Chapter 9:
Brought into my Unfinished Game World
On Alpha's side, he went back to the old merchant and asked him for a refund. A proposition to which he obviously refused to agree to.
— Having regrets, young man? Apologize but the deal is already done. It's your fault for not recognizing the value of what you sold after all, said the Gruf.
— You do not understand, good sir. I am the one who ripped you off. I just want you to take back your money, please I beg you!
— What kind of nonsense is this? Do you realize how much dishonor it is for me to take this marvelous piece of jewelry from you and free of charge? It would be the same as stealing in broad daylight!
— B-But...!
— Look my boy, I can clearly see your distress even if I don't understand it. But believe me when I say I'm satisfied with my purchase.
— It is more than just a "purchase", mumbled Alpha. If I accept your money, it would mean you truly are just a slave of what this person designed. It would prove you have no free will...
— Wow there, I didn't think we were having this kind of philosophical conversation, said Gruf a bit taken aback. Look, I want this stone but you don't want the money. And I don't want it for free either. So let's make a new deal: I take my money back, and you have this seal of mine. It is proof that I owe you a great favor. Or even a lot of small ones, hahahah! I'll help you out whenever you need it until we're both satisfied. Is that alright with you?
— ... Yes, I guess I could use some help from now on anyway.
— Then it's settled! Come on boy take a seat in my cart next to me. It'll still be a couple of hours until we reach our destination. Let me offer you a ride for starters.
— Thank you, I appreciate the gesture and gladly accept it, said Alpha with a warm smile.
On Dave's side, he learned how to dash through the air at high speed while Alpha was sleeping. He thought that from now on he did not need to slow down anymore. The feeling of flying was great. What he dreaded the most was to take the public transport to go around town and look for some second hand materials to fix and upgrade his old computer. That was one of the few reasons he had to go out at all. Because he could only find what he needed for dirt cheap in the darkest corners of his town. However in this moment, he felt so free. No one to stop him mid air too. This was one of the only perks for not being recognized by the system, he thought. That and also no actual social anxieties because no one saw him. But at least the people did not actively ignore him, it was just that they could not even perceive him. To him, it was a big difference and it felt liberating in a sense. All he needed to do from now on is to rush through, even the wind resistance would not stop him. It was kind of weird to go this fast and still not being able to feel the wind on his face. It truly felt like he was in a sandbox game where physics did not apply to him.
After just a few minutes, he saw the castle from afar and was relieved it would not take him much longer to get to his destination. On his way he saw multiple caravans on the road. He even saw Alpha getting into one of the carts next to the old coot from earlier. Dave concluded that Alpha was still determined to reach his goals even without him. He thought that he should deal with his own problem as soon as possible. This way they would not have to cross paths in the palace at the same time. He would just phase through the walls all the way to the throne room without any delay and ask Mia if she could help him.
He was almost there, as he flew through the farms and the few houses placed around the walls of the main city, his heart started pounding with trepidation. Somehow, something felt off. And once he was about to phase through the city's fortifications, his entire body just crushed itself flat onto the thick barrier. It did not exactly hurt, but he felt like his whole body was wobbling from the impact. He raised his hand to open up the wall's data panel and realized something horrifying:
[object: fortress_wall
property: #UNIQUE#_block_modified_code
#UNIQUE#_authorized_access_only]
Dave never had seen this type of property before, he never coded anything with this line. Did it mean that it was Mia's doing? Never mind that, he just ignored the problem itself: the wall and just went above it. No luck. The invisible barrier seemed to extend all of the vertical axis of the world. flying upward in the sky or phasing through the ground downward... It would take forever to find a vulnerable point. The only point of entry seemed to be the main gate. He approached it carefully and opened up its panel:
[object: fortress_main_gate
property: #UNIQUE#_block_modified_code
#UNIQUE#_authorized_access_only]
Dave pondered about the meaning of these properties. He thought that he was blocked because he was not recognized by the system. But it was not designed to specifically block him neither or else the code would have been written as [#UNIQUE#_block_unidentified_code] instead. This would mean that the Kingdom was dealing with a recurrent problem of items or even characters whose lines had been altered altogether. Meaning it is possible to alter his own being into a playable character. This conclusion gave him hope, but now he needed a way to get an authorization as he tried to tamper with the code but could not change it no matter what he did. And because no one else but him can interact with Dave, he had no other choices but to ask for Alpha's help. He decided to wait for his arrival in front of the gate and thought about how he should approach him. Apologizing was the last thing he wanted to do, but if this was the only way to get his assistance, then maybe he could try to go along with him until they both get what they wanted.
Meanwhile, Gruf and Alpha chatted on their way. The old man was reminiscing about how he overcame his low upbringing and became one of the wealthiest merchants of the region. While Alpha was listening he could not help but think how rich his past was. Did Dave truly have imagined all of that? Did he really have to flesh out all of these details and events that happened in this one NPC's life? It could only mean two things: either Dave cared more about these side characters than he let on or this world and its people were no longer just his creation but something that became larger than that by themselves. Alpha truly hoped it was the second case because he could prove Dave was wrong... But also this would make his incarnation much more meaningful. After the thought passed he smiled to himself and continued to listen to Gruf.
At some point the old man boasted that he could pull some strings with the royal family. Of course he could ask for some favors but was not influential to the point of being able to steer her Majesty's decisions. Alpha humbly responded that he only needed a simple audience with her. He was not sure if she could indeed help him at all, but he crossed his fingers she could. And if not, then maybe guide him into the right direction. She was the only person he knew that may have a lead on how to cure his "curse". He told Gruf ,who did not notice anything wrong with him, that he had a curse of having his face stolen and was unable to see his own reflection. The old man thought Alpha was just a troubled mind but promised him he would try his best to allow him an audience with Queen Mia.
The Sun was setting. The sky darkened with a glimpse of red and purple in the horizon. The cart stopped in front of the gigantic gate of smooth stone and and dressed with the elegant flags of the nation: a crescent moon back to back with half of the sun, both separated with a sword. The black symbol was floating proudly with the breeze on a white background. A guard approached and checked the cart and the identities of the passengers. He recognized sir Gruf who signaled that Alpha was with him. The guard asked them to wait while he went back to his captain to get an authorization crystal from him.
Then a shadow that no one else but Alpha could see was timidly floating toward him.
— H-Hey... Can we talk for a bit?
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