From Player To Npc

So Shingi pretty much repeated the same as yesterday with both him and Annoue training their Mana Skills. Shingi let Annoue know how to visit her inner space and the secret of how watching her inner figure could help her training. It seemed like she actually noticed some variations to help her even if her skill were already at base rank, which Shingi, at that point, wasn't surprised of.

Shingi tried to increase his MANA SENSE since he had to use it during his night activities to make sure no one else was reaching him and repeat yesterday's events.

The rest of the day passed without any change in the Rank of any of their Skills, but Shingi could feel some improvements in his MANA SENSE.

And so he went his way at the storehouse, and the night was spent without any accidents.

Also, he had made big progress with his Mana Seed as he could feel some roots have taken form. Just a little more, and it should be finished taking at least its early plant form he at least needs it to take.

Returning this time, he didn't find his father in the kitchen as today he also didn't seem to have left his room at all.

During the day, he kept looking if there were any changes in his SPECTATOR MODE. He kept his senses open at night if he saw Hineko around, but both had negative results.

For at least Hineko's case, he was sure that he would hear news from him, and he wouldn't tell about him to anyone else. That was cause most players, after having a clear mind after an encounter like that with an NPC who mentioned he wanted to meet them again they would assume some special reward would come after it. Most would like to keep it for themselves.

Of course, there was the case of him not showing up, but that was almost close to zero and wouldn't much affect him, as also maybe he actually would come with some company. Still, even in that case, it should be limited.

And so the third day and last of the festival started, and today it was rather different. Annoue seemed to be down today and not in the mood to train and just wanted to stay in bed, which seemed quite surprising to Shingi after spending these days with Annoue.

His father remained in his room, but this time, Shingi knew that he wasn't sleeping as he didn't hear any of the typical snoring.

Well, he tried to cheer Annoue up, but she didn't seem to be in any mood to talk, and so Shingi decided to let her alone for now.

And since he didn't have much to do as his MANA SENSE trained enough for his needs, he decided to take a walk around town and further investigate.

He had made a makeshift cloak with some of the storehouse's cloth with a hood to help him boost his STEALTH skill, so he wore it and went out. And so he went to visit the rest of the Low Town other than the market area that he had mostly had seen with Annoue the other day.

And so he kept founding a few players and actually seemed like a ship was transporting them sometimes with some products for the town.

After a while, he found out from the players' discussion that the dungeon near the town was one of the rare ones that seemed to be permanent. There were quite a few months since it appeared, but that it was a Low Level one.

As for Hineko, he didn't find him anywhere.

Then he moved to a specific building he wanted to visit for some time.

The Mayor's office.

Fortunately, even if she was a high power person in the town, her office was in the Low Town and not in the High Town, which not everyone had access to.

After he found the place, it seemed full of players, and he found the reason behind it.

The quest board outside the building.

This was a common thing that most of the towns had, especially one with monster problems. There wasn't anything big, mostly things like delivery tasks or gathering herbs, taking a look at some of the remaining tasks. Most players would find them quite dull. He assumed that the more interesting ones were already taken, and most likely, the ones here were to report their progress.

Most of the time, there was a certain building and a big group of people helping organize everything. Still here, the Mayor and a helper of hers seemed to be the only ones behind organizing the quests, and so things were going at a slow rate.

After hours of waiting and was getting quite close to dinner time, the last player left the building, so Shingi made his way towards the mayor's office. Of course, he took down his hood just before he entered the building.

When he entered, both of the people had noticed him. The Old Lady seemed to be surprised seeing him as at her helper's eye he could see that small amount of pity that he was seeing at everyone else.

"Young one. I see you have recovered quite well, but how come you came here." [Aneta]

Shingi looked around the place, and he went to a corner that there was a chair, and he brought it in front of them and sat on it.

"I am here to learn the truth about my Mother." [Shingi]

Hearing that, the Mayor was clearly surprised.

"What do you want to know?" [Aneta]

"I want to know about her disappearance and what it has to do with the way Father is now and how he used to be." [Shingi]

He had heard of missing a loved one would change people, but he wasn't completely sure how big a change could be.

After Aneta sighed and nodded towards her helper, he went to close the door after making sure that no one was outside.

"Well, first, you have to understand that your mother was a special woman—a woman of courage and kindness. One who was willing to help the people at-need and at the same time punish the ones who were at the side of evil no matter their backgrounds. But this is a typical thing for a lot but not all of the Blessed Ones" [Aneta]

After hearing this, Shingi seemed that he was temporarily going deaf.

