《Pocketwatch》 Prologue - Asmirala It was just another day for Princess Asmirala Cronell. Like any other, she woke up at first light and was then slowly but meticulously attended to¡ªbathed and dressed in clothes not of her own choosing. Being the 13th princess of the Cronell Kingdom wasn¡¯t easy, but it had its perks. Despite what anyone else might think, anonymity inside the castle was one of them. Being one of the 28 legal children and 24th in line for the throne meant an odd sense of inflated importance outside the castle, but inside, almost no one cared what she did. Yes, today was like any other¡ªexcept for one thing. She had overheard talks of a strange familiar summoning ritual that was to be conducted today. It was no secret that the Prime Mage of Cronell had been visiting the castle a little too often these past few weeks, but few knew about the ritual set to take place. What Asmirala had heard was that the ritual was supposed to be a major breakthrough, capable of summoning beings from truly out of this world instead of just exotic native creatures or newly birthed magic-born entities. She was excited, and as soon as she finished breakfast, she sprinted to the basement, where the highest-grade magic testing room was located. The room was being used for the experiment due to its highly secure nature and enough magical shielding to render even a Rank 4 magic user helpless to enter or leave¡ªperhaps even a Rank 5, if they were an unintelligent monster. Asmirala could only sneak in at all because she was one of the select few people recorded in the control crystal as having unrestricted access. That, and she knew of a small vent she was bittersweet about still being able to fit into. She walked up to the guards outside the ritual room, who immediately gave slight bows before resuming their stance. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Can¡¯t I go in? I just read about a spell that creates a giant flower of fire, and I want to test it out,¡± Asmirala said, playing it cool. Later, if anyone asked, she could feign ignorance. She laughed internally. ¡°Apologies, Your Highness. There is someone already present, and they will be using the chamber for another five to six hours. According to our orders, we cannot let anyone in.¡± ¡°Do you not know who I am? Who is in the chamber that you would deny me?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, Princess Asmirala, we have been instructed not to disclose who is inside or what is happening. This order comes directly from His Majesty, your father.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ so Dad is in there too? I have to see this,¡± Asmirala mumbled to herself. ¡°Hm? What was that, Your Highness? Again, my apologies for the inconvenience.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. As you were.¡± Asmirala turned back and started climbing the stairs, but halfway up, she saw the vent¡ªmagically keeping the air flowing even this deep underground. She ducked and started crawling inside making sure no one had seen her. Being caught here wouldn¡¯t be the end of the world, but it wouldn¡¯t be pleasant either, her mother was 5th queen but she was one the queens nonetheless and It wouldn¡¯t be a good look on her If Asmirala was caught sneaking around spying on a secret ritual. As she made her way through the vents toward an opening overlooking the chamber, she began hearing voices. When she reached her vantage point, she spotted Sir Grenshaw, the Prime Mage of Cronell, speaking with the king. Alongside them stood an odd group of individuals, their presence commanding attention. Most of them were unfamiliar to Asmirala. They stood a few feet away from the ritual circle drawn on the ground, gemstones placed according to some logic beyond her understanding. ¡°As I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware, we have long theorized the existence of other worlds similar to our own. Of course, this is not mere conjecture. Many historical records describe individuals who have glimpsed these other worlds, giving varied descriptions. By matching these descriptions with their corresponding frequencies, we have surmised that at least three worlds exist in close proximity to ours¡ªinter-dimensionally speaking, of course.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°How confident are you about this, Grenshaw?