[Nightmare]
Chapter 9 [Zenith]

Helix honestly meant every word he spoke, and his honesty emanated through his thoughts.

The chat window went blank for a few seconds.

"Yes. My name is Zenith.

And why the hell are you poking the air with a dumb expression on your face?"

Helix sighed.

"I'm pretending that I'm reading through my interface.

The Mad Queen assaulted me with messages today.

Now my instructor is suspicious I'm in league with her for the same reason you are." Helix chuckled bitterly.

"Since it's unprecedented for people to chat through their system windows, he won't believe me if I said another important entity was chatting with me.

He'll automatically assume that I'm speaking with her again.

Then I'll be interrogated, tortured, and executed." He concluded with a sigh.

"..."

"..."

"So you're not a loli-loving demon candidate in training?" Zenith asked.

Helix sent a wry smile inward after reading her message.

"No, I'm not. I turned down an offer from Elise to gain an insta-harem today.

So I'm clearly not accepting applicants for thousand-year-old little girls.

If this world allows young girls to live for a few thousand years, it has treasures to make people look like adults.

So if I meet one, I'll desperately farm gold to buy a one-way ticket to peace of mind.

I refuse to walk around with an overpowered, grand-elder super child." He replied bitterly.

"You turned down a harem on day one of your summoning to Myriad?

Are you perhaps… interested in men?" Zenith asked.

Helix's eyebrow twitched aggressively.

"No."

"I see…."

"..."

"..."

Helix sighed after experiencing the conversational gridlock.

"I have many questions for you, but I could get called back to the introduction ceremony at any minute.

Since you were willing to take the time out of your day to greet me, will you tell me more about who you are?"

"Finally treating my time with respect, I see…."

Helix suppressed the facial muscles that were crying out in an attempt to spasm.

"My name is Zenith Millenia Altwork.

You may address me as Ms. Zenith for short.

I'm the record keeper in Myriad." She explained.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Zenith.

May I ask why you decided to reach out to me?" He asked.

"I could ask you the same question." She replied.

Helix stared at the chat window with confusion in his eyes.

"Do you mean my choice to choose the hourglass without hesitation?" He asked.

"Exactly." She confirmed.

"It's been half a century since the last person chose my artifact during the Nightmare Induction Ceremony.

In the face of so many powerful artifacts that can grant them immense power immediately, having access to 1% of Myriad's Knowledge is not attractive.

Moreover, the requirement to [read] the information shuts down 95% of people instantly." She explained.

"Yet you chose my artifact from the moment it was announced and accepted it without the slightest hesitation. Why?"

"Why? 1% of the entire world's knowledge is an exorbitant number." Helix responded with a sly smile.

"Moreover, it's exponentially easier to find weapons and learn martial techniques than to gain high-quality, reliable information in this world.

If there are guilds, the information will be locked as trade secrets.

Books will be expensive.

Libraries will be few.

It may not help me in mid-combat, but most of our battles for survival are not fought on a battlefield.

Knowledge of plants, medicines, and artifacts is immeasurably useful.

Moreover, researching your terrain and enemies allows you to plan ahead of time.

I would have chosen this option if it was only a fraction of a percent.

In my mind, the only gamble I took was assuming that most of the 99% was rooted in abstract information relating to the world." He reasoned.

"... It seems I was not wrong about you." Zenith replied after a few seconds of silence.

"You're right. While it contains books and texts, the [Myriad Library] isn't a library.

It stores all human recorded information for the Myriad Record." She explained.

"So you're right. 1% is an astronomical number.

It represents the vast majority of the practical, Clearnet information that has been physically recorded in Myriad.

It also contains information that has been hidden, lost, or forgotten, of course.

The Hourglass of Knowledge wouldn't be an ancient-grade artifact if it were only a glorified library."

Helix stared at the chat window with shock in his eyes.

The access to information that he received far surpassed his expectations.

He wasn't given 1% of the practical knowledge of the world.

He was given nearly all the information accessible in libraries and guilds to a certain degree.

In addition, there was information hidden from the world as well.

He was certain he was given something far more powerful than anything else he could find in this world.

"I'm… speechless." Helix replied after a few seconds of silence.

"Thank you for compiling this library.

I'll treasure it until the day I die."

Helix sighed after his words.

"At the rate, things are going, that will be less than a week.

So I'm not sure I can give this library justice.

However, I will treasure it as long as I can." He replied in a melancholy tone.

After ten seconds of silence, the chat window erased itself.

"Three."

Helix stared at the window in confusion.

"Three… what?" He asked.

"You can call upon me three times at will to answer any questions you have.

After that, I'll only respond to you during times of emergency or if I feel like it."

Helix's eyes widened in astonishment.

A hand touched Helix's shoulder.

The sensation broke him out of his state of perplexion.

