《Ultra-Reality》 Prologue and Chapter One Prologue Could it really be that addictive? That particular question nagged at Klent¡¯s mind as he gazed on in wonder at the headset. Yesterday he had noticed something tucked deep within his good friend Charlie''s backpack. Upon asking what the milk-white colored object was, Charlie had merely given him a smile before saying, ¡°See you tomorrow, bud.¡± Today though, the item was finally revealed to him as his friend laid it down on the table. The normally silent Charlie seemed to be in an almost bragging mood as he explained the purpose of such a mysterious thing. ¡°This is the V.I.H. Generation One. Virtual Intelligent Hardware. Or, the first ultra-reality device.¡± ¡°But, what does it do exactly?¡± Klent asked. Charlie looked at him like was crazy. His eyes gave Klent the, ¡°Are you just stupid?¡± look. He sighed before realizing that I knew next to nothing about VR. ¡°Ever played an RPG, MMO, or an MMORPG?¡± ¡°A what?¡± ¡°Damn. This is worse than I thought.¡± Klent tried to take that sentence without offense, but it was near impossible for an inflated ego such as his own. He bit his tongue hard, for Klent was still very much curious about the headset. ¡°Okay, how about I explain in three words? Swords. Dragons. Awesome.¡± Charlie said condescendingly. ¡°Alright, but what does this thing have to do with any those?¡± Klent said while pointing at the device, oblivious to its true nature. ¡°Well, this thing runs games. But, it''s best game is ¡°War and Swords¡±, an MMORPG built specifically for the system.¡± It took Klent a stupendously long amount of time to pick up on the full meaning of the info that just spilled from Charlie¡¯s mouth, but when he did, it hit him like a ton of bricks. ¡°Wait, so¡­ you can live that adventure?¡± He asked. ¡°Bingo.¡± Klent finally came to the realization that, just maybe, this could be fun to try. Video games were mostly frowned upon in his home, leading him to know very little about the digital world that many were so obsessed with. But he still had more questions. ¡°What about an MMORPG? What do they bring that¡¯s so innovative in terms of gaming?¡± This made Charlie have to think for a second. An MMORPG could be described in many ways, but which one would make the most sense for Klent? He ended up reaching the conclusion that the best way to explain everything would be to start from the basics. ¡°Okay, this particular MMORPG is very basic. Gain enough experience points, you level up. Got it?¡± Charlie asked simply to make sure that he wasn¡¯t moving too fast. Klent shook his head before asking, ¡°Well, how do I gain experience points, and why would I want to level up?¡± ¡°You fight monsters to-¡° Charlie noticed that Klent looked even more confused now then he did before. Regrettably, only one thing would make him truly understand. It was with both hesitance and trust that he handed over his precious device to Klent. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Klent asked as his friend gestured the headset over to him. ¡°I¡¯m letting you borrow it for today. Try it out once you get home. You do have a computer, right?¡± The boy had not been raised with electronics like the rest of his generation. Instead, his father had unfortunately taught that being the best was all that mattered, and that technology was a mere distraction from the ultimate goal. From these teachings, Klent developed a competitive trait in his personality. With the rivalry amongst players a crucial gameplay element in an MMO, part of Charlie worried that VR would be too addictive for one such as Klent. Upon realizing that he did not have anything to run this device on, he decided, ¡°How about you just stay at my place tonight?¡± ¡°Why are you so adamant on me understanding these things?¡± Klent asked, to which Charlie responded by saying, ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± with his usual cryptic smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be at my house. Just swing by when you¡¯re ready Charlie stood up, gathered his things, and waved goodbye as he trotted home. Klent, on the other hand, whipped out his flip phone to ask his mom for permission to stay at a friend¡¯s. Chapter One - Klent¡¯s POV I watched as Charlie plugged in the headset to his PC. Not knowing how these mechanisms worked, I remained silent. ¡°And...there! Should be ready. You just have to put it on now.¡± With that, I carefully placed the machine over my head. ¡°When I press this button, you will fall into a sleeping state. For now, just sit back, relax, and enjoy dieing from your lack of experience. Ha!¡± I attempted to jab back at Charlie¡¯s obvious jest, but my body would not move. No words escaped from my lips. The only thing I could do was close my eyes¡­ Bright light pierced my vision as I looked around. So bright. I thought as a menu appeared before me, requesting a username. Username? What¡¯s that? Is it like a normal name or¡­? I typed the five-letter name, Klent, into the menu. Upon entering the word, a new message displayed. -Username Already Taken- So it¡¯s not asking for a normal name, huh. I reminisced back to when I once threw a touchdown pass with five seconds left, and won the game. Finisher. That¡¯s the nickname I was given at the time. Once again, I typed a name into the transparent box. Next a password was asked for, and I put in what I normally used for passwords. ¡°Account created. Welcome to Greayreel, a land of civil strife and violence.¡± A voice exclaimed from the light. ¡°Here, your new life begins.¡± A large map emerged from the endless void. Apparently, this ¡°Greayreel¡± place is a continent inside the game. The female voice showed no signs of halting as she continued again, ¡°You are a citizen in this land. Caught between a war of two kingdoms, you must pick a side to fight on. Everything else will be revealed as you go.¡± I blinked my eyes several times and found myself in the middle of a town. The architecture looked like that of a medieval village, but the people were dressed in various styles of garb. Confused, I walked up to a large man sporting what seemed to be armor made of iron.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Um, excuse me?¡± I asked. ¡°What is it, son?¡± Unsure of what to ask, I decided to confirm the obvious. ¡°Where am I exactly?¡± The man looked confused before realizing something, but I didn¡¯t know what it was. ¡°Oh, I see. You¡¯re new, ay? Well, guess it couldn¡¯t cause to much trouble to teach a newbie the basics.¡± Teach a ¡®newbie¡¯ the basics? ¡°First, clear your mind, then say ¡®Open Menu¡¯. This should open your UI, or status menu.¡± I proceeded to clear my head of all excitement and confusion. As the man had said, a blue screen appeared before my eyes. At the top-left corner of the ¡®MENU¡¯, a red bar showed my ¡®HP¡¯. I had no idea what these letters could stand for, but my curiosity forced me to ask. ¡°Hey, what is this thing?¡± I pointed to the red bar. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s your HP, or hit points. It indicates how much life you have left before you die.¡± Die? This game could actually cause physical harm to me? The man must have seen the color drain from my face, because he quickly explained the context behind ¡®HP¡¯. ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t mean to spook you, son. You see, you don¡¯t actually die for real. Your character in this world dies, but you respawn in the nearest allied city soon after.¡± My character in this world? So in here I''m... different from my real self? I suddenly realized that this was no normal reality. It was truly ultra-reality. All of my senses had been incorporated into this world. Every breath I took was real. I could be who I wanted to be without risk. Is the the freedom that I had long been searching for? The freedom to be who I want? ¡°Anything else you can teach me about this game?¡± I managed to ask despite I newfound realization. ¡°Alright, I got some time.