Mythos Of Narcissus: Reborn As An NPC In A Horror VRMMO

Charis sat on my lap, her small frame leaning against mine as I carefully fed her pieces of fruit from the tray beside us.

Her anxiety had taken a visible toll, and though she tried to mask it with a quiet demeanor, the way she clung to me betrayed her emotions.

She nibbled at the food without complaint, her silver hair brushing my arms as I held the tray in one hand and steadied her with the other.

Around us, the room buzzed with a mixture of tension and levity.

Kuzunoha lounged to my left, seated with one leg crossed over the other under her long-flowing gothic skirt, her ever-present smirk dancing at the edges of her lips.

Viviane was across from me, her orange eyes sharp yet warm as she leaned back, arms crossed casually, though the faint furrow in her brow hinted at her lingering irritation.

Verina was off to the side, cleaning her crystalline musket of an imperfection from a repeated usage. Just by seeing the fading grey on some part, I could see that she had been using it a lot and pushed the durability of the musket far beyond its limit, possibly in the time of the Ordeal of the Midnight that I had missed.

Her expression is as flat and unreadable as ever, but her intention never was. She was just as worried as others and probably have some complaints in this current scenario now we're having.

Lupina sat on the far end of the room, arms folded, her mineral-textured wings twitching slightly as though protesting their confinement. She might look stoic or commanding in a sense, especially with her now being the tallest individual in our bastion, but her face was filled with an unsure and awkward expression, not befitting that of a menacing powerhouse.

"Is there anything notable I missed?" I asked, my tone calm but tinged with curiosity as I handed Charis another slice of fruit.

She took it quietly, her gaze lowering as though trying to will herself into emotional steadiness.

Verina was the first to respond, her voice deadpan but laced with a faint hint of amusement. "Not much. The Ordeal of the Midnight went smoothly enough. The bastion's contest is still ongoing, and we're just tallying up the scores now."

Her words stirred a faint hum of interest in the room, though it didn't overshadow the mild surprise at how smoothly things had gone. I arched a brow, prompting her to elaborate. "Is that so?"
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"The Duolos are obliterating the competition, unsurprisingly," Verina continued, glancing up from her musket. "They've amassed 17,200 points. Primus is trailing behind with 15,700 points, and Erika—your ever-zealous maniacal zealot—is sitting at 15,300 points."

I tilted my head slightly, absorbing the information.

The Duolos, with their hive-mind coordination and sheer numbers, were expected to dominate, but Erika's near match to Primus was a surprise, though not an unwelcome one. I couldn't help but ponder how much of her near-limitless determination stemmed from the mysterious otherworldly divinity I had sensed within her, a fragment of the unknown still tied inexplicably to me.

Also, I didn't expect that Primus had this competitive nature in her. Then again, she was representing the entire Landship's neuromorphic network, so I guess this intention to go all out in this contest was also the decision of many Cognitive Engines that was connected to the system.

Thankfully, I had already commanded the Cognitive Engines of the Landship to not favor any contestants and proceed as usual in their performance and efficiency.

"The special Calamity Object during the Midnight?" I asked after a pause.

"Handled without incident," Verina replied, shrugging slightly. "It was dangerous but not anything we couldn't manage. Primus took point on that one, with Erika and the Duolos providing support."

"Good," I said softly, my focus momentarily drifting as I fed Charis another piece of fruit.

She took it absentmindedly, her gaze fixed on the table, but still possessing a sense of enjoyment from the choice of fruit that I fed her.

Viviane chose this moment to speak, her voice cutting through the relative quiet with a sharp edge. "You know, it was incredibly reckless to go gallivanting off to an imaginary floor without telling anyone." Her eyes narrowed slightly, the warm undertone in her voice betraying her genuine concern. "Do you have any idea how worried they were?"

I glanced at her, an apologetic smile forming as I rubbed Charis' back gently. "I do now," I admitted, my voice sincere. "I'm sorry."

Viviane wasn't satisfied until she voiced everything in her mind. "Primus wouldn't stop pacing, and Carlotta kept asking where you'd gone because she saw her sister panicking, pestering anyone who might have an answer. Kuzunoha had to field most of their questions, which—" she gestured to Kuzunoha, who grinned impishly, "—was probably a mistake."

"I told them you were probably fine," Kuzunoha said breezily, flicking a hand as if dismissing the ordeal entirely. "Or completely missing from this world. Either way, there is nothing we could do about it~"

Ah, no wonder.

This absolute buffon of a fox.

Thankfully, I had already assured Carlotta within the hydroponic farm after Charis rushed and hugged me out of nowhere.

