"Never logged in before?" Kirito repeated.
Lin Yuan nodded.
Kirito raised a hand to his temple, as if sorting out a question completely outside the rules of the game, "I can't verify what you mean by castle and True Magic. But there's one thing I can confirm: if you don't have a character ID, trading and partying won't recognize you."
"Are there any other ways to check?"
"Yes," Kirito, looking in Urbus's direction, "But don't try it in the city."
He took a roll of bandage from his inventory and then reached out his free hand to Lin Yuan. This time it wasn't a trade request, but a party invitation. The window lit up in Kirito's eyes for a moment, but Lin Yuan was still not on the list.
"Teaming up won't work," Kirito said.
"I told you so."
I have to see it for myself.
Kirito closed the interface and gestured for Lin Yuan to take the bandage. Lin Yuan took it, the rough texture of the cloth pressing against his palm. Kirito tried to retrieve it from his inventory, but the slot was empty; however, the usual notification for players acquiring items didn't appear at Lin Yuan's feet.
"I handed it over to you directly, and it's no longer in my inventory," Kirito said, "But it wasn't added to your inventory."
Lin Yuan bandaged the abrasion. "To me, it's just something I hold in my hand."
This sentence helped Kirito Human Order him better than the other world they had just discussed. In Kirito's eyes, a sword is first and foremost a data item, and only then does he consider its weight in his hand; for Lin Yuan, the order was exactly the opposite.
"You can smell the earth in the wind, you can get scratched by unicorns, but you can't be found by quests, potions, or parties," Kirito said slowly. "It's like the world allows you to touch it, but doesn't acknowledge that you belong here."
Lin Yuan looked down at the back of his hand. The minor cuts had stopped bleeding, and the recovery speed was about the same as his original body. After being swallowed by the crack, he thought he only had magic power left, but later he found that his strength, speed and reaction were still there; only his True Magic was locked deep inside his body, and no matter how he tried to activate it, he could not form a trace of spatial power outside his fingertips.
He turned his palm toward a pebble. In the past, a single thought could close the distance between him and the stone. Now, the magic still flowed, but the step of leaving his skin remained elusive. The pebble lay firmly on the ground.
Kirito watched his movements. "Are you testing True Magic?"
"I've tried many times. It doesn't work."
"Then when you fight the boss--"
"Only a sword was used."
Kirito couldn't help but recall those two changes of direction that were almost made by the blade's edge. There were no skill lights, nor did the system push his body into the right position for him. Those weren't hidden skills; they were steps that Lin Yuan took on his own.
"So your strength isn't from your level."
"It was there before I came in."
Kirito remained silent for a long time. For players, leveling up means their bodies become stronger; Lin Yuan wouldn't receive this growth, nor would he be unable to wield a sword due to insufficient stats. He possessed the same body from beginning to end.
"Could you possibly be some kind of high-level NPC?" Kirito asked finally.
"I remember where I came from, and I remember the person waiting for me in that ancient castle," Lin Yuan said. "You don't have to believe my origins, but don't treat me like a character written in a program."
Kirito met his gaze and nodded. "Okay."
Lin Yuan was somewhat surprised. "So fast?"
"If you wanted to lie, it would be easier to make up a special account left over from the closed beta," Kirito said. "Besides, you don't need me to believe you; the truth won't change."
The two walked back along the rocky slope. When they were still some distance from the city gate, Kirito suddenly stopped. "Don't tell Kibaou about this."
I wasn't planning on telling him anyway.
"It's not that I'm afraid he'll scold you. You were able to defeat the boss all by yourself today. But when everyone hears that you had no health bar and your injuries weren't calculated according to player rules, some people will want to push you out to test all the dangers."
Lin Yuan turned his head to the side. "Who can push me?"
"We might not need to push them," Kirito said. "They'll say, 'Only you can save them.'"
Lin Yuan recalled the gazes he received in the first-floor hall. Some suspected he was hiding the reward, while others hoped he would be allowed to go first on the next floor as well; the way these two types of people viewed him was actually not that different.
"I only do what I'm supposed to do," he said.
"That's good."
Kirito didn't mention forming a party again. The two walked to the city gate, where the sounds of players talking came from all directions again, leaving the secret about the other world outside the city.
Lin Yuan patted the short sword at his waist. "Identities are cleared, but the sword problem remains."
"If you can't buy it in the store, I can buy it for you."
That one doesn't fit.
Kirito thought for a moment, "If the finished product isn't good enough, then find someone who can build it according to your specifications."
Do you know the blacksmith?
"I don't recognize it yet." Kirito looked towards the street corner in the city marked with a hammer symbol. "But we can go look for it."
Lin Yuan walked in that direction first. Kirito didn't follow, only reminding him from behind, "Let's get to know each other again, my name is Kirito."
Lin Yuan turned around and smiled.
My name is Lin Yuan.