Breaking the System by Over-Leveling the Luck Stat
Chapter 21: Has it really been over 20 years? - Part 2

Chapter 21: Has it really been over 20 years? - Part 2

Shock and disbelief. Those are the two most prominent feelings that I can read on Elyssia’s face. Her mouth is agape. It looks like she’s trying to form words, but she managed to speak. Tiss speaks in her stead.

[Tiss] "Elyssia... You look like you haven’t aged a day."

[Elyssia] "I... You... But..."

Elyssia trips over her words, still stunned by our appearance. She even takes a step back and then covers her face with her hand. Tears are streaming from her eyes. So many tears that they quickly overflow and stream down her hand.

Tiss stands up and walks toward her friend. On the way past me, she gives a sly and swift kick to my back. I groan in pain, rolling over onto my belly while reaching behind me and gripping my new injury. I stifle the string of curses I was about to spout.

Tiss walks up to Elyssia and stands close to her. Tiss’ eyes starts to leak a large flood of tears as well. But Tiss is smiling. She reaches down to grab Elyssia’s hands. She holds them and gently strokes the back of Elyssia’s hands.

[Elyssia] "You... You haven’t aged a day, either."

[Tiss] "I’ve aged two days, actually."

[Elyssia] "Uh... huh?"

[Tiss] "It’s... a long story."

Tiss turns her head to shoot a glare at me.

[Tiss] "Mr. Scumbag Asshole over there knows the whole story, I’m guessing. He only just filled me in about the time gap."

[Elyssia] "Wait what? I... -sigh- Well I have a lot to tell you both, too. I might as well here out Mr. Gross Scumbag Asshole before I tell my side."

[Wade?] "So we’re back to adding adjectives for no reason? Awesome."

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After drying off both Tiss and I, Elyssia leads us over to the south side of the lake. Not too far from the water is a small camp. There’s a tent, firepit, and a log and stump for seating.

[Elyssia] "Welcome to my home."

[Tiss] "Are you living here? What happened to your place in the castle?"

[Elyssia] "I’ll tell you after I listen to your side of things."

Elyssia moves over to the stump and takes a seat. Tiss and I follow suit and take our seats on the log. Tiss is being sure to put plenty of space between us and scoots all the way to the other side of the log.

[Elyssia] "So, Wade, you apparently know the most. Please, tell me what happened back then."

I hang my head for a moment to collect my thoughts. How much should I say? Should I just tell all right now? I think... It’s best to be transparent about how I know so much.

[Wade?] "First, you should know that I speak to a god in my dreams."

[Elyssia] "A god? Which one?"

[Wade?] "The Fishing God."

[Elyssia] "Interesting... Go on."

[Wade?] "When the monster that appeared attacked Tiss, I tried to save her. Somehow, in that moment, we were instead transported to another dimension. I spoke to the Fishing God before I woke up in a labyrinth with Tiss."

Tiss is starting to look uncomfortable as I’m telling the story. Hiding things from her must have really set her off. I swear, no more secrets. She’s the first person I’ve felt myself growing close to in this new life. I’m not about to act like a shitty shut-in gamer. I’m not gonna lie. Maybe this is a bit early in some anime protag’s story to come clean, but I’m going to do things my own way.

[Wade?] "Before I go on, I should tell you a bit about my relationship with that god... And who I am."

[Tiss] "What do you mean?"

[Elyssia] "Hm?"

[Wade?] "I’m not originally from this world at all. I lived an awful life, died in an embarrassing way, and lucked out when the Fishing God reeled in my soul. I somehow got another chance at life, but with a few weird extras. Only a couple days into my life, I met you both and Rick. You know the rest up until we were attacked."

[Tiss] "I’ve never heard of anything so ridiculous."

[Elyssia] "No, Tiss, he’s probably telling the truth."

Both Tiss and I snap our gazes to Elyssia, who is strangely calm while listening to this. Both of us are kind of shocked to hear that Elyssia understood all of that.

[Elyssia] "You’ve both been gone for 27 years. A lot has changed since then. But I spent most of that time gathering knowledge. I searched through ancient labyrinths, combed through royal libraries, and I met with some of the sages across the world. The existence of reincarnated people with special powers outside of the known realm of possibilities is actually pretty common."

[Wade?] "Wait, I’m common?"

[Tiss] "The most common, if you ask me."

[Wade?] "Wait, was that an insult?"

Elyssia clears her throat to interrupt our bickering.

[Elyssia] "Well you match the few things I know. You died in your own world, then you met a god who gave you powers and a new body, then you came here and started a ’fantastic new life’ right?"

[Wade?] "Well that’s the gist of it. Not exactly what I expected, but yeah that sums it up."