¡± For about an hour, I was taught how to fight, craft, level up, and social interaction between other players. Still, I was left with many unanswered questions, but at least I knew the basics. ¡°Guess I should log out pretty soon.¡± Klent murmured quietly to himself. It was already seven-thirty, and Charlie had to be getting pretty impatient at this point. I opened my UI, and scrolled down to the yellow button, ¡®LOGOUT¡¯ I hit it, and my vision faded to black. My eyes opened, and I was back in reality. The reality that I had yearned to escape from. But something was off. ¡°Charlie?¡± I called out. No one answered. I slowly tried to rise up onto my feet, but my legs had not yet adjusted, and they collapsed upon further attempts to get up. Upon trying harder, I was finally able to stand. ¡°Charlie!¡± I searched throughout the house, yet could not find Charlie. Why would he just leave? Especially considering I had his probably mega-expensive headset. Returning once more to the cramped space that Charlie called a bedroom, I noticed a sticky note on his computer monitor. Must have missed that. I grabbed it and read the contents of the note. Klent, Sorry for bailing on you. Had to leave and meet someone. Feel free to continue to use the V.I.H. while i¡¯m gone. Even more excitement now rushed through my being. I had permission now, so I could continue my life in that world. The surface of possibility had barely been scratched. But doubts soon entered my thoughts. You¡¯re abandoning everything you''ve worked hard for. I reassured myself that this was only a game and nothing more. Still, it was shocking that I had merely gotten a taste of ultra-reality, yet I craved more. Quickly, I placed the V.I.H. back on my head, and was transported to that world of dreams. The world formed around me, and a strange calming feeling sparked inside of me. My first instinct was to ¡®level up¡¯, as the man suggested. Now that I thought about it, maybe the man, whose username I had learned was Gust, would want to fight monsters with me. I checked my friends list, but found that he was not online anymore. No matter. I¡¯ll just do it on my own. As I headed toward the exit, I looked around town. The air was fresh, and the skies were peaceful. I had not yet witnessed any violence between players, but that was to be expected though, as this was the starter area for new players. In fact, Gust was actually on his way to the next town when I had stopped him. Eventually, I reached the outskirts of the village. There, only ¡®Large Rats¡¯ posed any real threat, but it could still yield some good experience for a starter such as myself. I got into position, and pulled out my ¡®Wooden Stick¡¯ which had been part of the starting gear. I will master this game one monster at a time! Clutching the stick as I ran, my heartbeat accelerated. The ¡®Large Rat¡¯ looked once at me before I dove. I expected to feel the impact of the stick hitting the rat, but no such thing happened. Only a mouthful of dirt awaited me. Unexpectedly, the rat had evaded my attack at the last moment. Clearly, it was a lucky sidestep for the rat. There was no way I would lose to a rat of all creatures. I showed no mercy as I swung my sword while still on the ground. The rat skillfully dodged all of my attacks. I got up, intending to prove to this monster that I was the strongest one in this world. ¡°How about this?¡± I sarcastically yelled while swinging down at the rat as hard as I could. Once more, my stick was resisted by nothing more than hard dirt. It must have been quite a sight for the onlookers as I scrambled mindlessly around while trying to kill a rat. I didn¡¯t care though, for I would one day show them that I was the best. ¡°Kiiaa!¡± The rat screamed as it surprised me from behind. It did not truly hurt, but an uncomfortable feeling lingered from the hit. The attack must¡¯ve been pretty strong, though, as my HP now sat at half. I swung down one final time, and the exhausted rat was dealt damage at last. Inside, I celebrated this measly victory, but I found out quickly that my premature enthusiasm was uncalled for as of yet. The hit did not kill the rat, leaving it to jump directly at my face. The direct hit killed me instantaneously. It-its okay. I''m just a beginner. Nobody is automatically good at these things right? My vision went dark, and all that remained was an image of my avatar. I had not yet seen my features, for the excitement of such a wonderful new world overtook any other feelings. Now that I could get a good look, I noticed that my game-self looked drastically different from me in real-life. For one, my normally deep-brown hair was now a glistening blond. The shape of my face differed little, as well as it¡¯s features. Two major changes were the tone of my skin and my eyes. Normally, my skin would be mostly tan-colored, but this avatar was pale-white. As for my eyes, they were baby-blue, but now they''re light purple. Gust informed me that the avatar¡¯s were randomly generated because if it looked too much like you in real life, then privacy problems may occur. This wasn¡¯t my game anyway, so it doesn''t matter to me. Fortunately, I wasn¡¯t dissatisfied with my appearance, but it would take some getting used to. After a loading screen, I was plopped back into the starting town. Luckily, I still had my stick, so I wasn¡¯t completely unarmed. With that, I traveled out to the fields once more. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted another ¡®Large Rat¡¯. I should surprise it from behind like it did to me. This would the creature no hope of escape. Or, maybe a sword skill? No. Gust didn''t teach me enough about those. Upon deciding on my killing method, I attempted to stealthy sneak to the rat¡¯s rear side. I now had an opening. The rat had no idea of my plan, making this the best possible moment. ¡°Haa!¡± My body thrust upward, then I swung down on the rat. At the last moment, the creature saw me, and tried to evade. My attack was too fast, though, as the stick slammed into the flesh of the rat. The unexpected recoil distracted me for a moment, but not long enough for the rat to recover entirely from the pain. By the time the monster was fully able to fight back, another hit was on its way. It landed hard, and the rat stopped moving. Is it dead? That question was prematurely answered for me as the rat burst into orange and green sparks. Guess so. Chapter 2 - A Grave Question Charlies PoV ¡°Don''t disobey me again. Understand?¡± The strict command from his father triggered a shudder from Charlie. ¡°How about you learn how to control yourself? Dad, they¡¯re not good for you-¡° ¡°Enough.¡± Ium, Charlie''s dad, cut him off mid-sentence. Noticing Charlie¡¯s confused expression, Ium made himself even clearer. ¡°I will not be disrespected by my own son!¡± The older man waved his hands angrily in the air as he spoke. Disturbed by his father¡¯s lack of care, as well as embarrassment from other people in the parking lot, Charlie drove back home. Upon returning to his house at nine P.M, Charlie noticed that the light in his bedroom was still on. Huh. He really did end up enjoying it. As Charlie walked through his front door, he breathed a sigh of relief, for he was finally alone. Late that night, Charlie woke up, then remembered Klent. Is he still ultra-diving? Charlie peeped through the bedroom door, but saw no one. Must''ve gone home. Klent''s PoV Last night, I exited that world. The world in which possibilities were endless. Today, though, I would be visiting the school¡¯s computer room to research that world once more. It was almost unnatural how quickly I gained familiarity and affinity to the virtual world with me not being an avid gamer myself. Perhaps, it was just a pleasurable activity. Or maybe, just maybe, it¡¯s something much more. When I had chosen a seat at one of the many empty computer desks, my hand quickly gravitated toward the mouse. ¡°Student ID.¡± I murmured as I typed my credentials into the system. Next, I opened ¡®Neptune¡¯, the most used browser of this generation. I then proceeded to search ¡®v.i.h. war and swords¡¯. Results loaded immediately. I scrolled down until reaching an interesting article titled, ¡°Ultra-Reality an Ultra-Concern?