The Game

My name is Lucius...Lucius Yukimura.

A young man in his early twenties who didn't appear to be very athletic or particularly strong.

I also can't say for sure that I could fit the term "beautiful".

But my appearance used to draw attention because of my hybrid nature, having a Japanese father and a French mother.

I don't know if it was because I was half-blood, but I was born with eyes that glowed a deep crimson.

But none of my parents had that characteristic, as well as other peculiarities that I had.

Which made me momentarily suspect if I was actually adopted or a bastard child.

But the love I received from them was more than enough and true, so I was never ungrateful enough to dare to take a DNA test.

Well that should be enough about what I look like, my real intention here is to tell you about a certain event that happened to me.

That was a long, long time ago.

As I remember, I used to be a simple university student living in busy Tokyo.

My life boiled down to studying hard and playing online in my free time to relax a little.

But that all changed on that fateful day...

The day I was suddenly summoned to another world.

I know, this sounds like some kind of ridiculous joke only an idiot would tell.

After all, this kind of thing was only supposed to happen in anime or webnovels.

But believe me, somehow it ended up happening to me.

And it couldn't have happened more awkwardly.

By mere act of curiosity, I ended up falling into the trap set by a certain entity.

That voice that had kidnapped me and put me in that terrible situation.

I had to go through the worst phase of my life because of her, as the world I had been summoned to was never truly at peace.

Wars involving magic and different races, there seemed to be everything in that place.

Elves, dwarves, giants and even beasts I had only heard of in mythologies.

It wasn't a healthy place for a peaceful guy like I used to be.

But then again, it seemed like a reasonable place once you got used to it all.

Especially when you made friends and allies that would help you walk that path.

Just like it had happened to me...

Well that should be enough.

Maybe it's better to tell how it all started.

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Memory is a little vague, but I think it goes like this.

One day I was returning from a long day at the game store.

A super popular game was on sale that day and I had woken up early to secure mine.

As I said, gaming was my hobby at the time, I even had a few games collected.

The queue had been long and I think I was on the verge of giving up, but in the end I endured and made it.

So I'd come home with an excited smile.

"I finally managed to buy God of Evil...I think I'll spend all day playing Hufufu."

I said without really caring who was around me, that was the level of my enthusiasm at the time.

I was also in a hurry, looking forward to getting home and starting to play.

But perhaps such haste was not necessary, as I was not so far from where I lived.

Still, I just couldn't contain my excitement.

By the way, maybe you're wondering why I focus on games or that part about my life?!

Well, the reason was because it all started with a certain game.

That entity had played a masterstroke in taking advantage of my interest in games.

So I ended up falling into the greatest innocence, all because I let myself be carried away by curiosity.

That was right after I got home, a simple apartment I was renting so as not to make university life difficult, it was a cozy place.

...

It was a hot afternoon, the priority was to take a refreshing shower before starting the long marathon of games.

So I went through the room to get the necessary items, but as soon as I entered, I noticed something strange.

"What is that?

I remember turning off the PC before leaving the house...

Or was I just imagining things?"

Whatever it was, it didn't matter much as my bath was waiting.

So I reached over to turn it off.

But at that moment, I happened to notice a certain notification about a new text message.

Which I would have ignored under normal circumstances.

But for some reason, the user who sent the message showed up as unknown, which was a problem.

"I remember setting it up so that only a certain group could send me messages.

That's weird...did I get hacked?!"

I couldn't help thinking about such a possibility, I heard many cases of people losing important data due to hackers.

I intended to delete the message on the spot and get back to my primary objective.

But something prompted me to inspect that message to see what it was about.

It was more than pure curiosity, it even seemed that something in me urged me to do it.

So I let myself go and opened the message.

Its contents read as follows...

[ Confirmed. Welcome to "Central World", the most complete and challenging game in the universe. The Individual, Lucius, due to his displayed talent and high potential, was invited to play...]

Yep, that sounded like something a hacker would say, didn't even try to hide that he knew my name.

And that wasn't even the best part...

The rest of the message simply stated the nonsense...

[ If you want to experience a game:

- Where graphics and realism factor surpass any other.

- Where you are not trapped in a single path and can experience the true meaning of evolution.

