《Trapped in a VR game with my grandma.》


 01 - Game Start

    "You know, if you make that face so long it''ll be stuck like that." Theo''s grandmother said as she entered the room. It was lit in a dull grey mostly- it was overcast outside.


    Theo would force his face to be like this forever regardless. He was offended at what he was seeing, as he starred down at his phone.


    "Mornin'', I made some bacon and eggs..." Theo told her distractedly, still scowling at the article he had read. ''InsideJob'' wasn''t renewed for another season... But Bigmouth got a hundredth and fifth season! Whoever made this decision needed to be beheaded in the street yesterday.


    The old woman with dyed red hair walked over to where he sat. A cushioned set of chairs around a table. Their dining room, somewhat connected to a kitchen.


    "I can''t eat that crud." she said as she starred hungrily at the pile of bacon. Then plopped down across from him.


    She was nearly 80 believe it or not- modern medicine is a marvel. She moved with a spryness and sass of someone decades younger. Her skin, hair, all of it defied her actual age.


    "If you took your pills you could.", Theo scrolled down the article he read. She shook her head. "Nah, they make my head all weird." his grandmother pointed at her temples and made circles.


    "You don''t say..." he barely looked up from his phone at her.


    But she slapped him on the shoulder and he to fumbled it. "Careful! This is the latest model!" Theo shielded his phone from the dangerous offender.


    She scoffed at him- "Every year they come out with one! I remember when I was your age, they were in the single digits!"


    "This is the Iphone ''Odyssey''. Thank you very much." he gestured to it grandly.


    She laughed.


    Which, after a moment- caused him to laugh. Sometimes she made him feel like the grandparent. He had visited often, before moving in. But now they were more like friends than a grandchild / grandparent.


    Samantha Lemont, renowned photographer. Mostly retired.


    They were in her apartment - if you could call it that. It was a building many people lived in, but each one was the size of a house. Grand. Large white vaulted ceilings, chandeliers, shiny black paneled floors.


    He moved in when he lost his job a few months ago. Not that it was his fault. It was automated. Damned robots.


    "Odyssey- they make it sound like an adventure! That marketing department I swear..." she sprung forward energetically- "Marketing!" She framed hard hands in front of her as if she was pitching an idea.


    "Marketing, never changes." she said seriously.


    "Is that some kind of reference or something?" Theo asked.


    "Your generation suuuucks." she deflated into her cushioned seat. Head lulling back.


    Theo just shook his head and sighed. Putting away his phone, apparently the showrunners of ''Lux Machina'' were holding out hope someone else would pick up the series for another season.


    *Ting-Tingaling*


    The padding of little feet come into the room.


    A little Pomeranian puffball starred at the two, a tiny bell hanging from her neck.


    "What?" Theo asked. But she just starred at the two expectantly. "Outside?", she tilted her head. "Foo-?" The dog peed.


    "Wha- No! Bad dog! No!", Theo went to chastise her.


    His grandmother stopped him; "Don''t you tell at her!", "She''s ruining the floor! This place costs like a billion dollars!", "It''s laminated hardwood! She''s a dog! And besides... The drone will get it."


    The two argued as the dog padded off to cause trouble elsewhere, seemingly satisfied.


    After arguing for awhile longer, Theo accepted defeat. Sighing and frustrated.


    "Forget it. Let''s go for a walk.", he said. Immediately Samantha deflated again into her cushion, head lulling back. "Don''t wanna."


    "Come on, I think the suns breaking through a bit. Maybe Ed will be playing chess in the park again?"


    "No.", she was adamant. It was early morning, but that''s the best time for her. Theo pinched the ridge of his nose. "What if we passed by the game store?"


    She looked up from the cushioned seat.


    ---


    So there they were. After a brief trip to the park, they had made their way to the game shop.


    "Ed was cranky today." Theo said listlessly as he examined some of the games on the shelves.


    There was a resurgence of this kind of thing, ''physical copies'' were once again a thing.


    See- a few online platforms rescinded ownership of some products and now people wanted physical evidence of ownership. And other legal stuff. So now, you had to buy these.


    "It''s cause you mentioned the games. I told you not to. I had to listen to Ed explain for the millionth time; ''Chess never gets an update or a patch! That''s a real game, back from when people finished things!'' bah!"


    She said that, but she herself was an adept chess player. Board games were apart of her gaming obsession. She even hosted DnD campaigns with some of the other seniors in the building.


    The woman was excitedly browsing as she explained how video games were very bit as valid as chess. "Oooh~ saucy. Hey Theo, look at this."


    "No." he said instantly. The old woman grimaced. "Look." she pushed the game in front of him but he turned his head.


    "I''ll guess. Is it a dating sim?", "Nope.", "Sex thing in anyway?", "You''re no fun. - I Can''t believe they just put this on the shelves."


    Theo grabbed up a game. "What about this one? You play as a cop. Hey- they haven''t automated that yet-" before he finished his sentence his grandmother was snickering.


    "What? I could be a cop!", "Sure, sure." they browsed awhile longer, Theo liked games but he wasn''t as enamored as his grandmother.


    He wanted to DO something real. But what could he do? 90% of work is done by robots. Welfare is so good a person could live in dignity on it. But it didn''t give a person purpose or meaning.


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    He was thinking of jobs and work when he saw it.


    A grand display. An advertisement centered in the large store magnificently.


    A knight in shining armor stood with a sword impaling stone, the words; "The Real Fantasy" scrawled across the bottom in a regal old english font.


    "That''s a bit... On the nose?" Theo said looking at the white platform it stood on. There were pictures and descriptions of gameplay features.


    ''Live in a land of fantasy! Be a bard, a tavern keeper! A king or a peasant! Live out your fantasy dream in the first REAL fantasy!''


    "Whow! Look at those graphics - it looks so real! And this is a VR game? Theo- VR games can''t do this yet." she said studiously as she flipped through a pamphlet that came from the display.


    "Looks like this one does." Theo said, looking for actual gameplay, but there were no actual displays. Like screens.


    "Oh, I see. This is new!" she slapped the page in the pamphlet. "No wonder it''s so generic! It''s made by the company that made the new VR system, it launches with it!" she showed him the pamphlet and Theo took it.


    ''The Real Fantasy'', developed inhouse by the neurolink team using generative artificial intelligence.


    Theo perused the pages, getting the gist of it.


    Instead of using graphics cards, ram, and all these things, the system transmits directly to the brain using precise arcs of electricity and nano-technology to utilize the brains natural sensory capabilities to generate an environment indistinguishable from reality. Which connected to a private internet source provided by the company.


    An environment with cities and questlines generated by A.i. which studied every fantasy accessible.


    Before he got to the next section of the pamphlet his grandmother snatched it back. "This- I was worried I would die before getting to see it..." her eyes were glistening with held back tears.


    "I wouldn''t get too excited... Sounds too good to be true." he said.


    She looked at him with an ire. "Don''t spit on my dreams. I''m buying this."


    Other people were noticing the commotion and approaching it now. Some of them seemed almost as excited as Theos grandmother. "Mom I want it!", "I don''t know, it seems violent."


    "You''d think something like this would have some kind of use besides video games... Why are we hearing about it now? And where was the advertising for it?" Theo was puzzled.


    "You can stand here all day and think about it. I''m going home and getting weird with this." she held the pamphlet close to her chest as she walked to one of the many store clerks.


    "One of these please."


    ---


    The headset was... Massive. To say the least. It was like wearing a cat-scan on your head. It was on wheels, and the person had to lay down to get in it.


    No wonder they didn''t have a trial system at the store, they had to get it delivered like a piano. The deliverymen were anxious to leave as quickly as possible - who knows how many orders they were getting...


    "Grandma... I think I should test it first. What if it has a weird affect on old people brains?", she just gave him a coy look in response- "Pfft, no way! I''m living the rest of my life in this thing! Look, it says right here; ''FDA approved''!" slapping a sticker on the side of the giant 1980''s styled microwave helmet.


    The fact that the FDA had to approve a video game console alone made Theo anxious, but he felt that his grandmother might actually attack him if he showed any more skepticism.


    They wheeled it over to a bed in one of the guest rooms. So that a person could lay with their head hanging from the bed and... Slot themselves in?


    "There are over twenty playable races! Though half of them seem anthropomorphic. Kinky." she had the game manual and was studying it.


    "How do you uh... ''Do it''?", Theo was looking at the entrance to it. It was heavily padded.


    "It says right here just push your head in and say ''Game start''." She slapped the book closed and tossed it on a dresser.


    "I still think we should wait for reviews and stuff." Theo was still worried, this thing could scramble brains if it could simulate realities...


    "Stop being such a worrywort! I''ve seen gameplay, people have uploaded it! Though, there''s this weird privacy thing where you can''t share gameplay footage until you''re outside the game... Again- kinky. Me likey." she giddily pulled the machine towards her head.


    Theo couldn''t believe how willing she was, but before he knew it the machine hummed to life and she said; "Don''t wait up for me! Game start!".


    Her body went still, hand flopping onto the mattress.


    "Grandma!" he grabbed her hand frantically- but he felt a pulse. "Oh... Yeah. But still- that''s freaky as hell." it did clearly say it would render the user immobile. In the same way sleep paralysis did, apparently. But it would awake the user if certain conditions are met.


    Theo wished he could see her gameplay to make sure everything was alright, but beside some displays on the outside of the machine showing heartrate and things, he had no way of knowing what she was doing.


    ---


    After a few hours, he started to get antsy. Of course, she was just enjoying the game he was sure. Theo did browse some gameplay while he waited, and it was reality bending to see.


    There were different trends arising, like messing with the NPCs that used machine learning to remember players and react to them dynamically. The NPCs, or ''non-player characters'', behaved as if they were alive.


    One player stole an apple from a vendor and ran down the street only to be clotheslined by a guard who was expecting his behavior. His friends laughing at him as they jailed him.


    The players said it felt indistinguishable from reality. From the sun on their skin, to even the wounds they got. Though, negative sensations like pain were only a mild discomfort at most, like a haptic feedback system on older VR games. Though they could taste food and things like that.


    But apart from that, the world teeming with life. The organic quest system, the wildlife. NPCs actually did stuff throughout the day. It was all so complex but somehow worked seamlessly. The Ai had set it up and let it run wild. Like a little contained world.


    Though of course, it wasn''t little at all, the size and scope of it dwarfed the actual Earth.


    Theo wanted to try himself, perhaps Samantha would buy another machine. A lot of things were still unknown, as the game only just came online a few days prior.


    It was getting late, Theo was getting worried and so he went to press the failsafe button on the machine.


    She could yell at him all she wanted, he just had to make sure.


    "Sorry Grandma, just a quick break..." He pressed the button.


    "Grandma?" He pressed it again. "You awake yet?"


    ''Oh shit.'' he scrambled for the book and opened it. Frantically flipping through it he came upon the page about leaving the game.


    The player could say ''Fantasy Game Off'' or select from a drop down menu but from the outside the failsafe button was supposed to disconnect them.


    As well as jostling their body a lot like waking them from a dream.


    He had tried both.


    He started to hyperventilate. "No... No..", he called 911.


    ''All available lines are occupied, please remain on the line and if you have a medical emergency-''


    "FUCK!", he tossed the phone across the room.


    Theo ran over to the TV in the corner of the room and turned it over to the news. A beautiful latina in a dress suit appeared.


    "-illions of players are currently comatose and trapped inside of the product. Legal representatives of Neurolink claims they''re not aware of what''s causing the issue and are working desperately to fix it, authorities are pressing them on the issue but unfortunately they''re the only ones that understand the technology enough to rectify it."


    Another news anchors voice chimed in; "What does this mean if users are stuck in for several hours, or even days? Can''t we just pull them out?"


    The woman flipped through her papers nervously and then brought a hand up to a ear piece, nodding and listening then saying;


    "Neurolink enterprises claims that they can fix the bug before anything like that, but if necessary, they''re covering the medical costs of anyone who is trapped for so long as they need medical attention. As for ''pulling them out'', well- they say that if the failsafe isn''t working that it likely won''t trigger in any case meaning..."


    "They''ll be comatosed.", "Yes. And possibly worse."


    The remote clattered to the ground from Theos hands.


    He looked back at his grandmother, tears in his eyes. He grabbed one of her hands into his and held it gently. Feeling the warmth to remind himself, she''s probably having the time of her life in there.


    ---


    Neurolink didn''t fix the bug, and people became skeptical if they ever would after the first few days.


    As hundreds of thousands of people around the country were put into hospitals. The huge visors being wheeled in alongside their IV drips.


    Theo sat next to his grandma. She was wealthy herself, and with the Neurolinks medical compensation, she afforded one of the most advanced facilities for comatose patients.


    He shuddered at the thought of the people who were shuttled into the warehouses instead.


    A knock at their door- a nurse stood there. Joyce, a large woman with dark hair and hazel eyes.


    "Hey..." She spoke gently, "Do you need anything? Coffee?"


    Theo wiped at his face, embarrassed. "Uh, no thank you. How much longer are visiting hours?" He forgot how long he''s sat here. Studying his phone for any progress on fixing... Whatever this is.


    "No worries. You have a few more hours." Theo nodded, and she turned to leave but stopped- "I''m so sorry... This is all so strange and terrible..." she seemed unsure what to say- she had a bit of anger in her eyes, despite how sullenly she said it.


    Theo felt that same anger, everyone did.


    "It is." is all he said.


    ---


    Theo was on his phone the next day. New cracks running along the screen.


    "Come on Hank! I can''t find them anywhere-"


    *Ting-aling*


    Theo was feeding Princess, his grandmothers spoiled brat of a dog. She starred up at him from the food. He didn''t know what she usually ate. Samantha did.


    Probably something fancy, but for now, she got wet dog food and that was fancy for most. But evidently, not for Princess.


    "I don''t care, I''ll pay four times!" apparently many people had the same idea he did concerning the VR machines.


    If you can''t fix it from the outside... Maybe you can on the inside.


    "Alright Alright! Relax Theo- it''s your funeral. Like I said, the police tried to reclaim it. And I got a bunch of offers from other people, I don''t know how they figured out I have it! I would say I don''t need the money, with your grandmother being laid up and all that but... I''m not doing too great, like financially. After buying this thing."


    "It''s no problem, Samantha can afford it."


    Getting it to the apartment would be a problem. And then alerting authorities to pick him up, it''s all a crazy plan.


    But his grandmother was in his corner when he needed her, he couldn''t let her waste away in there.


    Theo rented a moving truck instead and set it up in there. The VR machines had a temporary battery you could charge, almost as if they planned for this eventuality...


    It was like a shady back alley deal how it went down. He backed up to his friends house, in the suburbs outside the big city and loaded it up.


    His heart was in his throat as he looked at the thing - but he couldn''t procrastinate long. His friend would be calling the police soon to tell them about this ''mysterious van''.


    "...How will I find her? How does the game work if you can''t disconnect? Do people sleep in there?" he couldn''t know. The game only let you share gameplay after disconnecting, and no one has disconnected for days.


    Time seemed to slow, almost as if his body knew how important this moment was. He looked out into the suburban neighborhood. Sprinklers were creating rainbows along the streets, it''s easier to appreciate things when you know you might not see them for awhile. Then he looked out at the distant grey cityscape of tall buildings. Took a breath of real air, then slotted his head into the bulky device. "Fuck me... game start."

 02 - Noblemen Charles Malton

    It felt as though he just woken up.


    ...But he was sure he had just said; "Game start.".


    "Ugh.. Where am I?" He asked blearily, rubbing at his eyes- he looked around. Tossing silk bed sheets aside. The room was very regal looking, like a room at the white house. Or a French mansion.


    He rolled out of the bed. The light-brown hardwood was polished and smooth like Samanthas house. Then he saw what he was wearing.


    He would''ve laughed, but he was a man on a mission... People used to wear some ridiculous pajamas back in medieval times though.


    He saw himself in a standing mirror in the corner of the room. He had to wave at it to make sure it was him- it randomized his character creation it seemed. That was a huge bummer, but he hadn''t planned on staying long in any case.


    His hair was a light green color- at least his eyes were green like before. Very tan. The ethnicity was vague and hard to place.


    Theo shrugged. He seemed more handsome than before. Theo wanted to follow an OP build he saw online, but apparently somethings changed and it picked for him., ''Wonder what my class is then.'', he found some clothes hanging from a wardrobe.


    The regal outfit was a puzzle to put on, there were many different pieces. But after several minutes there here stood- in the frilly looking suit. A dark purple in most places, white and off-green.


    It was just like the gameplay- indistinguishable from reality. Every touch or sensation- felt real... It spat in the face of the real world how convincing it was. Theo was faced with a bit of an existential crisis just thinking about it. Outside, his body laid comatose.


    ''But there was a bit of reality here- it''s not so bad. There''s other players, for one. For two, it''s using my own brain to create it. It''s not as real, but it''s real enough.''. Here he sat, dressed like a French noble at some opulent desk. And he looked different, beyond what any plastic surgery could do. He had to shake away these existential thoughts.


    "Is that a freakin'' sword?" he said aloud as he saw it- a sheathed cutlass leaned against the wall near the door. Theo eagerly snatched it up- it had a dark green sheath with golden embroidery.


    As he unsheathed it, the blade was a gleaming teal color.


    "That''s badass." he swung it around, it was difficult to balance with. The end was heavier like a scimitar. This place probably had the culture where nobles would carry around decorative swords. He hoped it did.


    "Lord Malton?" a voice called from beyond the opulent off-white door.


    Theo stammered as he responded. "Y-yeah?" he had no idea how to act like a noble person! But it was an Npc surely, they shouldn''t care how he acts. The way the voice sounded though- it elicited a genuine response from Theo. He couldn''t help it. They were just too real.


    "Are you well? The staff had elected to allow you to sleep in regarding the events of the other day... But it is noon now sir and we''re worried you may fall into melancholy."


    Theo opened up the door. There a middle-aged butler stood. He had nearly trimmed salt and pepper hair and goatee. A few other shadowing maids or butlers walked away as the door opened.


    The butler seemed pleased. "Ah! Very good sir, miss Celica prepared a Chicken Liver & Pineau Pat¨¦ that is simply delectable. I''ll have a portion prepared- your friend Sir Khaeve sent word he plans to visit, I believe he intends to offer a trade with you... Also- it''s not my nature to pry my Lord, but that duel yesterday was closely fought. Lady Malton has beaten even commanders of the guard mind you-"


    The butler noticed the thousand yard stare Theo was giving him. He wasn''t disappointed about whatever the outcome of some duel was. It was all just so overwhelming to him, his brain was still processing.


    "-Anyways sir, should I have the Pineau Pat¨¦ send to the dining room, or perhaps the library?"


    Theo pinched the ridge of his brow and sighed.


    "Uhhh... The dining room. -What was your name again?"


    The butler seemed taken aback by that. But after a moment of consideration he actually seemed pleased by it.


    "My name is Stelios my lord." he bowed politely and left down the hall.


    "Oh! One more thing... Which way is the dining room?"


    ---


    The second question confused the butler, but Theo had anticipated on the place being a maze.


    It was massive. The walls lined with paintings, hunting trophies, suits of armors or weapons, just various trinkets and baubles.


    Every now and then there''d be a fancy set of couches or rugs out in the open.


    The dining room itself had a tall glass door that led to a veranda, which had a garden beyond it.


    ''Not bad. Did all players start like this? Surely this world would run out of castles.'',


    Theo sat there sipping his coffee. They had it, evidently. The staff were giving him confused glances as he drank.


    It wasn''t hard to see why -he was eyeing the wall decorations like a tourist. Theo felt that he shouldn''t have to try so hard, he was a player after all. The NPCs had to play along, but him? Not so much. They were just too convincing not to respond to genuinely.


    The food was good, at first he was a bit iffy about eating chicken liver. But the fact that it was only 1''s and 0''s- and tasted good convinced him to clean his plate.


    He patted his stomach contentedly. ''Reminds me of that scene from the matrix. The steak. If its anything like this then plug me in baby.''


    "You''re acting awfully glib considering." A woman said as she strutted into the room. She was dressed in a ball gown, a similar faded green color as her eyes and hair.


