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The coral was scrolling under Mirii's eyes, as the sandy ground was creeping from the horizon.
"… this software is not even stable to begin with! I must get off this nightmare!" Mirii's head shook. "Penny, stop this virtual experience!"
I can't stop real life!
"I'm not joking!" She snorted. "Please… I'm not enjoying this whole scenery in the slightest."
But we haven't even gotten to the main part yet! Don't you want to see the great-looking mystic animals around?! I swear there is one who makes jokes even better than mine! If a direct competitor is saying you this, then it's
"I have already decided…" Her eyes closed. "… hmm?!" Her eyelids went back up. "I-I can't emerge from the ink!"
Don't move, you crazy Squid!
The sight stopped just before the end of the coral.
The cords are acting like a safety belt by holding down the immerged Squid. You can only move around that ink, if you need to stretch
"Release me at once!" Mirii frowned. "I already said that I changed my mind about this whole machine!"
Calm down, please… it doesn't even take that long
"The software doesn't even work correctly!" She turned around, seeing some rocks on the right side and very few seaweeds sticking from the rocks. "It didn't display the number of Squids you wanted to"
It's the only buggy part, I swear! It didn't even came up in the last 2 weeks!
Mirii growled, as she slid around the ink.
"If you don't release me now, I will report your behavior to your employer!" She groaned, as she shook violently.
N-no, please! D-don't throw me into a nasty situation…!
She kept her mouth sealed.
If I let you out now, this software will send the incomplete results to my employer… and he's going to explode, if he sees a customer refusing to continue a happy experience! He-he will consider firing me… an-and I will end up without a job and many bills unpaid!
…
I-I'm begging you…! I-I wouldn't know what to do without this job…!
"… she did gave me that salad for lunch…" Mirii looked down. "… she might as well be bluffing for this whole time… but what if that wasn't the case? What are the true risks in this situation?"
Are you deciding…? … or is the ink system playing tricks on us?
Mirii chuckled.
"No, no… I reached a conclusion."
Aaaah… I'm too small to hold this gigantic suspense…!
"You can sigh in relief." Mirii nodded. "Forgive me for that incomprehensive order…"
Pheeeew! … let me double-sigh in relief! Pheeeeew!
Mirii laughed.
Never been happier than receiving a paycheck bonus for my birthday!
"Ha ha!" She sighed. "You said that an animal was capable of making jokes better than yours?"
Well, better…! I'm not that super-duper legendary to begin with… this animal is only decent, trust me.
Her sight began moving forward.
But it's the overall experience who's going to give you the most happiness! We are about to enter the very first phase… hold on your tentacles!
A sand castle was emerging from the horizon, as it was moving closer and closer towards her irises.
"Do I have to do something in this scene?" She tracked down a shadowy item way behind the castle.
Aside from watching? You can simulate the action in your ink, if you are an energetic Squid.
"Of course I am." Now her sight was inspecting the open entrance, seeing a faint darkness. "But how I'm supposed to know which move I should do?"
Technically speaking, there is no way… but you can pretend to read minds and guess where I would move!
Mirii chuckled a bit.
"I prefer looking at the whole movie, then… besides, it really gives me the feeling of"
A music starts playing, seemingly coming from the sandy castle. Several voices were pronouncing different words.
A whole adventure aheeeaad! A whole adventure aheeeaad! We need to be careful and use our heeeeaads! Use your heeeeeaad! That's the way for achieving happineeeeesss!
"… I wonder if this little experience can be considered intelligent too." She giggled mentally. "That would truly reach perfection…!"
A green Squid came out from the entrance, staring back at Mirii.
"You have finally arrived!" He moved his tentacles around. "Come in! We were waiting for you!" He turned behind and slid back in.
"… waiting for me?" Her sight moved after the Squid.
Sshhh! I'm watching the movie!
"Eh eh!" Mirii nodded, looking at the darkness fading out at every inch she was crossing. "Although, by hearing that tone of voice… I hope I'm not the protagonist of some cheap Saturday-morning cartoon…"
She was floating above a red carpet, with the walls decorated with various Squid shapes, Squid-shaped armors and doors on the sides. The green Squid was moving in front of her, looking in the same way.
"Now that I think about it… this building does have a rather large attention over Squids…" Her head rose. "Not just in this software." Her eyes squeezed a bit. "The fact alone that you have stay under such form, in order to utilize all those machines… is there a connection?"
"The king has a request just for you!" The Squid spun backwards, while still moving forward. "If you satisfy it, he will reward you with the happiest gift you have ever seen!"
"What gift?" Mirii moved her tentacles around.
He tilted towards her.
"They told me that this gift is so precious, only the king knows it…" He returned his sight forward. "You are about to meet everyone, now… let me open the door for you!"
His movement accelerated, going closer and closer towards a large door guarded by two Squids wearing an armor. Her sight stopped, watching the guards going each over a handle, grabbing it and slowly pushing a side each of the door. An intense light came in for a short second, before a loud cheer blasted on Mirii's ears.
Various Squids and unique creatures were on the sides of the more lit room. The groups were both under large stone arcs going along the walls or closer to the red carpet, the Squids were cheering and dancing in a silly way. Staring from the top of the arcs, even more Squids!
A larger Squid wearing a crown, was sitting on a throne decorated with a golden metal on the edges, red cushions and backrest… as the arms had their tips ending with a curl.
Mirii's eyelids lowered to the middle.
"… it does look like a cartoon… siiiigh!" Her head shook faintly. "I do not possess any patience for this…"
The king raises from the throne, as everyone else went silent.
"… o great traveler! Savior of all Squid-kind!" His brown moustache twirled vaguely. "I have called upon you for a request of a large magnitude…!"
"Bah!" Mirii snorted. "Enough with such obsolete method of expression"
"Fear is growing more, as the days are going by…! We cannot watch the nightmare of our dreams, the EatATon, ruin our happiness."
Mirii's eyes expanded.
"… I thought I could interact with all of them!" She turned around, while listening to more of the king's words. "Nnnnggh…! … wh-what's the point of this, then?"
"Thus, if you want to defeat the terrible EatATon… you must embrace the art of being a true Squid. A happy Squid." The king moved away from his throne, floating over Mirii.
"… Penny, is there anything I can do in order to talk back to them?" She tilted backwards. "I don't see why this need of 3D glasses even exists…"
Listen carefully, please! You are going to thank me later for this!
The king stops in front of her eyes. He was frowning a bit.
"… being happy is the key for the Squid. You must be happy in order to succeed." He nodded. "Without happiness, you are lost…"
Being happy is the key for the Squid.
You must be happy in order to succeed.
Without happiness, you are lost…
"Wh-why are they all repeating the same phrases?!" Mirii turned around, as her irises shrunk.
The Squids were assuming a similar frown expression, being almost completely still.
"You have to fulfill the purpose of the Squid. You must be a Squid!" The king frowned a bit more. "Squid! You are a Squid!"
"Penny, can you stop this for a second?" Mirii's face went a bit paler. "I… I'm starting to feel uncomfortable…"
The king kept his mouth open. The female Squid felt a frozen sensation running wild all over herself.
… look what's emerging in my mind! A memory that thought it could escape!
"Penny!" Mirii snorted.
Sorry! I forgot to tell you that you have to repeat the same words they are saying. The software is 100% scary, when it comes to voice accuracy… in other words, it's scaring me even to this day!
"Repeating their words…?" Mirii frowned a bit. "Why would that even be necessary…?"
…
Her eyes expanded.