Million Hostages

There are only three days for the game to be released, and Ruie knows what threats will he give to those who bought the products, but with her battling God, she won't stand a chance. As she steps out of the cabin, a huge view of the land from faraway surprised her eyes. Beyond is a view of various fantastical towns, cities, and castles. From the peak of the mountain where she's at, numerous trees surround down her way. In no time, she runs down the trees even she has no idea where to go. All that comes to her mind is just surviving and running away from the struggle. Her mind is focused down the ground, seeking any traps that might come from the mysterious world.

But one thing's certainly caught her attention. As she passes through her way, the small patch in the ground beside her glows. Her want to flee vanished temporarily, but she's still making a hard decision whether to do it or not. She scans the patch out of curiosity.

*I smell danger. Wish me luck. Please guide me, my ancestors.*

The glow tries to break out of the crack from the ground. Ruie uses it to shove the patch and found something interesting. Inside is a paper saying 'nunc recordarentur' which seems to be a chant for something. And below that is a small round ring with a special carve on it. The symbol is a white round with dark abstract lines design by a specialist. Ruie's thoughts of danger pop out of her mind as she sees that item. For her, it might be one of the things that'll save her but the chances are never zero. For safety purposes, she didn't put it in yet. She placed it inside her pocket. After that, she wasted no time saying the phrase carved in the paper.

"Nunc recordarentur," she said. She felt something pulling out from her body that makes her feel light. A light cyan glow suddenly appeared around her but only she can see it. Her discovery makes her an infant of the system.

*What is this? What's happening to me?*

Suddenly, the glow vanished into the air but later did she knew the system transported her back to the cabin. The door is tightly closed, and there's no point for Ruie to escape to. Five minutes later, the man came back using the system. With his swirl of fingers, he dragged Ruie towards her chair. It really is a danger for Ruie to do that.

"So... You escaped the Conway knot, and now, you chanted magic? I've been worried about a player hacking inside but it's just you. How interesting of you. Maybe I should double more the pain limiter for you," he said. He swirls his arm again and chanted a new spell.

"Laminae accersi."

Dozens of ice blades pop above his shoulders and again, these blades point towards Ruie. Just seeing the blades already trembles her limbs. She holds her deepest breath because she already knows what happens next. With the stronger knots, her body looks like it's frozen.

A blade strikes and embeds through her foot. From just the tip of the blade, her neck cramps. Her eyes have completely bulged, and her numb mouth is completely open with her saliva continuously falling out. Massive tears came out. Screams are tired and silent. She can't move to ease the pain even if she wanted to. From this, she already felt the pain of dying. But seeing a dozen is already a traumatic reality.

*Just what are you planning to do?*

"Even with the doubled limiter, can you still ask questions like that? Fine, I'll answer, but first, adhibete duplici foliorum," he said, summoning the double number of blades in his shoulders.

*This is the only way I can talk. You're such a cruel person unlike your daughter, Dr. Mishima.*

He can't control his temper, slipping another controlled blade towards her other foot. She can't control her body out of pain. Her neck forced her head and blank eyes to look up. Her palms shake wide open behind her. Her legs are full of spicy holes that burn up her feelings.

"You've already seen outside don't you? It's a vast wilderness of adventure for millions of players, and I can see everyone's future that'll end up your present. Don't you think the more, the merrier?"

*You're the only one who thinks that.* Ruie thought. He flicks again his fingers, sending a blade to her. Ruie's nearly going to pass out again but Dr. Mishima already prepared a countermeasure. He put a brown potion inside her open mouth and letting her drink it.

"Don't you know what you just drink? It's completely made of compressed caffeine. You have no heart anyway, you can't just sleep. Don't worry, in this world, you need no rest."

"I can't wait for this world to be filled with such excitement. There are only three days to go and millions will fall to their despair."

*Just what exactly are you trying to do?*

"Just like you, they can't go back again to their own families. They're all becoming my slaves. It's impossible for anyone to defeat me in this game because here, I am definitely god!" He said with a burst of psychotic laughter after and sends her four blades in both her legs and wrists. "Oh, and your brother is included in the list." Ruie wants to put out her whole tongue, nearly vomiting but her body has no blood in it.

*My brother? How? Don't you dare touch him!*

"Information classified," he said. Suddenly, a hologram appeared in front of him. It seems to be a call from his subordinate. Ruie hears the subordinate's voice in panic.

"Sir! The database is experiencing massive DDos. Should we counter back and track them?"

"No, wait for me there. They didn't know who they're facing up against," Dr. Mishima said as he closes the call. "Too bad, I'm dismissing myself early. But be wary for the next days, we'll be enjoying our full days. I hope you surpass Miranda," he said towards Ruie as he leaves like a digital hologram. He left Ruie hanging from her misery.

*That's the time I realized that Mrs. Miranda didn't die of sickness. It was him all along. He let her brain explode by letting it overload with pain. That's the future of me and the millions who'll become victims, but I don't know what to do anymore.*

*I can't feel myself. It looks like I'm slowly losing my emotions. The worst happens on the next day. There's a total of a hundred blades struck in every part and joint of my body. I can't even count them 'cause my focus is totally on pain. It feels like I died a hundred times in my life, and I can't stop it. I can't handle this anymore. This is worse than hell. I just want my soul to be burnt up and vanished for eternity.*

*But even I am living, there's no way I could go in hell, or is it? I didn't do anything bad for other's sake. I didn't deserve this. He does. He's the one behind this all. I'm no toy to him.*

On the last day before the release of Crevole to the public, a huge technical problem faced the system. After eight hours of sleeping in the cabin, Ruie already set her bind free by herself. The knot is already untied since Dr. Mishima starts throwing knives that are stuck on her wrist. After struggling with pain, she is already set free but acts like she didn't until the second day. On her last day, her priority is escaping God.

Everything she'll do will be solely a product of her observation.