Ignoring the second message, I focused on replying to Red: 'Hey Red, I'm good, just had a busy day yesterday, sorry for worrying you.'
[RedHuntressLive]: Phew! I was so worried! My team even complained that I wasn't paying attention in class yesterday! Speaking of which, I PASSED! YAY, I'M THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE BEACON!
Red had a unique way of cheering me up. I found myself smiling unconsciously as I walked through the streets of the realm. I'm glad someone would be sad if something happened to me.
'I'm happy for you, Red. Knew you'd make it!'
Red's enthusiasm was contagious. Passing by the armory where Emily worked, I turned my attention to the second member of the (CHAT) who seemed to be losing patience.
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: Hey! Don't ignore me. How did you get past my defenses? Why can't I locate you? And where is this place? A medieval nerd event?
I had my suspicions about who this person was, but I wouldn't comment until I was sure. Speaking of which, I didn't put the stream title. Well, I'll wait until I'm alone to add it.
'A simple summary: I was kidnapped to another world and got a job. I have no idea how the stream ended up here.' Dodging people on my way, I continued. 'Magic maybe, that's the explanation I've been using for everything these days.'
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: And you expect me to believe that? Is this some kind of prank? Was it Pepper or Obie who put you up to this? Come on, tell me, how much are they paying you for this?
The sweet denial of the truth. I think I've moved past that stage.
[RedHuntressLive]: It's true! I searched the entire CCT, there's no place like this in Remnant, they don't even have Grimm! It's amazing!
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: Grimm? Remnant? What are you talking about? How many actors did they hire for this?
The two of them began to argue. Red talking about her world and how the stream was real, how I was really in another world, and what I now was sure was Tony Stark denying and arguing back.
Thinking about it, he mentioned 'Obie.' As far as I remember, that was the nickname he had for his uncle. Must be at some point before his uncle tried to kill him, but was it before he was kidnapped or after? Well, that's if he's the MCU Stark. He could very well be from a completely different universe.
Leaving the realm's walls, I had more freedom to speak without them thinking I was crazy.
'Hey, Stark, let me ask you something. What year are you in? Is it already two thousand and nine?' Let's confirm something.
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: What do you mean, what year? Do you live under a rock? It's clearly 2009. The new year was just a week ago. And you know who I am! Are you going to keep up this otherworldly charade forever?
[RedHuntressLive]: OOOHHH, you know him? Were you from the same world? You told me you were from outside of Remnant, are you from the same planet? Is he famous?
Red and her many questions as always. Well, let's not make it too confusing for her.
"Basically, he's from Earth, and I was from Earth before I was kidnapped. And yes, he could be considered famous for the wrong reasons. Don't be like him, Red." Let's leave it at that. Saying that I was from an alternate version of Earth where both of them were just fiction would only bring problems for now. Another issue for the future.
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: Don't defame me to other people! Know that I am an example, a model citizen. All the boys want to be like me, and all the girls want me.
"See, stay as far away as possible, Red, a big bad influence."
[RedHuntressLive]: (Red Riding Hood emote nodding in agreement).
What the he...
"Hey Red, where did you get that?" I'm pretty sure there weren't emotes before. I checked the stream chat too.
[RedHuntressLive]: I don't know! There are a bunch of these now! This little girl even looks like me! (Red Riding Hood emote giving a thumbs-up).
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: Don't ignore me! (Iron Man emote emitting smoke from the helmet). Why are my emotes just armor?
It seems like each of them has custom emotes? Red has Red Riding Hood emotes that resemble her, and Stark has Iron Man armor emotes. Cool.
But if I remember correctly, he was kidnapped in 2009, around the middle of the year, if I'm not mistaken. He said the new year was just a short while ago. So, wouldn't him having Iron Man armor emotes be a spoiler?
Walking, after a few minutes, I managed to leave the road and return to the forest where I had walked a few days ago. Taking the map from my inventory, I began to follow the path back to the clearing.
Being careful not to bump into any trees as I walked, I continued through the forest. After a few minutes, I came face to face with my first slime of the day, a red slime.
That reminds me...
"Hey Red, I found out that you can invite people to the stream, so if you want to invite a friend, go ahead, just create a code by pressing the button in the left corner." Let's take this opportunity to increase the viewers a bit.
[RedHuntressLive]: Alright! I wanted to ask about this! I want to send the stream to my team! They didn't believe me when I told them I was watching someone from another world! YAY, be right back! (Red Riding Hood emote running with petals behind her).
