After the agent finished, she spoke again. “You must understand the path you intend to walk. Since you’ve decided to follow it, you must have a plan.”
‘Decided? It’s more like you half-forced me into this, isn’t it?’
“So, any suggestions?” I asked, deciding it was best to keep my thoughts to myself.
“None. I can’t give you any advice. Whatever you decide to do, you must figure it out on your own. Other people’s paths are their own; yours is yours,” the agent replied without a moment’s hesitation.
“But I don’t know anything about this plane of existence. How am I supposed to do anything when you just spring this on me?” I answered plaintively.
“Then just wander around,” came the agent’s careless reply. “In any case, I won’t be giving you any advice.”
I hung my head, sifting through every piece of information I had before finally speaking up. “Then let’s go to Kalejia City.”
“Kalejia?” Yin frowned. “Isn’t that the famous entertainment city?”
I nodded. “That’s right. Let’s go there. I want to see what an entertainment city in the Divine Realm is like.”
“We’re not going,” the agent responded immediately, her tone firm.
“Huh? Why not?”
“Because I said so. What does a place like that have to do with getting stronger?” the agent retorted.
“But—but you’re the one who said I could go anywhere and just wander around. Why are you going back on your word?” My face was a mask of indignation.
“Well…” The agent was at a loss for words, wanting to say something but unsure how.
“Xi, just let her go have some fun,” Yin said, walking over and patting the agent’s shoulder. “She won’t get another chance like this.”
The agent shrugged Yin’s hand off and sighed. “Just this once.”
I grinned. “Of course.”
Liu Han then chimed in, “I am curious, though. What happens when a gaming prodigy who’s mastered every FPS gets her hands on a game from the Divine Realm?”
I nodded eagerly. “Exactly! That’s why I want to go.”
I genuinely wanted to see what made the games here so special.
“Then let’s go. Kalejia City isn’t too far from here, thankfully. Otherwise, it would have been a hassle,” Yin said thoughtfully.
‘Hey, I factored that in when I was thinking, you know. I wouldn’t have suggested it if it were too far.’
Soon, we found a Speed Carriage, and within an hour, we had arrived in Kalejia City.
The city was situated on the edge of a large lake, with more than half of its structures floating on the water’s surface. Compared to other places in the Divine Realm, Kalejia’s architectural style was remarkably uniform, consisting entirely of high-tech skyscrapers. Massive display screens adorned most of the buildings, broadcasting a variety of advertisements.
Kalejia City had no checkpoints at its entrance, but detection points were stationed every few dozen meters along the streets to monitor divine power and other forms of energy. While it might have seemed like one of the most relaxed cities, its actual security was second to none. Infiltrating it was practically impossible; one could only enter openly and honestly.
“So, what’s your destination here?” Lavishly asked.
Liu Han smiled. “Is that even a question? The arcade, of course. That’s probably the only thing she’s interested in.”
“How can you say that?” I waved my hands nervously. ‘I don’t just like arcades; I like girls too…’
I opened my terminal, often forgetting about this all-purpose marvel. After a quick search, I locked onto a target.
“This is the one,” I said, pointing to a title on the screen that read “World of Sword and Blade.”
Lavishly and the others leaned in for a look. “Seems alright,” Liu Han commented, noting the establishment’s rather plain description.
****
*World of Sword and Blade*
*We are an arcade dedicated to perfecting the feel of combat. We possess top-tier hardware and also specialize in crafting puzzle games. Trust us, we pour 200% of our energy into every game we create.*
****
The description was standard, but what caught my eye was the mention of puzzle games. I wasn’t sure what games in the Divine Realm would be like, but puzzle games generally followed the same logic: gather clues, solve the mystery.
I’m a cerebral player. That’s my strength. I was confident I wouldn’t lose when it came to puzzle-solving.
After a taxi ride of just a few minutes, we arrived at an arcade whose exterior walls were covered in murals of swords.
The entrance had a distinctly ancient feel, with a series of slightly ajar wooden doors. Blue banners, each emblazoned with a pattern of two crossed swords, fluttered in the breeze.