Blood can be seen on the floor, and a small puddle formed from it.
After a short while, gold lights shone as the red blood evaporated.
The gold and red vapors intertwined as it was absorbed inside Zypher.
He was still holding what he lost, and his screams did not stop.
People began holding him but he was still in panic. What made him calm down was a punch to his gut.
[Maximum pain inflicted exceeded...]
[Logging out of the game.]
- - - - -
The moonlight came and a sudden whistle of air was heard.
Steam and smoke came out as his body is covered with sweat.
Panting and heaving, he held his head from the pain he experienced, and as he walked to the fridge to get some water.
The pain is still there, and what scared him is that he still can't feel it even if he is in the real world.
It was good that it is already night, but what came to him is that he needs to get back to the game.
Between choosing himself and the game, he needs to finish the game fast, and discover the things he did not discover in his past life.
But then, to be exact, losing himself in the process is not a good thing, and so, he dialed in a number, and a person came in to his apartment.
"Long time no see, Zaon. I missed y-- what happened to your eye?"
Yes, to be exact, his right eye.
Veins can be seen bulging and is beating like a heart. The blueness of the veins are a bit alarming, and the redness of the skin on his right face is also concerning.
"So?"
"Did this happen in game?" The man asked as he pulled a flashlight and flashed through the eye a few times.
"Yes, and I don't know how it happened."
The doctor looked at the face of Zaon and looked at him with worry.
"I don't know what this is, but I think you need to go to my clinic right now to check everything."
"How many hours do we need for check up, Doc Aki."
"A whole day is enough." Akihiro said as he raised one finger, like he was proud to say that he can do it inside a day.
Zaon then raised two fingers and looked at Akihiro.
"No kid, I can do it in one da--"
"Two hours."
"What?"
"Do it in two hours."
"You know I can't do that."
"Then wait for me after eight hours." Zaon said as he looked at Akihiro.
Akihifo then sighed as he raised all the fingers in his one hand.
"Six hours. Take it or leave it." Akihiro cannot leave Zaon alone.
After what happened to Zander, Zaon is the only one who was left in his family, and as a person who has deep connection to Zander, he can't leave him like that.
"Do it here, and not your clinic."
"I have a game capsule in my clinic. Just bring your Game ID."
"Let's go then."
Zaon pulled his game ID and put on his sweatpants and a hoodie.
He also took a sunglass to cover his eye.
With his get up, he can be seen as a criminal being arrested by an officer.
Akihiro then started his engine as soon as they went in the car.
The drive wasn't long as it was night and the roads are cleared.
As soon as they arrive, he made Zaon lie down on his back on a bed and he gave him an anesthesia.
The sheer haste he does makes him look like unprofessional, but losing another person will leave a bad taste in his mouth.
"Wake me up before the 6 hours end." Before he lost his consciousness.
Akihiro just nodded and started with his tests.
Time flew by.
- - - - -
A clear platform above the clouds.
A person can be seen standing on it.
Before him are four people.
One gorgeous lady with long gown.
A timid young lady who can be seen hiding behind the gorgeous woman, shaking in fear.
A guy with square framed glasses, white long sleeves that are folded until the elbow, and a vest can also be seen.
And the last one is a guy with brown complexion and white hair, tied up in a chair while the man is standing before him.
"What did you do to me?"
(You should be thankful, kid. If not for me, you won't unlock everything.)
"I don't care about unlocking everything, I just want my eye back."
(No, I can't give it back, and what can you do even if you get it?)
"I don't know. Put it back. Put my eye back!"
(You don't know, it means I don't know too, punk!)
"You take something from me without permission, and now you don't know how to put it back? What are you?"
(Dumb kid! If you just know, you'll be thankful to me!)
"OH, THANK YOU THEN! NOW, GIVE ME BACK MY EYE!"
(I DON'T HAVE IT!)
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"
(THE CODEX ATE IT!)
"WHAT?!"
[Okay, that's enough.]
Mod then walked towards Upgrade and covered his mouth.
"What?! What's this about, Mod?"
{You won't know for now, but please, don't blame Upgrade. We will do the same if you had chosen one of us as your help in the furst place.}
"What?!" He then stopped, retreated like he seen monsters and suddenly slumped to the ground as he heard that.
He hung his head down as he looked at hid reflection on the clear platform.
The veins are still there, and he can't open it right now.
But then, a peculiar change happened.
{Hey, you..!}
As Goggles looked at Zypher, his eye was healing fast, and the damage is being healed fast.
An eye appeared on the empty socket. The eye glowed gold.
[E-E-Eye of Erido?]
{No, that's Likoz'!}
(That's from Arus!)
But, from the moment Zaon opened it, he knew it wasn't from the names they said.
"Who are those guys you are talking about?"
|Compound Eye Obtained.|
{HEY!}
A sudden shout escaped from Goggles as she ran towards Zypher.
She grabbed him, but a black hand pulled him first.
[Shit! Algorithm Sequencing!]
