Stuck With Mage

Chaos Year 1, Day 215, 4:51 pm.

A surge of gushing light almost blinded me, as I lifted my eyelids. Eventually familiarizing myself with the surroundings, I glanced around and discovered myself inside a small enclosed space, just comfortable enough for one person. I took off the headset and got out of the VRSC. Then I checked the clock on the south wall of the room just above the Zoro-Sanji duo poster.

'So, the timeline is the same. I guess the technology hasn't advanced that much yet.' 

I spent about one hour inside the game, which is exactly the same as in real-time.

Then I moved towards my PC in the southeast corner of the room. Booting the PC, I searched for information on character classes in Chaos's forum, since the next part of the main quest would let me choose my character's class.

[How to find dumplings?]

[We should do something about that crazy pervert guy at the church, right?]

[Why is my support AI just a normal glasses girl but my friend's one is a milf?]

[Can we even have sex in the game?]

[I messed up my character. It has just one nostril now. What do I do?]

[Oh no..my boobs are too large. I can't run properly!!]

[The element master inside the game is too hot. Does he have a GF already? Or maybe BF?]

[Shit! Why doesn't it erect? How do I fix this?]

'Am I in the wrong place?'

"Ah, you're alive!" Riko smirked, suddenly placing her face near my left ear. One of her thick and dark brown twintails rested over my shoulder, as she peeked at my PC screen.

 "Geh!?" I gasped out at her abrupt actions.

"Eh? Onii-chan, why are you looking that up? Do you have the same problem?"

"Huh?" I followed her gaze towards my PC that viewed a forum page headlined, [Shit! Why doesn't it erect? How do I fix this?]

"Did a girl leave you too?" She continued.

"What? No!"

"I was just surprised by your whisper. So I mistakenly clicked on the wrong one." I added fast to clear the misunderstanding.

"Hoh.." She gave me a strange look and then demanded, "Anyway now it's my turn, send me inside the game."

"No way." I never planned to give you the chance anyways.

"What? You promised me, Onii-chan," She retorted but remained weirdly calm for some reason. She then took her phone out and snapped a photo of my PC screen.  "Hmph…If you don't let me in, I'm gonna tell everybody that you have erectile dysfunction." 

'Damnit, she sneaked up on me. I underestimated her. Annoying genes of my mother…'

But she also underestimated me. "Then how about I make it stand right here and now, and prove that I'm alright?" 

"Eww…Onii-chan, what's wrong with you?"

Her pretty face and round eyes distorted in disgust as expected, but I didn't care.

"How else do I prove it then?"

"Fine, you can have it your way. I'm just gonna send this photo to Kyoko-san next door." She threatened me, showing the photo turning her phone towards me. My unkempt and messy hair with a part of my face could also be seen in that picture.

'Little sisters are cursed beings, devils in disguise. Only saving grace is their cuteness.'

I sighed and proceeded towards the VRSC to help her with the machine.

As I busied myself adjusting the headgear over her head which appeared larger because of her twintails, she asked me gazing at my eyes, "Onii-chan, if I get stuck inside the game, will you come to save me?" 

"That's your boyfriend's job, not mine," I replied, with my eyes staying on the headgear.

"But I don't have one." She glowered for a moment but quickly that turned into excitement. Her eyes twinkled, as she said, "Maybe I'll meet my prince charming inside the game. He will save me from all kinds of dangers."

"Don't you dare meet a guy using my body!" I snapped, my hands stopped moving.

"Hmm? So I'll be using Onii-chan's body?" Her face showed a grin.

"Why are you grinning? It's scary." 

It certainly didn't seem normal. What did she think of?

"Don't worry about it, Onii-chan."

"Ugh whatever, just come back fast. Don't touch anything in the menu, and don't do any quests either. Just look around the area." I instructed her about the necessary details. "Push that big button when you are ready. Oh and if someone asks for magic words, just say 'El Psy Congrii'. It's the password."

Closing the door lid, I began searching for the information again. Almost an hour later Riko came back with a gleaming face showering with satisfaction.

"Thank you, Onii-chan, for letting me play." She smiled sweetly expressing gratitude.

But I was too familiar with Riko's personality to fall into her traps. "It's not gonna work. This is the last time."

"Tch.." She pouted and left the room.

Right away, I logged into the game and entered that white room again. The screen also showed up just like the last time.

"Oh, who is it this time?" The AI spoke out.

"It's me, Ryoki. Do we have to do this every time? This white room thingy."

"Well, you could just think of this as a logging interface. But if Master wants to know the actual reason I can elaborate."

"Ah never mind. Just send me inside the game."

"I need the magic word, Master. It's a formality that I can't ignore."

