Transmigrated to Game World with SSS Wife-Chapter 66: The Key of Avarice Pt.2

The second floor was far more empty and yet far more alive.

Most of the halls were empty save for a few servants dutifully cleaning portraits and other such vanities.

Despite the lack of real people, just by looking at these portaits Nick was indulged in the rich history of Eilanderil. Centuries of nobles and squires alike lined the walls. Different eras passed him like a blur.

And then, in the end, there was nothing left. Nothing more than a singular door.

The butler turned with a smile before opening it. Just like before, the other side was completely dark for now. Moments after entering, that would change.

Taking a deep breath, Nick prepared to obtain the first Token of Annihilation, the Key of Avarice.

...

On the other side was just a simple human surrounded by 3 servant girls. A dwarf, an orc, and an elf.

The orc was seemingly in charge of massaging the human, her thick fingers effortlessly kneading his sore muscles and popping joints into their proper place.

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"I'll take it from here."

With a single sentence, the elf dismissed the butler. He quickly walked back through the door he came from, not even taking time to bow.

"Let's go."

A small, rough hand grabbed Nick's elbow and led him to an open seat to the side of the man.

Looking down, Nick was shocked to see that the hand was the elf's and not the dwarf's. If there was a race he expected to be gruff, it was definitely the dwarves.

Though, his first experience with one was crass, to say the least. Sylus might not be the best marker for what a dwarf should be.

Turning his attention away from the servants, Nick looked at the human. The quest marker was right above his head.

"You have traveled far, Progenitor."

The man's unimaginably soft voice boomed through the room. It was like a whisper connected to an amplifier.

A small shuffling sound to his left caught Nick's attention, and turning he saw the elf place some kind of drink on the table.

"Weinter. A specialty of Eilanderil, courtesy of me."

This time, the man spoke in a clear and normal voice. He formed a small smile as he closed his eyes, one that butlers make when they ask if there's anything else they could do.

'Weird.'

Nick fidgeted in his chair as the feeling that something was eerily wrong returned. Nothing here felt entirely real, but it wasn't like it was fake either. Taking a sip from the wine, it tasted very real.

It was more so the people who felt fake. Maybe this is just how it felt when NPCs were actually alive?

The man made a signal to the girls, a little wave of his hand and they were off. For just a second it felt like the elf took a glance back at Nick, but he wasn't entirely sure.

With how muddled everything felt, it was very likely his kind just played tricks on him.

"Progenitor, welcome to my great city of Eilanderil." The man was back to the original voice, the screaming whisper.

It was like the normal voice was just some remnant of his past that was now forgotten. Left in its stead was... this.

But why?

Ethos had said that the game Aether Babes was just a reflection of the real universe, but wouldn't that mean that this man shouldn't be an NPC? What kind of real-world would have someone so lifeless and robotic?

"I see that you've come here for a reason. The Key of Avarice. It is an ancient trinket, a part of an even greater gift. Have no fear, Progenitor. I know exactly where it is."

The man smiled as he reached into his shirt and pulled out a necklace. Fixed on its strings was a key.

The key, Nick figured.

Nick reached out to grab the key, thinking that the NPC was offering it to him. However, before his hand was even closer to reaching the man, he concealed the key again.

"Sir, I would like to give you the key right now but I can't. First, I need you to do something for me."

'Agh. Of course, this is a multi-layered quest.'

Although he was annoyed, Nick knew better than to try and take the key by force. The game world probably had some type of failsafe, either keeping the man from dying or making the key unlootable.

Either way, violence probably wasn't the answer just yet. It would be better to listen to the new quest, go kill whatever dumb monster he needed to, and then get the key.

But it was tempting to slash at him with his Fang.

"Nearby, there is a certain shed. Within this shed, there is a secret trap door leading to a necromancer. For the last few years, he has been draining away the life of this world, to the point that no matter what my servants do, they cannot even till the earth."

'Ah. Good thing I let him speak, because otherwise I'd never hear about this necromancer. Chances are, he's the culprit behind all of this weirdness.'

[New quest received: Enter the Necromancer's basement]

A bright wave of happiness washed over the man as he exclaimed, "Thank you, hero!!! Your kind deed will not go unnoticed, you have my word!"

Then he went completely silent, as if he had said all he needed to. A stillness crept in the air as he stared forward, completely unmoving.

The air itself fell still, the wine in his cup completely unmoving. For just a moment, it felt as if time itself hung still.

Without warning the man sprung himself to his feet and almost ran to the door. He was a man focused on that singular action. Once again, it was like he was an NPC than anyone real.

Swinging the door open, he called out, "Here, Progenitor! Take any of the girls to help you on your quest!"

The girls from earlier filed in, first the dwarf and then the orc and then finally the elf.

Once they entered the room, he introduced them one by one.

"These are the best servants of my house. The orc is Myria, the dwarf is Gera, and the elf is Elise."