Chapter Three

Nerrig, The Gate to The Lost City

[2295 words]

It’s all begun because of curiosity.

Gyu was curios, why did Howon liked to play games so much, what was so interesting in a game? What was fascinated the younger to never got tired sat in front of his computer to play all day long and all night long? Gyu was dying to know.

Gyu first knew Howon because his Mom asked him to tutor her best friend’s son since that boy’s grade a little bit below average, and it’s not because of the younger was stupid but rather because he spent his time too much in his game. At the end all Gyu did was not really tutoring him actually, he just came to Howon’s house to accompany the boy did his homework, to make sure he touched his schoolbook for at least two hours per day. After that he let the boy played again, and took his leave before dinner. It was not like Howon didn’t have friends so he got addicted to video game, that boy also hanging out with his friends, but as soon as he got home, he lose himself again in his games. Every weekend, if Gyu and Howon didn’t went out with their own friends, they would hang out together, not in a café, park, cinema or mall, just in Howon’s room. Not really doing an activity together, Gyu would bring his new novel or his unfinished homework, and Howon would immerse in his game, as always. Gyu would just claimed Howon’s bed, spread out his limbs in it, and every now and then had a tendency to steal a glance at Howon who sat with his back on him, too focused in his game. Sound of explosions and the game’s background music filled the silent between them, and sometimes Gyu could hear Howon murmured, “shoot, it’s so near,” or “aigomonina, this boss is harder than I thought.” Gyu wanted to experience the same thing Howon did. He wanted to understand the younger.

So one Saturday afternoon he barged into Howon’s room without his novel and declared, “I want to play.”

Howon turned his head away from his computer screen –something he rarely done in the middle of his play, he raised his eyebrows, and an expression of confusion plastered clearly in his face. Instead of sat on the bed like he usually did, Gyu walked to Howon’s side and pointed at the computer, “let me play this. Teach me.” Actually Gyu didn’t have any idea what kind of game was it; all he could see was a hand holding a gun, as if the screen represented the player’s eye.

“You want to play? This?” Howon didn’t know a zombie had just crawled closer and bitten the hand, the screen blinked in red before back to normal scene.

Gyu shook his head, no, he didn’t like the idea of fighting the animated corpses who wanted to eat his brain. He loved his brain, thank you. “Err, let’s try something more…” Gyu tried to find a fitting word, “umm, interesting? Something that more suitable for a beginner and less bloody. Uhh, I don’t know, what do you think will be good for me to try?” Gyu raised his shoulders and flailed his arm around.

Howon turned back to his computer only to quit the game he just played and Gyu felt grateful because the rotten undead disappear from his view. “Why so sudden, Hyung?”

“Just because.” It was impossible for Gyu to admit his real reason, never.

Howon crouched down in front of his drawer and reached out a packet and a weird devices Gyu didn’t know what the name and never seen before. Howon unpacked the packet and pulled out a weird device that identic with the one he just took out from the drawer. He withdrew a CD that also packed in the packet, and threw the case to Gyu. “You come at the right time, Hyung. We’ll play this, it’s new, just arrived this morning.”

Gyu inspected the CD case and read the title that written on it along with the short synopsis explaining the game.

The LOST CITY Saga

Once upon a time, in a distant kingdom of Infinite where land filled with wonder, people lived together in peace.

But that all changed when the Demon Tribe attacked and ruled all the cities but the capital, where people ran to seek refuge.

Years passed but people haven’t lost their hope and were still in their fighting to take over their city from the ruthless Demon.

One day all the hundred cities would be freed and the kingdom would return to harmony.

“What kind of game is this?” Gyu turned his head toward Howon who had just inserted the disc to his drive.

“Just like the usual RPG, Hyung.” The computer hummed and in a second the screen showed the same picture with the CD-case in Gyu’s hand, a white-greyish dragon stood on the edge of the ice cliff with its wings stretched open. The mouth opened showing its big sharp teeth, thorns sprouted out from its head until the tail end, its claws razor-edged.

Howon continues his explanation; apparently overheard Gyu mumbled slowly, “ar-pi-gee…?” and understood that Gyu didn’t know what RPG is. “It’s a roleplaying game, in which you can choose the role of your character and what you want to be. You can also interact with other player too, it’s more fun, I think.” He took the weird devices, pulled out Bluetooth USB-connectors from one end and connected both of them to his computer, Howon then put one of the devices to Gyu’s face, slid the ends over his ears and gently lower it to rest onto his straight nose, in front of his eyes. “You wear it like this.”

And Gyu just realized the devices shaped like a future glasses, it’s slim and looked like a headband at first, half-round with fused darkened lenses. Gyu removed the device from his face, and took a closer look. “What is this thing?”

“That’s called Nerrig, Nerve Rig, the equipment that stimulates our five senses via brain, so we can play and control our character with minds. See, no keyboard, mouse, joystick or other console, it should be easy for you, Hyung.”

Gyu gulped, “our mind? Is it save? Won’t damaged our brain? Why don’t you just teach me the usual game you play? The one that using an animal, ah, a sheep to explore the entire map? Or building a village and attack another village?”

Howon chuckled, “it’s safe, Hyung, you don’t need to worry, and as I said, it’s easier for you to control.”

“How do you know?” Gyu pouted, still didn’t believe Howon and the device.

“I’ve played it before.”

Gyu widened his eyes, “what? No, it’s new, isn’t it? You’ve said so, I watched you opened the package right in front of me, oh, and I never saw you played with this before.”

