Episode 2: Breaking the Script
Neon's soft, lively cheeks were somehow comforting. But it didn't take long for the pain to surge through my body. A pain with no visible cause. There were no signs of any physical damage. But my brain was not ready to accept it. I screamed as hard as possible.
My all five senses got wrecked.As I was crying in pain, a screen popped up in front of my eyes.
[System has detected Intense Pain and Mental Stress]
[Applying measurements to seduce the pain]
[Pain Restrictions and Mental Stability Protocols Applied]
Suddenly, my pain faded. My senses began to work. The first thing I saw was Neon's crying face. He was wrapped around me. He was crying as loud as if the world was ending. I got on my knees.
"Hey, don't cry. See? I am fine now," I said pulling him to a long warm hug. My racing heart finally came to peace.
Neon also stopped his sobbing. My brain still couldn't process any of this. Neon and Ellie died. Now, Neon's right in front of me, 4 years old. What was happening? I couldn't tell. And those screens? Those screens seemed like a game interface. Another screen popped up into view:
[System Message - Give command to open]
This message rose dozens of questions in my mind. It was obvious, I am part of a simulation. But for how long? The questions kept popping up in my mind.
The message disappeared.
"What?" Neon's sob brought me back to reality. Guilt filled within me. Neon and Ellie died in front of me and, I was of no use. I failed to protect them.
But here he was, alive. Maybe I had a second chance.
The school bus arrived. I checked my phone again.
[7:34, 3rd September 2062]
"Then, I should be in 8th grade." I roughly estimated. I tried to remember my memories of 8th grade but couldn't. In fact, I couldn't recall any of my past memories.
I looked at Neon with a smile for he could get peace at least.
"Now, You should go inside. Don't worry about me."
"Fine! But don't scare me like that again!" His cheeks turned red with anger.
"I promise." Neon reluctantly ran inside. I picked up my bag which I dropped on the grass and climbed onto the school bus.
A friend at the third last seat on the right side, waved his hand. I could remember him. Without a word, I shook his hand and sat in the seat behind him.
I had other things to figure out. I couldn't waste my time in chitchatting. Now, how do I open the message box? If it was a game. Then there had to be some sort of command.
"Open Menu!" I whispered, half expecting nothing to happen.
A screen appeared before me.
_____________________
[ Return to game ]
[ Inventory ]
[ Skills ]
[ Events - History ]
[ Message Box ]
[ Options ]
[ Help ]
[ About ]
[ Exit Game ]
_____________________
No one in the bus freaked out. So, only I could see this screen. I carefully read all the options. I was playing a game this whole time? That couldn't be true. But this never appeared before. My death could have triggered this to happen. Or I was reincarnated in a game?
However, I wanted to know what the system wanted to say.
"Open Message Box!" I commanded.
[1 new message - Give command to view]
"Open!" I said again, my voice barely a whisper.
A new window appeared.
___________________
System:
• VRS and PHMS departments regret the errors in management for which you had to suffer such trauma. The system of Identity Chaos Online accepts all the responsibilities and will face consequences.
• VRS and PHMS departments offer 3x Coupons for the Mythical Skills Wheel as compensation.
• Also, system has discovered unusual disturbance in your memory box. We offer a free recovery of your memory box in return for your cooperation with the system.
-reply
___________________
It was obvious - if I rejected their offer, they'd be in trouble. But I needed my memories back.
"Reply: I accept the offer and will not take any actions against this incompetency."
[The system shows it's gratitude]
[You receive 3x Coupons for Mythical Skills Wheel]
[Also, The system offers Free Recovery of Memory Box]
"Proceed!"
[System has started recovering your memory box.]
[Recovering....]
It took 3 minutes. And the message appeared.
[Memory Box has recovered.]
That was it, vast deep memories started flowing in my mind. Those were not any pleasure memories. I started shaking. A cold chill ran down my body.
I could have screamed but Mental Stability Protocols must have kept me from getting berserk.
I remembered all the sufferings I had in my past life. From my memories, one thing was clear that I was not playing this game. I was living it. It was a harsh reality to swallow.
Who would believe that his past 20 years of his life were fake, that he is just a computer program.
But now I knew who to protect my family from. I had a clear enemy. I clenched my fists. And I would never let any harm come near to my family again.
Players were my enemy. I needed to find other players. I knew that there were players who didn't comply with the peace rules and raised chaos in future events.
Now, the coupons, I wondered what skills I would get out of them?
"Use coupons for Mythical Skills Wheel!"
A tab appeared before me.
"Use all three coupons."
The wheel spun.
[Congrats!]
[You got 3 skills]
"Reveal!"
[Beast's Howl Lv. 3]
[Red Eye Lv. 2]
[Spider Senses Lv. 4]
These skills sounded really cool. Anyone would understand what Spider Senses are if they've seen the Spider-Man movies.
