New Update (1)
And the GM said unto her, "I am that I am." And he said, "Go unto my people, and say unto them, 'I AM hath sent me unto you.'"
— Exodus 3:14 —
Click.
After parting ways with my sister Adelina, I returned to my room where I'd unpacked earlier.
Just as I turned the doorknob to open the door—
"Huh? Next-door neighbor, eh?"
A voice came from my right.
I turned my head and saw a handsome guy with blond hair, slightly tanned skin, and a delinquent vibe.
"Nice to meet ya? Name's Valtburg Stein."
Even though we were total strangers, he introduced himself without a hint of hesitation and walked right up to me.
"We'll be seeing each other next door from now on, so let's get along. Call me Valt—nice and casual."
He said that and stuck out his hand.
Stein. Never heard the name before.
Doesn't seem like he's from the Empire, either. But judging by how he approached a total stranger so easily, he seemed like a super friendly guy.
"I'm Albus. Albus Bernier."
"Bernier? ...No way, you're that Adelina Bernier's...?"
"My big sis."
"Never thought I'd end up next door to the Sword Fairy's little brother. So you're from the Empire side, huh?"
Sword Fairy Adelina.
The nickname stuck to her after that incident she caused at the academy a couple years back.
"Yeah."
"I'm from the Republic. Things are heating up between the Republic and the Empire these days, but that's got nothing to do with us, right? Let's get along, buddy."
His easygoing approach and jumping straight to casual speech on first meeting felt pretty Republic-like.
"Sure. Looking forward to it."
I'd been worried about who I'd hang out with once I started at the academy.
Because of Luddera and our family's reclusive nature, I'd never been to any noble socials, so I didn't have any friends my age. And I couldn't exactly eat meals or wander around with my sister, who was two years ahead.
So even if this new friend was some Republic guy whose background I didn't know, I was still glad to meet him.
"Anyway, buddy. You play Luddera, right?"
"Luddera?"
"Yeah, that special world. You log in and all?"
Log in? I check on it every day, prepping and managing updates...
"I... do, yeah...?"
"Knew it! I'm totally hooked on Luddera too!"
He started gushing about Luddera like he'd been waiting for this moment.
It was like he desperately needed someone to talk to about it—he wouldn't shut up. "That beautiful world is so amazing, it'll probably surpass reality someday."
His words were basically straight-up praise for Luddera. I felt my face heating up. Sure, I'd seen reactions from people obsessed with the world I created, but hearing it right to my face like this? First time.
No wonder it felt so weird.
"Anyway, get this—a month ago, I snagged a Rare class: Magic Swordsman!"
"Magic Swordsman?"
I'd been listening in a daze, embarrassed, but I couldn't help blurting that out.
"Yeah! Magic Swordsman! You've heard of it, huh?"
Heard of it? Of course I have.
I made the damn class.
Magic Swordsman was one of the jobs—or classes—I'd scattered around the Luddera world. A fairly rare one at Rare rank.
That's why I remembered it.
Luddera's systems were borrowed from the VR games I'd played in my past life, and one of them was the job system.
Like in a game, players who log into Luddera could pick or discover classes and change into them.
From basic Normal classes anyone could get with a quest,
to Rare classes that needed effort and luck,
to Epic classes that were super limited and hard to find,
and finally Hidden classes, with only one of each—once someone claims it, no one else can.
I'd made them all myself and hid them around for Luddera's fun factor.
Special jobs and their powers ramp up the gameplay.
Of course, to keep content from drying up, I made them brutally hard. Not a single Hidden class claimed, only three Epics, and even Rares were tough to spot. Who'd have thought this golden boy in front of me had nabbed one?
As a Rare class, its powers were way stronger than Normal.
But Rare classes had something extra special:
For some reason, anyone who got a Rare class or higher in Luddera could use those powers in reality.
Neither I, Kartesia, nor anyone else knew why, but Kartesia guessed it only worked for classes earned through real trials and tribulations.
If I assigned myself or my family a special class, it never carried over to reality. Her theory: We hadn't suffered enough to "earn" it.
No better explanation, so I went with that.
Pretty disappointing, honestly.
Anyway, the guy in front of me—Valtburg—could use his Magic Swordsman powers for real.
"A Rare class? That's... impressive."
I set those up myself. I knew how brutal it was to get one, so I saw this guy in a new light. Not just some Luddera-obsessed slacker.
"Heh, told ya. If you need help in Luddera, just say the word. We're buds now—I got your back."
Valtburg flashed a friendly grin.
Hmm.
Me needing help in Luddera? Unlikely.
"Cool. Might take you up on that sometime."
I said that and turned the doorknob.
"Catch ya later, buddy! See you tomorrow!"
Thud.
I shut the door behind me, stripped off my clothes, and flopped onto the bed.
"A... friend, huh."
Weird feeling.
A user enjoying the world I created.
I'd always tinkered with Luddera alone in my room.
The only people I'd met who enjoyed my world were family or Kartesia.
They all knew I was the world's sole god, 'GM.' Meeting someone who didn't know my identity and was just gushing about it? Refreshing.
"Not bad, maybe."
I lay there zoning out for a bit, then slipped on the custom login device Kartesia made just for me and activated it.
I'd planned to pause updates once academy started and I got busy.
"But after hearing that, how could I just sit still?"
After a flash of darkness, Luddera's vast sky unfolded.
I began plummeting toward it.
Stop.
My body halted midair at my command.
"Gonna have to move the schedule up."
An update everyone experiencing this world would love.
Time to roll it out today.
Show these otherworlders Earth's dazzling content—they won't know what hit 'em.
"The... academy."
Eclessia, the Holy Kingdom's sole Saintess, gently clasped the holy relic in her hand.
She sat in a chair in the special academy dorm room prepared just for her, gazing out the window.
"The answer lies in this academy."
One day, a sudden divine oracle came down.
In it, her god Deus had spoken.
—Go to Lichten Academy. What you seek awaits there.
Thanks to that oracle, she'd enrolled as a student at the academy—unprecedented for a Saintess.
Ever since another world, Luddera, appeared, the entire continent had flipped upside down.
People fighting over resources and land in reality had all dived in, scrambling for hidden items and Hidden classes.
But those obsessed with Luddera weren't just mortals on the ground.
—Bring me a hidden item.
The two giant gods splitting the continent—Deus and Alia—had commanded their followers.
Hidden items: One-of-a-kind treasures in Luddera.
They wanted them.
We cannot lose to those heretics.
That mindset led the Holy Kingdom of Deus and the Holy Kingdom of Alia to pour everything into Luddera.
They shoved in paladins, apostles—all their elite forces.
Grab it before those cultists do!
But true to their name, no leads on hidden items for the Holy Kingdom.
This won't do.
We have to find one, no matter what!
In their desperation, an oracle descended on the Holy Kingdom.
Thus, Eclessia enrolled at the academy despite her status.
"No matter the trials ahead."
She gripped the relic tightly.
"I shall follow the Lord's will."
Beeeep.
"Hm?"
The communication orb linked to the Holy Kingdom's Pope buzzed.
"Your Holiness?"
She picked up the orb and activated it.
Beep.
"Eclessia?"
"Your Holiness? You sought me?"
"Yes! Eclessia! No time for chit-chat—log into Luddera now!"
"Luddera?"
Puzzled, but obedient, she shut down the orb and fired up her Luddera login device.
Whirr.
After a brief wait, Luddera's vast landscape spread before her.
And then.
"...What is this?"
New Content Added
"Labyrinth Tower... added? Hidden items and classes obtainable?"
Countless possibilities hooked into her mind.