The boat arrived after a few minutes, giving us a well-deserved break from everything that had happened until that point. All the passengers and operators who had been injured in some way were taken to an infirmary, so they would embark on another boat later that day.

I thought I would be more surprised to see how many people were hurt, ranging from bruises and small cuts to broken bones. However, as my eyes watched them from afar, I was practically unfazed.

Perhaps deep down, I've always known the risks and possibilities. Of what would happen to the people who lost. And truth be told, had it not been for Justice's skill, I would be together with all those injured passengers—or perhaps I would’ve failed altogether. I was starting to wonder if I was standing in that boat due to my own skills and abilities or due to pure luck.

And I could only hope to be, at least, a mix of the two.

From the comments I heard as we embarked the first boat, things in the second cabin had gotten quite ugly. There was a quota to be met, and everyone's rank was being shown to whoever wished to see it.

It didn't take long for others to discover I was one of the operators, most people not that pleased to talk to me, or even be near me, for that matter. Seeing as I didn't want to stay close to anyone at that moment either, there were no complaints from me.

I needed space to think.

[Congratulations! You ranked first in the Trolley challenge]
[The Court wants to reward your efforts]
[Once you enter the Island, your rewards will be processed]

The Court, huh?

Something told me they had been the ones responsible for overseeing the Trolley challenge. If that was the case, what was the system? Was this Court overseeing it as well? Was someone or something else responsible? And where were they taking us?

If my guess was right, that trolley thing had been a preliminary test. Something like a tutorial or screening to eliminate as many people as possible, just like a job interview. They already had in mind the type of people they wanted on that "island", and apparently I made the pass.

But why? Was it purely because of my logic, or did luck play a big part in the selection?

Why was I even chosen to be part of this, to begin with?

"Ah...my head hurts," I sighed, massaging my temples.

Would the why even matter at that point?

I was given another chance, another life. That was everything I had ever wished for. The system called us 'new Selves', so I was probably not the only one who saw this situation as an opportunity to start anew. Like starting a new character creation after the first one went to shit.

That was what my life had become; a game.

A game with stages, rules, and consequences. A game where I had to obey the system in order to progress—in order to reach the end.

I had no idea what “the end” was yet. All I knew was what needed to be done in the now. And what I had to do from that point on was simple; I had to keep winning. Find out what the system, and the ones behind it, wanted from us. Find out what the “end” of that game was, and what it meant for me.

And most important, what I had to do to keep my life as Park Eun-Woo; especially after the “end”.

When the boat finally reached Île de Bâton, after a few hours, it took only a couple of seconds for the boat to dock. The more people descended, the slower the line got to leave the boat. At first, I had no idea why.

Only when I finally stepped out into the grass and looked around myself did I understand. When it got to my turn to stop at my tracks and block the passage for the ones behind me.

As I saw that place, I lost my breath.

If I had ever wondered if I was in another world, or in a crazy, hidden location on Earth, my answer was right in front of me. I felt I was inside a sci-fi or fantasy movie, my eyes unable to process what I was seeing.

It was as if the sky was frozen in a perpetual sunset—its orange, red and yellow hues painting a breathtaking beauty. When I finally found the will to move on, I was baffled at how soft the earth and grass were, as if I was walking on cotton and velvet.

The trees were as tall as buildings, yet there was not even an ounce of green on them, their leaves glowing and moving as if they were made of fire. The only dark green I saw was the few bushes and grass, however as the sunlight shone across the land, the bushes and plants seemed to absorb the light and lit themselves as if they were alive. Aflame.

There was a powerful scent of wood, smoke and summer, and from every direction there were cinders falling like snow. The air was warm, like a welcoming embrace telling me I was home.

By the gasps and collective awe, I was not the only one impressed and digging my feet into the earth to feel the grass, unable to move as my mind kept trying to process the scenery in front of me.

I had never seen a place as beautiful. I didn't think any of us had.

[You have arrived at the Île de Bâton]
[Follow the butterflies to find your new cottage]
[You have two hours to rest]
[All new Selves shall be present at the main plaza by the last bell's toll]

I was beginning to question my reading capability when thousands of butterflies flew in our direction. Their colors were not only vibrant; their wings possessed their own glow from red to blue and green and rose and black, even colors I could not even name it myself.

I saw some children giggling and laughing, trying to jump to catch one of them. For a brief second, I wished a part of me still possessed that inner child, filled with hope, innocence, and joy. When did I stop having this side? Was it when I graduated high school and enrolled in university, or was it way before then?

I really couldn't tell.

The butterflies did not stay idle; they made a trail as they flew forward, a trail that never faded or disappeared since there were always more butterflies flying and joining the flow.

I must have walked for more than fifteen minutes, yet at that point I didn't care, nor did my legs felt tired. The landscape was so outstanding and gorgeous—it felt like the shortest walk of my life.

We reached a village and at that point, the butterflies descended and landed on people from the crowd. A white one flew in front of me, batting its wings on my face before flying away—urging me to follow it. And it was not, by any means, a small butterfly.

Hana would have passed out at this point; she was terrified of them. The thought made me chuckle, the laughter dying in my throat after a few seconds.