- Where a single choice of yours can impact the entire development and trigger sudden changes.

- Where you can explore the world with total freedom.

- Where you can interact with any being and meet different races.

- If you want to experience all this, don't hesitate and press the link below.

Press Link at 30...29...28...27...26...]

"Hahahahahaha...! Whoever this hacker is, he's lacking a lot in terms of creativity.

What kind of idiot would believe in the existence of a game like this?!"

It was hard to stay serious, it was so ridiculous that it was hard to hold back a laugh, it could only have been played by a fifth grade kid.

I decided to delete the message right away, but it was then that curiosity arose to know where it was going.

Maybe it was because the link was about to disappear, but I ended up pressing it without hesitation.

"Hahahahaha! Let's see how ridiculous this guy can be."

The intent was, if any important or relevant information about my account was requested, I would immediately leave the website.

But after opening the link, what came up wasn't exactly a website...

A certain panel had loaded almost instantly.

The panel was processing for some time and didn't have the options to minimize or close.

When I was thinking it could be some kind of virus.

The panel simply expanded across the entire screen and then began to reveal the words...

[CentralWorld]

I think that was the name of the supposed game, very lazy name by the way.

When the name came up, realistic images started to run across the screen.

They were places of mystical and somewhat beautiful appearance, the most impressive was that of a tower that seemed to cross the heavens.

There was something captivating about those images, I intended to take a screenshot, but unfortunately it all went by too quickly.

Then a black screen appeared, and with it the following words.

[ Click to start ]

I had already come this far, so I had nothing to lose by moving forward.

Again, I decided to click and continue, I confess that it was getting interesting...

[ Welcome to "Central World". Please select which name you wish to proceed with.]

Hmm? This was starting to look like a game account creation process, the hacker was starting to struggle a bit.

Which name should I choose?

Well, since I wasn't taking it seriously anyway, I just went with the name Lucius, just Lucius.

[ Confirmed. Name "Lucius", set successfully... ]

Then came the next step...

[ Select which class you'd like to proceed with... ]

Upon entering the options, I could see the different choices.

It had the class of mage, swordsman, fighter, lancer, among others...

As I said before, I wasn't taking it seriously, so I chose the fighter class without thinking too much.

[ Confirmed. Class "Fighter", set successfully.]

I expected there to be more questions related to character customization.

But it seemed I was mistaken.

[Initial process completed]

The panel simply went black again.

Then came the words that introduced the game... This with the image of a blindfolded woman who seemed to be praying...

[Chapter One: The Priestess's Lament]

The image was very beautiful and artistic, worthy of hosting in the best of art museums.

Another time I tried to capture the screen, but again the image went too fast...

When the image passed, a voice appeared out of nowhere that began to narrate, this with archaic images that passed in sequence.

[A long time ago in the ancient Kingdom of Vanir, there lived a very righteous woman, her name was Mira, the priestess who guided and illuminated hearts...]

The voice sounded feminine and a little mechanical, I think I'd heard better machines, but there was something peculiar about the voice.

As for the story she was narrating, it went according to the images passing by.

The images were pretty ridiculous for a game that claimed to be top notch in terms of graphics and realism, I couldn't help but laugh at that.

The voice continued narrating for a while, but the story ended as follows...

[ To end the injustices and suffering, the priestess decided to start a revolt against the Evil Empire.

Her purpose was to bring peace and salvation to the world.

But for that she would need a strong ally.

With luck, she figured out how to achieve that goal by performing a certain ritual.

The invocation of a hero from another world.

A secret art that was yet to be invented.

But nothing was hidden from her and her mystical powers.

So it was from the beginning as the sacred daughter of time.

Rejoice, for you were the one reached by the priestess's call.

If you accept the heroic call, you can be his great ally in the fight against the Evil Empire.

The future of Vanir, as well as the world, may rest in your hands...]

The images aside, that story was quite impressive, I continued listening with complete silence and attention.

It looked like it was the end of the intro and the game was about to be unmasked.

But then one last question arose.

[ Do you accept the priestess's call and request for help? ]

This came accompanied with the options [Accept/Reject]

It seemed like something simple, but that's exactly where it all began.

I intended to reject it for some reason, maybe it was my subconscious talking to me and warning me.

Still, some other sense led me to accept that proposal.

