Celine's family was was taken from her far before she was ready. When KC offers new VR tech that has the ability to read your MIND, relive memories, she immediately grabs a seat for testing. Little did she know just what sort of adventure VR would take her on. With a certain CEO running the testing, and both the King of Games and Joey Wheeler testing with her, it was certainly going to be a ride.
Hey guys! Back with a new one. This took a lot out of me to finish, but I have finished it. Follow the story to get updates and see how it ends!
(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~) indicates a scene change or time lapse. POV is not locked on one character. Also, take the formatting at face value, drives me absolutely wild with this. I can't get it right, but hopefully it's still manageable to read.
I do not own YGO.
Celine felt nervous, but excited. Countless hours of grinding, gaming, pumping hours in had paid off. Kaiba Corporation had sent out a challenge asking gamers to be their new VR test bunnies, and thousands had flocked to try. From everywhere. There were only 10 spots open, and as more and more fell off the board, she almost couldn't believe it.
She'd gotten a spot.
Not only had she gotten a spot, she'd had an offer to fly out to Japan to stay. All accommodations paid for. All housing covered.
It felt like a dream.
Kind of scary like a dream too. She hadn't gone out of the country in years. KC had to streamline her passport reactivation when it covered her visa. However since then, it had been a matter of going where she was told. There had been a car waiting, and the driver had given her the hotel keys and told her when to be ready to go to HQ.
Several others had been waiting as well.
Tucker from Australia
Ted and Roger from Canada.
Celine, and a guy named Carson from the US.
One from Korea, but Celine didn't catch his name, nor did she catch the two from China.
Though, to be fair, none of them had even looked at her, their eyes down and dodging away.
It wasn't lost on her that she was the only girl.
She didn't think it was lost to anyone else either, but Ted and Roger had acted like it didn't matter, greeting her warmly when she'd stepped down. There was idle chatter about where they were all from, then the limo had arrived and they'd been swept up to KC.
They'd been ushered into a room. It was dark, with only a ring of lights in the center. One spot light for each of them. Two more joined them. One had a starburst of multi colored hair, making him instantly recognizable. Yugi Moto. The blond beside him had to be Joey Wheeler. That checks out. Locals and some of the best talent available.
It suddenly felt very hot. Holy shit.
Ted bumped her with his elbow, a grin in one corner of his mouth. "You good, eh?"
"No!" Whispered Celine. "I'm freakin' out! Eh?"
He snickered at her, but the sound of the door shutting caused them all to jump. This room was bigger than it seemed. A sharp blue beam of light shot up from the floor in the center of them, and a moment later expanded to make the form of one Seto Kaiba. CEO of Kaiba Corp. His arms were crossed across his chest, his long legs leaned to one side as he stood at an inpatient tilt.
"Welcome-"
"What? Kaiba drags everyone in here for a projection?" Complained Joey, just loud enough to catch in the room.
The projection turned sharply and narrowed his gaze at the blond, who tensed and took an uneasy step back.
"Wheeler. Someone must have left the dumpster drop open."
Celine's brows shot up. That wasn't a projection. That was live. Her eyes looked up but all she saw were the lights. There could be any number of cameras and projectors hiding up there and she'd never know.
"Yeah well I'm here, won it fair and square." Said Joey firmly.
"You got lucky. Like you do." Said Kaiba flatly before moving on. Taking a slow pace around the circle, seeming to study each player in turn. "The rest of you, your talents will be put to the test. So far your skill lies in this reality. What we are going to find out in these tests is how much of that skill transitions into virtual reality…"
Celine felt her heart seize when the image stopped in front of her. Fuck. She looked up just in time to catch a smirk on his face before he kept on. "Previously our company had started work on a set of pods that would allow you to…" He passed Ted and the Canadian grinned and gave her a thumbs up.
"What we will be testing today will be very similar. Only this one, hopefully, will be much more mobile, and available to everyone."
Another light flicked on, and it showed the man's body resting comfortably in a chair, with sensors scattered down his front. A visor firmly over his eyes. More lights flicked on and showed matching chairs, with tables holding matching headsets. One for each of them.
"Everyone take a seat, sensors will be attached once you are fully uploaded."
They all seemed to look around nervously before following the instructions and seating themselves. The headset was very similar to standard VR sets, but what came after wasn't.
A spiral screen flashed before her eyes behind the visor, and a whirl of light that caused her to finally shut them. When she opened them again, she wasn't in KC HQ.
She was in a field. With the rest of them. With Kaiba waiting patiently for them all to come around. It felt like she was in a field. There was wind through the trees, there was the smell of sweet grass and pollen.