“But this one wasn’t in the package, right?” Howon waved the Nerrig in his hand. Right, what he pulled out from the package was the Nerrig in Gyu’s hand and the CD. “I’ve played the beta version, Hyung. It’s like the trial version, to test the performance of the game, and I had to write a very long resume about it. But in return, I got the game in half-price.”

Gyu scoffed, “you didn’t even like to write a full-page essay for literature class.”

Howon smiled and looked slightly embarrassed but kept talking. “I only played it in the night after you returned home, and initially I’ve planned to play this game later in the night.”

“Why?” Gyu asked in confusion. “Usually you’re so eager and can’t wait to play the new game you just bought, why you had to wait until I got home?”

“Using this device, it makes me almost in the same state of sleeping. How can I sleep when you are still in my room, Hyung? I’m worried you will take advantages of me when I’m in the vulnerable condition.” Howon grinned when gave out his reason.

“W-what?” Gyu almost choked on his own spit. Did Howon just accuse him to have an inappropriate intention toward the younger boy? Did during all this time Howon actually aware that Gyu oft peeked out from behind his thick novel, stole some glances at the younger? Was he looked like a nasty creeper? Oh no. Gyu felt his blood rushed toward his face and his cheeks scarlet with shame.

“Yeah, you might kicking me, playing trick on me, or doodling on my face, I don’t want that, hahha…” Howon laughed while Gyu huffed in relieved, so he didn’t caught up. Yet.

“Furthermore, I need my bed, and you always possess it as soon as you step into my room, make me wondering don’t you have one on your own in your room?” Howon continued his tease, made Gyu pouted.

“Yah, of course I have a bed too. It’s even bigger and more comfortable than yours.”

“Okay, okay, whatever you say, Hyung. Let’s not waste our time anymore. I can’t wait to play it, actually. Come here, beside me.” Howon lied down on his bed and patted on empty space beside him before put on the Nerrig to his face.

“How can you still so eager when you already played the beta version,” Gyu muttered and climbed into the bed, it was barely big enough for the two of them, their shoulder touched each other and so did their legs. Gyu could feel his heart beat faster, “must be because I feel nervous for trying something new,” he fooled himself. Gyu then copied Howon’s to put the Nerrig on.

“The beta version don’t have a storyline, there’s only one city and we just roamed around it. Now, I know that we had to save the other cities. Can you reach at a small button on the right side of your Nerrig, Hyung? Push it, and you will be ready to choose your character.”

Gyu did as Howon instructed, then the last words Howon gave to him was, “see you in the game.”

Gyu stood in front of the spring in the middle of the Stadtplatz, eyeing the water gushed out from the middle of the pond and shoot out into three different directions. It was the first place he appeared after he set the character he wanted to be played in the game. He just failed to recognize that place again when they suddenly teleported there –because he’s in panic state and it was already dark– few days ago. Was it ten days? Or seven? Gyu lost count on the day since Howon left, worse, he still didn’t know how long was one day in the game worth in the real world.

Before took his leave, Howon told Gyu his opinion, that maybe the beta Nerrig had a different installment with the Nerrig Gyu and other player wore, that’s why Howon still could log out from the game. The younger also said sorry for not let Gyu wore the beta Nerrig, for make Gyu play this game and he should just choose another game. Gyu hated Howon so much for having a lot apologize, it made him had a bad idea of Howon never came back to him again.

Gyu spent his days just stayed in his room in the inn, did nothing, only got out to eat on the restaurant below in the afternoon and then back to his room again. At first he abandoned Howon’s warn about eating, but in two days, his blood reduced into half, so he never skip meal again. He amazed how the food in that world tasted almost the same with the food in the real world, but he didn’t choose his food based on what he like, but based on the prize. It was not that Gyu lacked of money, Howon had transferred all his money to Gyu’s account after he found that his saving from the beta version was still there, along with some items that soon transferred to Gyu’s bag –another thing Gyu hated because it really made him thought that Howon would not back– but Gyu wanted to save the money, since he didn’t know how long he had to stay in that inn, in that world. Gyu ended up only eat dry-bread for days, it’s almost tasteless and he had to drink half glass of water to help it passed down his throat.

Until one day Gyu felt tired of doing nothing, exhausted of only mourning in his room and decided to get out from the inn, yesterday he already walked around the city, enjoying the view, and looking at the shops there. There was not even a single sign of riot had just happened in the city days ago, and not so many players inside the city. For today Gyu wanted to get out from the city. Fighting the sheep won’t be that hard, right? He would take one of them down, and then resting to recover his blood before took another fighting. He thought it as a great idea; he would spend his day more productively, could collect money, raised his level and stayed safe just like Howon wanted.

Gyu nodded to himself and whispered a self-motivation, “you can do it, Gyu. Come on.” Then Gyu walked to the north from that spring, toward the city gate. He replayed in his mind how to fight the sheep, tried to remember everything Howon told him. Unfortunately, too busy with his own mind made Gyu less alert to his surrounding, he ended up knocked down and sprawled on the ground.

Duh, even before he could reach the city gate he already involved in a trouble.

_A/N_

Ah, unknowingly the amount of the words reduced in each chapters T__T

Anyone could guess the title of the games that vaguely described in this chapter?

a) The one with gun in hand and zombie

b) The one that use sheep to explore the entire map

c) The one about build a village and attack the other village

Happy guessing~  XD