¡± I clicked on it. Ultra-Reality an Ultra-Concern? Today we at Texich sit down with engineer and modern-philosopher Jerl Muffer about the possible dangers of Ultra Reality. Q: With the recent release of the Virtual Intelligence Hardware, or the V.I.H, are you worried about the ethical ramifications of such an object. This confused me. Ethical¡­ ramifications? What could those be? Desperate to find the answer, I read on. A: Well, you see, the thing about ultra-reality is that it¡¯s long term effects are yet unknown. Of course, this is due to it brief time on the market so far. To answer your question, yes. I worry a little about this generation¡¯s future. Picture this. If VR worlds are so good, then why would you want to return here? You wouldn¡¯t. That¡¯s only one of many problems, though. This struck me in particular, for I very well may have become a new addict to those realities. The problem was so obvious, yet it had not dawned on me. Maybe these headsets aren¡¯t good for society. But then I thought about that feeling. The feeling of freedom that rushed over me in that world. I decided to stop reading the page at that point, as to not possibly diminish my viewpoint on ultra-reality.. Could something so good be that bad? Once again, I met Charlie after school. Today, I was going to see what he thinks about these ¡°ethical problems¡±. He spotted me first. ¡°Oh-hey! Klent, over here!¡± He waved me over to a nearby bench where he was sitting. I walked over to him, disregarded whatever he had to say, and asked him what he thought about the issue. When he heard my question, Charlie seemingly let out a small sigh. ¡°Klent, come on man. You of all people should know how much potential is packed into that tiny headset.¡± Charlie said. I stood still and silent for a moment, trying to come to my own conclusions. ¡°Well, yeah, it is really fun. But wouldn¡¯t it cause problems in our society?¡± I asked him. ¡°Listen, every older generation fears the new one and the technology that comes with them. Think about it like this, when T.V. arrived into the tech scene, don¡¯t you think some people feared it? A machine that could provide laughs, cries, and general entertainment all from your home. I¡¯m sure the question back then was ¡®If T.V. is so good, then why would you want to go outside?¡¯ And the answer to that question is that you would want to go outside. You see, there are just some things you can¡¯t replicate about the real world, no matter how close you get. It¡¯s impossible to truly enjoy laughing at the television like you would with your friends, just as it¡¯s impossible to truly breath fresh air in VR.¡± Is it really impossible? The air I breathed in that world felt real, but was it? ¡°You''re right, but something''s still nagging me.¡± I said. Charlie rolled his eyes, and I had the common sense to know that he was aggravated. ¡°And what would that be, princess?¡± ¡°Shut up, Charles.¡± ¡°Hey, if you can call me Charles then I can call you princess.¡± Knowing that further arguing would be pointless, I forfeited the battle here and now with a ¡°Whatever.¡± ¡°Anyway, I''m heading home.¡± I sighed as I stood up from the bench. ¡°Alright. Take care, bud.¡± And with that brief goodbye, I walked on back to my house. As I reached for my key to the front door, muffled shouts were all I could hear besides the gentle chirping of the cicadas. If I listened closely, I could make out some of the words. ¡°You nee- t- take ---- of your ow- fa-i-y! Unfortunately, I couldn''t make out a full sentence without adding some of my own interpretation. Better to get this over with quickly. The key made a click, indicating that the door was now unlocked. I braced myself, then turned the handle. Regretfully, whole sentences flooded my ears as I walked in. After a few second seconds, the arguing stopped. My mother was the first to break the awkward silence in her false cheery voice. ¡°Hey, honey. Have a good day?¡± She asked with a artificial smile. I attempted to ease her worries with a smile of my own, but to seemingly no avail. ¡°Yep. Just got to finish some homework. You know how it is. The school really does like to give a whole load of it.¡± I told her. My father piped in after my joking remark. ¡°That''s a small price to pay for going to a good school like you do. Besides, I don''t think it hurts you. I mean, you''ve got top grades, as well as a damn-near perfect work ethic. Don''t give that up for nothing, son.¡± It was true. I was a star-student; good grades, attractive girlfriend, quarterback on the school team. I had everything your typical high-school boy could ask for. Yet something was missing, and I didn¡¯t know what. Maybe that¡¯s why I enjoyed VR so much. ¡°Yes, sir. I was just kidding.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°I know, but I just wanted to make sure you knew.¡± The gray-haired old man I knew as my father gave me an unusually warm smile. He cared about my well-being and would do anything to help, but it sometimes felt as if I was allowed no freedom of choice. ¡°Well I¡¯m heading upstairs. Just tell me when dinner¡¯s ready.¡± And with that, I left my parents to their bickering. Charlie''s PoV Damn it! Charlie cursed in his head as the claw dropped yet another stuffed bear. And there goes my last dollar. For the past ten minutes, Charlie had been continuously pouring the remainder of his final paycheck into this claw machine. It wasn¡¯t the thought of winning a toy which enticed him to go broke. Instead, it was the childhood ambition of one day beating the ¡°impossible game¡±. Well, that, and the fact that he was doing whatever he could to stall time and not go home. After the fight Charlie had gotten into with his father yesterday, Charlie had returned home and locked his bedroom door while his father was out doing whatever the hell he pleased. Today, though, his father was home. There was no way of getting past that fact. Not only that, but Charlie would somehow have to break the news that he had lost his job today for, according the the notice of termination, ¡°Acting vulgar or aggressive to a customer. Of course, Charlie being who he was, reacted by telling his ex-boss off. The way Charlie saw it, he was already fired, so there¡¯s no point in holding any words back. Gotta leave at some point, might as well be now. With a final kick at the claw machine, Charlie left the arcade which he had previously been working in earlier today. Charlie reached his house about thirty-minutes later. He inhaled then exhaled before getting out of his car. Leaving all hesitation at the doorstep, Charlie entered his home. It was unusually silent for Charlie, who was expecting to get his ass chewed out as soon as he walked through the front door. All he could hear were loud snores coming from the living room. So, trying to limit the click of his shoes on the tile, Charlie crept silently to his bedroom down the hall. He quickly turned the V.I.H on and slid it down his head. Charlie went through standard procedure such as entering his username and password. Then, he was thrown into the capital of the Valliant Empire. Damnit. Charlie though as he failed the claw machine once more. About five dollars had been lured into his long quest in getting one of those cheap plushies. He couldn''t care less about the plushie itself, for his only reasoning was that of sentimental value. Every kid dreamed of one day beating that impossible claw machine. Now, though, Charlie out of job and money. There goes my last five dollars. Only one option remained. He had to go home, no matter how much he didn''t want to. After the fight between him and his father yesterday, the last thing Charlie would like is to return to the old man. His relationship with his father was not the best to say the least. It was but two years ago when the addiction started. At first, it was only a pill at a time, but since then, that number has risen to about five. His father was asleep, allowing him to freely move about the house. Charlie took no time in dashing straight