‘Hel-.’ started Johan before he stopped. He’d been down this road before and talking aloud wouldn’t be much fun and someone decided to reply in the darkness or blow breath on his neck just for a shock reaction.


    He shoved aside all thoughts of the voice that was trying to desperately whisper to him in the darkness as he simply sat down and held the Kris tightly in one hand gripped tightly.


    Yeah. Come on then. First person that touched me gets cut. Cut cut. Cutcutcut.


    Regardless he was unable to make it out clearly and visibly ignored it as he experienced the same sensation as he had earlier


    More teleportation and then yet another freak decides to talk to me, threaten me or talk like an insane person. No, wait, I’m being negative. Why can’t it be all three?


    I’m going to find you Mr Darr. Me and my knifey Kris knife.


    I...I think I’m going a little bit crazy.


    th</sup>


    Johan had no idea why the volume from the voice suddenly ramped up but it visibly hurt him. A wetness came on his face as he realised that he had either been crying or blood was leaking from his eyes. Not that he wanted to lick the wet liquid. His hands certainly weren’t clean after relieving himself and he didn’t know if pepper sauce had been dumped on his sitting body as a joke.


    A rush came through his body as energy flowed into him and all his injuries and discomforts washed away as a rush entered him. The discomfort he had experienced on the office floor, his emotional state was turned back to when he had been inside his former office headquarters, mildy uncomfortable but accepting.


    ‘I’d like to be given something to wea-’ started Johan as he tried to talk before he entered a brand new space.


    I’m not hungry. Not thirsty. This isn’t drugs. No. Someone used an IV drip on me and then set me into position like a puppet. A human puppet. This film or prank is getting even more crazy.


    Johan refused to move. His legs didn’t experience any signs of fatigue so likely he hadn’t been standing inside this small plain white room for long. The lack of the only weapon from his hand was an issue though. But he had possessed it. He was certain.


    Someone took my knife or hid it. I’m pretty sure they didn’t stick it down my trousers.


    A voice called out from beyond the white wall.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ‘…player? No, you got a mistake here. I didn’t choose to enter as a player. No. A man called Andy Darr sent me here through trickery. I can send him here if you just let me go.’


    ‘…and that is why the System will reward your efforts with equivalent prices. Do you have any questions new player? Please, I am here to assist all enquires during your transition and entrance to this simulated dungeon. Hello? Mr Wolff?’


    Wait. My name. They know my name which means that they’re away of exactly who I am.


    Right. Giant statues of people. Not interested in the others. Ideally this place has an exit room at last.


    ‘This room is considered the human room. I was originally tasked with designing an initial welcome room to facilitate a wide range of different tastes and desires. As it is currently in neutral mode would you prefer a different version? We like to welcome all fresh players who may or may not be experiencing a degree of confusion on their arrival. ’


    ‘Hello….? I’m Johan. How do you know my name? No, in fact how do to know my last name? Are you hostile? I was told that I was meant to be sent a place called High Fantasy. Not that I need to. Back home would be just fine of the next parrallel dimension. That was a very old joke by the way.’


    ‘This room is considered the human room. I was originally tasked with designing an initial welcome room to facilitate a wide range of different tastes and desires. As it is currently in neutral mode would you prefer a different version? We like to welcome all fresh players who may or may not be experiencing a degree of confusion on their arrival. ’


    You just said this. Twice now.


    ‘Greetings human, welcome. I am a guide designated by the System for the introduction.’


    ‘I don’t recall giving my permission for this.’ said Johan.


    ‘Yes, once you clicked on the yes button you were given a short taster to offer you familiarity with the setting.’


    ‘Wait, wait. I never clicked anything. I mean there was a card given to me by a...wait. Was I meant to click something? Like on a computer’


    ‘Hello? I said that I didn’t agree to anything. I’d like to back home now.’


    ‘Greetings human, welcome. I am a guide designated to you for purpose of the introduction. By choosing to participate you will undertake quests’.


    ‘Can you do anything about your appearance? I don’t like talking to a blank face.’


    ‘Yes. This is the human room, designed to accommodate a range of personalities to make you feel more settled.’


    ‘Eyes. And a mouth, can you cope with providing those? Oh and a nose, please. It’s a bit hard to talk to you in at you if you don’t have those, the hair doesn’t matter. I don’t feel good talking to a blank face.’


    ‘Let’s stick with blank features, shall we? And forget about changing anything else, just keep it neutral.’ Johan spoke hastily, the words rushing out of his mouth.


    ‘As you wish Mister...Mister...’ said the neutral voice and now thankfully faceless, green-robed dummy.


    ‘I have a few questions. Able to answer them?’


    ‘Correct, new player. The System facilitated me to answer your questions. I am a direct manifestation of the Dungeon Operating System which has been running in power preservation mode for a long, long time.’


    ‘Great, so can you send me back home right now? Wait. Dungeon Operating System?’


    ‘Correct, new player. The System facilitated me to answer your questions.’


    Best to ask his questions and get away from this place as fast as possible. From his perspective would be better to live longer in hell than try and break into the entrance to heaven. Besides, the white lights here hurt his eyes and just felt wrong to his physical senses.


    ‘……I’m going to try this again. Can you send me home right now?’ said Johan.


    ‘Correct, new player. The System facilitated me to answer your questions.’ replied the mannquin.


    ‘You mentioned a dungeon. In need to do quests to leave right? Is that what you call it? How do I finally leave this place?’


    ‘When you finish your first, no, final dungeon quest. All dungeons are based on your current stats. The difficulty level increases in turn. You have been classified as Level Zero; class choices will be unlocked upon successful completion of your first quest. The Dungeon Oper-Operating Sys-system will keep you updated on your progress after this introduction.’


    ‘Right, how about benefits? Are you going to help me at all to complete these so-called dungeons? I mean quests. Or are there different types of dungeons? Like a game. This is all game. Yeah, I can play. Nothing else to do right?’


    Johan decided to play along.


    The mad always preferred the company of the insane and if he had lost his mind and was all playing out in a room painted with hideous nightmares and his body loaded up with strong hallucinogens while a crazy group of people watched through a one-way mirror and laughed at him.


    This was another office floor all over again but with a different kind of freak. One who thought he was inside a game. Except this one was a fantasy one where he needed to accept quests.


    Johan wished he had his Kris knife with him so he could try and stab this thing in front of him in the shoulder and see how it liked being hurt. Instead he just planted a big smile on his face and kept his mouth shut before he said the wrong thing.