[Quest] Lostbelt Raising Project

**zikari8** · November 6th, 2019, 08:37 PM

It seems that you have met with an unfortunate fate.

But do not fear. I shall give you a second chance at life.

In exchange, all I ask is that you take care of something for me.

Be happy.

This is your chance to prove that you too can save the world.

This is your…

Lostbelt Raising Project

Welcome to Lostbelt Raising Project

The setting is 2018. The Earth has been bleached white and upon it lies many “new worlds”. These are the Lostbelts, failed histories that have been pruned for one reason or another. Each holds a King that controls the land, a Tree that creates the phenomenon, and finally a Crypter who is tasked with overseeing its progression.

This is a Quest about a failed timeline. This is an adventure about saving a single “World”.

For those who are familiar with the concept, I suspect there is little that is needed to be explained. The setting and goal of this quest is to play as a Crypter in charge of managing a Lostbelt assigned to you by our great alien overlords. Over the course of this Quest, the choices you make will dictate the direction in which your personal Lostbelt will grow and progress, ultimately determining if it will survive or not in the world-wide war of failed timelines. You will, of course, have to exercise diplomacy and work in conjunction with the residents of your Lostbelt to ensure efficient growth. In addition to the natives, you will be given a personal Servant to aid your adventure. There will also be outsider Servants summoned that may become allies or enemies. In that sense, this quest will be a mix of diplomacy and strategy when it comes to ensuring the survival of your Lostbelt. Overall, this Quest aims to a short, simple and fun quest about saving a shattered history.

Before we begin, please choose one of the following Lostbelts to be yours:

Choose your Lostbelt

Each Lostbelt is its own setting with its own history, Servants, and failure. Your Starter Servant will also be determined by your Lostbelt Choice, so choose wisely.

If there are any questions or inquiries about the quest, feel free to ask.

Story Index

**Spartacus** · November 6th, 2019, 08:42 PM

Actually, Yao

**Ayr** · November 7th, 2019, 08:25 AM

Skye

**Half-Blood Master** · November 7th, 2019, 08:44 AM

Skye, let's milk those untouched Gaelic ~~youths~~ myths for all they are worth!

**Faux** · November 7th, 2019, 08:57 AM

Yao

**SleepMode** · November 7th, 2019, 09:35 AM

Yao

**Cain12** · November 7th, 2019, 09:52 AM

Skye.

**King Prussia** · November 7th, 2019, 05:47 PM

Yao for me. 'Land of Eternal Night' appeals to my edgy self.

**zikari8** · November 8th, 2019, 06:59 PM

“What have I done…”

“I always feared that this day would come, when my love for you is tested.”

“Will I have to live my life without you? Is this my punishment?”

“Raise your head. Just because there are no stars does not mean we must live our life looking down.”

“In the end, I just couldn’t leave you alone. Let’s save the world together.”

“My sword and my heart now belong to you, my liege.”

“I shall entrust everything to you, hero.”

“Bow before me! I am the Emperor!”

This is a world without

sun

life

or

stars

hope

.
This too is a story of reclaiming the future.

Lostbelt Raising Project
Land of Eternal Night: Yao

Year: 2018
Location: ???, Empire of Yao

“Damn, is it already night time?”

I remark nonchalantly as we arrive in the Lostbelt at last. Stretching off a bit of sickness from the shift, I immediately take the chance to get my first look at the ‘new world’.

Before me, the existence of another dimension seems to magically pop into existence. A sprawling and crowded city jam-packed with buildings made in the style of archaic East Asian architecture, streets brightly lit by paper lanterns and filled with people walking around in pale flowing robes, a myriad of unfamiliar colors, noises and smells barraging my inexperience senses… it’s almost too much to take in.

“So, this is a Lostbelt,” I think to myself. “This is the failed timeline that I have been entrusted to manage…”

Yes, that’s right. I am a Crypter. I was a former Master of Chaldea who was revived and given a second chance to prove myself. At the same time, this world is a failed timeline that was pruned and granted another shot at survival. Thus, it is my mission and duty to watch over its growth and ensure its victory.

As I truly see the Lostbelt for the first time with my own eyes, the weight of that responsibility suddenly feels heavier. I clench my fist and renew my resolve to save this world.

