Game zone?! How the fuck can that help?! Do I have to become a neet to be op?!
"Scatter around! She's just a child! She couldn't have gone that far!"
Fuuuck… I should prioritize on finding out how this "Manifest" works. Until then, I should be-
"Gotcha!" One of the men came out of nowhere, landing on the branch I'm on.
"Shit!" I yelled as I dropped down from the tree and landed on the ground. It fucking hurt, but I stood back up and ran as fast as I could.
"Game Zone!" I yelled. But no effect.
"Activate!" I yelled again. But still no effect.
Fuck! If only that Goddess gave me a damn tutorial! But I have no time to think about that! I need to keep running!
I ran and ran until I lost the man pursuing me.
Damn it! I need to use this power! How do I activate it?! DO I JUST YELL "ACTIVATE GAME ZONE" OR WHAT?!
The window changed its text.
YES.
"..."
"FINE!!! ACTIVATE GAME ZONE!!!"
All of a sudden, a white void veiled everything, causing me to stumble. It's like that time when I met that Goddess.
However, it's different.
A house appeared in front of me.
A house I know very well.
It's the house…
Where I sinned.
But that, I don't care anymore.
I must rescue Saira. No matter what. She helped me throughout the 5 years of my life, including her sister.
I must to repay my debt to both of them at all costs. They're the reason…
I walked over and gently opened the front door.
My life is happy right now.
"Make sure to make tons of friends, okay?" A familiar voice of a woman spoke.
"Enjoy your day! And make sure to keep a keen eye on someone you have a crush on, son!" A familiar voice of a man spoke.
I know very well my sin is justified.
But…
"Now run! The bus is about to leave!"
I know very well my sin can't be forgiven.
Never…
The sin stays. No matter how many times I change.
"Have a good day, son!"
However, that sin will not drag me down anymore.
It. Will. Not.
That's not me anymore.
I'm Beal Cynthus.
I walked past the two aberrations and they dissipated like mist.
I went upstairs and over to my room.
A room full of joy and happiness.
Over to my left is a bed with shelves full of toys and collections.
Over to my right, was my gaming setup.
My PC was turned on. Along with the monitor which said:
ARE YOU READY?
It had 2 options.
--- YES --- "NO" ---
If it means I can save everyone I love… Then the answer is obvious.
--- "YES" --- NO ---
My new life begins in this very room.
In this very computer.
Just like in my previous life.
Moments of happiness…
From this brick of light.
"Click"
Then the menu changed to my desktop. The familiar wallpaper of W10 shone from the monitor.
It was empty.
All but an app. I clicked it open and it popped out a window.
There, it showed millions of games. I looked over the selection of games and saw many familiar ones.
Some that I finished, some that I played, some that I haven't.
Then a window popped out. It was a guide. I read it carefully… But it was as long as the Tw*tch's TOS.
To make it short, when I complete a game in Game Zone, I can choose only ONE character that I can play as in the real world. After that, if I wanted to play a different character, I'd have to restart again and complete the game to get a different character.
I can play the character in 2 modes.
Stationed Mode - I can play the characters in Game Zone where I can control them in the real world and use their abilities. And, if the character takes damage, it won't affect me since it's a different body. In station mode, I can choose whether I want to play the character in Desktop, Controller, or VR. The downside is that if the player dies, I die. Exposed Mode – As shitty as it sounds, it gives an advantage when it comes to unpredictability. It doesn't show the character, including the weapon. On the other hand, my body is literally "exposed." Meaning, if I get shot or decapitated, I'm dead. However, I can only use this Mode if I'm using a Controller or VR. If I use desktop, it won't move. You can't expect me to carry a fucking gaming setup for a tactical advantage.
Also, time doesn't move in the real world unless I'm playing the character. Which means, I can stay here as long as I want. It also applies to vice versa.
I still get hungry though. So I'll need to bring food here, which I can. If I'm holding anything with my hand, I can transport it to the Game Zone alongside me. Meaning that I can use Game Zone as a storage too.
The entire Game Zone is just my house standing in a white void. Here, if I have enough food, I can stay here for probably a few weeks, if not, a month if I have the right supplies.
Now then…
Let's play D*om.
Cuz if there's one thing I need to save Saira right now, it's a gun. Specifically, a fucking shotgun.
MEANWHILE…
"Where the fuck is that brat?! She couldn't have gone far!" I yelled as I pursued the path the child went. A distant user employs Eco magic to manipulate the wind along with earpieces attached to us, enabling long-range communication between us.
"Just keep looking, Daike." One of my allies, Kriled said.
"Don't call out my name just like that!" I yelled.
"It's not like anyone will hear it. Unless it's another Eco user, no one can interfere or eavesdrop on our comms." Kriled answered.
"Still-"
"Enough talking, keep looking!" Our leader, Pithol, yelled into our comms, causing us to stop arguing.
"If we don't find that brat, the big boss will kill us all! So it's either your life or money!" Pithol stated.
"Sigh. But were just bandits. Something like this isn't fit for us. Couldn't you have asked for assassins?"
"We were able to get in because they had to change barriers to let guests in. Even though we're caught at the last moment, they'll leave it to their guards to scour and find us. The boss wants to make it look like a robbery. That's why I sent others to go to the Excendi household and rob a few things. At this point in time, especially with a gathering like this, most rooms in their mansion would be empty."
"So that's why were hired to take the fall?"
"If you're caught, yes. If you don't want to, stay frosty."
"Got it then."
The comms were silent. I kept scouring until I saw footprints on the ground. It's small enough to indicate it's a child's footprint.
"I got a sight on her footprint."
"You sure it's hers?"
"100%."
"Alright. One of you goes to where Daike is."
"Huh? But I don't need help?"
"Ever heard of the incident 5 years ago?" Pithol asked.
"No?"
"I'm surprised you haven't heard of it." One of my allies, Mitro answered.
"What's the big deal?"
"We were tasked to kill Naic Cynthus. It was for reasons I can't disclose. However, I was tasked to lead the operation of 30 men. In the end, all there was… were bloodshed."
That sent shivers down my spine. But I gathered the courage to ask.
"What happens after that?" I asked as I listened closely to my earpiece.
"Hey." Mitro said as he appeared from behind. It startled me, before our leader continued his story.
"All 29 men died horribly that day. All but me. As you know, every human, hellspawn, or whatever, is born with blessings that only manifest at the age of 5. Hence, why we call them "Manifest." Unfortunately, we just happened to be there at the wrong timing. She was just 5 years old, yet she was able to massacre 29 men in under 3 minutes."
"How'd you survive?" Mitro asked.
"Cowardice. I ran."
I pitied him, but also respected him at the same time. Because of his cowardice, he lived to tell the tale.
Suddenly, the branches above us shifted in an eerie, unnatural manner.
Me and Mitro unsheathed our swords, alert but unsettled.
We stood there... quietly.
We felt the two pairs of eyes watching over us...
"That's why we must capture Beal Cynthus…"
-----
Someone
is
above
us.
-----
"Before her blessing can Manifest."