He calmly placed the empty syringe on the table. He could trade for a bargain and get a new one at a clinic, but if he broke it, the replacement would be very expensive. Therefore, he treated it carefully so as not to waste money unnecessarily.
A message told him that a number of brain nanomachines had been infused into his body and shortly thereafter mysteriously disappeared automatically.
And now, the preparations were complete. That must be everything. There would be nothing else to get in your way.
Since nobody was going to call him, then there was no need to turn off the integrated mobile phone network.
His eyes shone like those of a teenager at a theme park, Krynt Marivaldi clicked on the window called Y.E.F.A.
"Then the world has changed.
Their brain nanomachines started their calculations, interrupting their field of vision and taking control of their somatic nervous system, everything changed.
An empty vastness extended in all observable directions - no, there were things sparkling in the darkness like stars - like space. Among them floated a gigantic leaf that seemed to cover the horizon.
Part of his visual field blinked, and if he tilted his head to the side, he could see something.
It was a monster. His face was covered by a mask made of pale wood shaped like a skull, his eyes shone on the mask that was similar to the face of a skeletal monster. Her skin was a mix of light blue and pale purple.
He will feel no confusion or fear for the grotesque that will come out of nowhere. Naturally, it was because that creature was his other self, with which he was intimately familiar.
He held out his hand - and the moment he touched the body, his point of view changed again.
Countless lines of algorithms passed through his vision and disappeared in an instant. They seemed to have some meaning, but since he knew nothing about it, it was pointless to pay attention. Besides, not knowing them didn't bother him at all.
However, there was one he recognized.
It was at the top bar of his field of vision. If the number on the right did not reach 100%, the adventure would not start.
With nothing to do, he looked at his hands. They were radiating 'vitality', even the feeling of moving their fingers was similar.
He clenched his fists and opened them again. Even though the sensations were attenuated, it was very close to reality.
The number on the top bar became 100%, it was what he expected, and several icons appeared. What he selected was composed of a triangle attached to a rectangle.
In other words, the HOME button.
If he clicked, it would change shape in a bar that would represent a waiting area.
The 27/55 represented that, of the maximum of 55 people, 27 were already there. He hid his growing arousal under his motionless, masked face, after which he touched it with his hand. A window appeared, he selected 'YES' when asked "Are you sure?".
—Starting Login.
-Please wait.
The female voice from the side of her ear was musical in quality and sounded like a human. Of course, it was generated electronically.
Even people with good hearing couldn't tell the difference. Only someone among his companions, with excellent hearing, knew how to discern, said companion called him "useless tone". This information came from the younger brother of that perverted friend, who told him in detail.
Even though it was nice that he said, at no time did he intend to hide the hatred of the people who stole his job, so he listened to that 60-minute sermon - yet another protest, actually - while feeling a twinge of fear.
Even though people with experience knew it was useless, he still believed in a rumor from the online world - the rumor said that if he asked for the voice, it would let him into the game faster. Therefore, he said to the voice:
"Quick, let me in."
The ceiling broke and went to the floor.
A large stone fell directly in front of my face.
"What…!?"
I quickly came to my senses.
Instinctively I backed away, however, with a thump, my back hit something. It was a wall.
I carefully looked around and realized that I was in a dark cave.
I went to visit a cave with stalactites on a school trip in the past. As far as I could see, the ceiling was 4 or 5 times higher than that. It was so high that I could barely see the top. I couldn't imagine how far the exit was.
"...…."
I held my breath.
What were you doing here?
How did I get here?
A loud alarm started ringing in my head. My conscience quickly became serious. It is because of a trauma when I was a child. Whenever I find myself in an unexpected situation, my mind cools so I can compose myself.
I have been kidnapped three times in my life. The memories of those experiences opened my skull and spilled a bucket of ice, as if they were telling me to calm down.
'Don't yell', it will only irritate the kidnappers.
'Talk to yourself quietly', so you can confirm your conditions.
Procedures on how to behave prepared like those in a manual.
Like a special forces unit receiving instructions on fighting terrorists, my conscience followed without hesitation the orders recorded in my memory.
"… I was sitting in my room just now… and using the computer. It was 7 pm, I got online and then my vision got dark and I opened my eyes here… "
Little by little my breathing returned to normal.
My memory was intact.
That meant that at least the kidnappers did not use drugs on me.
[He had no drugs.] This fact was reasonably favorable. It meant the kidnapper intended to speak to me.
That is why the kidnapping when I was in the third year of primary school was especially dangerous. The motivation was simply to get my body, but for no other reason… I had to keep absolutely still.
"Okay, then ..."
I checked all my senses.
In order: sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch.
Without haste, I had to make sure that my senses were working properly.
"It feels like I'm in a cave. It is definitely a cave. It is very dark, it is not my vision that is impaired. Rock Paper Scissors…"
I moved my fingers to make the shapes.
I could see perfectly.
Well, my vision was intact.
The problem was smell.
"…!"
A horrible, nauseating smell.
The smell of blood was everywhere.
