"Very well. I'll start by explaining the rest. Ask me everything you want to know, and I'll answer within the limits I'm permitted."
Schesile smiled serenely as he lifted his teacup and took a sip—Kuon did the same. The two of them sat facing each other on the sofas, as though the absurdity of what had just transpired was nothing more than an illusion that had never happened at all.
Meanwhile, the viewers—whose numbers had surged considerably—flooded the feed with comments. Kuon watched Schesile with a faint smile on his face.
"Within the limits you're permitted? What, will your boss throw a fit if you tell me too much?"
In response to the provocation, Schesile only laughed softly behind his hand, then shook his head. "Nothing like that. The reason is simple enough—it wouldn't be fair if I handed you every piece of information you wanted without any limits in place. The principle guiding how we run this 'event' is… well, at its core—every Drifter must be treated equally and without exception."
"That's why every right and 'provision' we've prepared for you has been standardized under the principle of 'equality'. Ahh, perhaps it'll be easier if I give you a direct example—the rewards tied to special milestones, such as reaching a certain viewer count, have already been set from the very beginning. Every Drifter will receive the same rewards; the only thing that differs is the process and the time it takes to earn them—and that depends entirely on you."
'I seem to have gotten carried away,' Schesile added, apologizing for launching into his explanation before Kuon had even asked.
Kuon only tilted one corner of his mouth as he turned the notion of 'equality' that Schesile had mentioned over in his mind.
"An interesting concept—but let's set that aside for now. What I want to know is.... why a livestream? And why does every Drifter have to be broadcast to the people of Earth? Are they the only ones watching? And … does the stream run without ever stopping?"
Schesile snapped his fingers with delight at the string of questions Kuon had laid out.
"Wonderful questions. And I'm quite eager to answer them."
Clearing his throat briefly, Schesile continued, "As for your first question—there are two reasons. The first, of course … is entertainment."
That answer made Kuon scowl once more. "What a ridiculous thing to say."
He had been thinking about it since the very beginning of his exchange with Schesile, but once again he was forced to acknowledge the truth—the two hundred people they had abducted were nothing more than passing entertainment to them.
"I mentioned it briefly before, but that isn't the only reason—and this one matters just as much. We want you Drifters to become part of Lios, to help it grow—in technology, in lifestyle, in culture. As for why we chose to use a livestream specifically … well, think of it as an experiment."
"An experiment?"
Kuon shifted his posture and fixed his gaze on Schesile—the intensity of it enough to make the smile on Schesile's face freeze for just a moment, before it melted back into something closer to ecstasy.
"Please don't look at me like that. What I mean by experiment is something closer to a 'beta test'—to use a term you'd be more familiar with."
Schesile took another sip of his tea, then continued, "Right now, two hundred people—yourself included—have been selected and sent to Lios. But if at least ten percent of you manage to survive, a 'second wave' will be called—another two hundred, summoned with the same purpose. Only this time, they'll be equipped with the information and legacy left behind by you, their predecessors."
The scene around them shifted—now displaying several feeds at once.
Each feed showed at least one person, or a group of Drifters who had already arrived in Lios. All of them appeared to be in different places, doing entirely different things.
Some were locked in desperate combat against creatures that looked nothing like anything human—things that deserved to be called monsters—while others were lounging calmly, surrounded by floating holographic screens displaying their own stream and the endless scroll of viewer comments, just like the ones Kuon had beside him.
"Will we still be able to interact with the viewers once we're in Lios?"
Schesile nodded. "Correct. In fact—that is one of the special features exclusive to you Drifter. You can interact with viewers and receive information from them—if you're lucky enough for that, of course.
There isn't much else I can mention, as this is the only special feature we can offer you. No stat boosts or anything like that—simply the right to full transparency over your own broadcast. Ahh, of course, if you reach a certain viewer or follower count, rewards will be given—as I explained earlier. And as for your last two questions....
