Game Master
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Posts : 32
Join date : 2018-03-31
 |  Subject: CHAOS/ORDER RE:START - Chapter 0  Mon Apr 30, 2018 1:27 am | |
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I can finally just enjoy this.
She used what time she had left to gaze at the sight of her beautiful World, and then closed her eyes to feel it even more just before her body crashed into the sea. No pain at all - it felt as though she’d jumped from the height of one foot into it instead of the thousands she’d truly fallen.
Her eyes finally opened as Lydia’s body sunk further and further into the sea. The creatures of the ocean fled as she came into their vicinity. Everything she’d had on her mind felt so distant now, and all she wanted to do was stay here forever. Unfortunately, that couldn’t happen. Lydia ceased her sinking and voyaged back up to the top of the sea.
Incredible! My armor felt completely weightless! She thought to herself as she arrived at the shore, gazing down at her crimson armor. Sea water continued to drip from her body and hair as she ventured onward to Krost Bay. The sand felt good on her feet as she reached the land of the Bay, looking at the trees in front of her. The small creatures inhabiting the forest scurried away. They were harmless and unkillable - as was the rest of Krost Bay, where no adventurers could harm one another or anything.
“Oh-ho, welcome, adventurer!” Smiled an old bearded merchant as Lydia entered a store, “What would you like to buy to help you on your journey? Take your pick!”. It brought a smile to Lydia’s face.
There’s some definite bugs and glitches, but at least the NPCs are functioning properly.
Lydia moved on to the St. Germain Forest, cutting down low leveled animals who attempted to attack her. It was no more than child’s play, but it didn’t matter. She loved every moment of it.
A large boar rushed out from behind a tree, intent on bringing her down. Lydia didn’t even have to look towards her charging enemy - she could feel it. Lydia sidestepped the incoming bore with ease, and just as swiftly sliced through the side of its body from front to end with a small dagger she kept around her waist, intent only on doing damage to the boar, but not to finish it off. A smirk formed on Lydia’s face.
“Did that piss you off?”
The damaged and enraged boar came to a grinding halt as it turned its direction back towards her. Blood began to drip down from the laceration she gave it as it stared down with her.
“Well come on then!” roared Lydia as the boar wasted no further time charging once more. Lydia wasn’t moving this time. She stood her ground and calmly unsheathed her blade. Just as the boar got within her range, Lydia raised her longsword high above it and drove it down through the animal’s skull, impaling it and pinning it to the ground. After a few moments, the boar’s body shattered and disappeared as Lydia caught herself smiling once more. Lydia pulled her blade from the earth, resheathed it, and carried on.
Lydia walked through the remainder of the forest without a care in the World, snacking on meat she’d procured at the last Safe House, once more admiring the beauty of the land.
I did this. I breathed life back into you. You’re so beautiful.
The Tribute Plains were already proving to be more of a challenge, which Lydia welcomed. This is what she had been waiting for. Several bandits surrounded her all at once, leaping into action before she had even a moment to think, let alone pull her blade. She dodged each knife that rushed towards her, using her agility to outmaneuver her enemies. The frustrated bandits refused to relent as one came in from below, driving his knife upwards, only to find no one there as Lydia flipped through the air over him, finally pulling her longsword and coming down with it into the bandit’s spine.
Only a moment of admiration of her work for that had passed before another bandit caught her off guard, driving a blade into her abdomen from behind. The surprise of it was fleeting as she grabbed the bandit’s hand, breaking it, pulling the blade out from her body, and driving it through her enemy’s skull.
Probably a good thing it’s not my life on the line here. The pain simulation seems to be working through…
Lydia favored her injury, but refused to back down as she continued to dodged the remaining onslaught of blades coming her way, slicing through every body that came within range of her longsword.
Alright, I think that’s enough.
Lydia let out a war cry and swung her sword and body in a complete circle before coming to a halt - both the blade and a burst of energy coming off of it simultaneously slicing through the remaining bandits as they shattered and disappeared.
A sigh of relief rushed from Lydia’s mouth, followed by a wince of pain from the wound she’s gotten in the battle. “I guess this spot is as good as any…” as she dropped down, pulling out a potion, uncorked it with her mouth, and guzzled it down to speed up the healing.
“Pitiful.” Vincent Murrow’s voice echoed in her ear. Lydia spat out the remainder of her potion, suddenly feeling the World she wanted to escape wrapped its clawed hand around her once more. All the stress and guilt came flooding back in that moment as she made no attempt to respond, shattering the empty potion bottle in her hand with a clenched fist.
“How is it you’ve been working on this for so long and yet can’t even bring down those low leveled fools without taking damage?” mocked Murrow. His voice loudly bouncing around in her mind from wherever he was in the outside World, checking in on her.
