Knock, knock!
Kane tapped lightly on the glass counter, which contained various objects, from diamond-encrusted rings to a black iron sword marked with symbols that seemed to flow.
Soon after, a man with dark, messy hair emerged, giving him a carefree air. He had a cigarette dangling from his lips. He wore a white shirt, black tie, and suit pants.
"How can I help you?" asked Rick, the appraiser, calmly, not overly concerned with sounding professional.
Kane pulled a black crown out of his suitcase and placed it on the counter. "I want you to appraise this object and explain its functions."
Rick looked at the crown and, taking the cigarette out of his mouth, said, "That would be 100 crowns."
"Sure, no problem," Kane replied, considering the price reasonable, given the unique nature of the crown.
The appraiser said no more. He placed a monocle over his right eye and silently examined the crown.
Kane watched him as he petted the eight-legged bloody wolf he had not yet named.
After a few minutes, Rick stood up heavily and shook his head. "Are you sure this is an article? I don't see anything. Maybe he got ripped off."
"So, with your level, you can't appraise this object..." Kane sighed with resignation, taking the crown from the counter and leaving the guild regardless of the appraiser's reaction.
Once outside the building, Kane visited several places: a weapon store, where he bought some better quality daggers, and a pet store, to acquire some things for the wolf.
After all his shopping, he returned to his apartment, looking to spend the day quietly.
...
February 1, 00:00 hours.
Kane was sitting at the desk with a severe expression, aware that this was the beginning of the first scenario.
[You have been selected to enter the "Historical Void"].
A thick grayish-white mist appeared out of nowhere, completely enveloping him.
...
In a dark room, with the only company of the dim light of the screen flickering in the darkness.
A man died in front of him while having sex with a woman with a seductive figure and long black hair that fell to her waist, emanating an almost divine presence.
"This is how it ends?"
Theo, after defeating the final boss and finishing the game, encountered an unexpected outcome: a yandere constellation that prevented the protagonist from escaping, subjecting him to a sexual act that led to his death.
Even though it was a game, it seemed like an absurd ending.
A well-known company had created the game, but he would never have imagined such a design.
'What were they thinking?' asked Theo.
He had seen Yandere characters kill with knives, but this was the first time he had witnessed a death by exhaustion.
'... Well, compared to being stabbed, maybe it wasn't so bad. At least he died feeling good. Maybe it wasn't a bad ending.'
As he exited the game, a notification popped up in his inbox.
"And this?" Theo raised an eyebrow.
Moved by curiosity, he clicked on the message. A new tab opened on his computer:
- Will you participate in the game?
Theo frowned. 'What's the meaning of this? It's too vague...' He leaned back in his chair, thoughtful. He wasn't naïve enough to accept something like that at face value.
"Will you participate in the game?" he muttered as he scanned the page for an explanation or description, but there was nothing else.
"Tsk!" he clicked his tongue in frustration. 'Accept this? It could be a virus...'
He updated the page several times, but it was still the same.
- Will you participate in the game?
Finally, he sighed, "Okay, we'll take it and see what happens."
With slight nervousness, he clicked "Yes."
'I hope I don't regret it...' he thought as his eyelids began to feel heavy, and he slowly lost consciousness.
...
[Welcome to the "Historical Void"].
[Number of people summoned: 1,045 people].
Crackle!
For a split second, the message window in front of the people made an unusual noise.
[An error has occurred!]
[An omitted participant was found.]
[Counting again.]
[Number of people summoned: 1,046 persons.]
The ordinary people and the players, who were already white in the face, could not allow themselves to think too much about a "mistake" that had only appeared for a brief moment, with the exception of Kane, who realized the mistake.
At that moment, a strange fluffy creature appeared floating in the air with rabbit ears wearing a small straw mat.
[&%$#&%...!]
[&%$#&%...!]
The creature began to speak in a language that none of those present could understand.
'This is what a Historical Void Administrator looks like...' thought Kane as he watched the creature hovering in the air.
Administrators are charged with ensuring that scenarios play out correctly and that no anomalies occur during their course.
Kane looked around, searching for the game's protagonist in the crowd gripped by fear. Most were ordinary people shocked by what was happening, but even the summoned players were just as terrified.
Suddenly, the creature spoke in a language they all understood. [Ah, ha, can you hear me well now? Wow, it took me quite a while; the patch in this region wasn't working correctly. Can you understand me now]
Hearing that familiar language, people's expressions softened, although the nervousness was still latent.
The first to step forward was a burly man dressed in a suit. "Hey, what's going on here?"
[... Huh?] The administrator gave him a strange look.
"Is this a shoot? I have to go; I have an audition to do." The man appeared to be an actor.
[Ah, auditions? That doesn't matter now. Relax and listen to me, all of you. What I have to say is very important].
"What? What the hell are you talking about?"
"Calm down a little...," the gruff man replied gravelly.
"Calm down? What the hell are you talking about?! I've got a goddamn audition, and I'm not wasting my time with this shit!"
The man, who appeared to be an actor, looked upset and glared at the tough guy before continuing vehemently.
"From what I see, you're a player, right? You have yet to learn how hard it is for us non-players. Now, every company prefers guys like you. And when I get the opportunity of a lifetime, this shit happens!"
[Hahaha, what a funny character you are!] The administrator laughed as a strange glow of mana accumulated on his index finger.
[I told you to shut up.]
Suddenly, there was an explosion. The place was plunged into complete and eerie silence.
The actor, who up to that moment had been talking, now had a hole in his forehead. He collapsed instantly.
[Ah... I have no patience for this shit. So shut up and listen to me].
[Number of people summoned: 1,045 people]