Escape

"I'm [YourMikan]. You're right... I'm not an Outlaw Player. I’ve never even killed another player."
The brown-haired girl wearing an orange armored jacket and holding a staff said it in a soft, trembling voice. 

She was trying hard not to cry.

"I really didn’t want to help those Outlaw players... but they forced me."

"Forced you?" I was a little surprised to hear that.

Just as Mikan kept talking, a loud siren blared through the air, the alarm of Netherbyte Security, or N-Sec. They were NPC forces tasked with maintaining peace in Netherbyte.

N-Sec guarded the SubCore district from Abyss creatures trying to break into the safe zones. They even fought side by side with players during Wave events. 

Once the Wave ended, they would patrol the area to assess damage which was exactly what they were doing now.

But besides hunting Abyss, they also went after Outlaw Players. If they caught one, the player would be sent straight to N-Sec Barracks and heavily fined. 

Punishment wasn’t light. Outlaws were imprisoned, their accounts suspended for months or even years, depending on the severity of their crimes.

I checked my player status. An orange skull icon had appeared next to my IGN.

I had expected that. After all, I had killed nine players, a significant number.

I couldn’t let N-Sec catch me. I needed to escape immediately.

"Hey, you! If you don’t want to get jailed, you need to get out of here now! Even if you’re not an Outlaw, just being in the same party as them could get you punished!" I warned Mikan.

I wasn’t sure why I even cared. I shouldn’t have. But somehow, the words came out on their own.

Mikan nodded and tried to stand up.

I gathered the items left behind by Lena, Richard, and Mia. At the very least, I wanted to do something for them.

As I turned around, I saw Mikan still struggling to get on her feet. She couldn't do it. Her ST and EP were completely drained. She needed time to recover.

The sirens grew louder. I could already see the beams of their searchlights approaching.

I checked my inventory, hoping to give Mikan an ST recovery item, but I was out of all recovery supplies.

I had no choice. I picked her up and carried her over my shoulder.

"Hwaa!" She gasped in shock.

"If you don't want to get caught, then keep quiet." I said coldly.

She immediately covered her mouth and bit back a scream.

I ran as fast as I could, avoiding the N-Sec patrols and heading northwest toward the Null Shrine, a sanctuary where players could restore their stamina, EtherCode points, and SystemCore points.

Before entering the safe zone, I set Mikan down and told her to walk on her own.

Mikan warned me that if I entered the city with a skull icon next to my IGN, I'd be arrested instantly.

I replied, "I already know that. You don’t need to lecture me."

"Ah... sorry."

I took out an item from my inventory [Disguise Earrings], a rare accessory that hides Outlaw status and even alters IGN appearance.

It was something I had owned for years but never used. I had found it by accident two years ago.

Mikan looked shocked when she saw me equip it. She said it was the same type of item Albert, that Saber Outlaw I defeated, had used.

Things were starting to make more sense, but I told her to hold off and explain everything later once we reached the Null Shrine.

We made our way there.

Stepping into the safe zone of Netherbyte City gave me a slight sense of relief.

I could once again feel the electric pulse of this futuristic metropolis. Tall skyscrapers lit with glowing ads and neon lights gave the city a cyberpunk vibe, like Tokyo at night, but even more advanced.

Blue and red lights dominated the landscape, giving it a mysterious and cool atmosphere.

In the real world, it was probably afternoon or early evening. But in the game, it was always night. There was no sun here.

Netherbyte City was a futuristic enclosed city, completely sealed from the outside world. A massive dome covered the sky, making every moment here feel like eternal night.

The city’s sky could shift based on events. During winter events, for example, snow would fall and create the illusion of a cold, starry winter night.

When I first started playing this game, I was blown away by its quality both in interface and player experience.

…

Mikan and I finally arrived at Null Shrine.

It was crowded. Many players without healing items came here to recover with the help of Mikos, a healer NPCs.

One of the Mikos healed Mikan, restoring her ST, EP, and SystemCore points.

After that, I rented a rest room for one hour.

Besides being a healing sanctuary, Null Shrine also rented out rest rooms for players who wanted to log out and "sleep" in-game, helping them refresh their mental state.

Now, the two of us were inside a small room.

Mikan looked nervous when I told her to enter.

"Um… what are you planning to do to me? Are you… going to try something… inappropriate?" she asked with frightened eyes.

I let out a long sigh.
"Relax. I'm not interested in girls like you. I just want to interrogate you."

I gave her a cold stare.

She awkwardly realized she had misunderstood and gave me a stiff smile before stepping inside.

Then I started asking her about everything important that had happened.

I didn’t want anyone eavesdropping. I was about to reveal one of my biggest secrets, and I couldn’t risk being overheard by other players or NPCs outside.

"I haven’t introduced myself properly. I’m Kyouze. I’m a strong player, that’s how I was able to wipe out nine Outlaw players by myself. Now I want to ask you—"

Before I could finish, she interrupted.

"Um… I had a feeling when I saw your fight. That incredible power… that dark blue hair and jacket… that electric blue sword..."

"The strongest EtherCode Volta user… with powers beyond logic. You're Kyouze the Azure Reaper, aren’t you? The legendary player who suddenly vanished?"

She looked straight at me, confident in her words.

Hearing that completely caught me off guard.

"You… how do you know that?"