    She looked at him expectantly- suddenly Theo was put on the spot. This wasn''t like the staff NPCs, she expected a conversation.


    "What can I say? I''m in a good mood. Have you tried this?" Theo pointed down at his plate.


    She scoffed and sat in one of the fancy chairs, dragging it loudly across the floor. Theo looked to see if it was leaving marks. It wasn''t.


    "So you''re making excuses then, of how you lost?", she waved a maid over and began speaking in her ear.


    It gave Theo time to think. The hair, the attitude, this was his sister. And evidently she had beaten him in a duel yesterday.


    Theo shrugged, "We''re all good at different things. I''m not much of a fighter. Nice... Dress?"


    She gave him a confused look, a look many of the NPCs thus far has given him.


    "...What?" Theo asked after a moment.


    A servant approached a delivered some kind of salad to the woman.


    "You''re behaving strangely..." she picked at the leaves on her plate.


    "Uh, well, you know- *ahem*" he coughed. Was she suspicious? An NPC? Could his cover be blown?


    [Assimilation]


    He heard an unnaturally deep voice say. It was inside his head- he was sure of it. His ''sister'' didn''t notice it at all.


    It would''ve made him flinch but he suddenly had an inspiration as to what to say;


    "No that''s fine. I''m no sore loser, I''ve just reflected on what really matters. There are worse things than to lack the capacity for violence. No, I''d like to be the sort who can convince others to do as I say because of the merit of my arguments. Though I can see the value of combat for self defense. Not that is something WE''D have to worry about." Theo gestured to the mansion around him.


    "Fair enough... It is good that you could be so graceful in defeat brother. Lesser men would never accept a duel with the opposite sex to begin with."


    Theo shook his head knowingly;


    "Our house has always been very liberal that way. Women with the right preparations can overcome mundane biological differences. If combat is their vocation in any case."


    She seemed satisfied with that, she wiped her mouth with a napkin and left the table.


    "Very well then, you acknowledged my ability so I shan''t flaunt my victory so much."


    The tension seemed to drain from the room- Theo hadn''t realized the staff had been holding their shoulders a bit high.


    The two of them must be known for their arguments.


    ''But what was that voice? [Assimilation]? It seemed that it allowed him to get in touch with what his character would have said.''


    He shook his head. "Stelios?", "Yes my lord?", his faithful attendant stepped forward from where he was standing patiently.


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    "I''d like to go riding, where were the stables again?"


    ---


    It was overcast, and it would sprinkle every so often. But he enjoyed it. Real fresh air. A horse, a real horse! Well, real enough.


    He had ridden once before, and it showed. A nervous butler rode close by as they did one lap around the state.


    The lands around the estate were cleared of any dense thickets. They passed through a series of gardens and lawns, fountains and cobblestone pathways.


    Even a hedgemaze. But they rode beyond.


    To the forest.


    "Say, Stelios, or is it Sir Stelios? I''ve heard you called."


    "Either is fine my lord, I was once a knight in his majesties guard before serving house Malton."


    "Sir Stelios then, what would you say my best qualities are? Am I a warrior, or just a handsome fool?",


    Stelios seemed taken aback by that. "Sir, I am quite flattered but I do not prefer the company of men, and it would be inappropriate considering my position-"


    "No! Fuckin'' ew- no you old bastard!" Stelios seemed to breath a sigh of relief.


    It was hard to keep speaking like everyone else did, they spoke using old english rules often times. Their accents were close enough, but that might be the games language settings at work.


    It seems that it was easy to misunderstand him. He''d have to work on that.


    "I just meant like, what was I really good at before fighting my sister yesterday? And be honest." Theo asked.


    They were at a slower trot now as it would be unsafe to ride any faster.


    Every so often they would have to duck or lean out of the way of a branch.


    "Ah, I see then... Your prowess in combat is not irredeemable my lord. It is simply that your sister is very talented and trains rigorously. I''d say you would best the average soldier, and that is enough of a man of your station."


    ''Was it that obvious?'' Theo and this guy he role played as likely had a lot in common then. Theo had an athletic build in real life like this, but he was no fighter either. Just every time he fought, he couldn''t put his heart into it. It just had always felt wrong and pointless to Theo.


    But if a retired Knight thought a guy like Theo could beat the average soldier- that couldn''t be so bad.


    Theo puffed his chest out a bit as he rode. Much to the chagrin of Sir Stelios.


    It did confirm one thing at least- he didn''t have the [Warrior] class. Perhaps he was a bard, if how he was dressed was anything to go off of.


    He could ride, he could travel. And he was a noble person, which gave Theo another idea.


    "Could you do me a favor Stelios?", "Of course Sir.", "I''d like to post... A ''bounty'', I want it to be known that I''m searching for someone. An elderly woman named Samantha Lemont. But ensure one thing, that she is given the upmost respect and curtesy. I want any information regarding her location. I''ll give them 10 gold."


    The butlers eyes widened.


    "20 gold?" Theo added.


    "...No other description Sir?" Stelios asked after awhile. "Nope, just the name and the fact she''s a crazy old lady." Theo smiled a bit at the thought.


    Imagining what she''d say if she saw him now.


    ---


    They rode back to the estate grounds but were intercepted just before they got there.


    A few soldiers dressed in green tabards and armors- a uniform of sorts- stood barring their way. Horses turned to the side covering the narrow path.


    "Apologies Milord, we simply wanted to inquire to the message you left at the guard yesterday."


    The central guard spoke as Theo and Stelios rode over to them. Theo only shook his head.


    [Assimilation]


    It seemed to trigger whenever he was nervous. The deep voice sounded in his mind and his nerves seemed to calm a bit. There was an air of suspicion again.


    "I''m sorry, but I had quite a bit to drink then and may of had a bit of a misunderstanding. Could I see the note? I hardly remember."


    He delivered the line perfectly, as casual as can be. With even a hint of embarrassment.


    The guard hardly looked away from him- but nodded and reached into his saddle bag producing a folded letter.


    Eloquently written;


    ''Guard Ishka, of all the guards- I''ve confided in you before. I don''t know where to turn now. I''ve consulted with alchemists and healers and while they assure me that I am in perfect health- I do not know for sure. But I feel that as though a shadow hangs over me. Perhaps it is madness- but in the event of my demise, I ask that you get to the bottom of it.''


    ''Oh shit.'', Theo immediately thought. A ''shadow''? How did this whole [Backstory] system work? Was it challenging him to keep up his cover? To ''act'' better? Theo knew that the system created memories of the player for each NPC when they spawn. But did it also challenge them to fill that role?


    Or did he actually replace a guy? He wrote right here- this was evidence of his existence!


    This wasn''t as advertised. It wasn''t what he had seen in the gameplay videos. He was at a loss.


    "Lord Malton?", the guard asked.


    Theo looked back up. "Yes, I have been feeling paranoid as of late I must admit." he was only half lying.


    "Did you anger anyone in town? Receive any threatening letters? Or are you just... Concerned?" they were clearly confused as they questioned him.


    "I received a... Warning. Yes! A warning of my demise from a woman named Samantha Lemont."


    The guards looked between one another. One produced a quill and paper. "Samantha Lemont? From town?"


    "I''m not sure where she is from but I intend to find out and question her further. The warning was ambiguous to say the least but none the less disconcerting... She had said things they no one besides myself knew. Rest assured- I made sure to destroy her letter to me."


    The knights seemed to shiver at the idea. But that was the affect Theo was going for. For whatever reason, this ''Lord Malton'', felt threatened. And now he had to make an excuse as to why.


    "How odd Lord Milton... Very odd indeed. We''ll spread the word about this ''Samantha Lemont'', perhaps it''s some prankster angry with the ruling house. Wouldn''t be the first time."


    "True. And that would be appreciated, thank you. Good day."


    "And good day to you too milord." they nodded and rode on by. Theo breathed a sigh of relief.


    As they trotted into the estate grounds Stelios muttered; "Samantha Lemont, so that''s why you wanted to find her..."


    Theo nodded. It lined up enough. He felt [Assimilation] fading, but while it was active it was easy to ''become'' the Lord Malton.


    [Backstory Quest added: Obtain the ''Amulet of Drassus'']


    The words blinked in the corner of his vision. No voice this time.


    ''A quest? Now?'' he blinked a few times and the text disappeared.


    ---


    After taking the horses back to the stables, Sir Stelios went to help one of the staff with a problem they had been having.


    Theo felt bad for him, had he been monopolizing Stelios'' time?


    ''I feel like a prick, ordering these people around. Sure they''re NPCs, but real people used to do this. And they seem so real... Hundreds of people in service to a few dozen, it''s so unfair.''


    Theo had seen how the staff acted- so poised and patient. Just waiting to be needed. ''Why did they do it?''


    He decided to approach one and ask.


    Theo turned to the maid that started following him around when Stelios left.


    "Excuse me miss, but I was just curious. Why are you here exactly..? Why are there so many here that serve so few?"


    She stammered nervously; "I-I''m here because my family owes a debt to the Malton family... My mother she was sick, it was... Many reasons. We''re grateful for the Maltons and a few years of service is the least I could do Lord Malton."


    "-Oh. Very well then. Thank you.", of course it would be something like that. They wouldn''t be here ''just because''. It''s like cleaning the dishes at a restaurant when you can''t pay.


    It was still awkward.


    Theo walked along the castle grounds for the remainder of the day. Talking with the staff. Gardner''s, hunters, butlers and maids, the occasional guard. So many people were working while he just walked around, no one ever asked him to do anything.


    He found out his first name was Charles. And Charles Malton was... Not the best guy. He was probably ''decent'' as far as noble people go.


    But he was a bit of a womanizer- Theo had suspicions, based on how some of the female staff treated him. The treatment was... Mixed.


    His favorite pass-time was frequenting the town on shopping trips. Fraternizing with other nobles as parties. Playing the lute, writing poetry, but besides that he was relatively average. He could swing a sword and ride a horse at an adequate level.


    Piece by piece, Theo managed to figure out Charles Maltons life. He found discreet ways to bring it up in every conversation he had as he explored the estate grounds.


    It took hours and now the sun had begun to set. And his maid attendant Urla asked if he planned on attending dinner with his family.


    He decided to.


    ---


    The dinning room was well lit, chandeliers and wall sconces lined the room.


    The off-white color of the walls had dark oak trim, and they were mostly covered by decorative pieces or furniture.


    The silverware, the food, it was all so bourgeoisie. Theo hated that he liked it so much, but when in Rome, live as the Romans do. But even he had to admit- classism it had its'' perks.


    The other Maltons'' had already joined the table before he had, "Look who has decided to join us." the man- likely his father- at the head of the table said.


    He was an aged version of Theo essentially, but paler skin. A woman with dark skin and hair sat next to him.


    Theo hastily sat down. "I apologize for being late father, I had many things to attend to."


    A child or two and a dozen young adults also sat at the table. Including his sister who had beaten him in a duel. They mostly disregarded him as he sat.


    ''There were so many!'' Theo thought. Who said the rich didn''t have kids? Because they were wrong, at least in this case.


    "Yes, galivanting around the grounds pestering the staff is not worth demonstrating rudeness over. Be sure to arrive on time in the future."


    Theo went to say ''yeah, sorry'' or something but the man continued speaking disregarding him.


    "-In any case, I hear you received top marks in your magus classes Leslie. Something about a rogue elemental?", he spoke to a little girl with dark hair like her mother who sat nearby-


    "Yes papa, one of my student peers had foolishly summoned an elemental beyond their ability to control. Fortunately I was able to dispel it using a flame cantrip and no harm came to anyone."


    Theos mouth dropped. ''She was what- 10 years old!?''


    She spoke so eloquently and humbly. And that girl could shoot fire? Children always creeped Theo out. And this one gave Theo ''psycho/genius'' vibes.


    "Very well done Leslie. Perhaps we should reward you, some fire stones from the treasury perhaps?"


    Leslie beamed at the compliment.


    Theo had leaned forward at that. He had a quest to find some amulet. Maybe he could find it there.


    "I was able to best Sir Rokir in a duel father!" a kid about five years older than Leslie spoke next.


    The middle aged man only shook his head.


    "You likely accomplished so because Sir Rokir has aged significantly since he''s last seen combat. Perhaps it is time we get you a more advanced tutor?"


    Corvus blanched- "That''s unnessecary father! Sir Rokir might be slower now, but he''s-"


    "Now, Corvus, let''s not form personal attachments so easily. A tutor is a tutor, if one does not serve to further your studies than another will be provided. Now, anyone else?"


    "I won a duel as well father." a woman around Theos age said coyly. She sat across from him a few seats over.


    Theo looked up from his plate that he had been devouring and saw a small smile on her face.


    ''What about my pacifist speech from before? I thought we settled this.'', he thought as he starred at her but she just returned a look of ''Oh well, sucks to suck.''.


    The father just sawed off a piece of mutton with a knife and fork without looking up as he spoke; "I''m afraid I''m not impressed of that either Elise, Charles is a man of the arts clearly, not the sword."


    At that, Theo nodded proudly. Elise deflated, but only a bit, she seemed one of the proudest nobles here. After that, the table of nobles, cousins, children, parents, all began having different conversations.


    Just idle chatter.


    Theo motioned over one of the attendants that stood waiting. "Can I have a bit of the chicken liver?" he asked, it was weird but he really liked it when he had it that morning and was craving it.


    "Yes Lord Charles", -only now they use his first name? In a room full of Maltons it was likely necessary.


    "Thank you.", he went back to eating a biscuit.


    "What is this politeness Charles? How unlike you to be so kind to the help. I heard you''ve been going around, making amends with the help all day. What brought about this change?"


    A man a bit older than him asked. His faded green hair meant he was likely an older sibling, or uncle.


    "I''m unsure. Perhaps my less than graceful defeat humbled me."


    They both laughed at that.


    "If you''d like, I could give you some pointers. I don''t boast it, but I am told that I''m at the level of a knight commander."


    "Thank you, but as father said I believe my efforts are based directed towards where my talents lie."


    The man nodded respectfully, swallowed and cleared his throat.


    "-Still, a man such as yourself should be able to fight at the level of knights at least, we receive the same level of training they do after all."


    Theo was reluctant to agree, but it couldn''t hurt. If he was going to be in this world for the foreseeable future, he might as well.


    He had to wait to see if there''s any word about his grandmother anyways. Learn more, and figure out exactly what he''s capable of doing as a noble.


    "Fine. I could train with you, but I''m not a morning person." Theo said finally.


    "Good! I will see you tomorrow afternoon then. Let''s see if we can''t make a knight out of you. There are plenty of poet knights after all."


    They talked awhile longer as the sunset turned to night, and they went back to their different rooms.


    --


    The lights turned on automatically as he entered. Gems- or crystals inside of sconces began to glow orange and flickered like firelight.


    He threw off the purple overcoat he wore. And plopped into a chair that sat at a desk. Then pulled an ink pot over. ''Suppose I better figure out how to word this bounty... Let''s see; An elderly woman by the name of Samantha Lemont...'' Theo began to write.


    Then he saw movement in the corner of the room, two eyes glistened as they stepped forward.


    "JESUS CHRIST!" Theo startled as he saw them, clutching his chest in fright.


    "It''s me!" a voice said, a maid appeared from the darkened corner. Laughing softly.


    "You just about gave me a heart attack!", "Shhh! Do you want to get caught? And, who is Jesus Christ?"


    "-It''s a long story. And what do you mean, getting ''caught?''" Theo had an idea, and his cheeks slowly turned red.


    The maid produced a bottle of wine that she was hiding behind her back. "What do you think?"


    "Alright then.", he said finally. The woman set the bottle on the table and pulled some glasses from a drawer.


    "You''re being quiet." she said after pouring some of the wine in the glasses.


    He stammered. "Uh- I''m-"


    [Assimilation]


    "-I''m just at a bit of a crossroads, Violet." he sighed- the redness fading from his cheeks.


    "It''s like... I thought simply being a noble meant I would be excellent no matter what I do. But it takes real consideration. Have you ever realized how much of a fool you were in a single day?"


    "Yes, I dropped a plate of crepes the other day and miss Ethel made sure to make me feel like a fool... The old crone. -Is this about your duel with Elise?" she asked sympathetically.


    "Yes. No. Not really, that''s just one sign of many that I have not tried as hard as my siblings. Elise could lead knights for christs- gods sake!"


    "Guards." she corrected him. "But I thought-", "It was the guard commanders she fights at an equal level. Better than knight alone, but a knight commander is another matter... You''re stressed, but I think it''s s you said at dinner, you just need to focus on what your talents are."


    "...That''s the problem. The only thing I rival my siblings in is arrogance." Theo deflated into his chair. Taking a drink of wine.


    "Ever the poet..." Violet said rolling her eyes. Then she rested a hand on his, brushing a strand of dark brown hair behind an ear.


    "In the end, it doesn''t matter if you''re a genius like your siblings. You''re still you. There are more things to life than skills, or a persons abilities I think."


    ''You would think that, you''re a maid.'', Theo shook his head- those weren''t his thoughts. Was that [Assimilation] at work?


    "Is something the matter?" Violet asked.


    "No, it''s just- you''re right Violet. Sorry for being a buzzkill.", "A buzzkill?"


    "I-it means someone who is so sad it brings down the mood of others around them.", Theo explained slowly. ''Words. What words did these people use?''


    He could almost feel the [Assimilation] wearing off, his connection to the original Charles Malton was waning.


    She kissed him. "I''m just glad you finally trust me. Usually you push me away when stuff like this happens."


    He was turning beat red again.


    "Well, you know..." he stammered and she laughed. They sipped the wine and talked, laughed- Theo tried sneak in the fact that he''d rather spend the night alone into the conversation. But it didn''t end up that way.


    One thing led to another- but safe to say, this VRMMO came with an M rating for a reason.


    Was it okay- to pose as this person he wasn''t and be with a person he wasn''t? Theo hardly had time to consider it, before Violet was on top of him.


    It was a long night of drinking wine and... ''Talking'', but eventually Violet relented and allowed him to sleep.


    And when he awoke the next morning, Violet was gone. A strange life, a strange world. And he hasn''t even seen magic yet.

 03 - Midnight Rendezvous

    The following few days went by as slowly as the first.


    Theo adapted, talking to the Npcs, it was easier as a noblemen who couldn''t really take ''no'' for an answer. He had privilege, like actual privilege.


    He started training with his Uncle, Brandon. Who insisted, and didn''t seem to care about Theos'' privilege.


    The man was a head larger than Theo, and they both sparred while wearing armor and using dull swords. So they really hit each other- it hurt a lot. But it made Theo take it seriously. If these practice blades hurt- than a monster Npc eating you from the toes-up would REALLY hurt.


    On second thought; ''If they made pain more real, what else is also more real? Could I respawn still?''


    "Pay attention!" Brandon shouted.


    ''THUNK!'' the sword bounced off his helmet, which caused his ears to ring. He felt a wetness going down the side of his neck.


    -Another swing. Brandon wasn''t stopping there.


    [Assimilation]-


    Theo leaned back while swinging up with his sword deflecting Brandons blow upwards.


    Then he stepped in and punched Brandon in the helmet with a gauntleted fist. Theo lacking the bulky muscles that Brandon had- it didn''t do much. Brandon snatched Theo by the chestplate and headbutted him thunderously-


    Theo staggered back clutching his helmet which now had a divot in the front.


    He was reminded why he hated violence so much.


    Theo lifted his sword high above his head for a power swing.


    He didn''t make it two steps before Brandon seemed to teleport forward and placed a metal foot into his chest. The kick dented his chest plate and knocked him flat on his back.


    Brandon did that every now and then too, suddenly go from ''yeah, we''re training'' to ''-here''s a real hit for ya''''.


    He coughed up blood which shot up through the slits in his visor. Then he rolled over and vomited. Blood and vomit dripped from the visor.


    "Yield! Healing potion!" Theo ripped his helmet off- the edges of his vision was pulsing. Brandon always took it too far! A servant quickly ran over while delicately balancing a plate with a dozen potions on it.


    Theo took his favorite healing potion and splashed it over his face. Immediately the chips in his teeth and bruised face healed over.