¡± asked the King, Ruthar Cronell, Third of His Name. ¡°As confident as one can be without having seen these worlds firsthand. Even as one of the leading experts on dimensional and teleportation magic, I wouldn¡¯t dare attempt to transport myself there without a stable anchor. It would be like throwing oneself off the back of a speeding dragon above an ocean and hoping to land on an island. But the reverse, I believe, is entirely possible. It¡¯s like fishing. Do you go fishing these days, Ruthar?¡± ¡°I remind you, Grenshaw, that we are meeting in an official capacity, not having a tea party¡ªthough we should certainly arrange that as well. Address me appropriately. And no, I haven¡¯t gone fishing in ages.¡± Asmirala giggled quietly at seeing her father caught up in Grenshaw¡¯s flow. That man had no sense of propriety. ¡°Ugh,¡± Grenshaw groaned but continued. ¡°As I was saying, Your Majesty, Ruthar Cronell, Third of His Name, Hero of the One-Day War¡ªyou don¡¯t need to know exactly where all the fish are to catch them, just a general area. Then, you set up the bait and let time do the work. We have developed a ritual that will give a slight feeling of a second chance to many recently deceased souls across the three worlds. Most will subconsciously ignore it or not notice at all, but if someone is willing, we can target them, reel their soul back to the mortal realm, and help it construct a new body.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re fishing for souls? Isn¡¯t this necromancy? That¡¯s forbidden and considered the highest form of heresy,¡± snapped one of the attendees. Asmirala recognized the woman as someone from the church, judging by her white and blue robes, but she didn¡¯t know her name. ¡°Who even let you in here? Undead don¡¯t have souls. If anything, this is closer to the Fifth Rank Resurrection¡ª¡± Grenshaw stopped as a gemstone placed just outside the large ritual circle flashed. ¡°It¡¯s time. We have maybe a day before the worlds drift too far apart to risk the ritual,¡± Grenshaw said, stepping closer and beginning to chant. A dark light surrounded him, followed by the gemstones lighting up in various colors. The ritual circle began emanating an odd sense of second chances. Asmirala didn¡¯t think even the people here would sense the bait, but being this close to the source, she felt oddly hopeful and enthusiastic. Even that strong emotion paled in comparison to the extremely high-density magical radiance it was giving off, making everything else disappear to her magical senses like stars in daylight. When the final gem burst into a brilliant, impossibly black glow, three other attendants joined in, supporting the spell to replenish mana. ¡°The bait is set. Now we wait.¡± ¡°How long will it take?¡± ¡°Well, given that I lack precise numbers on the other worlds, it could be anywhere from a few minutes to no one taking the bait within our operational window.¡± ¡°Then was it truly worth the fortune spent setting up this ritual? You do realize some of those crystals came directly from my personal treasury, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I know exactly how small a fraction they are of your personal treasury, Your Majesty,¡± Grenshaw said wryly. ¡°One thing I do know¡ªknowledge is power, and though expensive, is it not worth the price?¡± ¡°We will see.¡± The tension in the chamber thickened, and Asmirala felt it. She couldn¡¯t stay all day, but she would wait as long as possible. Her gaze wandered to the various people assembled¡ªclergy members, Magic Society representatives, loyal nobles with their attendants, and even a naturalist, presumably for emergencies. She also spotted the crown prince Burnheim cronell standing with 2 other siblings, they were 1st, 3rd and 6th in line for the throne respectively. Her eyes stopped on one noble¡¯s attendant. His clothing was subtly different¡ªexotic yet not outlandish, with a more fitted, seamless cut than the flowing robes common in the kingdom. He had black hair, black eyes, and a neatly trimmed beard. Asmirala wondered where he was from, but before she could ponder further, he looked straight at her. Her breath hitched. He knew she was there. Panic set in. But the man only smiled coyly, as if indulging in a prank, then gave a small nod before turning back to the ritual circle. Before Asmirala could process what had just happened, the gemstones in the circle exploded in a thick mist. ¡°We have our fish,¡± Grenshaw announced. A figure formed within the mist¡ªa man. There was something about him that she couldn¡¯t quite place but recognized from something recently, though Asmirala couldn¡¯t place from where. He was barely clothed, draped in a simple light green tunic with a slit at the back from top to bottom which looked too thin for any practical purpose other than sleeping. He spoke, but she couldn¡¯t understand him. ¡°Once he uses the language skill book, communication won¡¯t be an issue,¡± Grenshaw said. ¡°So what now?