Chapter 2 : A New Virtual World
Closing his eyes, Seto inhaled and slowly exhaled before reopening them. Sure enough, the same street stretched out before him, and the same buildings hovered around him. He turned 360 degrees. No sign of his bedroom, or even of his manor. The area was foreign to him. It looked like the suburb where his orphanage had been, though there were obvious differences. It was a little more urban than that, but not by much. The streets were smoothly paved, and the buildings had an historic feel to them, designed in a traditional manner. The sun was just setting, painting the scenery with a red tint.
Where am I? Seto thought to himself as he continued scanning the street. This seems like a lucid dream. But something feels...off.
He inhaled and slowly exhaled a second time. He had to keep calm about this. Freaking out about what was taking place would only hinder him. He had to be rational; it served him well in the real world, didn't it? Mentally nodding to himself, he thought, I should investigate one of these buildings. Perhaps I'll find a clue as to what the hell is going on.
Taking a step forward, Seto was somewhat caught off-guard by the lack of resistance. He expected there to be some, especially after being trapped in his computer seat while being transported, but he walked effortlessly to his left. He approached the nearest building and read the sign outside. It was a small calligraphy store, with two small lanterns hanging outside. Reaching up to touch one of the lanterns, he was shocked to see his hand pass through the material, the edges of the lantern fading as he did so.
What...? Passing his hand through two more times, his eyes widened in realization. I'm not dreaming. This is...this is a virtual reality. Waving his hand through the lantern once more, he thought, And a poorly-designed one at that. Nothing of my creation.
He turned and looked down the length of the street. A virtual reality. None of it was real. It was one relief off his shoulder, but that left one very important question. How did I get here? He knelt down and reached forward to grab the leaf of a potted plant placed next to the store's entrance. His hand passed through one of the leaves but touched another. The texture felt somewhat real, the game tricking Seto's fingers into thinking the smoothness of the leaf was authentic. But the fact that the plant was only partially completed upset Seto. Trapped in a broken game. This really is Hell. His eyes widened. Shit, I better not be dead. Scoffing at the thought, he shook his head and chuckled aloud. Dammit, I'm still tired...
He stood back up and crossed his arms over his chest. Closing his eyes, he reflected on the previous evening, hoping to remember a clue as to how he came to be here. I came home. I had to have come home. I don't remember making any pit-stops on my way back from KaibaCorp. Did someone...kidnap me? No, there is no possible way. I have the highest level security in all of Japan. So then...was I leaving for work when something happened? Or did it happen at night? Why can't I remember anything? He growled and clenched his fists as he reopened his eyes. Glancing to his left, he decided to enter the store, hoping to find some sort of clue. He stepped inside, half expecting the game to completely break upon entering a new area. Surprisingly enough, the game held firm to his entry, and he found himself seamlessly walking around the interior.
It was a quaint enough store. Bookshelves lining the walls were filled with journals, pens, paper, and other writing utensils. A semi-circular, mahogany receptionist desk stood in the middle of the store with two registers set side by side. This place lacks quite a bit of details, Seto thought as he began scanning the bookshelves for anything that might stick out. Whoever the loser is that designed this game should look into a new career. There is no finesse, no research done on how to properly make a realistic virtual reality. As if to prove his own point, Seto reached forward to grab a book and found that his hand went through it. Let me guess, they do the outdated "make an item sparkle to signify it's important" trick. No realism, and no respect for the technology.
That still didn't explain how he had been put into such an atrocious game in the first place, but he figured that could wait until after he woke up. If I really am in a virtual reality, and the game designed for it is this poorly executed, getting out of here should be little trouble. He continued walking around the store, figuring he could find some sort of hint or clue as to the game's exact purpose. I need to find the goal of this game and complete it as quickly as possible. And let me guess...no HUD map or anything to help. Indeed, there was nothing on Seto's body or vision that provided clues. No inventory map. No duel disk. No map. No compass. What kind of crap is this? He had the sneaking suspicion this is exactly what Hell would be like for him. This doesn't even look like a Duel Monsters game. Of course, why would I try determining what type of game this is? It's in alpha, at the very least. The developers probably don't even know what type of game they're making, else they wouldn't have made it so horrible.