for his bedroom. When he prawled his scrawny body across the bed, drowsiness threatened to take him to sleep. He fought these urges and decided to dive in ultra-reality for a bit. He rest the machine on his head and closed his eyes. Millions of tiny pixels slowly formed into the environment, and Grayz, Charlie¡¯s in-game name, was spawned in a faction town called Treelig. Treelig was a town belonging to the ¡°Valliant Empire¡±, one of the two main factions in the game. Like the empires, Treelig was almost entirely player-run. Empress Christa had ordered the highest-leveled party in her military to clear a dungeon before her opponents did. The opponent which worried Christa the most was the only other empire, ¡°Viticonly¡±. According to the lore of the game, these two empires had been rivals since the dawn of time. They watched each other slowly evolve from tribes to full-on nations. Of course, that was all a fictional story embedded into the game. The empress called upon the heroes of the land, and Charlie was determined to answer her call. That was the main reason he was diving at this moment. Well, that, and the fact that he had nowhere else to go besides home. Guess I should head for the palace. Thought Charlie. As he jogged to the Imperial Palace, Charlie opened up his friends list and scrolled down to ¡°Blaze¡±. Blaze was the party¡¯s leader, meaning that it would be best to contact him first. Charlie would pop his head up every once in a while to make sure he wasn¡¯t about to collide with anything, then he would go back to typing his message to Blaze. ¡°Done.¡± Charlie said to himself while pressing the ¡®SEND¡¯ button. The message asked where to meet up for the previously planned dungeon raid. Quickly, Blaze responded, ¡°the imperial palace.¡± confirming Charlie¡¯s previous assumption. At this point, he was practically already at the palace. He looked around, then spotted four iron-cladded men standing by an NPC. There they are. Charlie ran over to the men. ¡°Hey, guys. Ready to beat that dungeon?¡± Charlie asked with a grin on his face. The group just gave a worried glance in response. ¡°What¡¯s- what¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked while losing his abnormally peppy look. Brawn was the first of the group to speak. ¡°It¡¯s Rod. He said he¡¯s not feeling too well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± The party looked over to the youngest one of the group, Rod. His short frame matched his age, which was thirteen. Rod was almost like that of a little brother, you pick on him to no end, yet you feel very protective over his well-being. Charlie had acted as an in-game friend that you could always rely on, which made him feel even worse when Rod lied directly to the whole group. ¡°Rod, buddy.¡± Charlie got down on one knee so that he was now face-to-face with the boy. ¡°You can sit this one out if you want. Everyone has to take a breather now and then.¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m fine!¡± Rod jawed back. His avatar¡¯s coincidentally boyish features scrunched up as he got angrier. ¡°I want to go with you guys. It¡¯s just a little headache, that¡¯s all!¡± Blaze looked at Rod, then to Charlie and asked. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s okay?¡± Charlie thought about the two options available to him. He could either let Rod come with the group and fight a dungeon, or he could ask for the boy to stay at the town or log-out. Charlie looked once more at the boy, who excitedly nodded his head up and down, swaying his short purple hair in the wind. I can¡¯t let him miss his chance to meet the empress. It¡¯s not like the boy was too weak or fragile, for his level was extremely high. No, Charlie was genuinely worried about Rod¡¯s health. If he was actually sick, then straining his nerves on a dungeon boss would not help one bit. Finally, Charlie came to his decision. ¡°If you really think you¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°I do, Mr. Grayz! I¡¯m fine!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Charlie nodded to Blaze, and they set out for the unconquered dungeon. When the five players arrived at the dungeon, they officially formed a party. After that, Blaze gave a short rallying speech in preparation for the long fight ahead. ¡°Today, we are not ordinary men, but heroes. Heroes of the Valliant Empire, and we will give our lives for the Empress. Now, who¡¯s ready to earn glory through this vicious battle?¡± The party simultaneously chanted, ¡°Me!¡± ¡°Then charge!¡± Blaze pointed to the entrance of the cave-like dungeon, and everyone ran forth to lethal danger. The group had been fighting for about an hour, but were still going strong. According to Charlie¡¯s calculations, they should be almost completely done besides the boss. Charlie had been sure to keep a close eye on Rod throughout the battle, but was still worried. I have to concentrate. I can¡¯t help Rod if i¡¯m dead. At that very moment, about thirty more monsters had spawned. Must be the damn reinforcements. The whole group was entirely split up. Everyone, including Rod, was on their own against many high-leveled monsters. At this point, Charlie could no longer see Rod in the group of monsters. ¡°Rod!¡± Charlie called out, hoping to hear a response from his friend. After a few seconds of nothing but the sound of steel on lizard flesh, Charlie got worried. I have to help him! A new determination radiated off of Charlie, and he was fully aware of it. His sword began to swing autonomously, and ¡®Lizard Monster¡¯ after ¡®Lizard Monster¡¯ was dismembered before him. One lizard swung from the left; his arm met a grisly fate. Another swung from the right: both hands were relieved from it¡¯s green body. Charlie kept pushing toward Rod. Lizard¡¯s swarmed from behind, beside, and in front of him, but Charlie showed not a hint fear. All this time, he had been saving up for his ¡®Ultimate Move¡¯, an attack which every player had and could use only once each day. Charlie¡¯s ¡®Ultimate Move¡¯ was ¡®Ultimate Shredder¡¯. I have to use it now. I¡¯m probably the only one in the party who hasn¡¯t used his ¡®Ultimate Move¡¯. When all hope seemed lost, and the raid was going to be failure, Charlie prevailed. ¡°I can¡¯t lose to these things!¡± Abandoning all sarcasm from his tone, Charlie, no, Grayz, entered his form. Lizards pounced onto his body, but they were soon to meet their demise. Charlie moved with the skill, and his two-handed sword took control of all movement. His body and sword spun around, dispersing the endless swarm of monsters around him. In fact, about twelve of the lizards were evaporated by this strike. The remaining lizards were quickly finished off by the rest of the party. Charlie looked around for rod, but saw no sign of the small boy. Then, the large gate to the boss room rose up into the air, and a figure could be seen dashing toward it. Charlie¡¯s heart stopped when he realized who exactly was running. ¡°Rod! Come back!¡± Charlie shouted. ¡°No, I can be strong like you guys. I-I¡¯ll prove it!¡± The kid responded sounding half-delusional. Something¡¯s wrong. Rod may be young, but he¡¯s at least got common sense. If this were random, then Charlie as well as the rest of the party would be furious at Rod for putting the mission at risk. But this was different, and everyone could sense it. ¡°What are you waiting for? Let¡¯s go!¡± Blaze ordered the party. Then, the unthinkable happened. The gate began to fall once again, which would block the group from Rod. I have to get there in time. Charlie couldn¡¯t believe that he would ever be so worried about in-game matters, but he was this time. He had a feeling that this was bigger than a glory grab. No, something was wrong with Rod. ¡°I got this. It¡¯s okay if you guys can¡¯t make it, but at least contact a Game Master just in case.