Echoes from the Depths
In the pitch-black void, neon-like horizontal and vertical lines glowed endlessly, crisscrossing and stretching in every direction—forward, backward, left, right. The infinite grid pattern wasn't just on the floor; it extended upward to form a ceiling as well.
With no horizon in sight, the neon grid filling sky and earth stretched into a space so vast it could only be described as infinite.
Surprisingly, when he gazed into the distance, his stationary view began shifting toward that direction. Or was it unclear? Was his body moving in that direction, or was his body still while the floor and ceiling moved on their own?
In the dizzying repetition of the endless grid, all meaning seemed to dissolve away.
Then someone called out to him.
> Roque.
At that instant, Roque became aware of himself within the infinite space. Instinctively, he summoned his sword, forged from decades of training.
Between the grid-patterned ceiling and floor stretching into infinity, a gray flash flickered like a star in the night sky. The glow then moved smoothly, transforming from a point into an elongated line. The swift line soon escaped two dimensions, sketching a three-dimensional form that coalesced into a human shape.
That human became Roque.
> -------!
Like a newborn baby's first cry escaping the womb, Roque stretched and let out a booming first word in the net.
Once the long wail ended and the euphoria of rebirth faded, Roque felt a touch of bewilderment. No matter where he looked—forward, backward, left, right—the infinite grid illusion brought a strange beauty laced with unease.
But this wasn't the cyber space he'd heard about from others or glimpsed indirectly through videos and books. It wasn't so empty.
A sea of light where waves of information—too vast for any single intelligence to handle—churned endlessly. A chaotic realm where, without a mage's spell or precise coordinates, one could lose their way in the data storm and shipwreck in an instant.
That was the cyber space he knew indirectly.
> It's because we're too far from the commonly used coordinates.
…Lije?
As Roque examined his reconstructed body in the net, he spotted a tiny, twinkling light orb bobbing in his view. It was like a lively firefly.
> Hello, Roque. How does your first time in cyber space feel?
"A bit disorienting."
Roque raised both hands in front of his eyes and clenched them into fists.
> The sensations are too different. It's like the limits of my familiar senses are amplified… as if my body's size, the space between cells, has expanded several times over.
> Is it because you're Roque? Do others feel this on their first dive? Fascinating. But Roque, we have urgent business. Time's running short.
"Right."
At Roque's response, the firefly Lije zipped over and landed on his left wrist.
> This is a very shallow layer, so I can stay sane. But if we dive deeper following the broken computer's and mage's traces, I won't be able to talk like this. What you see and remember is up to you.
Roque straightened up without time to feel startled by the sudden shift. What use was posture in a place without solid ground? Yet as he willed it, his body straightened as if planted firmly on solid earth.
> Let's begin.
> Okay.
The next instant, Lije's firefly light encircled Roque's wrist like a bracelet of light. Then Roque watched as his vision was sucked straight into the distant vanishing point.
At the end of that pulled zoom, the scene was a 3D world defined solely by object coordinates and image graphics, without distinctions of front, back, left, or right. It resembled Midland exploded into unchecked development without gravity's limits, filling every space.
In other words, it amplified Midland's allure several times over.
> This… is astonishing.
Rays of red, blue, yellow, green, white, and more collided and blended, each painting new images. At certain points, the light split into a brilliant spectrum like through a prism, only to reform moments later. Likely a corporate data server processing information.
Facing genuine cyber space for the first time, Roque stared blankly for a moment.
He could understand why some forgot reality and lost themselves in the vast net despite its incomprehensible dangers.
Even he, living under gloomy clouds in a sewer reeking of decay, might not want to return after seeing this illusion. Probably why mages holed up in their workshops.
Then a thin beam extended from his left wrist, pointing in a direction. Roque realized it was Lije's compass.
"Lije?"
No response.
Roque tore his eyes away, scanned the vast net graphics once more, then turned unhesitatingly toward the compass. Cyber space was beautiful, but not his world.
Moving through electronic space was simple. Willing himself toward the compass's direction made the entire world approach him. Roque sensed the disconnect stemmed from his physical body in reality.
A subtle difference only an Aura Master might notice. Consciousness here, but true body in reality.
As he wandered cyber space, it felt like strolling Midland's night streets—3D without roads. He slunk through alleys between massive corporate data servers, watching distant info bursts like fireworks, following the compass.
How much time passed? Past the promised 10 minutes for new scenery, Roque noticed the wrist compass had stopped pointing. Ahead loomed a massive rectangular silver data server.
> Here? What now?
As he stared blankly at the server, something writhed in the distance.
> What the…
It resembled a half-finished toy blending spider and scorpion, with gaping holes that should prevent straight movement—yet it scuttled naturally over the server. Up close, its size was five or six times Roque's.
Rifling through indirect memories, Roque identified it.
> Phantom beast firewall…
Roque hesitated briefly. This was cyber space; he was a swordsman who couldn't chant a single spell. Against a living corporate firewall, his only weapon was his reconstructed virtual body.
> My body?
No need to worry. From the moment he recognized himself here, he wielded a powerful weapon: his gray blade, extension and shackle.
Roque closed his eyes, cupped hands before his chest as if gripping an invisible hilt. Meanwhile, the spider-scorpion closed in, raising its massive tail stinger—intact despite other gaps, its tip gleaming with brain-melting cybertoxin.
