I can't feel any strength in my arms nor the rest of my body. My vision is blurring. Blood is leaving my body. Ah....I wish I could've done so much more. To leave the country, to discover so many things. Maybe meet someone and create a family to watch for the rest of my life. Wait why the hell am I thinking of these things like I'm going to die? Wait I AM dying.
I heard some words here and there. Some words like "Clear" and "Live". Well it doesn't matter right now. At least I can recall some of my memories from earlier today. Let's see....I woke up as usual in my so-so room which has everything I need. Ate breakfast and went to school. So far its boring enough since that's my daily routine. But then something very clique happened. I saw a young child running out on the street when truck was about to hit it. Obviously my instincts tell me to save the stupid child.
So I ran out, pushed the child out of the way and got hit by a 5 tonne truck in the process. Then it all goes fuzzy. Well at least I don't have to do my exams now. But all those hours put in studying was completely wasted. There was also this new game called 'Royal Road'. Saw a couple of videos and didn't really want to play it. For one it was really expensive to play to begin with. The second was that I prefer strategy and RPGs even though the game was essentially one big RPG that would even suppresses the era of D&D and the game also has elements of strategy games.
But that doesn't matter right now. For a while now all I've been 'seeing' was pitch black. It was not surprisingly scary at all. In fact it was comforting. But the time of being comforted by the darkness was over. A bright light appeared. Well it seemed that I was about to kick the bucket now. Oh the irony. I kinda wanted to stay in the darkness for a while more.
"Hey get in the light"
Wait, what? Did I just hear a voice just now?
"If you want to live get into the light"
Umm...isn't it usual the other way around. You know going into the light being accepting death.
"GET INTO THE LIGHT YOU FOOL!!!!"
Yes yes I get it. Get into the freaking light. But I don't exactly have a body right now, how the hell do I move closer to it. Maybe with the power of imagination? Might as well try.
I imagined myself moving towards the light. Soon enough the light seemed to get brighter. I was either moving closer to it or the light was getting brighter. I want to think that it was the first option.
Well now I'm in a bright place with no speck of black nor any other colour at all. I look around and noticed that I have my body again. I tried opening and closing my hand and it seemed to work fine.
"Good now we don't have to worry about you dying."
I hear the voice again. It was female. I have no idea what kind of figure the person had but as a guy I like to think the person as a hot blonde nurse or any other hot nurse character. But that was immediately shattered.
"By the way, I'm a guy."
Shit. I thought it was a female voice since it was kinda high-pitched. Though this person might be lying about being a guy.
"You're thinking I can't be a guy right?"
Wait how does this person know what I'm thinking?
"You know that you can speak right? Talk."
So this person either can read my mind or not and wants me to talk.
"Umm....are you really a guy?", I ask hoping that the person says no and that it was all a joke.
"Yes, I'm a guy." He said sighing.
Well there goes my hopes. Speaking of which am I wearing any clothes right now? Nope. I'm butt naked. I wonder where I can get clothes. I feel somewhat exposed.
"So where are my clothes?" I once more asked hoping for a good answer.
The person immediately responses again.
"Imagine yourself with clothes."
So I did. Imagining myself in my casual clothes. A simple T-shirt and shorts. I looked at my body again and found that there was clothes on myself again. I wonder what will happen if I imagine myself as a girl...or maybe I shouldn't. I should ask latter if I can.
"So what's your name?" I asked.
The response this time was not immediate but it came nevertheless.
"My name is Eli Rommulous the fourth."
Wow that's one fucked up name. The fourth? That means there's three more unfortunate people who had that name.
"Just joking. Its actually Seraph Rommulous the fourth."
That doesn't make it better. The Rommu-something the fourth part is still there.
"So what's up with your name?"
Seraph immediately responses with, "Shut it, unless you want me to disconnect you."
Disconnect me with what? Am I connected to some machine. I don't see any cables conencted to my body....but I'm in some place which I have no idea when, how and why I got here in the first place. Then Seraph answers my question.
"Lets see, your Lin Ferine born and raised in Australia. Age is 17 and you are still in highschool right?"
So they have info on me.....
"Yes" I answered.
"You got hit by a truck in the early morning, to be more precise 8.37 am correct?"
