“I hate this. I don’t think I will ever get used to the game lobby,” I said as my voice carried off into endless darkness.

Weightless, drifting senselessly in nothingness, thank goodness it all subsided as I exited the so-called ‘lobby’ from the game back to reality. Honestly, it was more like waking from limbo or a bleary dream, nothing like any game lobby I experienced before.

My detached consciousness, or maybe even my soul, seemed to reattach itself into place, synchronizing as I was once again grounded and reunited with my real body.

The technology was beyond our time. More advanced than any virtually simulated game I’ve seen. Full immersion was relatively new, most not even offering an experience with all five senses. Maybe it was because New World was different.

A familiar sight returned as my blurry vision refocused, seeing the visor framed in mechanized metal worn across my eyes. I was home sweet home at work, laying down inside an open-air capsule in the real world.

I took a moment to adjust from the unsettling experience after being in the creepy game lobby area.

New World felt eerily the same as reality. I couldn’t really tell the difference. Even the NPCs-

My face darkened recalling the last moments before I was ejected back to reality.

That’s right! That damn knight! He sucker punched me out of nowhere!

I don’t know if they were phantom pains, but my nose still pulsated and burned as if broken. Clasping my face that radiated with pain, my brain seemed confused because nothing was injured. However, the sensations of shattered bone and cartilage seemed to have followed me back.

So if I died…

The thought made me shudder.

And yet, being alive right now in the real world did not leave me exactly happy either. And not just because I needed to quickly return to the game and pay back the punching favor I received from that knight somehow.

Heavy burdens, I wished to be rid of, awaited me. Returning back to reality also brought back real-life problems. I had hoped the game would serve as my temporary escape, my ticket away from uncontrollable circumstances. And with how real it was so far, it seemed possible.

But most importantly, playing the game would provide me a much-needed way to resolve my personal issues. Money can solve most problems. And my current job with Sim Gaming, LTD paid well. Or could pay well, if I completed the commission bonuses. This job could potentially fix my troubled situation.

But like my manager said, time is money. And there was no more time to lose. Besides, I had important business matters with that nun and knight I must attend to.

“Lace!” I shouted from my capsule, calling the name of the game dispatcher who initiates the login process. “Are you there? Send me back! Quick! Stupidly bulky knight guy! He punched me straight in the face!”

“Kian?” My manager, Mika, responded instead. His surprised tone slowly changed to concern as he glanced over to me from previously keeping an eye on the other capsules with my colleagues. “You’re back already? You just logged in. You didn’t die, did you?”

“No, Mika,” I replied, voice lowered from embarrassment. “Just a few annoying mishaps with some NPCs.” Reminded by an important point Mika forgot to mention, I questioned, “Mika! Why didn’t you tell me about the timer for logging out?”

“Huh? I did. I also told you when in danger to use an emergency logout.”

“Oh.”

Crap, maybe I forgot.

A gravelly voice interrupted our conversation. “Yo, you made a new record, Kian! That was the quickest pullout of the game I’ve ever seen! Haha!”

“That’s what she said, ahaha!” Another colleague chided.

“Ha. Ha,” I sarcastically replied. “Very funny, Lace. You two can shove it. Now send me back. I got unfinished business to attend to.”

Lace smirked. “First time too intense for ya, eh newbie? Going back for sloppy seconds? Woof. Atta, boy.”

I rolled my eyes, not intending to give any more fuel to Lace and his antics.

“Oohhh, doing business already, Kian? Do tell. What kind of business? The funny kind? Maybe already exploring certain red-light districts?”

“Uh, no, Jasper. I just logged in,” I responded to one of my senior colleagues who made the ‘she said’ comment. “No business of that sort. And I don’t intend to. No time, and no money.”

“Uh-huh. Suuurrre, Kian, sure. You say that now.”

“No, I’m serious, Jasper. No time. I need to make money.”

“Well, that won’t be a problem after playing for a few years. You’ll be rolling in money inside and outside the game.”