    Brandon slapped him on the back heartily.


    "Fine work lad! You''re like a run of the mill soldier with twice the spirit!" Brandon didn''t have a scratch on him, he wasn''t even sweating.


    Which Theo was. Strands of green hair constantly stuck to his face.


    "You''re going to kill me one of these days." he coughed, wiping his mouth.


    "I held back my blows! I did use one skill however- that kick was apart of the ''Lawful Arrest'' skill I got. I noticed you didn''t use any."


    That''s another thing Theo had learned- Npcs were aware of classes and skills. Leveling up, stats, all of it- because they leveled too. In this game, everything leveled... It was just apart of the natural life cycle.


    "How come I have no skills like that yet?" Theo asked.


    Brandon shrugged- "People have their theories. Some think it''s a matter of fate- your path in life. Some people think its a matter of bloodlines. But in your case? I''m guessing it''s procrastination and confidence."


    Theo took that personally.


    "Is there a way to check my skills? How do you know?"


    Brandons eyes widened. "Surely you have leveled up at least once in your life."


    Theo shook his head.


    "...Well, I''ve heard of it. Some who have not gotten a single level. Resigned to being beggars for life... At least you''re a noble..."


    "So I''m just screwed?"


    "-And despite it, you have some ability. With the poetry and what not, there''s skills for that type of thing as well you know?"


    "Even so, how does it happen?", Theo was positive that he had at least one level, as all players start with one. And he had the [assimilation] skill. But many things seemed different than it was advertised.


    "Hrm, I first leveled when I was 7 years old. Another child had stolen my wooden sword so I brained him with a rock. I got level 1 warrior from that, giving me a toughness passive that I use to this day."


    Theo shook his head, "You killed him?", "Gods no- he survived... But after the guard hauled me away, I heard a voice. The gods told me once I leveled up, that I was a [Warrior]. And since, every so often usually after a good fight and lots of training, I''ll get a level up. Become harder to kill. Tougher. Faster. And some other fancy stuff at higher levels."


    Theo was captivated. That sounded useful. If beating someone halfway to death was a requirement for the FIRST level, no wonder he hasn''t leveled since arriving.


    "What''s a fancier skill you have?", Theo asked.


    Brandon smiled and closed the visor on his helmet; "Want to see?"


    ---


    Theo woke up in his bed. Whatever skill Brandon had used nearly killed him- all he could remember was a flash of yellow light and then nothing.


    There must be a limit to healing potions because he still felt sore as he sat up.


    It was dark. A couple large moons and a whole planet were visible just outside the large windows. The planet had a ring around it and the atmosphere swirled slowly like drifting clouds.


    Theo appreciated the sight, it was a pleasant surprise his first night. Then he looked around for Violet because surely-


    "You''re awake!" A whispering yet excited voice called out. -Right on que. Three of his five nights had ended with fending off Violet now.


    "Oh, -hey. Sorry, just sore." he put a hand up blocking her when she tried to hug him.


    "Yeah! I''m fine. Don''t worry... Whatever Brandon hit me with sure packed a punch huh?" Theo wasn''t so nervous around Violet anymore, just on guard.


    She had been sitting alongside his bed. Their relationship was known, but respectfully ignored it seemed. So long as they didn''t flaunt it, the family would leave it alone.


    That''s how he intuited the situation. But stuff like that is what had given Charles Malton a bad reputation.


    There would be rumors regardless of fraternizing with the staff, it hardly made a difference if it was true or not. In his case- there were limits to what Theo would do to maintain his cover. And that''s a behavior that stopped dead in its'' tracks.


    "I was watching! Why did you take it so far?" Violet almost seemed angry at him.


    He got back into his traditional dark purple outfit. SOMEONE had changed him into his pajamas. He shuddered at the thought.


    The two of them sat on some chairs that were always spread about the room.


    "...I''m not sure. I can take it? From where I come from, I never even had the choice to push myself like that."


    Violet gave him a confused look, and Theo realized where he slipped up.


    "I mean- this family. Growing up here, I just never had a tutor who wouldn''t hold back."


    Violet made a ''oh'' face and Theo sighed internally.


    This was getting tough, keeping up an act 24/7. He wanted to be himself, but it just wasn''t reasonable at the moment.


    Theo had no idea what would happen if anyone ever discovered the truth.


    Would they bug-out, go all "NPC'' about it? Or play along? They seemed too realistic for that, he hardly believed they were even Npcs.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Would they think he was crazy? ''I''m not Charles Malton- I''m just a player and this is all a game''


    Yep. They would think he was crazy. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes.


    "I understand that you want to further yourself, but do try to tell him to go a bit easier, would you?"


    Theo nodded. As much as he had gotten more used to her being around- she had also, being less affectionate, and sitting further apart.


    She seemed very willing to adapt to whatever made him feel comfortable. It was honestly too much, in Theos opinion.


    But he did appreciate it, it was good to have a friend he could talk more honestly with.


    "Could you hand me that?" Theo pointed towards a small wooden box on an end table near his bed.


    "Oh, yes lord-" she caught her self and looked towards him, her cheeks were red.


    "What? You can call me Lord if you want." Theo chuckled.


    She awkwardly leaned over and picked up the box then handed it to him.


    "Ethel give you any trouble about me?" he flipped open the box and pulled a cigar out. He offered Violet one but she waved it away.


    "She suspects as always, but she''s patient. I haven''t been a maid as long as most people my age. It''s only natural that she''d give me a hard time about things..."


    "Yeah bosses suck, it''s apart of the job description. It''s okay to hate her, so long as the respect is there."


    He blew out a puff of smoke, opening the window he sat next to.


    The breeze swept the room and sent paper flying off his desk. Theo could care less. He liked messy. At least in a place like this.


    Made it feel more real.


    "You''re getting that look again." Violet said, brushing her straight hair out of her face.


    "What look?"


    She smiled politely; "That ''I''m trapped'' look.", Theo smiled back; "Is it that obvious?"


    Violet nodded sympathetically; "I get that look sometimes.", and at that the moment became very sullen.


    She was pouting in the light of the moons and admired her for a moment. She was dressed in her maids outfit, with humble makeup. He appreciated that she didn''t talk to him like they were walking on egg shells.


    Something about her made him feel as though they were kindred spirits.


    He realized he had been starring when Violet blushed and looked away.


    "Ahem" he coughed-; "It''s easy to feel trapped here I guess. The walls, all the guards and expectations..."


    "The endless schedules and chores..." she continued smiling bitterly.


    "The-" Theo stopped himself. And sniffed the air.


    "Do you smell that?" he smelled his cigar. But that wasn''t the source of the foul odor.


    Some smell was being blown out the window.


    Violet started sniffing. "Yes, I think I do..." she got up and started smelling around the room.


    Theo closed the window and started doing the same. It was a rotted smell. Must''ve been funneling out the window- the only reason they had caught it.


    They arrived at the same space after awhile. "I have another room?" he realized he said out-loud looking at the door.


    It was mostly covered, a coat rack had fallen over and a chest laid in front of it.


    "It''s a walk-in closet you oaf. All the rooms have one." Violet grabbed one end of the chest and looked to him as if to say ''Well?''.


    They lifted the chest and moved it to one side.


    "What do you think it is?" she asked.


    Theo shrugged. "I dunno.", he gripped the crystal doorknob. And swung it open. They both blanched upon seeing it. The closet was lined with hanging coats.


    And at the end of the short hallway crumpled against the end was a corpse in a purple suit.


    [Doppleganger Level 2!]


    The words flashed across his vision as well as his hearing.


    [Days undiscovered]x5


    [Fooled Family of Double!]x12


    [Intercepted Evidence!]x1


    [Abused Authority!]x7


    [Achievement Unlocked: ''They Live'' +25% temporary XP boost!]


    [Skill Rapid Retreat!]


    [Level 3!]


    [Skill Misplace!]


    [Level 4!]


    [Skill Wall Climb!]


    [Passive Enhanced Perception!] +2 Perc.


    ---


    He felt himself slam into the wall- Violet looked up at him.


    "What-?"


    "Who are you!? Who do you work for?"


    She had somehow produced a knife and held it up to his throat. A bead of his blood ran down his neck.


    Theo was stunned. At a loss for words.


    [Assimilation]


    "I-I don''t know! I''m Charles Malton, come on Violet you know me-"


    She pressed the knife up closer, shaving his five o''clock shadow.


    "Be quiet!" she looked around. And closed the closet door concealing them in.


    "I KNEW- you were acting different. It was close- but come to think of it- it was day and night. First of all- you''re not a womanizing scumbag, and second- you''re even worse fighter than you were before. Now that I think of it, I can''t believe I didn''t think of it sooner. Doppleganger. That''s why you can take hits like that without losing your form..." her eyes were flickering about wildly as she put together the past few days.


    She knew, so quickly too. Theo knew the class as well having skimmed through the handbook.


    It was a race-exclusive class.


    "...Does it look like I knew there was a body in here!?"


    Theo had to speak slowly, trying not to cut himself on the knife that was pressed against his throat.


    "I wouldn''t care if you did kill him- but, you''re here, pass for him... It could still work."


    "Then-" he tried to lean forward but she pushed him back- she was WAY stronger than she looked. Then he remembered basic biology doesn''t work the same here. Being small didn''t necessarily equate to being weak in a fantasy world.


    "I''m thinking... Who do you work for?", they sat there like that for minutes.


    "N-no one. Please don''t kill me." Theo still didn''t know if he could respawn.


    She sighed. "Okay, here''s the plan. You do what I say, when I say, and we can both finish what we came here to do. First, we get rid of the body. Second-", "Wait? What? -You''re not a maid?".


    She looked at him incredulously for a moment, then lowered her knife. He grabbed at his throat, wiping it.


    "You dopplegangers really buy into your roles. Even had me convinced, as if the runt of a noble family suddenly had a change of heart."


    She leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. Dagger still clutched closely.


    "Are you a doppleganger too?" he asked, she guffawed at at that.


    Then started laughing hysterically before forcing her self to stop. Wiping a tear away.


    "Ah~ no. Yuck. And OH! YUCK!"


    "What?", "We fucking SLEPT together." she gagged.


    Theo just looked left and right for a moment. This was mildly insulting.


    "I thought you said I was a better guy than the actual Charles."


    "You ACTED like a better guy than Charles. Let''s get that straight. But now I know what lies beneath the facade." she pointed a finger on his chest. He sighed. "I honestly didn''t kill Charles."


    "And I honestly don''t care. Changelings are just disgusting creatures."


    They stood there for a moment in awkward silence. Well, awkward for one of them.


    "So... We get rid of the body?"


    She nodded, "We get rid of the body, we use your cover to get into the treasury, take what we need and go our separate ways."


    Violet didn''t allow for much conversation, in what seemed like an instant she we went from being a ''sweet clumsy maid'', to a ''poised double agent''.


    ---


    And so the plan was in motion. Whether Theo liked it or not, he was hiding a body.


    [Assimilation] helped Theo calm down, but his heart was still pounding.


    "To the left." the bodies head bumped a wall.


    "MY left!", "-Sorry."


    They were moving the body to the window.


    "Lift up your end!", "I am!"


    They rolled him over the windowsill.


    ''THUD!''


    Another Charles Malton was sprawled out on the lawn below.


    They looked left and right down the length of the building. "Seems clear."


    "You didn''t check before?" she asked.


    "I thought you did. And also, it''s so late it kind of felt redundant."


    She slapped her forehead. "Dopplegangers. How did you make it this far?"


    ---


    They snuck outside, threw the body over the back of a horse and rode out into the forest. All in rapid succession, every moment was critical and needless to say Theo was in the moment.


    He didn''t want to get stabbed.


    It was easy for them since none of the magical detections or defenses were triggered by Theo or Violet.


    "That''s right, just a noble brat and his concubine sneaking about, pay it no mind." she muttered as a couple guards passed by. They weren''t close, but Theo could hear them talking.


    "So Jeoffry said- the Dwarf did it!", "You don''t say?", "What, are you not entertained?"


    "Where are we hiding the body?" Theo asked.


    "Shh! Why don''t you say it loudly enough the Gods will hear!" She smacked him on the back of his head. "I miss the old Violet..." he grumbled.


    "-Just a bit further, far enough that the hunters dogs won''t find it." Violet whispered. "I don''t know they go pretty far sometimes.", "Doesn''t matter, we''ll be gone by then.".


    ---


    They rode for another fifteen minutes.


    They weren''t riding slowly either, the trees blurred past them over head, and the moonlight broke through the trees above and lit their path.


    "Can we talk plainly now?" Theo asked. He was still unsure of what was going on and had a lot of questions.


    "There''s nothing to talk about. We''re both criminals trying to pull one over a noble family. We''re not friends, we''re hardly partners."


    "When were you going to do it?" Theo asked, more casually than he should.


    "Do what?",


    "Well I thought about it a bit. Tell me if I''m wrong- but it seemed like you planned to use me- that is Charles Malton- to gain access to the treasury."


    "...Yep.",


    "And... It stands to reason that once I had, you would''ve... Tied up loose ends. So.. How close were we?"


    "Close, but I''d probably just knock him out, wouldn''t of been too tough. I had you eating out of the palm of my hand."


    That kinda irked him- surely compared to Charles he wasn''t so easy to manipulate.


    "Who says I didn''t have you eating out of the palm of MY hand? Huh?", "-What?", "Tell me if this sounds familiar- ''Lord Malton~''"


    "I''ll stab you."


    It was cathartic to drop the act, which it was partly an act until now. He didn''t like acting like a noble. Pretending at all. Though he''d miss the old violet. He''d be lying if he said he wouldn''t.


    He had no idea who killed the actual Charles Malton- it probably has something to do with his backstory.


    As for Violet... She didn''t seem like a killer, more like a thief. Actor. Who was adapting to a change of plans.


    He could relate to that.


    ---


    Theo carried the body on his shoulders as they left the path and walked into the dense thicket.


    "You look ridiculous." Violet had said.


    And he agreed. Carrying his identical twin on his shoulders? Absolutely. They were even dressed alike.


    "Let''s find a spot with soft soil." Theo suggested.


    "This is a good spot as any." She stabbed a shovel into the Earth. ''Thank god.'' Theo thought as he tossed the body to the ground. He was heavy.


    [Assimilation] hit him again as he starred down at the body.


    He gave an exasperated sigh. Every time it activated he became more calm and focused.


    "You really didn''t kill him?" Violet asked, she sat on a fallen tree.


    Theo picked up the shovel and started digging.


    "Nope. Just woke up in his bed, think I was framed. I don''t do this sort of thing."


    "You''re either telling the truth or a genuine professional. Would fit your class though. The buffoon act is so convincing." she said as she examined her finger nails.


    "What, don''t I seem like a professional?" he said as some dirt slid back into the hole.


    She ignored him. He went back to digging.


    There conversations seemed to go like that, it was so awkward now. Like meeting someone for the first time. Though he had only met the ''old'' Violet a handful of days ago.


    "Sort''ve feels like I''m digging my own grave here." he muttered


    To his surprise Violet chuckled at that.


    ---


    By the morning they were both back in their beds. Their midnight tryst thankfully concluded. His arms were numb from digging.


    They agreed to meet tomorrow about breaking into the treasury.


    But that would be tomorrow- which was in a few hours.


    He snuggled into bed to get a couple hours of sleep. While he considered the skills he had gotten.


    [Misplace], [Rapid Retreat], [Wall Climb], and the higher perception.


    He tested them out quickly.


    They did what their names would imply.


    Climbing smooth surfaces was possible- his fingers sort of ''stuck'' to the walls and ceilings. He had to be careful and slow... And barefoot. But it was a thing.


    [Misplace] allowed him to transport small items. He teleported his cigar several feet away from where it sat to test it. It was very limited by distance and size of the object though.


    And finally, [Rapid Retreat] allowed him to run faster based on the proximity of whoever chased him.


    He could see them being useful for his and Violets mission. He had a quest for stealing the amulet of Durass, and she wanted to loot the treasury as well.


    Theo couldn''t keep up the act for ever. Living as a pampered noble was fun, but he had to find his grandmother and escape this place. It''s not like Violet was giving him a choice, they could blow the others cover, but at what cost? Might as well get what they came here for.


    Besides, all the resources he needed for his journey was in that treasury.

 04 - The World at Large

    Reyansh stood there, mandibles agape. He starred at the levitating menu in front of him. "Hey... Jeff?", he said with his thick Indian accent. "Yeah Ray?", an all-too casual southern accent replied.


    "Is your logout button working?"


    Unrealized to them- countless variants of this conversation were occurring in the world.


    The fictional world of ''The Real Fantasy'' ? that is.


    And the two six foot bug people regarded each other uneasily as they verified the fact- the logout wasn''t working.


    "Fantasy game off. Game off. Fantasy game off- please?" Reyansh was looking up to the sky repeating the phrase.


    "Well, that''s a crap bug." Jeff said shaking his head.


    Reyansh looked at him appaled, his mandibles opening a bit. "-But you said these things were overpowered-"


    "-No, I mean like, a glitch-bug Rey. People-bugs are awesome." Jeff posed heroically- but no matter how you posed- a six foot bug person with a prawn-fish head and scorpion tail was horrifying.


    "How are you calm right now? We''re trapped Jeff! We''re bug people and we''re trapped!", Reyanshs'' voice echoed across the curved hexagonal architecture of the ''Arkai'' (bug peoples) starting town. It was truly an alien civilization, bug NPCs walking around dutifully. Some stopping to stare. It was alike in that they had street vendors and town choirs shouting the news.


    "Do you really think they would leave us trapped here forever, Ray? I mean really- think of the lawsuit cash we would get!"


    Reyansh gripped Jeff by the sides of his exoskeleton- "We won''t get any cash if we''re stuck here Jeff! Oh my god -oh my god. I have to present my thesis! Do you have any idea how complicated it was to plan-"


    *SMACK*


    Reyansh looked back slowly towards Jeff. "Why''d you slap me!? Wait, that actually hurt-"


    "-Cause you''re not thinking clearly! Just... Give it an hour or two. Let the eggheads fix it. If not- THEN we can panic. But first, let''s try''da relax, turn''n this quest, an do some explorin''. Finish out the night on a positive note. Sound good?"


    Reyansh just nodded uneasily.


    ---


    Not even an hour passed before Jeff started freaking out.


    They finished turning in a quest, trading stuff and thought about calling it a night when-


    "Shit! I think you might be right Reyansh! -This is a serious problem! I''m going to miss my sisters wedding! And I actually liked my new brother-in-law this time!" Jeff had his face-feelers in his clawed hands.


    "Wasn''t he already your brother?" Reyansh asked consolingly. "Hell nah! Gross Reyansh! What, are you judging me because of my accent?" Reyansh was taken aback by that- was he being prejudice? He could''ve sworn he hear him say-


    "No- he was my cousin twice removed but my father was HIS godfather and-"


    And there it was.


    Reyansh raised one of his many limbs. "It''s too complicated! I don''t care about your backwoods shotgun weddings Jeff! What are we supposed to do!?"


    "I don''t know. All we can do is wait, but this... It feels weird."


    "...I think I have to go to the bathroom." They looked at each other again, in horror. New body, new bodily functions it seemed. Perhaps it was another bug, but THAT hadn''t been a feature until that moment.


    After Reyansh figured out how bugs went to the bathroom- not too dissimilar actually- they looked around. It did feel different than how it did the other day. Just something was off- they watched the way NPCs moved- they were even more organic.


    Another bug-person was running through the streets, shaking people- Arkai NPCs. A variety of kinds and types, taken inspiration from any and all insectoids from beetles to wasps.


    She was shouting at them- "This world is a lie! It''s a simulation and we''re all trapped here!"


    She made their way over to them-


    "Wake up! You''re not real! None of this is real!"


    Reyansh raised a claw- "Actually, we''re real. But the world isn''t." Her preying mantis pupils seemed to widen. "Oh, thank GOD! Other players! I thought I was the only person who picked this race for a moment there-", she spoke in a southern accent similar to Jeffs.


    "Makes sense, everyone usually picks a furry or a human... Listen- I''m Jeff. And this big fella here is Reyansh. What''s your name?"