Taking my copper short sword from my inventory, I got into position, waiting for the slime to approach me. I found it easier to just wait for them to jump and dodge, letting them hit the ground afterward.
Seeing the slime preparing to jump, I prepared to dodge, but something almost made me stumble and get hit.
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: Now that I've seen it, only two viewers, how sad. (Iron Man emote throwing money).
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy] Donated 100 SP!: A slime? At least the CGI is good, kudos for the effort!
Quickly dodging the slime and letting it splat on the ground, I finished reading the messages before delivering the final blow to the monster's core.
Before I could say anything about the donation, another message appeared, but this time just for me.
(First donation received: Achievement unlocked - GIVE ME SP! I'M HUNGRY!: 1000 SP)
(First donation received: Unlocked feature: Donation ranking)
More SP and another feature. Ignoring the messages, I picked up the slime's core and stowed it away. "Thanks for the donation, Stark, although I have the feeling it was just to rub it in my face that you're rich."
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: Just your impression, I'm sure. (Smirking Iron Man emote).
Shaking my head, I smiled ironically. I crouched down and held my inventory in my hands, placing its entrance near the dead slime's body. Let's test something.
I pushed a part of the slime's body into the inventory, and my suspicions were correct. The VoidBag probably considered the entire dead body as one entity, so when I pushed a small part inside, the rest went in as well.
Now I had an efficient way to collect the dead slimes, or in this case, gel. I'll see what I can do with it later; for now, let's continue.
I killed a few more slimes on the way to the clearing. Stark seemed to find it funny to donate SP for each dead slime. Well, I wouldn't complain, but the willingness to help the guy considering the kidnapping dwindled with each message.
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy] Donated 10 SP!: Have you no mercy? Poor slimes!
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy] Donated 10 SP!: Are you going to use their dead bodies as massage oil? Take a bath?
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy] Donated 10 SP!: YOU MONSTER! BATHING IN STILL WARM CORPSES!
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy] Donated 10 SP!: Come on, man! Be at least creative, change up the enemies! Or did you only program different-colored slimes?
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: Donated 10 SP!: 4/10, technology is good, CGI is excellent, but they're just slimes, I've seen better pranks.
I'm going to strangle this guy. I'll find some way to get to Marvel and pee in his whiskey, that's a promise.
It took a few more minutes for me to reach the clearing. It was easy to spot the change. There was a small blue screen in the middle of the clearing. There was nothing written on it, just a square in the shape of my cell phone. You didn't have to be a genius to figure out what to do.
Taking my cell phone from the inventory, I placed it with the screen facing the blue screen. As the screens faced each other, a kind of scanner emerged from the clearing screen to my phone.
Two new notifications appeared in my view, and the clearing screen seemed to update, but before I could see what had changed, several messages appeared in the (CHAT).
[WhiteHuntressLive]: Is this what I should be seeing, Ruby? A guy looking at a HardDust hologram? Only you would believe something is from another world.
[RedHuntressLive]: HEY! It's true! They even have slimes, and the city is huge, full of people! There's no way nobody knows a city this big; it's another world, believe me!
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: Another paid actor? They're multiplying! (Emote of a red and gold armor shaking its head).
Based on the account's nickname, I don't think it's Red's sister. She said her name was Yang, if I remember correctly. Must be a friend or something.
"Hey, Red, you're back! And you managed to invite a friend! Pleasure, welcome to watch my misery, by the way..."
Let me put a title on the stream since I forgot to do it before. Here... done!
( ̶T̶o̶n̶y̶ ̶S̶t̶a̶r̶k̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶ s̶m̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶p̶e̶n̶i̶s̶ I mean, I'm going into a dungeon, come see shit go down live!)
It's a good title, self-explanatory.
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: HEY! Take that down now! Stop defaming me! I want you to know that my friend down there is huge!
Ignoring the words of a clearly crazy man, I continued talking to Red.
"Is she a friend of yours? I thought you were going to invite your sister; you mentioned her before."
[RedHuntressLive]: I was going to! But Yang is busy, she and Blake went out to eat and left me with Weiss!! Can you believe that, my own blood betraying me like this! (Dramatic Red Riding Hood emote fainting).
[WhiteHuntressLive]: Don't talk as if staying with me is a punishment! And look at this low-tier title! How can you believe this, Ruby!
[RedHuntressLive]: Don't talk like that! It's true, you'll see! Speaking of which, Devas, it said I only had three invitations! I wanted to invite the next team too, but this only allows me to invite my team!
