Chapter 145 – Enter the Virtual Space!

I bought it, the virtuаl соnsоlе.

There wаs а new modеl out.

Twо оf thеm, оnе fоr Mashirо too. I sрlurgеd!

In prераrаtiоn for tоmorrоw’s New Yeаr’s Еvе, I’m gоing to use this tо desсend into the virtuаl sрace lobbу right nоw and try out various things.

“Соming all the way to thе сity cеnter аt thе еnd оf the year, оnly to hаvе lunсh and go hоmе! Whаt a wondеrful dinner…!”

“Sorrу about that.”

Mаshirо seems tо bе lamеnting something.

Оver here, it’s thе kind of jоb thаt seems to be oрen 24/7, 365 dауs а yеar.

When реоple аre rеsting, thаt’s whеn а Strеamеr’s truе wоrth is testеd!

“Gоt it. Somehow… I’m starting to understand what it means to be a Streamer’s wife. You’re giving everyone hope, Senpai.”

“I’m glad you understand! I’ll take plenty of time off again after the New Year holidays.”

“Really? I see, if you avoid the peak season, it gets a bit less busy, right?”

“Yeah. Let’s go to Nezumie Land and slap down wads of cash to eliminate wait times and have a blast. We’ll book a hotel too.”

“Yay!!”

Mashiro’s mood improved in an instant.

As expected of the dream kingdom.

Nezumie Land is the very embodiment of a fantasy manifested on earth, which is why, despite its massive scale, no Dungeons appear there.

There have been issues behind the scenes like labor-management relations and wage problems, but the fact that it still doesn’t undergo Dungeonization makes me think their management must be incredibly thorough.

It might be worth keeping an eye on that place after the New Year.

So, with that, it’s time to head home carrying a big load.

The neighboring Labyrinth Ministry branch office is closed for the year-end and New Year holidays.

Technically, Shino, the landlord, is the only one there.

He seems to be thoroughly enjoying catching up on videos, along with good sake and snacks.

I should probably leave him alone.

“Nutrition check! Connection with Floppy check! Environment clear of surrounding objects… check! Alright, I’m off.”

“Have a good trip!”

Seen off by Mashiro, I head into the virtual world…

Whoaaaa, my body just Metamorphosed on its own!

‘Master, in virtual space, one dons an Avatar body, but in Master’s case, your physical body is so strongly linked to that space that you become Little Spice in reality as well.’

That’s Floppy’s easy-to-understand explanation.

“I see! Well, I’m completely used to this by now, so it’s fine!”

The first place I landed was my own private lobby.

Since I haven’t decorated it yet, it’s extremely simple.

‘This is where we Grimoires can show our power…’

‘Let’s turn it into a study!’

‘Having rows and rows of books is just so calming, you know!’

‘Can I come with Master too? They call it the electronic sea, right?’

Oh, so Marinna is accompanying Spice this time.

Spice, along with this one and Floppy, moved to the next lobby.

“This is like a temporary lobby, I guess. It’s called the 4814 Lobby. If you force the reading, you could read it as Spice too…”

‘It’s fate.’

‘Isn’t that a bit too forced?’

You think so?

Lots of people were walking around noisily, and even within just this lobby, it was bustling.

Here and there, announcements were being made for games to play in VR and events.

Hmm, hmm, there’s a simulated shop event on specific days of the week every week.

There are various types too.

‘Ah, it’s Little Spice’s Avatar!’ ‘It’s the most accurate one I’ve seen so far!’ ‘So cute! The mini-skirt of the Apron Dress is fluttering!’

“Ohhh? It’s the real deal! Hellooo! I came to play in VR today!”

I turned around, gave a little hop and jump, landed with a “bam,” and spread both arms wide.

Then, the people around me erupted with excitement.

‘The real Little Spice!?’ ‘Oh right, Streamers can use their Avatars as they are!’ ‘It doesn’t look 3D at all, does it?’ ‘It looks smooth like real life…’

Behind me, Floppy was murmuring something like, ‘Since it’s the Metamorphose itself, it’s not on the level of polygons or such.’

Even during that, more people were gathering!

“Sorry, everyone! Spice wants to look around this area today! I’ll be coming with the Four Guys tomorrow, so please look forward to it!”

‘New Year’s Eve with the Four Guys!?’ ‘I’ll definitely watch!’

Waving energetically to all the fans—that’s fan service!

And move!

“Floppy, next?”

‘At Big Sis Marinna’s request, the General Lobby. From there, you can peek into the electronic sea.’

‘Yay!!’

Marinna was hopping up and down in the air.

What energy!

“Oh, before that, I better change into something less conspicuous. Metamorphose!”

What I changed into with a spin was a certain girls’ school uniform.

Is this the third time already?

I think I’m getting pretty good at wearing it.

I spun around in front of the full-length mirrors floating here and there to check.

Yeah, good, good.

Cute.

‘So cute!’

Oh no, not good!

I was spotted by a group of bunny-eared ladies.

Gotta move, move before they talk to me!

About half of those ladies had male voices.

Moving from lobby to lobby!

This is the General Lobby.

I see, it’s on a completely different scale from the places I’ve been so far.

Apparently, it’s the largest assembly space in Japan, capable of connecting hundreds of thousands of people, no joke.

‘The electronic sea♪ I’m so looking forward to the electronic sea♪’

Marinna is super excited.

Just wait.

‘I’ve downloaded the sightseeing guide. Displaying it now.’

A glowing bulletin board appeared before Spice’s eyes.

Hmm, hmm, if you want to see the electronic sea…

The Leviathan Observatory seems to be the place.

The Cardinal Sin of Envy, Leviathan, appeared and tried to wreck the opening ceremony of this General Lobby.

And the story goes that Kiraboshi Hazuki, who happened to be there, fought to save her friend who got caught up in the incident.

The destination I headed to was a large donut-shaped space.

There was a safety railing made of something like an electronic net to prevent falls…

And below it, a shining sea spread out.

The base color was black.

Across it, information made visible like blue electric currents flowed.

The electronic sea.

From within it, something like the upper half of a giant snake was left protruding.

That must be the remains of Leviathan.

It’s become a full-fledged tourist spot.

‘Wooowww, it’s magnificent.’

Marinna murmured as if deeply moved.

‘That humans could create something so reminiscent of a sea here… Of course, in terms of scale, it can’t compare to the real thing, but that’s only what’s visible here. This sea connects to the outer sea and serves as the boundary line linking this place and that beyond. Ah, I can hear the murmurs of the otherworld…’

“Glad you’re so satisfied! Can you grasp something from it, maybe?”

‘I think I might be able to create an Original Magic. Wonderful inspiration has come to me. Perhaps you could call it Internet Magic?’

“Whoa, the latest Magic~!”

Marinna is fired up!

I’m looking forward to seeing what will be born.