That's when it all started...

<< Confirmed. Unique skill [Gamer]... successfully acquired. >>

"What?...Who's there?!"

A voice had come out of nowhere, I looked around in panic in search of who had spoken.

But that wasn't it... I don't know if I was delusional, but it felt like something had spoken directly in my mind.

<< The will of the target of the ritual has been confirmed... Starting the summoning process. >>

The voice appeared again, then I realized that it was the same voice that narrated the story of the game, but this time it seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

Which served to make me even more worried, I couldn't help but panic and ask again.

"Process of what?! Who is talking?!!"

"What the hell is this?!!!"

The fear kept building, everything was happening too fast.

"This has to be a joke!!!"

It was so surreal that I came to believe that I had accidentally been exposed to some kind of hallucinogen.

But it was too late to try to do anything, as soon as the voice came, my fate was already set in stone.

The circles lifted my body up and slowly reached the roof, but before that, the voice appeared again and said.

<< Warning. Starting the crossing through the interdimensional barriers in three... two... one... >>

As soon as the voice said, the circles released a strong golden glow and as soon as the count reached one, my body simply disappeared from that world.

Without even knowing how, I had been consumed by an interdimensional portal.

That whole situation was strange and too sudden.

I even thought it was all a lucid dream and I would wake up soon.

But again I was sorely mistaken, that whole situation couldn't be more real...

I remember it happening more or less as described above.

But the worst part was what happened afterwards.

Crossing interdimensional barriers.

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"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!"

Yeah, that was me screaming after being consumed by the interdimensional portal.

If you think that's embarrassing, I wanted to see you being sucked at excruciating speed into what felt like a vortex in the middle of nowhere.

But the scream was mainly for other reasons.

My body and soul were going through the most excruciating pain I had ever experienced.

That was because of the excess of magicules present in that place, it was a toxic place for a simple human like me.

The air felt like sulfur and my lungs felt like they were burning every time I took a breath.

Even worse was the excruciating pain that shot through my muscles and bones, they made strange noises as if they were breaking down and regenerating over and over again.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Yeah, it wasn't a pretty experience, the pain was so much I could just scream.

The truth was that my body was undergoing transformations due to high exposure to magicules.

In the end it would be rewarding, but it wasn't the kind of pain I would be willing to take again.

'Please stop! This hurts a lot!!!'

Since I couldn't speak, I could only mentally complain, but luckily, something seems to have heard me.

<< Confirmed. Nullification of Pain… successfully acquired. >>

That voice had come to help for the first time, there was just no feeling of gratitude because she was the cause of all that in the first place.

Then the pain began to slowly subside...until it stopped altogether.

It looked like the rest of the trip would be uneventful.

But only the physical pain was gone, the muscles and bones were no longer a nuisance, but it still felt like something was burning deep inside my being.

That's when I was forced to believe in the existence of souls, because that was my soul stirring and adapting to that chaotic environment, as well as absorbing the magicules present in that place.

It was a different kind of pain, but it was much better than the last... Speaking was still difficult, as breathing was even more difficult.

I had to concentrate seriously not to die in that place. Luckily my survival instincts kicked in quickly and led me to try a certain approach.

' My God, if this is some insane punishment or test because of some terrible sin I've committed. I ask for forgiveness with all my heart and from this moment on, I vow to become a saint and visit the holy temples more often. I swear to give my life and even become a eunuch monk if I have to, but please get me out of this hellish place...!"

<< Confirmed. Unique skill [Negotiator]... successfully acquired. >>

Well, I decided to appeal to the almighty, I saw no other way to get rid of that supernatural situation.

But god didn't listen to me, however, my true desires were misunderstood and that voice granted me such an ability.

No, I didn't ask for any of that!

Well, I couldn't say that, I didn't even know what a skill was, and I couldn't scream either.

However, my wishes turned out to have consequences...

<< Confirmed. Seeking to become a eunuch...modifying the body so that the sexual organ is not present...failed, for the need to leave offspring, the process cannot proceed.>>

<< Do you want to try again?>>

Maybe it was a primal instinct or something, but in that moment, a fear greater than any other gripped me.

I forgot about that whole situation for a moment and didn't hesitate to scream.