¡± ¡°Oh, well, we wouldn¡¯t want our guest to hurt himself.¡± With a quick chant, Grenshaw cast another spell. The man collapsed instantly with a painful thud. Asmirala took that as her cue to leave before anyone started noticing her presence. Reeling with a sense of amazement, she crawled back out. Second chance Arthur Averell was dying. He had been dying for a while now. People almost expected him to want to die by now, but he held on. He couldn¡¯t die¡ªnot yet. Art had a name that made people think he had always been rich, but those who truly knew him understood that he had been dirt poor most of his life. Born into an extremely poor family, he had been homeless, in debt, and destitute. In his early twenties, he worked relentlessly, doing everything in his power to change his circumstances. By the time he was 27, he had managed to amass a small fortune. Ready to live his life to the fullest¡ª only to be diagnosed with cancer. He prayed to God. He cursed at God, at himself, and at the world as a whole. But the cancer kept spreading. Even though he no longer had to worry about medical costs, he never really got to enjoy his wealth. The only faint silver lining was that he had been able to set things up so his parents wouldn¡¯t have to worry about money for the rest of their lives. ¡°I will survive, Mom. You know I¡¯m strong,¡± Arthur whispered a faint lie to his mother, who sat beside him, stifling tears. ¡°I know you will, Arty.¡± ¡°We are very proud of you, son. You were the best son we could have asked for. If something happens¡ª¡± ¡°Dear,¡± Mrs. Averell interrupted. ¡°No, let me speak. If something happens, I want you to know that we are proud of you and we love you. We¡¯ll take care of your plants¡±, he said with a forced smile, ¡° and most importantly, we¡¯ll always remember you.¡± Arthur had tears in his eyes now. He chose not to say anything, knowing his voice would betray him, so he just nodded. The three remained in each other¡¯s company, not speaking much. Every so often, Mrs. Averell would recall a memory of Arthur and recount it with a sobbing laugh echoing Arthur''s own emotions. Soon, visitation time was over, and they reluctantly got up to leave. They bid their farewells and started to exit. ¡°I love you too,¡± Arthur said just loudly enough from behind. Mr. Averell ran back to hug him once more before finally leaving. Arthur drifted off to sleep soon after. He didn¡¯t wake up the next morning.
After dreams and a swirl of memories he would have trouble describing if even he remembered everything, Arthur opened his eyes, feeling an odd sense of clarity. He looked around, wondering if he was suddenly lucid dreaming. Surrounding him was some kind of cult ritual¡ªcomplete with a glowing diagram, strange gemstones, people in robes, and someone chanting ominously. ¡°Am I dreaming about being Satan or a demon?¡± "Q???o???w???i???e??? ???v???p???i???a???s??? ???a???o???i???s???d???h??? ???a???p???i???h???d??? ???a???o???l???d???k???n???f??? ???h???a???f???s??? ???a???p???i???s???d???n???,*¡± said the person standing closest to the circle. He looked to be in his 30s, extremely handsome¡ªor maybe beautiful? He had an androgynous feel but definitely leaned toward masculine. His attire was something straight out of The Lord of the Rings, reminding Arthur of a young Gandalf if he was even more interested in jewelry. ¡°What language was that?¡± The chanting repeated. Whatever they were saying was the last thing Arthur heard before he blacked out. He still believed it was all a dream¡ªwhat else could it be? The next time he woke up, he still felt good. Better than he had in a long time. Arthur wasn¡¯t ready to open his eyes just yet. He woke up with an odd sense of clarity, an absence of the usual grogginess that accompanied waking up. So instead of moving, he decided to wait. To just breathe. To finally take a break from his fight. One way or another, it was over. He had to have died¡ªhe truly believed that. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. But something whispered in his mind that something was amiss. The last thing he saw before passing out¡ªthe cult, their strange language, sounding human yet feeling distinctly not human. That was how Arthur spent his first day awake in the Cronell Kingdom of Aarinth¡ªpretending to sleep, thinking, and most importantly, resting. Hours passed. Unbeknownst to arthur, the sun set, and the twin moons rose. ¡°Till when exactly are you going to pretend to sleep? Is this a cultural thing? Should I join you?