LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 17 : In the Morning
Several hours had passed, and the sun was now above the horizon, illuminating the entire area. Alice was currently sitting on a rectangular rock.
The forest around Azaroth also appeared to have returned to its natural state, although not naturally but through magic. Ordinary people wouldn't be able to distinguish between a naturally appearing forest and one brought forth by magic.
However, for those with enough strength, they could certainly tell the difference. Alice just stared blankly towards Azaroth, now filled with undead and monsters carrying out construction. The battle against the True Abyssal Dragon Lord was Alice's first battle in this world, and it had left her mentally and physically exhausted.
The morning atmosphere was quite bright, with a rush of fresh air embracing Alice, bringing her a sense of calm. The forest was eerily quiet, as if no living creatures were present, which was understandable given the massive attack Alice had unleashed earlier.
"I was wrong,"
Alice thought that she had miscalculated something. She had predicted that players or enemies would soon attack her during the battle against the True Abyssal Dragon Lord. In reality, no enemies had appeared, which both reassured her and made her feel like she had made a mistake in her calculations.
Alice's face also looked tired, like someone who had worked overtime all day at the office, and her gaze appeared empty, devoid of hope.
"I need rest."
Alice's race allowed her to not feel tired, hungry, or thirsty. In her previous life as a man, she should have been highly interested, with her libido skyrocketing upon seeing someone as beautiful as Arina. But nothing happened; it was as if she had no sexual interest.
Alice was currently alone, not counting her subordinates. She held a small hope that her guildmates would be sent here to help her, but that hope seemed as desperate as it gets.
A very soft voice suddenly brought Alice back to reality.
"I apologize, but in my opinion, Alice-sama has taken effective and efficient precautionary measures,"
It was Arina's voice, standing to Alice's right rear. Alice had previously asked Arina to sit with her, but Arina had refused, feeling unworthy and unfit to sit beside Alice.
Indirectly, this placed pressure on Alice herself. Her subordinates regarded Alice as a king—or even their creator. Some might even see Alice as their deity. This wasn't good, especially since Alice lacked leadership skills.
Thinking about this gave Alice a headache, and her stomach felt cramped, although ailments like cramps couldn't penetrate her defenses.
Alice had also used 50% of her summoning items that she had taken from her private library.
They all seemed permanent, which was quite different from the Monsterland game.
Hearing Arina's words, Alice smiled again.
"Is that so? What do you think of me, then?"
Alice was curious about Arina's opinion of her. She needed to ensure she didn't come across as a poor leader in front of Arina.
Before instructing Aether to restore the damaged forest, Alice wanted to ask for Aether's opinion, but it seemed her mind was muddled. Alice was also quite confused about why Aether saw her as a mother figure.
(Is it because I created Aether?)
(Each player generally gets the [Create: Servant] item when leveling up in the Monsterland game and during certain events.)
(If there were other players in this world, would their subordinates also see them as mothers?)
Continuously pondering unending questions made Alice even more dizzy. In her previous life, Alice was just an ordinary person with no particular talents, except for gaming skills.
Alice decided to set aside the questions swirling in her mind to prevent further confusion.
On one hand, Alice was eager to explore and journey through the world, but on the other hand, she had to protect Azaroth, which was her home. If Alice left before the defense of Azaroth was fully prepared, it would be like leaving the door of her house wide open for thieves.
Alice didn't want that, but the desire to travel the world and embark on adventures kept bothering her.
After hearing Alice's words, Arina stood upright with authority and grace, her chest slightly puffed out, making Alice want to glance in her direction.
"Alice-sama, my creator, the supreme leader, my master, and someone very deserving of loyalty. Someone I love, even though it's not fitting for a lowly subordinate like me to love her master,"
(Hm?)
Arina's opinion made Alice want to facepalm. It wasn't much different from Aether's response, but slightly better.
(Why is she belittling herself like this in front of me!?)
It made Alice very uncomfortable. She felt like all her subordinates would degrade themselves in front of her, with high expectations and hopes for her.
Alice swallowed hard, thinking about it all, especially since she only had intelligence in PvP, PvM, and Guild War.
On the other hand, Alice was also surprised by Arina's declaration of love. It was like someone confessing their love to someone of much higher social status.
It reminded Alice of her past life, and she laughed.
"Hahaha, that's a very interesting answer, Arina. You deserve praise,"
In the Monsterland game, there was hardly any way for Servants to rebel unless affected by a God Item's effect, and even that could be countered by another God Item.
Alice had great trust in her Servants because she had been with them for a long time, journeying through the world of Monsterland.
Instantly, Arina knelt, her face blushing as if she had hopes of winning her affection.
"I thank you from the bottom of my heart,"
"It's not a problem, Arina. Keep working hard, and I might reciprocate your feelings someday,"
(I'm just kidding, besides, I don't have a libido. If I did, I might just accept it right away.)
(I haven't even seen my naked body here; in other words, I haven't bathed in this world!)
Thinking about it made Alice feel that her body was dirty, and she would soon take a bath.
Morning showers, a routine Alice followed in her previous life.
(Alice Vasilissa, am I a male or a female?)
(Back in the Monsterland game, I was supposed to be female, but after upgrading my race to a higher level...)
Upon recalling this, Alice's expression instantly became very gloomy, as if she had lost something precious.
She vividly remembered the conditions for upgrading her race in the Monsterland game.
(I don't have genitalia...)
(In other words, I can't engage in biological relationships with anyone...)
(This is so sad!!!!!)
Alice's hands also began to explore her lower abdomen, and she became increasingly certain that she lacked genitalia.
Alice let out a heavy sigh, like someone trying to calm themselves after facing something heavy.
"Is there something wrong, Alice-sama? You don't seem well,"
Instantly, Alice changed her expression back to a very calm one.
"It seems I sense something amiss,"
(Eh! I should have said, "It seems I sense something wrong," not "It seems I sense something amiss.")
(Oh well, just a very minor slip of words.)
Arina's expression instantly showed shock because she understood the meaning behind those words.
"So that's it! I'll always be on alert!"
(Hm?)
ReCreate, at its peak, was ranked third among the top guilds and was known for being highly skilled in trading.
This was all thanks to a player with the nickname Neptune, who was both the treasurer and an expert in selling and promoting things. He even earned the nickname 'Neptune Store.'
Alice wanted to shout loudly, but she refrained from doing so because acting like a crazy boss in front of her subordinates would be counterproductive.
Unbeknownst to Alice, the Monsterland game had ceased operations since her reincarnation into this world due to insufficient revenue compared to expenses, and the developers wanted to focus on developing a better game than Monsterland.
Alice's hopes were in vain.
Not long after Alice got lost in her thoughts, a very beautiful dryad appeared before her.
"Alice-sama, sorry to disturb your time; I will deliver the report given by Aether-sama,"
Alice instantly narrowed her eyes and became very excited. After listening to the report, Alice's enthusiasm ignited like a rapidly growing fire.
Arina also felt very pleased because she sensed that Alice was currently filled with spirit and ambition.