¡± And with that, Charlie¡¯s heels ignited as he speed skill kicked in. The gate was just five feet from the ground, then two, then¡­ Crrrk! The obsidian gate slammed back into the ground, leaving the three other members of the party unable to get to the boss room. The three players left consisting of Blaze, Brawn, and Rokae couldn¡¯t watch as their fellow part member slid underneath the falling gate. But now, they opened their eyes to find Grayz safely on the other side. ¡°Brawn, contact a GM, now!¡± Blaze commanded. Charlie was now on trapped with Rod and the newly-spawned boss, ¡®The King of Shadows¡¯. The shrouded humanoid clutched a scythe with both of it¡¯s skeleton hands. ¡°Stay close to me.¡± Charlie¡¯s order seemed to fall upon deaf ears as Rod burst forth. He had no time to think as the scythe fell directly toward Rod. Leaping upward, Charlie was barely able to intercept the hurtling weapon with his sword, causing the sharp recoil to numb his arm. Both Charlie and the giant scythe were quickly falling. ¡°Rod, look out!¡± Charlie yelled as he plummeted. Once again, Rod seemingly disregarded Charlie¡¯s life-saving advice. Noticing that the kid wasn¡¯t moving at all, Charlie took matters into his own hands as he tried to pull and direct the scythe a little to the left. His attempt at saving Rod paid off, and the scythe just barely missed colliding with the boy. Instead, it had slammed Charlie into the ground, and now had him pinned onto the hard dirt floor. ¡°Rod¡­¡± The name escaped from Char lie¡¯s breath as his HP drained fast. The next thing he felt was the uncomfortable sensation of Rod¡¯s dagger digging into his throat. Chapter 3 - No Answer in View Klent¡¯s PoV Ding! Ding! The ear-piercing ring alerted my drowsy senses. ¡°And don¡¯t forget to finish page one-eighty-two for extra-credit!¡± Ms. Jamie¡¯s shrill voice echoed throughout the room, forcing me to get up. As I packed my belongings and started for the door, I heard the familiar tone of the girl I was unsure of my feelings for. ¡°Klent, I¡¯ve been trying to get your attention all throughout class.¡± The girl, Kate, laughed off her scolding as a joke, but I felt as if she were genuinely disappointed by my ignorance. I just wish she would understand that I can¡¯t be with her 24/7. I sighed while thinking up a half-assed excuse. ¡°Sorry, I was just trying to study for next week¡¯s test.¡± I flashed a smile while turning around to face my partner. Something told me my excuse held water, so hopefully Kate would understand. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I just wanted to ask you if maybe you could join me and Beth to the movies?¡± The red-haired girl looked gorgeous even here under the dim, artificial lights shining down from the bulbs above. It was no wonder why I fell so quickly for her. ¡°Well, um, how about¡­?¡± I pulled Kate to the side away from the gathering crowd of exiting students. ¡°How about just you and me? Why does Beth have to come? She¡¯s not my girl, you are.¡± I truly didn¡¯t mind Beth as a person. Sure, she was a bit too hyper, but her heart was in the right place. Kate seemed offended by disapproval of her best friend coming with us, yet she looked as if she had swallowed all fighting words as she spoke. ¡°Oh, okay. Well, just meet us at the theater if you change your mind.¡± As she left with everyone else, I was left alone to deal with my own girlfriend choosing her friend over me. After most people had fully exited school for the day, I decided to follow suit. When I had arrived at the bench outside of school, something was off. The usually early-bird Charlie was nowhere to be seen. Normally, I couldn¡¯t care less where he was, but over these past few days I had become friendlier with Charlie like I used to. For the first time in a long time, I actually enjoyed the company of another person. Most of the people I hung out with were pompous jerks too full of themselves to ever take anyone else seriously. Charlie was different. He was witty, yet intelligent. He took credit for what he did, but didn¡¯t brag to others about it. In short, he was the shining example of an ideal student. While lost in my own thoughts, I didn¡¯t notice my phone bing until a few moments afterwards. The message was from Charlie, asking me to meet him at his place in ten minutes. I knew it was an emergency because I had seen Charlie¡¯s inner perfectionist one too many times, and it wouldn¡¯t let him abbreviate minutes to min. After finally reaching his house to see what was so important, I made my way to the front door. When I was about a split-second away from ringing the doorbell, I heard my name being whispered from beside me. I looked over to find that the bedroom window, situated not too far from the front door, was open. A familiar head was hanging out of the opening, and I immediately knew who it was. Charlie? ¡°Psst. Klent, over here.¡± He whispered from the window. ¡°Charlie? What are you doing over there?¡± My good friend did not look to be in the mood for questions, so I went to the window sill as he had beckoned me to. ¡°Get in.¡± He said while moving out the of the way so I could climb in. When I had finally slung myself into the room, I promptly plopped my tired body on the bed. While I rested, I listened to Charlie explain his reasoning behind the whole ¡°window entrance¡±. Apparently, his father didn¡¯t take kindly to strangers, which is what I was. After Charlie had finished speaking, he sat down on his desk chair and blanket for a moment, just silently staring at nothing in particular. I knew that he was contemplating a matter of great concern, but I didn¡¯t have the slightest clue of what that could be. I had only seen Charlie in such a state of disarray once. The very first time I met him. It was the beginning of ninth-grade, a little over a year ago, when I was walking home from school. I don¡¯t remember much about what happened during that day in class, but I could never forget what happened after. The air was sticky, humid, and hot. The seasons were caught in a short grey area between Summer and Fall. I was walking home, trying to escape the blazing rays of the sun, something Kate, my then-new girlfriend, seemed to actively seek out, when I heard the taunts of two tenth-graders. From where I was standing, it looked as if two large older kids were picking on one scrawny ninth-grader. Now, this fact doesn¡¯t rest easily upon my conscience, but I almost kept walking. My mother had threatened to whack me across the head should I misbehave, and if I entered this squabble that was none of my business, then there was a chance that I would get punished along with the bullies. An internal battle broke out in my head as two options laid before me. I could either help this kid and risk trouble, or just keep walking. It took longer than I would like to admit, but I finally decided on helping the poor kid when I saw the first bully swing at him. Luckily, I was cunning enough to form a plan before charging in head first. As much as I hate how aware I was of my popularity, it was all but fact that I held major influence in the school¡¯s social politics. If I could use this to my advantage, then maybe the bullies would hesitate and back off, knowing that I could ruin their school lives. I whistled first to grab their attention. Both boys simultaneously turned to me and the second grunt started to threaten me before realizing his mistake. ¡°Hey, move along, pa- wait! Joe we gotta split it! That''s Klent!¡± They then began to pander and apologize as they made excuses for their sudden leaving. I paid the boys¡¯ attempts at pity no mind, and extended my right hand toward the kid on the ground before introducing myself. ¡°Hey, man. Sorry for taking so long in getting those boys away.¡± I told him.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The kid had a scared and confused look on his face. It was as if he was confirming that I was trustworthy before he even thought about taking my hand. Ever since that day, Charlie and I have been good friends, but never best friends. I blamed that on our differentiating lifestyle, but after hearing about his father¡¯s harsh rules, I reached the conclusion that maybe the two of us weren¡¯t so different after all. Forcing myself back into the present, I saw that Charlie was thinking about how to tell me something. ¡°Charlie, whatever it is you want to say, just remember that you don¡¯t have to tell me. I understand that some things aren¡¯t meant to be shared and-¡° ¡°No. You need to know this.