When it comes to the real world, we all know that we can’t control everything. However, it is our human greed to know much more than others.
After all, knowing something others don’t know means holding power, and we are all initially power-obsessed beings.
Especially the case for future knowledge. Knowing the future grants immense amounts of power to a person. And this is probably the biggest privilege one can receive as a transmigrator.
Or not?
After all, one question needs to be asked when it comes to future knowledge:
‘How are you this sure?’
lightsΝοvel Information is power, but that power comes from a very specific thing.
It is the pillar that attaches that knowledge to the reality.
‘Proof.’
How do we know about the rules of physics? How did Newton manage to derive those rules?
The first process was observing. He saw an apple falling to the ground, and from that observation, he proposed a hypothesis. After that, he looked for another bunch of physical evidence that would support his hypothesis.
This is how information and knowledge are created.
But we can’t do that in the future. After all, how can you be sure about something happening without having evidence for that?
What is your source? Your dreams? For this world, your [Trait]? Or, for me, the game?
Even if what I had seen in the game is going to be the future, how can I be sure? And now these doubts are yielding their results.
As I sipped my coffee, my gaze remained fixed on Amelia, and I posed the question, “So, you are saying, before Senior Maya had disappeared, you were talking with locals?”
Amelia nodded solemnly, taking a thoughtful pause before responding, “Yes, Maya and I were engaging with the locals. We noticed that there was some commotion, and since we were curious and always on the lookout for any unusual activities, we decided to investigate.”
“That is so like you and Senior Maya,” I replied, picturing how they were doing such a thing.
“Yeah.” Amelia also nodded her head with a slight smile.
“What was the commotion about?” I asked. Since Amelia mentioned that, it means there was a possibility of it being related to the disappearance of Senior Maya.
“Well, to be honest, it was quite weird.” Amelia started recounting.
“I was saying, ‘Look over there. Something seems to be happening at that shop.'”
“Maya and I thought it was unusual, so we decided to investigate. When we approached the elderly woman and inquired about the situation, she explained that her daughter, Emily, had gone missing for three days. Despite their efforts to contact her, there was no response, and local authorities hadn’t been much help.”
‘Disappearance?’
Hearing that word, I thought for a second. What were these disappearances about? Was there even an event like this in the game?
Amelia’s expression reflected the seriousness of the situation. “Maya and I offered our assistance, given our status as students from the Arcadia Hunter Academy. The woman was grateful and shared that Emily went out with friends for an outing but never returned. Concerns grew as rumors of kidnappings circulated, and the family feared the worst.”
‘It is not a one-time thing then.’
More questions arose on the topic. After all, if it was a one-time thing, I could pass it as a local crime. But if there were more about it, then things would become more serious.
Western Uxbridge was a place covered by the government, and this city is an academic exploration site. Therefore, not many people are living here either.
“Did they contact officials?” I asked.
She paused for a moment and then nodded her head. “Maya and I thought the same thing and asked if they had reported it to Awakened Local Security, and they had but were told to wait for the investigation results.”
“I see. This is how things like this work, after all.”
In this world, everything has an order and procedure, especially for the cases related to Government. Most of the Civil Servants are required to obey the rules and laws of the government more than their counterparts.
Amelia continued, “After that, things took an unexpected turn. While we were discussing the situation with the woman, Maya suddenly left without saying anything to me. It was abrupt, and I was taken aback. She seemed to have sensed something and swiftly headed towards the other side of the city flying.”
Hearing that, I nodded inside. If she had felt the demonic energy of the demonic humans, it would make sense.
I was also able to sense that they had already put a barrier covering the place we were in so that no sound or anything would go outside. That was also the reason why no help came to us at that moment since none of the officials were even aware of what was happening.
Her words lingered in the air, and I could sense the worry in her expression. “I tried to follow her, but she moved too fast, and I lost sight of her. Since then, I’ve been trying to contact her, but there’s been no response. That is all.”
After her words sank in, I fell into contemplation, evaluating the information she gave to me.
‘The disappearance of the people and Senior Maya’s sudden disappearance.’
