*'Hiiro'*

After talking to Shun, Yun and their guests, I ate something. Well, that 'something' being a single packet of crisps, and went back to my room. The same room with a set of screens in the corner appeared before my gaze, one of them illuminating the entire room in a white glow.

I swiftly danced to the glow as I effortlessly dodged the jumbled mess things that cluttered the room. From Wires of the countless electronics popping up like weeds to the series of still unopened boxes containing upwards of fifty games each, all these potential tripping hazards were completely ignored by my precise movements.

On the screen, after noticing the reply to my question, I spent some time talking over what I really need to do and where I need to be to do them.

ABCs: _______? Are you there? I need to ask something about travelling. _______: By 'travelling', do you mean going to a new area or country? ABCs: New country. _______: Well, you can now that you have an ID. Didn't I say mention that earlier? ABCs: You didn't, but that's not what I meant... ABCs: Wouldn't I possible miss out some of the events by moving? _______: Oh, that's why... Don't worry about that. There are similar events happening in each country at the same time, otherwise it'd be unfair that some races getting better chances than others. ABCs: Ah... ABCs: Wait, there are other races? _______: Did you not try researching the world, or at least notice other kinds of people? ABCs: Clearly not.... _______: And you think you're ready for going to a new country? Yeah, this world is pretty complicated, at least read an in-game book or two before leaving... [_______ left the chat room.] ABCs: ... [ABCs left the chat room.]

-

Leaving the awkward conversation, I went back to my bed, equipped my helmet and gloves, and went back into Myth of Men.

I logged in and loaded into the game. I was facing the outside of the city, night consuming all the greenery from before.

I turned back, met with a gate in my face. It blocked me from an eerily similar street, now silent.

'Okay... now what do I do?' I asked myself, clueless. I knew I had to go to the library to head off, but what if the area I dismissed as a newbie's area was actually deeper. I mean, there was that one level '???' creature, and a large expanse of land from earlier. Should I really be leaving?

With these questions and doubts in my mind, I looked around the dark, dead streets around me. My footsteps echoed in a metronome fashion, as I tried to think of something to do...

After only minutes of thought, I narrowed down my choices to two, leave or explore more...

On one hand, given that there are different races, there may be more interesting cultures or at least a fight I could mindlessly win. On the other, I might be annoyed if I had to backtrack in the future...

More thinking, and I couldn't come to a single conclusion.

-

At some point later, I heard close twigs snap around me.

'Okay, enough thought!' I yelled at myself, knocking all of my confusion and pondering from my mind. My eyes narrowed as I focused on my sense of sound.

The sound of my breath got replaced by the noise of muffled laughter. Without thinking, I wielded my staff in one hand, and a sword in the other, turning around towards three silhouettes standing before me, followed by tens more from nearby trees.

"Ha ha ha ha... What's a little kid like you doin' on our turf? And at this hour too? Are you lost or something little kiddo?" one of the larger, closer figures said this, in a cold, unfamiliar tone.

I stare blindly at them as I hear clicks coming from them, a weapon like shapes added to each of their silhouettes followed.

The tense stalemate was broken with a yawn from me. They became hostile, charging at me with burning glares. A very long and thin sword was the first to swipe at me, skimming my hair as it rushed passed. A wider, slower swipe followed, completely missing me as I dodged.

"Bind." A familiar wall of tentacles sprouted from the ground, encapsulating the trees around me. The attacks became faster, almost matching my dodging speed as they became desperate.

Three figures were on the inside with me, so I swiftly began my attack.

I chose to release my first swipe, slicing the closest of the figures across the neck. I slide under his arm as they tried to retaliate and smacked his leg with my staff. The others stood there, wanting to not get in the way.

'My health's about one hundred, so my attacks were doing a mere twenty damage each...' I thought, noting how slowly my health had risen. I didn't know how much health they had, but it was probably in the six digits.

The heat of the moment had given way, and my adversaries had started to attack more strategically. Giving me barely any room for attacking them.

Slashing and yelling from outside the walls sounded closer that I'd like, giving me a new sense of pressure...

'This is hopeless... Fuck!' I thought, shaking my head as I started going on the defensive. Time for my exit.

I was now sandwiched by two of them, dodging the thin blade slashing at my back as I parried the slow-moving great-sword at my front.

Slipping out from between the two of opponents, I aimed my hand, palm out, in their direction.