You could say you're right. Apart from us, only the people of Earth have been granted viewing authority. As for whether the stream ever stops—the answer is no, not on its own. It will cut automatically whenever you Drifter are resting, or doing anything that requires privacy. Though … you can still turn it off manually, as long as the reason is reasonable, and only for a limited duration."
All that, just for a few simple questions.
Kuon quietly organized all this new information in his head while watching a group of Drifter—who had somehow managed to meet and cooperate—fighting something whose shape defied any easy definition.
That was when he saw it—one of the Drifter fired a burst of fire at the creature, and its head exploded on the spot.
Schesile—who had clearly read every thought passing through Kuon's mind—let his smile widen at once. The very same smile he had worn when Kuon grabbed him by the collar.
"That is magic. Fascinating, isn't it? Nearly every inhabitant of Lios possesses it, and you Drifters are guaranteed to be able to use it as well. The only difference lies in each of your capacities—and how quickly you can master it."
After ignoring them for so long, Kuon finally glanced toward the holographic screens showing his stream's comment feed.
> Anon1232: "Hey, when are they gonna wrap this up?"
> Anon1233: "Seems like Kuon has a lot going on in that head of his. But yeah, this is taking way too long."
> Anon1234: "You guys never shut up. Preparation matters, you know."
> Anon1235: "Preparation? More like cowardice. No need to ask so many questions—he'll figure it all out once he's in Lios. Coward, lol."
> Anon 1236: "You wanna fight, huh? Name the place, I'll show up."
> Anon 1237: "Antarctica, green house, block 12, Dumbness Street. I'll be waiting."
> Anon 1238: "LMAO."
...
The comment section was still a mess of completely irrelevant bickering, and honestly, it disappointed him. He glanced briefly at Schesile—and even with that demonic smile plastered on his face, Kuon still couldn't read a single thought behind it.
'Garbage.'
Kuon let out a tired sigh, then fixed Schesile with a languid stare. "Go on. Tell me EVERYTHING you're allowed to tell me about what you've prepared for the Drifter."
"Ohh! Finally, we're getting to this part. I'm certain this will put some fire in you—and maybe even drag a smile onto that sour face of yours."
"Prove it."
Kuon responded to the absurd remark without missing a beat, then crossed his arms and legs, waiting for Schesile to continue.
"Then let's begin with what you just witnessed—magic."
The scene shifted again, narrowing its focus to a single woman who stared with a look of confused concentration at a small flame burning in the palm of her hand. What started as a flicker grew steadily larger, until it transformed entirely into a dense, pulsing ball of magma.
"I've already given you the overview, and the deeper material will come last—because that damned subject is so crammed with theory it makes even me sick. We'll move on to 'Gift' now, if you have no objection."
"Do as you like."
"The way you speak is a little disappointing. Can't you sound even slightly enthusiastic? Well … I suppose that's part of what makes you interesting."
Schesile let the smile drop from his face, revealing an annoyed expression that hadn't been seen until now. Even Kuon was mildly surprised to find his comment feed erupting with reactions over the new expressions Schesile was showing.
"A Gift is something quite special, even for you. It is something that most of Lios' native inhabitants across all races already possess—but the type, category, and function of a Gift can differ from person to person. Ahh, and to be clear—each person can only have one Gift, no matter how exceptional they might be. So don't go getting any ideas."
"I haven't thought of anything. Continue."
" … Like the ability to use magic, a Gift is something every one of you will receive. What makes it special is that each Gift grants a different ability—though there is still a chance that two or more people may end up with identical Gifts. But that is exceedingly rare."
The explanation was dry enough, but Kuon listened obediently all the same—holding onto the hope that all of this could bring him closer to those foolish dreams and ambitions he had long since abandoned.
From Schesile's words, Kuon came to understand that in the general case, Gift abilities would differ for every individual, and that how a Gift manifested depended entirely on the person—though he also heard certain things that struck him as absurd, such as the strength of a Gift being determined by the heart and soul of its owner.