A set of many numbers and letters appeared, as one by one, the space crumbled.
|Ohh, so this is where you are.|
A chilly voice sounded as a maniacal shrill laugh followed it.
[Shit, they found us!]
"What's this?" Zypher, who was being held by the hand, also tried to fight it, but many more arms started to cling onto him.
First to his mouth, then his limbs, and finally, his body. He can't move, and his eye that was just inserted was bleeding.
But then, a white hand appeared out of nowhere, freeing him from whatever is straining him.
(EDIT!)
Contrary to his punk approach, Upgrade ran towards a certain direction.
There, a youthful woman is standing, with her white wings and white robe, holding a staff and is glowing gold.
[Edit, stop now!]
Mod shouted as he also ran towards Zypher, but the numbers kept on changing and the space is being changed per second.
|Now that I found you, you won't escape!|
The voice said as a light appeared from the crack where the hand came from.
(Shit!)
After that, two horns grew from Upgrade, and his red wings and scaly tail appeared. Scales also appeared in his body, and his eyes became like a reptile's.
• You're still weak, Upgrade. •
A woman's voice came, and after that, a streak of green light came.
{INCOMING!}
Goggles said as butterfly wings appeared behind her. The base of the wings is black, and the the colors in her right wing is amber and blue, while on the other wing is verdant and scarlet.
"Hey, what's happen--"
[You don't need to see this.]
A portal was made right after as Mod pushed him into the said hole.
After thag, black wings appeared behind hm, as two black horns appeared on his forehead, and his hair became long.
But, that was the final moment he saw, and then, he woke up.
- - - - -
Heaving, Zaon destroyed the harnesses in his body.
Akihiro, who was done with the operation, saw it, and was shocked.
The eye he transplanted to Zaon was something he got when Zander was still alive.
It was said that Zander created two things in his life - this eye, and the game.
Although the eye is a mere toy for others, Akihiro decided to store it as a memento.b
When he saw the damage to Zaon's eyes, he remembered the mechanical eye that Zander gave him.
Zander called it "Grand Eye".
With this invention, he created the game.
He told Akihiro that it helped him, but Akihiro did not know how or if he is saying the truth.
In fact, he just believed in his friend and went in with his nonsense.
But now, Zaon is saved with the nonsense of his brother.
Akihiro fetched a glass of water for Zaon, and he managed to calm down.
A chill got to his spine, and he remembered what happened.
"I still have one hour to check you."
"No, log me in to the game, right now."
Seeing his eyes, Akihiro was dumbstruck.
It looked like he never lost an eye.
Startled by the look on his eyes, Akihiro hurriedly opened the door to the game capsule.
"Go now then, I bet I can't stop you."
As Zaon entered the capsule, he closed his eyes and the game resumed.
After the capsule closed, he smiled and sighed to himself.
He might be an errand boy to this kid.
- - - - -
As soon as he entered the game, he checked the abilities he had.
The library and labyrinth are still there, and no other things were amiss.
He breathed a sigh of relief and he checked it once more.
In addition to his abilities, the upgraded ability: Myriad Hits.
The rank of the ability came from Uncommon Rank to Growth-Type Ability.
[Myriad Hits]
- A blacksmithing ability made from two different process abilities. Can be upgraded.
[Upgrade to Common Rank : Learn two(2) more blacksmithing abilities.]
As soon as he saw the ability, Zypher knew something was amiss.
As he looked at the interface, he saw that it changed.
More likely, it became like the one in his past life.
Zypher knew that after regressing, the Codex helped him in the game, and was not surprised by the changes in the interface of the system.
But now, after that dream, the system reverted back to how he remembered it in his past life.
And the scary part is, that the game can affect his real life.
So, how can he, who has not experienced this in his past life, deal with it.
Or is he now being affected by the butterfly effect?
But, now's not the time to think about himself.
Zypher then entered the Codex Labyrinth, and in there, was something he did not expect.
Above the city he made was space cracks that were slowly healing.
And, the most disturbing thing is that the bats were mutated, and the drops also has mutated.
He picked up an item and looked at the description it gave.
[Blood Void Bat's Bone x41]
[Shadow Nebula Bat's Fangs x16]
The mutations were a bit good, but the damage to the city is also as bad.
The only one tower that stands now is the Missile Tower, and it is also in a bad shape.
But the good thing is, he has some materials to repair it.
[Blood Chaos Ore x 458]
[Do you wish to repair Missile Tower by using the Blood Chaos Core?]
"Sure, go with it."
[Repairing...]
Blood Ore is one of the main materials for the Missile Tower, and in truth, he saw the blueprint a little lacking.
It may have many missiles to shoot, but the damage is not enough, and has no homing system, making it like just a cannon.
It can only detect the enemies in close range of 20 meters, and shoot it's vicinity.
In truth, Blood Ore just improves it's movement and attack speed a little bit, but that was it.
While repairing, a familiar voice came to his ears.