The Misadventures of Dave: Into the World of Puyo Puyo

by daveping243

The main character of this story, Dave, is found to be a discouraged individual in his world. One day, he sees a portal that transports him against his will to another world. This results his own body changing in age and appearance, then passing out. He discovers that he lies on grass from this said world, as well as a girl. [Rated M for major violence, strong language, and sex}

36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Play or be Played

Feli's POV

I witnessed their bodies becoming lifeless before my eyes. Then, the computer screen flickered to a plot summary that began to scroll automatically. It was basically what the bear told us yesterday. The text faded and the game showed these things called "models". They were depictions of Dave, Ringo, Lemres, and Sig, all laying down on the ground. Everything had that 3D look to it… my friends, the trees, and the flowers.

Me: "*gasp* It's them! … Uh, why aren't they moving?"

Risukuma: "Just wait, they get up soon."

We waited for them to wake up in that digital world. It looked like they had been bonked on the head from the way that they rested. I didn't want to look at them, but I was too hopeful to keep my eyes away.

Dave: "Ooooough… That pulse really did put a number on me… … H-hey, is everyone alright?"

This text box for Dave appeared, but it did not change. I was wondering why it wasn't going automatically.

Risukuma: "Press X on the keyboard to advance."

Me: "Y-you mean this one?"

I pressed it and the text advanced over to someone else.

Ringo: "I'm fine, but it seems like we can't continue talking to each other on our own."

At this point, I made a habit of pressing the X button after I was done reading my friends' words and them speaking those very lines out loud.

Lemres: "So then, someone's controllin' us and our flow of speech, right?"

Sig: "Definitely not the impression that I got…"

Dave: "Yeah, I thought that we would be the ones controlling ourselves in this, based on what Ris said. So then, who's controlling us right now?"

Risukuma looks at me, concerned.

Risukuma: "I might have informed them incorrectly…"

Me: "Misinformed? More like you misled us! What the hell, bear?"

Risukuma: "L-look… I merely forgot that the ones in the game need to be controlled by a person in the real world. *sigh* I was probably tired when I had forgotten that."

Me: "And look what it caused! Now one of us has to play the game to get them over to a save point. I'm going to fucking punish you when this is all over! So, since you made it, why don't you play it?"

Risukuma: "No can do, Feli. Besides what I programmed in, I know nothing about playing games competently, let alone, an RPG. There's a difference between being good at programming the game… and actually playing good. I'm hoping that you could do so, despite what you said before. If you want our friends out of this… you'll have to play it."

Me: "B-but-! I have little experience with this. How do you expect me to do it?!"

Risukuma: "Better off than me… I have NO experience with this."

Me: "Then how did you make this in the first place, bear?!"

Risukuma: "I will admit it… I uh… had help. I wasn't the only one working on this. If you are wondering who… it's this individual right here. His name is Ai, a close companion of mine. He was willing to assist me after the things that I've done for him in the past. Ai wasn't the biggest expert on this, but he did seem to have the necessary knowledge. I was curious about him knowing it, so I asked him how he got it. He told me this, RPGs were a pastime of the boss that he works for. Apparently, he got him to share some know-how involving standards and expectations, which allowed him to create the base for this game. He made up the mechanics of the gameplay, while I coded everything else. And no, we can't just call him in for this. He's way too busy with his job right now for that. Same with his boss. You're our best shot for now, Feli. Besides, you have Dave and the others. At least two of them should know what to do after they go through tutorials. They will ease you into things if the game fails to. Now, continue."

I groaned, then continued going through the text and voices of my friends.

Ringo: "Finally, the person bothered to press the damn button for me to chime in… The one controlling us has to be either Ris… or Feli."

Dave: "I would assume so, they should be the only two conscious people left in there… Anyway, this must be the game's world…"

Sig: "We could be in trouble with roaming around if it's Feli. She might mess up a lot for us."

Lemres: "That ain't entirely true... We can still say anythin' we want. Jus' tell 'em what to do and things should be fine."

Sig: "Lemres, we have no idea how this game plays. We need some kind of event to trigger that will cause a tutorial to appear."

Dave: "That's right, we'll need to get attacked. Isn't that what Ris said from the synopsis he gave out?"

Ringo: "Yeah… but how? All I see is us around here…"

?: "*terrifying screech*"

Lemres: "! What in the fuck was that sound?"

Sig: "Look."

