Chapter 536: I Dived into the World I'm Yearning For

I was told that the festival would have the image of a game center, but neither the Central Tower nor the Central Plaza didn't look so cluttered. Rather, it looked like a row of orthodox festival stalls.

As I stepped forward, looking around for a bit, Alice looked up at me and spoke with a bright smile on her face.

[Kaito-san, I might be the kind of person who hides a lot of things, but that doesn't mean I would hold my cards back! Why don't we just go to the centerpiece (medama)?]

[Eh? No, I don't like going to a grotesque attraction……]

[I'm not talking about an eye (medama) attraction, okay!? I'm talking about the festival's main attraction, got that!?]

Yeah, this feeling whenever she retorts, as expected of Alice. I really like the atmosphere where we can joke around like this.

[Hahaha, I'm just kidding…… So, what's the festival's centerpiece?]

[Fufufu, listen and be astonished. What a surprise! It's an attraction that uses a new technology developed by Alice-chan in collaboration with Kuro-san!]

[……Mumu, that certainly sounds amazing……]

[Yes, to be honest, the more time passes, the more crowded that place will be, so it would be better if I go there as early as possible. Well, of course, we could just directly use the attraction with a face pass, but I think I'd rather play with Kaito-san alone at that time rather than having a bunch of people milling around the area.]

Chuckling, Alice grasped my hand tighter and led the way.

Walking for a while, we arrived in a large building that kind of looks like a theater. However, it didn't have an eccentric exterior, nor do I see anything that makes it look like a huge playground.

……New technology huh. If it was developed jointly by the Underworld King Kuro and the Phantasmal King Alice, I'm sure it would be something innovative, but I can't imagine what it's like from its outward appearance.

[Now, now, let's go in.]

[U- Unnn…… Rather, no one's even here.]

[Well, I used my influence for a bit…… I've made it off-limits until we're done playing.]

She's making a really evil face for some reason, but well, it's Alice after all…… Let's not worry about that.

Entering the building with Alice, what I saw was a surprising sight.

[……Why the heck is this place filled with stuffed costumes!!!? The heck is this? A horror house?]

[Whoa there, Kaito-san, please don't belittle them. They may look like stuffed costumes, but it's one of the best items in the whole world, made with the most advanced technology and magic techniques! Ah, it also comes in a variety of sizes.]

[………………..]

[For Kaito-san, I've prepared this special "behemoth stuffed costume". Now, please immediately we———- Migyaaahhhh!?]

[Like hell I will!]

What the heck is this person thinking!? I knew she was always doing stupid things, but I didn't expect that she would create a joke of an attraction all for her hobby.

An area where they could wear stuffed costumes to play around, I wonder who her target audience are…… Children? Is this an attraction made for children?

[Ouch…… Please wait, Kaito-san. I haven't explained the most important feature of these stuffed costumes yet. Kaito-san will definitely change your mind when you hear about this!]

[……You stink like bullsh*t.]

[You're mean! A- Anyway, please listen. They may look like stuffed costumes, but they're state-of-the art magic tools with a special function built in it.]

As I looked at her in dismay, Alice appealed to me in a somewhat desperate manner. Looking at them, they just look like stuffed costumes though…… Well, she made them together with Kuro, so I don't think it's a lie to say that they had some great features.

But well, if it's really as she says……

[By wearing these, you can "automatically create a mental clone" and "enter a pre-made virtual world to play in"!!!]

[……Eh?]

I had thought that the function would be something trivial, but Alice's words completely made me stiffen.

Eh? Wait a moment? What does that mean? Mental clone, if I think of it as something like a thought entity, does that mean we can use that to enter a virtual world and play in it?]

D- Doesn't that mean that these stuffed costumes are that…… That one thing in the future that many game lovers dream of……

[Yes, this attraction is, based on what they're called in Kaito-san's world, a "Dive-type VR game"!!!]

[……What…… did you say……]

[Fufufu, you seem to be so surprised that you became speechless, eh? Yes, by wearing these stuffed costumes, you can go to a virtual world! Moreover, these stuffed costumes have a number of supportive features, such as ensured protection for your real body and automatic return of the mental body after a long dive!]

[……S- Seriously?]

[Seriosly serious.]

T- The VR that lets you go in the game world I've always yearned for…… Amazing…… This is seriously amazing. For such a thing to be made in a place like this…… Alice is definitely someone who lived in the future……

My interest, which was almost zero before I listened to her, was immediately piqued with just a few explanations. Now, I can't bear the urge to play it already.

[……Well, with the explanation done, please try it on. When you put it on, you will automatically dive in. I'll explain what happens next as we play in the virtual world.]

[A- Alright. M- My bad, Alice. I jumped to a conclusion and made fun of you. You really are amazing.]

[Fufufu, you can always praise me more!]

[……By the way, why did you make it in the form of stuffed costumes?]

[Obviously because it's cool!]

[……Eh?]

[Eh?]

W- Well, putting Alice's strange hobby aside, thinking about VR is making me excited.

Virtual world huh…… I- I wonder what it's like? I guess it should be something like Fantasy-type MMOs? No, there's a chance that it's the SciFi-type.

With great excitement, I put on the Behemoth stuffed costume that Alice had given me. Putting on the body part first, after I finally wore the head part…… I felt my consciousness fading, as if I were asleep, and left for the virtual world.

Dear Mom, Dad————— For once in my life, I really admired Alice. For her to create the VR that I yearn for…… There are magic boxes and magic related to different dimensions, so I guess something like this isn't impossible. Anyway, as I was feeling extremely excited————– I dived into the world I'm yearning for.

●●● : [……Even I could make something like that too. Kaito-san won't rely on me. Even though anything is possible if he just relies on me……]

▲▲▲ : [……Why won't my child talk to Mother about this? If it's for my beloved child, I could create as much of that whatever space as he wants……]

●●●, ▲▲▲ : [ [ ……Unnn? ] ]

●●● : [……This is my world. I will not allow you to do things without permission. I'll make my move if I have to. Stay out of this.]

▲▲▲ : [If a mother needs to help her child, it matters not whichever world he is. You're the one who needs to stay out of this.]

●●●, ▲▲▲ : [ [ …..Aah? ] ]

T/N: 87/281