¡± I nodded at the persistence of his request. Confirming that I was listening, Charlie began. ¡°Yesterday, I was playing ¡°War and Swords¡±, and went on a dungeon raid with my usual party.¡± Some of the terms were unknown to a newbie like me, but I was getting the basic gist of the story. ¡°But before we set off for the dungeon, one of our members, a kid named rod, apparently wasn¡¯t feeling well. Said he had a headache. Well, something was definitely wrong with him. The rumors are already spreading, and I don¡¯t know if any of them are true. What I do know is that something bad happened to Rod. It also can¡¯t be a coincidence that today, I got a message from Roadbrook Industries requesting me to meet them at their main complex for ¡°educational opportunities¡±. And that¡¯s why¡­¡± Charlie¡¯s voice trailed off to complete silence. ¡°And that¡¯s why, what?¡± I asked him, trying my best to not make it seem like I was pushing him. ¡°And that¡¯s why¡­ I want you to come to Roadbrook Ind. with me.¡± Two days later, here we were. The great building towered above is as we prepared ourselves for the meeting to come. Before we left, I had done some light research, but that¡¯s all it took for me to understand the main business of the company Roadbrook Ind. These guys are the developers of the V.I.H.. Noticing the continuation of Charlie¡¯s unusually sour mood, I tried to break the silence. ¡°Sure is big.¡± I said, nodding while looking up toward the intimidating structure. He himself nodded in return to my comment, but did not utter a word. Then, I was finally able to pinpoint the problem, the reason why we hadn¡¯t yet mustered the courage to enter through those glass doors merely seven-feet away. ¡°Come on, man. No need to be nervous. Whatever happens in there, I¡¯m sure everything will turn out reasonably.¡± An, ¡°I guess.¡± was all I got in return. When we finally walked through those crystalline glass doors, the interiors beauty made me regret not doing so sooner. The marble walls looked cleaner than most dishes, and the fresh oak wood which served as flooring gave off an enjoyable scent. Charlie seemed to care less about the glamour. Instead, he was busy identifying himself to the receptionist. ¡°I¡¯m Charlie Ernest. I booked an appointment with Dr. Hart for educational opportunities.¡± The woman at the desk seemed disgruntled by Charlie¡¯s to-the-point attitude, but she still did her job required checked him in. While we were waiting in the lobby chairs, I thought about something that would probably upset Charlie should I choose to tell him. I¡¯m not dressed well enough for this place. After throwing that thought to the sharks in order to keep my head attached to my body, I decided to grab one of the magazines lying about the lobby. ¡°Let¡¯s see what we got here¡­¡± I mumbled while flipping through the pages. Charlie¡¯s PoV ¡°Mr. Ernest? Mr. Ernest!¡± Charlie¡¯s unfortunately brief nap was interrupted by the screams coming from the receptionist. ¡°What¡­ what is it..?¡± The half-awake Charlie stuttered. As he opened his eyes slowly, he noticed a tall figure dressed in a pearl-white lab coat. ¡°Who are you?¡± Charlie asked as he finally regained full consciousness. ¡°Ah, Mr. Ernest. You might not recognize me, but I¡¯m almost certain you¡¯ve heard of Dr. Hart?¡± The man spoke in an almost suspicious tone. Charlie, who was known for his ability to excellently read the motives of anybody, could not determine what sort of goal lay behind those stout glasses of the man before him. Charlie had been been too focused on what the guy wanted to listen to what he had asked. ¡°Oh, uh, do what?¡± Charlie asked while trying to make his ¡°person reading¡± less obvious. ¡°I asked if you knew who Dr. Hart was.¡± Dr. Hart? Wasn¡¯t he the CEO of Roadbrook? Wait a minute, would I be meeting him today?! Charlie got his question answered much quicker than he could imagine when the man with the lab coat pulled something that looked like a computer mouse from his breast pocket. He then proceeded to enter a complex set of numbers into the little screen situated on top the small device. What happened after that shocked even Klent, who had just awoken from his slumber as well. The lab coat donned by the old scientist vaporized and was drifted away by the AC. In its place appeared an elegant tie and suit. His features changed to look noticeably younger as well. Immediately, Charlie recognized who this man truly was. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Dr. Hart!¡± Charlie somehow managed to spit out despite his shock. The doctor let out a warm chuckle and spoke, ¡°Right you are. I am Dr. James Hart, and I would like to speak with you and you¡¯re, ahem, friend.¡± Dr. Hart¡¯s gaze turned cold as he looked over to the now-back-asleep Klent. Charlie lost all traces of breath as Dr. Hart continued. ¡°First and foremost, I need you to follow me to the lab for a moment. It¡¯s about the educational opportunities of which Roadbrook Ind. can help you with.¡± Charlie noticed that Dr. Hart put an uneasy emphasis on educational opportunities. Nevertheless, Charlie understood that if there was any chance he could get away from his father, his skepticism would have to be put second to his curiosity. ¡°Okay, yeah. But do you really think your corporation could provide me with a future?¡± Charlie asked. Dr. Hart seemed to be contemplating something, but he then said, ¡°Of course I can. Remember, I control the inner workings of this place, so if I want to make you an offer, then nobody else gets a say on anything.¡± The cynicalism rooted within his voice made the doctor seem more like a dictator than CEO. Unfortunately, Charlie was left with no other choice. If there¡¯s even a chance that I can change my life here, then I have to take it. Charlie proceeded to follow Dr. Hart towards the laboratory. When they had been walking down the similar white halls for about five minutes, the doctor ditched the whole ¡°nice guy¡± persona. ¡°It must have been pretty disturbing, eh?¡± Dr. Hart asked, clearly changing his tone to that of something more maniacal. ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡±Charlie responded, a sinking feeling made itself known to him. The next sentence cleared up any confusion belonging to Charlie. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you don¡¯t understand. I think it would be at least a little scarring to watch a kid¡¯s mind give out in person, don¡¯t you, Mr. Ernest?¡± Klent¡¯s PoV This is way too strange. Three hours ago, Charlie had left while I was barely awake. The receptionist, who¡¯s name I had learned was Nessy, said that the CEO of Roadbrook had taken him away to discuss some things. Upon inquiring further, every question I asked was met with a strict ¡°It¡¯s classified¡±. If I stayed out any later, my parents would bring the hammer down, possibly forbidding me to even meet with Charlie, who they knew and liked. I racked my brain while trying to come to a ¡®fix all¡¯ conclusion. Once again, two options regarding Charlie laid before me. I could either leave and try to explain my abandoning him tomorrow, or I could stay a bit more and get punished by my parents. I eventually decided to stay, for there was no sense in leaving at this point. It was already dark and punishment would be issued no matter what, so I stayed. About an hour later, around eight, my phone alerted me of a new message. As I pulled it out, the number revealed itself, and I immediately recognized who¡¯s phone this text was sent from. It¡¯s Charlie¡¯s number! After exclaiming silently to myself, I read the message. If a person named Klent is reading this, know that all is not well. You probably own a V.I.H., so I have a request for you. Log onto the game ¡°War and Swords¡± and look for a player named Julius. Although I cannot reveal much information, just know that your friend may be in grave danger. Please hurry. Knowing that someone¡¯s life could be in danger alone made me queasy, but knowing that a friend¡¯s life could be in danger nearly made me fully lose consciousness. Something wrong is going on in Roadbrook Industries. Chapter 4 - Trapped With No Escape Charlie¡¯s PoV ¡°Where am I?