Shin Hye Min nervously reached out for her glass of water. Had it not been her years of experience as a hostess her trembling hands would have been far more exaggerated action. With great control over her emotions she beckoned herself to continue on with the show.
Lee Hyun last sentence was like a bombshell. On the surface of the show, it appeared that two had exchanged introductions and pleasantries. However, those part of Lee Hyun’s inner circle were reading a completely different atmosphere.
Lee Hyun covered his mouth to hide his sigh. It was a blatant lie that there was something wrong with his health. In the modern era that they lived, there were rarely any diseases which could not be cured. He would have to contract the most fatal complex military grade bio-weapon disease on the planet to be actually dying of something. As long as one had the right contacts and resources, nearly everything on the planet is curable.
Lee Hyun knew dropping a note on his health was a longshot, but he hoped it would be enough to throw Shin Hye Min of his case. Tactfully as ever, he said he wished to play with his friends one last time. This beautifully crafted sentence hid the double meaning quite well. Without actual medical records, Lee Hyun’s reply to Shin Hye’s question could only keep her guessing.
It wasn’t a complete lie either. Lee Hyun was over sixty now if he didn’t opt for artificial organs and enhancements. Given a natural life, he’d at best live for another 20-30 years. Of those remaining years, how long could he be involved with the high speed life of gaming? Then again, it wasn’t the complete truth either. If one inspected deeper into his reply, questions like why didn’t he recommend himself as CEO before to Unicorn Corp? Why didn’t he come out with his own game before? There could be many theories to explain his current standing but none of them would completely touch up on the truth…
Fortunately for Lee Hyun, Shin Hye was in the middle of playing hostess for her talk show. She did not have the time to investigate deeper into Lee Hyun’s reply. Questions did shroud her mind, but she believed Lee Hyun.
Kang Jin Cheol on the other hand was far from satisfied with the reply. He had known Lee Hyun longer than Shin Hye, furthermore, he had spent far more time with Lee Hyun than anyone else in Royal Road. Lastly, Lee Hyun was his idol / mentor. He observed and imbibed everything about Lee Hyun (at one point, he even had the same hair style). Kang Jin Cheol, immediately knew from Lee Hyun’s reply, that it was not the complete truth. However, unlike Shin Hye, Kang Jin had developed patience and he knew that in time all the answers would be revealed. For now all he had to do was believe in his friend who answered to his request.
Finding her voice again, Shin Hye turned to the audience, “Then without further ado, please let me present a video clip that caught the attention of the entire gaming community. For those of you joining us right now, we will be playing a battle scene from Royal Road: Elementarem Vim. It was captured live by our reporter Shin Ye Sui. Shin Ye Sui’s character ultimately died while capturing this footage. Please note this footage is intense and scary; parental guidance is advised for children below the age of 10.”
The studio turned dark and 3D projections filled the room. The audience found themselves in the center of the Great White Hall. There were some players scrambling on to the stage and some sort of ruckus appeared to be unfolding. However everything came to a grinding hall when the earth shook. Those viewers who were logged into the VR system, even felt the vibrations of the earth shaking. The ceiling crumbled a little and dust fell down.
The building shook once again and everything came to a grinding halt. No player insight moved in fear. A cold dark breeze began to blow the halls and the flames started to flicker wildly…till they died out. The bright white hall instantly was marooned in darkness…only a small white afterglow emanating from the floor dimly lit the halls.
Some of the audience in the studio huddled closer together. The in game background music added to the horror effects.
Angry yelling could be heard outside the halls of soldiers, these were followed by what sounded like explosions and screams of agony. Everyone stayed as silent as possible.
Some of the audience members nervously looked around at each other, to reassure themselves that this was not real. VR viewers had it much worse. They were watching everything from Shin Ye Hui’s POV. They heard, saw, smelt and felt everything as she did. They were witnessing the events as it had unfolded for her. Even viewers who had already seen this footage before still had the shivers from seeing it again. Even though everyone knew that it was a VR game, there was something unusual about the mood and the setting in the game that drew the audience in and made it so life like.
Screams of terrible pain seeped inside the hall. As Shin Ye Hui, glanced around searching for a better position to capture the footage, the audience could see from her POV that the people (NPCs and players) present there were nervously glanced at each other looking for reassurance.
Some players began to step out to see the cause of the commotion. Scenes of NPCs begging players not to leave them were visible. However the players’ curiosity could not be satiated, the audience could empathize with the players they too wanted to know what was happening outside.
One by one, players in the Great White Hall all stepped out and never returned. The screams of pain never ended. Although this was just a game and he could log out anytime…he was too scared to do anything. The shudders grew in the audience as the footage continued and hair began standing on their skin.
Just as suddenly how the cries of agony had begun, it all stopped. It was disturbingly silent; it was so quiet that the audience too could hear a dripping sound could be heard in the distance from a leaky faulty ceiling tile
‘Tick Tock Tick Tock...’ Just like typical old horror movie an analog geared clock could be heard in the background.
*Step* *Step* *Step*
Somebody’s footsteps could be heard echoing through the stairways that led to the hall. They grew louder and louder till they were right outside the grand doors of the hall. A few soldiers who stayed behind and personal body guards of nobles stood on the sides of the door waiting to attack the enemy who dared to open these doors.
“Is it a survivor or an enemy?” Shin Ye Hui whispered.
