As he enters the next floor, the floor was completely unlike the lower floors. This was.. Lively.
The land wasn't too much ruined, and... There were people walking around in silence and caution,covered in military temperature resisting suits,weapons in their grip and gas masks on their faces.
Varun didn't spawn at the far away from the city this time. He was spawned above a building. He looks around for a few seconds before his eyes fall on the people below, who were sneakily hiding and running away from the monsters.
"There are people?... Uh... Might be NPCs by the system... Well... What's the quest here–ugh?!"
His eyebrows raised up in surprise as he saw the quest window.
[Quest: monsterhood scenario.
Eliminate the real boss
Reward: ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■]
He looks at the screen and thinks.
"This is the first time I've seen censorship in this system?.... It doesn't even say the 'next floor ticket'.... How am I supposed to go to the next floor if there's no ticket?... And what does it mean "real boss"?... Is there more than just one boss on this floor?....and why is the reward censored blocks"
He thinks it through for few minutes and then went down the building, keeping a distance from them and looks at the map... Only to meet with a place... Where, there was not a single cathedral. It wasn't normal, this was floor 900...there should be a cathedral to go to the upper floors, shouldn't there?
As he was thinking, a large bllodworm broke out of the ground near the people and lunges down to attack them, the people started to shoot the worm while the others with children tried to run as far as possible.
As varun saw it.. His first thought was to leave them be, because they were just NPCs... But, he could use them to find the boss of this floor... So, he jumps off and slices through the bloodworm.
The people just stared at him in awe and disbelief because of his agility and strength. He lands down and in front of the soldier people, who points their weapons at him in alert and steps backwards with the children and the people with no weaponry.
He turns his head to look at him and then started to walk away. Questioning his own actions.
"Why did I save them?.... They are just NPCs.... Yet, it doesn't feel like they are NPCs when you see them in reality. It's like.... The system wants me to do something else.... It doesn't want me to just grow physically.... It's like those times in games, when you get a quest to protect the NPCs even if they are no concerns for you... Well, usually they respawn back when they die,... But."
He closes his eyes and kept walking, thinking about the kid he just saw die in a alley by the bloodworm vines... And... That kid never respawned, even now that it's been 10 minutes.
As he continued to walk ahead a little girl came in front while trying to run from small fat-sewarts (small bat like creatures with horns and fangs). He just slashed all three sewarts and and the girl tripped and fell... She started to cry. There was not a single thing that could tell them apart from a human... They had no traits of a NPC.
He went to crouch and approach the girl but another woman came pulled her away into a embrace. Patting and sobbing on the little girl.. And a military person stood between him and them.. Their gun pointed at him.
He doesn't say anything, he just,..... He steps back and raised his hands.. Not out of fear, not our of emotions but,.... He was curious.
He was curious to see, how can NPCs look so real? , how can NPCs not respawn? , why was there not proper details of the reward? , why the system said "find the real boss"?... Who was the boss?... What is the scenario "Monsterhood"?... There were too many questions... But only one question was needed... For everything to be cleared at once.... "What is the system trying achieve by making him go through all these absurd things?", "what is the need for a system in a world where no one can use magic?".... Both question sounds different.. But the answer is same....■■■■■■.
Either way, for now he just looks down and surrenders to the military person, who looks at him for few moments, then puts their gun back on their belt and talks... It was undeniable a feminine voice... The military person... Was a woman.. No, not a woman.... It's a young girl... Almost close to adult teenager or a young adult.
Soldier:"Who are you?... Uh, no.... "What" Are you?"
It was really a girl... He can tell by that... But, the gears... Weren't they too heavy for a girl?... But, she was walking just fine... He was snapped out when she said "what are you"... It was like... She was asking something entirely out of recognition.
He looks and asks.
Varun:" Sorry,... But,... Can you clarify what do you mean by that?.... What is it, what am I?... Like.. What is that even supposed to mean?"
She flinched at his voice... Like.. She was hearing a masculine voice for the first time.
Soldier:"T.. That voice?... W. What the hell are you... And.... Why are you so tall and... And.... Your chest is flat."
Varun stumbled and spat on her with a flustered tone.
Varun:"wh–wh–wh–what?!.... What is that supposed to mean??!... Obviously my my chest is flat... I am a man after all... Why are you talking like you never saw a man before?!"
The girl looked at him with her gas mask covered face... But the energy was clear..... She was thinking that "Is this person is mentally or something?"
Soldier:"What are you talking about?.... Of course we know what "men" Means."
He looked at her like "are you serious right now?"
Varun:"Not 'men', I am saying 'man'... M.A.N... You seriously don't know what a 'man' is?"
