Hot damn! Was I really in peak physical condition right now? I honestly felt like I could go for a sprint and not get tired after fifteen seconds. I mean, I wasn't that unfit back then, but getting my old stamina back was like a breath of fresh air!
*Ugh....*
A low groan coming from the air made me look up to the starry sky. It sounded like Guidance was starting to wake up back in the old world. Still didn't know why we had this kind of arrangement, but frankly, I'm already starting to think that I shouldn't question these things lest I get bit in the ass by a dog made of pure karma.
My whole life was currently powered by magical fantasy bullshit right now. No need to antagonize the one cosmic being out there that might be responsible for this.
"Hey," I called out to the void that was the dark sky. "Guidance?"
The sound of lip-smacking and tongue moving was audibly heard as the woman hummed from wherever it was that she slept. Maybe she was in her bed right now and I wouldn't even know it?
*Mhhmmm.... I already graduated.... Moomm...*
I chuckled at the sleep talk. It was rather cute, all things considered, but I honestly don't think that she wasn't a working woman herself. Unless it was her day off today, then I'll let myself do the honors of letting her not be late for whatever job she might have.
"Hey!" I yelled to the void. "Wake up!"
More moans filtered through the darkness of the sky, her moans sounding far too suggestive for it to be healthy for any growing kid to hear. Now that I noticed it, Guidance's low and tired tones sounded much more in line with her narrator voice from yesterday. Well, if all else, she had a ridiculous vocal range if she can switch from professional to meek in a drop of a hat.
A muffled silence returned to me as I waited for a response. Really understandable if she was a fellow wage slave like I was. Work will always be tiring, after all.
Unfortunately for her... "Guidance! Wake up!"
A pained gasp quickly echoed in response to my shouting; the solo dev clearly not ready to have her sleep disturbed like this. I kinda feel bad for her now.
*I-I'm up! I'm up!* the woman squeaked. *I-I'm sorry for sleeping on the... job... s-sir?*
I could only scoff as I lied back down on the grassy plain, releasing the arch as I placed both of my hands on the back of my head as a pillow. "Yo. Good morning over there."
*G-good morning?* Guidance confusedly asked. *Who are you? A-are you in my head or something? W-what's happening?*
Huh. I guess she was still half-asleep if she didn't remember what the hell happened yesterday. "Don't you remember? I'm the guy stuck inside your game."
*Stuck... inside my game?* the half-awake developer questioned. *But... it's not even... wait...*
Oh boy. I can already hear the gears turning in her mind even from a literal world away. If tropes were king, then a mind-shattering revelation would hit her in probably three... two... one...
....
....
*Oh no!*
Yep. Still got it. "Remember me now?"
*Y-you're the... It's real....* Guidance stuttered out. *L-last night was real...*
"Yep, I'm real," I chuckled, shaking my head in amusement. "I'm stuck in your game and I have no idea what to do."
While I did have some idea, the anemic lack of a HUD and user interface was really making me doubt my every decision. I can't just wander off like an idiot now, can't I? If I had direct access to the person that made this world, then I might as well ask her what the hell I should do to survive. Not that I needed it, of course.
*I-I... uhmm... M-Moriya, right?*
"Yeah?"
I didn't remember telling her my handle. Then again, she already said yesterday that she could see me; possibly through a monitor. It wouldn't be too farfetched for her to know my everything at this point.
*I-I.. uhh... G-good morning?*
I raised an eyebrow at such a meek response, "Thanks? Anyway, are you free today?"
*F-f-free?!*
Why the hell was she so surprised? "I can only assume you have a job out there, right? I can always wait, but if you're available today, then can you at least give me a rundown on how everything works in this game?"
Whipping out [Blanc and Noire], the novel feeling of having a mystical power in my fingertips was starting to return again. Alongside the strange, yet majestically beautiful landscape of this [Kattleyna] place, and the urge to adventure was already starting to come back and bite my OCD-riddled mindset. It was a good thing that I wasn't already bombarded with quest lines and side activities sprinkled on a minimap, or else I would've probably already wandered off like a kid in a toy store.
*O-oh! It's actually my off today...* Guidance whispered out as if she was still in bed. *I was planning on working on the game, but... Yeah... I-I'll help you.*
"Nice."
Twirling my pistols around in the weebiest way possible, I was actually kind of surprised at how natural it felt for me to wield them. And I didn't mean they were weightless, but it's like I actually knew how to handle weapons like these. And that was coming from someone born in a country that wasn't the US.
"Okay, first up: How do I open my menus?"
*M-Menus?* the solo dev yawned. *Isn't it 'alt-s?'*
What...
Looking up to the brightest star in the sky, I gave off the most disappointing glare I could give her. I knew she can see me, and I sure as hell hoped she'd get my drift in the reality that I had no keyboard with me!
*W-what?*
"Look at me, Guidance. I'm not exactly behind a keyboard, am I?"
Seriously... I'd already guessed that Guidance was a ditz in terms of-
[*RROOAAGHGH!!!*]
What the hell?! "What in the-"
*Look out!*
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
The damn monster's roar made subtitles appear in front of me as I moved. I didn't even have the time to look behind me as my instincts immediately told me to run in spite of my weaponry. A logical part of me wanted to stop and try to fight whatever this thing was, but my baser instincts were just far too strong for me to ignore.
