"Huh... my head... Where am I?"
Vorden groaned as he sat up, rubbing his temples. His mind was foggy, and everything around him felt unfamiliar.
"Did I get hit by something?" His eyes widened. "Was it a... truck?"
Panic set in for a moment before he sighed. "Guess I'm in heaven then... And I was still a virgin. We can't all be winners, I guess."
Just as he was about to start mourning his short-lived life, a strange tune drifted through the air.
"I never knew there were love songs in heaven..."
*Welcome '20 Dollars' to Uprising*
*Rookie bonus of $250,000 received*
"What the—?!" A holographic screen materialized before him, glowing faintly in the dim room.
Uprising. The VR game.
Vorden's stomach dropped. "Wait... does this mean I'm inside the game?! Oh no—!!"
Before he could fully process his predicament, the sound of soft humming pulled his attention toward a door.
"La, la la, la~"
The door swung open, and a girl stepped out, a towel wrapped around her body.
Vorden's breath hitched.
It was her.
The cashier from the video game store.
His mind reeled, piecing together what must have happened. 'It all makes sense now. She must've knocked me out and brought me here!'
She twirled around to the music, tying up her hair—completely oblivious to the fact that she was being watched.
Then, their eyes met.
Silence.
A long, tense silence.
Then—
"HAA!! YOU PERVERT!! GOGO!! BOGO!!"
Vorden had no idea who or what BOGO and GOGO were, but he wasn't about to stick around to find out.
He turned on his heel and bolted for the door.
Unfortunately, before he could make it three steps, something slammed into the back of his head.
Darkness.
---
A Familiar Room
When Vorden opened his eyes, he found himself staring at a familiar ceiling.
His ceiling.
He sat up abruptly, scanning the room. His eyes landed on his MMM posters, his Men in Black poster, and even his Too Broke To Be Croaked poster.
His heart rate slowed. "So... it was all a dream?" He let out a relieved sigh. "Man, how creepy would it be if I see that girl at the VR store today?"
Shaking off the lingering weirdness, he got out of bed and headed to the bathroom.
As he reached for his toothbrush, something bizarre happened.
His hand passed right through it.
Vorden froze.
"...What the heck?"
Before he could process what was happening, a chilling sensation spread through his body.
He looked down.
His hands were disappearing.
His legs.
His arms.
Every part of him was fading.
His breath hitched. "What... is happening to me?!"