LOCKED DOWN

CHAPTER 2

A DEADLY MISSION

The crowd were on its busiest. These different people diverse on age, built, and race. Some of these are races are those she just saw the first time in her real life. Others have various skin tones and hair colors extracted from the colors of the rainbow. Few of these people even have fancy-looking clothes, in combination of both traditional and modern era, that appear only in Japanese anime that she used to watch when she was years younger. These people are what they call avatars- the character of the player inside a game.

Adira was standing on a bricked paveway on the center of stoned stalls. It looks like she was in a middle of a busy traditional marketplace. Some streetlights that has not lit candles stood by the alley between these stone buildings.

She was like in a new world that can be called paradise. It was a place inside a technology where modern technologies never was used. She can see why lots of players got addicted by the game.

"Odin built this?" she said, almost a whisper to herself.

It was early in the bright morning of this place and the massive fountain behind her is splashing some of its water on her skin. That made her turn around to see that she looks like a lost puppy beside this big fountain that has the unending flow of the clearest water.

"Welcome to the Legend, dear player!"

She almost jumped when a girl a little taller than her appeared. She looks like she is in her middle twenties. She was wearing traditional Japanese black kimono that has red embroided cherry blossoms flowers on the hem of her sleeves and skirt that completely covers her hands and feet. Her long Asian hair were pinned up by a hair dress and locked by a metal pin tussled with jewels. Her hands were close together on the level of her Obi tied around her stomach and she was standing in elegance.

"My name is Ayako and I will be the one to show you around."

Gladly, she smiled. "Cool!"

"Please state your name before we proceed," Ayako said.

She read this kind of character before in her brother's journal. It was what they call NPC or nonplayer character. It was not an avatar but a character that was controlled by the programs of the game to assist the players. They were known to say scripted lines and were unchangeable despite what you tell them.

A set of buttons floated in front of her. It was lightened by a neon color that specified certain options.

She raised an eyebrow and glided her index finger on the box where it was stated to sign her chosen name in it. With it, she signed the word "Pixel". That was the first thing that crossed her mind. She remembered the moment that the computer became pixilated before ending up making the game work.

"It is an honor to finally meet you Pixel," Ayako said. "This is your watch. Tap it to open the option buttons."

She did exactly what she was told when she finally wore her normal-looking watch that doesn't have anything weird and it, including the numbers. A few colorful buttons floated in front of her once again. It has different icons that are separated in bubbles.

"This is your starter budget."

A light and sharp sound rang on her tab and a picture of a small coin bag was shown.

"Press it to acquire."

The coin bag magically turned into a real one that she could physically hold.

"You can use this to purchase clothes. The nicer one will give extra points to level up. Not to mention, it will enhance your ability and defense. To purchase your first item in your wardrobe, follow me."

Ayako turned around and started walking. She immediately follows and starts to tour her around with some of the places in the Center Circle. It was a place where players can converge to find friends and purchase goods. Around the vast area of the said circle were trees that bear fruits and maintaining the beauty of the surrounding.

They have finally arrived at a certain shop and was requested to enter. There she purchased a normal plain above-the-knee-length black dress. It was the only available dress that her budget can fit to. The dresser in that store also made the hair she chose, which is the silky long red hair braided in two parts and tucked in a circle shape behind her head. The hair even cymes with a bangs.

"Odin did not say anything about this part where the player could be a Barbie doll," she mumbled.

"All set!" the dresser turned her around and her jaw almost fell when she saw her reflection on the wall size mirror.

Now, she looks like Wednesday from the Adamms' Family, except her hair was as red as the Disney princess Ariel.

"Perfect! But I forgot to tell you. You are almost out of coins. To earn some, you will need to finish missions. Follow me to go to the Pub."

And just as what she thought, it was an establishment that sells beers, other drinks, and also food. Wooden tables and chairs were limited but still managed to accommodate few more people than expected to serve. Some of them were having meetings while some were just hanging out with other players and no one is giving her attention.