[Elyssia] "Then I don’t think you could have done any better. than you did. You made it back, right?"

[Wade?] "Huh? You haven’t even heard everything yet."

[Elyssia] "I’m making a judgement call. You’re like a newborn in this world. You’re used to something safer and millennia more advanced technologically. But you survived whatever ordeal you had to go through. No matter what you knew or didn’t know, you did everything you could to bring Tiss home, right?"

[Wade?] "Right."

[Elyssia] "So, Tissela von Claus."

Upon hearing her full name stated, Tiss’ posture straightened out and her face shows nervousness. Beads of sweat drip down her face.

[Elyssia] "Listen to Wade and make a mature decision. He’s never had to survive on his own or fight monsters before. He doesn’t know the basics of the World System. But even I can tell, no matter what your story is, you’re upset with a man who leveled up so much and helped get you back home."

[Tiss] "But-! I-! Uh... He-!"

[Elyssia] "Tissela von Claus, you’re a lazy woman who can barely get herself out of the most simple troubles! If you have a weak man around, you act tough. If you have a strong man around, you let him take care of all the hard work. This man here overcame your selfishness and brought you home. Stop being cold to him!"

[Tiss] "..."

Tiss says nothing for now. She hangs her head low and stays silent.

[Elyssia] "Wade, continue."

[Wade?] "Oh! Ah... yes... So after the attack... I talked with Harold, the Fishing God, and he told me to ’First: Enjoy the moment.’ if I remember correctly."

[Tiss & Elyssia] "What does that mean?"

[Wade?] "I believe it’s referring to when I woke up on Tiss’ lap. It was actually a heavenly experience."

[Tiss] "SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU PERV!?"

[Wade?] "I made a silent promise to myself not to lie to you anymore. So it’s true that resting my head on your lap is an experience worth dying for."

[Tiss] "I-! You-! ... SHUT UP!!!"

Tiss turns away from me in a huff and starts to ignore me. I deserve it, but it’s still best to just be honest right now. Honestly, I think she’s hot. I like her. We’ve grown close lately and I want to be closer with her still. I don’t know if I feel love. But I want to be closer with her no matter what. Even if she hates me right now.

[Wade?] "Well I’ll just move on then... Afterwards he said ’Second, remember that STRING THEORY are stronger when they’re closer to the first dimension. They’re weaker as they get closer to the tenth dimension.’ I took that information mostly for granted. It took me a while to figure out how it worked in the labyrinth."

I began to explain how the cubes worked to Elyssia. I explained the walls, ceiling, and floor being their own faces that could contain a number. How that number influenced time and the direction a path could take. I explain how time was warped through the whole labyrinth and even the monsters moved weirdly when affected.

[Wade?] "After that, he just asked me to not die... I think he was just honestly worried about me."

[Elyssia] "I know nothing of these gods... But I know that I worried about you both."

[Wade?] "What do you mean?"

Tiss looks over to us now. It seems that she’s done pouting.

[Elyssia] "I never believed that you died. Neither of you. That’s why I searched so hard for answers. I never came to a conclusion, but none of it matters now... Because you’re home..."

[Tiss] "I... I’m glad to be back..."

[Elyssia] "I’m glad to have you back..."

[Wade?] "I know this world isn’t exactly my home, but... I’m back?"

[Elyssia] "Silence, you silly boy."

Elyssia stands up from the stump and approaches me.

[Elyssia] "I don’t care how it happened, but you died and came to our world. The life you’re living is one of this world. This place if your home."

The goddess-like dark-skinned elf wraps her arms around me and I feel the call of heaven and a choir of angels. Her pillowy breasts push against my head.

[Elyssia] "If you have nowhere else in this whole world to turn, I’ll take care of you."

[Wade?] "I-! Uh-! What-!?"

[Tiss] "Oh my fucking god! Ely, stop mommying him!"

[Elyssia] "But I just think he needs me to guide him. Don’t you?"

[Tiss] "Get your hands off of Wade! He doesn’t need a only hag of an elf to guide him! I’ll take care of him!"

Tiss rushes over to my side and attempts to pry me free from Elyssia’s grasp, but to no avail.

[Elyssia] "Let’s face it Tiss. You were gone for 27 years with him and he never made a move. He must be into the more... motherly types?"

With a seductive grin, Elyssia runs her hand over the globes on her chest, down to her defined hips.

[Elyssia] "Don’t you, Wade?"

[Tiss] "I’ll fucking fight you. Right here, right now."

[Elyssia] "Calm down, Tiss dearie. I’m just joking."

I’m still smothered by her chest, even if she is joking. It’s getting difficult to breathe... But I don’t exactly mind.

[Wade?] "How the fuck did we even get here?"