NPC Code: Red Riding Hood

Warner Asimov\'s Point of View. 

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"Today is a big day, Sir Asimov," Katya said, while waiting at the benches. "We should get ready for the press soon, or else the people might get the wrong idea."

The two of us sat on the aligned chairs behind the metal doors. Right past through that gate was the stadium meant to interview. It had been three months since the death game, and around one billion people got killed inside the game.

"You\'re right. We don\'t want to stir any panic from the world now, do we?" An instinctive chuckle followed through my voice as I gave out my comment.

After a few moments, a knock coming from the other side startled my mind. It was the staff that told us it was our cue to enter the stage.

Katya and I stood up from our seats and went straight ahead to the crowd. Thousands of roars coming from the audience echoed in my ears. They were not cheering for me.

It was the other way around.

"Welcome, Director Asimov. The modern father of pharmacology created the cure for both cancer and polio! It\'s a pleasure meeting you in person, sir. My son and I are great fans of your work!"

The television host greeted me with such an intense glee as he offered his hand. I took his gesture and gave his arm a firm shake. Despite the camera lights blinding me in this room, I still considered this event as my business.

It was nothing unusual.

After exchanging pleasantries, we talked about various things unrelated to the death game. Katya did not say a word, considering that she was my secretary who handles my paperwork, not these interviews. Since I was still a man that held five major companies in Russia and three more internationally, it was no surprise that everyone wanted to know me.

Within a few minutes, the program finally switched its gears. We were now talking about the death game and my plan to complete the game.

"My team and I will go directly to the game tomorrow," I said, which made the crowd fall silent to my words. "During our beta-test, the game developers made a character that could stop sudden discord against… things unforeseen in the game. After three months of polishing the character, we believe that the time was ripe to change Code. We promise you that Project Hiro will put a stop to this madness within a year! That is our deadline. Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day."

Katya gestured her head for me to take our leave. If we stayed in this stadium any longer, the paparazzi would pursue our tails, asking more things about what I had mentioned.

The host thanked me for my appearance and led me backstage. However, the camera team, journalist, and the paparazzi had the same idea and chased me to the ends of the Earth.

But thanks to Katya\'s backup plan, the two of us escaped the audience and went to my vehicle. It was what I mentioned earlier. My team already built the research centre in the Mainland and made it our base for the time being.

That place would serve as our headquarters in facilitating the game and taking refuge with the lost players. Thanks to Robin and the different countries and their clans, we annihilated half of the NPC\'s population. The long-eared elves, which was the primary threat of the game, got eliminated from Code.

All we had to take care of was Alice in Wonderland… I could only pray that none of the players or NPCs would revive that demonic beast.

"Are all systems ready to go?" I asked.

Katya gave me a nod. "Sir Asimov, this is just to brief everyone aboard in this device. We still have unfortunate rookie scientists who don\'t know how the game works…"

"I see… I assume that these people have never touched a gaming device before."

Katya never gave me a response, since she deemed it as an unnecessary question. Although she\'s my secretary, that girl was still as hard as steel.

We went our separate ways and rested for the night. As the day went by, the alarm clock near my bed woke the shit out of me. I did not get enough sleep, thinking about the character inside Code…

It was someone I know, after all.

Katya announced her arrival and went inside my room. She asked for my presence, since the two of us would tell the news to our team.

We went to the central panel and stood in front of the mob of scientists and engineers. Clicking sounds and clashing glasses of flasks ran through our eardrums. But as soon as we were facing the station we walked by, those sounds disappeared.

All eyes were staring at our figure, but I already got used to this set-up.

With her words, Katya gathered all the teams included in our quest. Before we could emerge from the game, we need to deploy the hero of this world. Although that character was already doing its part on Code, we still couldn\'t grasp everything from his scripts.

"All of you would become players upon stepping foot on Code. It would mean that each of you will get powers of your choice. A war against NPC would happen, and I need you lots to know how to use that game-like power. But your focus would be on instructing the troops, collecting the whereabouts of the four obelisks, finding the centre altar, and monitoring Project Hiro."

It was what Katya had mentioned. We also needed to shelter all the players trapped in the game and ensure their safety. And going straight to the game while helping the players with the support that came from the countries would ensure the government slots for the next election. To those leaders who agreed, giving me funds to do my research would receive popularity from the crowd because of the conditions of the death game.

Those families would remember getting help from those presidents. Hence, voting for them for next year\'s election. It was a win-win situation, so I might as well use it to my advantage.

Everyone agreed to the commands of Katya and went straight to their stations. Since these people had talents beyond my expectations, they knew what to do. Thanks to Katya\'s guidance, the process went smoothly.

I clenched my hands as I stared in front of the screen, with Clement rushing to the NPCs.

"Son…"

Despite creating Clement, I had never met him once in this world. Because of the dire situation, it was a unanimous decision to send the best character out in the field. Clement needed to purge the non-player characters, and act as the leader of the international guilds.

"And now they are heading to Wonderland… chasing this guy named Wolf, and a girl named Red…," I murmured, while continuing to stare at the monitor.

Katya went to my side and disrupted my thoughts. She also told me that the device was ready on the other side of the room.

"I\'m going to see my son again…," I whispered, and laid down on the comfortable mattress.

There were dozens of machines and doctors on standby in case something terrible would happen during my descent. It was the only thing that assured me the safety of going into another world.

All the fantasies that I thought about turned out real in this world. A smirk emerged on my mouth as I witnessed the helmet-like device transports anyone who wears this accessory.

"Are you ready, sir?" Katya asked.

"Aren\'t you going with me?" I returned her question.

She wanted to retort at my sentence but kept her mouth shut for the time being. With my words, Katya ordered another mattress and rested beside me.

It was what I had mentioned. I also drafted Katya in Code, considering that she needed to save her husband inside the game.

"Who made this device was an idiot."

"Sir, you invented this place."

"Oh…"

With our jest, the monitor yelled out a high-pitch tone, telling us we were entering the world of Code. I asked Katya where the two of us would land in the game. She told me that after we choose our character, we would reside inside the laboratory.

"It\'s the same replica of-,"

"Of?"

Katya\'s words got cut off by the sounds of the engine coming from the device, telling me we were now inside the game world.

The world surrounding me became dark, with no sound coming from the air. After a few seconds, a ray of light emerged in the distance, welcoming me inside this realm. As I opened my eyes, a window flashed before me with words written inside.

[Please choose your character] An automated voice called upon me while reading the texts.

After nudging my fingers at the side, another window popped up, with a character shown in front of me.

[Please choose a name]