NPC Code: Red Riding Hood

The world turned into chaos as soon as the news announced the players trapped inside the game. According to their resources, players who were inside Code can never log off. And if they did, the machine crashes by itself and would send electrifying shocks to the brain.

The shockwave killed millions of people already within hours of receiving the new update. A mysterious quest was behind this occurrence. It mentioned that the players must stop the war from happening so that they can escape from Code. As long as the war continued, these adventurers would stay inside the game until accomplishing the mission.

In the news reports, they showed the numbers of people dying inside their homes. They also found some people dead in cafes and on the streets while playing the game inside their rooms. It was right after cutting off the source of electricity or the cord, which eventually led them to a heart attack, stroke, brain damage, and severe and unknown dyspnea.

Channels gave their way to remind people to stay out of Code and never log in. They constantly reminded everyone to avoid purchasing the holographic set or playing Code from supermarkets and other stores. The government would punish everyone who dared defy the law since the problem became an international threat to the world. There were also thousands of streamers, ongoing videos, and live streams on the internet talking about the game. These social media sites also mentioned the killings from Code. If you die in Code, you die in actual life too.

"Someone inside the game hijacked the pain scale system. If these players took an alarming blow and brought fatal wounds, the player would feel the pain. The damage was the leading cause of death inside Code, so please be wary about this information. We have here in our news station the mastermind of the world's famous game, to explain more about Code and its recent updates. Please welcome, Doctor Warner Asimov…"

A man revealed himself on the screen with the rest of the anchors waiting by. The show came from Russia, so there were subtitles below the monitor for me to read.

"We bring you unfortunate news about Code. Our staff and advisers are doing all that they can to put a stop to this madness. With our advice, all countries banned everyone from touching the game. Those people who have their loved ones unconscious while playing Code would need to file their names to the hospital and the government. We will give you an abundance of allowance and recuperation expenses for your loved ones, so don't hesitate to send us your contact information."

Warner Asimov continued, "We are not responsible for choosing the tasks of Code or have complete control over Code. The staff are the only ones here to supervise players. They are the ones who patch or update the game and improve Code. The non-player characters and the environment of Code are the ones making the missions, not us. But, please take into consideration that we are completing the game."

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The slides changed, showing an army of soldiers wearing the same holographic helmets on their heads. A montage of the same setting presented on the screens, showing each country reuniting for the situation. The enlisted men and women had mixed nationalities, with their flags beside them. Each one hundred soldiers had a doctor or a medical staff beside them to supervise their bodies.

"Do you know who made this request to stop the war?" The young reporter asked, and looked Asimov in the eyes.

Asimov shook his head and answered, "We know nothing about this, but we have our leads. We cannot disclose this information yet to the public, sorry."

The audience behind the scenes mumbled to themselves after hearing their exchange. However, that all changed when the scientist motioned to his finger, silencing all the crowd. He knew that their gossip bared no intelligence from the topic, so resumed with his explanation.

"We hired brave soldiers from every country to unite against Code. All of us thought that completing the game would end the war and the world I created." Doctor Warner lowered his head and carried on with his sentence, "We express our condolences to those people who died inside the game. Our team will do the best we can to limit the death counts worldwide."

It was ironic that we can still go inside the game. It means we can still log in to the game but can never log out from Code. Joining the game was a one-way ticket to our doom, if you were to ask me.

With a sudden flash, the screen blinked and gave off its power. A clicking sound reverberated behind me. As I turned around, I saw Himari's face glaring at the screen. She flickered her hands on the buttons, using the remote control, and threw it on the couch.

"I was watching the news!" I screamed, "They were talking about something important too!"

Himari nodded her head and replied, "We are not playing Code, so why would that news bother us?"

"Billions of lives are on the line. I was just watching what made the game do that."

Silence filled the room afterwards, after expressing my comment. I stood up and went to the kitchen while grabbing myself the leftover snacks inside the fridge. Himari stood still near the table and wiped her face with her hand.

"Are you crying? Look, I am sorry. I just-,"

I scratched my head and looked at the ground. I knew what she was going to say, but refused to listen. However, with a shriek, Himari caught my attention.

"What if you are inside that game and get yourself killed!"

Her sudden wail changed my mind. I did not want to see her face again. The last time I saw that expression was when I was in the hospital for many moons. Every time she remembers that occurrence, she breaks down into pieces. Like a parent screaming to her child, Himari screeched at me and told me a grim thought.

It breaks my heart every time I see her cry.

"I understand."

My words felt empty. I steeled my resolve and hugged my sister from behind. Himari wished to be with me, and I wanted to be with her. We were like two peas in a pond, inseparable. And nothing can ever change that.

After making up with my adorable sister, I finally made her smile. Her lips curved upward as she saw me from behind. Himari jiggled her body, unlatching herself from my wrap, and pointed to the stairs.

"Go to your room and study." She ordered, not suggested.

I gave her a nod and raced up the steps. With a slam, I shut the door close and pounce my way on the bed. There was nothing to do but play a portable game (unrelated to Code) or read an academic book in advance.

I did both and placed all my equipment on the desk. There was a can of fizz nestled beside me as I flicked through the page.

However, something was bothering my mind.

"Help me," Ryoshi's voice echoed inside my head.

What if he got stuck inside that damn game? He mentioned before that he was going to play Code and grind some levels. I also saw him when I scanned Red, the NPC. Ryoshi was the one who ran away and accidentally killed Clementine, while Red took the life of the crown.

"There is not an end to these thoughts," I grumbled to myself and laid back to the comfort of my mattress.

The ceiling gave me company as I drowned myself in my mirthless thoughts. After a few seconds, I reached for my phone and dialled Ryoshi's number. Within a few seconds, someone answered the call.

"This is Okami speaking-," I asked, but got immediately cut off.

"Who is this?"

The voice came not from Ryoshi but from his mum, Aika Futaba (Note: I wrote the first name first and then her last name.)

"I am Okami, Ryoshi's friend," I repeated.

His mother cried a river after hearing my name. I let Mrs. Aika vented out her feelings and waited for her to calm down. After a few seconds, she reverted to her normal self and talked to me.

"Ryoshi is inside that game."

Her voice trembled as Aika announced the news. I could not hide my shock and remain noiseless for a while.

I cleared my throat and answered, "Inside Code?"

Mrs. Aika gave out a soft hum and answered my question.

The two of us became soundless, uncertain what to say to each other. I thought of Ryoshi as my brother, whom I cared about a lot. He was the only one who stuck by when times were tough for me. Ryoshi also gave me a part-time job near the convenience store and asked the manager if I could work there.

My mind felt mixed emotions upon hearing his whereabouts. His mother told me that Ryoshi was inside his room, with the helmet bound on his face. Mrs. Aika had her voice trembling when she explained the situation and was fortunate enough to listen to the news.

"Have you contacted the government about this?" I asked.

She responded with a hum once again.