¡± Arthur startled out of his near-meditative state. He looked around and saw the young Gandalf figure standing beside him. Arthur took in his appearance appreciatively¡ªhe might be straight, but he was confident enough to recognize when someone was a prime specimen. ¡°Am I dead? Are you an angel? Or an actor, perhaps?¡± Arthur finally spoke. ¡°Well, yes. You were dead. More accurately, you had died. No, I¡¯m not an angel or an actor. Do you have humanoid angels in your world? Fascinating,¡± the man replied with rare sincerity. ¡°What do you mean I was dead? Where even am I?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take a walk¡±, the man replied and left the room without waiting. Arthur contemplated for a few moments, cautiously looking around the room. It was not the hospital room he was in, he kind of expected that, instead he was in some kind of old style dimly lit A stone-cell chamber. It didn¡¯t look like a prison with the ornate chest of drawers, the plush if a little lumpy bed, and even some fruits he had never seen before set on the bedside table, yet the room had a feeling of opression without any natural lighting. He decided he wasn¡¯t in any immediate harm and followed the man out. As they started walking through some precisely cut and polished stone tunnels the man finally gave some answers. ¡°My name is Grenshaw Maladrith, Prime mage of cronell kingdom and head of the magic society. There¡¯s really no easy way to say this, but you died. I¡¯m sure if you try, you can remember your last moments. We, at the Magic Society of Cronell, have been conducting research on other worlds¡ªplanes of existence close enough to interact with. And you, my bag full of otherworldly knowledge and power, are the culmination of my personal efforts over the past five years. You did die, but with a magic ritual beyond the understanding of all but maybe half a drek of people¡ª¡± (half a drek means eight, Arthur somehow knew this) ¡°¡ªwe combined some of the most difficult magics of teleportation, transmutation, alchemy, and resurrection to summon a being¡ªyou¡ªfrom a different world to this one, called Aarinth.¡± Arthur had stopped walking, stunned, just repeating the words Grenshaw had told him. Meanwhile, Grenshaw studied him like a rare subspecies of haliket. After contemplating for a while, Arthur finally spoke. ¡°So, the multiverse theory is correct in some way. Never thought magic would also be real, but you live and learn, I suppose. Or die and learn.¡± Arthur let out a hollow laugh, to Grenshaw¡¯s amazement. ¡°But what happened to me? Why do I feel so good? I was dying from cancer forever, and now I feel like I just took the first breath of fresh air, like it''s circulating through my whole body.¡± ¡°Your body is new. In essence, it¡¯s a body without a single scar or blemish¡ªand, of course, no disease. Your mind may be older, but your body is barely a week old.¡± Grenshaw waved dismissively. ¡°That¡¯s not important. So your world knows about other realms? Interesting. And did you say magic isn¡¯t real there?¡± ¡°Yeah, magic isn¡¯t something I¡¯ve ever seen. I mean, aside from illusionists who use sleight of hand.¡± ¡°Fascinating. I suppose I could at least learn how a world evolves without magic. Anyway, now that you¡¯re awake, let me tell you one thing¡ªyou were dead, and I essentially brought you back. All I need in return is for you to tell me everything about your world. That part is not optional. You will be compensated fairly and given a place to live.¡± They came upon a gate that led to a small balcony. Arthur¡¯s eyes went wide as he took in the view and the reality of the situation dawned on him, A city sprawled horizontally for kilometers, few towers sprinkled in between that would compete with the highest skyscrappers in new york. At the edge he could see a massive wall as if the whole city was a castle. ¡°And if I don¡¯t want to be your slave?¡± Arthur stared straight at grenshaw. ¡°You know,¡± Grenshaw smirked and conjured a glowing symbol in his palm, ¡°your body is filled with things that make it nearly impossible for you to do anything I don¡¯t want you to. But I¡¯m not a bad person, and neither are you a slave. As long as you don¡¯t try something¡­ brave, we¡¯ll get along just fine.