Well, that part of me should suck it! I had power now, right?
Spinning on a dime, I trained my guns at the tentacle-looking monster. I felt my [Blanc and Noire] hum with power as they drew blood from my veins, ready to convert them into bullets the moment that I pulled the triggers.
[*ROROOAGAGHHG!!!!*]
The monster stopped in its tracks as I aimed down my sights. Its roars appeared as subtitles above its head as the black mess moved and gyrated in ways that looked like it was an affront to the beauty of this place. I didn't know why Guidance would make such a monster, but it's still clear that this was an enemy I had to kill.
Nice try, tentacles, but I won't be your food today.
[*Click! Click! Click!*]
[*NO COMBA-*]
[*NO COMBA-*]
[*NO COMBAT ALLOWED IN STARTING AREA*]
Wait... What?!
[*Click! Click!*]
[*NO COMBA-*]
[*NO COMBAT ALLOWED IN STARTING AREA*]
My eyes twitched at small subtitles coming out of my pistols. Each time I tried pulling the trigger, a small 'click' sound escaped my weapons. At the back of my mind, I already knew that it meant I wasn't going to fire a bullet any time soon. But why in the hell was this place not a combat zone if there were enemies present like this?!
"Guidance?!"
*Y-Yes?*
"Why is this place a non-combat area if there's a monster present?" I sternly asked as I kept my weapons trained on the monster in front of me. "This is a monster, right!? Shouldn't I be able to kill it!?"
*W-well... I might've placed a-anti spawn camping measures...* the woman meekly responded from the void. *I-Isn't that a p-problem with most games?*
I took a few steps backward as the tentacle monster slowly inched forward, "Yeah? But didn't you stop and think about those that might want to just stay put and get acquainted with the controls!?"
This was bad. There was a monster wanting to eat me and I have no way of properly defending myself. How the hell should I know that the spawn area had anti-spawn camping measures in them?!
*Y-yes? But wouldn't most people leave the area in about an hour?*
I felt the monster undulate and writhe with anticipation as it slowly crept up to me, "Not if they're new to games like these, Guidance!"
Wasn't that like, game design 101?! Hell, even I stick around at the starting area whenever I get into a new game with different control schemes. If that was the norm for me when I was behind a keyboard, then what more when I was actually in the game with my flesh and blood entirely on the line?!
[*Click! Click!*]
[*NO COMBA-*]
[*NO COMBAT ALLOWED IN STARTING AREA*]
My fingers locked into place as I tried desperately to make my guns shoot something. Unfortunately, Guidance's droning recordings were the only thing I heard as she repeatedly told me that I can't defend myself in a non-combat zone. Meanwhile, the tentacle monster was inching ever so closer to me, as if it was gauging me somehow on how far it could even come close to me.
It was impressive A.I. if it wasn't trying to kill me.
"Guidance?!"
*I-I'll think of something!* The sound of her keyboard furiously clacking on in the background made for a piece of tense background music as she responded. *Just... run for now, okay?! That thing's built different!*
Huh?! "Okay then!"
Not knowing what the hell the dev meant for that undulating monstrosity being built different, it was for the better that I did run. Spinning on a dime, I couldn't even look back as I let my feet finally do what it was meaning to do earlier. Maybe I'd get to a threshold where I could actually fight back? Well, it was certainly better than just hoping that Guidance would fix this mess.
[*RORORAGHHGH!!!!*]
My eyes widened. I had a feeling that something's about- Oh crap!
Diving out of the way of an errant tentacle, I found myself rolling and tumbling on the grass as I fought desperately to keep myself upright. I knew I didn't have the prerequisite physical ability to- wait... I actually did it!
Rolling onto my feet, I quickly picked back up where I left off as I kept running towards god knows where. All the while, the tentacle monster was still hot on my heels as I heard its appendages wriggle about through the air. My legs kept on pumping as I ran, my eyes peeled as I stole a few glances every so often. One gun was always trained on the damn thing, but all I got was a clicking noise and Guidance's damn prompt ringing in my ear.
And why is this taking so damn long?!
"Anytime now, Guidance!"
I screamed into the void of the starry sky as I navigated what looked like a cross between a luscious green forest and a cave filled with mushrooms. With the starlight being my only source of illumination, what was probably the simple scenery of normal shrubbery became that much scarier. A part of me was practically jumping at every rustle that I made. And it wasn't even because of the normal fear of creepy crawlies that got me. No. It was the possibility that there might be more of these tentacle monsters hiding in wait in these bushes!
*I-I'm working as fast as I can!*
The background noise of Guidance's keyboard was being drowned out by my own breathing at this point as I ducked and weaved through each and every vine and branch I came across. With this thing rampaging behind me, I couldn't stop for even a single second, lest I got absolutely obliterated with my clear lack of combat options or even stats to possibly tank a hit. And without the assurance that I'll even respawn if I died, that just made it all the more important that I not die in what was obviously the opening sequence of the game!
*I-I got it...*
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
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