“What’s wrong, Master? Feeling sick?”

A voice calls out to me from behind. I turn to see a pretty woman scantily clad in an all-too revealing china dress. Seeing her shameless attire, I once again can’t help but sigh.

“It’s nothing, Assassin. Just scanning our surroundings.”

This vulgar and winsome fox-woman with bright eyes and white wrists is none other than my personal Servant, Assassin. To be honest, from the moment I summoned her, I have had nothing but complaints about her attitude, manner of dress, and abilities. Frankly, she’s kind of useless; in a straight fight, even I could probably beat her. Of all the Servants that the Crypters summoned, I ended up with the absolutely weakest. But most of all, she has absolutely no sense of shame! I have no idea where I’m supposed to look when we’re talking!

Ah… I heard one of the other Crypters summoned a Demi-God… I know I should be grateful for what I have, but I can’t help but wish for a gacha re-spin.

Wise-up! Assassin's Status

“Ara? You’re making that face again, Master. Could it be that you’re insulting me, right now?” Assassin notes with an accusatory gaze. Tsk, clever woman.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I am merely contemplating on the objective truth. How you take that is up to you.” I respond robotically. Naturally, she doesn’t seem convinced, but lets the matter go.

Anyways, this isn’t time for pleasantries. I’m a man on a mission so I should get serious and get to work. Let’s see… my job is to manage this Lostbelt. For that, I’ll require authority and knowledge. The first is the strength needed to influence this world. The second is to determine the path I must lead this world to. There’s also the King of the Lostbelt and other Servants that may have been summoned as well to consider. Certainly, there is no time to relax…

“Master, Master.”

My deep thoughts are suddenly cut off by Assassin tapping my shoulder.

“What?”

I try to make my annoyance known when I respond harshly, but she seems to pre-occupied to notice. Though she is tapping my shoulder, she isn’t looking at me; her gaze is instead locked firmly upwards. I follow her gaze curiously and—

“What the…”

I am unable to restrain the shock from my voice. I look up at the sky and see there nothing but a black void. No clouds. No sun. No moon. No stars. It is merely darkness.

Confronted with the emptiness of the heavens, I feel a single drop of cold sweat drip down my back.

“This world may be more doomed than we thought…”

That was my first glimpse of the Land of Eternal Night.

At that moment, for the first time, I asked myself if I could truly save this world...

Choice!

References

**Half-Blood Master** · November 8th, 2019, 07:22 PM

5. Get to know AssAssin in the bibl--*headshot*

**SleepMode** · November 8th, 2019, 07:27 PM

1. Learn more about this world

**Spartacus** · November 8th, 2019, 07:35 PM

4.

**King Prussia** · November 8th, 2019, 07:53 PM

4. A little boring but it's better to get our house in order first, by getting a better idea of who our partner is.

**Cain12** · November 8th, 2019, 09:44 PM

1.

**Faux** · November 8th, 2019, 09:57 PM

1.
Basics first

**zikari8** · November 9th, 2019, 06:16 AM

Year: 2018
Location: ???, Empire of Yao

After seeing the darkness of the heavens, there is no doubt in my mind that there is much to learn about this world. So for now, my first priority is to learn more about this Lostbelt. If I want to save this world, I should get the basics of its Human Foundation down. At the same time, if I get the chance, I’d also like to get to know Assassin a bit better. She is my Servant after all, so I want to establish a good working relationship with her; that’ll be a secondary priority for me.

With those two things in mind, Assassin and I go exploring the city that we shifted into to see what info we can glean from the commoners. We walk through the lantern-lit streets of the city, crammed tightly between rows and rows of similar-looking buildings as if they were back-alleys rather than streets. As we do so, I notice how surprisingly easy the travel is. Despite the waves of people walking in every direction, there is little bumping and shuffling. Everyone seems to automatically form neat and organized lines, without any communication or pushing. There is an almost eerie silence and serenity very different from my image of a bustling street corner. In fact, the scene kind of reminds me of an assembly line or a military march.

“The people in this city seem very disciplined.” Assassin remarks quietly as we struggle to keep up with the seamless pace of the crowd.