"Thank you, Emelia. I'm reading one last sentence.

I'll be ready in a moment." He said with a gentle smile.

"Thank you, Ms. Zenith.

I'm grateful beyond words.

I cannot ever hope to repay you.

But if you ever want knowledge of my world, I'm happy to share.

I don't have books, as my phone's dead, but I can communicate knowledge.

I have to go. I'll talk to you in the future."

Half a dozen chat windows exploded on the window immediately.

"WAIT!"

"Don't go!"

"I'll take every bit of knowledge you'll give me!"

"No! Don't leave me!"

"I need it!"

"Please!"

,m Unfortunately, Helix was already speaking to Emelia and closed the interface without seeing them.

Helix sighed as he looked at the others walking back toward the stage.

"Let's get this over with." He whispered under his breath.

Suddenly Helix stopped for a moment.

"[Clearnet]. Why would someone from this world use that term?" He whispered with a pensive expression.

Helix shook his head.

"It's probably part of the insane language-translation skill we were given upon arrival.

Even the words we write auto-translate to any Myriadian language.

Macron used the term [dumpster fire] and referenced a poker game with grenades, neither of which exist here.

Clearnet was shockingly communicative, so it makes sense."

Helix cleared the thought from his mind as he did when he grumbled about the supposed [time lag].

The only question on his mind was whether he was right that the other [chosen ones] were otakus like him.

That was a life or death question.

Over 99% of Earth's population would scoff af Helix's [paranoia].

However, those people didn't understand what was written in light novels.

He did.

If otakus started treating Myriad like a cultivator world or video game, he'd be in serious trouble.

Everyone would be.

He decided to make investigating the others his top priority.

After walking back, he realized that Lina and David were missing.

"Listen up! People who change their appearance will be in a special artifact chamber for 24 hours.

Therefore, you're free to enjoy the rest of the day.

We will all meet back here at 1 pm tomorrow.

Before you go, come to the front of the stage.

You will receive your official sword and light armor.

In addition, you will receive your first payment as Knights of the kingdom.

As you should expect, the Knights here are paid well!

You'll receive payment every fourteen days.

We've learned that's what you're used to.

Once you receive your compensation, you may visit the city if you wish."

Helix sighed when he saw the ridiculous sum of money he was given.

Last night he had asked Emelia about the exchange rates in Myriad.

As a result, he understood that his [paycheck] was a fortune to the common folk.

He could buy a decent house with the money he was given as a paycheck.

'These people are making it impossible to hate this death trap.

Everyone here will be a desperate noble in less than a month.

By the time it sinks in that they can't contact their friends and relatives, and they watch some people die, they'll be too addicted to resist.'

"Titus, can you please exchange this gold coin for coppers?

I plan to visit Burlow Street, and I don't think that the shopkeepers will have 97 or more coppers on hand to give me change." Helix requested.

Titus gave Helix a bewildered expression.

"Why do you know the common areas and the exchange rates already?" He asked with a suspicious gaze.

His words sparked the attention of Macron as well.

Helix smiled and touched his neck.

After tapping the air a few times, he started speaking.

"There are 21,731 residents in Alzeria as of last year's census.

The weather here is sunny for 287 days of the year on average.

The most dangerous district is Harlow which has the most reported crimes.

The shortest way to get to Burlow street is by taking Mason Street after leaving the outer gates.

Tulips are in season, and there's a tulip festival today."

As he listed out a slew of facts, everyone around him stared at him with slack-jawed expressions.

"The Hourglass of Knowledge is useful for just about anything." He replied with a gentle smile.

"R-Right. I'll exchange your coins now." Titus replied.

Macron stared at Helix with a slight smile and a strange glint in his eye.

After only a moment, he continued.

"Oui! Regret your decision on your own time!" He barked while thrusting a sword into the arms of a young woman.

As he watched Helix weave through the crowd toward Emelia, the man didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"That boy is going to be nearly impossible to protect when he's using that strategy." He muttered with a serious expression.

"But after witnessing that, I'm not sure his bizarre antics are reckless after all." He added with a helpless smile.

—

"Are you stupid or something, boy?" Macron asked with a deep frown.

"How the hell does increasing the size of the target on your back translate to your safety?"

"Macron, I can dump a bucket of piss on a duke after handing him a sword and still be in less danger than I am right now." Helix chuckled bitterly.

"At least with this system, I can build up internal support that can protect me.

As for my method for protecting myself—it's risky, dangerous, and irresponsible.

That puts it two notches up from the deadly, lethal, and stupid description attached to any other strategy."

—

"I certainly hope you're right, boy."

—

[A/N: Zenith provides Helix [three] chances to contact her for critical reasons during [his life]. So please don't expect her to return immediately.]

Disclaimer: Grammatical mistakes and minor inconsistencies = more content.

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