Celine took a few shaky steps. The ground felt solid beneath her. Looking around spotted the others. Everyone came out almost identical to how they'd gone in. She looked at herself. Her hair was down, long, black hair that seemed to do as it pleased. She liked to straighten it. She thought it was much softer and easier to manage that way. As if sensing her thoughts, her hair fell limp and smoothed out.
Revelation hit her. She could choose? How much? Her mind snapped to her favorite character that she'd made through the years.
When she opened her eyes again, she was taller, and everyone was looking at her. A look down found thick, bright bronze scales, covered in shiny platemail. A body heavy in strength and very much not human. She laughed and it came out a vibrating rumble. There was a mace at her hip, and a shield on one arm, and she drew it to test it.
"What's your name?"
Celine looked up to see Kaiba standing before her, his face cool.
"Celine."
"No."
A long finger poked her breast plate. "What is your name."
Celine flashed a ray of sharp teeth in a grinning grimace. "Grumish The Almighty. Paladin of Torm." Her voice was a heavy growl, thick and deep.
"Paladin of Torm, why don't you give our friends some encouragement?" Asked Kaiba, a smirk curling his lips as he stepped aside.
Celine knew an invite when she heard one, and felt a chill run up her spine as the frills along her neck and back flared. A roar left her, and the group scattered in all directions. What powers did Grumish have?
Hunter's Mark. She eyed one of the running parties. The blond, Joey. A red cross appeared in her sights, and she started after in a heated pursuit. She could hear the slam of her body as she ran, but not the exhaustion, only the drive to collect her target.
Misty Step. Teleport 30 feet.
Celine vanished in a flash of light and Joey slammed into her front as she appeared.
"How are you… doin' that?!" Joey scrambled back and was suddenly dropped under a set of four large top hats. Celine struck one and it vanished. She moved forward to strike another but a blast of energy slammed her form back and at a tumble. Bounding to her feet, she turned to see a purple clad magician.
"It's me, Joey." Said the magician. "Yugi."
"Yugi? You're the Dark Magician!" Said Joey, shock coloring his face as he crawled out from the hats, causing them to vanish. The mage stepped between him and Celine.
"Picture what you want to be, Joey. What character. I know Dark Magician better than anyone. This Paladin of Torm is someone Celine chose."
Pride swelled in Celine's chest. "I am Grumish The Almighty, Mage! And you'll do well to remember it!"
A smite. She needed a good smite. But first.
Celine basked her shield to the sky, and a shining blue light surrounded it. Shield of Faith. +2 Armor. What about a mount? Grumish was mounted combatant in her game… How? Summon Steed. That was a spell she knew!
"I call on the Hand of Righteousness! The One True Great One! May he send his servant to my hand! Behold the wrath of His Loyal Fury!" Roared Celine, and in her hand her mace began to glow. She raised it and her gauntlet turned white.
Everyone's head turned as a thundering whinny filled the air and the heavy sound of hoofbeats. A snow white War Horse in full plate appeared from a haze of blue magic. Her first mount Vesuvan. Just as she pictured he'd been. Celine threw herself on and felt her blood rush. Mounted combatant. Advantage on those on the ground, which meant the mage was an easy target.
Celine didn't ask herself if she knew how to ride, or if she could swing her mace. She told herself she knew and she did. She told herself she wanted to slam a smite into that purple clown and she absolutely did. He'd started an attack, but he didn't finish it. Instead he went sailing back to slam against the tree line.
"Yugi!" Cried the blond, getting to his feet.
A low chuckle and slow clap drew everything to a halt. It was Kaiba, flanked on either side by the rest of the team.
"This reality is what you make it. Your image, your abilities, are only stopped by the limits you place upon yourself. This server is constructed of a large island with various resources available. You will be given a week in game to explore and establish a base. This will serve as your spawn point."
"Wait, so you're not going to tell us anything?" Snapped Joey.
"You've made it this far on luck, Wheeler, why stop now?" Replied Kaiba before addressing the group in a firm tone.
"If you are the players you promised you were upon testing, this should be a breeze." He gave the group a smirk as he stepped out to the center of the clearing. He gave Celine a look that she couldn't read before he looked skywards. "I'll be watching."
His body shifted and a pearlescent white dragon took to the skies in a burst of wind and a roar.
Looks like it was time to find a space for herself. And she had the mount. Time to get moving. Celine kicked her horse to go.
"Hey! Eh?! Grumish The Almighty!" It was Ted and Roger, with Carson And Tucker hovering to one side, uncertain.
"What'cha say a team huh? We teamin'."
Celine chuckled. "We'll see boys. Maybe if you catch up."