Chapter 1:Lock in

Arc 1:Dragons Awakening echoes

Phase 1

In a dimly lit room resonating with the rhythmic ticking of a clock, dark wooden shelves and video game console posters. A cardboard cutout of an anime schoolgirl with a concerningly short skirt. At the center, a man taps his fingers by a desk, intense gaze fixed on the door to his left, creating an atmosphere of anticipation in this eclectic blend of gaming allure and peculiar aesthetics.

???: here… they come

The door bursts open violently, creating a resounding sound effect as it collides with the wall behind, adding a dramatic punctuation to the entrance of three silhouettes.

With a frowning expression, the man fixes his gaze on the entrance of the door.

Three silhouettes gradually emerge behind the door, advancing toward the man with each deliberate step.

???: how many times do I have to keep telling you to stop kicking the damn door, you stupid brats!!.

The man, raising his voice with an evident frustration, directs his words at the three silhouettes, a tone suggesting this encounter isn't their first. In response, the figure at the center speaks, a rebellious undertone challenging the man's frustration.

???: Who are you calling brats, you insignificant fool!.

In sunlight's glow, the figures transform into young boys in high school uniforms, each wearing distinct headbands. The central African boy sports a commanding black headband, a Caucasian boy stands to his right with blond hair and a vibrant green headband, and the younger boy on the far left has long black hair, dark brown eyes, and a bold red headband. The African boy, exuding significance, raises his voice, echoing a declaration challenging an entire continent, as if they are emissaries from an unknown realm with a message that demands attention.

Nico: I AM NICO THE BLACK MIGHTY DRAGON!!

the boy wearing the green headband raises their voice

Banko: I AM BANKO THE GREEN MIGHTY DRAGON

Finally the boy to the far left does the same

Rico: AND I AM RICO THE RED MIGHTY DRAGON!!

The boys raise their voices, a collective anthem echoing through the air as if they're passionately chanting their own national hymn.

Rico, one of the boys, elevates his arm in an unusual manner, creating a distinctive silhouette against the backdrop.

Rico: WE!!

Banko, another of the boys, amplifies his voice, accompanying it with a bizarre pose. His knees bend, and both arms ascend in a manner reminiscent of Fortnite dance moves.

Banko: ARE!!

Nico, positioned at the group's center, crosses both arms in a stance of authority. In unison, all three boys erupt, yelling at the top of their lungs, creating a cacophony that echoes through the room.

(all three): THE 3 MIGHTY DRAGONS!!!

The man slaps his face with a resounding palm, brows furrowed in aggressive frustration, as if desperate to erase the memory of the unfolding spectacle.

 ???: ( These dumba**es watched too much power rangers)

The man stretches his arm and guides his index finger to one of the rows of shelves.

The boys nod their heads in sync as they march like soldiers towards the row of shelves.

???: (I need to quit, I can't stand dealing with these…these…WEIRDOS!)

???: (Damn teenagers, if it weren't for them i would've worked here in peace, they always show up here once every month looking for a video game with a provocative image of an anime girl on its cover even if the game itself is complete crap and guess what?)

???:(by sheer luck they happen to always appear during my shift every single time.)

???:( it's people like them that make all of us normal anime fans look like weirdos.)

The man, visibly exasperated, inhales a deep breath, frustration lingering in the air like an unwelcome guest.

???:*sigh*...( They always barge in here and start calling themselves the 3 mighty… whatevers, because of this, I don't see any customers during my shift which made my boss take a huge number out of my paycheck.)

???: (Being a cashier sucks, I hate this damn job)

 Meanwhile…

The boys fix their gaze upon a shelf, adorned with a kaleidoscope of video game boxes, each boasting its own vibrant color palette. Amidst this sea of gaming options, one stands out, capturing their attention more than the others.

Rico: *whisper* Beau-ti-ful

Rico, captivated, fixates on the video game cover, his eyes filled with awe. The illustration features an ethereal elf girl adorned in intricate attire, standing against a majestic forest backdrop with towering trees and a vibrant pond reflecting the azure sky. The enchanting scene is crowned by the golden title "Eldrystria Chronicles," prompting silent nods of understanding between the boys.

The cashier, fatigued, anticipates the approaching boys with a groan. They place the video game case on the desk with reverence, their determined expressions evident. As the cashier inspects the cover featuring a scantily clad elf girl, his eye twitches involuntarily. With a sigh, he scans the barcode, the beep echoes in the quiet store.

Cashier: ...that will be 230$

The boys effortlessly produce cash, handing it to the cashier as if they've memorized the game's cost. Discreetly, the cashier stashes the money behind the desk, near a pink shotgun adorned with anime girl stickers. He uses a semi-transparent bag to neatly encase the video game, presenting it to the delighted boys.