A long silence enchanted the hall once again…The soldiers nervously looked at each other, they signaled each other to open the door and check but none of them had the guts to do it.
First time viewers in the audience were at the edge of their seats. Shin Ye Hui’s question was stuck in their mind. They had to know whether it was friend or foe on the other side of the door.
The next scene, a player volunteered to open the door. As he opened the door…some players and NPC’s ducked behind their seats expecting a monster or an explosion…instead there was nobody….
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“What the heck?” The human player said as he stood with his sword drawn. He was trembling in fear for need. “It’s all clear.” He shouted out to everyone who was hiding. “Nobody he..”
Before he could complete the sentence his body went flying across the hall and he landed on his neck…he died much before hitting the ground, an instant kill from the blow of the unseen force that flung his body away.
The audience jerked back reflexively with their muscles all tight in fear. Everybody had been expecting it had yet nobody was prepared for it. The scene was in fact so scary, that someone in the audience shrieked, but their voice was drowned in the playback screams of players and NPCs.
Gaining back their nerves, the audience could see players in the footage logging out. Shin Ye Hui’s attention was back at the entrance.
A single person, stood at the entrance. His cloak was smeared in the blood of his victims. The figure slowly moved forward, the soldiers who hid by the sides of the door waiting to attack dropped dead like flies to the ground.
More players could be seen logging out.
There were some players, who were absurd enough to have a go the hooded enemy. Archers launched their arrows and tanks rushed at him brandishing their swords. They were all met with instant K.O.s.
Shin Ye Hui was barely able to keep up with the enemy’s speed. Most of the time she only managed to get part of the moving enemy in the scene.
The enemy moved unrealistically fast as he butchered away those who dared to attack him. Some players dropped their weapons and held their hands up in surrender. It was too late, they too were killed.
Shin Ye Hui’s gaze never left the hooded figure, for a fraction of a moment their gaze even met each other.
The hooded figure began walking towards the stage. Theodore stood up slowly; enough was enough.
“I see, I always did wonder which one of would win if we were to fight head on…”
Three NPCs dared to fight against the enemy. One equipped with a hammer, another with a staff and the third with a bow. With the enemy in the center they slowly began to pace around the enemy.
“I must say Rodriguez, you pulled a good one on me. That letter and the wild goose chase was fantastically daring of you!.....So the four best of friends, all gathered in one room.”
Out of Shin Ye Hui’s (and the audiences’) view, Snappy moved in front of Weed and began growling at Shadow.
“Oh, I am very sorry Snappy. The five of us. I guess that must be the elf behind you? Did he manage to win?”
“…”
“Of course he must have, I mean he had Rodriguez’s mark of approval didn’t he?”
“…”
“GIVE ME THE SCALES YOU DAMNED OLD FOOLS!” The halls shook with his scream.
An arrow whizzed by Shadow, and the archer began the charge.
“Graces of heavens! FAIRY BURST!”
Shin Ye Hui’s screen went white. The audience and viewers now had to rely on their ears to make out what was happening.
“Wonderful! Now why don’t we stop pretending and fight seriously?” The enemy shouted out.
There was some muffled whisper. To which the enemy shouted. “And whatever makes you think, I am going to let him get away?”
“….”
“AAAAAA! MY FACE! IS THAT A PIECE A OF THE DAMNED SCALE?”
As vision was restored to Shin Ye Hui, she could only see the mage and archer on the scene. It seemed that the one with hammer got away.
“Honey? Hubby?” The hooded figure asked. “…”
“How do I say this…Rodriguez asked me to marry him!” The archer shouted as she seemed to be showing off a ring to the enemy.
Before the audience had a chance to laugh.
A black sword whizzed through Lisa’s heart and her body lay pinned against the wall. The delightful and warm atmosphere came to a zipping end.
Shin Ye Hui’s throwing up scene was removed from the footage. And thank goodness for that, had it been left there the VR viewers would have tasted her fear, if one were to eloquently put it.
As Shin Ye Sui recovered, she slowly moved towards the couple, only a while back were they exchanging sweet kisses and now the archer lay on the verge of death.
“Hey…”the lady archer spoke with her life seeping away quickly, she slowly moved her hands and caressed Rodriguez’s sobbing face for one last time. “At least I got to call you hubby...” With that her lifeless hand fell to the ground and her body turned into grey ash before disappearing.
Shin Ye Sui was moved to tears and the POV became slightly blurry. The audience felt the depth of emotions in the cinematic effect. It was like watching an Oscar winning movie scene. Sniffling could be heard amongst the audience.
The mage stood up and said “Heavens Judgment.”
Those were the last words the audience and viewers heard, before the entire screen went white and the reporter’s character died.
The POV changed and Skyholm appeared from a distance. A white light descended from the sky obliterating everything in the vicinity. As if a nuke had gone off the glare was blinding….with that the footage came to an end.
The audience burst into applause.
"We will now be taking questions." Shin Hye announced to the audience.
Almost everyone raised and waved their hands. Before Shin Hye could select one to ask the question, one of the audience members blurted the question they all wanted to ask out, "WHO THE HELL WAS THAT IN THE HOOD? IS HE STILL ALIVE?"
"Well..." began Lee Hyun with a crooked smile, their reaction was better than he had expected. "that was....."
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Authors Note:
1. This chapter is more of a recap of V5C11.
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Connect to Royal Road – Elementarem Vim next Chapter?YesNo
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