Game Master of marvel

"Huh?"

Sliding effortlessly on his suspended mechanical sword, Merlin suddenly let out a surprised sound. His virtual exploration panel, which initially displayed a solitary green dot as the target, now showed a second one that had mysteriously appeared alongside it.

Due to the sky being saturated with Chiral Substances, flying was impossible. In this world, the fastest and most efficient mode of transport was the magnetic levitation zipline.

The air, still heavy with moisture after the rain, carried the faint scent of wet earth. Shafts of sunlight pierced through the misty clouds, casting soft halos over the landscape. Merlin skimmed over gravel and patches of greenery, carried by the moist breeze, and soon arrived at the mouth of a remote cave.

The cave was shallow, more like a makeshift shelter than a proper refuge. Inside, a man and a woman were in conversation.

The man was shirtless, his messy long hair clinging to his face, and his eyes carried a despondent look.

The woman, in contrast, was clad in a sleek black work uniform paired with tight black leather pants and sturdy boots. Her dark yellow hair was neatly tied up, revealing a sharp, heroic visage. Despite her poised demeanor, her eyes carried a faint shadow of melancholy.

As Merlin descended, the two in the cave turned to face him. His appearance was striking—standing on a suspended flying sword, clad in black-and-white armor, with a light blue electromagnetic stance field shimmering around him.

"Hi! That was really thrilling just now," Merlin said, lifting his mask to greet them warmly.

The woman, Fragile, held a package tightly as she regarded Merlin with surprise. "Who are you?" she asked, her tone cautious yet curious.

The man, Sam, who had been pulling on his shirt, looked up at Merlin in equal astonishment.

After the Big Bang event, encountering living people on the surface had become exceedingly rare. Yet, today, Merlin met two.

"Merlin. . I'm... a traveler," Merlin introduced himself after a moment of thought. Then, turning to them, he asked, "What about you?"

Both of them seemed a bit surprised to hear that Merlin was a traveler.

"Léa Hélène Seydoux," the woman replied.

"I'm Sam Bridges," the man said succinctly.

"Legendary independent deliveryman," Léa added, glancing at Sam with a slight smile.

"I see. Is this yours? I picked it up on the road," Merlin said, nodding as he reached into his armor and took out the brain-stimulating pill he had found earlier.

"Thank you. You saved me a lot of trouble," Sam said as he carefully took the item, his movements cautious and deliberate, ensuring he avoided any physical contact with Merlin.

Sam suffered from contact phobia, a condition that caused him extreme discomfort and fear when physically touched by others. It could even lead to nausea, vomiting, or allergic reactions.

"You're a traveler? Do you also have the ability of Dooms?" Lea asked, her curiosity piqued. The boy in front of her seemed rather unusual, his enthusiastic demeanor a stark contrast to the grim and solitary nature of this world.

In a world ravaged by Chiral Substances and the Devouring Void, most people lived isolated lives in underground bases. The resulting social withdrawal, coupled with the emotional instability caused by Chiral Substances, made optimism and warmth rare traits.

"No, but I have this," Merlin replied, pointing at the floating flying sword beneath him. "It can take me anywhere quietly, and my armor's stance system filters out Chiral Substances."

To demonstrate, Merlin stepped onto the sword and glided around silently, the sword's movements nearly imperceptible.

"It seems you've made plenty of preparations for your travels," Lea remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course. I have no intention of being swallowed by BTs on my journey," Merlin responded with a slight smirk.

"Fair enough," Lea nodded. For a moment, it seemed like she was considering inviting Merlin to join their group. However, there was something mysterious about him that made her hesitate. Her own painful past and experiences had made her cautious about trusting others.

"I'm leaving for now. Here's a way to contact me—just leave a message," Leasaid, her tone light but deliberate.

"Okay!" Merlin nodded in agreement, having already prepared an identity for himself before traveling to this world.

In this post-apocalyptic era of national isolation, creating a credible identity was an essential step in avoiding unnecessary trouble.

After receiving Merlin's contact information, Lea opened a neatly designed yet slightly chaotic metal umbrella, its surface resembling space debris. In the next moment, she vanished into thin air.

Sam was startled by her sudden disappearance and looked around cautiously, his eyes filled with surprise.

"You're heading out to deliver something? Let's go together. I need to visit the next stronghold anyway," Merlin said casually, walking over with an air of familiarity.

Sam glanced at Merlin's youthful, enthusiastic face. There was something strangely out of place about him—a liveliness not commonly seen in this grim world. It made Sam feel a little uneasy.

He remained silent, simply picking up his heavy cargo and walking out of the cave.

Merlin shrugged and quickly followed him.

"How about putting it on the flying sword? It's much more convenient than carrying it on your back," Merlin offered.

Sam, remembering how his motorcycle had fallen off a cliff earlier, realized the rest of the journey would indeed be challenging with such a heavy load. But he stayed quiet, continuing to carry the goods silently toward the destination.

"Isn't it heavy? Honestly, I feel like it's difficult even for you to walk with that load."

"What if something breaks along the way? Your employer wouldn't exactly be thrilled about that."

"Are you sure you don't want my help? My flying sword can handle me, my armor, and your little package without any issue."

"Why aren't you talking? Have you gone so long without speaking that your vocal cords are out of practice?"

"This isn't good. If this keeps up, you might lose your voice entirely and become mute."

"Oh, look—a river ahead! Are you planning to swim across it with all that cargo? What if it gets washed away?"

...

Sam: "..."

At that moment, Sam felt like he had heard more words than he'd encountered in years. The young man's chatter was a stark contrast to the silence he had grown accustomed to in his lonely existence.

Looking at the wide river ahead and listening to Merlin's endless stream of commentary, Sam finally sighed. He unloaded his cargo, placed a hand on Merlin's hovering mechanical sword, and gave in.

"Ah, a wise choice," Merlin said with a satisfied smile, his non-stop chatter coming to an abrupt halt.

Sam tilted his head to glance at him, finally speaking the first words of their journey.

"You're... too active. You don't seem like someone from this world. You're more like a human from before the Big Bang."

"I've never met anyone like you," he added, his tone filled with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.

Despite Merlin's seemingly nonsensical chatter, Sam found himself strangely intrigued. It was an unusual break in the monotony of his endless solitude.

"You're right. I'm not from this world. I'm just a traveler passing through," Merlin admitted.

He adjusted his backpack, pointing to the sky as he continued, "This world is heading toward extinction. In a few tens of thousands of years, when Chiral Substances spread across the globe, the sixth extinction will begin."

Sam stopped by the river, his attention suddenly fixed on Merlin.

"Great extinction?" he repeated, his voice tinged with surprise and disbelief as he looked at the enigmatic traveler.

get chapters ahead in my patreon