“Can I help you?” Lydia’s voice couldn’t hide how annoyed she was, “I’m testing out the game. I fully intended to get injured to test out the pain simulation. Is that alright with you?”
Lydia hoped that was the end of the conversation, getting back to her feet and dusting herself off as she marched onwards to the Winter Mountains.
“This is taking too long for my taste. I think you’ve tested it all out well enough.” spoke Murrow.
Lydia stopped dead in her tracks, “I’ve still got the Winter--”
“Unnecessary. I’ve got something more interesting for you.”
Lydia tried to ignore his words and move on, only to find herself suddenly standing in front of the final door of the game. The beautifully-crafted, massive door that harbors the game’s final boss behind it. Lydia looked up at it, unable to admire it with the glaring frustration and hate for Vincent Murrow blinding her.
“Don’t do that! I’m making sure the game is perfect, and if--”
“The game is perfect. I will make sure of that myself.” interrupted Murrow, “All you have is one final objective, and that is to open the door before you.”
Lydia thoughtlessly kicked the door open with all her might. “I know what’s behind the Goddamn door! I was getting to the Final Boss! I made him! I was going to test him!”
“Oh, is that so?” - Murrow’s cackle mocked Lydia once more. She ignored it as she stepped within the room.
The torches surrounding the room all ignited as her foot stepped forward, illuminating the room further and further. It felt quiet. Too quiet.
Something about it felt off - and Murrow’s taunting didn’t help. Lydia grew more cautious as she entered further into the room, looking around for the boss she’d created - a massive beast unlike any other. The sheer look of it alone sent shivers up her spine as she molded it to perfection. Yet, she heard no roaring. She saw no monster. She felt nothing, as if she was the only living thing within the room.
“Murrow…” Lydia’s voice began to tremble with both anger and the fear growing in the back of her mind. Lydia looked around for her beast, and yet saw nothing more than darkness and walls and the fire of the torches.
Lydia felt a crunch beneath her foot.
She looked down, focusing her eyes on what she’d stepped on.
Ashes?
Murrow’s cackling erupted once more as she stepped back, looking around at the ground littered with ashes.
“What the Hell is this, Murrow?!”
She got no response as a wall of fire erupted in front of her. The sheer heat of it was enough to burn her, even without touching it as she backed up further and further. She could see it now. All of the ashes - all of the bones scattered on the ground.
My monster…
A second wall of fire rose from out of nowhere behind Lydia, scorching her back. The agony of it caused Lydia to double over in pain. She looked around for somewhere to go, only to see the flames of the torches moving as if they had a mind of their own, making their way towards her and forming two more walls of flames.
Lydia knew she was surrounded. The walls of fire had trapped her. The intense heat was almost too much, torturing her body.
“Okay, Murrow! You made your point! Whatever this is, stop it! Stop it, damn it!”
Murrow’s cackling continued, “Your boss was far too fragile, I’m afraid. I got someone far more worthy of the role.”
Lydia could see it. Whatever Murrow was referring to, she could see its silhouette behind the wall of flame in front of her. Her eyes began to burn along with the rest of her body from the intense heat. Lydia struggled to even speak as her throat dried up within an instant.
“Who….”
She couldn’t get another word out.
“Who am I?” spoke a voice from behind the flames, “I’ll tell you what I’m not. I’m not the villain.”
Water began to enter the cage of flames, burning Lydia’s hands and legs.
“I’m the hero.” spoke the silhouette.
If he said anything beyond that, Lydia couldn’t hear it. The water immediately flooded within the walls of fire. She did everything she could just to move, let alone escape or fight back. It was far beyond anything she could understand or do. The flames boiled the water to insurmountable temperatures as it scorched her entire body, peeling off her armor and skin. Agony washed over Lydia unlike any other as the water swallowed her. Lydia tried to scream.HEART RATE TOO HIGH - YOU HAVE BEEN EJECTED FROM THE GAME. PLEASE TRY AGAIN LATER.
Lydia sat up immediately, throwing off her VR gear - sweating profusely as if she’d just awoken from a nightmare. Her heart continued to pound in her chest as she attempted to regain her composure. It felt real. Far too real. Lydia checked her arms and legs, almost expecting to see burns, and yet nothing.
She buried her face in her hands as she struggled to figure out what Murrow had done to her game and to her monster, as well as who that man was. There was only one legitimate possibility, and she didn’t like it. The abilities he used, they were all too familiar to her. She’d spent years researching this game, she knew everything about it, from its creation to those who’ve ever stepped inside of it.
“I know him…”
She didn’t know him. She knew of him.
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