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

I smiled at the thought. “I sure hope that’s the case.”

“Just don’t die, and it will, Kian. Then treat yourself. A man’s got to enjoy himself. Especially everything the game has to offer. I recommend the Sultry Palace. Great variety. Wait till you get a taste, particularly the nonhuman ones. You’ll be hooked. ”

Mika cleared his throat, giving Jasper a telling eye. “Ahem. I will not say anything or interfere with anyone’s ‘funny business.’ Just keep it in the game. But try to ensure any other businesses don't interfere with your co-workers. We are working for the same company after all.”

Jasper joked back with a salute, “Sir, yes, sir. No, no funny business here, sir!”

Mika ignored Jasper’s double negative and turned to me.

“Kian. Make sure you meet up with Mace, your Team Lead. He is known as Helphut in New World and resides in the capital of the Albracore Empire. You’ll find him in our company’s in-game guild called New Dawn. There, you will be able to turn in your items for your added commission pay.”

“Ok, will do, Mika,” I replied.

Turning away to the far end of the room with many whirring massive computers, Mika called out, “Lace! Send Kian back!”

“Aye, aye, boss!” Lace responded before adding, “Alright, Kian! Have fun finishing your funny business! Go get’em, cowboy!”

…

“Ugh,” I groaned, a disoriented mess as I attempted to understand my new situation.

I sobered quickly from the disarray, taking eye-widening notes of a couple alarming observations.

Immediately, I muffled a scream through the coarse rags stuffed in my mouth, “Whaaf dah fuawak!”

The splitting headache and lingering pains from my broken nose were one thing, but the ropes binding tightly around my limbs and digging into my skin were another issue altogether.

My balance was unsteady, forcefully rocked back and forth on what now appeared to be a moving cart.

I then abruptly found myself temporarily suspended in the air as the cart suddenly dropped, clanking down on what was likely a deep pothole. But what goes up must come down. And what went down in a pothole must bounce back up.

“Ughhhf, shiiiifft!” I swore, head, body - everything slamming hard as I dropped back down while the cart recoiled up from the pothole.

Forcefully knocked away, I rolled from my original position over many lengthy, rigid objects. As the cart settled and continued down the road, I was finally able to better understand my surroundings. Constrained in rope, I found myself pressed up against something cold and stiff.

Taking a closer look, I screamed, laying face to face on top of a bloated dead body.

“FWHHAAAAAHHHH!!!”

The last person I ever wanted to hear spoke, mocking me as he turned back and looked from the driver's seat.

“Spawn of the parasitic nobles is finally awake, Lady Fern. Pathetic. Even with two of your mid-tier Heal Spells, the waste took an eternity to awaken.”

Taking a glance, the nun sitting beside the knight peered over her shoulder. “He is quite loud, Sir Gale, even when muffled. Maybe it would have been better for the young noble to remain unconscious until we pass the Whispering Woods.”

“Shall I quiet him, my Lady?” The spiteful knight asked with a gleeful smile while he cracked his knuckles, still holding the reins to a strange ethereal lion-creature.

I remembered the last devastating punch that took out my nose, and I became quiet as a mouse.

“No. Absolutely not. Did we not just have this conversation, Sir Gale? We are trying to make amends. Not to further burn any bridges.”

Smirking at my raging glare, the darn knight retorted, “There may be no bridge left, my Lady.”

The nun frowned, rubbing an oncoming headache. Then with a yank of her hand, she snatched the reins and ordered the knight, “Then go build a new bridge. I expect it sturdy when I come to inspect, Sir Gale.”

The knight said nothing. But no words were needed, seeing the deep, dark lines wrinkling his face as his pointed gaze stabbed me.

…

He didn’t dare do it in front of the nun, but after stomping over and flipping me off the dead body with a kick, he quietly grumbled in protest as if any dealings with me was a hated chore.

