Chương 58: Chapter 55: The Internet

After receiving the new gift from my grandfather, my father showed clear signs of worry.

"Father, is this really necessary?" the king protested.

"The internet is full of all kinds of people. Some might be kind, but others could have ulterior motives toward her."

"I've run various IQ tests with your daughter. She already possesses the intelligence and emotional maturity of an adult, which is incredible at her age. You shouldn't worry too much. I believe she will manage just fine," Grandpa Gustaf said with a kind smile as he smoked his cigarette.

"Her IQ was incredibly high, though I won't reveal the exact number. She is definitely a genius."

"Hm. Well, we will monitor her, I suppose," my mother said.

"But what exactly is on the internet that she wants to see so much?"

"Just interacting with the world, talking with my friends through video chats, and maybe even streaming when I go dungeon hunting!" I replied enthusiastically.

"I've also heard there are virtual reality online games where you can practice magic and skills. What you learn there can even transfer to real life!"

"Ah," my father muttered.

"Well, that is a cheap way to grow stronger. It is not as comprehensive or effective as going out and hunting monsters yourself, but… well, whatever. There is no helping it. Just be responsible with this new device. If you break it, you will have to wait until your next birthday for a replacement."

"Ah, okay! I will be careful!" I nodded eagerly while checking the holographic windows. I tapped around and quickly discovered the app store filled with countless games and applications. Beyond history lessons, the most fascinating discovery was how this world's modern society had evolved from Earth. Although the world felt fantasy-like, it was technically a possible future of Earth. All past accomplishments remained and had been enhanced even further.

I visited pages like Wikipedia and learned more about the planet's ancient history, the great wars that had occurred, the arrival of Fantasium, and even the ancient threats my parents had not yet told me about. When I searched for "King Louis" online, millions of articles appeared. It felt completely surreal to see how news outlets from various countries on this planet discussed my father and our family. A fresh article had just popped up. I decided to read it and even glanced at the comments below.

[BREAKING NEWS: Princess Elizabeth of Frostbane celebrates her seventh birthday.] It has been reported that several members of the Divine Dragon Family of Yggdrasil attended her birthday party. However, it is said they did not plan any large celebrations this time. Three months after the birth of their second child, the young dragon Alistair, the family once again celebrates their dear daughter's birthday with... [Click to continue.] {Comments} ["Yet another day celebrating the birthday of a member of the royal family of Frostbane! Our guardians and protectors. There is not a single day I wake up for work without thanking them for saving the world. What we all suffered during the Apocalypse now feels so distant."] ["Aww, the little princess is growing up so fast! Wish the royal family would show more pictures though."] ["King Louis' bloodline is insane. Both kids manifested full dragon traits at birth. Frostbane dynasty stays winning."] ["Anyone else think it's weird they celebrate human-style birthdays? Dragons don't even age the same lol."] ["Bet she's already stronger than most A-rank hunters."] I could not help but giggle. People on the internet were so bold. They talked about us like we were some kind of celebrity family in a drama show. Which, I suppose, we kind of were. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Elizabeth, do not get too lost in there already," my mother warned gently while adjusting Alistair on her lap. The baby dragon reached out with his chubby hands toward the floating holograms.

"And no chatting with strangers until we set up proper filters."

"Yes, Mom," I said sweetly, already opening a new tab to search for virtual reality training games. Grandpa Gustaf winked at me behind her back.

"Oooh, human technology is truly fascinating, isn't it?" Grandmother Benladra wondered. Her giant hands carried a small gift.

"Although I have grown quite bored of it lately, I suppose a young mind like yours finds everything new and exciting! Anyway! Here is your gift for this year, my dear. Open it!" I took the gift and opened it carefully. Inside was a small, special divine stone glowing with potent aura and the essence of various elements. It was primarily yellow in tone, with a sigil shaped like an open palm surrounded by various weapons and tools on its surface.

"Huh? This is…?" I wondered, tilting my head.

"Ah!"

"It is a special Class Stone!" she said proudly.

