"Sis..." Adella murmured, head bowed, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠voice choked.

"..."

"Y'know... let's pretend today never happened..."

Tears welled in her unfocused eyes. But she snapped her head up to the ceiling, forcing them back. Emerald irises glistening, she said calmly,

"No need for this—I have people who like me plenty. I'll just think my mom was a good person."

"It'll be okay, right sis?"