Banko: it's a pleasure doing business with you,good sir

Banko pulls out a large stack of cash and hands it over to the cashier

Banko: Here's a tip for your cooperation

The boys maintain their synchronized march, departing from the video game store with mischievous chuckles that echo through the air, reminiscent of villains in a playful children's show.

The door closes behind them with a loud bang

A wide grin stretches across the cashier's face as he meticulously counts the money, reveling in the satisfying jingle of bills passing through his fingers.

Cashier:*chuckle* Damn weebs

…

In a sunlit room with clean wooden walls, a spacious green couch, lush bed, decorated bookshelf, and organized desk create a tranquil ambiance reminiscent of a tropical retreat.

The trio of boys eagerly brandish silver VR headsets. Banko deftly extracts the newly acquired video game, defying its case, and inserts it into a gaming console.

Seated on the couch, broad smiles adorn their faces as they eagerly anticipate the game loading process.

The resonating sound of the console completing its loading ritual prompts the boys to swiftly don their headsets after exchanging a fist bump.

A luminous flash, akin to the metaphorical light at the tunnel's end, momentarily blinds the screen, gradually unveiling the game's title with a conspicuous "Start Game" button.

Responding to the button's call, a golden outline shimmers around the text. The boys are transported to a screen with a blue backdrop, featuring numerous button options. In the center stands a male character clad in a long black garment, while bold white text above declares, "Character Creation."

The boys customize their characters by selecting gender, skin tone, hair colour, and style. Nico crafts an African man, Rico chooses a short, spiky, red-haired Caucasian male, and Banko designs a long-haired, green-tinted, Caucasian character.

They explore class options like Swordsman, Wizard, Elemental Battlemage, Shadowblade Rogue, Archer Sentinel, and Mystic Beastmaster. Each class has unique stat benefits, elaborated with the cursor.

Nico embraces the Shadowblade Rogue, skilled in dual-dagger combat, shadow magic, stealth, and surprise attacks. Rico leans towards the Elemental Battlemage, using magic for enhanced physical attributes. Banko chooses wizard, despite the weaknesses, opts for heightened magic power and proficiency.

After class selection, they encounter a wheel of names and a "Race Rarity" box displaying Human, Dwarven, Merfolk with an 80% chance, Orc, Elf, Umbral Shadowmancer with a 15% chance in purple, and Demonkin, Vampirekin, Dragonkin in golden with a 5% chance.

Above a button labeled "3 Free Spins," a pin hovers over the coded races on the wheel.

Banko initiates the spin, the wheel whirls at blinding speed, gradually slowing down. Luck favors him as the pin halts at the rarest race, Dragonkin.

Nico and Rico: Damn!

Amazed, they applaud Banko's fortune. Rico confidently presses the spin button, and with another stroke of luck, lands on Dragonkin. Applause resonates for Rico. Nico, who confidently assumes his spin will mirror the success of his peers, presses the spin button as he waits in anticipation.

Nico's pin halts at the Dwarven race.

Nico: Huh?

Nico questions the unexpected revelation. Rico and Banko, reluctant to agitate him, stay silent. Undeterred, Nico takes a second spin. The wheel accelerates and decelerates, and this time, the pin rests on the Merfolk race.

Nico: what the!?

Out of frustration,Nico attempts the wheel again 

…

pin lands on the Dwarven race. 

Nico stays quiet. Out of pity Banko decides to buy in-game currency and give his extra spins to Nico. Nico received an extra 100 spins from Banko, Nico gracefully thanked Banko and attempted the wheel again in hopes of achieving that great strike of luck.

(10 minutes later)

Banko: ( I shouldn't have given him those free spins)

Rico and Banko were stuck with the chore of witnessing Nicos demise for the past 10 minutes as they slowly began to lose patience. 

Rico grits his teeth with irritation and was about to state his opinion but before he could speak.

The wheel lands on the dragonkin race

All three: FINALLY!

After enduring minutes of boredom and a gambling frenzy, Nico finally secures the dragonkin race. Pressing the "Enter Game" button, the boys trigger a sequence, bathing the screen in a burst of light. As it fades, they stand in a grassy land encircled by mountains, with a captivating forest. The air carries the scent of fresh grass, creating a mesmerizing atmosphere.

All three: woahhh

The boys express their amazement at the mystical landscape around them.

Banko: look at these graphics, this place looks so realistic.

Rico: I can even feel the air, the sunshine and everything.

Nico: man, whoever made this game, cooked!!

Rico turns his head to look at Nico, to add on to his comment.