"Ah right. El Psy Congrii."

"Welcome to Chaos."

My vision lit up slowly and I discovered myself in an unknown open field. I called out the AI to get a better understanding of the situation. 

"Oi AI, where am I right now and why?"

A system window with a video screen appeared before me.

"We are northwest of Altrus Town. Master's sister came here to test out the Mage skills before logging out." The AI explained through the screen.

"Oh, I see… Wait, what did you just say? What skills?" 

'I think I misheard something haha…'

"Your sister completed the class selection part of the main quest. She selected Mage as the class."

"WHA…." I was too shocked to speak for a moment.

I even fucking told Riko especially not to do any quest and how did she know how to find or complete it unless….

"You guided her for the quest?"

"Ah yeah, Master's sister asked me if it was a game, why weren't there any skills. That led us here."

"You call me Master yet you answered to another person and guided her?" 

"B-but Master's sister was very kind to me. She even gave me a name. It's Riri." Ugh, she won over my Support AI already. "Is something wrong, Master?" 

"I hate playing as a mage. It's the last class I'd pick."

"Eh but why? Mage is a very powerful and versatile class."

"I just simply don't like the playstyle."

"I'm sure if Master gives it a try, you will also love playing a mage." She tried to cheer me up.

"No, I'll not. I've played enough RPG games to know that." Since childhood, I played a bunch of video games together with my uncle but I never liked the mage class. "Anyway, I haven't progressed that much yet. I'll just delete this account and start again. I can do it right?"

"Yes, Master can do it but…" Her words trailed off, as she looked at the ground, losing herself in deep thoughts.

"What is it?" Since this was the first time seeing her like this, I wondered just what could even make an AI look like that. 

"B-but Riri will cease to exist."

'Oh…'

"Master, can you tell your sister something for me?" She looked up at me with a faint smile on her face and vocalized her feelings, "Riri loves her name. She will treasure it until the end. Master was also very kind to me. Riri messed up yet you didn't say anything, you forgave her. Thank you, Master." 

'Damnit what is this goodbye scene? I couldn't say anything to her and logged out.'

I went towards Riko's room to find her. But I heard water flowing and dribbling sounds from the bath.

'Mom shouldn't be home now. It must be…'

I commenced into the bathroom without any warning. Riko's naked body dripping with water droplets everywhere twitched as she saw me.

"WHA-WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? GET OUT! GET OUT!" She screamed at me, throwing whatever she could find near her hands.

I skillfully caught everything and set them aside while approaching her. She stumbled onto the bathtub behind her and fell inside it, creating a huge wave of water that spilled over everywhere around the bathtub. I got closer and leaned towards her, grabbing at her shoulders.

"W-what is it? What do you want?" She mumbled, trying to escape my eyes.

"Do you have any idea what you have done?" I interrogated her as calmly as possible.

"What? I don't get it.."

"I told you not to do any quest but you ignored it and also chose a class that I absolutely hate." 

"But I don't even know what a quest is. I just wanted to try out playing the game you love so much."

'Ugh, why is everyone making it so hard for me to be angry at them? Wait, it could just be a plot to manipulate me into forgiving her. I can't let that happen.'

"I'm having you cosplay as Komachi this time."

'Only Komachi-chan can ease this pain in my heart.'

"What? Nooo! No way I'm doing it." 

"Or else Imma reveal that mole on your chest, looking like a third nipple, to your friends."

"UGH, YOU PERVERTED LOLICON! JUST DIE ALREADY, YOU IDIOT!!" She cried out reacting to my threat meaning that it worked.

Completing my task here, I stood up intending to leave the room, but I suddenly recalled the AI's last words. "Oh, by the way, that little girl thanked you for the name. She loves it apparently." I glanced back at Riko and passed the AI's message. Behind Riko's angry and weeping face, I caught a glimpse of a subtle smirk. Then she stuck out her tongue taunting me, and indicated her victory. But I ignored her and left the bath.

Reaching my room, I lay down on the bed spreading my fatigued body. My dream of pursuing true emotions halted there, right in the beginning. 

A question spun inside my head. 'How am I supposed to strive for real emotions, when I don't love the game? Forget about seeking genuine relationships. I'll be too burnt out by dull and tedious gameplay every day.'

A part of my consciousness proposed, 'Just forget about that AI. Let's concentrate on our fundamental goal first.'

'But her emotions are more genuine than most humans in society. Who am I to deny her whole existence? She has every right to live on as much as I do. I can't just push a button and end her life. That's akin to murder.' Another part resisted.

I made up my mind. 'Maybe, I'll just come to love the mage class just like the AI….Riri said.'