A couple weeks later, the three of them sit in the sibling's apartment. With suitcases open, and essentials packed first, they've spent the last couple weeks deciding what to bring, since neither of them know when they'll be back in Korea. Kimsung looks up from his phone, having been on the GMP website, checking the flights they could get.
"So… We got lucky, because all the flights to any of the places we want to go to are scheduled for the next two days. Probably because it's still summer, and people are traveling. Where are we going? Final decision before I buy tickets, you two."
Keido and Heidi think of the choices the system gave them a while ago. They could go to Wuhan, Hubei, but dragons would be the largest threat, since there are so many variants all over China, not to mention being right next to the Yangtze river, which would become one of the most dangerous places in the world during the Sixth Disaster. Or they could go to Russia, but the novel never fully covered what mythological creatures lived there, besides a few of the dangerous ones.
They also had the choice to go to the west, and try their luck in England, but the Fae weren't a threat to be taken lightly, much less all the spirits populating the country. Or bet everything on America, and survive long enough in what would become a death zone before leaving. Keido took charge, his finger hovering over the last choice.
"We'll go to the U.S. and find Achilles. He's the easiest way to clear most gates and dungeons, based on what we know."
Heidi and Kimsung nod, agreeing with him. Keido slowly presses the last choice, and a new screen pops up.
Do you wish to choose this option? Y/N
He presses yes, and an ominous message appears.
[Are You Sure? This Action Will Have Consequences…]
Confirming his choice, something changes in his system, and the same happens to Heidi, both of them receiving news that their inventories have been unlocked.
"Hey, I just got an inventory. I guess this'll help with the luggage and other stuff."
He says, before getting up, and going to the kitchen, wanting to test something he was always interested in about inventories. He opens the fridge and takes a banana out, putting it in his inventory to test out his little theory. Heidi perks up, noticing what he's trying to do.
"You think it'll be in the same state when we get to the U.S.?"
She asks, a bit curious herself. Kimsung could also tell what Keido is trying to do, since he always wondered about it during his past resets, but put it off because of how busy he got, planning for whatever the hell was going to happen. He purchases three tickets for the next plane to New York, and the three spend the rest of the day packing or buying the things they'd need for the trip. Bottles of water, packaged food to last, even some medical supplies in case an emergency happens. Heidi reasoned they couldn't always depend on her, so it was good to be prepared.
Fourteen hours later, in the late night, the three of them, seated in the Gimpo International Airport, waiting together for their flight. Kimsung lets out a tired sigh, looking around the empty area.
'When will that damned plane arrive? I'm already used to staying up, because of my resets, but this is a bit annoying. I'm too damn used to constant danger lurking around.'
He shakes Keido awake, who had just dozed off, drooling a bit on his hoodie. Heidi is on Keido's left, eating a snack and playing a game on her phone while they wait.
"Psst, wake up. Hey, wake up."
He whispers, shaking his shoulder again. The intercom finally cracks awake, announcing the next flight.
Next flight to: New York City, is now boarding. All passengers, please head to Gate 36 for boarding. I repeat, please head to Gate 36 for boarding.
The three, very tired people stand up and start walking quickly to their gate, showing their tickets to the lady at the desk and boarding the plane. They go to the middle of the plane, sitting in a three-person seat, with Keido at the window, Heidi in the middle, and Kimsung with the aisle seat. After about another hour, the other passengers all finally board the plane and the pilots have prepared to take off. The plane takes another ten minutes to get off the ground, finally leaving the airport, and soon, Korea.
Keido looks out the window, and yawns.
'We're finally out of Korea. The flight's going to be a long time, so I'll get some rest. Once we land in New York, we can find a hotel to stay and take some time to be tourists.'
He yawns again, and looks to his right, to see his sister already asleep. Kimsung however is still awake, looking ahead with a distant expression. Keido pays no mind to it, and lets himself fall asleep again.
After nearly fifteen hours on the plane, then its intercom turns on, announcing that the plane would be landing soon. The group wakes up from their sleep, and Heidi is the first to speak.
"Did we make it? I was asleep the whole time."
Kimsung rubs his eyes and unbuckles his seat belt.
"Yes, we did. Let's go already."
He says, before taking the bag he'd been holding in his lap, and getting up, walking down the aisle to leave the plane. Heidi follows, pulling up her brother out of his seat and leaving the plane. Afterwards, they head to the bag pickup, but like usual at the airport of LaGuardia, it took over an hour for their luggage to arrive. Keido picks up his luggage, annoyed that it took a long while for them to receive their things, despite arriving after their luggage landed.
'How the hell does something early arrive late? It doesn't make any damn sense!'
He complained, regretting they hadn't chosen to land at the JFK airport instead of LaGuardia. Perhaps they would've received their luggage earlier. Kimsung exchanges most of their money into dollars once at the exchange desk, and calls for a cab once outside, the three huddle into a cab after putting their luggage in the back, and a dark skinned man with a Jamaican accent enters the driver's seat.
"Where do you three want to go?"
He asks in english, a language neither Keido nor Heidi speak, but luckily, Kimsung does. After telling the man their destination, they begin the long drive to New York City, the most chaotic city in the states, way better than New Jersey by the way, and a future desolate land. An hour passes on the drive there, before the man drops them off at Columbus Circle, 59th Street. Keido looks around the street in amazement, never having been one for large cities, but still finding them amazing nonetheless.
"We know what hotel we're going to, right?"
Kimsung asks, and Heidi brings up a map on her phone, to head towards the New Yorker Hotel. Keido wonders why they'd be going there, to which she says it's quite cheap, and has good reviews. After trying to figure out the New York transit, as chaotic as it is. They manage to catch the C train, however, so do a few of the New York natives do, unbeknownst to the trio. A homeless man walks through the train car, asking for money, with a stench around him, and his words slurred. Most of the people on the train ignore him, used to such daily scenes. Keido looks around, confused at the scene in front of him.
'Why is everyone ignoring him? And a better question, how did he get on the train?'
He asked himself in confusion, looking around the traincar, but there wasn't a single reaction to what was happening. The homeless man got off at the next stop, and a couple of black men wearing durags entered the train car, one of them holding a Pose speaker.
"Alright, Alright, New York! Let's make some noise!"
One of them announced, before he began to dance around in the car, and do a few flips. Keido, of course, was bewildered and shocked at how nobody was alarmed nor surprised of what the man was doing, again. At the next stop, the two men got off, and a child selling candies in a box walked into the car, speaking Spanish and offering the candies. Keido was both shocked and heartbroken, that such a young child was out here, selling candies on the train. Barely a minute after the child left the car, the train stopped, and the train's intercom turned on.
Good morning passengers, we'll be stuck here for a little while due to delays, we'll be moving shortly, so please be patient and have a good day.
'A delay? Why was a delay happening all of a sudden?'
He asked himself. The train car door connecting to the next car opened, and four men in mariachi outfits with instruments came in, walking to the center of the train before they began to play a song Keido didn't know about. He didn't understand why so many things were happening, and in such a chaotic order too, but he was more confused by the lack of reactions from the other passengers.
'A-are they just… ignoring this too? A whole band is playing in the train, and they're ignoring it like it's a bird flying overhead!? What the hell is with this city?'
He looked to Kimsung, who appeared as confused as he was, however he was able to hide it better, but his eyes didn't lie to Keido.