"Huh… my head… again." Vorden groaned as he woke up, a splitting headache pulsing through his skull.
"He's awake," a mechanical voice said.
"Bring him to me," a familiar voice commanded. It was the lady he had met at the counter. Now she was wearing a light silky purple dress.
Vorden was dragged into a room that looked like an interrogation chamber. He was forcefully placed on a chair.
"I can't and won't believe that a commoner like you could breach our security system and get in without us realizing. So permit me to ask… are you a User?" she asked with a peculiar tone, staring at him with wide, curious eyes—like a child watching an animal in a zoo.
"What's a User?" Vorden asked, starting to think the girl had lost her mind. One moment, I was in the shop with her, then I got hit by a vehicle and ended up here, and now she's interrogating me about some User thing. This is getting hard to process…
"Listen, I don't know what you've been through, but that doesn't give you the right to abduct a young and handsome man like me just to play make-believe," Vorden said, looking displeased.
THUD!
She stomped her foot right between his legs. The sheer force of it made the chair sink into the ground.
"Listen to me. I am currently not in the best of moods, so speaking inappropriately might just lead to you never being able to speak again," she warned, her gaze cold.
Sweat slid down Vorden's forehead as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "Yes, ma'am," he replied immediately.
"A User is someone said to come from a different place. They appear out of nowhere. To be honest, they are quite inferior to us in many ways—they age, they are naturally weak—but one thing I can give them credit for is that they know how to think. They are quite innovative. In some ways, they're similar to players. In fact, it is said that they are responsible for our technology," she said, resting her chin in her palm, deep in thought.
"Well, I have to say, we are quite smart," Vorden said, tooting his own horn. "But why do you call us Users?"
"I don't know. Somehow, it just feels like that's what they should be called," she said, contemplating.
"User…" Vorden muttered. This is all new to me. I just wanted to buy a video game, but now I've ended up in God-knows-where… and with the last person I wanted to be with, literally… He sighed, looking up at the ceiling as if seeking divine intervention.
"Well, when a User first arrives in this world, they always end up with this world's version of the person they saw last," she continued, ignoring his drama.
"That would explain it," Vorden said with a tearful sigh. But wait… wasn't the old man the last person I saw? He frowned. Maybe he doesn't have a counterpart here… He didn't dwell on it too much. His main priority was escaping, getting new clothes, and figuring out where the heck he was.
"Let's make a deal," she suddenly said. "You seem like a pretty smart guy."
"Smart? Me and that word go nowhere together. We are like polar opposites," Vorden said, laughing awkwardly. He didn't want to get caught up in anything that might be too hard to get out of.
"Well, I won't force you. If you don't want to, you don't have to. I'll just report you for breaking and entering… and, let's say… sexual assault," she said sweetly.
"Sexual assault? Hmph! The only thing that could assault you is King Kong," he muttered under his breath.
"Did you say something?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Say something? Me? Why would I do that? That reminds me of the time I was working in Legro, and my boss—"
"Forget I asked," she interrupted, clearly annoyed.
"Anyway, I'm not that wicked. All you need to do is work for me, and I will give you a place to stay, clothes to wear, and food to eat," she said with a smile.
"What's the catch?" Vorden asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
"It's simple. If you want to be released, you'll have to pay me… one billion dollars."
"B-BILLION?!" Vorden nearly choked. "Why don't you just rob a bank? You'd probably get more money that way! And besides, what does someone your age even want with a billion dollars? You probably don't even have a career ambition or know how to budget! No wonder you can shout out a ridiculous amount like that!"
What do you take me for? I was just a broke teacher in my past life, and now someone is asking me for a billion dollars for my freedom?!
She smirked. "It seems you don't understand your situation. You're in no position to argue. I say, you do. That's how it is, and that's how it's going to be. If you annoy me, I'll raise it to a trillion."
Vorden was on the verge of tears. I don't blame you. It's not your fault. I blame myself. I don't know who sent me to go and buy a VR game… look where I ended up!
"I'm raising it to a trillion," she suddenly declared.
"W-WHY?!" His voice cracked.
"I saw it in your eyes. You were thinking dirty thoughts, weren't you?" she accused.
"Dirty thoughts your head! It's you that's thinking dirty thoughts! It's your entire family that's thinking dirty thoughts!" Vorden screamed internally but didn't dare voice it.
"My decision is final. Go upstairs and change. You're starting to reek. BOGO, show him to his room," she said, pinching her nose.
"Yes, ma'am," the mechanical voice responded, leading Vorden away.
Vorden's Room
Vorden sighed as he glanced at himself. His hoodie had a massive hole in the middle, the edges stained with dried blood.
No wonder she told me to change…
He looked around and found the room surprisingly well-furnished—a bed, a desk, a closet, everything looked neat and modern.
Curious, he opened the wardrobe, impressed by the variety of clothes inside. I wonder what kind of fashion this world has…
SIZZLE
A holographic screen suddenly popped up in front of him.
[USER 20 DOLLARS is looking to buy clothes. Available choices are...]
Lazy Trousers – Slows you and your opponent down but speeds up your partner.
Price: 100 Rolex Points
Lazy Shirt – Increases drowsiness and laziness. Slows enemies down when worn.
Price: 150 Rolex Points
[LOCKED]
[LOCKED]
Vorden blinked.
"What the..."