Rico: Damn righ-

Rico: Pfft…HAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Banko, confused, turns to Nico, and erupts in laughter.

Banko: HAHAHAHAHA!!!

Accusingly pointing at Nico, Rico and Banko laugh until breathless. Perplexed, Nico accesses the menu, revealing a miniature representation of his character adorned in chainmail with a peculiar metal cone atop the head. Gritting his teeth, Nico raises his voice in blind rage.

Nico: STOP LAUGHING!!, i may look ridiculous but at least I've got better equipment than Rico. I mean look at him, he's wearing nothing but leather armor!!

Rico: at least…haha… I don't look like a garden gnome.

Nico, overwhelmed by frustration, anger, and embarrassment, clenches his fists tightly. The taunts from Rico and Banko become unbearable, prompting Nico to make a swift exit from the area.

Banko: where…hahaha…are you going bro?

Rico: Don't be mad, atleast your the world's tallest garden gnome…hahaha!

Authors note- Nico is slightly shorter than Rico and Banko who are 5,6 and 5,7, Nico is around 5,5

Nico increases his walking speed and covers his ears to silence out the voices of Banko and Ricos laughter.

Nico:Those sons of a bi-

Nico: Ugh!!?

Nico knocks his forehead against solid thin air and falls on his butt.

Nico:what the hell!?

Nico massages his forehead, his eyes welling with tears, resembling the aftermath of a skunk's spray. Confused and humiliated, he glances upward, only to confront an imperceptible barrier reminiscent of those strategically placed by game developers to restrict players from venturing into off-limits areas. In that moment, Banko and Rico sprint toward Nico in a mix of concern and bewilderment, akin to witnesses observing a child being swept away by a criminal. Nico, his eyebrows knit in utter perplexity, contemplates the bizarre encounter with the invisible obstruction.

Nico: What the, how the hell did I feel that?

Approaching Nico across the grassy expanse, Banko and Rico find their momentum halted by an azure screen materializing simultaneously. The RPG-like array of stats, including strength, agility, endurance, and magic, unfolds with bold inscriptions reading "Stat Screen" and an entry for "experience points" marked with the number 10.

Rico and Banko, slowing their pace, are entranced by the stats before them, each accruing 10 experience points. Meanwhile, Nico, still massaging his forehead, regains his footing on the grassy terrain.

Banko, glancing between the stat screen and the enigmatic invisible wall, reaches a contemplative conclusion.

Banko: We need to use our experience points before continuing the game.

Rico and Nico instinctively grasp Banko's suggestion, swiftly deciding to enhance their stats. Clicking the numbers next to the stats, Nico allocates 8 experience points to speed and 2 to durability. Banko opts for 9 points in magic and 1 in durability. Surprisingly, Rico expends all his experience points on strength, leaving Nico and Banko bewildered by his unexpected choice.

Nico: What the hell?

Banko: Why did you do that?

Rico inhales deeply, unintentionally resembling an inflating frog, and with a robust exhale, he adopts a husky voice, striving to project strength.

Rico: BECAUSE!

Rico: I WANT TO BE LIKE ONE PUNCH MAN AND TOP THE LEADERBOARD!!

Nico matches Rico's tone, projecting his opinion assertively.

Nico: One punch my ass!!

Banko interjects, calling Rico "One Hit Man," and both Nico and Banko mockingly chant the new nickname, escalating Rico's frustration.

Rico's forehead vein pulsates visibly, and he emits a low growl like a lion on the brink, responding with a roar to Nico and Banko's taunts.

Rico: SHUT UP, YOU INSIGNIFICANT FOOLS!!!

As he holds his belly while chuckling at Ricos outburst. Nico continues to explore his stat screen, discovering buttons on the far left. As he delves into the menus, a question forms in his mind.

Nico: where's the exit button, isn't there a logout button or something?

Nico thoroughly looked through the menus presented to him but could not find anything related to the exit button. Out of curiosity, assuming the game console has a glitch. Nico closes his menu screen and attempts to remove the VR headset.

Unexpectedly and unexplainably Nico doesn't feel the headset on top of his head but instead can feel the hard rough metal texture of the cone on top of his head as if its physically there as if-

Nico: what the hell?

Nico: hey guys can you try taking off your headsets?

Banko and Rico look at Nico with a confused expression.

Banko: Why?

With a panicked and irritated tone Nico quickly talks back at Banko

Nico: just do it!

Rico and Banko, initially confused by Nico's behavior, attempt to remove their headsets, but their expressions quickly shift to shock and concern. The atmosphere changes abruptly, as if an unprecedented crisis introduced itself. As if-

As if they are actually in the game.

End. Chapter 1: Lock in