SideQuest!

Video Log #460

As Julia walks into a corridor leading to the airship docking area, she stopped for a moment to look around the place, as this is her first time to enter the building. Julia was never fond of airship travel as she preferred the practicality of the fast travel option more in moving between cities and map locations, and therefore didn't have the time to experience the sights within this humble airship port. And with the immaculate view displayed before her, it was no wonder Julia would opt to explore first. The ceiling and the floor are adorned with murals of celestial figures: spherical creatures made of gold and shale, with seven wings circling around their bodies, flying above a throng of white-robed men and women, lifting their hands in prayer. Statues of dignified ladies dressed in long, loose robes with their arms outstretched can be seen standing on iron platforms lined up and placed on either side of the walkway. Pillars of marble line up alongside these statues, each with the purpose of holding up the weight of the ceiling. Vermillion standards line the walls, with the symbol of the golden rose embroidered on them. The walkway and the door to the dock itself does not shy away from being grandiose, as a rich, vermillion carpet is strewn across it, leading towards an exit with two rectangular oaken doors adorned with gold engravings of roses on either side.

"Wow." she gasped. "It's a shame that I never got to visit this area of the game before." She then pulled up her menu and began recording.

But oddly enough, the building was bare. Not a soul was in sight within the premises when thousands of players should be lining up inside to get an airship ticket, as suggested by the player count that Grace gave Julia a while ago. There was no one inside - except for a man standing in the distance, leaning against the door ahead and bearing a familiar countenance. Silver hair, white robe armored with sheets of cruel armor, a sleek sword and an aloof expression. The man gave Julia a sharp gaze, which sent a sudden chill in her spine.

"Call. Grace Park." she muttered on the minimized interface. "Uhh...Grace, I'm inside what seems to be the...departure area of the airship dock and, uhh..."

"And?"

"...Sev is standing in front of me, just up ahead. The AI is standing in front of me. Is...is he supposed to be here? Did Mr. Rubio mention anything about this in his email?"

"What? No. I'm afraid not. All he said is that this 'companion NPC' is autonomous. If I understood correctly how Mr. Rubio explained it, this Sev can pretty much go wherever he likes, so long as it's within the confines of his game script."

"So you're saying that this is part of his game script? Just creepily showing up where he pleases?" Julia asked, her voice a bit shaky.

"Maybe. Wait, you sound fazed. Are you all right?"

"No. It's just...I'm not comfortable with the idea of an NPC stalking me like this." Julia replied as she carefully advanced towards Sev's position, with her left hand sliding towards the handle of one of her swords.

"Hey!" Julia growled. "Shouldn't you be waiting for me in Argos?"

But he did not give heed to this question. Instead, Sev peeled away from the door and started marching towards Julia, showing no hint of hesitation. He bears a blank expression. His eyes fixated towards her, not relenting despite the snappy metal click as the young woman partly drew her sword, as if priming for an attack.

"Uhh, Grace. The AI's coming towards me and I don't think he's up for a friendly chatter. Is this supposed to happen?" Julia asked nervously as she finally drew her sword, pointing it towards Sev who is now almost two paces away.

"I'm not sure. But whatever you do, do not engage Sev. You will not be able to accept the quest if you do."

"Well, he's almost touching the tip of my sword right about now." said Julia, as she tries her best not to relent. Sev then stopped, his face only inches away from the pointy tip of Julia's weapon. He then raised his left hand, and slowly reached for the tip of the blade, touching it with his thumb and index finger like a pincer.

As soon as the fingers landed on the blade, the ceiling and the walls began to dissolve and corrode. It was as if the whole place is being engulfed in acid, melting away the scenery to reveal a new one beneath it.

"Julia, your marker just disappeared from the map. What is that static I'm hearing? What's happening?"

"I...I don't know. Sev just mindlessly touched the tip of my sword and the surroundings just began to kinda melt away. Hold up, let me share my video feed to you." Using her free hand, Julia opened her interface once more. "Share screen." she commanded. A small holographic portrait of Grace sitting in front of the camera appeared in front of her, which she then dragged to her right to not impede her view.

"Are you seeing this?" Julia gasped as bamboo trees began to slowly sprout all around her, revealing a lush forest on her left and right flank, replacing what was once a row of statues and pillars.

"Yeah." Grace remarked. "It's...it's marvelous."