I wonder if it's because I suddenly woke up in a strange place, but I still hadn't paid attention to this smell. And now that I realized it, that revolting odor was so intense that it seemed to pass through my nostrils and pierce even my brain.
"That is…"
It was a smell that I smelled three or four times in my life.
An odor I never wanted to smell again. The smell of blood and guts.
Bodies were scattered around the cave.
They had swollen human bodies as if they had been drowned, beheaded bodies, and even corpses with limbs bent in the wrong directions.
"Eugh… Euuk…"
If this cave were an art exhibition, then the curator would be a tremendous sadist. As if it were showing triumphantly that the human body manages to die in these various ways. The fact that the cave was dark was the only consolation, since it was relatively difficult to see the bodies.
"Should this place be' The Secrets of the Human Body '…? Fuck."
I had to get out of there fast.
I put my right foot forward and - I fell immediately.
My ankle was broken.
The whole bone was broken. It wasn't just a harmless twist.
"Shit."
I cursed without meaning to. He concluded that he would not be able to run or walk. The pain was not common. If the kidnapper approached now it would be impossible to escape. Maybe they broke my ankle on purpose, as a safety precaution. That's probably why they didn't administer drugs.
"Haaaaa ...."
I felt defeated.
Checkmate. Unfortunately I was defeated.
Why did you kidnap someone like me? I couldn't understand.
"… I left all my fortune to my brothers, I abandoned the title of royalty a long time ago. If it were two years ago, maybe, but not to kidnap me now. "
They certainly didn't intend to use me hostage to blackmail the Rhardosean Empire.
Nonsense. I don't know about other people, but who currently commands our Rhardosean Empire is not my father, Emperor Rhardosean but my stepmother. Even if not as well as I am, she manages our properties with composure. You will be hurt if you underestimate my stepmother just because she is young.
"Hooo ..."
I could only sigh at the thought of who could be the culprit.
There were a lot of people around the world who might want to get back at me. There was also a surprising amount that still held grudges against my father, but they wanted to take it out on me. So I wanted to wash my hands and leave it all behind.
It was then that I heard a hurried voice coming from the other side of the cave.
"I found him!"
"The Demon Lord is here!"
Demon Lord.
That was a name that had absolutely no connection with me.
But for some reason that voice was aimed at me.
I was confused. I've been called a demon several times in my life, but this is the first time I've been called the Demon Lord. Maybe it's a kind of secret code name.
"Stay right there!"
"We will kill you if you move!"
They came as wolves.
They held bladed weapons like knives and axes. I couldn't help but be amazed. I raised my arms.
"I surrender!"
"Lay your son of a bitch there!"
Without warning, he grabbed my head and hit the floor. They were violent with myself having surrendered.
"Ack ..."
A stone on the floor cut my cheek.
"Keep your head on the floor! It stays like that until I get it up! "
I almost screamed, but managed to hold on.
Loud noises bother kidnappers. During a kidnapping, even if you're in pain, you shouldn't scream.
Asgard Imperial Academy 3rd of Elementary School, I didn't know anything and I was crying. After being beaten to the point of breaking five of my teeth, I learned to be silent.
Silently ...
Politely...
It sounds stupid, but that's the right attitude to take when dealing with a kidnapper.
"I got him! Bruno de Valencia captured a Demon Lord! "
"Ooh .... Our big and handsome captain, Bruno. You don't want to keep all the reward for you, do you? "
The men started talking animatedly.
I held my breath and listened to the conversation.
"Of course not. I'll share it with everyone. Kekekekekeje…. "
"Look at this Demon Lord, he looks like a caterpillar."
"He even looks good with his face on the floor. We will kill him soon. "
"What are you saying? I still have to ask him a few things. "
Someone kicked my rib.
It wasn't a serious kick, it was a joke, but even so, it was very painful.
".... But just to be sure, let's beat him up."
"Friends! We are going to beat this Demon Lord. "
Pityless violence rained on me.
Ten people were kicking me. I held back my screams with all my strength. More than five minutes passed before the punches and kicks started to stop.
"Sugarplum. I think it already has. "
"People. Our handsome boss said to stop. "
"Kekekekekeje ..."
The violence finally stopped.
While I was breathing hard, one of the men spoke to me as a representative.
"Very well, honorable Demon Lord. There is something I want to ask you. Where's the castle money? To tell the truth, we are just people from the village in need of money. "
As expected, I was kidnapped for money.
But wait, they kept using strange words for me. There was something I needed to confirm. I had a chance that they were mistaking me for someone else.
"What do you mean 'Lord Demon' ...?"
When I opened my mouth, I groaned. My lips were cut.
"Good very good."
He hinted.
"Even if you're beaten so much, you can still show so much decency. Excellent posture. Kekekekekeje ... I don't hate that kind of thing, honorable Demon Lord. "
With a thick hand he grabbed my hair.
"Ack ..."
My face was lifted by force.
I made eye contact with the man in front of me. His entire face was covered with a dirty, rotting brown beard. A dark fungus that grew in a public toilet that hasn't been cleaned for more than tens of years, that's what his beard looked like. That is, frighteningly disgusting.