Upon Realization

Marcus

It’s been three weeks since that news, yet I still couldn’t get it out of my mind. I mean, the face of the CEO looks similar to the King inside the lucid dream the more I think about it. I tried to dispose it off as a mere coincidence, maybe the warehouse is coincidentally created similar to in real life, as dreams are a reflection of real life event and situations after all.

But wait, by real event does that mean…

“Aw heck!” I ruffled my bushy hair. This confusion makes me feel like running in circles, my mind is in a complete mess. I can’t even ask Rox for explanation as there were no more lucid dreams since the last time about three weeks ago.

I then heaved a sigh and stood up from my bed. This is the weekend, and I just spend the first quarter of it overthinking things.

Great.

Deciding to finally ignore it, I sauntered to the kitchen and opened the fridge. I’ll make some pudding for myself to make me forget.

After spending a few hours making pudding and eating them, I then logged in into my VR game. Afterwards time went by fast and it was already time for bed. I didn’t jump straight up to bed, but went on and took a bath instead.

“Phew…” I heaved a satisfied sigh and brushed my wet hair backwards. Having a warm bath during the cold is the best, especially when it’s almost autumn now.

Sitting inside the bathtub kinda make me sleepy. I submerge my body until the water reached my neck and unconsciously touched my neck, where I got bitten not too long ago.

The stinging pain was indeed a no joke, but for some reason, I kinda want more.

It’s not like I have a fetish like that, okay? It’s just like something that you couldn’t help but yearn? Like a sweet pain or something.

Gosh, I might as well call myself a pervert, I can’t believe I liked to be bitten and have my blood sucked.

I shot up from the bathtub and left the bathroom soon after that. After drying my hair, I dive in beneath the thick comforter and quickly closed my eyes. That’s right, I am just tired. Let’s just sleep and forget that I ever have any fetish.

***

“Ah, you’ve come.” Rox said, his crossed arm unwound from each other after seeing me.

…What just happened?

“Why are you here?” I shot him a pointy look. I don’t remember ever eating three cups of ramen today, so why am I here inside this kind of dream again?

Rox replied my pointy look with an arched eyebrow, obviously puzzled.

“You’re here because, you’re here?”

Right. That is not an answer at all.

“That is not it. I thought we are done?” I get straight to the point. “I mean, it’s been three weeks. That is long enough for me to think that everything has ended.”

“Well, not yet actually. It was peaceful for the last three weeks, but suddenly things got a bit dangerous again today. That is why you are here.” Rox shrugged off, sounding almost nonchalant.

I let out an exsperated grunt. He really does whatever he wanted. Luckily I wore something proper tonight—which is a pair of black tracksuit and a grey v-neck. I’m not saying that I have been wearing proper clothing to bed since the last time, it’s because it’s getting colder as of late, okay?

“…Before I start the maze, I want to ask you something.” I lifted my gaze to him. The quest giver is always in his usual position, hovering above me that I have to tilt my head to look at him. On rare occasions, he will float low to my eye level, but I only saw him doing so inside the King’s chamber. He didn’t do so nowhere else.

“Make it fast.” Rox is surprisingly cooperative tonight. Didn’t he said that something dangerous is happening? What’s with that calm tone?

“…The warehouse from last time, I saw it in real life. Does that mean everything I went thus far is related to a real life situation?”

Rox pursed his lips instantly. Dithering a bit, he then mouthed an answer after feigning silence for a few moments. “In a sense, yes.”

I sucked a sharp gasp by that answer. “So does that mean I am saving a real human being?”

Rox paused again before he nodded. “I believe I have hinted that to you since our first encounter. Remember I told you that if you die here then you die in real life? That’s because your consciousness is here. So when your consciousness dies, then your brain will die resulting in your death in real world.”

I took a few moments to digest Rox’s statement. I was inside an office room, it’s interior screamed with entrails that the person owning this place is someone rich. It was always my dream to see what an office room looks like in real life, however, the thought that someone’s life is in my hands surpassed that ambition, and the air inside this office felt really cold and unwelcoming.

Suddenly I felt a bit nauseous. I rubbed my face to calm down my nerve.

“So then,” I mustered myself to give another question. “What will happen if I die? Will-” I stammered a bit. For some reason it’s hard to utter the next few words. Though, Rox seemed to know what I wanted to say and continued my words.

“If you die here, then the King will also die.” His tone sounded almost expressionless, like the life of someone else is nothing of his concern. I don’t know who Rox truly is, but for me, it is certain I have never seen someone dead in front of my eyes, and the thought of me commiting a double suicide sounded harsh.

I took in a deep breath.

“Well okay then.”

Rox shot his gaze to me. “What?”

“I said okay then.” I rested my hands on my hips. “Let’s quickly get started with the quest.”

The quest giver have me a disgruntled look. “You weren’t traumatized by my words or anything?”

I shook my head a no. “No. we are already in this far. I’ll see to it until the end but with a serious manner in mind.”

Rox froze, his eyes which directed to me unblinked. Suddenly he burst into a chuckle.

“You really are a strange man.” He then motioned one of his arms to a direction. Right away, a path filled with red crystals opened beyond the office door.

“As usual, pick up all the crystals and meet me in the King’s room. I’ll be waiting for you there.”

Rox’s voice echoed as he disappeared into thin air. Was it just me or did his voice get softer just now.

I pondered a bit.

“Eh, must be my imagination.”

Then I started my first step down the path.