ALL NOVEL Chapter 88
“Take a look at this for now.”
To prove that I came from a different world—whether it’s truly a parallel world or not—I opened the Moon Gate.
I figured it would be faster to show her first… It reminded me of the time with Chairman Ryugen.
“This is… amazing.”
The candy stick, which Nias had been holding like a cigarette in her mouth, slipped out and fell to the floor. She didn’t even notice the candy hitting the ground; her eyes were fixed on the Moon Gate I had opened.
“Can I touch it?”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
Suppressing her excitement, she asked for my permission and began eagerly feeling the gray framework of the Moon Gate, checking it thoroughly.
“This is incredible. I’ve lived a long time, but I think this is the most surprised I’ve ever been.”
“Thanks.”
Even a brilliant scientist from a world far more advanced than Earth—or even Asphial—was stunned by the skill I possessed: the ability to travel between worlds.
“So, where does this gate connect to?”
“It’s connected to the world I was born in—a fantasy world where magic exists.”
Upon hearing my answer, Nias merely nodded and placed her hand on the white, misty entrance of the Moon Gate. As expected, though, she couldn’t pass through it.
“I see. So, only the user can pass through this gate.”
“Yeah. Only something that’s completely dead can go through. I tried it once, but even a state of suspended animation won’t work.”
I had been researching the Moon Gate since the early days when I made contact with the Saioji Group.
The first experiment we conducted involved using test animals in suspended animation to see if they could pass through the Moon Gate. The idea was that if it worked, other living beings could be put into suspended animation and revived on the other side. But it didn’t work.
We also tried passing fertilized eggs through the Moon Gate. Surprisingly, they passed through. However, not a single one hatched on the Asphial side. After further investigation, we found that the cells had completely ceased activity during the transfer.
At that point, it started to feel like some divine will was at play. No matter what we did, it was impossible for any living thing other than me to pass through the gate. Until we discovered more useful information, the research had been put on hold.
As Nias looked at the Moon Gate with fascination, I demonstrated by passing my arm through. Though she didn’t show surprise, her curiosity was evident.
“If only you can pass through… I wonder what would happen with a clone of you, made from your cells? Ah, don’t look at me like that, I’m just joking.”
She casually brought up cloning while observing the Moon Gate, and my reaction must have given me away, as she quickly added that it was just a joke.
It seems that ethical issues surrounding cloning are still present in this future world as well.
But the fact that she could so casually mention something like cloning suggests she might have a bit of a mad scientist streak in her.
She might not be the galaxy’s number one criminal, but she’s still quite the lawbreaker herself.
—
“Wow… real meat and vegetables. Only the wealthy upper class gets to enjoy these.”
“Really? I would’ve thought that with how advanced science is, livestock farming would be commonplace.”
Aria and Eurua were both surprised and delighted to welcome me back after my brief time with the spirit ᕼᐊᑯᐊ. Aria, in particular, had been worried she’d never be able to get her hands on the Crossworld trading cards she’d recently become obsessed with, and her beautiful face had been marred by tears and a bit of snot. Though, her reaction had a playful tone, as if she had known I would return.
They were shocked, however, that it had only been less than an hour since I disappeared.
I wanted to explain the situation to them in detail, but first, I had to fulfill my promise to Nias. So, I went to the fridge and gathered some food supplies.
The food I brought was leftovers from the welcome party—some Wagyu beef and leafy vegetables harvested in Asphial.
At first, I tried bringing the food directly to her, but it turned out Nias’ lab didn’t have a kitchen. So, I went back through the Moon Gate, cooked the food, and then brought it to her.
I prepared a simple stir-fry with the meat and vegetables, along with white rice. Even with such a basic meal, Nias seemed overjoyed—her eyes even glistened with emotion.
“Most people below the rank of second-class citizen survive on nutrient blocks. The wealthy and powerful can afford livestock planets, but for ordinary citizens, that’s out of reach.”
“So, even with all this technological advancement, it’s still inconvenient.”
On the flip side, entertainment in this world was highly developed. Nias explained that the “real” meals we were eating could be experienced in virtual spaces—an electronic world created for enjoyment.
“Though, only citizens up to third class can enjoy entertainment in the virtual space. On this remote planet, you’re limited to gambling and alcohol at best.”
“I see…”
The planet we were on—Zerad, a resource planet—was inhabited by fourth-class citizens, who were essentially slaves. Entertainment involving the virtual space wasn’t available to them, and from what I gathered, their standard of living wasn’t much better than that of Asphial.
In fact, from the details Nias gave, it seemed that the people on the resource planet Zerad lived in conditions far worse than what I had experienced in Japan.