Sora floated back toward the New World Kingdom, his mind still racing with the implications of his discoveries.
'So all ten kingdoms have their players linked to a distant place I can't sense or see... Each place should be their homeland, right?'
'And for some strange reason, there are a few players in each kingdom connected to where I believe our Earth is. I'll remember all their faces, just in case they cause trouble in the future.'
'It's a shame, though, that I didn't see any NPCs or beasts disappear. That would have given me a hint about their real identities and purpose.'
Curious about the nature of NPCs and beasts, he thought, 'I'll wait for them to reappear and try to understand when they'll be brought back.'
As he accelerated toward his destination, Sora suddenly felt a strange pull. It was as if something with immense gravitational force was trying to draw him closer. The sensation was odd, yet familiar.
'What's this feeling?' he wondered, his curiosity piqued.
Turning toward the source of the energy, he changed direction and flew toward it. As he moved, he tried to gauge his location. 'This must be above North America,' he guessed, recalling his journey to the Elemental Golems Kingdom a few minutes before.
The closer he got, the stronger the pull became, and the more familiar the energy felt. It was as if he had encountered it before, though he couldn't quite place where or when, as mastering his abilities related to Soul Power hadn't been his priority lately.
Finally, as he approached the source, his eyes widened in shock. There, in the distance, was the cause of the strange pull. A sight that left him momentarily speechless. There were threads. Not a few, but millions of them. Each one pulsing with massive amounts of Soul Power.
Sora's breath caught. 'What the hell…?'
Floating in the void, he took in the scene. The density of Soul Power in this place was shocking. Surrounding a single person, floated millions of creatures. And unlike the thin strands that connected most players to their true bodies, these threads were overflowing with soul power, each bond thicker than a tree.
But that wasn't the only thing that surprised him.
Surrounding the central figure stood ten humanoid creatures. Each of them had Soul Power tunnels comparable to his own—a level of density that only he, Kara and the figure of the Demon Kingdom had.
Sora's eyes narrowed.
'Because they're his summons, none of them have threads leading to a distant place like all the other players… '
Watching the figure surrounded by the sea of monsters, he sighed. No thread tied him to another world. His Soul Power was like ocean, a huge bubble of Soul Power that engulfed every single one of his troops.
Sora's voice came out from his ghostly body.
"Alius…" Alius. His alter ego. His friend. His brother.
'His Soul Power isn't leading anywhere... So all of it revolves around him.'
Remembering the countless players he had seen, he knew Alius' case was quite unique. A feeling of sadness assaulted him when he thought of what would happen to him after the war ended.
'I need to find a way for him to get a real body...' He thoughts, clenching his fists.
Paying attention to Alius' surroundings, he heaved a sigh of relief knowing his friend was in no danger at the moment.
'At least, I know you're fine.'
Hope, who Sora thought was Alius' lover, however, was nowhere to be seen. Dismissing his thoughts, and leaving these matters for after the update, Sora darted in the direction of Korea.
Quickly reaching the Sky Academy, he thought of what to do next.
'If every player's soul thread connects to their original body…' A thought sparked in his mind. 'Then, can I follow them to their source?'
He hesitated for only a moment before making up his mind. 'I've already spied on most kingdoms, so why not go beyond that?'
Focusing on the thread that left his own body, Sora started following it to know how far he could reach. Faster and faster, he moved.
The familiar landmarks of the planet faded behind him. Though textures were still missing, the density of soul threads on the planet's surface gave him an idea of how far he was.
He continued moving. For hours. For days.
'Wait… how far does this thing go?'
He stopped for a moment, turning back toward where he came from.
'Can't even see the New World anymore.'
Continuing his journey for an unknown amount of time, he finally saw it.
Earth.
It looked small. Much smaller than the world he had spent so much time in. Yet, despite its size, something about it felt… precious.
He slowed down, staring at the planet's familiar blue and green colors. Cities flickered with distant lights, tiny but alive.
For a moment, he just hovered there, watching.
'So that's home… And it's still there...'
A strange feeling settled in his chest. It had never looked so far away before.
'It's been so long... I want to see what's happening down there…'
Ignoring the countless threads branching toward different locations on Earth, he focused solely on his own massive Soul Power 'thread' and followed it.
Entering the atmosphere, he felt no resistance.
Earth expanded beneath him, continents taking shape. He plunged lower, past clouds, catching sight of mountain ranges and rivers.
France quickly came into view. The Rhône Valley, winding roads, and familiar landscapes blurred under him.
And finally.
Alès.
His hometown.
He slowed, floating above his old home. His gaze remained on the quiet house where it all began.
From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of movement. A woman was watering plants in her garden.
Sora's eyes narrowed. 'Time… isn't frozen on Earth?'
For a brief moment, he considered the implications.
'Earth isn't affected by the update, it seems... Is the other world virtual? But if it was, I wouldn't be able to fly here... Maybe a hybrid world where reality meets magic and technology?'
Shaking his head, he dismissed the thoughts. It didn't matter right now. He had come here for a reason.
Turning away, he moved toward his house, phasing through the door without hesitation.
Sora moved through the familiar halls, floating above the ground in his astral form. The house was just as he remembered. Unchanged and untouched by the chaos of the other world. Yet, as he neared his room, he instinctively slowed.
He could feel it.
The dense, overwhelming concentration of Soul Power behind the door. His thread led straight to whatever was waiting behind.
His gaze flickered to his parents' room. Two thinner, steady threads connected to their door. They were here too.
Taking a breath, he turned back to his own door and reached out to the handle.
...
But nothing happened.
'I'm a ghost now... Can't open doors, I guess.'
Sora passed through the door, and entered his room. His gaze immediately locked onto the bed.
And there it was. His real body.
It was strange. He had expected to see a weak, malnourished version of himself, a body neglected after years in the 'game'. But instead, he found something entirely different.
His long black hair cascaded over the pillow, darker and richer than he remembered. His skin looked healthy, his frame more muscular than before. Even with his [Astral Form], he could feel it—his body was overflowing with life.
'So the body inside my [Soul Palace] really reflects the state of this body. My theory was right...' he thought, recalling his last visit to his [Soul Palace].
'Just how strong am I now?'
Curious, he moved closer, reaching out to check his pulse.
The moment his hand neared his wrist—. A translucent barrier came to life, stopping him. Sora stared at it for a second, 'Wait for me. I'll be back soon.'
Shaking off the thought for now, he turned and left the room.
After making sure his parents were doing fine, he left the house and roamed outside.
-----------------------------------
As he hovered above the street, an idea struck him.
'Nathan…'
He hadn't seen his brother in years, but now that he was on Earth, he had to see him.
Following his memory of the neighborhood, he swiftly made his way to Nahan's house. As he approached, however, something felt… off.
Only one soul thread led inside.
Sora's brows furrowed. 'Why would there be a thread leading here? Isn't Nathan outside of the game?'
Faster now, he entered the house. He quickly entered his brother's bedroom.
There, lying in bed, was someone he hadn't expected.
Rachel.
'Of course. She used to live with him… I should've seen this coming.'
His gaze flicked back to the bed, where Rachel lay in peaceful slumber, her soul thread connected to her real body here.
'But where's Nathan?'
He hesitated, scanning the room as if expecting some clue. But it was empty. There were no signs of recent activity, no belongings that hinted at his brother still living here.
'…Did he leave after he died in the game?'
It made sense. Why would Nathan stay in the same house, knowing the woman who killed him in the other world could wake up at any moment?
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