Though his expression didn't change—much to Schesile's disappointment—Kuon privately admitted to himself that he was genuinely excited by all this new information. He had even committed to memory everything Schesile had explained about magic in meticulous detail over the course of two full hours.
It didn't matter whether it was theory dense enough to make anyone's head spin, or a lengthy lecture on complicated material. The one thing Kuon took pride in about himself was the tenacity of his mind—its ability to absorb vast amounts of new knowledge in a short time.
It was that same quality that had allowed him to complete his degree ahead of schedule, and to pursue advanced studies toward a professorship—having been personally recommended by his mentor back when he was still working as a research assistant.
With that intellect, Kuon could have had a comfortable, easy life—a career path that would have elevated him to an extraordinary degree. But none of that mattered now. Because there was something far more compelling to him than a peaceful, comfortable life on Earth.
" … Answer me, Schesile. How long am I allowed to stay here before I get thrown into Lios against my will?"
After a prolonged silence, Kuon finally posed the question—one that not only surprised his viewers, but made Schesile bare a sharp grin as he let out a low, curious hum.
"Truthfully, there was no time limit—because we never considered that a Drifter would actually want to stay in this place. Most of you go straight into Lios on the first day, or the day after. But … you're right. A time limit should be set, starting now."
Schesile paused in thought, then snapped his fingers. At that very moment, an enormous hourglass materialized a short distance beside them.
"Then I'll give you a full 72 hours. In that time—watch. Study the Drifter who have already gone in. Plan whatever strategy you like, and give due consideration to the offer we've made."
Kuon scoffed, and for the first time—put on a bold, almost contemptuous smile aimed squarely at Schesile.
With that expression still on his face, he replied, "That's exactly what I intend to do."
***
Kuon divided the work of his mind and ran two tasks at the same time. The first was observing how the other Drifter were faring after being dropped into Lios, and the rest was spent in deep thought about what he needed to prepare before making the jump himself.
There was the matter of the Gift and the mystical power called magic, which all Drifter would receive. But what caught his attention most was the system of 'equivalent exchange' that could be performed before a Drifter entered Lios.
In short, it was a transaction between a Drifter and their Overseer—one grounded in the absolute principle of equal exchange; a Drifter could sacrifice something, and in return receive compensation worth exactly what had been given up.
From Schesile, Kuon had learned that some Drifters chose not to use the system, feeling they didn't need it—but many others had already made use of it to boost certain attributes they possessed.
'Within this exchange system, I can sacrifice anything to gain an advantage. In that case….'
Kuon wasn't certain how formidable the power and Gift he would receive upon entering Lios would be, so it was worth establishing a clear advantage from the very start. From what Schesile had explained, he knew that magic was something deeply complex and applicable in countless ways—though still bound by its own set of rules.
If he could exploit that, no one would be able to deny the edge he would have.
With that in mind, Kuon began his calculations—tallying what he could afford to sacrifice, and what he wanted to gain in return.
From the outside, he simply appeared to be sitting in silence, eyes fixed on the dozens of holographic screens showing other Drifters. Which was precisely why his viewers began reacting with surprise when Kuon suddenly flashed a sharp, deliberate smile.
'Alright, that should be enough. I only need to confirm the price with Schesile later.'
Kuon glanced at his own stream and skimmed the line of comments questioning what he was planning. He only let out a soft scoff before turning his attention back to watching the Drifters who had already entered Lios ahead of him.
'The decision is made. I might as well use the time I have left to rest.'
The reason it had taken him longer to wake was none other than this: Kuon had become so absorbed in his own studies and research that he had, without realizing it, spent four full days locked inside his laboratory without once closing his eyes to sleep.
For now, Kuon only wanted to close his eyes and spend what remained of the time in peace.
Because once Schesile's countdown reached its end, his life would change entirely.