¡± The panic set in quickly as Charlie finally regained consciousness. Then, he thought of the very last thing he remembered. Tubes. IV machines. A¡­ doctor. Dr¡­. what was his name again? Everything was a blur to him. The only thing he knew for sure was that he was in ¡®War and Swords¡¯, but upon opening up his menu to log out, Charlie was horrified to find the button grayed out. Even when he tried to hit it, the command just wouldn¡¯t go through. It might as well not exist if it can¡¯t help me. All around him were open plaines, leaving Charlie no answers to his many questions. As he stood idle in the field, Charlie thought about which way to go, then, he remembered that the sun always set in the north in this game, and north should eventually lead to the far town of ¡®Orton¡¯. There, he could finally see other people again and ask his questions. For now, though, Charlie had a long walk ahead of him. At about noon, Charlie stubbornly admitted to himself that this path was leading nowhere. Panic began its brutal assault as he sat down. ¡°Oh? Forfeiting the game so soon?¡± An echoing voice taunted a weary Charlie. That voice, I know it. Doctor¡­ doctor¡­ Dr. Hart! ¡°What did... you do to me¡­?¡± Charlie found himself choking up on fear as he spoke. ¡°If I told you that, what would the fun be? No, you need to learn on your own. Perhaps, I can help you with that.¡± Charlie could still not find the intentions lurking within the hollow voice. Nevertheless, that was the least of his concerns. He was focused entirely on the doctor. ¡°No! I don¡¯t need your help! It was you who put me in here in the first place!¡± Charlie refused. ¡°Protocol: 3574!¡± Dr. Hart commanded. Just then, ¡®Rock Golems¡¯, the strongest known mob in the game, spawned all around him. Numbering in at least five-thousand, the golems bore terrifying expressions on their stone faces. This isn''t good. As that thought raced through his head, Charlie was almost too distracted to notice the rocky arm heading for him. Barely dodging out of the way in time, Charlie looked around to find that the rest of the monsters were now in ¡®attack mode¡¯. All of a sudden, his arms grew heavy. When he saw what had appeared within his grip, another wave of shock coursed through his veins. It was a two-handed obsidian sword, one of the strongest non-legendary weapons in the game. ¡°Here, a gift. Use it wisely.¡± The doctor¡¯s voice faded into the distance.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I can¡¯t do this. I can¡¯t do this. I can¡¯t do this. The same negative phrase repeated endlessly in his head as Charlie clutched the sword for dear life. The surrounding golems pulled back their long arms in preparation of a fatal blow. The immediate threat must have caused Charlie to return to his senses, for a sudden thought fought against any unwanted emotions. This is just a game, and I, Graeyz, am the best at games! That was all it took for Charlie to jump with all his might off the ground. The golems rocky fists were smashed together, injuring them all. As for Charlie, he was now quickly falling back to the ground. When he was about ten feet from making contact with the golems, Charlie pulled back the overpowered sword behind his shoulder. Then, when he had five feet left, he swung downwards. Chapter 4 Part 2 Charlie continued the hopeless struggle as he parried blow after blow with his sword. Every time he would successfully parry an attack, Charlie would let loose a mediocre sword skill to finish the creature off. Right now, there were about four-thousand-eight-hundred monsters left. The obsidian sword was reaching its durability limit, Charlie¡¯s ¡®Ultimate Move¡¯ meter was depleted from overuse, and his health was reducing at dangerously fast speeds. Something had to be done. Think, think, think, think. What can I do? It was at that moment that the world itself seemed to cease. Every one of the golems shattered into miniscule shards of orange light. In the wake of such a miracle, the only thing remaining was the outline of a strange, elven-looking man. Charlie was partially frightened as the figure strode toward him, but upon seeing the man¡¯s features beneath the greenish hood, it seemed that he was friendly. ¡°Hey, man. Quite a pickle you got yourself into, eh?¡± The green-clothed person chuckled, then, noticing Charlie¡¯s horrified expression, said, ¡°Welp, this is a bit awkward. Anyway, I¡¯m, uh, Teal¡­ Nice to meet you?¡± The man named Teal outstretched a gloved palm for a handshake. A cold glance was all he got in return. ¡°Okay. Not much of a shaker.¡± In an attempt to exterminate any possibility of a surprise attack from ¡°Teal¡±, Charlie grabbed the elven-boy by his collar and put the obsidian sword to his throat. Of course, he was actually grateful for the help, but no chances could be taken at the moment. To Charlie¡¯s amazement, Teal didn¡¯t even flinch or try to fight back. It was then that he realized what he had just done. Charlie was attacking a person of obvious power. Those golems were unbelievably tough, yet this boy had eradicated them all in a mere split-second. As he slowly removed the sword from Teal¡¯s neck, Charlie released the boy from his grip and took a few steps back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Teal was flabbergasted at Charlie¡¯s apology. After all, two seconds ago he had threatened to cut off his head. ¡°No, yeah, well it¡¯s fine, man. We all get nervous when meeting new people.¡± I¡¯ve never tried to cut off someone''s head upon meeting them, though. Teal carefully placed that thought away as to not agitate Charlie any further. ¡°Anyway, where are you off to?¡± Teal asked. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know. I kind of, well, I just woke up here all of a sudden.¡± Once again, Teal was strangely unfazed by Charlie¡¯s remark. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re one of us.¡± Teal said. ¡°Buddy, I¡¯ve seen your situation many times before. Look, I understand that following a stranger in an unfamiliar place may seem like a bad idea, and it is, but I can take to our place. We have people there; good people.¡± The offer seemed too good to be true, but was there an alternative? Charlie was only left with one option. He had to accept. ¡°Fine. But if this is a trick of any kind, I will take you, and everyone you know down with me.¡± ¡°Geez, man. Talk about a threatening tone.¡± And with that, the two set off for a certain place. Many adventures are to come in this world for Charlie, but what about Klent? Find out in the next chapter of ¡°Ultra-Reality¡±! Chapter 5 - Unexpected Revelations As Chapter 4 is Happening, Klent has his Own Problems Needing a V.I.H. to complete my task of meeting someone named Julius in ¡®War and Swords¡¯, I knew that I¡¯d have to steal it from Charlie¡¯s house. I carefully slid through the unlocked window. Once inside, I easily found the headset even amongst the clutter of Charlie¡¯s room. The problem started when I was exiting. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± The drunken voice yelled, and I knew exactly whose voice that was. It¡¯s Charlie¡¯s father. I kept my cool as I leapt out the open window and hopped onto my bike. Just as I was about halfway down the road, though, I heard the roaring hum of an engine. Turning my head around slightly, I saw the red pick-up clunkily sliding out of the driveway and toward me. That wasn¡¯t even the scariest part. The outline of a rifle barrel could be seen coming out of the driver¡¯s window from the truck. He¡¯s going to try and shoot me. Just then, a loud boom! echoed out. He had fired the rifle, but luckily it missed me due in large part to his drunken aim. The truck itself was also catching up to me, about fifteen feet away at this point. Guess I¡¯ll have to put my eighth-grade gymnastics to the test. When the truck was less than a foot from me, I kicked myself off the bike and onto the truck¡¯s roof. I could hear the metallic bicycle crumple like paper under the force of the truck. Even Charlie''s drunk father, who was most likely preparing another shot, must¡¯ve been astonished at my level of skill. Now that I was out of aim, I had to think about what to do next. Then, I heard a siren echoing in the distance. Emerging from the corner behind us were blue and red lights. Suddenly, the pickup truck sped up, and I was thrown into the bed of it. The blow to my head nearly made me pass out, but other than that I was okay. ¡°Pull over now!