I love video games. I love the rush of a well executed play, of hard-reading another player and getting the perfect punish. I love the thrill of understanding a game’s mechanics, when I get to fuck over some idiot who didn’t read the patch notes I feel invincible. Nobody cares about what I care about. Nobody has spent the kind of time I’ve spent playing games. I get games, because I’m a gamer and that’s important now because of this screen in front of me. It isn’t about what could go wrong, I know what could go wrong. It’s about a choice I have to make because of who I am and what I know. Whatever this tower thing is, I’m going to challenge it and I’m going to win. I’m finally going to become the person I was meant to be.
I hate video games. I hate the way I spend every moment of every day thinking about them. I hate that they’ve ruined my life. I know I should blame how weak and pathetic I am on myself but I can’t. The fault lies with these stupid games. What use is all the knowledge I have anyway? It won’t bring Cara back, it won’t change anything. I’m scared I’ll never change. I’m scared that tomorrow the world will finally realise how useless I am and I’ll disappear forever.
The endless white expanse I’ve arrived at stings my eyes a little and my head is spinning from the random thoughts that popped into my head. I can’t stand up straight. I fall to my knees. I try to rub the bleariness out of my eyes. I hear a resonant voice in my head.
“Welcome to The Tower. I am the Administrator. I need to check your name, please state it.”
“It's Justin, what the fuck did you just do to me?”
“Thank you Justin, I’ve prepared a pamphlet for you to help explain the basics, I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have for me afterwards. Please be patient.”
A flimsy piece of accordion paper appears in my hands and I force my eyes to focus. I need to focus. Nothing else matters but reading this and understanding it perfectly. I have to understand this. I begin to read. There’s not much here but I do see some video game terminology that sets me at ease. I was right to choose this option. I can win. I just need to ask the righ-. What is this bullshit? Working together? That’s not a real fucking video game. That’s pussy shit. I didn’t give up my life just to play nice with some fucking losers. This is fucked. “What the fuck lady?!”
“It’s different than you thought it would be.”
“I don’t play co-op games.”
“I’m aware.”
“Then the why the fuck am I being forced to work with loser cunts who probably haven’t played a game in their fucking lives?”
“Why is a difficult question to answer to your satisfaction.” As the voice says this there’s a bit of a shift in her demeanour as she prepares whatever she is about to say, the next thing I hear is like a bucket of ice water poured over my head. “Why implies that I give a shit what some entitled gamer bro thinks of my Tower. Why implies that I think you’re worth shit. You’re not.”
“The fuck are you talking about you psycho bitch, you don’t know shit about me.”
“Justin Yoon, 21. Currently attending X University with an incredible 2.3 GPA. Failed out of every course he’s attempted, failed out of every relationship he’s been in. Currently estranged from his parents after telling them to quote, “Fuck off and die.” Irregularly performs in a band called ‘Nails of Death’ with his only ‘friends’ who all, very un-secretly, hate him. Do you think the person I’ve described is worthy of my respect? Do you think I really care about all the problems in your shitty life? Yknow, the ones you made for yourself? Cowering in fear from your lack of potential has gotten you nowhere and it’s time to face up to the truth. You need to care about something other than the person you think you should’ve been. If you can’t do that I can’t help you.”
The more she kept talking the less real all of it felt and the harder it was to listen. The way she was poking me over and over with how pathetic I am was so fucking bullshit. Of course I know I’m a piece of shit. Of course I know I’m a burnout loser. That’s all I’ll ever be, so why try be anything else.
“Wrong.”
“What do you mean wrong? The fuck are you in my head for you don’t get to decide shit.”
“This Tower is mine so actually I do. You signed your soul over to me so guess what you fucking loser, it’s finally time for you do something worthwhile with your life. You’re going up my Tower whether you like the way it happens or not, so just shut up and accept it. Here’s your skills, maybe you’ll stop being such a baby once you start fighting.” At that the screen appeared in front of me again, glitching for a second, followed up by a massive splitting headache. I could feel a rush of information I never should’ve known surge into my mind, settling in like it had always been there. The pain subsided as quickly as it arrived and now I could see displayed on my status screen two entries under the previously empty skills section.