Sig pointed to the source of that noise, a huge primal insect. Its mandibles were disgusting to stare at. It seemed to be an ancient version of a praying mantis with wings. Along with it, there were others about the size of my friends.

Ringo: "Yuuuck! I've never seen bugs with that level of grossness before!"

Dave: "Ringo, I think we should be much more concerned with the fact that these things could bite off our heads! Ruuuuun!"

Sig: "But, come on… they're cool looking bugs…"

Dave: "Dammit Sig, this is no time to be infatuated with those things! Get over here!"

Dave held Sig's hand firmly with his own. A scene played out where all four ran as fast as their legs could. However, another group of those things appeared in front of them. They soon became trapped and couldn't get away.

Lemres: "Damn, they've got us surrounded…"

Sig: "What can we do...? Those mantis' jaws seem powerful enough to bite us down to blood and guts."

A different text box showed up, displaying information.

Game: "Mash action keys as they appear to manifest these teens' powers. If you mash the wrong key, the time limit will be shortened. When the timer reaches zero, all party members will die, causing a game over. When you are ready to proceed, press X on the keyboard to start."

Me: "Bear, if everyone dies in there… will they be dead in real life? I need to know, this is crucial."

Risukuma: As far as I know… only this part can cause that. This is because we haven't had a chance to save the game yet. If you save before getting a game over, the four party members will just be ejected from the game. As long as there is a save file in the game to load from, there's no risk of our friends dying in real life. But still, you have to make this count, Feli."

Me: "I know, I don't wanna lose Dave and Ringo! And, you know… Lemres can't be lost forever because of this. I'll try my hardest."

I breathed calmly to prepare myself for what I was going to do. The possible action keys to press were Z, X, C, and V. I positioned my fingers accordingly, all so that I could get the most out of mashing those buttons. I pressed X to begin the key mashing. It was quite stressful at first, but I fared well, despite going through a rough start. The whole thing went on for about a full minute as my friends all dodged strikes from the mantises.

Me: "Almost got it…! … Phew... that was a close call..."

Another scene played where Dave and the others glowed with a light. I will admit it, I was excited to see this unfold.

Dave: "Hey…! This must be it guys! And, would you look at that? I have this weaker dragon armor now. It's not like my current power level in the real world, but it's certainly better than nothing."

Lemres: "And here's my cane for castin' the sweet magic I have. Time to kick some suh-weet aaaass!"

Ringo: "My lightning is here and accounted for too. Sig, what about you?"

Sig: "Uh… … I feel funny… and not in a good way either. Some of these aren't my normal powers… What the hell is this?"

Dave: "I'm sorry to ask a question at a time like this… but, what are your usual powers, Sig?"

Sig: "Colorful attacks that are named after minerals and stuff like that."

Dave: "That… tells me nothing. Tch. Whatever… Can you at least fight?"

Sig: "Maybe…?"

Lemres: "Ya don't know?!"

Me: Great… *sigh* That's what we get for inviting Sig to this… he can be clueless about some shit."

Risukuma: "Blame yourself, you didn't feel comfortable about playing this."

Me: "Sh-shut up! That was before you told me that you didn't clarify things properly, you dumb bear!"

Risukuma: "..."

I almost just about had it with the bear and his crap, but I trudged on with the game.

Ringo: "Careful, here they come!"

The screen flashed white and my friends stood closely together. A box appeared, showing this thing known as SP. It explained that if I have enough SP for somebody, I can do one of their specials. This very box also showed me the movement and camera controls for the party leader. Dave was set to that position by default.

Me: "Hey… isn't this an action RPG?"

Risukuma: "That's what I have heard from Ai…"

Me: "*sigh* I was hoping for this to at least be turn-based. I have played one of those in the past… … Hm? What's this UG thing? Oh well, I'm sure the game will explain that to me in due time. Uh… let's see…"

Game: "You can change party leaders within the thick of battle. To do this, scroll with the mouse wheel up or down (This will only last for the battle's duration). Right now, your overworld party leader is Dave. Non-leader party members will move around and do appropriate actions on their own. To change the overworld party leader, go into the pause screen while out of battle. Going into a new battle after doing that will allow you to use the character you prepared as party leader from the start. Depending on who you are controlling, they will obtain special perks that they would otherwise not have. One common perk is that the party leader will slowly recover a percentage of their SP over time. The party leader is also able to use their ultimate attack(s), but more on that later. Some specials cost HP, rather than SP. These are typically more powerful than SP specials, but come at a risk. Be conscientious of your health when using these. Attacks and the like are separated into three categories. These categories are of the following: Physical, Magic, and Status. Attacks that deal physical damage are dependent on the user's physical attack stat. This is the case for magic attacks and the user's magical attack stat as well. Status branches off to quite a few different effects: Heal, regeneration, status ailments, buffs, and debuffs. Utilize everyone's strengths and cover their weaknesses to ensure smooth fighting. With that being said: Test your newfound powers out on these primal insects."

