I was outside, in costume of course. It’s like halloween!

Although, around halloween they always tell everyone to be careful of making things too scary with their augmented reality costumes. Everyone had to use the same application too, otherwise you’d just see kids in their normal clothes. A few dressed up like the old days. I wish I was born back then.

I’ll show them all. One day, someone will buy my paintings. Someone rich! For a lot of money! Then, I’ll be famous too!

“‘Monster Summon’! Show them fear, Angrytos! ”

I yelled it out in front of a bunch of kids in the park. This had become a regular thing.

A giant yellow horned demon with burning eyes in its sockets strode forth on four legs. Why did it remind me of that Yeti? Not good enough, not good enough.

“‘Monster Summon’! End the world in dancing flame, Phoenixxer!”

Red fire bubbled into existence in front of me. A bird burst out, clothed in fire. Hmm, not bad. Two level 16s is a little much for the kids though. I’ll hold back Angrytos, his area of effect attack is much stronger.

“Whoa, cool bird lady! Hey, back me up!”

“I got it’s head! Go for it’s legs!”

“Don’t use fire spells! What are you doing!”

They were low leveled. Since there was a group of them, they should be able to take it down.

We were rather far away, the kids had to form up in formation and launch their attacks from a standing position. I saw a kid with sword a shield who was whipping his sword into the air in front of him. In the game you could run around, but that's too dangerous for real life.

I watched on with glee as the kids piled damage onto Phoenixxer. He was attacking their Nurse subclass with little fireballs though, a small girl. That’s mean, go fight a boy, I ordered it to attack the kid with the shield.

Sometimes it seems like they have a mind of their own. They can’t take too many orders though, I was disappointed. I wanted to have an army and have them conquer the city.

“Ha ha ha ha!”

I laughed. I was in full acting mode. It felt good to play a character again.

“Augh! Shera! When I level up, I’ll take you down myself!”, the Chaoser with the shield and sword yelled.

I didn’t have much time, he was level 8 already. I only wandered the streets to play after work. There wasn’t that many playing the same game, but they usually obliged when they saw I was having fun.

Phoenixxer took the shield kid down soon after. He dramatically fell to the ground. He was acting.

“Shera…!”

Wow, he’s really into it.

The rest of his team fell to a few wing buffets. They had already taken heavy damage from the area of effect attacks Pheonixxer had, so their Nurse was already in tears.

I wanted to go over and comfort her, but I’d drop character.

Staying the villain is all I can do for her, I closed my eyes and nodded.

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“Stop right there, Villain!”

A hero leapt forth. Oh, it’s him. You’re going to gank me again?

“Fear not, fellow warriors of Mental World Online, the hero has arrived!”

He’s playing along. You’re the best.

“‘Balance Maker’ ‘Force of Rule’”

Phoenixxer slammed into the ground and poofed into tiny sparks of flame.

I got hit by a ‘Hold’ status. I don’t know why he chooses that spell, it just stops movement. His class on the wiki had a silence spell, how about using that?

“It’s him! The hero!

“Level 60!”

“Thanks hero!”

The kids loved it. I saw that look on that Nurse’s face. He’s mine.

“Phoenixxer! How dare you!”

I sent Angrytos who was sitting in reserve to attack.

“Finish him, Angrytos!”

“It’s a level 60 lady what are you doing…”

I don’t need to hear that from you, shield boy.

“Hmph!”

He just punched. Since you didn’t need to be in melee range and he was high level, that was enough. I lost.

“You won’t fight me yourself, Shera?”

He challenged. Maybe later?

I ran away, cancelling the fight.

“I’ll remember this! Don’t think it’ll be so easy next time!”, I yelled

After I turned the block corner I waited. He met up with me walking casually.

“I didn’t think I’d have fun doing this in real life. It’s the audience, you know? Knowing that the kids are watching, it fires me up”, said the hero.

“Ah, yeah. I know what you mean. At first, when I approached people in costume they thought I was crazy even though they saw that I had Mental World Online running. Don’t you have work now though?”

“I’m skipping. It got dicey, so I wanted to let off some stress and took a walk. I figured I might find you at the park. Come on, let’s go back to my place.”

Again? We usually go to my place though, I’m excited.

Entering Reality...

I took off the Augmented Reality mode as we got back to his place.

It gets tiring for me sometimes, not sure why. I asked the hero, but he said that it was strange and left off the conversation there. Maybe I should see someone. I heard that there's problems with brain chips sometimes, system shock? I’m probably worrying over nothing as usual.

“Ah…”

I knew it! He’s married! I covered my face with both hands. I didn’t want to admit it, or ask, but there was a picture staring me in the face now.

“Oh, that’s right, I forgot to tell you. I’m sorry.”

Don’t apologize now, hero!

He came over and picked up the photo. At least it was a physical version.

“You’ll have to forgive me. Since a friend of mine is very closed off, he taught me I should do whatever I want. When I married, it was to a girl who thought the same way. She doesn’t date other guys though, I don’t know why. She’s fine with whatever I do.”

Like hell she is.

“Like hell she is.”

He just smiled. Don’t think you can get away with this so easily!

“If it bothers you, we can stop seeing each other. I really like you though, so think it over, okay? I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“Couldn’t you have told me earlier?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. This kind of thing is getting pretty normal these days, I know you’re the old fashioned type but I never connected the two until I saw your reaction. I’m bad about details sometimes. I’m sorry.”

I’ll make you pay somehow! Wait until I get maximum level like you!

“Ugh. I should have known. You were too at ease around me. Of course it’s a womanizer this time! Of course!”

I could tell. I could tell that he was about to say ‘calm down’. I really should just leave, after.

Later when I got home my Mom talked to me on my way up to my room.

“Ash, you look upset. Want to talk?”

“Yeah.”

That was an hour or two.

She was glad to hear about the game, not so glad about hero though.

“Make monsters? I thought you always wanted to paint, is that the same thing?”, she said.

“It’s fun running around the city and playing a character. It was embarrassing at first, but soon I felt like everyone fighting my monsters was someone seeing my paintings.”

“Er, there’s no way to make money on that though?”

She was worried about my career again. I’ll let it drop, she’s just worried.

“Of course not. Even though you can save your favorite designs that come out and trade them, it’s only good for in-game money.”

After all, anyone could make one, it was that easy. Mine weren’t great, but they were mine. I wanted to put more into it, make a stronger monster. A monster that would make them all tremble in fear!

“You’re doing that creepy grin again, honey”

“Ah, um, I’m sorry”

Am I like hero now!?

“I don’t know about this ‘Mental World Online’ thing, in my day they just had the game world online on a computer screen. I felt comfortable with that! Honey, make sure you get that head pain checked out. I never liked those brain chips. If your dad hadn’t ‘a said anything I wouldn’t even have had them added to you.”

“Sure, Mom.”

That would have been the worst. I’m already out of touch with this age, just how bad would that have gotten? I probably couldn’t even get the job I have now.

I went up to my room to practice making monsters, maybe I should try out the ‘World Online’ part of the game next. If I want to beat hero...