Arlow carefully and quietly reached for the white clue ball in his inventory, studying it frantically as he remembered the instructions on the screen: "The Emergency Exit Ball provides escape from danger after completing a puzzle." His hands trembled as he pressed a button on the ball, causing it to glow and disappear into thin air. In its place, a hologram appeared, showing an intricate puzzle: "What exists outside of oxygen, earth, and water but moves like water, is tangible like oxygen, and gives life to the earth?"
Arlow's brow furrowed in confusion before his intrusive thoughts suddenly kicked in. "Time! It's Time - that's the answer!" he whispered with a surge of excitement.
As soon as he spoke the words aloud, the hologram flickered and transformed into a glowing arrow pointing down a nearby alley.
"This way! Quickly!" An ethereal voice echoed.
Not daring to hesitate, Arlow bolted after the spectral arrow leaving his apartement behind with his invisible footsteps hopefully masked by the cloak of the umbrella. He could sense the hostile players' confusion behind him.
"Where the fuck did, he go?" one snarled.
"Don't ask me, Lyan!" another one replied, frustration evident in their voice. "I was as confused as you! There were five of us. He must have used some kinda ability to vanish."
"Let's scatter and search for this newbie prick!" a third hostile player growled.
"Okay, Derwk!" Lyan agreed.
Arlow didn't slow until he reached the mouth of the alley, where the arrow pointed towards...a parked taxi? His brow furrowed, but the ghostly voice spurred him onward with an insistent chant: "Enter! Enter!" With no other choice, Arlow yanked open the cab's rear door and threw himself inside, slamming it shut behind him with a trembling gasp of relief.
Little did he know, the taxi's occupant was no ordinary driver, but rather Dudrag—a dragon working dual jobs as a marketing firm employee and part-time rideshare driver to pay off old debts from a past accident.
As Dudrag scrolled through the Connect rideshare app on his phone, he suddenly felt an invisible force slam into his backseat. His scales prickled with alarm as he whipped around, only to be met with the sight of a disheveled human materializing out of thin air.
"What in blazes...?"
Arlow froze, realizing his mistake a beat too late. With fumbling hands, he retracted the umbrella's canopy, his form rematerializing before the stunned driver.
"D-Drive!" Arlow stammered desperately. "Please, just drive!"
Dudrag's jaw dropped at the sight of the disheveled human materializing in his backseat. But before he could protest further, pure instinct took over. Gunning the engine, he peeled away from the curb, vision locked on the maze of streets ahead, with no choice but to trust this bizarre twist of fate.
As the taxi hurtled forward, Arlow allowed himself to finally expel the breath he'd been holding. He had survived...for now. But more dangers surely lay ahead in this twisted game, and he knew he would need to tread carefully if he hoped to unravel its dark secrets.
Behind them, the hostile players regrouped, growling curses into the night.
"Where the fuck did that prick go?"
"Spread out and find him! That noob isn't getting away with his gear..."
Their malicious voices faded into the distance as Dudrag's taxi sped onwards, carrying Arlow into the unknown perils that surely awaited.
As Dudrag's taxi sped through the dimly lit streets of Venberg, the silence between the two occupants grew thick with unspoken questions and palpable tension. Arlow, still shaken from his narrow escape, glanced nervously at the dragon driving the cab. He needed answers, and fast.
"Thanks for the quick getaway," Arlow began, his voice trembling. "I didn't mean to startle you, but I had no choice."
Dudrag glanced at Arlow through the rearview mirror, his eyes narrowing. "You just materialized in my backseat out of nowhere. Care to explain what's going on?"
Arlow took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. "It's complicated. There's this... game, I guess you could call it, that I've been pulled into. It involves solving mysteries and evading danger. Those people back there—those were hostile players sent to hunt me down."
Dudrag's eyes widened slightly thinking maybe the kid who enter his cab was on some kind of drug, his grip tightening on the steering wheel as he began to doubt Arlow. Truthfully Dudrag was also confused on how come someone just materialized infornt of his eyes "A game? Sounds like you're in some deep trouble, kid. What's your name, anyway?"
"Arlow," he replied. "And you?"
"Dudrag. Part-time cabbie, full-time marketing drone, and apparently now, part-time rescuer of people involved in crazy games."
Arlow managed a weak smile. "Nice to meet you, Dudrag. Im sorry for making you uncomfortable and suddenly barge inside your taxi. I'm trying to figure out what this game is all about and why I was pulled into it."
Dudrag sighed, his expression softening slightly. "Alright, Arlow. Let's start with the basics. Where do you need to go?"
Suddenly the screen pops up out of nowhere and showing the map on his virtual screen, searching for any clues that might indicate his next destination.
A new quest notification appeared:
Quest: Follow the Clues
Details: Use your detective skills to uncover the location of the next clue.
Reward: 200 Nihil Dollars
suddenly, he remembered the blue clue ball in his inventory. The instructions were clear: the blue Hint Ball would provide clues for solving missions or other tasks.
Arlow quickly fished out the blue ball and pressed its button. The blue ball shown its puzzle and once again Arlow emotion triggered.
"This thing was not exactly a thing. It always comes in unexpected times, sometimes when you are in life-or-death situation, sometimes in appear in a normal day. What thing could this thing be?" it read
"Motherfuc-...hah" Arlow sighed and stop his anger because he remembers it useless anyway.
"What's wrong? Are you in pain?" Dudrag ask with slight worry.
"Nah it just some riddle that the game gave me" Arlow replies with a smirk
"Tell me what it is? Maybe if I am in luck. I can guess it right" Said Dudrag.
"W-wait! Wait a minute-!"
Dudrag stop his taxi frantically, because of Arlow shouts.
"What the hell is it?!" said Dudrag
"Ah! Im sorry, it just i have found the answer! The Answer is Luck!" Said Arlow carelessly without thinking about Dudrag who is getting annoyed.
Suddenly the blue hint ball disappears after Arlow guessed it right and then some ethereal voice ringin inside his mind.
"Library is not an ordinary place for books but also secrets"
Arlow relayed the information to Dudrag. "We need to go to the Venberg Public Library. Apparently, it's not just a place for books but also for secrets."
Dudrag nodded, hit the gas, changing direction and heading towards the library district. "A library, huh? Not exactly my idea of a thrilling night out, but it beats getting caught by those goons."
As they drove, Arlow found himself growing curious about Dudrag. "So, Dudrag, how did a dragon like you end up working in marketing and driving a taxi?"
Dudrag chuckled, a low rumbling sound. "Long story short, I made some bad investments and ended up in debt. Marketing pays the bills, and driving this cab helps me chip away at what I owe. Not exactly the glamorous life of a dragon, but you do what you have to."
Arlow nodded, feeling a sense of camaraderie with Dudrag. Both of them were just trying to survive in a world that seemed determined to throw obstacles their way. Arlow couldn't shake the feeling of unease as they almost arrived at Venberg Public Library. The imposing, dimly lit building stood before them, a symbol of the knowledge and secrets hidden inside.