3 3. One Stress-Free Life, Please.
"What is this?" Zephyr's face contorted with confusion as he read the words and found himself floating in a void.
[Welcome, Player003, to the game by Sinland Productions.]
Everything felt surreal to Zephyr. He could sense his body floating in space! For someone like him, a caveman at heart, this was straight out of a fancy sci-fi novel!
The words in front of him floated with captivating animations. Before transitioning to English, they appeared in numerous languages he had never encountered.
"This is so cool!" Zephyr was left speechless.
This was just the beginning. If this surprised poor Zephyr, then he might just have a heart attack once he entered the game.
[Loading... Please be patient... Scanning the player's body...]
"Damn..."
[Scan complete!]
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[Measuring physique... complete.]
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[Player 003 is ready to be transported to Sinland!]
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[All the best, Player003, for your future adventures!]
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[Which game would you like to select?]
[1. Goblin Paladin.]
[2. Harmless Orc.]
[3. Lord of Mirrors.]
[4. Sinister Hero.]
[5. Can Ogres be Priests?]
[6. A Peaceful Devil.]
[7. ???]
[Please select one of the above options!]
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Zephyr pondered for a moment and asked the system to provide a synopsis of each option.
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After considering most of the options, 'All the other choices seem... quite dangerous, don't they?' Zephyr swallowed hard.
Being a human again would probably be the safest choice—or so he thought.
"Can I get the summary of the last one, 'Lord of Mirrors,' please?" Zephyr politely inquired.
[Lord of Mirrors:
Mordret Valorborn, the outcasted son of the Duke, is in his final year of graduation and also the youngest feudal lord of Peta.
The Cursed Child of Destiny, chosen as the Lord of Mirrors.
Awakened at a young age, the Lord must climb the social hierarchy to prove himself, for failure will lead only to death.
To survive, the Lord needs authority.]
The vague synopsis was enough for Zephyr to understand that the game revolved around politics. And so... He also had a feeling of comfort with this game.
'Being a nobleman and fighting against other aristocrats sounds interesting.' Zephyr was satisfied with his decision.
After all, he didn't like the idea of inhabiting the body of a goblin, orc, or ogre.
'Only a fool would choose something like that, yikes!' The thought of witnessing incestuous relationships among kin made Zephyr turn pale.
"Anyway, please select the game 'Lord of Mirrors.'" It wasn't an impulsive decision.
Zephyr, a seasoned archaeologist, knew that the game was set in a medieval Roman-like time period, according to the system's information.
The game promised to recreate those times, and since Zephyr's expertise lay in history, he felt comfortable with it.
With his vast knowledge of history, he was curious to see how the game developers had crafted the world. His expectations weren't sky-high, but he was still a little excited.
['Lord of Mirrors' selected by Player003]
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[Once the game is chosen, it cannot be changed.]
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[We hope you enjoy your time in Peta!]
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[World building... complete.]
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[Loading NPCs... complete.]
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[Player003... Configuration complete... Loading...]
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[Please agree to the terms and conditions:]
[1. You cannot log out during an ongoing mission.
Missions cannot be repeated.
Failure to complete missions results in 'game over.'
Once dead, the game cannot be continued.
Breaking character leads to 'game over'.]
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[Do you agree with the terms and conditions of the game?]
<Yes > <No >
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"Yes!" Zephyr was already aware of these and some other mundane conditions, having read everything in the dangerous skull manual.
"I just hope that I won't die fruitlessly, ha!" Zephyr was already exhausted with life; he didn't want any more troubles.
He had only one wish: "Just one stress-free life... please." He had no expectations from the game whatsoever, just a simple request.
'All I want is to distract myself from Mira's thoughts.' To poor Zephyr, anything was welcome if it served that purpose.
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[Please read the character you'll be playing before launching the game.]
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[Character name: Mordret Valorborn.]
[Character Description:
Age: 22
Height: 6'2''
Weight: 73kg
Physique: Healthy
Constitution: Cursed Prince
Personality: Cold, aloof]
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After a minute or so, the game was ready to launch.
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[The game 'Lord of Mirrors' is ready. Would you like to launch it?]
