The NPC Got A System

5. Nash's Decision

In Nash’s sea of consciousness…

“Where am I?”

White mist surrounded Nash and made him could not see anything except the endless mist. The area where he stood now was a clear sea, Nash could see his own reflection on its surface but did not have ideas how deep it was.

Snapping from his amazement, Nash remembered that he had died due to blood loss, so it meant that he was in the afterlife now?

He smiled bitterly and murmured softly, “I hope Chi and Grandma still alive. So my sacrifice would not be in vain.”

Nash accepted his miserable death with an open heart because what was important to him was the fact that he was free from that pain and could meet his parents soon. “Alright, time to go.”

Wooooossssh!

When Nash tried to touch the mist cloud, it disappeared quickly in spherical, showing what was hidden there.

Nash could not help but feel confused when he saw nothing there.

It was only him and just himself.

He tried to walk forward, it might be that he would find someone or something there, but after walking for hours, the result was still zero.

“It’s strange. Aren’t I in afterlife? So where’re the angels or other souls?” He could not help but wonder. “Or it isn’t the afterlife?”

“You’re right. It isn’t the afterlife, or it can be said that you’re not dead, Nash.”

Nash was just about to walk again when suddenly a strange monotonous voice appeared behind him and made him stop from the sudden shock. He almost jumped back because of that. He turned his body and saw a black shadow stood not far from his place.

“Welcome, Nash Ledger. I’ve been wanting to meet you since a long time ago.”

It spoke clearly even though Nash did not see any mouth or eyes on its face and it scared him to death. He took a step backward, prepared to run just in case that thing was going to catch him with force.

“Who’re you?”

“Oh! How foolish of me, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m the Game Master, the one that created you and your universe.”

“What?” Nash could not help but frown when he hear that. He knew that sometime people could go mad and started imagining something delusional, but a shadow that could speak and claimed to be his creator? Oh, this might sound even worse than being smashed with a giant monster.

“Well, it’s pretty clear that you don’t believe me. But, what else can I do to make you believe me? Hmmm, you got any idea?” That shadow stretched long from its place until the tip edge reached Nash’s face and asked with a playful tone as if toying with him. But it went back to its original place and wobbled from side to side. “So, in short, you’re chosen to be a player in VRMMORPG Heaven of Terraria and I’ll help you to reach the peak with my system.”

“Heaven of Terraria? VRMMORPG? System? I don’t know anything about that! Stop joking around and just send me to afterlife!” yelled Nash while retreating a few steps back. He got a feeling that nothing good would come if he was involved with that strange shadow. Nash needed to escape from here, NOW!

“No, no, no, no, no. You can’t do that, Nash.” When Nash was about to run, the shadow spun around him and trapped him in the middle. “Fine. I’ll just send all the information about Heaven of Terraria, the game, and the system directly to your head. Please bear the pain for a moment, Dearie.”

A tentacle made from the shadow body parts touched Nash’s forehead and a cold sensation spread over his spine.

“Huh? What do you mean by that—AHHHHHHHHH!”

Nash stiffened in his place with his eyes rolled back, only showing its white area, and his mouth gasped wide. He was struck with a large amount of information given by the shadow and his mind worked hard to comprehend it even though the process was hurt as hell.

After two minutes, he dropped to the ground, lying there while panting like a dying beast, with sweat drenched all over his face and soaking his clothes.

“Hosh … hosh ….”

“Phew! I’ve sent all the information, just tell me if you still have another question.”

Nash did not respond to the voice. He kept silent for half an hour before getting up with an indifferent face. Before, Nash looked so confused and did not have a single clue about what had happened to him. But now he discovered the truth behind his nightmare and also his true identity.

Heaven of Terraria, the most successful VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) made by humans, reached its peak popularity after being released to public three years ago. People queued from midnight just to get their copy and played with their friends or alone at home. One of the reasons behind its popularity was the mesmerizing beauty of the landscape which resembled real heaven.

But, the story's complexity also made that game the most enjoyable VRMMORPG in this era because players would not get bored easily inside the game. They need to finish daily tasks, defeating monsters, clearing towers, solving problems between clashing tribes, and other neverending missions.

The player could also make a home inside the game, explore the map and find a new continent, marry another player, or even build their business inside the game. So many jobs are provided inside the game, from an adventurer to an academic professor. It was a perfect place to build a new life from scratch, to reach their dream that could not be achieved in real life.