My absence caused them to accidentally hit each other. I used this to bind them, whispering "bind" as a tentacle sprouted around both of them. I used it again to try and cement them fully, and as they squirmed I scoured the area for the third.

He was behind the mess of tentacles, about five meters away from me. With the other two now trapped, and my health now rising rapidly, I made my final move.

I put my weapons in my sheaths and started to talk to them.

"It's been fun gents. Who'd have expected blindly walking to end up like this... I have to make my getaway, maybe next time I'll actually kill you. I'll meet you again~," I said.

I followed it up with a bow, waving one of my hands upwards as I mumbled "Form one."

My body glowed, and I suddenly could feel a massive force from beneath me as I floated upwards. My vision stopped as the glow faded, seeing nothing but darkness. My arms, legs, and other bodily parts were now numb, and I started to feel anxious as felt my acceleration continuing for ages.

I got bored of this very quickly, the lack of stimulation strained me mentally as I tried to imagine time passing... It was like I was frozen in time, my brain started spasming to get some stimulation, and I had to keep bluffing to myself that it was part of the plan.

Some time later, I felt a new force pounding into me, I didn't know what it was, but it helped me escape my own mind rotting, so I was grateful for it. The new force pushed me was roughly perpendicular from the previous force, likely adding a horizontal velocity as I flew.

With my lack of senses apart from touch, I couldn't tell how fast I was going, or how far I had traveled. I could only feel cold and air rushing past me, but by now I was anxious, and the boredom had returned.

I tried to access the HUD with thought alone... It failed. I doubted my skills would work with my current situation, so didn't bother to try. I continued to helplessly accelerate in a direction... I couldn't even tell if it was up or forward, only that it wasn't towards the ground and didn't hit any trees.

Having fun?

...

A random message popped up, with a cross in the corner almost taunting me...

'Of course not!' I yelled, trying to react to the message. Without a mouth, though, it was just a thought aimed at me...

Congratulations on finding a game breaking glitch Mr. game tester.

But I have to question your motives... Really? A weightless dandelion puff?

You're a very funny guy Hiiro.

'Huh... is this my boss? I mean, he's probably the only admin to know my name anyway...' I worthlessly thought, trying to sate my now growing boredom.

Don't worry, I'll forcibly log you out for now and tell Seven about this glitch.

I'm Five by the way, the head of Underscore_Gaming.

Pleased to meet you Hiiro, I'm a fan of your previous shenanigans.

-

As he said that, a rather dull light coated the previous darkness. I heard my breath, felt my arms and all my other limbs as I rose from lying. I peeled my gloves off, removed my helmets and flopped back down on my bed exhausted...

"..." I was speechless.

I didn't know such a thing could happen. Feeling a cold sweat down my back, I realized I was scared.

'Huh... this scared me? The last time that happened was... That time.' I shrugged off my 'almost bleeding to death' as a reasonable exception, as I thought back.

I wasn't the kind of guy who cared enough about things to get scared, or even feel any emotions. I haven't cried, been 'angry' or even 'happy' for years to prove it. To think something like getting stuck in a game was so scary to me... if it had happened any other way, I'd just laugh at myself.

But not his time.

-

I was in a slump for a while, before regaining a modicum of strength and pushing myself up. I went to the bathroom and splashed my face with water.

I forgot I wore a mask...

"Ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha, HA HA HA HA HA!" I involuntarily started laughing at my own stupidity, as my fingers ran through my wig.

I laughed long and hard about it for minutes, eventually getting stopped by knocking at my door.

"Um... Doki? I hear some emotion coming from your room. Are you okay?" Shun's voice said from outside, he was clearly distressed by the laughter.

"Sorry, I realized I've been playing MoM for way too long..." I replied, still bubbling from laughter left over.

"What finally made you realize that? I mean, I'm now shocked..." he asked, seeming annoyingly serious as he did.

"Ha ha ha... Oh, sorry. I tried to wash my face, forgetting I had a mask." I answered.

"Huh, you don't wear a mask in the game?" he asked, now seemed more lighthearted.

"Yeah..." I said, later recounting things that previously happened during my time playing. This lasted a while, since he seemed genuinely curious as he added more questions.

After a while of talking through the door, we exhausted the topic and stopped the conversation. As a sudden fatigue swept over me, I stumbled to my bed and collapsed. Falling asleep instantly as a result.