Seto could feel his temper rising as he thought more and more about being trapped in the game. It didn't help that he had no idea how he had been placed in such a game, but to be placed in such an awful game was even worse. Whatever. Once I'm out of here, I'll be sure to let my tormentors know just how pathetic they truly are. That is, after they're arrested.
Finding nothing of value, Seto exited the store and looked up and down the street. The sun had almost completely set by this point, with only a sliver of light reflecting in the night sky. I should probably find a flashlight, he thought, his video game instincts kicking in. Make it easier to look around in the dark. If whoever put me in here is trying to scare me with the dark, they have another thing coming.
It was only another few buildings down to his left before he came across a small hardware store. Stepping inside, he found his hand went through the outline of the door and couldn't help but chuckle. How pathetic... He flicked the light switch and frowned when no light came on. Looks like a flashlight is certainly in order. From what he could see, the store was designed in typical fashion, with shelves creating a series of aisles that eventually led up to the front cash registers. He noted that nobody was around but was unsurprised by such a state. My captors certainly wouldn't want to give me someone who might help me, though I doubt anyone would be able to solve a virtual reality game better than myself. Suits me just as well. The last thing I need is to be babysitting some stupid companion. He didn't know if he actually had captors, but it was the only logical conclusion he could come to. How else would he wake up in an unknown virtual reality with no memory of what happened beforehand? The thought didn't sit well with him, but mourning over the fact would get him nowhere.
He made his way past the cash registers and began to feel rather than see the merchandise, for the sun outside had set by this time, and the store was nearly pitch black. It didn't help that his hand traveled through most of the incomplete merchandise. Whoever designed this game better have made the flashlights at least realistic. Passing down another aisle after hitting the back of the store, Seto finally felt his hand come in contact with something rubbery. He grasped it and yanked it down from shelf, feeling around the thing. It was cylindrical, and sure enough, upon clicking a button, the top flashed on. He smirked victoriously before scanning the area with his new flashlight. It's pitch black outside, too, he noted, his flashlight hitting the windows. Turning, he walked to the end of the aisle and scanned the back wall. The entrance to what was presumably a storage room was left open, several boxes visible beyond, while another door simply had a small sign reading "Employees Only" in the middle. Might as well...
Approaching the "Employees Only" door, he was surprised to find it locked. He sighed heavily and shook his head. They got one door down, at least. Might give them some credit for a lousy attempt at a puzzle. He used his flashlight to look back at the storage room. If I were a lowly, idiotic programmer who aspired to make a half-assed game, where would I put a set of keys? He followed his instincts and entered the room, figuring that searching the rest of the store would simply be a waste of time.
The storage room was just what he expected: a room filled with shelves that had ridiculously over-sized boxes scattered around. Some of the boxes came up to his waist, while others were tiny, as if holding computer parts. Seto shook his head in disgust but began scanning the tops of the boxes as well as underneath the shelves. The key has to be around here somewhere... Whoever created this game isn't smart enough to hide it anywhere unqiue. He walked down the length of one of the aisles, using his flashlight to scan the shelves, and soon came to the end. He turned-
-and nearly tripped at the sight before him.
A small desk with a computer and several keys laid out on top was currently being occupied by a mannequin-looking woman. Her skin was pale, nearly white, and her long, black hair appeared wet, as it stuck to her shoulders. Using his flashlight, Seto took in her features and scowled in disgust. Blood poured from her eyes, and her mouth was gaping wide open. Her white dress was entirely covered in blood, with a small pool forming beneath her chair. Her left hand was placed in her lap, while her right hand reached forward, hovering slightly above the desk. Seto swallowed uncomfortably at the sight only to remind himself that he was still in a video game. A lame jump scare tactic, meant to spook me for a whole five seconds, he thought, turning his flashlight from the statue to the keys on the desk. Sure enough, a few keys were placed about, one in particular shining brightly. He chuckled and took a step forward. Just as I suspected. The shiny trick. Grabs the audience's attention and makes it easier to find pieces of puzzles.
