Boop

For a brief moment Maya convinced herself she saw the pearly gates to heaven. That didn’t seem to be the case however as she was laying down surrounded by women in robes, muttering under their breaths to what sounded like incantations. ‘Am I.. being sacrificed?’ Though instead of hellfire, the warmth that spread throughout her body was shaking off the paralysis from her limbs and leaving tingling sensations.

Maya sucked in a sharp breath, her head lolling as she pushed herself upright, alerting that the ritual had successfully worked and their chanting subsided. Her gaze flickered up to stare at the robed women like a deer in headlights. Three nuns of varying heights surrounded her, their faces etched with concern from her recovery.

The shortest one was the first to speak. “Oh, we were so worried about you, dear.”

“We saw you collapsed behind the Church’s garden walls,” added the second, before the third nun chimed in.

“We thought you were long gone -- we almost considered leaving you to the necromancers.”

‘Ok that last comment was a little unsolicited.’

“Mh, Thank you.” Maya nods, slightly flustered in recollecting her thoughts. From being a bit too engrossed in touching the slime, it was never disclosed in the last chapter that Maya had come to terms being teleported to the game itself.

This wasn't something she could simply blame on the type of lens she wore. This was all undeniably real.

What unsettled her the most was how calm she felt in spite of it all, she definitely should’ve been panicking but it was like her brain knew she couldn’t afford to be reckless either. It had been five years since she last touched this project after all. Her memory of its maps and dungeons were hazy at best. The rules and logic of this world weren’t just game mechanics anymore but now the framework of reality, carrying real consequences. I mean, she got K.O’ed by a slime of all things not too long ago.

‘Abigail is bound to question my whereabouts sooner or later once she gets home.. and there’s no way to contact her.’

For now she could only grasp on the notion that she wasn’t dead –- or at least, as far as she could tell. Only able to recall the abrupt sensation of being swallowed whole by her computer and waking up here. That absence of finality to reality gave her the slimmest thread of reassurance that the odds of logging out back to her reality were possible. Maybe. Hopefully.

The real question was how.

One of the nuns offered her a cup of water, to which she graciously took before taking a small sip. She noticed in the faint reflection of the liquid, it was still her -- she was still her, Maya. The same red spectacles perched on her nose, the same wide green eyes staring back, the same hazel-brown hair tied in its usual low bun, though looking far more disheveled than usual.

"Are you able to stand, young lady?" The taller nun offered with an arm out in support.

Maya cleared her throat as she tried to remain cordial despite her impending thoughts. "Ah, yes thank you.”

“What on Vale’s divine intervention happened to you, young traveler- err…” The woman trails off wearily, unsure of Maya's status.

Maya opened her mouth but hesitated. What was she even supposed to say? Her mind was scattered, a jumble of confusion and half-formed thoughts. 'Well I know I'm not reincarnated for one,'

Just that first formed thought had the first piece of the imaginary jigsaw click in her head: the patterns she had been subconsciously applying since her arrival were not out of instinct, but isekai tropes from anime.

The countless Uwutube analysis videos she played as background noise while she worked or ate throughout the years. Most of the series discussed she hadn’t actually seen, but those secondhand insights of the commentator's opinions – the way they broke down character nuances, worldbuilding, and explained how some shows thrived off their themes and where others fell short with its potential. Those bits of critique have become the closest thing she had to a framework.

If she could map her situation onto them, maybe she could figure out the next step.. or at least live long enough to see what comes next.

'Characters from isekai’d series usually keep their past memories a secret for various reasons. With our character, Roland, he wanted to cast off the weak self from his hospital days and begin a new life as someone stronger. And I guess in a situation like this, it's to avoid being labelled as delusional or unstable by society. Then again, most of these fantasy worlds are just medieval-inspired Europe anyway, meanwhile our game.. our game never really strayed far from that template either.' Maya recalled with a thin smile.

Wayforge Chronicles played it safe in its setting as the game placed more emphasis on its character dynamics and arcs, as well as a combat loop polished enough to be engaging while holding out the promise of what the final release would have become.

'In a world like this where there are no phones, cars or the internet, magic becomes the stand-in for innovation. It fills the gaps for combat, healing, travel and other mundane use… But even then magic still has its limits. The costly effects on the user, the amount of time it would take to hone such skills but such a case isn't explored outside the arcs of the main characters.’

'But I guess that’s the whole appeal with Isekais – an individual who retains knowledge from a universe centuries ahead in progress essentially has the cheat code to spark change and reshape society’s infrastructure outside of magic. And next thing they know, they’re worshipped as a great inventor, a miracle-worker. A prophet everyone adores for their ‘revolutionary wisdom’ when in hindsight, they are second nature to us viewers.’

Another realization hit her like a sack of wet mice. Considering that she programmed the bulk of the game, she could technically be branded as a God to this world. But what would actually happen if she told the people of this world the truth?...Then what?

Would they even care?