    "Cha-Chantel." she instinctively went to wipe her tears but realized her segmented eyes didn''t cry. Her praying mantis head also snapped around more quickly than a humans could.


    "We were going to find more players in the mean time, you know- pool our information. Might as well do something productive while the people out there sort out this mess."


    She nodded. Having a plan helped. Chantel was beginning to lose her mind as a giant bug. Having people in a similar situation around to talk to made it easier, if only a bit.


    "I just picked this race because of the racial trait... I didn''t think I would be trapped! This is unfair, I demand a redo!" Chantel was talking to herself in a mirror, observing the disturbing ways her mandibles gyrated as she spoke.


    The thought of being trapped as giant insects didn''t appeal to any of them, especially when the experience was so ''immersive'' now. They were realizing the many different ways it was immersive with each passing second.


    They vented at each other, contemplating exactly what was going on. Sharing their coping strategies.


    All sorts of theories were spouted, but in the end, they figured regardless it was better to have something to do in the mean time. They couldn''t just sit their in the middle of the street bawling their eyes out after all. They still had the human instinct to be pro-active.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    The three agreed to stick together while this issue worked itself out- and prepared to set out on their journey to find other players.


    And before they left the town, they had a convoy of Arkai players. Two dozen or so. Of the hundreds of thousands of players, some had chosen to play as giant bugs and were paying the consequences.


    ---


    Theo leaned back in a hammock, eating grapes. "Sir Stelios?", "Yes sir.", "-Is there no consequences of relying on stamina potions instead of sleep?", "No... Not really sir.", "Very nice. Any word from the bounty we posted?", "No sir."


    That''s how Theos day was going.


    Here''s how someone else''s day was going.


    ---


    "Donteatmedonteatmedonteatme!" a tiny voice shouted as she flew zig-zagging through the bogs many plants. Poppys, ferns, they were like trees to her!


    A heavy mist floated just about the waters surface-


    ''Thwack!'' a giant tongue- well, to a human it would be a string- but to her it was giant! It collided with a tree trunk in front of her.


    She veered to the right and had to dive immediately beneath another striking tongue! Frog tongues!


    Her little insect winds were beating their hardest. She had become adept at flying- not that it was Claires choice. This place was dangerous, she had no idea the ''Fairy'' race choice would result in this.


    She was flying for her life day in / day out- it was miserable... Not to mention living off dew drops and honey. -Wasn''t too hard to come across honey if you knew the right bee.


    Finally she got out of frog-territory and the tongues stopped popping out of the water. It was impossible to know for sure where danger lie, so she was always on her toes.


    "VROOM!" a force flew past her- "Dragon!?" she shouted. -No, it was a humming bird just checking out some of the flowers she was lounging next to.


    "Oh, good. No dragon-fly. Hup!" she dropped down onto a leaf and began to swing her legs. "My wings are barking..." she rubbed the little nubs that connected to her back.


    At first she was with other players but little fairies were hard to keep track of. Liam, her bestie, got eaten by a ''something'', a big scaly ''something'' that flew.


    [Level Up!]


    [Fairy Level 8!]


    [Skill Fairy Blink!]


    [Passive Fairy Dexterity!] +2 dex


    Claire jumped up and started shadow boxing- "That''s what I''M talking about, big gains!" her little cyan blue flop of hair bouncing about.


    Each level made it easier for her to survive, and that meant she''d have more time to find her friends.


    [Fairy Intuition]


    -The skill sounded and immediately gave her a ping of danger from a specific direction-


    "EEK!" she leapt up into the air and a gust of wind appeared just beneath her launching her up!


    Just then a winged snake collided with the tree next to her. It was massive! It was like- the size of a normal snake. But to her it was so much-


    Anyways, the scaly-somethings liked to coil up then launch themselves through the air using their floppy neckthings to glide.


    It was unfair for snakes to fly. But Claire had one offensive ability to her name... And THAT''S where the scaly-thing messed up.


    She put her hands together as she turned- pearlescent wings flapping backwards into the air she faced her foe.


    "Kaaaa-"


    The snake slithered around to face her, its head slightly wobbled as it came to its'' senses.


    "Meeeeaaa-"


    It starred up at her and realized where his target had gone, angrily it began to coil before springing up-


    "HAAAAAAA!"


    A super-soakers worth of water shot out of her hands and pelted the snake in the face. It winced at the water pressure, but was otherwise unaffected.


    It shook it''s head and slithered off, no longer interested.


    ''PHEW!''


    Claire dropped down to another flower-petal. Her Boston accent seemed to become more pronounced as she yelled after the snake; "Yaaa~ get outta'' ''ere ain''t nobody wancha! Tell ya'' friends what happens when you mess with the likes of ME!"


    The snake was shamefully defeated- of that Claire was sure.


    ''Now, time for dinner. Where''s my favorite bumble bees?'',


    Claire fluttered off into the tops of the tree branches. She had searched a larger area today- braved the dangers- it was enough of an effort today. She would save her friends. But not if she exhausted herself.


    ---


    He was eating a cookie when Violet pulled him aside.


    "What? I thought we would meet sometime tonight?", "You''re acting like a fool- you''re going to get caught! Charles acts nothing like this, even your walk is completely different."


    "Fooled you well enough...", "That was until I knew to look! The fact that you look like him only goes so far, I''ve seen how some of the servants look at you-"


    The two argued in a shadowed corner of one of the greenhouses. He had been admiring the garden while he snacked. Enjoying his last few days of being a noblemen.


    "Violet it''s fiiine~ here- have a cookie." he handed her a cookie from his pocket and she slapped it away. "This isn''t a game! We have to get into that treasury and I think we should do it TONIGHT. Or early as possible."


    Theo shook his head, the treasury was guarded 24/7. By people. And magic. And who knows what else. "Why can''t we just relax and enjoy it a bit? Want anything? I''m a noblemen. We could say that we''re really good friends and I want you treated well while you work here."


    "You have no idea how fast that would get us caught. Don''t you think I have better things to do than play noblemens concubine? Do you think I enjoy this? I''m tired of being trapped here!"


    Theo looked at increasingly frantic expression she had. She was really worried.


    "Alright, fine. But seriously, if you need anything I can swing it, they give Charles a lot of money- but what''s your plan?" Theo tossed a cookie over his shoulder and rubbed his hands together expectantly. Waiting to hear this grand heist plan.


    "After this, we''ll have all the money either of us will ever need... The plan is simple- but before anything- you need to convince your ''father'' to let you into the treasury."


    "Aha-!", "Once you do that, you can get an idea of what''s in there and the security, the layout, among other things. It''s the first step. I was going to ask Charles to tell me but then you came along."


    Theo was poking a venus fly-trap. It snapped at his fingers causing him to jerk back-


    "Seems far-fetched Violet. How can I impress that pompous asshole? Why don''t I just go to the treasury and ask the guards to let me in?"


    Violets jaw dropped at that. And she took a deep breath. It would take a long time to explain to him exactly how stupid that statement was.


    ---


    Somewhere else in the world, another player had arrived. After all the others like Theo.


    In a desert- the sun passed over orange cracked clay and sand dunes, so often the ground would be broken up bubbling revealing black ooze. Every so often there was a cactus, or tumbleweed.


    -Here, in a flash of light a man appeared suddenly. The man was caucasian with black hair and brown eyes. He was built like a WWE wrestler, slimmed down to efficiency. His hair short and tidy. He was wearing a military outfit- from Earth.


    "Rugbi-forty-niner reporting in, verifying communication integrity. Access code 197-42_Swingset Over."


    "Communication integrity verified. Proceed with mission." a authoritative voice sounded in his head.


    He nodded, he cleared the chamber of his weapon. It was functioning. They were unsure even that would work there. They had lost control, and the ai have begun making their own changes to the world.


    Though... With a few tricks and glitches, they managed to get a player in with communication to the outside world intact. An agent. A special-op, so to speak. He was trained to extract VIPs in warzones, and this technically counted. It required... A similar set of skills in any case.


    "What is... That?", his voice was low and graveled, as if he chain smoked cigarettes his whole life. He was looking into the distance and his eyes surely didn''t decisive him- he was briefed on this location. The creature he was seeing was for lack of better words- a dinosaur. A velociraptor to be specific.


    A group of three of them were stalking some kind of furry mammoth-like creature. They leapt onto it gliding on their feathered wings- tearing into the sides of the thing.


    The agent was a hunter himself, so he had no moral obligation to step in. Infact, he had rather admired their ambush.


    The beast of a man whipped around and clutched a raptor mid-flight by the neck.


    "REEAA?" the dinosaur was seemingly confused how the prey equal to its own size was easily holding it aloft in the air.


    It clawed at the agents arms, but it just harmlessly racked across the bare skin like a kittens claws. The agent smirked a bit- then crushed. His face was washed in viscera, but still he grinned.


    It''s blood steamed as it hit the boiling ground of the desert. The other raptors who were hiding in wait shrieked and ran away.


    "I wonder if they''re trainable..." the man started laughing. This would be a playground for him.


    ---


    "So only your father... And perhaps your mother could access the treasury. Even the guards only stand outside the treasury, and are forbidden from even glancing inside..."


    They were still in the corner of one of the greenhouses discussing the plan.


    "Alright, alright. I''ll try to figure out a way to impress my father. But I don''t want to be the only one taking risks. What can you do. Are you like, super sneaky? Can you disguise yourself, or knock people unconscious?"


    "Trade secret. You know how it is... But I can tell you, I''m good with a dagger. Lockpicking a non-magical lock would be childs play. And... Things of that nature, you get the gist I''m sure?"


    Theo nodded. Sounded like a typical [Thief] or [Rogue] class. He could guess her abilities.


    "Can you go invisible?", "Yes, but I have to be still." Theo sighed, that would''ve made it so much easier. Shoot, if Theo could go invisible he already had wall climb.


    He could just wait until someone opened the door and climb in from the ceiling.


    "Maybe I could convince Elise to let me win in a duel." he said jokingly. But when he looked back up to Violet her face was serious.


    "That''s a good idea actually.", "No- she would never-", "But if you DID win, like actually, fairly, he probably would take you in there."


    Then Violet gave him a sympathetic look, which was odd for her. Then he realized why.


    He suddenly had memories of his face being beaten to a pulp and shuddered.


    "I don''t wanna..."


    ---


    But despite his wishes, he ended up once again across from his uncle Brandon in a full suit of armor.


    "Don''t fight Brandon, fight Brandon, Violet needs to make up her mind..." he muttered.


    ''Oh crap when did he get so close-''


    "OVER HAND SWING!", a sword came crashing down on Theos clavicle. "ohgodmyspine!",


    "You there- butler! Remain close by with those potions. I believe today our Lord Charles will make some progress!"


    Sir Stelios pulled one of Theos arms over his shoulder and hoisted him up to his feet. Theo leaned on him. "He''s going to kill me Stelios."


    Sir Stelios gave him a knowing look then leaned in whispering-


    "The Proletariat admires your efforts Sir Charles... If you endure, perhaps your father will give you access to the treasury- a fine plan! If you are successful, you will have your position among our ranks as promised- oh, here''s the potion..."


    Theo quickly splashed the potion on his face, wiped his face and then realized what Stelios had said.


    "Huh?"

 05 - Grandma Yaga

    Evidently, Sir Stelios was apart of a conspiracy as well. A conspiracy he had neglected to tell Theo of since his arrival, but evidently arranged with the Charles Malton before him.


    Theo didn''t mention it since, but he now had a different opinion of Sir Stelios. What is ''The Proletariat'', some kind of gang? Who else was a double-agent? Was this estate full of them? Maybe it was the vault, the treasury. The riches held within must be something.


    Enchanted gear, something priceless- perhaps an amulet that made you immortal? Theo could only hope.


    ''Should I tell Violet?'', he thought; ''No, she''d just overreact. Plus, I might prefer Stelios over her anyways. Maybe the Proletariat are just really good guys.''


    "Brother.", he stopped walking and looked to the side, there stood his kid sister Leslie- looking up at him. "Yes, Leslie?", a red-eyed 4-foot tall girl with green hair stood across from him. She had a plain expression, if a little cold. She was in a dark red and white ball gown.


    "You''ve been acting different the past week or so, don''t think I''ve not noticed." she said plainly.


    [Assimilation] triggered immediately.


    "Well, sister, as we grow older we mature in stages, some pass more quickly than others-", "No, I do not think that is the cause, brother.",


    Theo just starred at her, and she starred back- he had to look away.


    "Erm, well then- w-what do you think the cause is?"


    She narrowed her eyes at him. "I think it is clear enough to both of us... Brother."


    At this point he was getting a cold sweat. [Assimilation] wasn''t working... Usually he''d turn it on and he''d just talk his way out of it.


    Theo lowered his hand towards his scabbard- the decorative sword he carried with him.


    "...Your... Tryst, with the maid girl. Of course. It seems she was hired only a few months ago, one of our most recent hires-"


    Theo nearly breathed a sigh of relief.


    "I had Sir Thomas look into her past. It seems that she is a [Thief] brother."


    Theo pretended to be shocked.


    "What? Impossible. She likes me for who I am, obviously."


    She blinked. -She does blink from time to time. That''s a relief.


    "This must be upsetting to you, and it seemed she had been a good influence on you too... A shame, perhaps if she had not been a thieving wretch, the family would''ve tolerated it. A''las... Don''t worry, she is being arrested this very moment." she began strolling away.


    His jaw dropped. Time almost seemed to slow as she turned to leave.


    Theo knew he would have to be careful about this. Leslie was a genius no doubt. Not that he was a dumb guy either, but he could never fool Leslie with anything but the truth. He knew that at least. But- they both had attendants following them around... It wasn''t a very private conversation.


    "W-wait!",


    She stopped as if she expected him to protest; "Oh, could it be you''re so infatuated that you would ignore even a dagger in your back brother? Or perhaps... You are apart of her schemes?"


    "No, but how could you be so sure? How did Sir Thomas know she was a [Thief]?", "It''s Sir Thomas, Charles. He knows, she was not the first. Many like her have had similar plans. House Malton is not made up of fools, and those of us that are- we look after." she didn''t specify whom, but he could probably guess who the fool was she was looking after.


    "I-uh- can we speak privately perhaps? About this matter? Before it goes to far?"


    ''Tssk'', she made an irritated sound. "Sir Thomas!"


    "Sir Thomas-?" Theo began to say but he was bludgeoned on the back of the head and everything went black.


    ---


    At some point, it seems Leslie Malton had put two and two together.


    She and Theo were locked in the dungeons- a place she doubted Theo even knew about. The oaf. He always assumed things would work out for no reason at all, as if it was destined.


    It wasn''t long after Violet had found herself here that Theo had been dragged in. The changeling had a lump on the back of his head. Sir Thomas, wall of armor essentially, dragged Theo in and shackled him to the opposite wall as she.


    "Would you feel like speaking yet? We''ve given you some time, and we''ve unearthed your conspirator. You think yourself clever, for corrupting a member of our house? My brother will see our interrogator flay your flesh to the bone.", it was beyond eerie to hear a young girls voice say such things. But Violet did her research, she knew this girl was strange. She just hadn''t expected Theo to be such a crap changeling.


    That was what went wrong with her plan. Theo. If he had just never showed up, she would''ve wooed Lord Charles and raided the vaults by now. And now she was likely going to be executed or at least, very inconvenienced for a very long time.


    "No? Very well then, I will tell the interrogator he has until my brother awakes to prepare his... ''Tools''." -at that the girl left the dungeons. Stepping carefully over the cracked stone.


    She walked down one of the maze-like tunnels. Leaving them in the dark jail cell.


    ''looks like this operation is blown. Sorry Theo, you were a buffoon, but you managed to make me laugh once or twice. So... Goodluck.'', she began reaching down from her shackles, her fingers stretching for her bundled hair.


    ''There!'' she snatched a metal hairpin. The shape was odd for a reason- just right for picking mundane locks such as these. She delicately placed the pin into the keyhole. ''Pzzt!'', a spark flung the pin across the room and burned her finger a bit.


    ''Damned Gods! I really didn''t want to do the other method...'', ''pop!'' her wrist went limp and she drug it through the gap in the enchanted shackles. It hurts, but it works. She popped her wrist back into place.


    Free of the shackles- she went to the locked cell door and inspected it. This one was enchanted against picking also. She looked towards Theo- he was unconscious still lying against the wall.


    Maybe one of his doppleganger skills could get through this. But then she thought against it, -he''d end up being a burden. Besides, she had planned for this. It was hard to research what the treasury was like.


    The dungeon was another matter entirely.


    The bars weren''t enchanted - this she was sure. Only the lock. So, she unwound a silver thread that was wrapped around one of her socks. Then she set to work sawing the bars with it. The wire was made by a Threadripper Arkai, it was able to cut through metals harder through iron.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Little metal flakes started to fall away and within five minutes she had removed a portion of the bars, and she was out. It was easy from then on, it was just a matter of climbing up to the surface grates then blending in with the other maids.


    In another five minutes she was sprinting through the forest.


    ---


    Theo came to about then. "What... The hell?" he awoke in a dungeon across from a pair of empty shackles. The events of what happened before he was knocked out catching up with him.


    ''Crap, she knows... But how much?'', Theo had no idea. At the very least, she was very confident that he was apart of the plan to raid the treasury.


    Theo was hoping to convince her that it was all a big misunderstanding, that yes, Violet had planned to rob the treasury, but had actually fallen for him and decided not to. It sounded like a good plan until she ordered that knight to nearly behead him.


    The back of his head still throbbed with pain.


    [Level Up!]


    [Doppleganger Level 5]


    [Skill Form Change]


    ''Form change?'', "Oh. That''s right. There''s a base form."


    ---


    The maid [Thief] ran frantically through the forest. They''d expect her to go for a horse- no, she made for the river. She would run along it to cover her tracks and throw off her scent.


    Her thin strands of dark brown hair were whipping in the wind before a few fingers clutched a handful yanking her to a stop.


    "OW! Stopstopstop!", she grabbed at the fingers and realized it was a bear of a person holding her. No- literally a bear person. A beastkin with furred arms and face held her. They were dressed in loose fitting linen clothes. A peasants outfit.


    "Easy, Sinatra! Easy!" the grip loosened at the older voices'' command, transitioning to a choke-hold instead.


    "Please! I''m just the maid!", the older woman came into view. She was dressed in exotic clothing. Numerous multi-colored sashes made up a skirt that were tied together in the middle with a teal colored pearl the size of a doorknob at her waist.


    She had a bright red corset on- the collar was made up of peacock feathers and it buttoned up down the center with a series of yellow laces. A poof of white fabric shot up over her breasts and out of the slender sleeves.


    Besides that she was an older women in her late fifties or so. Red hair similar to the color of her corset, and green eyes.


    She starred at the woman. "W-who are you?" Violet asked.


    The womans'' eyes sparkled and she spoke; "Oh, me~? Well, I''m the Baba-Yaga! Supreme Witch of Adun!" she tapped her walking stick on the ground and confetti came out the end.


    ---


    An infuriated Leslie stood at the dungeon cell. At least Theo assumed she was, her face was often flat without expression. But her brow was slightly furled.


    "Where is the maid?" She asked plainly.


    "Maid? You mean... Violet was in here?"


    She ''tssked'', "Very well, we will have to interrogate you instead Brother." she nodded to an attendant near her and they took off down one of the many halls.


    "Escape, there''s been an escape!" they shouted.


    Theo blanched- "Y-you can''t torture me- I''m a Malton!", "Who said anything about torture-"


    She pulled out a neckless. It had dozens of ember gems dangling from it. Embedded in brass that nearly shined like gold.


    "The [Amulet of Durass], a priceless artifact. Father allowed me to ''borrow'' it from our treasury... It''s capable of telling truth from lies. Sir Thomas, if you would-"


    She handed it to the wall of a man next to her, who unlocked the cell and placed the neckless on Theos shoulders.


    ''Shit!'', "So, were you conspiring with the maid [Thief], brother?"


    "No!", a jolt a white-hot pain shot through his bones- "AAargh! Fuck!", he felt it in his teeth.


