Level Up

Where The Hell Am I?

"Come with me if you want to live and I may, or may not knock you out, given your reply." She said.

He was confused. What did she mean by all she had just said? Before he could ask a question, she hurriedly grabbed him and slung him over her shoulders. She kept running and clicked something on her belt. A portal opened out of nowhere and she jumped inside it, with him on her shoulders.

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She dropped him on the floor.

"What the hell was that?" He finally found words to speak.

She ignored him, checking her utilities and gear.

"You said I'm player one, what does it mean?" He asked.

She stopped, then stared at him.

"You know you ask a lot of questions, right?" He frowned then finished checking up her gear.

"Like I said earlier. You're Welcome, player one." She said.

"What does that mean?" He asked.

"The freak accident must have fried your brain." She spoke, shaking her head.

"It's such a pity." She added, then threw a small plastic container at him.

"Rub it on your dislocated knee, it'll heal." She said. He did as she instructed and he felt the pain reduce.

"So, David Hart. How do I explain this without making things complicated?" She asked

"Start anywhere." He replied.

"The question was rhetoric. Well, we're in a game titled Beast World : Level up. It's a game with a medieval setting, one that tells the story of a kingdom filled with mages, beasts, knights, mercenaries and adventure. There are one hundred levels in this game, all which connect to one last level, its reward? Forbidden Power. Yes, Power levels. These are levels only players and significant in-game characters hold. We have the E, D, C, B and A rank. All ranks unlocked after every twenty levels. You're currently an E rank player. After the final level, is the most powerful rank of all, the S rank. A forbidden rank nobody knows its Power level.

You must be wondering how I know all these? Well, I'm supposed to be an NPC in the game meant to meet the hero in the 20th level, but hell, a freak accident happened and somehow, I'm not limited to the few prompts of the game. I'm just like you, a player. Unfortunately, I can't rank up like you. I'm stuck with this D rank ability." She explained.

His mind was a mess, trying to understand everything.

"So, you're saying everything right now is a game I'm somehow immersed in?" He asked.

She nodded, confirming his questions.

"Yes. Oh, you must be worried about the memory loss. That should be gone in…"

He suddenly dropped on the floor, falling into a slumber.

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"Happy Birthday babe." A young woman said, walking into David's office space.

He was dressed in a pair of black trousers and a blue shirt. It was his birthday and it wasn't going well. She had been the first and only person to recognize the occasion and his marketing idea for their upcoming game had just been turned down by his father in the middle of a departmental meeting.

"Thank you love." He responded, receiving the package in her hand, setting it on the table as he grabbed her, both of them exchanging a deep, sensational kiss.

"Bad day?" She asked, sitting on his desk.

He sat in his chair and sighed.

"Dad rejected my marketing idea. Honestly, it felt bad." He responded.

She inched forward, pulling him to her for a deep embrace.

"You shouldn't feel bad, rejections make us who we are when we triumph." She advised.

"I just want the day to be over, Sarah." He replied.

"By the way, what's this?" He asked her, grabbing the package.

"It's your birthday gift. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise for you when you get home." She added with a wink.

Suddenly, her phone beeped with an alarm.

"Shit, tech department have a meeting now. Don't worry, I'll see you at home bae." She said hurriedly and gave him a quick peck. He just chuckled and dropped the package once more on the table.

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David stopped at the Park and sat on a bench. The sky was dark and breeze blew a bit violently.

The bench reminded him of a lot of things, especially his mother when he was younger. This was where she usually sat whenever she wanted some time on her own and he usually joined her there.

It had been 10 years since she died days after his birthday and he wondered if she was in heaven, watching him as he lived on. The last time he saw her was on his birthday, hurriedly leaving for work.

"Remember, we have to do what we have to do." were her last words to him. Words that resounded in his head everyday, including that moment.

He got up, not wanting to be caught by the rain. Though he worked in the same company as his Dad, he stayed in an apartment far from his family's house. He and his father never saw eye to eye and he just avoided him as much as he could.

Taking one step forward, the bench behind him split into two halves, followed by the loud crack of thunder. His eyes widened in shock as he fell forward. He stood and looked at the bench. Somehow, he had been struck by lightning and the bench took the damage.

Hurriedly, he ran to the main street and boarded a taxi home.

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It had been hours since David got home and he was now relaxed. He opened the pack Sarah had given him and smiled. She had just gifted him the prototype for the game "LEVEL UP" that his father's company had been developing secretly for the last 15 years. With its launch imminent and near, his idea to market it was turned down earlier.

Here he was with the game so many had anticipated.

He plugged it into his PC and watched the game boot.

Suddenly, his lights flickered and he took his headphones off. The lights went off and he got up, walking to the switch. Meanwhile, the game kept booting.

He got to the switch and the lights suddenly came on.

"Stupid." He groaned and walked towards the PC. As he sat, he was welcomed by a Flash of light, knocking him out.