¡± With that, Grenshaw left, leaving Arthur with a jumble of emotions¡ªscared, trapped, but most importantly, alive once more. Freedom An unbelievably blue sky. A garden of otherworldly flora. And conversations with the mad scientist. These were the highlights of Arthur¡¯s next few weeks at the Third Keep of the Carrington Castle, unofficially called Shaw¡¯s Lab. He was a prisoner¡ªhis prison was just absurdly large, encompassing the whole keep along with the attached garden and various functional buildings. A knock came from the door. He was still living in the room he had first woken up in. It had been furnished further, and even a window had been made through some means he had witnessed but didn¡¯t understand. The incident involved a man about as old as Arthur and a box made of solid gold, engraved with symbols and letters he couldn¡¯t decipher. The man looked like he could win a bodybuilding championship just by stumbling into the room, yet had the most dexterous fingers. He made some markings on the wall, took some measurements, and then threw the golden box into the wall. The box unexpectedly didn¡¯t just bounce off; instead, it sank into the wall as if it were made of jelly. The box started vibrating, and the stone in the wall melted, reshaping itself into an intricate window. The man plucked the golden box from where it hovered in the center of the brand-new window. Baffled, Arthur reached out to touch the window and was surprised to find it was real. He tried to ask how the man had done it, but Grenshaw intervened. ¡°That will be all, Dain. Thank you for your service. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re busy. I¡¯ll answer any questions Mr. Arthur has.¡± ¡°As you say, Master Grenshaw. I¡¯ll see you at the defense restructure meeting tomorrow.¡± ¡°Who would have thought the president of the Magic Society would be a cheapskate?¡± Arthur grumbled once Dain was gone, closing the door behind him. ¡°As I¡¯ve said before¡ªan answer for an answer. Equal trade. Isn¡¯t that something of a popular ideal in your world?¡± Grenshaw replied with a smug look. ¡°It is a popular ideal, yes. But a trade is rarely equal, if ever, and that¡¯s true everywhere.¡± ¡°Shall we start our session?¡±
Asmirala wasn¡¯t a spy or an assassin, but that never stopped her from sneaking into places she shouldn¡¯t and listening to conversations not meant for her. Being a princess, 24th in the line of succession, she felt her future was invariably set in stone¡ªas trade goods in a political marriage. There had only ever been a single case of someone this far down the hierarchy inheriting the throne, and Asmirala never wanted to do what her predecessor had done. Just learning about the False King had sickened her for hours. Asmirala had seen the moment Arthur arrived in this world. She had seen him around the Third Keep. After Grenshaw and a few members of the Magic Society, she probably knew the most about Arthur and the world he came from. Today, like all the other days, she found herself in the vicinity of Arthur and Grenshaw¡¯s sessions. Using some basic sensory enhancement magic and physical presence suppression, she was able to get close enough to listen in. Grenshaw knew, of course. But if he cared, I wouldn¡¯t still be here. She was fascinated by Arthur¡¯s stories and his world¡ªa world that, despite having no magic, could create cities spanning tens of kilometers, connect the entire globe, and fly. Asmirala really wanted to fly by herself. But flight magic was notoriously hard to learn, and getting a pegasus coach for anything other than royal events was too expensive, even for her. She focused her hearing as the session started. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°So last time we were talking about the level of technology in your world, and you mentioned something called a ¡®train.¡¯ They are metal carriages, you said?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°And they are powered by trapped lightning?¡± ¡°In a manner of speaking.¡± ¡°Are you sure your world doesn¡¯t have magic? You aren¡¯t someone who just happens to be completely unaware of your own world, are you?¡± Arthur sighed. In hindsight, it should have been obvious. Magic was something Arthur was familiar with as a fictional concept, so while astonished, he could easily call anything he didn¡¯t understand magic. A fireball in Grenshaw¡¯s hand was about the same level of magical as the self-forming window he saw Dain create. But for Grenshaw, a world without magic was simply unbelievable¡ªlike imagining a universe without the fundamental forces of reality. ¡°I have said it before and will say it again¡ªno magic was used in the creation or operation of anything I am talking about.