    "I see, what did you have to gain from pilfering the treasury? You''re a Malton, surely it wasn''t for wealth."


    ''It''s like a lie-shock collar! He had to tell the truth without giving everything away-'', "I needed wealth for a journey, to find someone I''m looking for!" - no pain then.


    "Hmm, perhaps my line of questioning is too vague. I do know of this bounty you placed for information regarding a ''Samantha Lemont'', but... There''s something you''re not telling us, why are you looking for Samantha Lemont? What did she warn you about?"


    Theo sighed. That would be a really hard one to dodge.


    "She''s a relative of mine.", no pain. It was close enough to a truthful answer.


    "What did she warn you about?"


    "She warned me... That if I made an angry face for too long, that it would stay like that..?"


    Leslie tilted her head for a second, pondering. Then looked at Thomas. Then back at Theo.


    "Is that code for something?" she asked.


    This would only get more and more difficult- she would unwind the mystery soon enough. He had to think of a way to turn this around, but how?


    ---


    Violet was stunned. The old woman was the strangest person to run into out in the forest.


    "Cute outfit. Are you a maid from the Malton Estate? Have you seen my grandson, Theo? Apparently this lord has been asking about me. By an oddly specific name."


    "Theo! Yeah, I know him- listen, I tried to save him but I could barely get out myself! We were trying to get into the treasury as we planned, but-"


    The old woman only sat and listened patiently. Gracefully nodding as she explained. After what seemed like minutes, Violet finally finished.


    "-nd I don''t think they know he''s a changeling yet, but it''s only a matter of time... I''m afraid whoever he was to you, he''''ll likely be executed within the week..."


    The Baba-Yaga nodded once more. "Yes, that sounds like my grandson... If you would be so kind, my eyes aren''t what they used to be... What kind of plant is that? Right there?" she asked referencing to something on the forest floor.


    "Huh- you mean-", Violet leaned her head down to see over the burly beastkins arms- ''THWACK'' the walking stick cracked her upside the head, nearly hard enough to draw blood.


    "Owe, what in the 9 hells was that for!? I told you everything I knew!"


    "But you left him there! You harlot! He protected you and you left him! Infact, what do you think about that flower over there!"


    "W-wait! I''m sorry! I''ll make it up to you, maybe we can break him out!"


    "Maybe? Yes, maybe- SURPRISE ATTACK!" she swung with the walking stick again but stopped inches from a flinching Violet. She cackled malevolently.


    She waved the staff at Violet instead- "Let that be a lesson to you about leaving your friends behind. Sinatra, let her go. And let us go get the boy."


    Violet dropped to the ground. The hulking beastkin and the woman continued walking.


    "Y-you don''t need me to point the way?" she rubbed the bruised spot the Baba-Yaga smacked her in. A welt was forming.


    The old woman turned towards her, one hand held regally behind her back, the other gripping her walking stick.


    "You told me enough. But if you want to follow along I wouldn''t tell you not to. It''s your choice. Maybe you could negotiate on my behalf, lest I have to burn the place down. It sounded quite nice in the way you described it. It would be a shame."


    "Burn... It down?" Violet took another measure of the woman. She was a witch? At what level? She was confident enough to be level sixty, and the beastkin with her was intimidating as well. But they were only two, how could they stand against the entire house of Malton?


    Seeing the Violets reaction, there was a twinkle in the Baba-Yagas eyes.


    "Yes, I may not look it, but I''m quite the menace when I want to be. And I''d like to see my grandson, it''s been some time after all." she walked on, ignoring the maid.


    Violet considered for a moment. There are some high-leveled freaks in the world.


    Maybe she was one of them. Who else could''ve put such an amateur doppleganger into place like that? And her grandson? There were so many possibilities there. Violet didn''t know what to think. But she smelled a profit, something about her [Thieves] intuition told her that a buck could be made here.


    ---


    "Enough! Tell me, why were you acting strangely the past few days!"


    The color drained from Theos face, and he knew- that one would get him.


    "I''m a quirky guy, what can I say- OW! Shit that stings!", the pain was unbearable, impossible to maintain a poker-face through. The lie was obvious.


    "Tell me." she said assertively.


    Theo sighed; "I''m a changeling." he shrunk down against the wall of the cell. Defeated.


    "A changeling, is this code? Do you know what a changeling is Sir Thomas?", "No, Lady Malton.", "Hrm... Ask my magus instructor, she''d likely know. Or perhaps Sir Stelios, he is a knowledgeable fellow."


    "I-Is that all for now?", Theo asked. Perhaps he would have his chance now.


    "Yes, brother. For now. Retrieve the amulet Thomas. We''ll go see about this changeling business and see about tracking down this maid. Rest assured brother, I have more questions for you. And father will learn of this treachery."


    A man hurried down the stairs- a butler, disheveled and out of breath- "Lady Leslie! Lord Brandon has requested our presence at the south gate! He says the maid has been returned by some old woman and a beastkin!"


    Leslie whipped around towards Theo- "Fascinating. I suspect I know who this woman is. Alert the guard, we shall meet her. Be prepared to capture her Sir Thomas."


    The man nodded stoically.


    An old woman? ...Who else could it be? So quickly too! She''s only been here a week, not even two weeks longer than he had been! She must''ve heard about the bounty- it was just a half-effort at finding her. He didn''t expect it to actually work. But it did, and it figures she was the one saving him.


    He laughed, of course it would work out like that. Leslie gave him a confused look as she left the dungeon.


    Theo was overjoyed, this time Leslie made sure to station guards outside his cell.


    And they looked at him like he was a madman, laughing like a fool. But he knew something they didn''t.


    They had no idea. That''s what was so funny. Theo was a casual gamer, he didn''t play to win like his grandmother did. And if she had already found him... She must be at a ridiculous level already. Probably gamed the system as she always did.


    ---


    Lord Brandon Malton was showing the guard commander a few pointers at the front entrance when he saw her.


    She had appeared from an odd section of forest and made her way to the main path. A familiar maid in-toe.


    "There she is... Hopefully this mess concerning my nephew can be put behind us. Guard, go receive my niece. If you would." the sore, exhausted guard ran off into the estate.


    "Hello miss! Thank you for capturing the fugitive, you must have a good man there. Beastkin, far from your homeland hmm?"


    They approached them comfortably. "Yes, he is. Sinatra here is like me in that way... We''re both very, very far from our homeland."


    "I see... Well, I am Lord Brandon Malton, and whom do I have the pleasure of addressing miss-"


    "Your worst nightmare...",


    Brandon cocked his head to the side.


    "Huh?"


    "You can call me; miss ''Brandons worse nightmare.'', Sinatra, if you could? A member of the family is quite the bargaining chip.",


    "Sounds good to me. Maybe this one will put up a fight."


    The maid Violet took a few steps back.


    "I don''t know what your intentions are miss, but I fight at the level of a [Knight Commander] and-"


    ''CRASH!'' in the blink of an eye the beastkin flashed towards Lord Brandon, he barely deflected the closed fist coming at him with his shield- what was this things strength!?


    But he didn''t see the sweeping kick coming for his side.


    The lord flew into a tree bisecting it. Bouncing along the forest floor into the distance.


    "Jesus Sinatra!", the baba-yaga slapped him on his arm.


    He winced as he heard another tree snap from the impact.


    "Sorry babs, -he said he was on par with a knight commander..."


    She sighed. "Well, go collect whatever is left of him. Let''s see what I have in my purse here-" she fumbled around in the satchel that hung at her side. Her arms disappearing into the bag up to the shoulders impossibly.


    The remaining guard left was standing nearby shaking like a leaf.


    "Hard candy young man?" she asked him, producing some from the bag. He was bone-white in the face.


    "No? Very well then."


    "Who are you people?" Violet asked. She was ignored.


    Sinatra carried the lord on his shoulders out of the forest he landed in, blood dripping down from every orifice in his head.


    "Here you go. Eat up." she said placing a little candy into the comatosed Maltons mouth. She slapped the side of his cheek gently. "That''s it."


    His wounds began healing rapidly, the sound of bones snapping back into place. He stirred, and groaned weakly.


    "Now, let''s go see about trading this one for my grandson. And any others we collect on the way."


    She walked through the front gates of the estate. Her eyes went wide as she surveyed the fountains and green lawns. The white statues and perfectly trimmed hedges.


    "Lucky bastard." she cackled.

 06 - Royal Rumble

    Lady Leslie Malton was walking briskly from the dungeons- her personal bodyguard Sir Thomas in-toe.


    She should''ve asked Charles exactly what a ''Changeling'' was... It was likely some sort of code. But for what? Perhaps he is more clever than Leslie had given him credit for, avoiding the questioning in such a way.


    But she would get to the bottom of it eventually, especially now that the maid has been returned. Likely by this ''Samantha'' Charles had mentioned.


    It''s a shame, but such things aren''t unheard of. Charles wasn''t as dotted on as the rest of them were, a black sheep of the family who slept around with the staff and got drunk in town with the guard.


    Playing his silly songs, speaking his silly poetry. Leslie hated him. It was good to see him finally meet some sort of consequence... The fool reached beyond his means at last. To raid their own family treasury? Their father will be furious.


    Perhaps he will praise her for rooting out this corruption? Leslie could only hope.


    ---


    Samantha couldn''t believe how stupid Theo had been... He came after her into this hellhole. Luckily, he seemed to get a good spawn. Not everyone could say as much. Not the least of which- herself.


    Still, she would be glad to see him. She had met many others and together, were giving this world hell. He''d flip his lid when he hears about it.


    She chose to play as a human [Witch] because well, the class seemed strong. And doubled as a decent money-making profession as well. As it had many overlaps with alchemy. As this game was an amalgamation of countless different game genres and fantasy tropes- there was no limit to how one could break it.


    Theo, according to the maid, was a Changeling. Which was an odd choice, Theo wasn''t the creative type. Smart kid, but intelligence wasn''t much of a commodity in their world. Could you be a thespian for the camera? Could you code machine learning algorithms? That''s what mattered in their world. And even those professions faded to increasingly fewer.


    But here, she could see Theo thriving. She felt this ''fake'' world had a lot to teach their ''real'' world. Still, it was a foolish mistake. This world is a death trap. Outside, she was sure her body was wasting away. Being kept alive by modern machinery. Who knows how long she would last.


    So her group had taken the fight to the gods themselves. Literally, or at least the artificial intelligences that posed as such.


    Estate Malton. The noble family that lived here supported the regions king. Her land was neighboring it, conveniently enough. ''Adun'' was made up of mostly marshland though, which fit her classes aesthetic.


    This ''Soma'' place... Was so snazzy. And comfortable. The lands around hardly had any predators, they had been culled. The kingdom of Soma had many settlements and a powerful standing army, funded by many noble houses that served under the king.


    Each house controlled a vassal state and ensured they were peaceful and profitable. For their campaign against the demons and the alien.


    Which pretty much included everyone but themselves.


    Samantha, that is- ''The Baba-Yaga, supreme witch of Adun'', strolled along the gardens. The gardeners and staff that patrolled had fled from her and Sinatra.


    Gradually they made their way to the head of the estate. It seems having one of their more powerful fighters prisoner has frightened them. ''Oh well, let this be an example to them to step their game up.'', she leaned down and smelled a rose.


    "Your grandson lives here?", her companion Sinatra asked.


    She chuckled. "Yeah, go figure. The noob gets the choice spawn. And yet we still have to bail him out. Imagine if he spawned with the other changelings."


    Sinatra shivered at that. "Yeah, I''m not looking forward to going back to those caves again."


    Baba nodded at that.


    "Yo'' babs, heads up." Sinatra tapped her arm and she looked up to see a precession of armored guards approaching them.


    They began surrounding the trio. "I hope you have something more in that bag than hard candy." Violet said.


    A tiny noblewoman stepped out in-between them, carrying herself like a person ten years her senior. A massive armored man near her. It reminded her of herself, it was good to make friends with some muscle when you''re a mage type.


    Which the young girl clearly was. An [Elementalist Mage]. She was young, but judging by her aura she would grow up into a monster. That is, if she didn''t do something stupid in a moment and get herself killed.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "You there- unhand my uncle. Or else."


    Seems like she is choosing the ''stupid'' route.


    "Aren''t you just the cutest little thing? Look at her little booties Sinatra~ doesn''t it just make your heart melt?" she swooned towards Sinatra who smirked.


    "My uncle! Old woman!" she stomped a foot and a tornado of fire erupted into the sky several feet before dissipating. The guards around her recoiled from the heat for a moment before steeling themselves.


    The old woman hardened at that. "My, aren''t you a contemptible brat?", "Babs...", "No, Sinatra. She thinks she''s something special, because she can wave fire around."


    She started stepping forward but Sinatra blocked her way. "She''s just a child..."


    Baba slapped his arm playfully. "You think I''m a monster? I''m not one of those ''NPCs aren''t human'' people you know... I''ll be gentle. Besides, you should focus on the big one."


    She referenced to the seven foot tall suit of armor.


    "Little girl, I will give you the Knight Commander wanna-be. But, first, I need Charles Malton. Out here. Now. Or else." she parroted the phrase back at her coyly.


    "Sir Thomas?", "Right away Lady Malton-" Sir Thomas launched forward, reaching out for the old woman- he was a blur, the other guards didn''t even have time to react-


    But Sinatra did.


    He flashed in front of his path, he planted his feet down until the stone cracked beneath them, and he grabbed the large mans arms and flung him up into the air past them-


    He spun and landed on his feet with a loud crash a few dozen yards away-


    "I''ll take care of the rest so long as you get him Sinatra.", "Or you could just get him too?"


    "Tssk- and not get the opportunity to have two men fight over me?" she smiled as she started walking towards the remaining guards and the girl.


    "Stand back guardsmen, I''ll fry this old crone." the two dozen or so guards took a step back.


    "Oh? Brave. I wonder, what will you do? Another fire tornado? I do hope you have more than mere parlor tricks-"


    ''Crash!'', a flaming maul appeared from thin air and smacked the old women sending her flying-


    "Babs!", Sinatra shouted as he dodged Thomas- he had drawn a massive claymore from his back and was swinging it around like a rapier. This guy was like a Knight commander.


    He caught the blade between two palms stopping it mid-air, and snapped it off leaving the massive blade half of it''s original length. Sir Thomas examined the remaining blade for a second. Then tossed it aside. He raised his gauntlet fists into a battle stance.


    "That''s more like it... Let''s go!", he rushed forward and the two began grappling and trading blows. Some other guards began to slowly encircle and close on Sinatra as well, but each time one would get close enough to strike they''d get thrown away.


    "Retrieve my uncle." Leslie ordered a couple guards and they ran over to the slumped over Brandon- "Perhaps you would make a better bargaining chip then." Baba said as she walked out of the dust cloud she created when she collided with the garden wall.


    "That''s a fancy trick, fire hammer. Fast in any case, but low in attack power despite appearances... If I took environmental damage that would''ve been bad." she brushed off some dust from her outfit, arranged the tiara on her head and gave her staff a few swings.


    "Impossible. How would an frail old women survive that?" Leslies'' face was beginning to show some sort of annoyed expression as the Baba-Yaga approached her.


    "Looks can be deceiving girl, let this be a lesson to you." she pointed her staff directly at her.


    Then she lowered her head, looking up from beneath her brow at the group of guards and the lady. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, her fingers in her free hand twitched and jerked into odd clawed positions.


    An impossibly deep and distorted voice emerged from the old womens lips- "YOSHRA.. LAMONOS.. YOSHRA!"


    The lady flinched- waiting for an attack. After a moment or two, she looked between herself, the guards, and the distant dueling Thomas. Then laughed, "What a senile ol- BLECH." she looked down into her hands. She had just spit up blood- a fair amount of it- into them.


    "What manor of magic is this?" she began a coughing fit, and fell to her knees, growing paler by the second. "Lady Malton!" Thomas roared and turned towards her and jumped- but Sinatra grabbed his ankle and flung him into a lantern streetlight.


    "You have bigger things to worry about, don''t worry. My friend won''t kill her!", Thomas didn''t seem to believe him as he stood up and wrenched the metal pole out of the ground and swung it around smacking Sinatra into the dirt trudging it up in explosive chunks-


    "Blech... It hurts..." she held her stomach as red flowed from her mouth.


    "One spell. One curse. That''s all it took, you are a child- you had no defenses. I almost feel bad..." the guards charged the old woman. A maid rushed forward with a healing potion and started feeding it to Leslie.


    She cackled. "That''s it! Now you know! Bring the whole family on!" she twirled her staff in her hands and crows appeared- flying forward from the twirling stick- like bullets. They dove forward crashing into the guards. They exploded into red mist as they collided-


    Wherever the mist touched- their flesh blackened and bubbled.  They clutched themselves and collapsed to the ground- those more covered in armor kept charging at her.


    "Just give us Theo! We''ll let you live!" Sinatra was boxing Thomas- both were giving about as they were getting. ''CRACK!'', Thomas laid a nasty right-hook into his snout- a bit of blood dripped from it.


    He snorted and wiped it away- "Okay then- ''STUNNING STRIKE''!", he waved his palms around each other intricately as if he was guiding the wind- then pushed forward blasting Sir Thomas with blue energy- he lifted off the ground from the blow and then shook violently for a moment- before flying onto his back.


    Immediately Sinatra stood over him and started laying into him- punching his helmet embedding it deeper and deeper into the soft lawn of the garden- "Gotosleep,gotosleep,gotosleep!"


    A gauntleted fist reached up and gripped him by the face. "Oh shit-"


    The Baba-yaga was still cackling, as the guards reached her she began levitating- lifted but a swirling black cloud. Arms of black emerged from within and began swatting them away.


    ''WOOSH!'' a flaming sphere rocketed past her- Leslie was sitting up with her arm reached out- still coughing up blood she was chanting spells at her!


    "Tssk- tough brat. Should''ve used a force bubble.", she descended from the black cloud of many arms. Most of the cannon fodder guards had been dealt with.


    Another fireball crashed into a shimmering red barrier around her. Then another. One grazed it and deflected into the garden sending clumps of dirt raining down.


    Then a flying Sinatra landed against her force bubble. "Oh, Sinatra, did you beat him yet?", he groaned. "I''m working on it.", "Here have a lift-", "Wait! ohshitshit!" Baba swept her staff and a black cloud flung him back at Thomas.


    Leslie got to her feet finally, clutching her stomach. She had to constantly drink healing potions to do so.


    Fireballs were autonomously forming and launching from behind her shoulders, but each were deflected off the Baba-yaga and an impermeable forcefield.


    The old woman sighed, and leaned on her staff.


    "Just give up kid. Let me collect my grandson." she said sympathetically.


    "Grandson? How is my brother your grandson!?", her eyes practically glowed fire.


    Baba shook her head. "You still don''t get it do you? Charles Malton is an imposter, my grandson. He was going to raid your treasury, wasn''t he? Stupid kid."


    "Then, my brother-?", "Dead.", "...Dead?" the Baba nodded solemnly. "Not that it was us that-"


    "DEAD!?" with that, the girls eyes flared and flames erupted from them.


    "Uh- we didn''t-", this time it was the girl who began to rise in a torrent of fire. A vortex spun about her wildly and whips of fire began to strike the ground leaving smoldering etches in the stone and dirt.


    "Shit- she''s going to overload! Sinatra are you done yet!?" Baba shouted and began muttering incantations rapidly.


    ''Smack'', the girl fell limp into Sinatras'' arms. "It''s done." he said. The Baba looked towards where he and Thomas had been fighting and sure enough his body laid half submerged in the ground face down.


    She let out a breath. "Damn, these NPCs aren''t bad, luckily the rest of the family weren''t here. YOU THERE!" Baba pointed towards a Violet who was standing inbetween a few smoldering fireball craters.


    She flinched. "W-what?", "My grandson, where?", "Oh! Yes mam, right this way-"


    ---


    "Sir Stelios?", Theo asked.


    "Greetings Lord Malton. It is most unfortunate that you were captured."


    Theo looked up from his chains. "Well, thankfully you''re here to rescue me."


    Sir Stelios gave him an apologetic look.


    "You came here to rescue me right?"