"NO OF COURSE NOT!!!"

It didn't matter if speaking or breathing was difficult, something in me did its best to deny such a suggestion.

'It was just a joke, please don't remove my partner!'

At that point I had already realized that that voice was some kind of entity capable of changing reality or something like that, so my fear was not unfounded.

<< Confirmed. Body modification cancelled...>>

When confirmation from the mysterious voice came, I couldn't help but sigh in relief.

This one was very close.

My subconscious had released such a relief that it wiped out any and all previous panic.

From then on, the crossing was really peaceful, so I could appreciate that place for the first time...

'This place is quite beautiful.'

There were all the colors of the rainbow around the core of the vortex, which was emanating an intense golden light.

The beautiful rainbow pattern was pleasing to the eye, mesmerizing and somewhat reassuring.

But maybe that wasn't the best moment to enjoy the view, because I was already very close to the core of the vortex, it wouldn't be long before I would be devoured.

'Beautiful or not, it doesn't matter! I just wish I could go home safely.'

<< Confirmed. Unique skill [Traveller]... successfully acquired. >>

That was the last time I heard the voice that day, right after, I was consumed by the vortex.

Even with [Pain Nullification], as soon as the traversal through the core began, the pain faced was simply abysmal.

There was where my soul was truly tested.

Not only were the magicules more dense, the space was also severely distorted.

Getting through this and surviving would be a real gamble.

Yet there I was facing the vortex without even knowing how I got there.

A real unlucky being I was.

The process was extremely painful and my mind was so pressured that I ended up losing consciousness.

There was no way a simple human like me could resist that.

After losing consciousness, I don't remember exactly what happened next.

But I remember being unconscious for a long time.

That is until I ended up waking up in some unknown place.

The place where everything would start...

I can say that this was my journey through that chaotic place.

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My eyes slowly opened, I was waking up from my long sleep.

I could feel my head aching intensely, it was like I was waking up after a long day of drinking.

I also didn't remember why I was waking up or why my head hurt so much.

So I really thought it was because I had too much to drink.

But it was then that I noticed something odd.

My head was lying on something very soft, I don't remember having such a cozy pillow.

What's more, it felt like something was gently running through my hair, as if someone was stroking it.

This whole situation was so strange, I don't remember ever waking up in such a way.

All this made me open my eyes with some impatience, my vision was still adapting to the ambient light.

But before I could begin to see clearly.

What was going through my hair just stopped and that's when I heard a female voice saying.

"Ufufu! What immense joy, you are finally waking up."

The voice was sweet and rather enchanting, it was like a muse singing, only she was simply talking.

I know, I'm supposed to be panicking right now, what was I doing waking up next to a woman, how much did I end up drinking?

Those were my biggest concerns.

However, I was so little changed, that voice was so enchanting that I wanted to hear more.

"I was getting worried you know?"

My wish seems to have been granted.

"After all, you are the precious being who accepted my call."

Not without knowing who she was, but the concerned way she spoke pleased me.

My eyes finally adapted to the light of the environment, that's when I started to see more clearly.

My head was still hurting so it was hard to see anyway.

My priority was to know who that enchanting voice belonged to.

But I didn't have to try very hard, because I was closer to her than I could imagine.

That's why I felt like I was lying on such a soft pillow, I was actually lying on her lap.

I think she's been watching over me while I've been sleeping, but who is this woman?

When I regained my sight, the first thing I did was look up.

Then I could see what she looked like.

It wasn't just her voice, her lips and smile were also charming, she looked very beautiful, but I couldn't say for sure because she wore a blindfold that didn't let her eyes show.

It was a metallic blindfold that looked more like a tiara, it had combined beautifully with her beautiful hair that showed the color of night blue, silky and somewhat natural.

I wasn't well enough to focus on other aspects of her, but I had dejavu like that all of a sudden, wondering where I'd seen that woman before.

I also realized that I was in a place I didn't know, the walls and everything around were unfamiliar to me.

Everything looked extremely luxurious and old-fashioned, now I was worried where I had ended up.

Based on all of this, the first words I said right after waking up were.

"Where am I? And why does my head hurt so much?"

My head really hurt, it was like it was something more than just a headache.

But that didn't stop me from asking the most important question.

"And who are you ?!"