“Yeah. Creepily so…” I agree with an almost frightened hush. Just from this alone, I get an ominous idea of what this city, much less this country, must be like.

As for the city itself… if I had to describe it with one word, it would be waste-less. The streets are narrow, the buildings are tall, and everything is jammed together in an organized grid. Each and every building we passed by seemed to fulfill a set purpose with clear, plain signage on the building front. A tailor, a grocer, a barber, a tool store, a housing complex… each simply announced their purpose without any ornate advertisement that one would expect from competing businesses, and no two nearby stores seemed to be similar. It was as if there was not a single piece of extraneous space in the city.

Well, I suppose I’m just lucky that I don’t have claustrophobia, or I might be freaking out already.

The City

After walking around for a while and getting a feel for the pace of the city, Assassin and I manage to find a less-crowded area with some sort of standing room next to a trash-can looking object, and we take the chance to rest up.

“Phew…” I take a deep breath and relax my shoulders. “This place is somehow serene and hectic at the same time. What is up with that?”

“Ara? Tired already? Could it be that you aren’t very good with disciplined mannerisms, Master?” Assassin giggles lightly when she sees my exhausted state. Contrary to her appearance, it is a surprisingly sweet laugh befitting a more innocent-looking girl.

“Don’t tease me. I am perfectly capable of performing ritual motions.” I bark back. “But it’s different when I don’t know the rules behind the movement.”

The people of the city clearly had the rules of street walking drilled into them from youth, while all I could do was try my best to copy them. To give an extreme example, it would be like if someone who has never touched a car before suddenly got on the highway. The only way that story ends is in an explosion.

“That said, you seemed pretty composed, Assassin. Are you actually good at copying others?” I comment, noting her much less exhausted demeanor.

“No, no, I was struggling as well.” She waves my observation off with her fan. “If you do think so, though, I suppose you could just consider it the discipline of a good wife.”

“Eh… is that so?” I can only respond with a blank nod. ‘Being a good wife’ personally seems like a vacuous quality to me, but who am I to say otherwise.

“Anyways…” I swiftly change topics back to the matter at hand. “Was there anything particular that you noticed while we were touring the city, Assassin? I’d like to hear your observations.”

“Hmm…” She contemplates deeply, covering her mouth with her fan. “I don’t think it’s too important but…”

Her gaze slowly turns back towards the ever-moving waves of people.

“I don’t think I saw a single person smile.”

“Now that you mention it…”

As Assassin noted, the people in the streets seem uncannily stoic. Not a single person is smiling or even frowning; they all have the same bland expression and forward gaze. Well, it’s not like normal streets are full of jovial people, but to not have even one person be grinning about something funny or fuming at some terrible bad luck…

My image of the city feels a bit clearer now. I think I have a good idea of what kind of people live here.

“Well, Master. What should we do next?” Assassin inquires with expectant eyes. It seems like she’s intent on just following my orders.

“Hmm…” I bring my fingers to my chin to ponder hard. “I think we’ve reached the limit of info we can get just from walking around and looking at the sights. To learn more, we’ll probably have to talk directly to the people.”

I look around the street we’re on and spot a store. Through the half-curtains, I can see a clerk sitting by the inner counter and no other customers.

“Right. You stay here for now. I’m gonna go talk to that man and see what info I can get.” I instruct Assassin with my most authoritative tone. At last, I’m starting to feel like a proper Master.

“Will you be okay alone?” She asks in an actually concerned tone. Tsk, does she think I’m not up to the challenge. But she underestimates me.

“Hah, don’t worry. I know some suggestion magic, so I can manipulate the guy into telling me what I want.” I puff out my chest in pride at the greatness of magecraft. To my surprise, though, Assassin doesn’t seem impressed and simply frowns.

“Tricking people is bad, you know, Master. You should do things honestly. Deception is for wicked men.” She states plainly. Her sweet voice seems almost disappointed as she lectures me, leaving me in shock.

“… Wow. I never thought I’d hear those words from a Femme Fatale character.” My gasps reveal my absolute surprise. Who would’ve thought such a vulgar and shameless woman would act so innocently? Normally, I’d be impressed, but now isn’t the time for fairness.