¡± ¡°Fascinating. We¡¯ll get back to this ¡®train¡¯ and ¡®electricity,¡¯¡± Grenshaw said, making a note in his notebook. ¡°For now, I need a deeper understanding of what your job was. You said you were an engineer? What does that work entail?¡± Arthur began recounting his life¡ªstarting as a mechanical engineer for a startup that grew exponentially as the 3D printing market boomed. The company, Print4D, was among the first to make 3D printing affordable for retail customers. Arthur described joining the company as a stroke of luck that changed his life completely. He tried to explain the whole concept of school, college, and a common career path, but Grenshaw grasped 3D printers much faster than the education system. ¡°Okay, I understand that you control this pen that ejects molten substance and creates any shape you want. But what I don¡¯t understand is how you could have resources for everyone to just study for 10 to 15 years without producing any value. Is your society the kind where there is no ruling person and everyone just lives as a community with shared resources?¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated. We do have societies like that, called communist or socialist societies. I¡¯m not sure if those two are different or not¡ªI wasn¡¯t really a social science student. But in general, we have democracies, which ideally means people choosing their own leaders from among a self-volunteered group. The government then tries to provide people with basic necessities, along with compulsory primary education almost everywhere, which in turn produces a skilled labor force¡ªeach of whom produces more value than unskilled labor.¡± ¡°That makes sense¡ªat least theoretically. I have to say, when you said your world didn¡¯t have magic, my heart almost dropped. You wouldn¡¯t believe how many resources were spent on summoning you here. I was hoping someone would arrive with knowledge of either advanced magic or at least a different magic system I could study and use to further our own. But you have already advanced our stagnant knowledge about the physical world by decades.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad I wasn¡¯t a waste of your resources, Mr. Prime Mage. Now, can I leave this castle? You¡¯ve only given me bits and pieces about this world, yet it already feels amazing¡ªflying islands, underground cities, mermaids, and even dragons. I really have to see those. And this isn¡¯t Camelot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the country whose king¡¯s name you share¡ª¡± ¡°Fictional country.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the fictional country whose king¡¯s name you share?¡± Grenshaw repeated with a snide tone. ¡°Yup, and this ain¡¯t it, my man.¡± Being transported to another world and given another life free of disease had made Arthur¡¯s personality a jarring mix of seriously hardened and comically gleeful. ¡°You¡¯ll be let out when I say so. In the meantime, if you don¡¯t have any more questions, let¡¯s consider this session completed.¡± ¡°No, wait. I have questions. Tell me where I can find dragons, and can. I. ride. one? Also¡ªcan I do magic? Once I have my freedom, I really want to fly, one way or another.¡±
A passing maid almost heard Asmirala¡¯s giggle. This Arthur is such an improper man. Almost feels like another Grenshaw¡ªsomehow more annoying and less power-hungry. As far as Asmirala knew, anyone could learn magic. It wasn¡¯t easy¡ªit required a lot of study and definitely some talent and instinct¡ªbut the basic tier-one elemental spells were commonplace. She couldn¡¯t wait to see what kind of magic Arthur would learn. Soon, Grenshaw stepped out of Arthur¡¯s room. He turned to look in her direction, gave a small bow, then left. Asmirala was reconsidering who was more annoying. She was about to leave¡ªafter waiting a little, so as not to look too suspicious¡ªwhen suddenly, she heard Arthur speak in a surprised tone. ¡°Who are you?? Why do you look like me?¡± Chapter 3 - Possiblities With the addition of the new window, Arthur¡¯s room wasn¡¯t quite as prison-like as before. He gazed out the window, once more marveling at the brand-new possibilities this world had opened. Orange light filled the room as he watched the setting sun. From a window this high, the whole city was visible, and it was wonderful. A variety of buildings ringed the castle compound, some looking too ornate to be usable. Inside the castle grounds, he could see vast green fields and children playing, though he was too far away to make out any discernible features of the children or their game. It surprised him to see any sports happening inside the castle. Perhaps they were training, not