episode_0165

『It’s going to be a rather long story… so please listen patiently.』

A somewhat unfamiliar feeling.

No, to be honest, it’s utterly absurd.

It’s so unreal that I even wonder if I’m dreaming.

For years I was a shut-in, then, when I turned twelve, I had a dramatic encounter with Yuri, putting an end to my hikikomori life.

And at that moment, I awakened to my powers and saw the status window, so it’s been almost a decade that we’ve shared my life.

Naturally, I don’t fully understand the system’s principles, so questions have always remained.

As far as I’ve experienced, this world is undeniably real.

But the reality is that it’s a fantasy world directly based on Akasto’s worldview.

A world where what I know and what I don’t know coexist.

Therefore, the boundary between knowledge and ignorance was naturally blurred.

Is this place a virtual space where Akasto’s game server has evolved beyond a singularity?

Or did this fantasy world exist originally, and Akasto was merely a gateway connecting this place and my past life?

The status window, I thought, might hold the answer to such questions.

A mechanism operating according to a system that takes the vast flow of the world as its foundation.

Because this world itself is so similar to Akasto, the system also shares many similarities with Akasto.

A simple example is the scenario.

If I am a single point in a vast universe, the scenario is a line where countless such points are strung together.

The world would be a plane densely filled with those lines.

The status window has always repeated the act of making points into lines, and lines into planes.

Therefore, I saw it not as a phenomenon separate from myself, or an existence, but as a principle, a law.

That status window… is speaking to me.

I’ve had conversations with it, but never once seen its “face”, it now speaks using my mother’s consciousness.

『…Nari?』

Perhaps by absorbing my mother’s magic stone, her consciousness has had some effect on the status window?

Even so, the seriousness of the problem doesn’t change.

It’s just the remaining power like the embers of someone who has already passed, but being able to interfere with the system is an entirely different level.

But it seems that wasn’t the case.

『Since you seem quite confused… let me get to the point.』

Gulps-

Finally, an answer to the questions that have plagued me for half my life appears.

『Ten years ago, on that day… it was I who provided the key that connected you and this system.』

My mother said.

This system, functioning as the status window and its display…

Was based on her consciousness from the beginning.

* * *

I won’t reveal all the truth right now.

There are still too many remaining stories before you reach the end of yours.

Hmm… where should I start?

Alright, let’s address what you’re likely curious about first.

Your status window was me.

I’m sorry for telling you so late.

But like everything, proper timing was necessary, only at the moment, you absorbed more than a certain amount of my power using the remaining magic stone, I was able to surpass the limits of the status window and speak to you directly.

To explain how this happened, we need to talk about our bodies first.

You probably felt it since childhood.

That our bodies are not ordinary, that there are many differences from others.

This includes the fact that we possess both male and female genitalia, a complete hermaphrodite, but it’s also significant in that we carry the “memories of a past life” from another world.

To add some information, this world existed before Akasto—not a result of the game itself. I was born in this world a thousand years before the main story began— needless to say.

Despite this, this question remained… as it did for you.

Why did we come to this world?

I’ve already found the answer to that question, but knowing the answer, I’m not going to tell you because I think you should figure it out yourself.

Anyway, a divine being of this world first opened a door to the world we were living in through a game called Akasto. Through that path—precisely, through an update server—we began a second life.

The “why” question, as I said, is one we should set aside. What matters is that we possess exceptional powers beyond that of average people.

The cause and effect are ambiguous. Did we have special powers to begin with because we were selected as reincarnators? Or did we obtain special powers because we became reincarnators?

I believe it is the latter. I was just an ordinary office worker. A typical South Korean woman who just enjoyed playing [Academy Story] enthusiastically after work.

It wasn’t exactly a hobby to brag about… to be honest. But coming to this world, I’ve, for the first time, thought that I was glad I had diligently played Akasto.

Our birth times were different, and perhaps it was a romantic misunderstanding of cause and effect, but I was eventually able to come to this fantasy world that had served as an escape in my difficult life.

Of course, being born among the demons was a setting I’d never seen before so naturally I struggled a lot. Or perhaps I just didn’t play enough of the game… I heard there was someone who posted a perfect strategy guide on the community… I should have studied it harder.