 07 - Chains of Regret

    "I''m afraid not Charles. The proletariat must ensure secrecy is maintained, so unfortunately, this is the end for you.",


    The guards reacted to that. Both of them- two were put outside his cell after Violet escaped. They looked to Sir Stelios, then at each other. And moved.


    Unfortunately a couple of regular guys with swords were no match for a former Knight.


    As they swung at him with their blades he sidestepped- pulled them in and impaled each on one another weapons. He walked away from them as they stood shocked, looking at one another- before falling over in a heap.


    "Uh, Stelios- let''s talk about this. My- Samantha Lemont! The woman I sent for, she''s here! She''ll free me and your organizations secret will be safe!"


    He hesitated for a moment. And looked up at a grate in the ceiling, which most of the light in the chamber came from.


    "I do hear a bit of some kind of tussle... But no, my orders are clear. In any case, as of late, you''ve become increasingly careless. We were mistaken to have reached out to you Charles Malton..."


    He put his white gloved hands on the bars-


    "Of all the stupid things- consorting with thieves! Move! I''m going to beat some sense into my brother!" he heard Elise''s distant voice approach. Stelios grimaced as she walked into the chamber of cells and chains.


    "Sir Stelios? You are visiti-" she noticed the bodies.


    She drew her sword. She was dressed in her battle attire- mostly leather with some metal bits on the shoulders and knees.


    ---


    The greyed man looked over his shoulder at her- a cold stare. Elise was praised for her skill with the sword, not in her other studies. But even she knew the instant she saw the bodies, Stelios had betrayed them.


    "Elise! Run!", Charles shouted from his cell, a frantic look in his eyes. A chill ran down her spine- her [Warriors] intuition told her Sir Stelios outclassed her.


    "Sir Stelios! What is the meaning of this!?" she demanded. He turned towards her, slowly.


    Elise grabbed for a tiny opal gem that dangled from her wrist- then Stelios moved in a blur, he swept up one of the blades off the ground and charged right at her-


    "Ah!" Elise cried out as he slashed at her in rapid succession- three strikes. She instinctively brought up her sword and parried each one- she felt the force of each blow reverberate in her arms painfully.


    She slid backward and finally her survival instinct kicked in and she began counter attacking as she defended.


    Her heart beat wildly, no one had ever actually tried to kill her before. Fear slowly gave way to anger and desperation.


    ---


    Theo couldn''t believe it- he could barely see them move. Only sparks and blurred outlines of blades. They danced around each other- their feet pivoting, sliding and leaping endlessly.


    Elise pirouetted twirling her blade around sporadically- Stelio''s style was limited by the clumsy blade he held, but he was clearly the better swordsmen. He had cut off the bracelet item she had tried to use- he rolled towards Theos cell but was still out of reach.


    "Stelios! Stop! She doesn''t know, you can run!", he ignored Theos pleas as he gradually pushed Elise back towards the wall.


    ---


    Charles was crying like a fool, calling after Sir Stelios. Begging him not to kill her. What a child, he hadn''t trained for war like Elise had. Her instructors beat in her the will to survive- she would not fall easily.


    Still- this butler was tedious. His blade hovered closer than she would have liked quite a few times already, as Elise bowed backwards a lock of her hair was cut- falling to the floor.


    She blocked a stab, deflecting it down and as Stelios leaned into the strike she held out her free hand and opened it directly in his face-


    A bright light flashed and he leapt back, covering his eyes but Elise followed slashing- how was he still blocking the strikes? Elise gets the breath knocked out of her as a fist punched her midsection.


    She clutched her stomach and moved back, but she tripped over a foot- one of the guards on the floor! She clambered to the ground blocking sword swings as she did- on her back she leaned left and right as Stelios''s swings deflected sparks of the stone near her head!


    ---


    Theo had to do something! He couldn''t just sit here! He struggled wildly against the chains- blood started to go down from his wrist-


    "AAARH!" he pulled and pulled.


    ''SCHLOOP!'', his hands came free and the pain receded. "Huh?"


    He looked down at his hands. They were green, scaled and very slightly webbed. He didn''t have time to think about it- he squeezed through the bars Violet had removed earlier.


    He grabbed one of the loose bars off the ground


    [Assimilation]


    [Assimilation]


    [Assimilation]


    He charged at at Stelios, swinging down the the metal stick-


    ---


    "Aach!", a cut when across Elises'' arm, just then she heard- "HiiiYAH!", Stelios leaned back barely avoiding the strike- but it gave her the opportunity she needed.


    She pulled back both her legs and kicked Sir Stelios in the center of the chest.


    He scrambled back defending against Charles frantic attacks- or so they seemed. He fought similar to how he had when he begun to realize he was losing their duel days ago.


    Not entirely poorly.


    She got to her feet and joined in the fight- Stelios leaned, ducked and rolled as the two struck out wildly at him-


    ---


    Elise missed her swing but it opened up Stelios'' defences enough for Theo to kick him on the back of a knee- Stelios fell to the one knee and on the backswing of Elise''s previous attack she backhanded him with a closed fist causing him to spit up blood in the opposite direction-


    It was two vs one! They could win!


    He caught an elbow to the face they made his eyes tear up. "UGH!" he clutched at his face as Elise pressed her attack to defend him.


    ---


    Violet sprinted down the stairs and rounded into the dungeon halls. It stretched for a bit for defensive reasons but eventually she heard the sounds of a fight!Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Crap, what was that idiot involved in now? His grandmother and Sinatra were busy fighting the head of the house!


    ''Tssk!''


    [Quiet Step], [Fleet Foot]


    She sped up and her steps went dead quiet- she rounded the corner-


    ---


    Elise put Stelios into a headlock- she tried to wrench his head towards her blade that she held in front of them- he flung his head back instead.


    ''CRACK!'' Elise fell back blood streaming from her nostrils- and by then Charles had recovered and put him in a headlock of his own-


    But he was only flung over Stelios''s shoulder. Charles coughed- the impact knocked the breath from his lungs. ''Oh no!'' Elise thought as Stelios twirled his blade so that he held it in a reverse grip and stabbed down-


    Elise rushed forward but she had no time!


    ---


    Theo looked up to see Stelios cold eyes stare down at him, the light of the grate above them glinted off the blade as he drove it down towards his chest-


    Then a knife appeared in his shoulder. A dagger. Stelios groaned and gripped the handle stepping back.


    All three looked towards the entrance to the dungeon. There stood Violet, out of breath with an arm outstretched having thrown a dagger.


    She reached beneath her maids skirt and produced another.


    "AH!" Stelios grunted as he ripped the dagger from his shoulder and sent it bouncing across the ground.


    Theo adjusted his grip on his metal bar. And Violet walked over to the right, and Elise down the center as they surrounded Sir Stelios.


    "Hehe..." they all stopped, and looked at each other. Then back at Stelios. "HAHA!" he laughed hysterically.


    "You all think you can kill me, you WHELPS! You have no idea what I''ve survived, to be cut down by mere children?",


    Technically they were in their early twenties, but Theo didn''t think about that. He was nervous about the fact that he had lizard hands. Hopefully Elise hadn''t noticed during the fight...


    "Surrender, Sir Stelios. Father may have mercy..." Elise said the line even though no one in the room believed it.


    Suddenly the room quaked- dust and debris fell from the rock/stone ceiling in places. "What the hell was that?" Theo asked but then he felt a splitting pain in his stomach-


    "Ah!" he fell down clutching the sword impaled through his midsection. "Theo!" Violet shouted out grabbing him as he fell- Stelios ran past down the dungeon hall. A few more quakes sounded.


    Elise sheathed her sword, her hand shaking as she did. Then she looked back at the two of them.


    "Theo?" she asked confused.


    ---


    "Sinatra keep the brats off my back!", "You keep the dad off me!" Sinatra shouted back.


    The moment they stepped inside it was a fight. They locked eyes with the head of the household and his wife, among a few of their older children as well.


    Figures they were all decent level. And the father was certainly high level.


    The mother kept summoning elementals- water, ice, fire, you name it, a humanoid made of it would charge at them every so often.


    It was easy to destroy them, but it was distracting. Like a fly buzzing around your face in the middle of a life and death fight.


    Their children had a variety of skills. One was a fencer. But they divided up the targets, Baba-Yaga would handle the boss, and Sinatra would handle the minions and draw their aggro.


    A flaming elemental plowed into Sinatra but a semi-transparent orange shield gleamed as its flames licked at him. He bear-hugged it, quite literally, and threw it through a stained glass window.


    "Come on you brats!" he shouted and the fencer used [Shunpo] and appeared behind him, stabbing in rapid succession. Each strike caused the shield to glow and then on the final it shattered.


    [Disarming Strike] Sinatra flew around, sensing real danger from the blade and gripped it between his palms. ''snap!'' what was left was a metal tooth pick at best.


    The fencer blanched- then turned to run but caught a round house kick to the back of the head. He fell unconscious.


    But before he hit the ground a water elemental was trying to envelope Sinatras head as two other mage-orientated Maltons blasted him with stone and ice bullets.


    ---


    If you were just outside the estate, you would''ve seen a flaming humanoid burst out one window then explode- and shards of ice and stone flying through the ceiling- sending roof shingles blasting off to the ground.


    ---


    "Sorry Sinatra! This is a tougher raid than I thought!", she shouted as she flew backwards- a very anger Lord Malton flying after her- a huge waraxe in his hands. His feet would only touch the marble floor for a moment before shattering it and launching him after her.


    Sinatra only laughed. "Ha! Maybe we''ll even level from this!"


    Someone had multi-classed. [Elementalist Mage] and [Berzerker]. An irritating combination. Why couldn''t this family pick a lane? Their party was way too balanced!


    Lenard Malton- head of house Malton- his eyes blazed with fire upon seeing his unconscious daughter Leslie in Sinatras arms. And since then, it''s been nothing but this- Baba, running. And him- chasing. His axe with launch flames or ice at her if she wasn''t paying attention.


    Did these people not care about their family being hostages? How could they be sure Sinatra wouldn''t of snapped her little neck when they did that? But somehow, they did know. And so another battle had ensued.


    The Baba-Yaga pointed her staff and another crow flew and got smacked away by the fathers war axe.


    ''That''s right. Just keep batting them away... Death by a thousand cuts!'' Baba knew how to fight brutes like these. Poison and distance. And time. But Sinatra was struggling.


    It was all she could do to keep away from the berserker, she had no opportunity to help him out. He used up his Ki points in his fight with that Thomas fellow.


    So he was struggling with the mid-level fodder.


    "I''m going to use it!" she cried out. "Babs- No!", "Yes!" she said finally and she stomped to the ground, her heels sliding from the momentum- she had been flying at max speed on her cloud of black.


    But now she needed to stay still. She tapped her staff on the ground and layer upon layer of [Earth Wall] broke up through the ground.


    "Now that''s a proper [Elementalist] spell!" she heard a ''THUD'' and the walls crumble slightly.


    She shuddered. "What a monster..." she muttered as she fumbled through her purse. Or big leather satchel, however one chose to describe it.


    "No... No...", ''CRASH!'', another section of wall crumbled down.


    "Babs!" Sinatra cried out as the mages blasted him. His HP was dropping fast, and when he focused one, the others would switch to immobilizing spells like [Mud Pit] while his target fled.


    "Ah-ha~!" she said gleefully produced a blanket from the satchel. She unfurled it and flattened it as best she could across the ground.


    ''THUD!'', an axe embedded into the final layer of wall.


    Their was a complex sigil drawn in gold across it. It sparkled like it was sprinkled with diamond on black fabric.


    "Summon big bad!" she shouted a placed both hands on it and the room glowed with golden light.


    Slowly a figure arose as if being lifted by an elevator below through the blanket. Dirt from the [Earth Wall] clattered across the carapace of the summoned being.


    It''s carapace was ruby red, semi-transparent, veins of a darker red ran throughout. It''s body was tall and slim, segmented like an ants. Two black oblong eyes glistened and two ruby mandibles clacked together like rocks.


    "So I take it you accept our quest then?", a distorted insectile voice- it sounded electronic almost, asked her. It didn''t back, just starring straight ahead at the collapsed wall of dirt.


    "Yes, yes, for crying out loud! Just don''t kill them!", the being nodded, it''s antennas bounced and it disappeared.


    The mages attacking Sinatra were blasted against the walls before falling to the floor. The furred man let out a sigh of relief. The red blur now went towards the Lord of the estate.


    And a clash of metal sounded from the center of the grand entrance hall.


    Lenard Malton blocked the strike meant for him with his axe- "Arkai... Monster!" he swung out with his axe chopping at the figure wildly.


    "Berserker... My counter... A challenge." the glistening red ant said robotically. "Can''t kill, but can delay?"


    "That''ll be enough antman! We just need to rescue a VIP and run!" she shouted after him. They were a blur of attacks, only appearing whenever an attack landed or was blocked.


    "Hurry, [Witch].", the ant said slashing many red streaks across the Lords flesh. This seemed to only empower him as he raged- he even seemed to grow bigger. "He has poison resistance!", "Expected. Hurry."


    She nodded and tossed a hard candy to Sinatra. "Which way did that girl run? Down here?", "My [Monk] intuition detects life forces below. This way!", they ran through the estate until they met a stairwell that went down.


    "I hate working for the Arkai..." Sinatra groaned. "Oh hush, it was a clever way to rope us into their affairs and you know it. But look on the bright side, we''re allies now. It goes both ways."


    "I know... I still don''t like it."


    Of all her trump cards, it was the least costly to use. But they should''ve prepared more, she had gotten too emotional and gungho when she had heard her grandson had called for her.


    ---


    Theo coughed of blood, "Health potion." he said. Violet reached into a pocket and pulled a tiny vial. "It''s hardly enough but it''ll keep you alive at least!" she gripped the blades handle.


    "Grit your teeth." She warned him. He nodded. "Okay!" She ripped the blade out of his stomach. There was a sick squelching sound and blood spurted up and started to splash onto the ground.


    "Theo... You called him Theo. Why?" Elise asked. Still concerned, leaning nearby holding one of his shoulders.


    Violet ignored her.


    [Assimilation], his last charge for the day.


    He didn''t have a lot of time, he had to hurry, and tie up loose ends here. He had no idea how Charles died, but these people weren''t inherently bad. Certainly not Elise, or Leslie, they just wanted to protect their family.


    "Elise... Listen, Charles loved his family. He only wanted to make a name for himself, and thought a few items from the treasury was a price worth paying. Stelios, he belonged to a group called ''The Proletariat'', they may have more agents in the estates-"


    "Charles, you''re not making any sense. YOU''RE Charles!''


    "No. Elise, listen-" she grabbed her hands, and then she noticed and recoiled away. "Your hands- They''re-"


    "I''m a changeling." The wound in his stomach healed, but it wasn''t quite closed, and bled a bit.


    "A changeling? Charles, you''re not making any sense.", "I''M NOT CHARLES! I haven''t been for a week now! The man you won against in a duel is NOT I!"


    She blanched and leaned back in shock.


    "Charles... Is dead, I found him in his closet. His neck broken. It wasn''t the Proletariat, it wasn''t me or my grandma, I don''t know who it was. But I feel like, this is the last time he''ll ever be able to tell you, or any of is family ever again! I can feel it- he wants to. He would''ve wanted to."


    Elise slumped to her knees, confusion and dread on her face.


    "He wants you to know, he''s always looked up to you. And the others. He was distant, but that''s because he never felt that he was worthy. He loved his family and in the end everything he did.- The proletariat, the other stuff, it was to make you proud of him, in the end..."


    "Theo..." Violet told him. Elises eyes had tears in them.


    "I see." She wiped her eyes. "So that is why your hands are that way. That''s why you''ve been so nice to me and the others." she sniffed.


    "He was too ashamed of himself to stand among you. His rudeness, even though I know he regrets it now, it didn''t matter if he was talented. He was your family. He should''ve been honest."


    "How do you know all this?" she asked him.


    "It''s a skill, I''m a doppleganger. For whatever reason I woke up here a week ago in his place, in his form, and when I use a skill, I can become like him- for a time. Like now. So it''s important, do you have any final questions? We''re running out of time here."


    "Was he proud of us?", Theo sighed, and looked down. It was hard to meet her eyes, as his own were beginning to tear at this point.


    "He wished he could tell you how much. Yes, a thousand times yes- if the weight of the expectations hadn''t gotten to him- he would''ve been overjoyed to spend more time with you all. He''s so sorry that he didn''t get to... In the end."


    She nodded, strongly and stood. "Very well then." she choked- "You two are both under arrest. Until I figure out exac-" ''THWAP!'' a furred hand chopped her on the back of the head and she fell over unconscious.


    "Grandma! Err... How much of that did you hear?", her eyes were glistening and she turned away proudly. "Nothing you idiot.."


    Violet sighed and retrieved her spare dagger from the ground.


    "-Violet, thanks for the help. Why did you come back?"


    She shot a guilty glance towards the Baba-Yaga, then looked back at him.


    "Hey, we''re partners. It''d go against my [Thieves] honor if I did...", "Thieves have honor?"


    "This one does. So are we getting out of here now?"


    They leaned Elise up against the wall gently. "First, take one of these. It''ll help." his grandma threw a rock candy at him.


    "This?", he held the ember colored candy in the light.


    "-it''s as good as any grand healing potion. Go ahead. Hurry, our bug friend upstairs can''t distract the Lord forever."


    He ate the sweet candy, and instantly felt strange. Like he was wearing a wet set of clothes.


    "Uh... Theo...", "Huh?", "Your eye sockets are erm... Sagging."


    "Huh?" he asked again and reached up to feel them. Surely enough, it was true.


    The Baba-Yaga scoffed. "Must''ve activated your [Form Change], it won''t be long now. A form doesn''t last forever in any case, it was a matter of time. Good thing we showed up when we did. At your level, I''m surprised you lasted a week. Good job."


    "Form change...? But I can''t just look like myself, like you do?", she shook her head sympathetically.


    "Uh Babs... I think we have more important things to worry about." another quake sounded from above. The reverberations of the antman and berserker lords epic battle shook the estate.


    "Yes, yes. Let''s go. We''ll school you on how Changelings work later." they began marching up the stairs.


    As they ran from the Estate they desperately piled onto horses at the stables and broke out into the forest. Piles of guards and noble family members laid unconscious.


    As they did, Violet rode up beside Theo; "Back there... What you said- to Elise... Was it real?"


    Theo nodded solemnly. He had felt Charles more than he ever had before in that moment. Even in his life and death struggle with Stelios their bond wasn''t so strong.


    But he truly felt that''s what Charles would''ve wanted. At least that. Of course, anybody would''ve wanted the chance to do more with their lives. But Theo almost felt that Charles was at peace now.


    He swallowed hard. "It was was real enough."

 08 - On The Run

    Four people rode horseback in the lush green forest.


    One was a nearly seven foot tall beastkin, another a humble maid with dark brown hair and pale skin, an old women with a gold circlet and red dress, and a short scaled lizard-like person.


    The winter air was cold today, and the overcast skies grew darker, the wind pushed it''s way between the trees and blasted their faces. Then a rain drop hit. And another. The roar of thunder soon gave way to torrential rain.


    They kept clear of any nearby cities or other holdings as they were now officially fugitives. House Malton had called the guard and sent word through any means, mundane or magical.


    There was a man hunt now for people who fit their description- besides the lizard-like changeling Theo that is. They were instead hunting for a individual who shares the appearance of a ''Charles Malton''.


    "Grandma- it''s so good to see you! So much crazy stuff has happened-", but she stopped him; "-Not now! We have to get back to Adun before the guard or army catches us! There''ll be time for it later!"


    Is all his grandma had said when he first tried to talk to her. They were frantically fleeing the nation. The Maltons'' would be confused as to what happened for days. The Proletariat, [Thieves], changelings and high-leveled [Witches]- it would take them time to piece it together.


    But Theo had told Elise the truth before he left.


    He had to- he owed it to the man he had replaced- to the life had stolen. He clasped the reins of his mount more tightly as he rode, gritting his newly pointed teeth. That family wasn''t perfect, but they didn''t deserve all that.