A few seconds later, the murals on the floor began to corrode beneath her and Sev's feet, creating a rift between the trees as it slowly cuts a path yonder the forest. The vermillion carpet was completely gone, and in its stead a gray stone path emerged, walled on either side by bamboo frames lined with sheaves of hay. The ceiling faded away completely, revealing a canopy of bamboo leaves soaking up the light coming from the skies. As the final bits of the scenery finishes loading, Sev lets go of the blade. His face, which was stale and bereft of expression a few minutes ago, began to look more alive as his eyes blinked and began to flinch at the sight of Julia's blade pointing at his face.

"Can you please move that away? I'm not here to fight." Sev remarked politely as he carefully moves the sword away from him.

"Oh! I...I'm sorry." Julia apologetically replied as she snaps out of her shock and promptly sheaths her sword. "...You were mindlessly moving towards me a while ago. I thought you were going to attack me."

"I did? Oh no, I went on a trance again." he replied as his eyes squinted. "Please forgive me for anything untoward acts that I may have done whilst I was in a trance. That sort of happens to me from time to time."

"No, it's all right." Julia remarked as she surveys her unfamiliar surroundings. "Although I must say that I'm a bit lost now. I don't know where I am."

"Oh. Well, in that case, allow me to escort you then." He then rested his arm on the hilt of his sword. "Say...forgive me for being blunt my lady, but...by any chance, have we met before? Your face seemed...familiar somehow." Sev asks as his eyes narrow and his head tilts slightly.

Julia's eyes widened. "Oh, actually, we-!"

The young woman was abruptly interrupted by the sudden "psst!" coming from the small hovering window from her right, catching her attention. Grace was waving her hands and shaking her head, gesturing her to keep quiet.

"Is there a problem?" Sev asked, suspiciously turning his head towards the blank space Julia is staring at.

"Uhh...actually, can you excuse me for one second? I, uhh...need to talk to somebody." Julia asked the man as she dragged the small window on her right and returned it on the front, turning her back on Sev.

"...Sure." Sev shrugged as he curiously looked around, looking suspiciously at Julia as she turns around and moves two steps away from him, gesticulating and conversing with what seemed to be an empty space. "Who is she talking to?" he muttered to himself.

"What is it now?" Julia whispered. "Did something come up?"

"...Yeah." Grace replied as she bit her lip. "You're actually not supposed to bring up your encounter with Sev two days ago. Mr. Rubio says it might mess with the reset. They're still working on his software. Just introduce yourself as is."

"Well...okay." Julia acknowledged hesitantly. "Anything else on that list of his that I need to take note of before I get back to Sev?"

"That's all. So far Mr. Rubio hasn't mentioned anything else aside from that. Don't worry. I'll keep you posted if anything comes up. Oh, and keep the video feed open so I'll know what's going on. The HoE Companion's basically useless at this point."

"All right. I'll keep in touch." Julia replied as she minimized the window. She then turned to face Sev, who, upon being approached, squinted at Julia as she closes in - something that the young woman quickly took notice.

"Grace...why is he looking at me funny?" Julia silently remarked as she pulled up the window again.

"I forgot to tell you." Grace cut in. "He doesn't see or hear me like you do. His programming restricts the recognition of game interfaces."

"So basically, he thinks that I'm crazy and imagining things?" Julia replied in a slightly hostile tone.

"Yeah. Pretty much."

"Well, way to make a first impression, huh?" she smirked as she approaches Sev. Puffing her chest and placing her hands on her waist, Julia let out a sigh. "So! What were we talking about earlier?"

"Uhh...I was wondering if we have met before?" Sev inquired hesitantly. "Your face seemed awfully familiar."

"No." Julia lied with a straight face. "Not at all. This is the first time that we've met."

"Is that so? I see." Sev smilingly replied. "Oh, by the way, I haven't caught your name."

"Julia." she replied as she gave him her hand to shake. "Julia Cheong. Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise." he replied as he received her hand to kiss it - to the surprise of Julia. "My name is Sev, although the denizens of Tosen-Kyushu calls me Josen Toshiro...for some reason."

"Tosen-Kyushu? What is this place?" Julia remarked. But as she was about to hurl her next question, the bamboo leaves begin to rustle, the sound of chimes following after. Sev fell silent for a moment and begins to clasp his sword firmly, observing his surroundings suspiciously.

"Maybe we should get out of here first." Sev suggested as he looked above. "The bamboo forest is treacherous. If we're not careful, we might get lost in here. This is neither the time nor the place to discuss such matters. Let's talk along the way."

"All right." Julia conceded. "Lead the way, then."