In the case of Carlotta, I didn't really want to burden her with the issue of the Landship, considering the mental age, so I purposely excluded her from this meeting.

I sighed, the weight of my actions pressing lightly against my chest. Charis stirred slightly, lifting her head to look at me with sheepish eyes.

"It's fine, Father," she said, her voice soft but firm. "I… I need to be more mature from now on. Freaking out like that was embarrassing."

Her words cut deeper than I'd expected, and I hugged her gently, letting the moment stretch between us. "You're never embarrassing, Charis," I murmured. "But I'll be more careful. I promise."

A faint chuckle came from Verina's direction, and I glanced up to see her smirking faintly. "Speaking of reckless behavior," she drawled, "After hearing you mission, Lupina decided to take her shiny new wings for a test flight. No protection, no backup. Just flew out into the wilds to scour your possible location like some fledgling bird who forgot that she had just been born yesterday."

Lupina stiffened, her cheeks flushing as she shot Verina a glare. "I can handle myself," she snapped, though the defensive edge in her voice undermined her confidence.

"Oh, I'm sure you can," Verina replied smoothly. "It's just a shame Kuzunoha didn't stop you. You know, since she was standing there grinning like a devil while you flapped around."

Kuzunoha laughed, a melodious sound tinged with mischief. "It was a perfect opportunity to see if the therapy was working," she said, her crimson eyes sparkling. "And besides, Lupina's flight was… illuminating, in a ridiculous sense."

"Yeah, it is so dangerous, that I couldn't help but worry if we needed to revive her for the second time," Verina followed.

"I could've died!?" Lupina exclaimed, her wings twitching in indignation.

"Oh, absolutely," Kuzunoha agreed cheerfully. "It was about as safe as jumping into the sea and hoping you know how to swim. Not to mention the risk of your soul combusting from improper synchronization with the Theotech Vessel. Since, you know, the therapy is not done yet, and there you were, soaring the moonlit sky~"

Lupina froze, her face draining of color. "W-what? You didn't mention that before!"

"Would it have stopped you?" Kuzunoha asked innocently, tilting her head.

"Yes!" Lupina shouted, her voice cracking.

"Liar," Kuzunoha said with a sly smile. "You'd have done it anyway."

Lupina buried her face in her hands, groaning loudly. "You're all so cruel" she muttered, her voice muffled.

"You're dumb," Verina added helpfully, earning a glare from Lupina.

With the teasing subsiding, Viviane shifted her attention back to me, her expression softening slightly. "So, Narcissus," she began, "what exactly were you doing on that imaginary floor? And what did you see?"

I hesitated for a moment, collecting my thoughts. "It's… difficult to describe," I admitted, my voice tinged with uncertainty. "The 101st floor is as cryptic as my own origins. Time flows differently there—what felt like minutes to me was twelve hours here. And the space itself… it's not like anything I've ever encountered. An upside-down sea, overlapping space, time looping back on itself."

I described everything I'd seen, my words painting the surreal picture of the imaginary floor. As I spoke, Kuzunoha leaned forward slightly, her expression unusually serious, albeit still carrying her usual smug and haughtiness.

"What do you think it means?" I finally asked her.

Kuzunoha was silent for a moment, her fingers tapping lightly against the table. "If I had to guess," she said slowly, "The Theotech Vault might be connected to… well, something bigger…

"Something tied to the King in Yellow."

It was an actual real life play that exist on Earth, and it was also mentioned by the system when I managed to finish my first ever personalized bible to be distributed to the bastioneers.

What could all of this connection mean?

Her words sent a ripple of unease through the room, though she continued without hesitation. "The King in Yellow—if the myths and whispers hold any truth—was a figure of unimaginable power and influence. A being tied to entropy and madness, capable of warping reality itself."

She paused, her gaze distant as though recalling some forgotten lore. "There's an old play—'The King in Yellow.' It's said to be cursed, and anyone who reads it loses their sanity. But what's more intriguing is what's implied in its subtext: a being who existed beyond the limits of this world, banished by something even greater. And now…"

Her voice trailed off, and I felt the weight of her words settle heavily in the air.

"And now?" I prompted.

Kuzunoha met my gaze, her crimson eyes gleaming with a mix of curiosity and foreboding. "Now, within the timespan where the civilization that birthed the Theotech existed, it seems he's trying to return.

"Beyond physical cognition, beyond our comprehension… but his influence is growing…

"And if the Vault is connected to him, we may have just stumbled into something far more dangerous than we realized."