Ayako walked towards the wall where it has a bunch of posters. It has pictures and definitions under it. She can see some numbers and don't know if their real money in the real world counts as this. Because she can say, most of it has big prices.

"You can select missions here depends on the level you have. The harder ones have higher rewards. For a beginner like you, this would be a perfect mission for you. It was an easy task and I am sure you can do it."

She removed the poster and the list was added to her watch tab.

"Gorgon minions, winter, ten thousand," she read the mission. There was a green arrow below it and she pressed it. Her body began to float a foot above the floor and glitters were raining on her place. It was starting to shine on its brightest and the moment her feet landed back, she and Ayako were already in the other land.

She immediately hugged herself at the sudden chill. Everything around her is so white and full of coniferous. The wind blowing hard and the white flakes were starting to attach her body. She never likes winter, especially in a thin clothes she have.

"The land of Legend is composed of four regions with distinct four seasons namely North as Spring, East as Summer, West as Winter, and South as Fall. We are in East right now."

"I can see that. And this better be done the fastest because I am starting to be frozen," Pixel said as if this NPC will take consider of what she feels. She knows that she was just in the virtual world but everything feels real.

"To start the mission, you will need a weapon. Please choose with the remaining coins you have."

There was five options: heavy hammer, fragile bow and arrow, small dagger, bottle with a shining purple liquid, and a long stick. The options were for the lowest ranks and she is one. With a frustrated sigh, she chose the bottled potion.

"Good choice, Pixel! You have chosen the infinite potion. It can heal whatever you wish to."

"Sure thing," she said in a distorted face as she closed the tab. She was not really satisfied with what she bought with her remaining coins.

"I will be waiting at the fountain, Pixel," Ayako said. "Good luck, hero."

And with that, she disappeared that instant.

From afar, she could hear deep grumbles from a few strange creatures near where she was. She turned around to see five two-feet tall wicked creatures with big fangs at the bottom set of teeth. They were clothed in dirty ragged and were carrying large mammoth tusks. That was probably their weapon. They are walking their way towards her and could hear her heart pounding loudly.

"This is worse than those bitches," she grained and ran.

But then, these gorgon minions were fast enough to catch her and pinned her down. They wanted to hit her with the tusks. Luckily, she have been fighting bullies since she entered high school. And that makes her an expert in fighting.

With all her might, she got up, pushing the two gorgon minions away from her. Her eyes roamed around and found herself a nice long branch of a withered coniferous tree. She ran to pick it up and hit the one gorgon minion with the strength she had. the gorgon minion was send out flying and hit its body on the big tree.

"One down. Four to go," she said and smiled like an evil one. The others attacked her and she immediately hit the two more like a homerun basball. That made her laugh. She ran towards the big stone and jumped to hit the one gorgon minion on its head. She did not saw it coming but the only one left made a cut on her upper part of left cheek. That feels hurt and she saw her green bar reduced to middle.

"Really?"

She cracked her neck and send the remaining gorgon minion flying. Swaying her wooden weapon, she turned around to rejoice, hoping it was finished but she saw several more minions came running towards her. This was harder than fighting the bullies in the real world.

She began defending and fighting one after the other. One lucky gorgon minion made its way to her arm again. Her green bar turned to red. But then, with all her remaining strength, she began hitting the gorgon minions like playing whack-a-mole in the arcade. Not long after, her fight was finished. The body of the gorgon minions turned into a light and a chest appeared. She opened it to see that it was a coin bag that looks like what Ayako gave her. She tapped her watch to deposit her looted coins. There she saw that she really finished the mission and was removed from her list. She find the button that has the waterfall icon and was transported back at the fountain where she started her journey on the Legend.

"Good job, Pixel! You made it to the next level. Keep earning points and level up. More adventures are waiting for a hero like you. Enjoy your stay," Ayako smiled and after that, she disappeared once again.