playing. He took a deep breath and turned around, expecting to see the books he had asked from Grenshaw, who had graciously provided them in exchange for a conversation about evolution. Instead, he saw someone sitting at his table, flipping through those very books. The man sitting in front of Arthur, casually reading, bore a remarkable likeness to him¡ªexcept he looked considerably older. He wore a black suit with a design Arthur had never seen before. It wasn¡¯t as sharp as a suit from his world, instead featuring cloth foldings and bulges in odd places, adorned with ornamental metal and gem bits. A shapely hood hovered just above the man¡¯s head, making him look like an Assassin¡¯s Creed protagonist. Arthur¡¯s breath caught. ¡°Who are you? Why do you look like me?¡± The man smiled and closed the book. ¡°I miss these books. You wouldn¡¯t believe how long it¡¯s been since I had time to just read.¡± He stood up and gestured at his clothes. ¡°Like the suit? I made it myself. The clothes in this world always felt like cosplay. Still, I love how everything has hoods.¡± His gaze turned distant, nostalgic. Arthur stiffened. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®this world¡¯? And you didn¡¯t answer me. Who are you, and why do you look like me?¡± The man sat back down. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you take a guess?¡± Arthur remained silent, his mind racing. The man chuckled. ¡°Let me tell you exactly what you¡¯re thinking while you figure it out. You might suspect I¡¯m a trick by Grenshaw to extract information from you. But no¡ªhe made it clear that you¡¯re under his control and that he could make you say whatever he wanted. You¡¯re also wondering if this is a dream. It isn¡¯t. And no, I¡¯m not a demon taking your shape to trick you into making a deal.¡± He smirked. ¡°Yup, you¡¯ve figured it out. Now, say my name.¡± Arthur hesitated, then whispered, ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re Arthur. You¡¯re me from the future, aren¡¯t you?¡± Even as he spoke the words, he felt ridiculous, flushing slightly with embarrassment. But after being pulled into a world of magic, he had long since decided to let his imagination run wild. ¡°Bingo!¡± The older Arthur grinned. ¡°You win this pocket watch.¡± He tossed the pocket watch he had been holding, and Arthur caught it clumsily. ¡°Wha¡ª¡± ¡°Now, now, just listen to me first. I know you have a lot of questions¡ªI did too.¡± The older Arthur chuckled. ¡°But I have a script to follow.¡± Arthur narrowed his eyes. ¡°You have a script?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Where did you get it?¡± ¡°I gave it to me.¡± ¡°So¡­ you¡¯ll give it to me now?¡± ¡°Soon.¡± ¡°¡­Is this exchange in the script?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Both Arthurs sighed in unison. ¡°Alright,¡± the older Arthur continued. ¡°The future isn¡¯t set in stone. Unfortunately, you can¡¯t use the logic that ¡®since I know how things will turn out, I don¡¯t have to do anything.¡¯ I know¡ªit¡¯s confusing. Read the script later. Just remember: the future can change. "Right now, you¡¯re standing on a platform, waiting for a train that¡¯s going to take you on an insane adventure. And it¡¯s about to arrive soon. When that happens, you¡¯ll need the watch.¡± ¡°The watch?¡± Arthur turned it over in his hand. ¡°I need to know the time when shit hits the fan?¡± ¡°The watch,¡± old Arthur continued, ignoring the remark, ¡°will give you access to the System. It will be your guide and your source of power for the foreseeable future. When I¡¯m gone, open the watch and say ¡®freedom.¡¯¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The gems on the watch glowed softly as he said the last word. Arthur swallowed hard. ¡°Really? I¡¯ll be able to use magic?¡± ¡°You already can. You just don¡¯t know it yet. Ask Grenshaw to teach you some basic Tier One spells while you¡¯re in the castle.¡± Arthur grinned. ¡°I have to say, I was getting kind of depressed thinking I¡¯d be stuck in the castle for years. This is¡­ exciting.¡± ¡°I know. In the days to come, you¡¯ll feel uncertain. Trust the System. You¡¯ll face things you didn¡¯t think could exist¡ªsee horrors that would scare Lovecraft. But there will be light at the end of each dark tunnel. Remember that, if nothing else.¡± With a snap of his fingers, the older Arthur vanished¡ªreplaced by a sheet of paper fluttering onto the table. Arthur blinked, then smirked. ¡°Now that is something I can¡¯t wait to learn.¡± He bent down to pick up the paper and realized it contained the entire conversation he had just had.