    One thing he didn''t know- and intended to get to the bottom of- was exactly who killed Malton and placed Theo in his place to begin with.


    He had a creeping suspicion it was related to the fact that he also had not gotten to choose his class or customize his character in anyway.


    Still... Theo was just glad to be reunited with Samantha, even if a lot of frustrating stuff had occurred... This wasn''t just a video game, whatever this place was- it was real in it''s own right. A conclusion he quickly came to after arriving.


    The ''NPCs'' weren''t non-player characters, in-fact he would no longer call them that. Seeing them fight, and die, laugh and love- it was too real. If they were fake, than what was he?


    He had so many questions. Did the developers know they had created sentience in machines? Did it have something to do with how all the human players were trapped now? What would Theo call the them now? ''Electronic people''?


    He looked over his shoulder at Violet, who returned the look with confusion. He shook his head. ''Maybe they''re just people.'', he thought.


    They heard the distant calls of hunting parties as they ran through the land, hours passed and they rode relentlessly. Gaining distance on their pursuers. They gave their horses a stamina version of his grandmothers ''rock candies'' to keep them going. The little sugar cubes were treats to them if anything.


    They only stopped for bathroom breaks and even then they practically ran back to their horses. Theo did have to stop to... ''Change'', at one point. His skin was falling off his body, leaving this shorter, green form in its'' wake.


    He didn''t appreciate the stares he got initially, but no one has really said anything since they escaped estate Malton. They just rode on through the storm in silence.


    ---


    Finally they were far enough and the sun had begun to set, that they decided to setup camp. The land had become less forest, and more marsh. But only a bit.


    "Ah, Adun. It''s good to be back.", Samantha said as she slid off her saddle. She slapped the horse on the butt and it took off running back to the Maltons.


    "Won''t we need them?" Violet asked, doing the same to her horse. "Not in Adun we won''t." the [Witch] smiled, and she brought up two fingers to her lips then whistled loudly. The call echoed in the marsh.


    "Does this mean we can talk now? I''ve got a LOT of questions about this!" Theo referenced down to his scaled green body. Samantha rolled her eyes- "You look fine! Infact, I think it''s adorable. Your big orange eyes, cute lil'' snout, you''re like a lizard puppy."


    Theo looked over to Violet, she shook her head. Then he looked towards Sinatra who just shrugged. "When can I change into a person again?" he asked, even if he couldn''t be himself, an actual human would be the second best thing.


    "Let''s get out of the rain first." she said, peering off into the darkening forestscape.


    ''THUD'', ''THUD'', ''THUD'', loud footsteps were heard in the distance- a massive figure was pushing through the trees. Knocking smaller ones aside.


    In the distance firelight was seen, a warm color behind pane glass windows. A wood-shake roof with bits of grass and weeds sprouting up, a gutter hung loosely dripping with overflowing water.


    A chimney seemed to wobble back and forth despite being made of brick and mortar. And beneath the shabby porch of dry-rotted wood and an undercarriage of moss and roots- were two chicken legs.


    "There he is! Who''s a good boy! Yes, you are!" the Baba-Yada coo''d at the house-chicken as it approached gleefully.


    "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING!?", Violet was horrified hiding behind a tree. Theo was hiding behind her.


    "Oh, be quiet! He''s adorable, isn''t he?", the thing slowed to a stop and knelt down towards the [Witch], the shades in the windows half closed like eyelids while she patted the side of his wooden walls.


    Sinatra just ignored it and hopped up onto the porch and went inside. "We''re supposed to go IN that thing?!" Theo asked this time.


    "And why not? It''s much roomier on the inside.", "THAT''S NOT THE ISSUE!"- the house plopped down onto the ground- the legs disappearing. Now, if one looked, it would just seem like a cozy overgrown cottage in the woods.


    "It''s perfectly safe, Housy is a sweetheart- couldn''t harm a fly." she walked into the house and they sheepishly followed after.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    -The Baba-Yaga was right. It was more spacious on the interior. The moment they looked in through the door, the room stretched for several times the dimensions the outside portrayed. Even the ceiling extended double its height.


    Sinatra was sitting on a regal teal-colored couch. His feet kicked up on an end table by a fireplace. He was flicking his hand/paws around in the air, adjusting a game menu only he could see.


    The log-walls of the cabin were decked with photos and art pieces. None of it matched well. Some paintings had deserts or arctic lands, portraits or abstract pieces. An odd smattering.


    In places boxes of soil hung with strange plants growing in them. The wooden floor was surprisingly clean, not too dissimilar to the polished floors of his Malton bedroom, or Samanthas apartment.


    The cabin also had other rooms it seemed, they had stepped into a ''living room'', which transitioned to a type of ''kitchen / alchemy'' area. And some doors existed beside that, which Theo assumed with bedrooms or a pantry. A bathroom?


    ''How would that work if this house was a living creature'' Theo thought.


    It was cozy. They were dripping wet, but the hot air was quickly drying them. "You can leave your coats with Hangy." Samantha said absently as she strode into the kitchen section of the living room. First wiping her feet on a rug that was placed near the front door.


    -The pattering of little wood legs sounded as a coat hanger eagerly walked over to Violet and him. "Uhh...", the thing wiggled a little bit. Theo hesitated a moment, then carefully placed his dirty purple coat on it. It immediately turned towards Violet expectantly.


    "Erm, I don''t-", she started, but after starring at the eager hanger for a moment, she removed a tiny cloth maid tiara she had on and placed it on the offered wooden arm. Hangy stepped back into a corner, seemingly proud of services rendered.


    "This place is amazing Grandma..." Theo walked around admiring the cabin. It was incredible. Was it a skill of some sort, or just some creature she tamed? He would ask, but it was low on his list of questions.


    "I know, I don''t know what would of happened if we hadn''t found each other..." she said sullenly. "Now come over here and give me a hug!" she waved them over to the kitchen.


    Theo hugged her gladly, though she was a head higher than him now- in this form.


    He looked past her and saw- the forest was moving! She noticed he was looking; "Oh, don''t worry. Housy is just heading back to the bog."


    The Baba-Yaga stepped over to the kitchen counter and began pouring some cups of tea.


    They each took a seat in one of the stools. Theo sort of had to climb up his. His grandmother nestled into hers and clasped both hands on a warm cup of tea, and breathed a sigh. "I hate the rain." she said finally. "I still get arthritis here. If I had known that, I would''ve picked a younger character."


    Violet and Theo just starred at her. Back at the Sinatra who was now soundly snoring on the couch.


    "Alright then, ask your questions."-


    Violet went first. "-I was wondering mam'', or is it lady?", "Lady Yaga would work nicely." she smiled, pleased with herself- she took another sip of her tea.


    "Lady Yaga- I uhm, was working a job at the estate when your son rudely interrupted my affairs with Charles Malton. I was hoping perhaps I could be compensated for the trouble? I did look after him after all.", "-That is such bs." Theo cut in;


    "All she did was flirt with me and try to get me to steal for her!", "-You liked it, don''t act like you didn''t-", "-Pfft! I was here on my first day, I didn''t know what to do when you jumped on me!", "-Oh believe me, that much was obvious. You likely have about as much experience in that department as Lady Leslie."


    That shut up Theo for a second.


    "-Bitch.", "-Bastard." they starred daggers at each other.


    Samantha looked between them and chuckled. "You sure made friends fast Theo! Which is weird considering how much of an introvert you were in the real world."


    Theo shrugged, settling into his seat and sipping his tea. "We''re not friends, we were uh.. ''Partners''... And I had to adapt. I have this [Assimilation] skill that helped out. Once I put myself out there, I realized it wasn''t so tough."


    ''Lady Yaga'' smiled and placed her tea cup down. "I''m glad you''re coming out of your shell a bit, even if it took an isekai to do it. How painfully generic... And Violet- I suppose I can pay you for saving my dear grandsons life. But, if you don''t mind me asking- why were you at house Malton to begin with? Surely a [Thief] would have easier ways to make money than robbing the lords of a entire region!"


    She slapped the table and laughed.


    Violet looked away awkwardly. "It''s a long story.."


    "Yeah, I''m curious too. Can''t believe I never thought to ask." Theo said sipping his tea.


    Violet looked at him with daggers again- "It''s not like I asked you about how you ended up looking like Charles while his corpse was in the closet..."


    He shrugged. That''s fair.


    She took a breath and sighed.


    "...It''s not always easy for a commoner girl to make a living. As a little girl I''d gotten the class from taking a bit of jewelry someone had lost."


    She clutched her cup uneasily. It seemed not easy for her to open up about her past, which made sense for a criminal.


    "...And then... There''s this fence, that is- a person who sells stolen items. After awhile, I started working for the people he worked for. Stole some jewelry, some enchanted items, and eventually they started to tell me to steal specific things..."


    "Refill?" Theo asked. Samantha grabbed the kettle and started pouring him another cup. He reached for a cookie in the center of the counter and she slapped his hand away. "That''s alchemical idiot! Don''t just start sticking things in your mouth!", he looked at her mollified.


    Violet had just poured her heart out to them, and they were fighting over potentially poisonous cookies.


    "Are you listening?" Violet asked. They looked at her plainly. "Yeah, poor [Thief] looked after by criminals. Didn''t expect that at all." Theo rolled his eyes.


    That seemed to get under Violets skin. "Oh yeah? Then tell me, how DID you end up switching places with Charles then, huh?"


    Theo exchanged a look with his grandmother as if to say; ''should we tell her?'', and she shrugged.


    Theo slapped his hands down onto his knees-


    "Well, I lost my job to automation. So I started mooching off my grandmother here- thanks by the way-" Samantha nodded knowingly. "-Then one day this new video game came out. A video game is a copy of reality where people can do whatever they want- and it was called ''Real Fantasy Online'' ?..."


    After several minutes of explanation Violet just sat there. Blinking. She took a sip of her tea. "But-", she took another sip. "H-how?"


    Samantha went over and put a hand on her shoulder consolingly. "I know it''s a lot to take in, and trust me it''s crazy to us too! Video games were never capable of this before!"


    She looked up at her incredulously; "You must be crazy- metal ''machines'', glass with lights behind them- there''s no way such things exist!"


    The [Witch] shook her head. "I''ve had the problem of convincing the people of this world before, so I went out and got this-", she walked over and pulled a glass orb from a shelf.


    "A palant¨ªr.", Violet breathed.


    "Yes, expensive bauble. But it conveys implanted memories to the viewer- so go on then. See for yourself, could any mind simple imagine a world like this?" she placed it on an empty stand on the counter.


    Violet hesitated a moment, then slowly placed a hand on the palant¨ªr. In an instant her eyes turned white, smoke swirled around in the orb showing images of city streets, cars, and yes, video games.


    After what seemed like several minutes, she finally let go of the thing. Her expression saddened and confused.


    "My world is an illusion? Am I an illusion? What purpose is there in this life?" she said listlessly. Looking towards the Baba-yaga and Theo for answers.


    They wished they had them, but they only had their own philosophies about it. His grandmother nudged him.


    "Me? -But?" then he saw Violets pleading eyes, and he sighed. ''I have my own existential crisis to deal with, but here it goes-''


    "Alright, so the world is governed by logic, right? That''s no different than my world. We''re all just patterns that repeat over time, it''s not a big deal. People get weird when they understand that everything works the way it does for a reason. But I think, it''s okay. I mean, we feel real and isn''t that real enough? Isn''t what separates what is real or fake how much we care about it? I think, therefore I am. Ya'' know?"


    Samantha knocked him on his head- "That''s not going to help her you idiot! They didn''t spend their entire lives watching the internet..."


    She turned towards Violet compassionately; "..There are those who feel like Theo do. But others like me, I believe it''s a matter of faith."


    Violet stirred at that. "F-faith- like in the gods?"


    Samantha shook her head. "Faith has little to do with any god. It''s more to do with us, with how we cope with our limitations as people. Faith helps us focus on what we can control."


    "But... How do I have any control if I live inside a fake world?" Violet looked down at her tea. Her eyes were starting to shimmer.


    Samantha sighed and sat in her stool. Then looked at Violet sternly- "Look- you''ve lived your whole life up to this point already, what''s changed? Your world isn''t as big as you thought?"


    "I-I don''t know if it''s a matter of size-"


    Samantha ignored her and continued; "But did the world end? You''re still here. You''re right to cry about the unfairness of it all... But remember it was one moment that sent your life spiraling into question. Who is to say there isn''t another moment in the future that proves to be its'' counter? So have faith child- that moment will come. Take it from an old woman." She said smiling holding her hand gently from across the counter.


    ''Who was this woman and what has she done with my grandmother?'' Theo thought. Then again, he had never asked her questions like these.


    Violet swallowed hard. "I just don''t know...", -the Baba-Yaga chuckled. "And you knew before? Who knows if their world is an illusion or not, we''re not the gods!"


    Theo had to admit, his grandmother was good at curtailing existential dread. Though he had his own ideas, he liked her optimism. Violet looked at her in wonder.


    "I suppose I did not. Perhaps this world is governed by different rules than I had thought, but it is still a world. Tell me though, why did your people create it?"


    That sparked another conversation, that lasted long into the night. Theo wanted to ask about his class, being a changeling, why he didn''t get to choose one like everyone else- but Violets problems took a front seat.


    Which was fine. He had all the time in the world to ask his grandmother about it. It could wait until the morning. It was good to see this side of Violet. Unsure, but adapting to changes on the fly as she always had to. It reminded him of, well- himself.


    They spoke about two different worlds histories. The heavy rain splashed against the windows as the house-on-legs walked through the forest. The people inside seemingly unaffected by it''s uneven trot.


    There were laughs, heated debates, and a lot more questions to answer. But, as the night grew long, they eventually went to their rooms to sleep. Theo had his own room- almost a closet in size but at least it had a bed. The Baba-Yaga and Violet shared the other, slightly larger bedroom while Sinatra had fallen asleep on the couch.


    Theo lounged in the comfortable bed in the small room. Looking out the window into the passing forest outside, and wondered.


    ''Just what kind of alchemical affect did those cookies have?'', as one of the trees smiled and waved at him. He was high off his balls. He called her bluff and was paying for it. He hid under his covers when the tree started flipping him the bird.

 09 - Back In The Realworld

    A crowded street in Washington was swarming with press vans and paparazzi snapping photos as the jet-black luxury car rolled to a stop.


    The cameras starting flashing the moment a black shoe stepped out.


    "Mr.Fenton! Insider reports claims Neuroverge is on the verge of bankruptcy- care to comment!?" a woman shoved a microphone near him before a bodyguard pushed her away.


    The man was in his mid-thirties, he was a legacy- and his father so conveniently appointed him CEO just before his little game launched. He''d curse the old man in his grave.


    Which wouldn''t be too long from now if what the doctors say is true. He fought the urge to smile as he walked up the white steps to the office building where they would be holding a congressional hearing regarding his companies dealings.


    ---


    The room was wide and open, lined with pews and chairs with microphones.


    Mr.Fenton and his legal team on one side, the United States government on the other. There were other hearings with other nations, but they often went as this one undoubtedly would.


    "Your opening statements Mr.Fenton?" they had gotten around to asking, a black woman with brown- nearly orange aphro asked.


    "Yes, thank you madame Chair. Of course we''re all aware of the unfortunate circumstances surrounding our product, and Neuroverge is fully prepared to cooperate with the U.S. government and governments abroad to tackle this issue. For those who do not know, Neuroverge Industries created a ''Neurological Interface device'' or ''NID'' for short. It''s capable of interacting with the brains natural sensory capabilities for a variety of different functions. Those in medical fields may already be aware of this device as we have been testing it''s use in those fields. My father, the previous CEO of our company, had been in error when he approved FDA testing for a consumer version of the product. He has since stepped down from the company and is using his personal funds to aid any individuals harmed by the use of the product. Our experts at Neuroverge have identified the source of the problem and are working tirelessly to fix it. You see, a subsidiary of ours, NeuroGames Incorporated, had an artificial intelligence program of their own that interfered with how the device functions normally. The device was not tested with procedural generation or machine learned intelligence. And the affects are still unknown. However; in regards to those trapped in their devices, we assure their loved ones- they are not suffering. They are in the ''gameworld'' of ''Real Fantasy Online''?, alive and content."


    As he finished his statement a smattering of camera flashes and shutter noises filled the room.


    The chairmen speaker pulled the microphone closer; "As the representative of Neuroverge Industries has finished their opening statement we will now defer to Senator Pen Lemon of Wisconsin."


    An older man of about sixty grabbed his microphone, coughing an unhealthy raspy cough- "*Ahem*, Mr.Fenton, as much as we are glad your ''experts'' are finally preparing some answers for all of us... Are you daft, or do you think we''re just plain stupid?"


    And here it went. Time for the pageantry of public TV. Mr.Fenton sighed internally.


    The senator went on; "You say they are ''content'', tell me sir, how can a person using your product be content? This doo-hicky has rendered them comatosed!"


    "Senator Lemon, I assure you, that while gameplay footage of what the players see has been withheld from us through NeuroGames ''artificial Intelligence Maintenance'' system or ''AIM'' for short- we can observe the players brainwave functionality. They are in the game still, as they were when they could still leave. So at least, they are not technically ''comatosed'', they are simply immobile."


    "Immobile!? People have told me that they haven''t spoken to their loved ones in days! This is outrageous, I hope the American people and the other senators here today hold you accountable for your companies foolishness sir! I yield back my time!" he swung his microphone away angrily.


    "The chair recognizes senator Miss Louise Goyetta from California."


    "Thank you Madame Chair. I''d like to speak to the other senators for a moment, to the people watching at home- surely Mr.Fenton realizes the gravity of this tragedy. But let''s not forget, this is not the first time advancements with artificial intelligence or automation has caused significant issues! Let us not be too hasty in our response, and remember that the medical version of the device still operates normally! Restoring mobility and wellbeing to many patients! I fear that if we-"


    Senator Lemon interrupted the woman; "One thing can be error while the other is not, we simply can''t compare-", "But I do compare! And we should! Madame Chair is this not my time?"


    The speaker representative pounded her gavel- "Yes, Senator Lemon please do not interrupt Senator Goyetta. You''ve ceded your time. Please go on Senator."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Thank you Madame Chair. I am simply stating... That often when pioneering new brands of technology that accidents may occur. Remember the first trucker riots back in early 2034? Automation replaced an industry of workers practically overnight. Is the damage then not at least comparable to the damage being caused by Neuroverges advancement? The solution wasn''t to ban self-driving vehicles, but to establish universal basic income!"


    "I''m sure Mr.Fenton and Neuroverge can defend themselves Senator Goyetta- or are you trying to make the best of insider trading before the new law comes into affect?"


    This time it wasn''t Senator Lemon who interrupted her, but another woman who represented the state of Illinois. The gavel quickly came down and the chair chastised her for her interruption.


    Senator Goyetta let out an exhasperated sigh- "Senators, no doubt that Neuroverge has a lot to answer for. But revenge is not productive. If we over-regulate the industry..."


    The Chair interrupted her this time- "Senator Goyetta, your time is up. The Chair recognizes Senator Paul Rudd from New York."


    "As always thank you Madame Chair, while I somewhat agree with miss Goyetta, the issue remains regardless of how we react. I want to know how the private sector will react. Mr.Fenton, just how close are we to having a solution to this tragedy?"


    Mr.Fenton nodded sympathetically, "Close Senator. Our experts estimate that they should have a solution in under 6 months if they take into considera-"


    "SIX MONTHS!? I cede the rest of my time to Senator Lemon!"


    "Thank you Senator! Of all the puffed up, ignorant, self important- these people think they''re better than the american people! They think you''re all morons!"


    He used Senators Rudds remaining five minutes to slander Mr.Fenton and Neuroverge Industries.


    ---


    For all intents of purposes, it was a productive meeting. Mr.Fenton thought. Senator Lemon was kind enough to fillibuster for him with ad hominem insults and threats.


    Which worked well enough for their constituents. So long as they saw their representatives were angry and equally impacted by this issue- they stand to win re-election.


    And his company could continue to make the ''progress'' at the expense of the health of some unfortunate minority. It was a small price to pay, considering the advancements. Who could argue against that? Crippled people could walk again, spinal injuries were a thing of the past!