“Look, it’s fine. Suggestion doesn’t count as deception. They’re different.”

I shake off her complaints and head back into the crowd to cross the street.

“I’ll be back in a jiff. Just stand there and watch the magic.”

With utmost confidence, I close in on my prey, certain of my success.

This will be easier than taking babies from candy.

“Well, how did it go, Master?”

“Shut up. Don’t look at me.”

I immediately cry upon returning and shield my bright-red face.

“I’m guessing things didn’t turn out well…?”

“Goddamit. It’s not my fault… It’s this stupid Lostbelt. How was I supposed to know?”

I exclaim with tears as my hatred for this world grows two-fold.

To summarize the results of my heroics, when I tried to use my suggestion spell on the store clerk, it had absolutely zero effect, as if it just evaporated upon touching him. I tried a few other things too, but they all were nullified in the same way, leaving me absolutely weapon-less. I can only theorize that the cause of this phenomenon is the fact that magecraft is still considered normal and non-fictional in this world, so every native citizen has innate resistance. But if that’s the case… doesn’t that make most of my abilities useless!?

Wiseup! Lostbelt Details

Wiseup! Magecraft Glossary

“Umm… I don’t really understand, but it’s ok. Don’t be sad. You can cry into my chest if you want.” Assassin says in a comforting tone.

“No, I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.” I quickly compose myself and pick up the remaining pieces of my shattered ego.

When I take my hands off my face, I notice that Assassin had already brought her breasts near my head, so I take some swift steps back to get some comfortable distance from those dangerous objects.

“Anyways! In the end, I did talk to the man normally and got some info out of him.” I hastily bring the conversation back on topic.

“Here’s what I learned. Apparently, right now, we’re in the capital city of the country, Pinyang. As you’d expect, the ruler of the country, the emperor, also lives here, in the castle in the middle of the city. When the man spoke of him, he referred to him as ‘Emperor Yao’.”

“Emperor Yao… that’s the name of a legendary Chinese ruler in mythology.” Assassin adds while listening to my words carefully.

“Yeah. But I don’t know if it’s the actual guy himself or just someone with the same name.” I note, trying to think of all possible options.

“If it was the actual emperor, he’d have to be more than 4000 years old. That seems unlikely.” Assassin objects.

“Maybe… but I wouldn’t rule it out just yet. This is a Lostbelt after all. We can’t approach it with mere common sense.”

We have to be cautious here and not jump to conclusions. Who knows just how different this world’s history is from our own?

“Did you ask about the black sky, Master?” Assassin presses me. She must be taking this seriously as she seems eager to hear what I learned.

“Well, I did mention it, but it only seemed to confuse the man. We were totally on different wavelengths. He didn’t seem to even comprehend the idea of there being celestial objects… it’s like the very words ‘sun’ and ‘moon’ do not exist in this world.”

Just thinking about it makes me uneasy. A world without knowing the light of the sun or the beauty of the stars… I can’t even imagine.

I think I’ve gotten a feel now for what it means to be in a Lostbelt. The very logic of this world seems to be contradictory to everything I know. I can’t just think of this another country or another time period; it is very much another world with its own set of rules and logic.

Trying to get a grasp on everything and process the information I’ve gathered, I enter a state of deep thought. I have the pieces, so I just need to tie them together. An empty sky… a man who has never heard of the sun… Emperor Yao… if I take all these things into consideration, then the only conclusion has to be—

“Master! Are you listening?”

“Huh?”

Assassin’s voice breaks my concentration and I lose track of my train of thought. Ah, oops, I must’ve been ignoring her while thinking.

I turn to face her again, but immediately realize that her face is suddenly right next to mine!! Her bright goddess-like eyes are staring up at me and our bodies are an indecent distant apart. From here, looking down I have an incredibly clear view down the cutout of her dress, and I can clearly smell the citrus scent of her silky black hair and her sultry voice—

“Wah!”

Unable to take it, I immediately pounce back on reflex and try to gain some more wholesome distance between us.

“Ah, Master, wait.” Assassin seems to quickly pick up on the meaning behind my motion and tries to warn me, but it’s too late.