<Yes > <No >
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"Of course, yes!" Zephyr was now a little invested after spending some time in space. His heart raced with a mixture of excitement and fear of facing technological and cultural shocks.
[Launch successful! See you on the other side!]
With that final message, the game began.
A spark of white light illuminated in front of Zephyr. Gradually, as if his body was being pulled out of the lightless void, Zephyr momentarily closed his eyes.
With a yelp of "Whoa!" Zephyr found himself crashing into something soft and incredibly delicate.
His sense of touch and smell came alive once again.
The faint scent of roses filled his nostrils, captivating him for a moment. But then, a nauseating acidity surged in his throat, and before he knew it, "Blegh!" he vomited.
The fragrance of roses vanished along with the soft and delicate touch.
"Kraaa!" A guttural cry pierced his ears, sending shivers down his spine. The air turned rank with the stench of blood, following the direction of the sound.
A hot breeze swept over Zephyr's body, feeling as if it came from the breath of a monstrous being that held him captive.
"W-what the hell?!" Zephyr wasn't expecting such a start to the game.
Some unknown entity coiled around his waist and bound his arms. Like an octopus tentacle, it tugged Zephyr closer and closer.
In the darkness, runes appeared in front of him, proving that he wasn't blind.
[Tutorial has begun.]
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[Player003 is recommended to remain active.]
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[Quest #1: Against the Tentacles!]
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[Reward: Memory Fragment of Mordret Valorborn (1)]
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[Failure: Game Over.]
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'What kind of tutorial has 'game over' as a failure?! How am I supposed to learn the controls like this?' Zephyr cursed, but his voice fell on deaf ears. Unbeknownst to him, he had triggered some flags before entering the game.
Zephyr attempted to move his head, but it was futile. Either the surroundings were dark or Zephyr had lost his sight. No matter how hard he strained to see, his vision remained unresponsive.
'Calm down! Stay calm!' As an archaeologist, he was trained to keep a level head in panic-inducing situations.
'If my visual organs aren't working, then rely on the others.' Following that advice, Zephyr focused on his other senses.
He tried to grasp his surroundings. From the sound of heavy breathing and loud cries, he deduced that he was held captive by a monstrous creature, which was now pulling him closer.
The scent of breath and moisture in the air indicated that he was being drawn nearer to the creature's maw.
As he tested his limbs to assess the situation, he felt a slightly looser grip on his leg.
'Kick!' Zephyr swung his right leg in the direction of the repugnant smell.
The tentacle lost its hold on his leg due to the sudden jerks. Zephyr sensed that he was now closer to something sharp, but since he couldn't see, he would be taking a shot in the dark.
If he could hit the bull's eye, he could continue playing; otherwise, he was doomed.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
He kept swinging his leg, executing a perfect kick by tensing his thighs and releasing his foot just below the knee.
Just like a strike in football.
Bam!
'Fuu-' Zephyr's foot finally made contact with something, but it wasn't a pleasant experience.
A sharp pain jolted through his consciousness. His shin had collided with a hard, pointed object.
Zephyr felt as if his leg had been sliced sharply.
A warm spray of liquid drenched him. Before he knew it, with a "Kraaal!" the monstrous entity pulled him even closer.
Zephyr felt that his modest wish for a stress-free life, both in the game and in reality, was too demanding. Perhaps he should lower the bar next time.
The slight shift in weight and the loosening grip of the monster didn't go unnoticed by Zephyr. He felt as if he was being pulled—or rather, "No, this isn't pulling... I'm falling!"
Before he knew it, it was too late.
Thud!
Blood filled his lungs. The warm essence of life gushed from his mouth, mixed with the pain of his broken leg.
The tight grip of the tentacles had mangled his arms and twisted his bones. His muscles ached, and his heart raced as if it were its last day.
His stomach churned, and his throat grew dry.
The once-dark vision now burned with agony, a sight he had never witnessed before.
Zephyr wanted to cry, but his throat had long lost the ability to produce sound. 'Argh!' He felt like he was dying.
…
(A/N: And Zephyr died.)
— THE END —
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