Hana…the sister I decided to kill. Had she been transported to this world as well? And if so, was she here? Did she know what I chose? I tried not to think about it too much, the very sight of the butterfly making my chest hurt.

My cottage, surprisingly, had my name. I was not expecting that at all, especially when that system seemed to see us like disposable toys. Yet there it was, in purple letters right on top of the dark wooden door; my name.

Park Eun-Woo

For a brief moment I was terrified to blink and see my old name, yet as I stood at the door, blinking and counting the seconds pass, my muscles relaxed as relief flooded within me. In this world, I was truly Eun-Woo.

And I would always be.

The door took a few seconds to open once I turned the doorknob, and as soon as it closed behind me the systems’ messages began to flood in front of my face.

[You reached the Top 1 at the Trolley Problem challenge!]
[The Court gifted you the Primal Sword]
[You survived the Jolly Train! You earned 1500 points]
[You achieved a conquest!]
[You were the first Self in your group to surpass 5000 points]
[You earned a bonus of 800 points]
[You have received a message]
[You have received a message]
[You received a friend request from new Self Hildr Dahl]
[You received a friend request from new Self Halvard Dahl]
[From now on you can open the menu]
[From now on you can use points for upgrades]

I had to read and close them one by one, the messages completely blocking my view.

There was a lot of new information I could use at that moment, yet I started with the thing I was most curious about.

Would it work if I just spoke out loud?

"Open menu."

Short answer: yes.

Icons popped up in front of me—they were quite intuitive, which was good. Glad to know the alien system cared about user experience.

Judging by the icons, there was Mail Box, Inventory, Friends, Status and Skills and...one I could not decipher. What was that, a star? Multiple swords? I tried to click on it, yet nothing happened.

I clicked on Inventory. It was empty except for one item.

[Primal Sword: The Ace of Wind]
[The mythical sword belonged to the Court of Swords since the beginning of creation. It is the manifestation of the Court's ideals and beliefs. It holds within the power of Air.]
[Rarity: Unique]

That...seemed quite interesting.

What exactly was the manifestation of the Court's ideals and beliefs, I didn't have the slightest clue—yet a weapon was always good. I did want to learn more about the Court, however where could I even start?

On the left corner of the inventory, there was something else written.

[Total Points: 7398]

I whistled, feeling almost proud. It seemed like a lot, at least. I wondered if there were shops where I could use or exchange these points. Thinking about it, the system did tell me I could use them to upgrade, right?

I closed the inventory and opened another window. There were only four icons: two crossed wands, one chalice, a sword and, at last, a coin.

So much for a user-friendly interface…

With that thought, words appeared beside the icons—as if the damned system had heard me.

Beside the wands, 'Phys'. The chalice, 'Vis'. 'Wisdom' for the swords and finally, 'Luck' for the coin. I kept staring at the word 'Vis', trying to figure it out what it meant, yet nothing useful came to mind. Maybe it was the system's version of mana?

Each status was at '1', and how far each one could go, I had no idea. I had played games where it maximized at 100, while in others they went as high as the player's level. So which type of limit this system followed?

Well, clear or not, at least I could tell what the icons meant.

Now which ones should I focus?

Physique? Luck? I already felt quite lucky, at least on the past day. I had to think well, since I wasn’t playing some online game where I could always create a new character and start again. This was me. As far as I was concerned, I had one chance to make it good and I couldn't start off with the wrong status.

Based on the last game, the thing I had needed most was strength. Had I been stronger, perhaps Giorgio wouldn't have kicked me out of the train. The next trials could involve running or some other physical competition.

I tried to increase my strength by clicking on the wands icon.

[You must convert your points in order to evolve your Wands status]
[Do you wish to convert 100 points to three Wands?]

Huh.

That was a bit expensive.

Especially if the price increased along the way. I recalled my total amount of points, scratching the back of my head. Screw it, why not?

The moment I confirmed, red light circled around me before entering my skin. It was subtle, yet I could feel a slight change. My body felt somewhat stronger, lighter.

[Wands: 4]

With only 4 points total, I could already notice a difference. That made me itchy to convert more points and see how far that could go. However, it would be something quite stupid to do at that moment, when I didn't know what else I could do with points.

If points were this world's currency, I had to spend them with care.

Finally, I clicked on the mailbox icon. There were two messages, both quite similar.

[Dear mister,
Thanks to you, me and my brother got here safely. Send us a message when you arrive! My brother really wants to see you again.]

[Hey. My sister and I got here okay, so thanks. Reply back to me when you get here, Hil keeps crying afraid that she will never see you again.
If you make a girl cry like this, you are going to be a real piece of trash.]

I had no idea how they discovered how to send messages so quickly; I hadn't even thought about the possibility until I received the notifications.

How did they even find me?

For the first time since I entered, I shifted my focus—looking around at the cottage. The walls and floor were made of wood, and it had a real rustic feeling to it. Overall, it had a warm and cozy vibe. There was one bed, a small kitchen on the right, and what appeared to be a bathroom. I desperately needed a shower or a bath. After that...

Maybe the twins had learned more things about that place, and maybe they were willing to share.