The knight’s eyes darted to the corner of his face, peeking behind him to see if the nun kept watch. Unfortunately, she did not. A subtle grin sneaked up on his face as he squatted down above my head.

“Choose. Pain, or eventual death.”

I chose to scream.

“HAA-!”

My face stung as a large palm slapped shut over my cloth-stuffed mouth. The knight crouched lower, pressing his heavy weight on my head and quietly hissed, “Shut it!”

“Sir Gale? Everything alright?”

“Ah, Lady Fern. Yes, all is dandy, my Lady.”

“…okay… Remember what I told you. Or else.”

“Yes, Holy Lady. Of course.”

The facade of a smile dropped off the knight's face as he turned back around, sharply whispering, “Listen, you little bastard. You want to live or not?”

Eyes defiant, I wanted to return the spit the knight spat at me when he punched me last. That’s what I wanted to do. Large and threatening as he may be, I knew the nun had him whipped. The knight scowled at the smug look on my face.

“Arrogant, noble spawn. Think you tough? Then I shall break you.”

“Ha! Hwat yough gonga dou, hah?” I goaded, spewing muffled words through the stuffing in my mouth.

The knight peered down at me, face menacing, but then oddly grinned nefarious-like. “Our goddess may not allow us to directly kill. But there’s more than one way to skin and kill a cat. And more than one way to bury the truth. You’ll find out, six feet under.”

A chill ran up my back.

They wouldn't, right? The mission debriefing stated that followers of the Goddess Atlanta were lawful. Well, maybe except this knight. He’s proving to be a real dick.

I squinted my eyes as the full light of day returned after the canopy of trees thinned to none. We exited the woods and into a clearing of land. And once again, I was greeted with the surroundings of death.

The knight grabbed a shovel at the corner of the cart, and said, “So be it. Bury, it is.”

He proceeded to grab the ropes around my chest and lifted me in the air.

“H’wait! Twalk! Leaht’s twalk!”

“Oh, feel like talking now?”

I fervently nodded.

Whatever it takes to get out of here, I’ll do it. Ego? Pride? Will those pay my bills? No. Revenge can come later.

The knight knew not of delicacy, plopping me back on the cart. Finching as the brute yanked out the cloth and tossed it over the side, saliva wetted my dried-out mouth.

“You will do all that I command. Understood? What say you, noble spawn? Yes? Or be buried?”

“…Um, is there another option? What if we walk our separate ways, and I swear to never speak of this again?”

The knight scoffed, “Think us, fools? You noble scum always play dirty, words full of deceit. Rumors to ruin Lady Fern’s reputation will spread the moment you leave.”

I tilted my head. “Is image that important? Worth killing someone over? Besides you guys screwed up. Not me.”

“Ignorant fool! Do you know not who Lady Fern is?! Her reputation must be kept pristine!”

I looked at the peculiar lady, now noticing something off about her.

“Uh…she’s a nun with a curled, scaled tail?” I answered.

Smack.

My head flipped to the side, cheek burning from the sudden slap.

“Rude, ungrateful bastard! How dare speak of the Lady in such a manner!”

I jerked back and shouted, “What the hell?! Why’d you slap me!? You asked, and I answered! The hell is wrong with you!?”

“Imbecile! Truly an imbecile! Did your emancipated noble parents not teach you a thing about common courtesy!? You embarrassed my Lady by pointing out the accidentally exposed parts of water horsewomen!”

Huh? Water horsewomen?

I took another look to clear my confusion. But the curled tail, which looked like the lower half of a seahorse, was gone. However, the nun curled slightly over to the side, holding away the lower back of her robes.

Oh, I fucked up.

Before I could open my mouth and apologize to the nun, a steel grip clenched and jerked away my head. And along with it, also my sight.

Dangerous dark cloud hovered around the knight in some kind of strange aura. His tone, icy cold as he spoke, “Death is too good for the likes of you low life scum. I should gouge out your perverted eyes for harassing a Holy Lady who is a candidate for the title of Saint.”