mory exists as an entity in a formless vast that only appears when summoned. In the sense that in as much as there was life, there would inevitably be mories to uphold, either sad or happy mories.
The reason for Dimm's own arriving only at the ti of his demise was unfathomable.
Maybe, because he was still alive, he pondered thus. He journeyed, as it were, through an imnse canopy of profound darkness, with the sole illumination of his mory emanating from the annals of his past. Regrettably, the mories that comprised his history were tinged with sorrowful events.
The mories that surged forth from the mont he was condemned with the words, "Depart, you sorcerer. This is why you are bereft of parents," to the days when his sole abode was the slums, and his ans of feeding was drawn from the fruit of the trees.
He could not fathom why all these recollections had to surface amidst the shadows.
Yet, he understood one truth: he deserved recognition for enduring life's trials. A substantial reward should be bestowed upon him for embracing the life fated to him, rather than succumbing to the fate of many who chose to end their own lives.
Life posed significant challenges for him, particularly as an orphan. He never had the opportunity to et his parents or possess the insight to recognize who had sheltered him, until that fateful day when he was cast out into the streets.
He exhaled a breath through his nose...
'If hell indeed exists, I ought to be provided with the ans to construct my own realm of despair, for I have witnessed horrors surpassing even the tornts of hell.'
This mont shrouded in darkness, however, seed to culminate in a spell of vertigo. The swirling gusts of wind, which appeared to churn within the shadowy entity that had engulfed him, now rendered him disoriented.
But, why was he experiencing such dizziness? If all had transpired as expected, his body would now be at the rcy of vultures. Yet, this was not the case.
Dimm was abruptly awakened by the unfamiliar voice that reached his ears.
[Welco to Ellipse. Candidate 160!]
"Huh!"
His eyes opened to reveal a vast and well-illuminated hall. As he surveyed the interior, he discerned that it accommodated tens of hundreds of young individuals who must have arrived by the sa ans as he did. However, in contrast to him, they appeared to be prepared.
On a general note, his observation noted that each individual was impeccably dressed, with small bags discreetly tucked beside their legs. In their hands, they all clutched identical cards, akin to the one he had extracted from the chocolate that had led to his presence in this place. He was uncertain of the card's purpose or where his own was kept.
Yet, this entire assembly of teenagers made no effort to conceal theirs.
He continued to survey various corners of the vast hall with his gaze when he heard murmurs seemingly emanating from individuals near his position.
"Wow, these clothes are nice."
"I wonder what could have happened if I followed the other instruction."
"But, why did it have to be in all snacks? I was never interested in this shit."
"Did your clothes change as well as mine?"
With the final voice he heard, he turned his gaze inward, observing himself, and found he was akin to the others as well. Although his attire remained unchanged, his tattered garnts appeared resplendent and nded, astonishingly renewed.
Adjacent to his right leg lay a small bag, similar to those of the others, bearing the inscription CANDIDATE 160. He found himself unable to cease pondering the world into which he had been thrust, as well as the enigmatic nature of this Ellipse he had heard the strange voice call. It wasn't until he heard yet another mysterious voice that his musings were interrupted.
«Welco! Body binding initiated...»
«Body bound successfully...»
«Consideration Stage— processing!»
Dimm seed utterly perplexed by the whole situation. To add to the complexity, as the voice dissipated, he heard a familiar voice—the very one that had welcod him upon his entrance into the realm known as Ellipse.
[Welco to Ellipse. Candidate 399!]
[Welco to Ellipse. Candidate 400!]
"..."
"..."
"..."
[Welco to Ellipse. Candidate 999!]
[Welco to Ellipse. Candidate 1,000!]
"With the last candidate for the year, we shall now comnce!"
Much like Dimm, everyone within the hall shivered, casting their gaze about in search of the voice's origin, yet none could. Dimm proposed that in such instances, the vacant podium ought to be claid by an Instructor.
However, before them, the podium was inhabited by an object that emitted a gentle luminescence, flickering with each sound that ca from it.
He didn't know what this world was about, but at least, to the best He was uncertain about the nature of this world, yet, to the extent of his understanding, it was one of the most effective thods to introduce candidates.
"I am Elios, the god of fate," the voice now took a guttural tone, as every candidate in the hall turned their gaze at the object erected on the podium.
"You have teleported into a virtual world called Ellipse, where your survival will an a lot for and, as well, need a lot from you. This teleportation for so, had co as reincarnation, while for others, it had co as bilocating."
"It all depends on the instruction you followed."
The crowd was overwheld with these words as they couldn't stop murmuring to each other. The only exception is Dimm, who kept his reserve but couldn't stop thinking.
'This usage of "For" and "From", what does it possibly an? And, the voice ntioned instructions, just like the young girl had done in the real world.'
His hand inadvertently brushed against an object within the trousers he wore, and upon revealing it, lo and behold, the very card he believed to have abandoned in the realm of the living. Inscribed upon the card were the words "Ellipse Ga," preceding an array of inscriptions that followed.
'Ga Card? Am I in a ga?'
But the voice once again interrupted.
"What I am trying to say, in essence, is that Ellipse is a ga of virtual reality that is more or less thed survival, where all players are expected to undergo certain missions to ascertain future outcos."
"What are those outcos?" a girl from the crowd had mustered the courage to ask.
"That, cannot be revealed to you now, as you are not officially players of this ga. You will indeed have to undergo missions similar to players, but yours will be as candidates."
"You can only be a fulfilled player when you succeed with the first mission hunts. It is called your recruitnt test. That will be what will determine your place in this ga."
"Are you trying to say that an unsuccessful hunt ant death?" a gray-haired boy, who stood inches not too far from Dimm asked.
"An unsuccessful hunt in this ga ant death, but fortunately for the candidate, he will return to his real body on earth to live his normal life. Of course, except those who had reincarnated."
"Mind you, purposeful laziness to the missions of this first hunt will be terd disrespect to the gods of this ga."
"And that will attract an ultimate punishnt–everlasting death, both in the virtual and real world. So, all candidates are advised to show their best out there during the missions. With this..."
The voice appeared to be waning toward its conclusion when Dimm revitalized it with an inquiry.
"Since you said our death in this ga will entrust us back to our real bodies..." he paused. He was not sure of the thod which he had arrived with.
Not letting the thought bother him, he continued. "Are you trying to say that we are illusions created by the ga and that our real bodies are still alive?"
"No," the voice responded. "Your bodies are under what the gods of the ga refer to as temporal death. So, you are not alive, and you are not ultimately dead."
We will keep his body safe until he either dies completely or returns to life. He rembered the last voice he heard before his teleportation into this ga world.
The voice hadn't clarified the conditions of survival and death yet. If they died in the ga, it ant survival in real life, but, what if they succeeded? The voice was not telling them sothing.
And to crown it all, it had clearly warned against laziness. aning that they must put in their best efforts to complete any mission they were assigned to, except if their efforts failed. He looked around him once again, every other candidate seed to be an enthusiast of this ga, except him, who knew nothing.
How was he going to strive? Will the ga rules see his inability as laziness and grant him eternal death? Or...what?
"We have no ti left," ca the voice again. "There are two doors at the sides, upon your entrance into any of the doors of your choice, your test will begin."
"Your survival after this test will now tell if you will be selected as a player or will be thrust back to life," the voice paused, then declared. "For the reincarnated, your failure brings upon permanent death."
"Mind you, deception in any environnt you find yourself in can be inevitable and realistic," the voice added.
With a concluding utterance, it declared, "You may now proceed. Best of luck!" and the device shut down.
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