Approaching the desk, Seto scanned several of the keys, smirking when he saw the shining one with a tag attached reading "Employee Key." He reached forward and grabbed it, surprised his hand didn't go directly through the desk as he did so. Oh look, they got another thing-
But his thought was interrupted by a sudden tightness around his wrist. Flinching, he shone his flashlight down on his wrist. His eyes widened in shock. It was a small, pale hand wrapped around his wrist, holding him in place.
The girl's hand.
He looked up and immediately regretted it. His eyes met her bloody ones, and she screamed directly in his ear before pushing him back with surprising force. Seto felt his hand release the flashlight as he fell backwards onto the floor. Reaching out, he swiped it and turned to look at the girl. She was now standing, the blood still dripping down onto the floor. As she slowly turned, she tilted her head somewhat to the side. Seto growled and quickly got to his feet. He watched her mechanical movements, looking for any sign of irregular behavior. For how poorly the virtual world around them was developed, he realized with mild astonishment that the woman was moving as normally as he was. There were no glitches, nothing suggesting her virtual reality simulation. Someone spent all the money on enemies and nothing on the environment, he reflected. He growled when she took a step towards him, the light of the flashlight reflecting off pale skin. That certainly doesn't make my job easier.
The girl took another step. She was slow, but perhaps that was because Seto had yet to take a step. He merely stood, shining his flashlight on her. He decided to test the game. He took a step back. The girl noticed right away and screeched a second time. Seto flinched at the noise but took another step, then another, backtracking his way down the aisle. A sadistic thought entered his mind, and he smirked. Let's see how good this AI really is. If the enemy AI is garbage, then I have nothing to worry about. They won't be able to strategize against me.
Taking it one step at a time, Seto felt his smirk widen as the girl simply followed him down the aisle, screeching now and again but never really reaching out to attack. Wanting to truly test her, he decided to loop her around the room, and instead of exiting through the door and back out into the store, he winded his way around the central shelves, backing up now to where the computer desk was. She continued following him at a slow but steady pace, her jerky movements meant to startle him but doing the reverse. Just as I thought. A lame jump scare. He took one final step back and blinked when she didn't follow him. Ah well, that was fun. Time to actually use this key and get out of here. Though perhaps I should check out the computer first.
Seto took one final look at the ghost. She was still standing there, with her bleeding eyes and gaping mouth, but something seemed...off. Perhaps she's glitching out, Seto reflected. Indeed, her eyes were no longer trained on him but rather behind him, as if she was looking off into the far distance. What a poorly designed piece of trash. Shrugging his shoulders, Seto turned and went to walk towards the computer.
Instead, he bumped into something.
Or someone, as he quickly came to realize. Standing directly in front of him was another woman, this one with short, black hair. Wearing a long, blue dress that fell to the floor, she stared at him with empty eye sockets and a red mouth filled with blood. For a second, Seto's heart skipped a beat, but only because of the proximity. She was standing right in front of him, and being as tall as him, she was imposing with her creepy face. Taking a second to control himself, he opened his mouth and said, "Well, what a surprise. Another jump-"
This woman didn't screech, but rather groaned as if in pain, before reaching out and grabbing him on the shoulder. Her grip was strong, surprisingly so. Dropping the flashlight, Seto went to grab her hand and jerk out of her grasp, but her other hand reached up and grabbed him by the throat. She groaned into his ear as her clammy, cold hands began to tighten around his neck. Lifting him with ease, she continued to groan. Seto's breath hitched in his throat. His heart pounded loudly within the temples of his skull. What...what the...?! He tried to breathe and found it was becoming difficult. His eyes widened as he processed what was taking place.
The ghost is strangling me.
Seto's survival mode kicked in a second too late. Just as he was about to punch her in the face, she groaned once more and shoved her free hand directly into his body. He felt it enter, ignoring all flesh and bone, as if piercing his ver y soul. A sudden pain flooded his entire system, setting every fibre of his being on fire. He cried out, the pain being completely unexpected, and felt himself beginning to weaken. He reached up, grabbing the hand suffocating him, but within seconds, his entire body was drained of energy. He felt his arms fall limply to his sides. His head felt heavy and rolled down onto her clammy hand. He felt her pull her hand back and release him.
Falling to the floor, Seto listened to the other ghost screech behind him. What...what is... The ghost before him groaned. Seto's eyelids closed, and he heard no more as he sunk into darkness.