Soldier:"I have no idea about what you're saying.... And you still have answered my question yet..... What are you? "
Her voice went dark on the last sentence. At least she wasn't having him take off his mask... Thanks to the fact that everyone needs mask in this place due to the gas.
Varun:"sigh~... Well,... To answer that simply... I am a human, but, with a different a different anatomy... Or... Whatever they say for gender.... Yeah... You can can I am the opposite gender of you all.... Now answer me, how come you don't know what a man is?... Do you not have any man in this place?"
The girl was about to say something when one of her comrades calls her and says something in her ear. She looks back at varun and says.
Soldier:"You are coming with us.... Don't try anything funny... Or else."
She pulls out her gun again and placed the barrel on his chest.
"You'll be counting holes on your chest in afterlife"
Varun wasn't afraid... The armour he had on was enough to go against bullets but,... He needed to go anyway... To find where the boss is and... What does "■■■■■■" Means.
He raised his hands and accepted silently to follow.
They hopped on a survival van and drove off.
[1 hour later]
They reached a faculty base, military arms and civilian camps. Varun looks around and thinks.
Varun:"Damn... It's like those survival games where the world fall into chaos from zombie apocalypse... It's just, there are no zombies but monsters."
As they were passing by the camps, every one were looking at Varun, and he also noticed... That everyone... Each person in this floor was a women and girls.
They all got off the van and varun guided to the faculty headquarters, which was underground, and most secured compared to any of the other areas, a big white metal hallway leading towards many areas. One hallway on the left leaded towards lab, second on the right leaded towards a armory area, and many more were connected to one another.
The other soldiers divided and left Varun alone with very first soldier, who he had talked to at the first. They were still walking down to the maid office.
Varun looked for a few moments before asking in a way that doesn't sounds too rude.
Varun:"Uhm... So.. Do you guys always wear that mask?... I am not saying that it's ugly or anything.. But... Gas I don't think gas masks are needed underground, are they?"
The soldier doesn't say anything ans keeps walking forward... And, Varun... Being a guy of culture, walks a step behind to look at her swaying hips, to witch he got to see... That this girl doesn't sway when walking... His expression drops in disappointment and he comes back besides her to walk.
He looks at her from side and then forward before saying.
"You know, you are the first girl who's given me such a cold treatment.... Most of who I met are either sisterly or rude."
Note: this guy have no experience in girls, for him, every girl is just a sister.
The soldier kept walking, still silent before saying.
Soldier:"you sure have a big mouth for a.... Prisoner."
Varun doesn't say anything and keeps walking, before responding in a similar tone like her.
Varun:"you really think I am a prisoner?.... Well, you sure are a bit more mindless now that I think about it.... You really think that a person... Who can take down a bloodworm in one strike without a sweat.... Can be captured?"
He said "can be captured" In a challenging attitude with a calm look.
The soldier doesn't say anything at first, yet again.. Then she takes off her mask and the hood from her head. Revealing her shoulder long orange hair, tied on the end and her soft yet sharp facial features, the green eyes shining like emerald. She looked like a person who you can mistake for a vulnerable soft spoken type but, comes out to be the most annoying and cold blooded.... Because even with a beautiful face like that... She was radiating a aura of someone who has lost and killed her whole life.
Varun didn't say anything and waited for her to continue, to which she starts by saying.
Soldier:"you're here for something, aren't you?"
Varun let's out a inaudible gasp but catches his composure and says.
Varun:"You can tell?.... I thought you were a idiot."
The girl's left eye twitches slightly by the word "idiot" But, she kept herself calm and says.
Soldier:"of course I can,... No person with the energy like you would come so willingly and walk without handcuffs in a headquarters base that they've never gone to before.... Because as far as I know... I've never seen you in mt 16 years of career."
She was still doubtful of him, but, she kept her calm and leaded him to the general's office.
"This person is not one of us...but he have the power to go against those monsters... I should wait before doing anything. General might have some other work of him."
As she was busy in her thoughts, and before varun could say anything for her sentence. They reached the office door... It was a metal door handprint lock, the girl placed her hand on the scanner and the door started to open. But instead of coming with him, she turned back and started leaving. But, varun didn't know what to say. So, he decided to ask her name.
Varun:"Hey,... I never asked your name, did I?.... By the way, my name is v–.. "
"Should I tell her my real name?..... I still don't know if they are actually NPCs or not... I shouldn't take risk."
He thought to himself, not because he was worried that they can be threat, but he was more conscious about the fact that they aren't acting like NPCs... There was no visible patern of a coded character.
"Let's go with a made up one for now."
"My name is vash, and you?"
The girl looked at him with a doubt filled gaze, clearly not taking his sudden pause because say his name in a casual stuttering way. She then continues.
Soldier:"Sarin midthrone."
As she was busy thinking to herself, varun looks at her... wondering why did she never expressed a emotion in a while.