Chapter 15 - Cycle
Now that Yuki had gathered all the materials he needed for his upcoming battle, all that was left was to wait. He needed to have his ability timer fully recharged in case of an emergency. In the meantime, he continued to explore the city as he learned everything he possibly could about the terrain on which he will be fighting on.
While on his exploring journey, Yuki wanted to see how the people in the city were interacting. To his surprise, many people were in peace. They had gotten used to their new lives and had even started making friends. They spent their days either bating in the sun or talking to their friends. Most people had accepted the fact that they wouldn't be the first ones to reach level 100 so they instead decided to enjoy the freedom that they were given for the time being. After all, once someone reaches level 100 and breaks their limiter, that person will become the monarch of the new world, and anything they want would be the law. There would eventually be a point where that person levels up so much that no matter how many people are put up against them, they would win by easily speed blitzing them.
While they knew that this was inevitable, they also wondered what would happen once the monarch had died. Better yet, could people die of old age in this world and if so, did that rule apply to the person that won the "game". There were so many unanswered questions left within people's hearts however many chose to ignore them. It wouldn't matter what the answer was, at the end of the day, they can't change the outcome. They had finally found peace, why should they stress over such futile matters. No one had to work, they didn't have to pay bills, no one had to go to school. It was as if the world had transformed to its original form. The freedom that the people had gained just proved how much of a plague humanity was to the planet. A species that would never be satisfied with its accomplishments. Pushing itself further and further each day while it burns through all its resources. To be put into basic terms, humanity was just a waste of space. Without it, the planet would be much better. There was no pollution, war, or sadness. All that remained was the question "when will those things eventually come back", after all, history always manages to repeat itself.
A system will eventually be in place to control people. Something that can put people in an endless cycle of constant labor and in exchange for it people get "a lavish life". At the end of the day, life is only as enjoyable as how a person defines it. Some find peace within small things like a movie with friends or family, while others find it by being alone and appreciating the world. While this is true, the definition can be twisted and changed to fit a corporation's ideals. That is the reason why advertisements are made. They help create a false reality in which corporations benefit and the people waste their time. While those items cause temporary happiness, those emotions won't last forever because they aren't real ones. To cure that empty feeling in people's hearts, those large corporations will create another advertisement so you could feel that happiness once again. The manipulation of others was what led people to success. Sacrifice others for your own good. While Yuki wanted to avoid that, he also knew that was the quickest way to get to the top.
He already had manipulated 7 people and caused their deaths just for him to gain exp. In turn, by doing that Yuki had levelled up to level 2 and managed to get to #1 global. This goes to show that his previous theory was indeed correct.
Out of boredom Yuki went up to one of the people that were having a casual conversation with their friends.
"Greetings, would it be okay if I spent some time with you guys?" Yuki asked.
While at first the group he approached seemed confused by his question, they decided to give him an answer right away.
"Of course you can, there's no need to be so formal. We're all friends here," they replied.
"You can call me Katsumi," one of them said. He had broad shoulders and seemed to be a professional bodybuilder.
"My name is Ruiji but you can just call me Rui," another one of the group said as he introduced himself. He was very young and slim, Yuki guessed that he was around 14 or 15 years old. His face was so calming and gentle that it started to look like he nicest soul in the planet. There was no negative emotions within his heart. It almost made Yuki tear up for no reason.
"And you can call me Jobon," the man that Yuki first talked to said. There was nothing special about him. He was as bland and average as a person could be. He looked to be about 5'8, no muscle but no fat either. "He would make the perfect background character in an action based comic," Yuki said to himself.
Yuki smiled and joined into their conversation. After a while they began talking about their thoughts of the new world.
"Honestly though, I really thought that this place was a curse. We had everything taken away from us and we couldn't enjoy life anymore, but instead it feels as if I'm finally happy for once," Jobon said.
"Everyday, I had to deal with my boss micromanaging my every move then once I got home, I would have to deal with the constant nagging of my wife. All I wanted to do was escape that life but we still needed to pay our mortgage so I was completely trapped. I don't know how much longer I could've lasted until I would finally break down. I don't know who ever created this new world, but if you're listening, thank you, I truly mean that from the bottom of my heart," Jobon continued.