"How would I know the time I got hit! Yes I got hit by a bloody truck."
Sudden rage appeared out of nowhere. Why would I know the precise details when I almost died a while back.
"Okay....lets continue. Height is 179 cm and weight is-"
"Why the fuck would you ask that?!"
"Fine. Lets skip the protocol. Anyway you are technically dead you know. Your brain stopped functioning a hour after the accident you had. Your body was donated by your parents to perform an experiment to possibly revive a person after a while of death. We know this cannot be successful when the brain decades but a flesh brain like your is perfect."
What?...what did this person just say...I'm dead...experiment.....what the fuck is happening?!
Despite my confusion, Seraph continues.
"Your body to be more precise your brain is connected to a program used by Royal Road. We are sustaining you through this. We also brought and paid for the game as well. It seems unicorn is also interested with the results we can achieve."
I take a deep breathe in and out a couple of times. I try to calm myself down and analyse the situation. So I died. That's the hardest thing to accept. I'm in an experiment when my parents sold me to them. That was kinda easier to accept then I'm dead but then again I'm thinking and doing stuff so I'm alive right now. And their experiment was a success with me right?
"So what am I to do now Seraph?"
"Well unless you want to stay like that for the rest of your life, I suggest you play Royal Road. Else ask me for something to do. I can input a couple of things in this place but they are very limited."
So the choice is essentially to play Royal Road. Great play a game for a while. Better than doing nothing. Maybe I can find my friends that play the game while I'm at it. Wait do they know I'm alive?
"Hey, does anyone else know I'm in this state?"
"Outside this lab no. You can imagine what could happen if people found out we revived you. To the public with the exclusion of your parents, you are dead. Though we still didn't tell them the experiment was successful. We like to keep things hidden unless you want us to tell them?"
Well it seems to be a good thing that people know I'm not here. But the thought that everyone mourning over me is kinda disturbing.
"Can I get out of here and back into real life?"
"One thing at a time. It was very difficult to get you in this state in the first place. Its best not to get hasty just yet."
So I'm stuck here for a while.
"So can I play Royal Road?"
"Sure but please note that you can't log out unless you die. If you do log out then some problems might occur. But don't worry about dying. You'll just end back here again. Also we will need a report on your progress every time you died. Unicorn refused to allow us to monitor you for some reason. Well then without any more delay Program Royal Road Start!"
The space I was in didn't change at all. But there was a clearly female voice now.
— The scan on your iris and vein has determined that you are an unregistered user. Do you want to create a new account?"
"Yes"
Well all games have to start somewhere.
— Select the name of your avatar"
What should my name be?....maybe something fancy. No that's a bad idea. I don't like the idea of drawing attention to myself. I'm just playing to kill some time. My real name is out of the question. Ah! That would work.
"Eden"
A name from the garden of Eden where the first two humans Adam and Eve were exiled form by God.
— Select you gender from Male, Female or Neutral"
Hmm...should I select female? Playing as such a character would be fine but when someone finds out that I a guy is playing as one.....no. Male is kinda obvious but boring. Neutral....what the fuck is neutral. Well, might as well go male this time.
"Male"
— Royal Road has forty-nine races. You may select your race from the primary twenty-nine available."
I don't care much of any other race. Don't want to get used to the new look.
"Human"
— You may alter your appearance"
So I can change my appearance.....I should make myself look a bit better.
"Change hair colour to black. Make me a bit muscular but still thin. Set eye colour to black. Change face to be a but sharper in the cheeks, straightens nose, enlarge eyes, thin eyebrow hair, lower eyebrow height, lower nose position, increase mouth position. Hmm....should I have long or short hair? Might as well go long. Increase hair length to 60 cm. Tye hair to ponytail. That should do."
— Your account has been activated. Your stats and class shall be determined while you are playing Royal Road."
Shit.....I turned my avatar into a girl without realising. Well this will give me some interesting experiences...at least my avatar look hot. Well I am Asian and I look like an Asain girl right now.....though no breasts.
— Select a city and kingdom you want to start."
"Give me a city that has a lot of history."
— Kingdom of Kallamore. Town of Tellap in the Senbain mountains has been selected."
Wait a town not a city? Damn did I just get screwed.
— Welcome to Royal Road.