'My mother is a Blessed One? But how is that possible?' [Shingi]

And so Aneta started mentioning a few of the things she had done for the town and things she had heard of her doing at other places. There were some impressive things among them, to tell the truth, and he wondered if he actually knew that Player.

After some years of adventuring and her coming and returning to the town, she seemed to come into a relationship with a certain passionate young man.

Of course, that man was his father who he learned that his name was Garry.

His mother's blessed name or in-game name was Angel's Feather, one he wasn't familiar with. After just a few months of dating, she got married to Garry, and not too much after that; they started making their shop in town.

She seemed like she wasn't so focused on her adventures anymore as her leaving and returning were getting less and less frequent.

And someday, she got pregnant with their first child, which of course it was a healthy girl none other than Annoue.

And after a few years, they had another child, but during her pregnancy, she seemed like she was found by one of her old enemies, a powerful Arcane User that cursed her in Never-Ending sleep.

Back then, they weren't aware of any cure, but it seemed it wasn't a permanent one when its target was a High-Level Blessed One like her, but her child wasn't that lucky.

After giving birth and seeing her child's state, she became a being of pure madness and having only one purpose. Finding a cure for her child.

But even if they were some quests saying about possible cures, nothing seemed to work on the boy.

And so she kept looking on new leads and her being away stating lasting longer and longer, but she was always sending a message back now and then. But almost two years or so ago a message was sent saying that it was the last and she decided to put an end and never return.

Hearing this, Shingi knew that she most likely decided to stop playing the game.

But after hearing the full story, he had other questions replaced than the ones answered.

A player got pregnant in the game and, more specifically, by an NPC and not once but twice?

'I have heard the developers bragging now and then that they created a world that everything was possible, but this is simply unheard of' [Shingi]

He had heard of people that got romantically interested with NPCs, even some marrying one. Still, a Player getting pregnant from an NPC that he was completely sure would be something that everyone would have heard of it if it happened.

Firstly he thought that maybe the Mayor was referring to her as a blessed one for another reason, and she wasn't a player, but she had an ability that only the players had.

The ability to respawn.

That was something not even the most powerful NPC could replicate except if it was under the effect of some rare curses, but that would show some clear signs that should have been noticed at some point by someone if it was the case.

He also learned the reason why people were looking at him and his sister that way.

It seemed the person that cursed him and his mother on Never-Ending sleep had also that he cursed his whole family with bad luck and painful death with his last words. There were, unfortunately, quite a few witnesses who heard of those words as his Mother fought him in the town, so the rumors of it were spread everywhere. And it was true that things didn't work that well after that point, so people thought they weren't just words of a dying man but an actual curse. Most people decided to keep their distance from the family.

After he heard of the full story, he stood up, and without saying anything else, he started his way toward his house. But before he left, the helper of Aneta showed him a metal pot similar to the one he found at their kitchen the other day, and he could smell the same soup in it.

Since it was quite heavy, the helper joined Shingi on his way to his house since he didn't seem to be strong enough to lift it all the way there, and it was really the case.

And so on their way there, they didn't say anything to each other, but Shingi did only one thing, and that was opening his Status Window.

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STATUS

NAME: Shingi Maki

CLASS: None

PROFESSION: Scholar Master

RACE: Blessed Human

HP: 50/50

SP: 20/20

STR: 10

AGI: 10

END: 10

INT: 16

CHA: 4

Skills: VISUALIZATION (Low rank), MANA MANIPULATION (Base Rank), MANA SENSE (Base Rank), PERCEPTION (Master Rank), STEALTH (Base Rank), IMPROVISED THROW WEAPON (Low Rank)

Blessings: Blessing of ??????, Blessing of Dlog

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His race was actually changed by how the System referred it to Blessed Human, which he had never heard of.

And so he and the helper made it to the kitchen where unexpectedly both Garry and Annoue, his father and sister, were.

They both turned and looked towards Shingi when he entered, but only Annoue reacted as she went to hug him and whispered to his ear.

"Never leave me again alone." [Annoue]

Shingi would normally tell her that she wasn't alone since their father was here. Still, after hearing the story of his mother, he understood that he was pretty much a ghost of himself. He wasn't considered like being around even if he was in the room.

The family had their dinner, or at least Annoue and Shingi had, as Garry didn't seem hungry. After having some drinks of some tea this time, he went outside instead to his room this time. Annoue sighed, seeing this, but it didn't seem to be something new. Shingi was certain that he shouldn't ask as he could imagine a few possibilities on where he could have gone.

And so, as they finished their dinner and went to bed at that point, Shingi encountered a problem he had never considered of.

Annoue grappling his arm and not letting go even when she fell asleep.