Silent by design, it plunged the stinger at Roque's crown.
That instant, a gray elongated sword erupted from his cupped hands. Eyes snapping open, Roque swung the blade of light at the descending stinger. Cybertoxin-coated barb met Aura Blade. The light blade didn't betray him here either.
> ---!
The spider-scorpion staggered back. Stinger and tail chunk erased like rubbered out. Roque sensed a silent scream in its retreat.
> You feel pain too?
Deprived of its strongest weapon, the beast hesitated. Watching briefly, Roque leaped high as in reality—yet sensation made cyber space rush at him, a bizarre feeling.
His Aura Blade felt it too. Larger than in reality, the gray blade slammed into the beast's back. With force, it split cleanly in two. Shuddering remnants fell into cyber space's depths, drawn by strange gravity.
> …Now what?
Eyeing the drifting debris, Roque realized he stood atop a corporate data server. No spells, first dive—no hacking means.
In reality, he'd plug a terminal into a socket, let programs finish. Might fail against firewall, but worth trying.
Then he spotted something. On the server side he stood on, a glimmer.
Approaching, a hole like a real terminal socket, surrounded by yellow glow. Now his left wrist's gold bracelet—Lije transformed—spun wildly.
Roque extended his left hand to the yellow glow. It solidified, replaying lingering memories.
Three people here. Two easy: mage dead in apartment bed, tattooed orc with mask shattered by Roque's bullet.
Third face blurry—mage's memory incomplete. But long, warm-looking brown hair clear.
Focus sharpened faint voices.
Suddenly, silent brown hair thrust hand into mage's chest. Scene destabilized—humanoid lumps warped like broken seismograph, vanishing abruptly.
> Hm…
Memory faded; Roque eyed the server socket they'd faced. Faint glow there. His gold-braceleted left hand touched it.
Altered data surfaced: a company name, factory location, twisted security layout. Not much.
Scanning, Roque muttered.
> Planning another terror attack tonight… Quite confident.
Roque looked afar. Face unseen, but long brown hair's owner obvious. Warm hue rare even virtually. Issue: gap between diner part-timer and radical terrorist too vast.
Tonight would tell.
> Fine. Let's see if you escape this time.
Thoughts sorted, he stood tall on the server, raising left hand skyward. Wrist bracelet spun, glowing fiercely.
Gazing at the light, Roque said.
> Your job's done. My turn.
A yellow beam shot from the bracelet, stretching afar like an anchor, pulling Roque. His cyber-view rolled up. Next sensations familiar.
Lije, finger on Roque's forehead via net gear, slumped. Awake Roque caught her before she rolled.
Net gear tumbled, revealing Lije's unconscious face. Roque gazed deeply at the girl's closed eyes. She was snoring softly again.
Apartment door opened; Daniel peeked in.
"Hey, ronin? Time to move…"
Roque rose, cradling Lije. Daniel blanked at his approach.
"Uh… found something?"
"North Street."
"North Street?"
Roque stared straight at blankly repeating Daniel.
"Drive."
"Right, drive. Gotta drive."
Daniel snapped to, grabbed keys, exited. Roque followed, Lije in arms.
Ahead, Daniel said.
"But you found a clue, right? That's why drive? Look, I'm detective, you're client—spill the situation… I'll drive, not saying I won't…"
Beyond slanted glass walls, Midland's gloomy sky reflected. A depressing sight. But irrelevant to the man inside. He wasn't poor enough—materially or magically—to mope over sky color.
High heels clicked into the soccer-field-sized space, echoing hollowly.
Heels' owner approached the room's master, half-reclined toward glass. As she neared, his chair smoothly uprighted.
"Chairman?"
The seated man slowly opened eyes: silver irises, like silvery craters.
Gazing void, he spoke.
"Did you hear it?"
"Pardon? Hear what?"
"The wail shaking all cyber space. Didn't hear?"
High-heel woman shook head, puzzled.
"No, nothing."
"Strange. Echoed to the net's depths. Like a newborn giant's first cry…"
She waited silently for his thoughts. He was HQ chairman, secretly top mage. Sensing unseen unheard? Normal.
Great mages dove deep, nearing info-lifeforms.
"…What is it."
Her eyes gleamed at his question—data sent.
"Ghost detected."
"Her movements always there, ghost-like… past century, always together…"
"But this time, location pinpointed."
Chairman's eyes flashed white. Bold woman chilled under gaze. He'd checked data, nodded slowly.
"Indeed, per this data…"
"…Yes. She's somewhere in Midland now."
Silver eyes fixed, he tilted head—expressionless, eerie.
"Wandering ghostly century, now here? Why?"
"Uh… unknown yet… but with company resources…"
Gaze whipped to window.
"Understood. Proceed slowly. No city uproar."
"…Yes, Chairman."
She bowed lightly, turned—trembling faintly.
He ignored. Many feared him; he sometimes savored it.
No leisure now. He stared at rain-speckled glass, deep in thought.
Astronomical implants and ancient spells fueled his brain—thoughts unknowable save to him.
Rain thickened on glass—Midland's highest point, first hit. It washed the massive emblem below: black triangle in black circle. Underneath, giant "Isumi" sign overlooked Midland.
🏢 ISUMI TOWER
Black circle enclosing black triangle emblem