"Now let's see what this level 2 has to offer."
He dropped the bottle of what looked like liquid from purple vine fruits, on the stool next to the couch. Then instead of walking past the other couch, he jumped over to save himself the stress.
He heard a crack. His eyes widened,
"Was that the tab?"
He began to tilt his head slowly, hoping that he hadn't make a great mistake.
"Oh, thank goodness."
He sighed in relief. 'Twas nothing to be worried about. He picked up the map and plucked off the chip on the 'level two' slide.
"Are you ready for this Drake?"
He asked himself, leaning back into the couch.
"Of course I should be. I can't even think of going to live at that waste space. Let's just hope that this level wouldn't be a nightmare, and pays well too."
He gulped, then clipped the chip to his temple. He exhaled sharply,
"Take DREYA to level two."
He called and then went unconscious.
He opened his eyes to a cold place. He looked around him.
"Where I am?"
There was a table few steps away from him. And two benches locked to the table. On the table were several things he couldn't tell from where he was standing.
"Am I standing on a rooftop?"
He wasn't sure. He walked to one of the edges of the flat surface. He looked down, there were houses beneath, scattered across the area.
"Where is this? Why do I get to come to boring places like this. Aren't there no better places than heights? Or do these dumb asses think that I'm scared of heig---"
[Welcome to Level two.]
The robotic voice came from behind him.
"It's about time."
He grunted, then turned away from the view. He edged towards the benches and table.
The rules were written out as usual but with different requirements.
[Level two, single mission.]
[Level difficulty - Bruh, you'll sweat!]
[Number of trials - Uncountable]
[Choice of change - Thrice]
[Mission status - Make her laugh.]
"Bruh, you'll sweat."
He said with contempt.
"I'm sure it's some random teenagers that came up with the difficulty level na -- wait what! Make who laugh."
He exclaimed reading the last rule. The bot said suddenly,
[Note: You can't change the specimen. The system randomize your fears and toss the darkest cum weirdest at you.]
"What's this bitch talking about? What am I supposed to do?"
He complained, sitting on the bench close to him. He observed the things on the table, they were meaningless to him. They were wraps of hidden objects? Seven of them with different colors in a tray.
"What are there in this things?"
He picked one up, shaking it. Its content tinkled.
"What am I supposed to --"
Suddenly a portal appeared at his front, at the back of the other bench. He almost fell off because of how suddenly it came.
And then out of the portal walked out Chloe. He jumped off his bench at once.
"What the fuck is this? Who's that messing with my mind? How could you bring --]
The bot came on again,
[Do not deceived, this is a simulation of your nightmare. She's not real. She's a clone of her and contains all the emotions and behaviors of the real specimen. All you have to do is make her laugh. Best of luck.]
"Oh, she's not real."
He tried to calm himself down, walking back to his bench but reluctant to seat.
"You know what, fuck this bench."
He decided to walk past the bench and stood where she could see him fully. She had her arms folded below her tits. She was cute and looked so real. Plus, she kept that unamused gaze Chloe would wear.
"So, I'm supposed to make you laugh."
He started. He began to bit his fingers thinking of how to.
"Okay, my is Drake and yours is Chloe. Can we Drachloe together?"
She didn't say anything. Instead she facepalmed and groaned. She shook her head,
"How stupid."
He scoffed, nodding,
"Typical of Chloe."
"You see, I'm just warming up. That isn't the real deal."
He tried to make himself feel good. Then he ran his fingers through his hair, rumpling it,
"What should I say, how to make her laugh."
He bit his fingers for a while. Then again his face lit up,
"Okay, you'll laugh now!"
He seemed to be very sure of himself.
"Do you know what Mr time said to Miss space? He said, Abulacacabam."
He jumped trying to act funny, but she dropped both her hands in frustration.
"What do you think you are doing? Am I a joke to you?"
He looked away,
"Okay, now I'm about to be serious. You won't help it this time."
He went all serious,
"Do you know what you look like when you chase someone?"
She shook her head, gawking.
"You look a giant drunk fart which took the form a woman..."
He was the one who laugh out loud this time. She just watched him keep to the folly. Then she spoke,
"Did you know that that was body-shaming? You were told to make a joke and not be foolish. When will you grow up? Genius my foot."
She walked away from him; she had been standing opposite him all along.
"Where are you going?"