Asmirala could not believe what she had just heard. She knew magic existed that could slow down or even stop time briefly¡ªhowever rare¡ªbut to travel back in time? That was a thing of myths and legends. She stood there, contemplating whether she should tell Grenshaw, when she heard a voice behind her. ¡°Hey, Mira.¡± Asmirala turned slowly, heart pounding. The man standing before her had the same face as the person in the summoning room¡ªthe one who had looked directly at her hiding place. Finally, she understood why Arthur had seemed familiar from the start. She stared at the older Arthur, speechless. ¡°So,¡± he said casually, ¡°you heard all that?¡± She nodded cautiously, wondering if she had made a mistake by listening. ¡°That solves the puzzle, then,¡± he mused. ¡°I always wondered how you knew so much when you came to me. But it makes sense now.¡± He smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡ªI won¡¯t do anything. We¡¯re friends. Or at least, we will be.¡± She hesitated. ¡°You called me ¡®Mira.¡¯ No one does that.¡± ¡°I do. He will.¡± There was suspicion in her eyes, but she wanted to believe. So, for now, she did. ¡°How long do I have?¡± she asked. ¡°Long enough to learn that spell you¡¯ve been working on.¡± He winked. ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t tell Grenshaw for now.¡± She frowned. ¡°How do you know about that?¡± He grinned. She sighed. ¡°Fine. For now.¡± Then, without warning, he hugged her and patted her head. ¡°You¡¯ll see some hard times, kiddo. But like I told the young me¡ªthere¡¯s always light at the end of the tunnel. Good luck.¡± And just like that, he vanished before she could say another word. Asmirala stood there for a long moment before finally turning to leave. She needed to rest and think about everything he had said.
Arthur inspected the watch in his hands, completely forgetting about the books he had planned to read. It was a mix of silver and gold, with sapphire gems studded around the lid. The engravings and ornamentation made it look fit for a king. At the center of the lid was a glass circle, revealing the clock face within¡ªa night-sky-like pattern that didn¡¯t look like real material but rather a window to a true night sky. The time appeared accurate. About 6:30 PM. Arthur hesitated, then whispered, ¡°Freedom.¡± For a moment, nothing happened. Then, with a clicking sound, spikes emerged around the rim. Arthur yelped and dropped the watch¡ªbut instead of falling, it hovered midair, glowing with a blinding light. The light shot forward, dissolving into him. A screen materialized before him, like a game interface.
System Initialization Complete Welcome, Arthur Averell
[Character Status] Name: Arthur Averell Title: [The one from beyond] Race: Human Age: 28 Level: 1 Class: [Time Keeper]
[Attributes]
[Skills & Abilities]
[Equipment]
[Quests]
[Titles]
[Menu]
[Remarks from the System] "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Step wisely."