After I got home I had some quick and easy ramen noodles for dinner before taking a shower and dealing with my other needs. Then I entered the virtual reality capsule.
As I materialize in my Personal Home and look around I think about the difference between the virtual home and what's in my apartment in reality.
In the virtual home I had a large and comfortable bed in the bedroom with the apps and games I have downloaded for access scrolling on the walls around the room. There were two doors leading out of the room directly in front of the foot of the bed. If I were to walk through the one on the right I would enter a closet with a large variety of clothes and other accessories. But if I went through the one on the left I would enter a living room like area the size of a football or baseball field if there had been any left in reality. The living area was an Open Space where if I gave permission a guest would be able to enter from their own PH. While it looked empty when I first entered to the side of the door there was a console, that had I scrolled through it would have shown a list of all the apps and programs I had previously bought to use in the space. Simply opening one of them would have had it materialize in the living area for my use. Capable of creating a variety of rooms. Everything from a kitchen to an entertainment room that would make an ancient arcade envious.
On the other hand in reality my apartment had only two rooms. A combination living room, bedroom, and kitchen 20 by 20 feet square as well as a shower room approximately 10 by 12 feet with a shower, toilet, and sink. With an 8 by 10 foot recessed walk in closet so that all together the apartment was a 20 by 30 foot rectangular shape. Immediately inside the door is the kitchen area with all the kitchen appliances and countertops/cabinets on my left. Right across the room is the entrance to the shower room and in the far corner is the closet. Against the wall between the entrances to the shower room and the closet is a small table with a chair that doubles as both a dining table and a desk as well as a set of shelves that are mainly being used as bookshelves. In the front corner directly to the right of the door is my Virtual Reality Capsule. It's shape is similar to an old style football but rather than the ends being pointed they were rounded similar to the rounder end of an egg. With a height reaching to the cieling at just under 7 feet.
If it had been 50 or so years ago not a single person would have wanted to rent such a small apartment but now in the age of virtual reality where the people who spend the majority of their time in their capsules having a small apartment where they don't have a lot to clean is in higher demand. Some even going so far as to create group housing where 10 to 20 capsules are placed in a single large room and the only private areas were small rooms of 5 or 6 feet to a side that holds each induviduals private possessions as if they were giant lockers.
_____
When I logged back into Eadenara I was no longer in the dungeon but was instead strapped to a chair. There was a desk, chair, and a few shelves in the room in front of me. It had the appearance of an office of some sort. I couldn't see anyone in the room but when I turned my head to the left I could just see light coming in from an open doorway and could hear hushed voices from the other side but could not make out what was being said.
I can't move and if I sing they'll notice and I don't know what they'll do then. It's boring with nothing to do so I guess I'll take a nap until someone shows up. Or wait, No, I can try and learn meditation!
With that I close my eyes and start the breathing exercises I remember that we were supposed to use in gym class when we did yoga in high school. Even though I just tended to fall asleep instead.
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
_____
On the way from the Capitol City of Gorsant Republic to Privada was an entire regiment of soldiers. They were a set of four battalions. Each battalion was made up of four companies, two of calvary and two of infantry, with approximately 100 soldiers in each company amounting to a total of nearly 1,600 soldiers. All of them were there in order to provide escort to only one carriage. One would think this was overkill for an escort mission since even when the king traveled he only had one battalion unless he was traveling outside the kingdom. One would especially think this if they knew that three of the four passengers in the carriage were Paladin Knight Archibald Gulcholt, Archmage Marvin Frisk, and The Cin Siray Riechelle Von Lisvan. As each of these individuals would be able to equal an entire battalion alone in combat strength.
Of course, one would only believe this if they had no knowledge of why these three individuals with their regiment's worth of escort were on their way to Privada. But since the gossip vine of both the citizens of Gorsant Republic and the Outsiders were both full of the news that an unknown monster was discovered within the Barrier Town of Privada it was pretty much acknowledged that if it were true it could be a situation that would very well need such a large and powerful force to deal with it. To the Outsiders it seemed as if it was definitely the beginnings of a major quest sequence causeing more and more to speed their way to Privada in fear of missing out. But, to the citizens of Gorsant the fear they felt was much more primal and it was in regards to their survival. Because the Barrier Towns scattered throughout the World of Eadenara are the last line of defense against the monsters and Daemons. And if even one fell it would greatly shake the safety the people feel at just knowing that their ancient havens exist.
_____
"Cousin, Do you really think the barrier could have fallen?" A thin but strong young man with short curly golden hair commonly seen on cherubim wearing a butler style suit in shades of medium and dark blue to black with hints of red and gold said with a pensive tone of voice and a small frown on his face.
Across from him was his cousin, a young woman with slightly darker gold long hair in many small braids with sparkling, glittering beads. She wore a large white fur and feathered cloak with the hood pulled up. The cloak was so large that you couldn't see what she wore beneath and couldn't make out her facial features beneath the hood. All you could see was the last foot or so of her braids that were peaking out and her hands that were folded in her lap.
Next to the young woman was a far more muscular young man who wore a white shirt and brown breaches with a large brown overcoat like you see in those old mystery, detective movies. He had long dark brown hair held in a braid at the back of his head that ended in his lap and tied at the end was a small morning star about three or four inches in diameter. "Tsk, How should she know. We've recieved barely any information, just wait till we get there and we'll figure it out then."
"But what if it's a Daemon? No one has seen one before and the books we've been able to find don't have the best descriptions. Just calling them abominations and disgusting."
With a look of irritation through gritted teeth and an eyeroll, "Like I said we'll figure it out when we get there. There's no point in asking questions when there's no possible way any of us can have the answers!" with the last few words practically said in a yell.
"SHUT UP!" was growled out from within the depths of the cloak. "I'm trying to sleep and why the devil aren't we there yet we should have arrived hours ago?"
"My apologies Cin Siray the roads are filled with pedestrians and Outsiders making their way to Privada out of curiosity." This came from the last passenger, a meticulously dressed colonel around the age of 40 with black and silver hair and beard.
A pair of blazing, brilliant, blue eyes sweep towards the young man beside her. "Remove them"
"Uh, Okay, Will do," he chuckles as he gets out of the carriage.
When he gets down he looks around before grasping the bottom half of his braid before swinging it around in a circle before throwing it into the air. Just as it was about to reach its full length it started glowing, then became longer and longer before it came to a stop floating a few hundred feet in the air. The mace at the end turned into a mouth shaped microphone and started yelling loudly for those in the distance to hear.
"OY, YOU, ALL OF YOU ON THE ROAD TO PRIVADA, GET OFF THE ROAD THE CIN SIRAY IS COMING THROUGH!"