30 (1/2)

When I awoke, a familiar ceiling came into view. And it was familiar for a reason.

*Guess I wasn't out for very long.*

It was the same ceiling I had lost consciousness under.

I groaned and clutched my head as I attempted to stand up.

*Hmm. That was surprisingly easy...*

If I had been forcibly knocked out, it would usually take me a couple minutes at the very least to return to a normal cognitive state. However, I was feeling fine almost immediately.

*Subject of humiliation again... It's indeed exciting, but I may have to be a tad more careful around here.*

There were a few reasons for this.

1. a.s.sault was lightly reprimanded, if not legal. The guy didn't hesitate for a second to throw me down, and his demeanor was peaceful. In fact, the difference between his expression and actions was almost eerie. He either knew he could get away with whatever he was up to, or would be lightly punished for it. His lack of hesitancy also revealed that this likely wasn't his first rodeo; he was a repeat offender.

2. Superhumans existed. Yijun's speed and strength was unprecedented. It would by physically impossible to move that quickly and with that much force with a body that small.

3. Cla.s.sism was rampant. Even a moron would be able to tell that my actions were taboo. I was a n.o.body. They were established. Our chemistry was oil in water. But the biggest giveaway was the crowd's reaction. They group I had picked a fight with... was *very* established. So much so that everyone recognized them and knew not to mess with them.

*If that's the case, I may have gained a bit of infamy immediately...*

As I observed my surroundings, I noticed that the commotion had mostly died down, aside from one or two people shooting glances my way.

*I should be okay... hopefully information doesn't spread too quickly here.*

I looked over to my table and noticed there was still some food left on my plate, so I decided to sit down and finish my breakfast... which was met by the dissent of more people around me. I ignored it, as I was still slightly hungry.

As for the people, they were the most diverse group I had ever seen. Although a race of slightly tanned skin and dirty blonde hair was most prominent, there were a variety of combinations of skin, hair, and eye colors that would normally not be possible on Earth.

*More confirmation that I really am in another world.*

This statement brought about many questions that I didn't want to think about, such as the 5 W's of who, what, when, where, and why, as well as how.

Who - The Nines. An unknown group.

What - Just me. No one else was brought along with me, unless they were in different locations.

When - Unknown.

Where - An inn of a sci-fi world.

Why - To survive and win. Apparently.

How - Cracks in the atmosphere, as well as a bluish white light.

I knew next to nothing. Since I couldn't know of more details just by thinking harder, there was no point in dwelling on the topic any further. However, that wouldn't stop me from being vigilant of my surroundings to try to find clues.

One such location would be the very room I started in. If I were lucky, I would find some more information and a kick start to my adventures, such as a pile of cash.

*If this Isaac from the so-called Nines truly favors me, he must have left a gift of some sort.*

And so I headed back the way I came. However, a quip from a pair of girls caught my attention. Not wanting to draw attention, I only slowed my pace down slightly and strained my ears to hear what they were saying.

”Oh my gos.h.!.+ Was that the former Aster party? Did you *see* those sleek EIM uniforms? The guy in the s.h.i.+rt... It must have been Yijun Starr, right?”

”Although he didn't look as flashy as he deserves to, it was definitely him.”

”Come on, girl, you definitely know he's never liked to dress fancy, but why does that matter? You don't need to look super decorated to be strong and charming, you know?”

”He should dress up to the standards of his skills. He's not even very handsome, why are you head over heels for him? He's way out of your league. His affinities are off the charts. He was already level 17 by the time he graduated from Akth, not to mention his background...”

”I know, I know! But he was here today, wasn't he? Maybe he's not as far out as we think?”

”Dream on. Why don't we talk about that idiot who sat next to them? He's lucky he only got knocked out for a few seconds.”

*Here we go... just as I may have predicted...*

”Hahaha! That was something! Do you want to see the video I got? It's already going viral on the AmthLess VOD site, and- wait! Yovline Accel commented! It really was Aster! Haha I'm gonna be famous~!”

”WHAT? Give me that-”

I sighed and picked up the pace.

*... a variation of the Internet exists here. I need a device to browse it as quickly as possible.*

But there were other contents of that conversation I couldn't ignore.

*Akth must be a school... but affinity and level? Is it that this world... has similar mechanics to that of a game? Should I have paid attention to Jon when he recommended me those amateurish j.a.panese books?*

The themes of those books often revolved around a video game-style, especially RPG-style, world. Characters would have levels, skills, and stats nearly identical to that of games.

A web browser was more crucial than ever, especially since I didn't have a clue of how ignorant I was regarding the fundamentals of the world.

*Looks like someone already has an advantage over me. I hope there's a public library nearby.*

A key to advancing civilization is the ease of access to information. The more people are educated, the more fields can be expanded upon. And since this civilization was more advanced than Earth's, information-gathering devices of any kind would probably be easier to find.

But first, I came back to my hotel room to see if there was anything of value.

I opened the door to find the housekeeper from earlier changing the sheets.

The sound of the door alerting her, she turned to look at me. Then, recognizing my face, she squinted and returned to work abruptly.

I was about to start my search when she suddenly spoke up.

”Did you leave something in here?”

Her voice held a tinge of animosity.

”Yes. Did you find it?”

”What was it?”

I recalled the wristbands the stuck-up college kids were wearing.

”A wristband.”

”What color?”

*She actually something while searching the room.*

I a.s.sumed saying the word ”wristband” would arouse suspicion, but fortunately, that wasn't the case. Obviously, I had no idea what color this wristband-looking item was. But if I were to rely on a hunch...

”Gold.”

”... What color was it *really*?”

”It was gold. If you don't have it, that's fine.”

I turned to leave the room, when she exclaimed behind me.

”Wait! ... Here. Take it.”

She tossed me a shoddily-painted wristband-like item which I caught in midair.

*Score.*

”Thanks.”

As I turned around to leave again, she spoke to me again.

”Before you leave, can you at least apologize?”

Without turning around, I responded.

”For what?”

”For... you know.”

”I didn't do anything.”

”You...!”

”If you don't have anything else to say, I really am leaving.”

I strode towards the door, wristband in hand.

*This Isaac fellow apparently knows me well enough to know my favorite color. I wonder who he is...*

Clearly, the Nines were looking out for me, and they knew me well. Having the support of a mysterious faction wasn't negative in the least.

*That is, unless they start demanding unreasonable things...*

Being controlled by someone with higher power was one of my least favorite activities.

Just as I was about to open the door, the housekeeper yelled at me.

”Apologize for calling me a piece of tras.h.!.+”

Hearing this, I obviously couldn't go on. I couldn't let myself be slandered. I turned to face her for the sheer importance of this statement.

”I never called you a piece of trash. So, I won't apologize.”