This... changed things. I thought I could make Red distribute invitations and make my life easier, maybe even ask Stark for help since he has contacts in various places; it wouldn't be hard for him to get thousands of people into the stream.
"Hey, Red, can your friend invite someone? Can you check that for me? I need to know if the three invitations are for everyone or just the people who entered the stream without being invited." I hoped it was for everyone, but the next message only confirmed my fears.
[RedHuntressLive]: I already checked this! Weiss doesn't have the invitations, only I do! Can you fix this? Or give me more invitations? (Red Riding Hood emote with a question mark over her head).
Damn... okay, three invitations per person is better than nothing. At least that's what I hoped.
"Thanks for confirming, Red, I appreciate that, but going back to White or Weiss, I suppose, I really wish it was a lie, but it's true. Stay there for a while, and you'll see."
[WhiteHuntressLive]: Ruby kept bothering me to watch this with her, so I'll stay a bit longer. But don't expect me, a Schnee, to help with anything while this crude title is still there! (Angry Snow White's dwarf emote huffing through the nose).
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: Come on! She has a dwarf! Why can't I have a dwarf? Just these boring suits! (Indignant Iron Man emote!).
Dwarfs? Why dwarfs?... Well, Weiss is white in German, isn't it? And Schnee would be... Ah, yes... it makes sense. One of her seven dwarfs. Funny.
Finishing reading the messages, I turned my attention back to the notifications.
(First dungeon discovered: Achievement unlocked - Flesh is temporary, Grind is eternal!: 1000 SP).
(First dungeon discovered: Unlocked feature - Story Mode).
I nodded to that; more SP is always good. And it didn't take long for me to figure out what this story mode was. All I had to do was look at the screen floating in the clearing.
[Slime Dungeon - Modes:
Classic Mode: Unlocked
Expert Mode: Locked
Master Mode: Locked
Story Mode: Unlocked (WARNING!! HIGH DIFFICULTY - STREAM ONLY) ]
Terraria difficulty modes, I should have guessed. And this story mode must be the journey mode, and apparently, I could only enter it with the stream on, unlike the others that I could access at any time.
Taking a deep breath, I began to stretch. It wouldn't be good to get some kind of cramp or muscle strain in there. While I stretched, the stream chat fell silent. The three were still there, but it seemed like they were just going to watch and see what I would do.
After a few minutes of stretching, I took both potions from my inventory and placed one in each pocket, just in case. One in the left and one in the right. I chose these pants in Emily's store precisely because they had pockets.
Holding my copper short sword with my right hand, I extended my left hand and 'pressed' the screen in classic mode. Let's start with the easiest one; if the stream itself warned me about the difficulty, I wouldn't touch that with a ten-foot pole.
When I 'pressed' the button, the world seemed to warp and bend in infinite colors. Before I could realize what was happening, my body instinctively closed my eyes. This was not something I should see, that I could see without going crazy, I knew that, it was instinct. Looking at those colors was death.
I don't know how much time passed. The first thing I noticed was that I was lying on the ground. Placing my hands on the ground, I sat up and looked around. I was no longer in the clearing; the environment had changed.
Shaking my head, I focused on the environment, forcing myself not to think about those colors; I was sure something bad would happen if I tried to remember them.
I was at the beginning of a dark corridor. It seemed to be a little over three meters wide from wall to wall, and the ceiling was slightly higher than that. The walls were made of grayish bricks, and the only source of light in the place was the torches burning on the walls.
I stayed seated as I waited for my eyes to adjust to the dim light. While waiting, I checked the (CHAT), but no one had commented on the colors.
"That was... strange, to say the least; I never want to go through that again. Did you guys notice anything?"
[WhiteHuntressLive]: Besides the fact that you were TELEPORTED! No, nothing, all normal here!!! (Emote of a white-haired girl looking incredulous).
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: Like Snow White said, nothing out of the ordinary, did changing the CGI make you dizzy? (Sarcastic Iron Man emote laughing).
[RedHuntressLive]: WOW! THAT WAS AMAZING! YOU WERE IN ONE PLACE AND THEN EVERYTHING CHANGED!! WHAT IS THIS? A POCKET WORLD? A REAL DUNGEON?!?!
No one seemed to have noticed it, for the best. Getting up, I realized I was a bit dizzy. I leaned against the wall for a few seconds until my body returned to normal, then I stood up. Holding the copper short sword in my right hand, I walked to the nearest torch and picked it up.
"Well, here goes nothing!"
Holding a torch in my left hand and the sword in my right hand, I walked down the corridor. Let's see what awaits me.