I had a rough sketch what Beast's Howl could be. But Red Eye. It just went over my head.
I wanted to confirm one more thing.
"Open Events tab."
"Open history." This was it. I knew it. It might be an error but it was in my favor.
Time and date matter a lot in games. These factors are involved in every system. So that's why, in lot of devices, a user can't change these factors.
Due to the time jump. I had an advantage. I had access to all the events and tragedies that were gonna happen in future. I carefully read the upcoming events.
"Hey, you in there?" My friend from early called out. Everyone was already out. I was so stuck in my thoughts that I didn't realize that the bus had reached school.
"Yes, I am here." Now that my memories had returned, I remembered his name. He was Jim. We were always together until graduation. I felt ashamed of ignoring him earlier.
"Come now, before the driver starts yelling." Jim said coldly.
"Yeah!" I regreted my decision from before.
We got off the bus. Jim walked first. I followed before him.
"You were so caught up this morning." Jim was still angry. I was being a jerk.
"Ah! I am sorry for that." I replied.
We stepped inside the school. Jim without even looking towards me, said, "Who are you?"
"What? You are still angry. Don't do this, we are friends."
"You don't have to apologize. It's just that you have changed a lot in a day. Now, I am thinking that I never knew you this whole time..." Jim said looking in my eyes.
"...Your eyes they have changed a lot." Jim continued.
"It's just that-" Before I could complete anything, my body felt a strange sensation.
I stopped at once. I could feel this sensation even in my hairs.
"I sense something. Something is coming." I said to Jim. My skin tensed around me.
"What?-" Jim eyes widened. "What are you saying?"
Something strange was coming. From where?
[Spider Senses has sensed potential threats to life]
I circled around in every direction. The streets were empty. But I could sense something approaching.
"Activate Beast's Howl - Instincts of a beast." I whispered.
In the bus, I read some about my skills. Beast's Howl had a special ability Instincts of a beast.
[Activating Skill...]
"There he is!" I said while bracing my body. Up on the roofs. He was jumping from one roof to another like an athlete. His movements were swift.
"You know him?" Jim asked.
"No, But I think we will!" I thought that he might stop and listen to me. I needed information right now the most. But my senses said the opposite.
In mid air, a sword appeared from nowhere. Yellow particles emerged from his sword.
[Skill Beast's Howl activated]
Red aura began to emerge from my mouth, my eyes and my hands. I felt a strong sensation of power.
"Run! Jim." I said meanwhile the sword sliced the air in front of my eyes.
I barely dodged by moving aside. The sword struck at ground making a crack. He was on another level.
"Hey, How about we have a chitchat." I said, backing off, bringing my hands up. He chuckled. "You piece of shit."
[High Killing Intentions Detected]
He obviously rejected my peace offer.
In a second, he was onto me. Sword swung, breaking the barriers of sound. I almost dodged the second attack. But the slash set out a wave that passed through me, slamming me onto the wall. It was a considerable damage. But it was nothing compared to what I had suffered.
I quickly got on my feet. "Mister, I think you have made a big misunderstanding." I said choking with blood.
"Haha, there's no misunderstanding, you are my target." He said, turning towards Jim.
[Intense Killing Intentions are detected]
"Jim, I said. Run! Damn it!" I moved as fast I could. Before I could reach him, his sword pierced through Jim's chest slicing him in two.
My eyes filled with tears. I stood there, numb. I knew that it was because of my carelessness. But I could not accept it. So, I put all the blame on him.
"Just tell me one thing. Why did you kill him?" I said with a low voice.
"Hey dude. He was just an NPC. In fact he was being just a nuisance." He chuckled.
[Beast's Fury has activated]
Aura spread like fire. My eyes turned red. Rage circled through my body.
[Skill Red Eye has Activated]
I rushed at him with all the strength I could gather. My hands were no lesser than the claws of a beast. I savagely, ripped into his chest, gripping my hands around his pulsating heart. With a twisted cry, I tore it free, unleashing a tidal wave of blood.
His hopeless cries fed to my wrath. I felt some what pleased at his misery. I truly had become a beast.
"Die! Die! Die!"
Yet, my rage was unquenched. I grasped his neck. The sound of tearing flesh and crunching bones echoed through air as I decapitated him.
[You have killed a player]
[Achievement: First Prey has unlocked]
[You received 23,000 coins from the player]
I could not control my breath. I killed someone. I could not believe it. Was I always like this?
Player's body along with all the blood vanished. Jim patted me from behind.
"What the hell are you doing? We are getting late." His hands were trembling. He could not remember what happened. It was due to the restrictions that were applied on NPCs. NPCs could not be killed. But the pain was real.
I wiped the tears from my face.
"Let's go, then." I said, bringing a smile on my face.
The system was cruel. And it was going to get worse in the future with the new updates.