"They are among the rarest and most expensive treasures you can find. I've heard they only appear properly in the depths of the strongest dungeons."

"Y-Yeah…" I muttered.

"Mother, just how did you get that?" my father asked, clearly shocked.

"A Class Stone like this… wouldn't it let her gain a second class on top of her main one?"

"Indeed!" my grandmother clapped her hands together.

"Remember when I went away for a few weeks with your grandfather? We visited Yggdrasil and entered the Grand World Tree Dungeon. We explored up to the 57th Stratum, which is full of Divine Beasts and as vast as a continent. After we defeated the final Roaming Boss, this stone dropped."

"It was a little exhausting though," my grandfather added.

"I prefer traveling through outer space rather than exploring such a massive labyrinth. Only the strongest adventurers or hunters go to that stratum, and most of them are already Demigods or Gods."

"Eh, I think I could reach the 100th stratum easily," my grandmother said happily.

"They say it continues beyond that point. The branches connect to the Cosmic Sea, and you can reach other planets through it! There are even Tier 20 Cosmic Beasts. So cool!"

"C-Cosmic Beasts?!" I gasped.

"Grandma, you speak about that so casually. Isn't that place incredibly dangerous? And who made that dungeon?" I could not recall it from the game at all.

"Who? Well, it just appeared," she replied.

"I think Daddy made it with Yggdrasil's help. He created it before he left as a special challenge for those who want to ascend. It makes reaching higher levels of power smoother for ascenders, though it is also ruthlessly difficult. If you are not prepared or strong enough, you will die easily. I've heard many brave adventurers and hunters enter and never return. Some even get lost inside. It is brutal, but nobody is forcing them to go."

"I-I guess…" I muttered.

"The more I hear about the outside world, the more I want to explore it!"

"I wonder why some people would risk their lives so hopelessly though," I added.

"Well, to grow stronger, of course," my father said.

"Although there are safe countries, the wilderness remains the wilderness. It is beautiful, but there are places that are far from peaceful. Monsters are part of nature, and it is simply part of living in a fantasy world. I could wipe out all monsters and destroy every dungeon, but they would eventually reappear after a few years."

"I see…" I nodded. Before, I never questioned the game logic because it was just a video game. But in this world, it was necessary to constantly hunt large numbers of monsters, especially in special Danger Zones and dungeons.

"Many monsters mind their own business and stay within their territories, but there are also many species that roam constantly. Some can be quite malicious, such as Ogre-type monsters," my father continued.

"Though they could be classified as barbarian clans, they appear every now and then. It is the duty of the strong to take them down and protect the population. In modern times, employing fighters for this purpose has become surprisingly efficient. The country's soldiers and various programs handle the extermination of dangerous monsters and keep the routes across the world safe. Whenever a threat appears that soldiers or hunters cannot handle, we step in."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense," I nodded.

"I've heard a lot about Fantasy Fields and Fantasy Realms. They were connected to the Dimensional Labyrinth or something? What were they? Do they still exist?"

"Technically, all Fantasy Fields are gone. What remains are vestiges, namely dungeons of all shapes and sizes," my father explained.

"Some areas of the world have been greatly affected and may seem completely different from the rest. We call those Danger Zones or Fantasy Vestiges. Fantasium has fully assimilated with our world now, but back then it was an invading substance that created those Fantasy Fields and eventually Fantasy Realms. It swallowed entire parts of the planet into strange, warped landscapes full of Entities, often governed by Grievances—stronger, smarter, more evolved Entities that practically no longer exist."

"But what is the difference between the past and now? Aren't things the same?" I wondered.

"Aren't we all still fighting monsters?"

"The difference is that wild monsters usually cannot manipulate space and create giant dimensional rifts to invade cities," my mother laughed.

"Above all else, they are part of nature itself, while the Dimensional Labyrinth was a living being actively trying to devour our planet!"

"Ah…" I muttered.

"Wow, that sounds harsh. Thankfully I wasn't born back then! Phew!"

"Hahahahaha!" My comment earned a lot of warm laughter from everyone.