All of that text was more of a wall to me, but at least it explained a lot to me. When I was ready, I pressed X.

Me: "Alright, let's do this shit…"

Dave: "We must survive, no matter what!"

Me: "Time to hone your claw, Dave…"

Dave: "Claw of Shadows! Rah! Want more?!"

Lemres: "Time to sweeten things up… Candy Blast!"

Ringo: "I'll do my best for Dave! Lightning Strike!"

Sig: "Uh… I don't know what these powers are, but I need them. Go…"

I used them to kill all the insects, except for the big one. It came by, flying and screeching loudly.

Dave: "This one must be the boss, guys. It won't be easy to take down, be on your guard!"

Game: "Dave has learned the special: Armor Evolution. You can spend twenty percent of Dave's SP to temporarily upgrade his armor. All of his base stats (except HP) will be higher until either the battle is over, or he loses all of his HP (this is NOT considered to be a buff). Reviving Dave with items will not set back up Armor Evolution. You'll have to use this special again if it comes down to that. Armor Evolution is required for Dave to use his ultimate attack(s). In turn, his ultimate attack(s) do the most damage out of any party member's."

A new fight emerges with the insect leader. An introductory animation and name display kick in. This behemoth was called "Reaping Mantisis" by the game. Another of the game's prompts showed itself soon after.

Ringo: "This enemy seems to be extremely powerful…"

Game: "Ringo has an ability that allows her to sense how strong an enemy's offenses are. By calculating numbers in her head, she can make an estimate for a newly encountered creature. Remember that you will not see the numbers it actually has in the stats. The enemy might be slightly stronger or weaker than what Ringo punches in. This ability also reveals one possible weakness that the enemy carries. In this case, that Reaping Mantisis is weak to one element."

Ringo: "This bug-brain can't stand fire attacks, guys."

Me: "Uh… last time I checked, we don't have fire things to use. Shit, what can they do here?"

Dave: "*sigh* Great… we don't have fire. There's ice, dark, electricity, and light… but I don't know how well any of those will work."

Lemres: "Dave, what about my magic? It doesn't seem to fall into any o' these elements."

Dave: "Well, we won't know unless we try it… go ahead, then."

Lemres: "Aight. Here it comes… Gum Wad!"

Reaping Mantisis: "*screech*"

Sig: "Hey, it looks like its wings are stuck…"

Dave: "It's not glued to the ground, but that titan might be slow without its wings."

Ringo: "Quick, now's our chance to attack it!"

I saw the enemy before us labeled with the debuff, "Speed Down". I got my fingers on the keyboard, ready to beat down on that oversized bug with my friends. Then, I sequenced attacks into a suitable combo.

Ringo: "Bolt Arrow!"

Sig: "Uh… Citrine."

Lemres: "Cream Pies!"

Dave: "Here I go... Armor Evolution! Transformation is a success!"

Game: "Dave now has been given a free use of his UG. UG Stands for "Ultimate Gauge". When this bar is fully filled up, the character with it will be able to use their ultimate attack while you have them as the party's leader. In every battle after this one, you'll have to fill the UG up by performing combos. The longer and flashier the combo is, the more filled the UG becomes. Once you use the ultimate attack, the bar will reset to be empty."

Dave: "Good… let's try this out. Rrrrrrrrr! Ultimate attack, Spiraling Drake!"

Dave and his big armor began to spiral like a drill. He launched himself directly at the reaping mantisis, with an incredible velocity. The whole thing was cinematic and cool to lay eyes upon. I was practically head over heels for him performing this maneuver. He collided with the creature, causing a shockwave to envelop the battlefield.

Reaping Mantisis: "*dragged out screech*"

The thing fell over and died soon after the attack finished with a huge amount of damage. A victory screen popped up, showing the gained experience for defeating every one of those guys. Everyone leveled up four times from this.