He called but she didn't reply. He watched her walk to her bench and lie on her back. She pretended to sleep. He walked to her,
"How are you supposed to laugh when you are sleeping?"
She opened her eyes,
"That's how boring you are, bro."
"Bro."
He repeated the word, rolling his eyes.
"You better laugh."
There was an iota of threat in his voice. She huffed.
"Try harder."
She urged, more of a scorn. But he didn't care. After all, that was the only way to pass the level.
"Or should I just change the circumstance. Probably I'd meet someone better."
He shook his head,
"I ain't a coward."
He walked away from her, pacing; a stimulant to his thoughts. He walked back to her after several strides.
"I'm so boring that whenever I say a word, people open their 36..."
She yawned. For a fact, 'twas pretty difficult to tell what he was doing. Whether he was trying or trolling.
"I would had loved to go romantic but you're such a bore."
He grunted, but then she opened her eyes again,
"Let's hear those then. Give it a try."
WHAT IF THIS IS HOW THE REAL CHLOE BEHAVES. WOULDN'T IT BE COOL. He thought but discarded it at once.
"Okay let me go romantic."
He softened his voice now, going down on one of his knees,
"I've thought about your beauty for a while now, you must be an angel who missed her way to earth."
"Bro, are you writing a poem?!"
She turned on the bench away from him. He stood up and began to jump about in rage.
"Fucking bitch."
He bit the words but she heard,
"I can hear you."
"Whatever."
As he turned back to her, he stared at her for a long while. Then suddenly, something popped up in his brain.
"Make her laugh right? Yes, make her laugh."
He rushed to her and bent over her. He began to tickle her in her sides.
"Now you've got no choice, you must laugh."
But she didn't even move let alone laugh. He continued for a long while. When he didn't get the anticipated result, he dropped down, whining like a baby. She turned to him, not standing from the bench, let alone sitting up,
"How can you be so dumb? Have you forgotten that this is just a simulation and not real? How can I possibly feel dopamine?"
He shook his head in disagreement,
"I hate to believe that I was lied to. The bot mentioned that you have emotions. And if that's true, I'll make you laugh. It's not in my gene to give up."
He stood back up and resumed tickling her. He wouldn't give up even though she was far from budging.
Suddenly, she got weary of his fingers going from one side to the other. She grabbed his left wrist,
"Stop this madness already. Or I'll make you."
"No, I won't."
He kept to it, going up and down her sides.
"Are you nuts? I said stop this right now!"
She was getting vexed but he didn't care. Instead he sneered,
"Why is this bitch getting worked up? Laugh, you won't. But you are quick to get angry. No emotions, my foot!!"
He kept on trying to get her to laugh. She grabbed his other wrist and tried to push him away. Instead she made him lose his balance and fell on her. Half of his body on hers, his face hovering over hers.
For a moment, he was caught up in a fantasy. The fantasy of meeting his lips with hers; the scene he once imagined the first time he saw her before she went rogue.
And then he lost it and began to move his head towards her. His eyes were closed now. He brought his face closer and closer. When he lips almost met hers, she pushed him away and he fell on the brick floor.
Then she sat up and began to laugh. Not a gentle but a wild laugh. She was laughing with every strength in her. Her face was a mess of the weird glee.
Drake stood up, forgetting that he bruised his arms.
"Why the fuck is she laughing? Is she mad?!"
He couldn't hide his confusion. He walked to her and touched her neck with the back of his hand.
"Are you sure you don't need a doctor."
She stood up, continuing to laugh. He only stood there in shock, watching her. After she'd had a fill, she pointed at him,
"How stupid of you. You wanted to kiss a simulation? You wanted to kiss what doesn't exist. Foolish, foolish, foolish!!!"
She kept on laughing.
"She's deranged."
He nodded to himself. Suddenly the screen showed up and the finger wrote,
[Congratulations. Mission passed. Reward: --]
As usual, the rewards were shown in gold pallets.
[Level three unlocked.]
[100 ULTINUM coins rewarded.]
[Buyable: A second-tier house and a strip club in the ULTINUM world. A robot car in the real world. Note: Both investments cost 75 coins.]
"100 coins, what the fuck! Yea!!!"
He jubilated.
"I can't fucking wait."
He even forgot that the laughing Chloe was still there. And as soon as the display was retrieved, the portal returned and Chloe laughed her way towards her.
"Maniac."
He shook his head and pressed the button in his nape. Off the sight he went.