As soon as I asked, she seemed to smile for some reason.

"So you can communicate, that's great.

By the way, are you able to understand what I say?"

Huh? What kind of question was that? Of course I can!

Or was she asking because she was afraid of mispronouncing, she didn't seem to be Japanese by the way.

So I decided to respond in a compressive way.

"Yes, I can understand you, is there a problem?"

"Ufufu! That's great too."

Yes, she was definitely speaking Japanese, but there was something off about it.

I was pretty sure I was hearing her speak Japanese, however the synchronization between what she said and how her lips moved just didn't match.

As if she was actually speaking another language... Nah, it must have just been me imagining things.

It must have been the headache.

"I think this will help clarify everything. Please listen carefully."

I think she intended to answer my questions, so I paid close attention.

For some reason I wasn't interested in getting off her lap, I think it was also the headache, there was no reason to make such sudden movements.

Well, she just smiled at me and went back to stroking my hair, she seemed to like it... That scenario was so natural that it ended up being weird.

But I wouldn't be the one to point that out.

Then she proceeded to tell me the following.

"First of all, I must say that you are in my chambers, it is one of the safest places in this palace, so you can rest assured."

Quiet? I had never been so peaceful in my life, but what was that about palace, was it a way of saying home?

Well, I didn't care enough to ask, so I let it go.

"About me, I introduce myself as Mira, it's a pleasure to meet you. There's a lot to say about me, but I don't think it will help you much for now, so I won't say much about myself..."

Mira? What was a beautiful name for an adult beauty, not to mention it suited her somehow, should I tell her I was interested in learning more about her?

I thought it better not.

She then ran her hand across my forehead and then said the following.

"Oh, and about the reason for your severe headache. That must be one of the effects of you going through the summoning ritual."

So far, I've been acting relaxed and somewhat adaptive to the situation.

Like I was desperately trying to get away from something or trying to forget myself.

But that was just my subconscious trying to protect me.

But as soon as she, Mira, said that last part, something deep inside me seemed to wake up.

Memories that were buried in my mind.

" Summoning Ritual?!"

I couldn't help but ask.

"That's right! Don't you remember?!

You are a human from another world who went through a summoning ritual to get to this one.

In other words, you are the one who accepted my call.

My precious hero Ufufu!"

Maybe I should have blushed that she said what she said the way she said it.

But unfortunately, I ended up remembering everything.

The terrible pains and in the end being consumed to suffer even more.

It was undeniable that all that had happened, I could still feel it in my soul.

I ended up getting up from her lap and for the first time I was acting in accordance with my situation.

According to who had been suddenly summoned to another world...

Or maybe not... I was the type of person who quickly adapted to situations, especially emotionally.

Not to mention that I already believed in a lot of things that would only be seen in fiction books, I mean, it was a surprise to have gone through all that, but I think there was no going back.

So I could only accept my current situation and move on.

Furthermore, according to the webnovels, amazing things happen to those who are summoned to other worlds.

Incredible powers, powerful allies and most amazingly, a harem... Not that I'm the kind of deviant who's interested in that last part, I identify as a one-woman man.

But would I be lucky enough to win some of these gifts? Or would I end up just being an ordinary human?

Well, at the time I decided not to think too much about it.

I went back to sleep in Mira's lap with all the tranquility in the world, so I smiled at her and said.

"Yes I recall!

Nice to meet you Mira-san, my name is Lucius.

For some reason I don't remember my last name, or if I have a last name, then you can just call me Lucius."

She then returned the smile and replied.

"Lucius, I accept, I will call you that, but please just call me Mira, no honorifics."

She then started stroking my hair again, as if encouraging me to just call her by name.

What can I do, I was a simple man.

"It's okay, Mira."

When I said, we both smiled at each other.

Again, we were acting so naturally that it ended up being awkward, I mean, I'd barely met her.

"So can you tell me more about this otherworldly thing? I think I'm completely lost on all of this."

"Ufufu! Of course I do."

Then she spent the rest of the time telling me about it and other things I needed to know.

Well, I guess you could say that I had made my first friend and ally in my adventures around that world.

But that was just the beginning.

I still had a lot to see and explore.

Besides, a certain ability of mine would hardly leave me alone.

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