Dave: "More power ensures that we'll be safer..."

Ringo: "Yay! I'm stronger!"

Lemres: "Heh, now that's what I'm talkin' about!"

Sig: "Huh…? Am I improving?"

Me: "Nice, it looks like everyone is now at level 7. What's gonna happen now?"

I pressed X to further things along. I was wanting us to get to a save point, so I could get those four out of there.

Dave: "Now then… we should find one of those spots, it'll help us out."

Lemres, Ringo, and Sig: "Yeah."

I was in control of Dave again for the overworld. A minimap was shown at the top-right corner of the screen. Seeing a pathway up ahead, I moved Dave over to it. Enemies were blocking the rear part and text popped up.

Game: "You can first-strike enemies by either hitting them with the X key, or walk up to them from behind. Be careful though, enemies can do this to you too if they spot you. If there's a non-boss enemy that you don't want to fight and they chase you, run away long enough for it to give up. Typically, bigger enemies in an area are stronger and have bigger amounts of HP. Unless if you're confident (or insane), it's generally better to avoid them until you can dominate weaker troops."

I first-struck all the enemies that stood in my way. My friends gained a whole level from that alone.

Lemres: "Hey, isn't that…?"

Dave: "! It is! A save point! Oh, thank God for that… *sigh*"

Ringo: "Then let's not waste any more time here, let's get to it!"

I led Dave to the save point and pressed X. The game presented me with two options: "Save and continue" or "Save and return to the title screen". I obviously chose the second one and the game stated that the save was successful. It booted me back to the title screen and the pods next to me opened. I let out a burst of joy and tears when Dave and the others woke up.

Me: "Ooooooh! I'm so glad you guys are back, safe and sound! *sob*"

Dave: "Feli… why are you crying?"

Risukuma: "I should have told you guys this sooner… but I forgot."

Ringo: "Forgot what, Ris?"

Risukuma: "I… forgot that if you guys died in the game without reaching a save point to reload from… you would die for real."

Dave: "W-what?! Why the hell would you make it THAT realistic, Ris?! We could have all been killed for real without us ever knowing it!"

Ringo: "And, how could you forget such an important detail, man?"

Risukuma: "I'm sorry, really! Maybe this wasn't a good idea to begin with… I'll dismantle everything built around this and terminate the game."

Me: "And… this is why I gotta punish you so, bear… Get the fuck over here... ... HYYYYAAAAAAH!"

I smacked him around to kingdom come, teaching him to never do something like this ever again. Dave quivered as he watched me, then covered his eyes. Ringo had that kind of face, displaying "Oh my God". Sig just gave out the same blank expression that he usually makes. Lemres turned his head a bit to avoid eye contact and whistled about.

Sig: "Damn… did you have to hit him that hard? He's bleeding now."

Me: "Hmph! That's what he gets… There was no way that he could get away with this, scot-free. I simply had to, bug boy."

Sig: "Uh… Earth to Feli… my name is Sig."

Me: "I don't care… Let's just go home… C'mon, Lemres."

Lemres: "Uh… comin'!"

Me, Lemres, and Sig left the bear's house to go back home in Primp Town for the night. As we traveled through a portal, I thought back to when Dave was shaking in fear. I knew that he wasn't the toughest guy I knew, emotionally speaking... but, I felt bad about him witnessing my angry side, becoming frightened. Not like I had a choice... I was too pissed at Risukuma to not go and smack him, after all. Lemres noticed my frowning and spoke.

Lemres: "You… alright, Feli? You seem to be conflicted with somethin'..."

Me: "I-I'm fine... it's nothing, Lemres."

Lemres: "If ya say so…"

---

Author's Notes: Dave, Ringo, Lemres, and Sig enter the game, unaware of the possible risk of dying for real. Feli yells at Risukuma, swearing that she will punish him when all of this is at an end. She guided her friends to go and defeat a huge flying mantis. Feli then moved the group over to a save point, where she got them all out safely. As Risukuma apologizes for the likely death scenario, Feli mercilessly beats the bear up, as punishment. She then leaves with Lemres and Sig, so they could return to Primp. Going through a portal, Feli thought back to the moment when Dave was terrified of her angry side. She felt bad about him seeing her like that. After going through a digital trip, what's next for Dave and his friends? Next chapter, Chapter 37: A Change of Lifestyle.