Chapter 27: All comfort

She took her time, sitting on the bench, wringing out her long hair before carefully braiding it. Then she set about taking care of her teeth. The happiness she derived from it was almost indecent: she brushed once… then twice… then three times, unable to stop.

Next, she put on cotton boxer shorts, a sports bra, thick socks, and a coarse sweater, all in uniform black. Only her cargo pants were olive green. Even the military boots, pristine, fit her perfectly. As she laced them up, it suddenly hit her where she was: everything pointed to this being a former barracks.

Ready as she could be, she moved into the next room: a vast mess hall awaited her. The white light flickered to the rhythm of tired fluorescent tubes. All the round tables were empty except for two: one converted into a monitoring station cluttered with screens, and the other, in the center, where Nicky was waiting with two place settings.

"Wow, this is amazing! "she exclaimed.

"Thanks, we do what we can to decorate, "he replied, gesturing to the monitors and a few shelves. "So, happy to find a hint of civilization?"

"You have no idea…" she sighed, draping her braid over her shoulder.

"Whoa," whistled he, "your hair’s longer than my boyfriend’s!"

Blanche tilted her head, intrigued, and approached the monitoring table. The cameras, all fixed, filmed the exterior with no blind spots—even the roof. The smell of iodine finally faded inside the building. Beyond the gate, she could make out two huts, one likely Rauõr’s; further away, at the edge of a port bay, the Viking village bordered by the massive forest.

" Nothing to report," grunted Nicky." I hate winter. It’s dull, drab… and it’s only just begun."

"What? "shouted Blanche.

"Yep, bad luck. You arrived at the worst time, and the temperatures just started dropping. Watch out: winter here is brutal, and snowstorms are routine. Luckily, we found you in time…"

She winced. The image of herself, perched alone in a tree amid a blizzard, chilled her with horror. She would never have survived.

"Thank you for finding me… and for everything else."

"No problem, " he smiled, pointing to the central table. "Come on, eat while it’s hot."

She didn’t need further encouragement. Sitting down, her eyes widened.

"Eggs? Real scrambled eggs? And… bacon? Seriously?"

"It’s a little dry, but delicious. Gift from the Vikings. We help them with magic, sometimes with construction. In return, they give us food. Enjoy: when the Elf is around, it’s salad for everyone. No matter how much we tell him our warrior muscles need protein… Nothing. And trust me, no one wants to upset him. Me included."

Blanche barely listened: she devoured her meal with unstoppable enthusiasm. Even the utensils felt natural in her hands. When she was full, she took her time savoring a drink resembling cider.

"It’s strange, huh?" said Nicky." A minute ago, you didn’t even know how to hold a fork. When you get here, you forget everything: back to zero. But as your intelligence rises, you remember the everyday stuff. Not who you are, unfortunately… just the rest."

"This is the best meal I’ve had since… I arrived," she murmured." But how did I wake up in a building in the Otherworld… and there’s another one like this here?"

"Long story. There was an accident long ago. Entire buildings, full of people, ended up in the Otherworld. Conversely, pieces of wild nature slipped into other worlds, along with their creatures. Aaron calls it the “convergence.” According to him, this is a barracks from another world. Perfect as a hideout. Argy discovered it about a hundred years ago. The rest… I don’t know. Anyway, thanks to Aaron’s gift, they patched it up fast. The only thing he can’t make is food or living beings. Hence our trade with the Vikings. And believe me, drinking anything other than their… juice is a blessing…"

"Wow… But what exactly is the Otherworld?"

"What did your god tell you, exactly?" he asked, surprised.

"Assume he told me nothing; it’s easier, " she grumbled.

He laughed, then explained the famous convergence: seven parallel worlds—Epsilon, the Underworld, Heaven, the Limbo, Elementary, the Cursed World, and the Otherworld—collided. Now, magic and supernatural creatures were intertwined, and each of these worlds housed the same species, in varying proportions. The Otherworld, the main vector, had to be regulated; it was the natural role of the players. A disturbance here, even minimal, would immediately affect all other worlds.

"I see, " murmured Blanche. "Perfect little soldiers with powers to maintain balance."

"Exactly."

He then enumerated the species encountered: vampires, magicians, wizards, shapeshifters, fae—elves, fairies, pixies, nymphs, dryads, mermaids—plus orcs, goblins, and other far less friendly creatures.

Then came the statistics briefing: strength, encompassing physical power, aggression, and will; speed, naturally linked; agility, precision, and efficiency. Strength + agility = critical damage. Speed + agility = heightened senses. Combined, the three made them true combat machines. Intelligence reinforced their interface, wisdom increased powers and synergy chances.

Aaron, the most experienced, had only a thirty-second cooldown on “Drainage”—the craziest skill, according to Nicky. If she needed to learn more, the library was filled with their compiled notes.

Blanche felt a surge of energy. She had never been into games or violence, but something inside whispered that it was time to face this world. Her survival depended on it. And there was no way she would stay at the bottom of the rankings.

She had always dreamed of a goal worthy of her.

Here it finally was.