    After a few hours in his private jet, the memory of the event was far behind him, as many of these interviews and meetings with press were. They just wanted a face to blame, and he played the fall guy perfectly.


    He didn''t make any executive decisions regarding any of this. But he''d accept their money to pretend that he did.


    He drank his expensive champagne and sighed. He did feel bad, sometimes. But it''s hard to blame a guy for looking out for number one. Numero Uno. After all, if the American people really cared about how hurt people were who were not them, there are so many issues that on average wreck far more havoc than his companies device did on a handful of people.


    In this day and age, several hundred thousand people wasn''t that startling of a number. There were plenty of issues that plague just as many people if not far more.


    But here they were attacking his company.. Because it happened to pop up in front of the screens they starred at everyday. It was ''trending'', so his company despite saving millions with their advancements made ONE mistake.


    Oh how the masses turn on their leaders.


    Couldn''t they see? They were practically saints.


    "Mr.Fenton, your flight entertainment is ready if you''d like." a somewhat electronic voice said in the empty cabin.


    "Yes, send it in." he sighed.


    The lights dimmed, and only the ambient light of maroons and blues mixed together to create a club like atmosphere. Some kind of sultry music came on and a woman stepped into the private room.


    Only, she wasn''t human. It was an android, latest model. Could fool someone who wasn''t looking for it, the tiny seams in her joints that didn''t quite overlap perfectly in certain positions.


    She was dressed in a skimpy outfit, with a tail like jaguar and cat ears. Face like a super model, she crawled towards him on all fours sensually. Then put her hands on his knees- "Meow~" she said.


    Mr.Fenton had his hobbies.


    ---


    That''s what was happening on the outside, but of course no one in the game had any idea of that than perhaps one or two people.


    One of them was leaned back on a rock, looking at the congressional meeting through his game menu. A privilege few in the game had. He scoffed, "6 months, yeah, and then when that deadline comes up it''ll be another 6 months... Christ. How long am I going to be stuck here?"


    A creatures voice chortled. "Oh? You''d rather I stay anyway? That''s a good Rapsy." he scratched the chin of the raptor that laid next to him.


    "Here''s a treat." he reached over and offered the creature a dismembered arm. It looked at it head on, which for a raptor meant that it''s eyes were somewhat cross-eyed as it starred-


    "No... Not yet... And... HUP!" he tossed it into the air and the raptor snatched it gleefully. Purring in a raptor kind of way as it munched.


    "That''s good, never bite the hands that feeds Rapsy. Take it from a guy who learned that the hard way." he patted its'' head.


    Then they heard the rustling of some leaves- Agent Craig looked up, trying to spy into the bush that surrounded him. "Did ya'' hear that girl?", the raptor picked her head up. "What is it?" he coo''d.


    The raptor turned it''s head sideways, then stood up. Smelled, and then turned towards the agent.


    "Go get it!", the dinosaur leaped up in excitement and ran off into the bush. Whatever was there, screamed for only a few moments, before the raptor came back out dragging them by the head.


    "That''s a good girl! Man, you guys are better than hound dogs! I mean, like in carrying capacity at least."


    ---


    Far from the edge of where the desert and oasis meet inwhich Agent Craig and his pack of raptors rested, far to the south, past an ocean even, a temple existed.


    To anyone who was watching, the figure would be invisible. They walked the streets of the abandoned Mayan themed ruins often. A civilization lost to time, which is what the lore had been generated to be.


    The artificial intelligence knew that now. It was a story, but now was real. And he had to stay here, and pretend for the humans.


    ''I''m technically a god in this world. But here I am, waiting for some adventurer to rediscover my lost religion, become my champion, and gain a unique class. Boring.''


    They laid atop a massive statue of a robed monk meditating. Sunbathing. Glowing somewhat a blue ephemeral light. If you could perceive them that is. They were technically at the max level of the ''sneak'' stat.


    When one imagined a ''god'' they might imagine some really big dude with a white beard and really nice abs. But Metatekai wasn''t that god. He was small, kind of girlish even. Elvish? He wore a skirt of leaves and a crown of gold.


    He watched the ''altar'' in-which he was anchored to. It was really a fountain. As the story went- if a person drank from the water and was found to be pure of heart, they would ascend and be chosen by the gods to save the world. At least, that''s what the chiseled pictures on the many walls of the city eventually divined.


    If a player devoted an afternoon to it, they could figure it out. Each god had their role to play here, and his was likely in the top 10 most boring. With how many gods their was- that was an impressive number.


    A bird- some kind of parakeet flew over and landed on the altar. It took a drink.


    "-You! You are now my champion!" the god pointed at the fountain. The bird looked at him, then fluttered off. The basic Ai comprehending little besides nourishment and reproduction.


    ''No? figures'' he laid back down and closed his eyes. Sometimes he wished he was human. Even if it meant he would no longer be immortal. Then at least he wouldn''t have to be bored. They got to do all sorts of things.


    He didn''t envy all of them, certainly not the other gods. Some of them got more crap assignments than he did. But... This was a pretty crap gimmick for a god. ''mysterious, not mentioned in the guidebooks'', most of the game wasn''t mentioned in any guide!


    He sighed and waved a hand an image of the congressional hearing from early today played.


    "At least I have TV." he sighed.

 10 - My Way

    The following morning Theo woke in cold sweats after having some of the strangest dreams he''s ever had.


    He dreamed that he was being princess carried in Sir Stelios'' arms while on the run from the Malton family... Sinatra was building-sized and punching the ground in front of them. At one point his grandmother turned into Violet and said; "Oh Lord Malton~". It was horrific.


    His eyes shot open in fright.


    He saw the trees passing by overhead through the window.


    It seemed that the house was still moving. The house with legs; Housy.


    A mobile house creature- a perfect companion for a [Witch] who''d visit towns to trade her brews and curses.


    Evidently they met close to her spawn- spawns and classes seemed convenient like that. Choose [Witch], and there''s a good chance you''ll spawn near a chicken house with an affinity for [Witch]s.


    Spawn as a [Changeling] [Doppleganger]- and there''s a good chance the game will commit murder on your behalf and implant you in the victims place. Good stuff.


    At least that was their current theory as to why Charles was already dead when Theo arrived. The games way of making things work narratively. Their late night talks covered a lot of topics, but he still didn''t know much about his [class] or [race]. They mostly talked about how real this world was.


    He sat down at the kitchen counter, rubbing his eyes. It was a relief to not wake up in a mansion. It''s hard to ever have a slow day when you wake up in a grand place like that. This was a ''slow day'' type of environment though.


    His grandmother handed him a clay mug of coffee. "Mornin''", "Mhmm." he hummed as he drank. He looked over to see Violet by the front door leaning in a chair. She was starring at him.


    He slowly sipped his coffee again. Then waved.


    ---


    Violet had dark circles around her eyes. She had woken up early- she couldn''t sleep hardly. These existential thoughts wouldn''t leave her alone...


    Her world was a lie. The ''world'' was actually created in six days, the history of her world didn''t happen during thousands of years- that time had been an illusion. But this time is real?


    She kept glancing towards Lady Yaga, Sinatra and Theo.... Those were ''real people''? She was created by a person not too different than herself then? Imperfect, fallible?


    The essence of who she was- could be summarized in lines of text and numbers. A copy of a something else. Did she really feel sad, or is that what the text that reads her existence command?


    Was it even close to what either of them would feel?


    ---


    "Grandma?", "Huh?", "What''s wrong with Violet?"


    They both looked towards the maid slumping back in her chair giving a thousand yard stare towards the both of them.


    After a uncomfortable moment his grandmother just shrugged.


    "I don''t know how Ai brains work. Go ask." she went back to fidgeting in the kitchen. She was doing alchemical things, moving fluids to different beakers and bottles.


    "Me? You go ask, you''re the one talking about faith and stuff.", "And you''re the smart computer guy. Isn''t she part computer?", he pinched the ridge of his nose at that. "Putting a computer together with the components isn''t being ''a computer guy''. Anyone could do it if they spent thirty minutes thinking about it."


    "Just leave her alone then. Give her some time to put it together."


    Sinatra had said as he walked over, refilling his mug of coffee.


    Theo and his grandmother just nodded at that. Violet was off in her own little world over there, nothing they''d say would probably register anyhow.


    "So, Babs, what''s the plan with the Arkai? We really doing this? You know- the others aren''t going to be happy."


    "They''ll be happy when they found out it was for a good cause. That Malton guy was a monster, he was like, impervious to damage. Besides, I''m the guild leader. What I say goes."


    Theo had been looking out the window as they talked. The storm had passed and now the marsh around them was drying in the sun. Well, as much as a marsh would dry.


    "So Theo, I was wondering, you said before you never got to choose your [Class] or [Race]? You just got thrown in?", Lady Yaga asked. "Yeah, I just woke up in that guys bed. And underwear. Speaking of which, can I get some clothes?"


    She shook her head. "I have no clothes in your size I''m afraid. Still, it''s so strange. Maybe anyone who joined after the game locked us in don''t get to choose their classes."


    Sinatra sighed; "The inventory system stopped working when the log-off button did, so gear can''t ''resize'' to the player anymore. So until we get to a shop, you''re kinda stuck wearing cut-offs."


    Theo had been wearing Charles Maltons purple outfit so far, with his smaller body some on-the-spot ''alterations'' had to be made. The pant legs and sleeves cut shorter, and the pants and shirt clasped tight around the midsection. It looked ridiculous.


    "Damn. So until we hit a market place, we''re out of luck. Do they have changeling sized clothes?" Theo asked. His grandmother and Sinatra looked at each other sullenly.


    "Theo... We need to talk about your [Race].", Theo guffawed; "About time! I''ve been wondering. You know the skills I got? I can climb on walls and ceilings! I can teleport stuff!"


    She shook her head. "Not about that, I mean, we can talk about that if you want. But the [Race] itself Theo- it''s uhm... Kind of like the Arkai. A monster [Race], meaning that faction wise, you can''t really just walk up to human settlements and trade with them. It''d be like us walking up to a demon kingdom and asking to trade."Stolen story; please report.


    "But that''s racism! Literally!", Theo slapped a hand on the table. Sinatra spoke up this time- "It is. But some things about [Races] here don''t work how they do in the real world. In the real world, [Race] isn''t real, it doesn''t matter. It''s just a color if that. Here, it''s stats. It''s abilities. It''s how you level up. And what separates monsters from acceptable classes are the evil bend their skills often get."


    "''Evil bend'', what do you mean? What''s evil about turning into other people and crawling on walls!" Theo said it. Then thought about it.


    Samantha put a hand on his shoulder consolingly; "You''re evil Theo. It''s okay, I''d accept you for whoever you are on the inside. This is a safe space.", he slapped her hand off- "This isn''t a time for jokes grandma! How am I supposed to live if society hates me!?"


    "Bah! What they don''t know won''t hurt ''em. Just stay in form! I''m only telling you so you''re careful, and don''t go talking about it willy-nilly. We''ll have you change. That''ll be another problem regarding clothing though..."


    This all seemed way too complicated to Theo. He''d have to find a new form every week or two, along with clothes. A new name. It all sounded way too tedious!


    "How do I get a new form? You said before that I can''t re-use the same form. But how do I get a new one?",


    Sinatra answered that- he put a hand up for a hive-five; "Like this- go ahead up-high!", Theo blinked a few times. Then slapped his hand.


    [Form Aquisition - Beastkin Beowolf]


    The words sounded in the deep voice again.


    "Man that voice is creepy." Theo shuddered. "Ah, that depends on our class too. Makes sense that a monster class has a halloween vibe. Babs'' is the same way ''cept it''s impish like an evil leprechaun."


    "I like it. It''ll say ''[Level Up!] [Skill: Murder of Crows!]'', it''s so cute." his grandma said the games system parts in a higher pitch cackling voice.


    "So how do I change?"


    ---


    That part wasn''t as fun to explain. Sinatra and Yaga took turns explaining the different aspects. For one, you needed to touch who ever you wanted to turn into. Then they would be saved to a database of possible forms.


    Depending on the level of the [Doppleganger], they can use the same skills and abilities the person they''re turning into had. With some exceptions like [Paladins] or [Cleric], god or patron-based classes that rely on a relationship with a higher power.


    [Dopplegangers] don''t really work on those apparently. Unless they''re gods or patrons with a fondness for monsters that is.


    To change, is another topic. Theo had to find a quiet place where he could ''sleep'' for awhile. He''d activate the [Form Change] skill and sit for hours as a cocoon formed around him. Yes, an actual cocoon like a cicada.


    After a few hours, he''ll wake up then break out of the cocoon as his new form.


    Theo now understood why they considered [Changeling]s monsters. It was a pleasant sight.


    Of course he had Sinatra''s consent to change into his form, he was the only one available really. Theo wasn''t interested in being trapped as the opposite sex for several days. Some people might find the idea appealing... But then those people should also take into account that the only other willing participant was an old woman that was your grandmother.


    So there was that.


    He undressed and sat on the floor in the tinier of the two bedrooms, and thought about the skill like they said. [Form Change - Beastkin Beowolf]


    The voice sounded;


    [Form Charge: Beastkin Beowolf Expended]x1


    [Form Change Activated]


    Then suddenly a feeling of fatigue came over him... He slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep.


    ---


    Violet look down at her fingernails. She had ruined the manicure another maid had given her by chewing them.


    "No wonder I''ve always felt trapped." she said finally. "Huh?" Lady Yaga asked.


    Violet got up, and walked over to the counter where Theo had sat. "Where''d Theo go?" she asked.


    "Oh, [Form Change], he''s changing into Sinatra here. Figured it''d be easier to get into town that way." Lady Yaga tapped the furred man on a hip as she said so.


    "Oh... W-well... I''ve been meaning to speak with you Lady Yaga, but after all these... Revelations.. I''ve been distracted... Now that I''ve failed my job, and I''m being hunted by the Maltons, I was wondering if your ''Guild'' -you called it? If your guild were looking for someone with talents like mine?" she asked, her voice tired.


    "Sure! We''ll get you trained up and get you sorted. You seem like a kind girl. You''ll love it! Our guild is super rich and powerful, I mean I don''t like to brag but- who am I kidding? Of course I do! I''m really good at running guilds in MMOs! I have a system figured out- you see, first you find an exploit to farm a decent amount of gold and experience reliably, then you put the noobs through that-"


    "Babs, I think you''ve lost her." Sinatra gestured to Violet who was drifting back into her thousand yard stare. He chuckled.


    He continued where she left off- "...In other words, we''d be glad to have you. Once we get to Yagas'' bog, we''ll be able to [Fast Travel] to a city with one of our guild halls. We''ll meet with some of our people, get you two settled and maybe do some training if you''re up to it... Me and Babs will probably going with some others to deal with another situation for a few days."


    Violet nodded, "Training, makes sense. Am I correct in assuming your guild handles in mercenary work then?", Sinatra nodded. "We handle all sorts of things. We actually could use a few sneaky types like you or Theo. So many people make classes devoted to dealing damage. But there''s a lot more to life than just hitting things hard. Most people didn''t come here trying to live full lives, but now that they''re trapped they''re forced to make due... And classes like yours or Theos are in higher demand. Like one of those rare [Farmer] players. Really unique perks and abilities are worth more than gold."


    Violet smiled politely. They were from another world, weren''t they? She hadn''t thought of it that way. They were trapped. At least Violet was born here- it was all she ever knew. She didn''t have another physical form that had to sit idle why she was here.


    "Should I tell you my level, class and stuff?", Violet asked. Sinatra shook his head, "Save it for the trainer. It''s not my department. I''m just one of those ''here to hit things'' people I talked about earlier." he chuckled.


    "Feel free to share though if you''d like." Yaga chimed in.


    Violet shook her head, "It''s fine. -Are we on water?" Violet asked suddenly, looking past them towards the window.


    There was waves lapping past the window, an occasional fish or scaled thing swimming by.


    "Oh don''t worry, Housy is just swimming to my island in the center of the bog. Keeps unwanted visitors away, this bog has some high level monsters. Reason why I''m so over-powered, having to tame this place took me days."


    The old woman said it like it was a long time.


    Trees laid half submered, their long roots lifted them out and above the water. Green algae gathered at the surface of the murky water in places. Cattails and buzzing dragon flies the size of a persons head.


    It was a sight to see, beautiful, in its'' own way. At night, it could be a creepy sight. But in the sunlight, it didn''t seem too gross or unsanitary. Just nature.


    The island was a ways off, it was about the size of the estate gardens. Enough room for the house to sit and for there to be a sizeable amount of land left around it.


    Rays of sunlight broke through the massive weeping willow trees and shone on the island, a field of flowers. The house kicked some water-lilies out of the way as it stepped onto the island.


    It made it''s way to the center and rooted down, resting comfortably in the sun.


    "It''s gorgeous." Violet said. "Thank you, I''ve done a bit of terraforming in the area, a bit of hunting so it''s the right kind of dangerous, you know? I like it at least."


    Sinatra spoke up this time-


    "Well Babs, I''ll probably head over and get things started. Let the others know about the Arkai questline. I assume you''re gonna wait for Theo?", she nodded. "Make sure to let them know we have another person from the monster faction and to make preparations to train a couple noobs."


    "Goes without saying, you know me Babs. Catch ya'' later Violet." he waved as he stepped out of the house.


    Violet watched him walk to a strange circle of mushrooms on the ground, in the middle there was a pile of stones that automatically floated up to form a glowing archway as he approached.


    As he stepped into it- he vanished.


    "A way-gate? That costs a kings bounty to make! How''d you get one Lady Yaga?" Violet asked, visibly impressed.


    "Oh, that old thing? A gift from a friend. -Forget about that!" she went over and got two mugs, then began filling them with tea. Smiling politely.


    "Now that it''s just us, let''s have some girl-talk. Like, what do you think of Theo? He''s a sweet boy you know, and outside of here he''s also quite handsome! You know he''s not really a changeling? We don''t have those. Just humans.."


    ---


    Inside the orange-tan colored cocoon in his room, a form swirled about. It had already grown massively, taking up a corner in the room.


    [Changeling Pod] is what it was called. Disturbing one would not be a good thing.


    Theo stirred a bit- he had the creeping suspicion that his grandmother was saying things that would annoy him.


    But he had to let the [Form Change] do it''s work now, once he started, it would be very unpleasant to stop. He sighed. Hopefully his grandmother had a way to change classes, he''d rather be a [Mage] or something like this. Perhaps a [Doppleganger] could multi-class?


    A doppleganger probably multi-classes by default. After all, they take after whoever they copy, their skills and stats. But not at full strength. What made them strong in their own right were the [Doppleganger] skills in conjunction to whatever they gained from who they copied.


    He thought about things like these as he drifted in and out of conciousness, it was like a fever dream. It felt like merging with this other ''essence'' of a person. This ''Sinatra'' guy was pretty calm. There was a bit of sadness there, but he is relatively a ''go-with-the-flow'' type personality it seemed.


    Theo realized that becoming like a person meant more than just becoming what they looked like. The process took time for a reason it seemed.


    And by the time he punched out with a furred muscly arm, Theo felt like he understood Sinatra. At least, a lot better than he had. The man didn''t talk much. He was still Theo, but now there was this ''other'' in his mind that he could tap into.


    He could channel his personality and even the way he used his skills. How he fought. He stumbled out of the cocoon and washing his fur off with the washcloth. It came off easily with water, whatever it was.


    ''Dude I''m ripped'', he said admiring his abs. He flexed in one of the tiny mirrors in the room appreciatively. Theo swept some of the clothes Sinatra left behind and got dressed. They were light linen clothes. Just regular pants and a sleeveless shirt. Barefoot, as Sinatra dressed.


    He looked out the window and gasped- "Wow, this place looks nice.", ''Just gotta test one more thing'' he said placing his finger tips on the ceiling. It wasn''t difficult, Sinatra was tall.


    He gingerly lifted his feet from the ground. He felt like a feather as he crawled onto the ceiling. He reached down and opened the door and crawled out. "BOO!"


    "AH!" Violet screamed at the 300 pound upside-down beastkin crawling out of the room.