The former one was rumors, and the other one was a definite possibility. Now, one may also think that Senior Maya might have simply hung out somewhere and didn’t come because of that. But that is highly unlikely. Both Amelia and I know her enough to understand the fact that she would never do such a thing in any normal case.
‘But, the information is not sufficient.’
I knew for a fact that what I know right now is not sufficient enough. We don’t have any idea where Senior Maya is, and the only clue we have is the last place she headed and those rumors.
‘I need to investigate.’
In the end, if you don’t know about something, then you need to learn about it. It is that simple.
“What do you think?”
At that moment, I heard Amelia’s voice coming from the side.
“The information is insufficient,” I said as I stood up.
“What are you going to do?” Both Amelia and Sylvie looked at me, their eyes understanding what I meant.
“I will look around a little.”
“I will come with you.” Sylvie also tried to stand up, but seeing my hand, she stopped. “You are already tired; get some rest.”
This whole day had been a long one for Sylvie, and even if she didn’t want to show it, my eyes didn’t miss certain details. Her body coordination became poorer, and her thoughts became slower as well. Her eyes were screaming her to sleep, and most importantly, her mentality wasn’t as strong.
The whole ordeal had taken its toll on her, so she would be more of a liability than a help.
I looked at Sylvie, my eyes narrowing. “I appreciate the concern, but I’ve been through worse. I can handle a little more. You, on the other hand, need some rest. We’ll figure things out and find Senior Maya. You just take care of yourself for now.”
“B-but….”
“I won’t accept a no. Stay and rest; you should also talk about what happened there with Senior Amelia.”
Sylvie hesitated for a moment but then nodded, conceding to the logic. “Okay, but promise me you’ll be careful.”
Considering she put her body on the line for me, it made sense for her to say such a thing. But promises like these are meant to be broken….It seems our little Sylvie still doesn’t know how much of a death flag those words are.
“I promise,” I replied with a nod.
Amelia, hearing us, stepped forward. “I’ll stay with Sylvie, and we will arrange the accommodation for this weekend. I also contacted the academy and officials, so I will inform you if something new comes up. We also won’t stay idle and look around like you.”
I looked at Amelia and Sylvie, both determined in their own ways. As expected from Amelia. With her friend missing, she also seems to be unable to stay in one place.
‘Though, I doubt they will find out anything.’
It is not to look down on them, but I know what kind of person Amelia is. She doesn’t have a stealth ability like me either, so what she can do is limited.
“Alright.”
With those words, I left the coffee shop after paying for my drink.
SWOOSH!
The moment I stepped out, the cold wind of the winter night hit me like a sharp blade. I shivered for a moment, adjusting to the temperature drop. The city at night was a different beast altogether.
The bustling sounds of the day were replaced by the eerie silence of the night, broken only by the occasional distant howl of the wind.
‘Then, let’s start.’
As I turned my [Unknown’s Armor] into a jacket, I also opened my smartwatch. After all, there was a special resource that I could use for my own good.
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Horde: How may we help you?
————————
It was the site of the same group of talented hackers I had sponsored and been sponsoring with the money I was making. Now that they had another bunch of money, they were able to rent a server and a proxy, making them less reliant on the black market interface.
Even though it was just a convenience and a face for the government, it made things a lot easier.
In any case, now that I needed them urgently, this came in handy at that.
[Omega_1: I have a commission for you.]
I sent a message first. My ID name was Omega_1, showcasing my high ranking and my being the first person to atone for it.
[Omega_1: I need a detailed report on the recent kidnappings in Western Uxbridge. Focus on the specifics, patterns, and any leads on the disappearances. This is a priority task.]
I looked around, waiting for the hackers to acknowledge my request.
The Horde team had proven their prowess in the past, and now it was time to put their skills to the test once more.
[Horde: Understood, Omega_1. Operation is initiated. We’ll get back to you as soon as we gather substantial information.]
The acknowledgment came swiftly, and I closed the communication channel. As the seconds ticked away, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of urgency.
Senior Maya’s disappearance and the string of recent kidnappings were connected; I could sense it. But to unravel the truth, I needed concrete data.
Of course, while the hackers were doing their job, I wasn’t going to stay idle.
‘Time to take a stroll, then.’action
And just like that, I entered the roads of the Western Uxbridge once again.