As a result, I was born as a Futanari. This extraordinary body allowed me to control a peculiar power called “Ether.” And since I had some knowledge of the world’s principles, I could bring my thoughts into reality.

Unifying the demons, searching beyond that world I crossed the central continent. I embarked on adventures, found love and bore fruit.

All this journey was ultimately to find out what Ether is.

And who I am.

I’m quite proud of myself for the fulfilling conclusion I reached. But everyone has a different story, and different conclusions!

Therefore, I can’t tell you yours. It’s a story far into the future that even I don’t know myself.

However, I think I can share some of the truths I discovered at the end of my journey without any problem.

It’s called an open book, isn’t it? Because how you use the information is more important than knowing the information, knowing the spoilers beforehand wouldn’t significantly alter your conclusion.

Ahem, ahem. Don’t be too tense…? It’s not that important.

How much do you know about Ether, Nari?

You probably suspect it’s the power of the soul. Your experiences during your adventures suggest it, and we can have conversations now!

But think about it.

Is that really the end of it?

I don’t want to make a tragedy out of it, but Artemis’ failure was a foregone conclusion. It was foolish—no… They tried to step into a realm that is impossible to reach without the power to control these souls.

I won’t say it like that. After all, their attempts were continuous efforts for me and my people…

I’m sorry, I digressed a little.

But it wasn’t entirely off-topic either.

The power to control souls can actually carve out one’s destiny.

You probably have a similar philosophy to mine, but let me add a little.

I believe that there are no gods in this world, only the principles and laws of the vast universe and its natural flows.

They are not absolute either; they change according to another flow.

Yes, the world resembles our life forms.

To us who grew up without a mother, it feels like a maternal presence.

I’ve already answered.

Shaking destiny means interfering with the laws of that world.

You already know that Futanaris can’t bear fruit, right?

I proved that by breaking such laws and giving birth to you.

Ether is a powerful force that allows you to do anything, even if a great destiny stands in your way.

Shall we return to the initial question?

After giving birth to you, I had a fair idea that I would no longer exist in this world.

I was initially a little afraid. Because I wouldn’t be able to look after you and raise you as a mother.

But I didn’t give up.

Even in my weakened state after giving birth to you, I sealed whatever souls remained in the magic stones and spread them across the world. As you know, some are already inside your body.

However, even if they’re fragments, to interfere with the laws of the world. I prepared beforehand.

Through the system, I could somewhat illuminate your path. As a status window, a guide, and a mother.

At first, I was incredibly sad to see my lonely daughter suffering, feeling so helpless.

But… you, Nari, got back on your feet without my help.

Let me clarify to avoid any misunderstandings. You resolved to get up after your meeting with Yuri. It was at that time that I awakened your Ether and status window.

I believe…

You will reach an even better concluding chapter than I did. I saw the same light in you as I did the moment you stepped out of your room.

My beloved daughter, Nari. I want you to never forget that I’m always with you, wherever you go.

Whenever you’re tired and worn out, believe that there’s someone watching over you from behind you.

Your beloved women, of course, and even the echoes of the remaining souls, your mother watches over you as firmly as them, watching only you.

I’ve used up my strength for today…but if you absorb my remaining magic stones in the world, we can continue our long talk.

I mean, I can’t speak to you directly; I use the status window to take care of you as usual.

I’ll always be by your side.

I love you, my daughter.

. . .

“Ah… ah…!!”

Hot tears poured from Nari’s eyes like a summer downpour.

Perhaps from shame at having thought she was alone, or perhaps from immense appreciation for her mother’s enduring presence.

She simply wept uncontrollably, a complex mixture of emotions.

Slowly, Nari reached out and touched the Status Window.

Swish-

-[Making Happy Memories♡]

“You were there all along… and I didn’t even know…!!”

I can’t deny that I felt a little resentment.

But at the same time, I desperately wanted to return her love with even more love.

Swish- Swish-

Nari gently wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

Not too harshly, but gently. How could she treat the body her mother gave her so roughly?

Clutching her tear-stained hand, she made up her mind.

To achieve the best possible outcome, one worthy of her mother’s love.