Chapter 49: the revelation

The two of them went to the study alone, leaving the others in the living room. Because it was just the two of them, Jacob offered to push Smith’s wheelchair into the study. Smith didn’t refuse, accepting the gesture as a sign of goodwill.

​When they reached the study, Smith’s study wasn’t luxuriously decorated. It contained only a few bookshelves, a simple study desk, and a single normal chair positioned opposite the desk. Smith remained in his wheelchair while Jacob sat on the opposite side, directly facing him.

​Without wasting any time, Jacob looked straight at Smith and asked, "How much do you know about the first dungeon breakout?"

​Smith paused to think about the question, but realizing it was likely a formality, he didn’t feel the need to elaborate. He simply replied, "I don’t know much about it."

​Jacob didn’t want to waste time either, so he got straight to the point. "The public knows that different factions and the government work together in various places and have reached a mutual agreement on how to govern and rule. But in reality, that’s not the case. That explanation is just for the ordinary people. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

​"For us players, to tell you the truth, this world isn’t as peaceful as you might think. I know that ever since you were born, you haven’t left this city, so you don’t know what the outside world is like. But the reality is that very few cities today still abide by human rights or allow ordinary people to have choices.

​"I’m not trying to scare you, but everything you’ve known since childhood—this peace—was actually a barrier our families created so that people could still experience harmony. The outside world is completely different from what you imagine.

​"You might not know this, but once other factions or governments take full control of a city, they usually abandon the democratic system you see here and revert entirely to a feudal system like the one from over a thousand years ago. They treat common people like grass, doing whatever they want. In fact, ordinary people are treated as even more worthless than a blade of grass on the street.

​"Systems like slavery and other inhumane practices are endless. Entire families can be executed simply because someone accidentally bumped into a young master of an elite family."

​When Smith heard this, he was deeply shocked by the revelation. Since he was born, as Jacob said, he had never stepped outside the city. He didn’t truly know what the rest of the world was like. Even when he lived in the slums where life was harsh, nobody had ever crossed the line to severely harm them. People were mistreated, mocked, and pointed at, but no one ever took extreme action against them.

​He had initially thought that was the lowest quality of life a person could live, but after hearing Jacob’s words, he realized others were far more miserable. Even without formal schooling, he understood that places without established human rights, where slavery existed, were the lowest form of society—places where taking a life was as casual as stepping on an ant by the roadside.

​Imagining what his life would have been like if he had been born in one of those other areas made Smith shudder, a cold chill running through him. He tried to push the thought from his mind.

​Jacob continued, "I don’t mean to brag, but our Seven Families are among the only factions that still rule our people through a democratic system. Even the government side hasn’t objected to this approach because we are equal in strength, and neither side wants heavy casualties.

​"To be honest, the areas where people live peacefully under our controlled cities are very small in this world. Any place ruled by only a single faction usually reverts to a barbaric system where humans are treated as nothing. Without an opposing force to counterbalance them, they don’t need to win the hearts of the people, so they begin to rule with an iron fist.

​"Even though you’ve lived in this city your whole life and never heard of conflict before, have you ever questioned why our city has so many defensive facilities and such high walls? I know you might think they’re meant to prevent dungeon breakouts from harming the city, but that’s only a tiny part of it—an excuse used to fool ordinary people.

​"The truth is, not all cities live in harmony with one another. Conflicts frequently erupt over control of dungeons or other resources. In short, the outer world isn’t peaceful; factions are constantly at war. The reason you’ve never heard of our city being invaded since its founding is that our Seven Families are bound by a very tight alliance. To the outside world, we might seem distant, but we are far more closely connected than anyone realizes.

​"I’m telling you this story for a reason, and I’ll explain the rest later. But putting internal conflicts between cities aside... Smith, do you know what happens after a dungeon breaks out?

Smith was is shocked by the earlier revelation but he still answered, "After a dungeon breaks out, the creatures inside usually escape and cause destruction to the surrounding area."

​Jacob nodded. "But let me ask you something else: Do you know where dungeons actually come from?"

​This time, Smith was even more startled. He had asked himself this question before, but because he just starting his journey of being a chess player, he assumed it was knowledge known only to high-level players, so he never pursued it. Even George didn’t have an answer to that question.

​Being asked directly by Jacob, Smith shook his head, signaling that he didn’t know.

​Jacob went on to pose another question: "Do you think our world is the only main timeline?"

​Smith was genuinely surprised by this; the concept of multiple timelines had never crossed his mind.

​Jacob explained, "The truth is, our main timeline is being invaded by parasitic dungeons that attach themselves to our world. When a dungeon breakout occurs, it directly links our timeline to the timeline on the other side. Many timelines exist in this universe—some far apart, others close—but one thing is certain: those other timelines constantly try to invade ours, using dungeons as gateways.

​"When a dungeon breaks out, a two-way portal opens between the two sides. While they can invade our world, we can also cross over to theirs. It’s a gate that opens from both directions. I won’t get too deep into the mechanics right now, but my point is that this world is far more dangerous than you think. Even if our city clears all the local dungeons, we can never be sure if other cities have cleared theirs. A single unchecked breakout can directly connect us to an aggressive external timeline.

​"Although specific rules govern inter-timeline invasions, connecting with another timeline always poses a massive risk. It often leads to an inter-timeline war where one side must kill or be killed—a battle for the total survival or extinction of an entire species unless the gate is closed or you exterminate the other party.

​"I’m telling you all of this for one reason: to survive in this world, you need absolute strength. And to gain strength, you need connections. Even if you possess immense potential, you still need time to grow. In the end, it all comes down to two things: resources and time.

​"When I talk about resources, I mean physical items like, blueprints, artifacts,energy orbs etc and also faction support. No matter how much potential a single person has, their individual energy is limited. But with the backing of a powerful faction, your path becomes much smoother.

​"I don’t mean to be blunt, but let me ask you one final question."

​Jacob leaned forward, locking his gaze directly onto Smith’s face without flinching.

​"Smith... do you have a way to obtain high-titled Queens?"

​The question hung in the air, and the atmosphere in the study instantly fell dead silent.