However, to reach ‘heaven’ and start their new life, players must complete a basic tutorial called ‘introduction.’

And Nash lived in that part.

He was an unnamed NPC who lived in Camden village, which became the first village to be assaulted by the monsters' attack from a tower near the village.

The Camden village massacre was only an opening for another chaos that happened in Terraria. Tower after tower kept coming out from the ground, bringing monsters and calamities with them, engulfing the peaceful land of Terraria in a long dark era. But, along with the destruction, hope also came with them.

A hero was born from the human race with a light element. He defeated half of the monster's population in the Great War and destroyed many towers using his power. But, his terrific and formidable power also came with huge consequences. The hero soon closed his life curtains and brought a long mourning for Terraria people who adored him.

Thanks to his sacrifice, a new era of Terraria came. Other heroes were born with their unique elements, even though not as strong as the first one, but they could push the beasts not to spread wide and only remained in the tower area.

At the end of the introduction, players were sent to the training ground built over the ruins of Camden village before starting their new journey in Terraria.

“Shadow,” called Nash in a rigid tone. He could not accept that he was made solely to be a pawn for players’ satisfaction when they enjoyed the story of Terraria. Based on the information given by the shadow, it seemed that every time a new player entered the game, the introduction kept repeating again and again, making a neverending loop for Nash to die in that fucking monster and watched his beloved village engulfed in the fire for thousands of times.

“Yes?”

“Why’re you creating me—no, why’re you creating this game in the first place?”

Nash fixed his gaze and stared coldly toward the shadow. He continued his words, “If you didn’t create this game or all the characters inside it, I’ll never experience all of this shit again and again. Why don’t you just destroy this game, this world in the first place? Why give me a chance to be a player?”

The shadow stopped moving from side to side and slowly approached him. “Do you want to know the answer? Really? Realllllyyyyy?”

“Don’t toy with me,” Nash said while clutching his fist tightly.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. It’s just nice to have someone to chat with after a long time. Well, at first I want to make a place where everyone can play and build their dream life, but now I think it’s just my naïve thought. You know, people just change. Now I want fun! You just need to reach the peak and becomes the first player that cleared the Yggdrasil tower, then I’ll grant anything you want.” The shadow changed its form that matched its words, from a big castle to two people with different expressions.

“Then why not ask one of the players—”

“Ah, ah, ah. If I were you, I would not stay here for too long. Look at this.”

Snap!

A large window hologram appeared in front of Nash’s face, showing something that surprised him in shock. “Chi! Grandma!”

Inside the hologram was footage of Chisato and Gressida walking slowly in ragged clothes in the middle of a mass survivor going to a safe shelter. Nash’s eyes widened in shock, and he stepped forward to touch the hologram. “No, I need to go back to them—”

Snap!

The hologram quickly disappeared when Nash was about to touch it.

“So, what’s your decision? Do you want to be part of my game or not?”

Nash heaved a deep sigh before turning his head toward that shadow again. “What would happen if I became an active player and left my role in the introduction?” Nash was not dumb enough to assume that his absence would not bring chaos to the game. Even though he was a fictional character, an unnamed NPC made by the system, he could guess what chaos would happen if the human player realized something was missing.

“Haven’t I told you that starting today, there’s no introduction anymore? I removed the logout button and all the copies have been sold, so there’ll be no new player and all the NPC like you could live their life free. But if they die inside the game, so that becomes their fate. I can’t prevent it.”

Nash scoffed, “You crazy psycho.”

The shadow giggled in excitement. “Oh, I love to be called a psycho! So, let me ask you again. What’s your final decision, Nash Ledger?”

He clenched his palm into a fist and looked forward with full determination.

“I’m ready to go.”

“Yippie!” The shadow spun around in high excitement before it came down in front of Nash again. “Alright, I’ll begin your transmission process to game starting point: Camden Training Camp. System, process the transmission.”

[Order accepted]

[Transmission, Nash Ledger to Camden Training Camp, activated]

[Transmission process … 1%]

[… 66%]

[… 99%]

Nash took a deep breath and closed his eyelids as his body shattered into light particles. From that moment, NPC Nash Ledger died underneath the ruins and Nash Ledger was born to clear the Yggdrasil tower as the strongest player in Heaven of Terraria.