¡± The voice boomed. Charlie¡¯s dad showed no signs of halting as the truck sped up even further. I can¡¯t get caught right now with Charlie in danger. I could always stand up now and say that I¡¯m a hostage, but then they would see the stolen V.I.H.. Besides, I didn¡¯t have time for them to take me into questioning even if they believed my hostage story anyway. Gunshots erupted from both sides as I desperately tried to think up a way out of this. I raised my head a bit from my ducked position in the bed. We were now on the open highway, with trees as far as the eye could see. Only the dim light of fast-food restaurant could be seen in the distance. I kept my head down until right before we passed by the restaurant. Then, I made my carefully thought out move and jumped onto the grass on the side of the woods. ¡°Is this thing on? Klent, can you hear me? I studied the environment around me. Everything, and I mean everything, was green. Not only that, but I found myself lying on my back in the damp grass. As I picked myself up from the ground, even more fear hit me. The greenery¡­ is endless¡­ I prayed in my head, asking God to please let this be a dream. Suddenly, I noticed the voice calling my name. ¡°Huh.., who are you? Where am I?¡± I asked. No response. ¡°Answer me!¡± I shouted. It took a few seconds, but a bewildered voice responded, ¡°Amazing¡­ It worked.¡± I had no idea what to think of this, until I looked to the upper-right hand corner of my view. An HP and status gauge? Wait, no, it couldn¡¯t be¡­ am I¡­ in ¡®War and Swords¡¯? I cleared my head and commanded, ¡°Open Menu!¡± A list of statistics spilled out, and I read every line in order to fully comprehend my situation.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Name: Finisher LV: 2 Hp: 2800/2800 Stamina: 5000/5000 Skills: -Sword skill, ¡°Raging One¡± -Sword skill, ¡°The End¡± Ultimate Move: ¡°The Black Hole¡± Extra skills: -Crafting Bonus I hit the ¡®INSPECT AVATAR¡¯ button, and my current appearance was shown. This is my ¡®War and Swords¡¯ avatar! But that means that I¡¯m currently in ultra-reality. Why, though? ¡°Ah, you seemed to have came to your final conclusion. To answer your question; yes, you are in the ultra-reality MMORPG ¡®War and Swords¡¯. There is one more thing that you should know¡­¡± The voice spoke then paused. After what seemed like an eternity, he began again. ¡°No, never mind. Wouldn¡¯t want to ruin the surprise. Anyway, my name is Rudy Brown, but you may call me Dr. Brown. I sent you on that quest to help Charlie, and I will continue to help as long as you follow my every order. Got that?¡± I was unsure of how to respond, for I didn¡¯t want to make a hasty decision and regret later on. Not only that, but I still had more questions that I wanted answers to. For example: Why am I here? Where is Charlie? How can I help Charlie? ¡°How about this¡­¡± I started my bargain. ¡°You answer every single one of my questions, and I¡¯ll consider listening to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay with me. What¡¯s your first question?¡± ¡°My first question is why am I here?¡± ¡°Well, after your death, we-¡± ¡°My death¡­?¡± I questioned quietly, for I was honestly afraid of an answer. ¡°I guess I should start from the beginning.¡± He sighed. ¡°Five days ago, I traced your phone to the outskirts of Detroit. When I arrived at your location, the sun was barely visible, but there was just enough light to see your body. Your neck was twisted in an inhuman position. Whatever did that to you killed you instantaneously..¡± No. I¡¯m not dead. This is just a dream. Then I remembered the police chase, when I jumped from the bed of the truck. I remember a split-second of severe pain. Does that mean that everything after that didn¡¯t actually happen; like a dream after death? If so, then how do I know that this isn¡¯t just an illusion as well? ¡°When I brought your corpse back here, I felt that something was off. I had been looking for subjects for a new experiment, so used your body as an alternative to a live person. I¡¯m sorry for that, but the experiment was a success, and without it, you wouldn¡¯t be here right now. Klent, I have given you new life as an AI.¡± An AI? ¡°Every breath of air you inhale, every single step you take; is real. This is your new reality. But you will not be inhabiting this world as Klent. Instead, you will live your new life as Finisher. This, is your ultra-reality. I looked over to the fields beside me, then to the skies above. Winged-creatures flew, and large insectoids roamed. I choose to accept those words, however cruel they may be. I must throway all doubt and sadness. Even though the tears of loneliness threaten to stream down, I must ignore them and carry on. I may miss my previous life dearly, but I have to accept my new life now. What else can I do? ¡°Today, as much as it pains me, I will do away with my old-self, and begin anew as Finisher. Today, I will set out on my quest to save Charlie.¡± As I ran to the fields, I unsheathed my damaged wooden stick. A ¡®Savage Ant¡¯ threatened me, but it met its demise as I used the sword skill ¡°Raging Hole¡±. Orange sparks were blown away with the wind as I continued to annihilate every creature in sight. After an hour, I had reached level 10, and there was one ant left. It was the strongest one, or what many players apparently call a ¡°boss¡±. ¡®Nest Queen¡¯ was the creatures name. Its appearance was an enlarged version of the normal ¡®Savage Ants¡¯, and was level 20. I didn¡¯t care. Its giant leg came down to crush me, but I timed my parry just right and stunned the creature. Unfortunately, the raw force of the parry shattered my only weapon. Now I was alone and defenseless. The queen charged, and for the first time so far in this life, I felt genuine fear. Her legs slashed at me as I attempted to hopelessly retreat. My left arm was cut lightly, but I could still feel the pain as if it were real. So this is what it truly means to ¡®live¡¯ in this world. Everything is real. Out of time, and out of options, I ran to a safer distance. Then, I checked my inventory. ¡°All I¡¯ve got are ant legs.¡± Another thing I noticed was the ¡®HOTKEY¡¯ icon. An idea formed in my head. I tapped the ¡®HOTKEY¡¯ icon fast, for the queen was still coming after me. A new screen appeared prompting me to do a motion. I snapped my left middle-finger. [CRAFTING SKILL NOW SET TO LEFT-HAND SNAP] Then, I snapped my right middle-finger. [CRAFTING SKILL ASSIGNED TO RIGHT-HAND SNAP] The queen was right before me now, and preparing to strike. I snapped both fingers at the same time while thinking about what I wanted to craft with the spider legs. It was just a guess, but if it didn¡¯t pay off, then I would be utterly obliterated by the queen. When I snapped, one ¡®Spider-Leg Long-Sword¡¯ appeared in each hand. I went on the defensive and crossed both swords into an X position to block the oncoming attack. Upon making contact with the harsh blow, both swords shattered within my grip. I had plenty more where those came from, though. I snapped both fingers again and attacked with my newly-crafted weapons. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. That¡¯s all I have to do. Using this strategy, I was able to diminish the queen¡¯s HP to 50%, then 20%, and finally, 0%. [LEVEL UP] [LEVEL UP] [LEVEL UP] [LEVEL UP] [LEVEL UP] Nice. Now I¡¯m level 15.