“What if instead of praise, I’m branded as a dangerous heretic who threatens the natural order. Hunted down and burned at the stake, or some other form of medieval torture.'

'I mean that’s essentially what happened to Jesus, right?'

Yeah it seemed that hiding her identity was the best way to go about it, for now. 

Maya cleared her throat before adopting a wide grin. “Why yes! You see, I'm but a humble traveller.” Hopefully with her amateur acting and vague answer, they’d take the bait. If they believed her, she could play the part of a harmless tourist -- close enough to blend in, but foreign enough to excuse every question she asked.

The nuns stared at the woman like she had just sprouted a third eye before gasping in unison.

The shortest nun clasped her hands together. “Oh, praise be! We haven’t had a traveller grace our humble village in seasons.”

Maya could only blink in feigned curiosity from the outburst. “Is that so..?”

The medium nun next to her fellow Sister nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, yes! A man who claims to be a Wandering Merchant, hailing from the town of Realty, a place where their ways of life are far more advanced than our own.”

The name of the town sounded almost identical to Reality.

The tall nun leaned closer, lowering her voice as though sharing a secret. “He brings gadgets and goods that no one here has seen before, and they’ve made work here so, so much more efficient." Her voice then boomed unable to contain her squealing. "Not to mention how gorgeous he is!"

Maya could still only blink in feigned curiosity from the outburst. “Is that so..?”

‘Gee, my brain may be mush but I don’t ever recall coding in someone like that. Was there even mention of a town called Realty? Surely I would’ve remembered such a funky title from programming all those years ago..”

“We are just so blessed to have him- no, he’s more than a blessing! He’s not just giving us gifts, but changing the way we live for the better.” The nuns all dreamily sighed, leaning on each other for comfort. 

A low soothing voice piped in from behind her. “Indeed, but no matter how remarkable the merchant may be, our devotion to the Lord above must never waver.”

The fangirling from the nuns vanished in an instant, standing upright as they bowed to the figure  who appeared. “Father Auguste.”

Maya’s head turned to face him, the Priest of the Church but also the healer of Roland’s party, Auguste. He was characterised as the kind and caring gentleman, always trying to seek peace over conflict, though he was tested for his patience at times with Roland and the other's banter.

The spectacled woman couldn’t help but ogle at how attractive Auguste was in the flesh like this. It was as if Abigail’s design had been the rough draft all along, with reality coming in to refine details and breath depth in a way no 2D sprite could ever capture. 

The monocle perched on his left eye, his black cassock edged with gold piping paired with the vivid red clergy stole and the hung gold cross that rested against his chest. His beige-coloured hair styled unevenly in a way that only made sense in cartoon logic, yet somehow pulled off with effortless charm. His signature warm smile and soft golden eyes that held a subtle glint, one that could pierce through any bullshit of excuse or bluff.

'Damn.'

"All things in this world are but fleeting,” Auguste continued eloquently. “True creativity, true innovation, is bestowed by the grace of God. We must not be blinded by the marvels brought by this wandering merchant, for their novelty is merely a reflection of our Original Creator’s power."

None of his words registered to her; she was all too captivated by the way he yapped on. His speech like water still lodged in her ears after a swim, each word landing with a muffled thump. Soft-spoken yet impossibly present, the cadence of his voice carried weight, flowing seamlessly with his subtle gestures and mannerisms, commanding attention without the need to raise his tone. It was mesmerizing.

"I see my Sisters have cured your once battered form." He commented, his gaze directly on her now with his smile ever present. 

Maya nodded awkwardly, pushing her glasses up as she pulled herself out of her awed trance. “Why yes, I feel a lot better now." Her gaze drifted toward the three Sisters in sheepish appreciation. "I'm super grateful."

He gave a closed-eyed smile akin to a fennec fox basking in the sun. “That’s wonderful to hear. Though travellers like yourself rarely reach past these halls, you are always welcome to rest and stroll through the halls my Sisters so diligently keep in order." He spoke, gesturing toward the long passageway beyond the altar. “The Lord’s house is open to all who seek peace.”

They both maintained lingering eye contact with each other, Maya's lips twitched upwards in newfound appreciation and admiration for Auguste's character, no longer bound by a script --both dialogue and code wise--  but his own person.

"Thank you so much." 

Maya's contact was cut off as she was handed a vial from one of the nuns. "Here, please take this for your travels."

Maya caught the faint cross etched onto the bottle’s label and immediately recognized it. Holy water. In-game, it ranked among the beginner-tier healing items, going for just 100 silver scalls – the world’s specie. It restored a small flat percentage of HP but it could clear negative status effects which made it worth hoarding in your inventory early game until more potent potions became available.

The first nun then bowed as Maya slipped the vial into her pocket, “Feel free to speak to us for any further queries, dear Traveller.” and with that, the women shifted to gather together again, drifting a few steps away as their voices lowered to a murmured conversation about their daily church activities.