> STATUS: Justin Yoon
>
> Health: 7/7
>
> Mana: 13/13
>
> Strength: 7
>
> Agility: 11
>
>
> This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
>
> Intelligence: 13
>
> Fortitude: 7
>
> Charisma: 4
>
> Luck: 3
>
>
>
>
> SPELLS
>
>
>
> SKILLS
>
> SKILL: Shark in the Water [S Rank] – Increases melee weapon damage by [400%] while in combat. If the user of this skill stops moving they will incur a minor penalty after combat based on how many seconds they stopped for. Generates SKILL, ‘Melee Weapon Proficiency [C Rank]’.
>
> SKILL: Melee Weapon Proficiency [C Rank] – User gains an amount of knowledge in regards to the use of [Melee Weapons] according to the skill rank. This knowledge cannot be forgotten.
“What kind of bullshit skill is this bitch? The fuck am I getting penalised for? This is so fucked up.”
“Not that I should have to explain myself to you, but your special skill is much stronger than those of its type such as ‘Berserker’ which trades damage for defence. The benefits of this skill far outweigh the drawback. The fact of the matter is that stupid ingrates like you need to be told to keep fighting till the end or you’ll never actually try. If you stop even for a moment, people will die, and I won’t let that happen. So you’re going to be a good little boy and be grateful for my generous gift if you know what’s good for you.”
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. I was supposed to arrive an-
“-be the hero of a generation or whatever. I know. You’re like the fourth gamer bro in a row I’ve had to see to. Same stupid problems as them as well. You guys should’ve been friends honestly, would’ve helped you all to get out of the fucking house once in a while.”
“I don’t get it.”
“I can spell it out for you if you like. You’re not special just because you play video games. Everyone plays fucking video games. I played video games before…,” she sighed. “Look, I don’t hate you, but those other three helped me understand how best to help you, because where we started is where I ended up with all of them. You need start running towards something. The Tower is meant to be Ascended and I’m here to make sure you can do that. If the moment you run into something that seems a little too hard you break down and start running people are going to die. I mean that and I need you to hear me. People. Will. Die. So I’m not here to coddle you and tell you that you’re special and you’re the only one who can do this. You’re not, that’s the point. You can all do it, you just have to try.”
I slumped down further on my knees, arms unwilling by my side. She was right and I couldn’t say shit about it. I know I’m not special. Of course I know that, if I was special I’d be speical. I’d be something. “What am I supposed to do now?”
“Do you really have to ask Justin? I’ve put together a team and I want you to be on it. I want you to help them. The other two, they haven’t played the kinds of video games you have before so you’ll be able to help them through the things they didn’t think to ask. We’ve got 15 minutes until I have to move on so I need you to pick my mind about everything you can. Unfortunately I can’t just give you the information. I tried so hard to...nevermind. Are you going to work with me?”
“I thought you said everyone has played video games?” I say weakly.
“I was talking about Candy Crush and Solitare you idiot. You knew that when I said it. I’m not saying you don’t have any skills or any knowledge. I just need you to know that’s not all you are; that you can be more than that. So work with me?”
“I can work with you, can I get your name though, hard to work with you without knowing that I think.”
“It’s Isabelle.” I could feel the release of tension in her voice as she said her name. For some reason her relief set my heart at eas- “I can’t tell you how glad I am that I didn’t have to kill you Justin. Those other three just wouldn’t listen, I could tell they were going to get other people killed with their shitty attitudes. I’m so relieved you’re different.” I swallowed hard at her words, I felt myself panic, then I felt the panic lessen. The voice at the other end of whatever telepathy shit was going on wasn’t human, of course it wasn’t human why would it be human. Human life is meaningless to things that aren’t human. My throat was drying up and I was starting to hyperventilate, then suddenly I stopped and the panic subsided. It was there and I could still feel it, but I was suddenly just...fine.
“Sorry about that Justin, I just turned up the negative emotion suppression field. Honestly, I shouldn’t have told you about killing those guys, but I do think it's for the best. I need you to know that you are going to clear this Tower, because people will die if you don’t. And Justin, I want to be very clear, you are most certainly people. So focus up, and start asking questions. The clock is ticking.”