This is a Beta Test?! - A Literally Broken System

"...I don\'t think we should go to Vestyge just yet."

....

...

The sound of Shizu\'s stern, yet wavering tone echoed across the bridge as we all gave her a curious look. It was obvious that she wanted to say something, it possibly being related to what we just heard Shade speak about earlier.

"Why not? Is that not what the Emperor wants?" Shade incredulously asked before his expression morphed into one of dawning realization. "Wait, don\'t tell me..."

"I want to go to Marquee and see this artificial sun of theirs," Shizu firmly stated. "If it can really be used as a weapon, then it\'d be for the best if we can stop them before they can even use it against us."

I found myself nodding along in agreement. While I doubted that such a massive project would be far enough along that we had to stop it now, just the thought of leaving a potential doomsday weapon lying around was just idiotic. Granted, I\'m pretty sure Shizu doesn\'t even know what a sun even is.

"My Princess?! Wouldn\'t that be disobeying the Emperor?!"

Once again, my ears rang as Maruki strode away from his usual place, standing some ways behind me as they all talked to one another. I was part of the conversation, of course, but I just couldn\'t let my eyes leave the chart and the seas beyond. I really didn\'t want to crash this thing into a rock or something and sink us.

In fact... "Shen?"

Amidst the arguments going on, our little mechanic quickly moved to my side. "Yeah?"

"I want you to keep an eye out on the sea," I instructed. "I have to keep steering the [Rig], and I might miss a rock that can possibly sink us. Can you do that?"

Shen scoffed as she puffed out her chest. "Are you kidding me? Of course, I can do that!"

"Much appreciated."

I smiled at her as she quickly made her way to the front of the bridge, keenly keeping an eye out on the seas beyond as I returned my attention back to the brewing argument behind me. I had tuned them out for a bit, but I was pretty sure Shizu was still arguing her case against Maruki of all people.

"For the last time, if I\'m the princess, then shouldn\'t you at least listen to me?"

"Unfortunately, my loyalty goes to the Emperor first and foremost!" Maruki regretfully yelled out. "He has tasked us to protect you, and protect you, we shall!"

"Maruki, the Emperor also told us that the prin- Shizu is going to be the leader of this expedition," Shade exasperatedly argued, his annoyance palpable in his tone even as he switched Shizu\'s title out at the last second. "Her orders take priority as the current field commander."

"T-The heathens of Vestyge are the immediate threat, however!" Maruki actually wavered in his tone before he quickly solidified it once more. "This so-called artificial sun is surely far from being deployed, am I right?!"

As if Guidance and I both knew the answer, all eyes went to us as I then quickly shunted off responsibility to the former with a passing glance. I was driving this thing, and I really didn\'t want to talk about hypotheticals.

"We don\'t even know what you saw yet," Guidance whispered out, assuredly making sure that we all heard what she said about me.

"I\'ll tell you all after you\'re done," I quickly addressed them. "If we\'re going to Marquee, I have some information that might be relevant."

Turning my attention back to the charts, I swerved us away from a sizeable rock as soon as I saw Shen signaling me to turn. Meanwhile, I kept my ears open as Guidance began her spiel.

"Okay, from my own memories, the artificial sun in Marquee is supposed to be a project meant to bring light to the entirety of the [Shallow Deep]..."

I heard Guidance pause, and sure enough, some kind of tension began brewing from the religious nuts in the party. Thankfully, they kept quiet as Guidance continued.

"Frankly, I don\'t know how it\'s going to work, how they\'re doing it, or how they\'re even building the damn thing," the dev admitted. "As I said, it was something I had no intentions of adding to the game, but apparently, the Engine looked at it and went \'that looks cool.\'"

"I see," Shade pensively intoned as I heard him nodding. "And this \'Engine\' you two keep talking about. What is it?"

"The Re:Mind Engine is the beating heart of this world," Guidance sagely explained, her tone taking on a teaching tone as the more she got into her role. "It maintains the code, as well as the general framework of the entire world."

"So you mean to say that it\'s essentially the one thing that\'s keeping this world from being destroyed?"

I raised an eyebrow at Shizu\'s sudden question. While she was in the know, I didn\'t think we already gave her the rundown about the Engine... Or maybe we already did.

"Yes," the dev agreed. "It\'s the source of the numbers you see, as well as being the one thing that I\'m trying to fix every time I use my [Manifest]."

...

.....

"The one true Goddess!"

I almost let out a laugh as Maruki broke the tension with his usual shouts. And thankfully, the rest also seemed to take it as such as a few chuckles echoed from behind me.

"For the last time, I\'m no Goddess," Guidance sighed with an audible eye roll. "I\'m just trying to fix this mess, okay?"

"Still! You are the only one that can do such a thing!" Maruki proudly declared. "You have the ability to save our world from this hypothetical destruction!"

...

.....

Somehow, his words also got us back into a pensive mood as the possibility of it came right back into our heads. She really was the only one capable of fixing it all. And if what Shizu was seeing was any indication, we might have to find a way to fix it sooner rather than later.

"[RIG]!"

And just like that, the situation has once again changed. Shen had spotted something, and it was my turn to see what was up.

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