Jumping back on sheer reflex, I forget where I am. Thus, when I leap away, I throw myself back into the crowded street… and into the path of oncoming traffic.

“Shit!”

“Kya!”

Needless to say, I knock into an innocent pedestrian and the two of us tumble to the ground violently. As I fall, I try to balance myself, but only end up making things worse and pull the other person down with me.

“Ah. Ow ow ow…” After completing the fall, I grimace a little in pain.

I’ve never been the toughest bugger around, being the indoors type after all, so even a little fall like this hurts quite a bit. On the bright side, it seems like the ground in this world isn’t very hard like pavement or else I meant have really hurt something… actually, now that I feel it, it isn’t hard at all. It’s actually quite soft. And bouncy. And round…

“…”

I open my eyes and take a good look at the ground beneath me. Unfortunately, it isn’t the ground at all. It is a woman sprawled on the floor underneath me with a pained expression. And I’m totally fondling her breasts…

Hahahahaha. Man, my luck with women today is really bad.

“I am really sorry!” I apologize sincerely with a fist-shaped dent on my cheek.

“Ara, ara. And here I thought you didn’t like getting close to women, Master. To think you would be so forceful in your flirting.” Assassin slyly giggles behind me at my misfortune. I barely restrain the desire to rebuke her and face the stranger I knocked over.

After the fall and its immediate aftermath, we quickly got up and she pulled me back to the standing area. She made a quick apology to the rest of the people in the crowd for the inconvenience.

She was a young woman with black hair, tied in a ponytail, and porcelain-like skin. She was dressed in a black and red armored dress that looks like something out of a wuxia drama. If I may be crude, I can’t deny that she’s quite the looker. She has an elegant and refined beauty, very different from Assassin’s audacious eroticism.

I also notice a sword tied to her belt. I suppose I should be thankful I got off with just a punch and not my head chopped off.

“Oh, no, it’s fine. Just watch your step next time.” The woman gently brushes off my apology. Despite our initial physical exchange, she doesn’t seem too angry. “I’m sorry for hitting you. That was uncalled for.”

“No, no, I totally deserve it. In fact, you can hit me again, if you want!” I proclaim, preparing myself for more punishment.

“Uhh, I think I’ll pass.” She refrains with a strained smile. Ah, is she actually a shy girl? Now, now, there’s no need to hold back. Feel free to hit me a little. I can take it.

At that moment, though, I notice her seem to take a good look at me, sweeping her gaze up and down my body.

“Hm, those are interesting clothes you’re wearing. I don’t think I’ve seen them before. Are you from one of the lower levels?” She asks, examining my tracksuit curiously. The shop clerk guy earlier also noticed my modern clothes. I suppose it can’t be helped, but it’s weird to think that I stand out more than the half-naked Assassin next to me.

Her words pique my interest, though. Lower levels… what does that mean?

“Uh, yes. Yes, we are.” I just roll with it, giving a big nod like an idiot. Perhaps because I used the plural term, but that causes the woman to take a look at Assassin as well. Once she sees her, though, she makes a face of understanding.

“Oh, I see. You must be one of the new official initiates.” She states with a sense of epiphany. Of course, she is making some sort of a misunderstanding. But…

“My name is Yingying. I’m headed to the castle right now. If you’d like, I can show you the way there.” She offers with half-smile.

Now, there’s no need to immediately correct her misunderstanding, right… If she’s adamant to show us the way there, I might as well take her up on the offer.

At that moment, though, I’m suddenly reminded of what Assassin said earlier.

“Tricking people is bad, you know, Master. You should do things honestly. Deception is for wicked men.”

At the same time, I can feel her sharp, silent glare from behind me.

Well, well, what should I do now?

Choice!

References

**Spartacus** · November 9th, 2019, 07:10 AM

3.

**Cain12** · November 9th, 2019, 09:13 AM

1.

**King Prussia** · November 9th, 2019, 05:11 PM

3. I feel that the 1st option will have the least dire consequences in the short-term, but we shouldn't disappoint our only ally as soon as the second update hm.

**Half-Blood Master** · November 9th, 2019, 06:31 PM

3. I'm not a fan of backtracking on what we said but this girl is too earnest and I wouldn't want her to be disappointed on us

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