Invitation

Leonardo Novalion, ???

"Do you like games?" A beautiful woman is squatting in front of me and asking me this question.

"Huh?!" It's like there are some missing frames. In an instant, the blurry consciousness becomes clear, my cold body becomes normal, and the feeling of all my senses returns to my body.

"As I said, do you like games?" The girl seems a little annoyed and raises her tone.

"Huh?!!" Unfortunately, my brain cannot comprehend this absurd situation, so I can only shout that silly scream again.

Realizing that there will be no progress if it stays like this, the girl stands up and steps back.

"For now, how about you sit or stand first?"

Listening to the girl's words, I realize that I have been lying on the floor all this time. I hurriedly stood up.

"So, do you like games?" The girl asks again.

"...Can you shut up first?" I ask her not to speak because it seems that the girl will not give me a chance to process this situation.

First, I check my body. I should not be able to mobilize my body due to the poison that slowly kills all the nerves in my body. But now I can move my body freely, as if all the injuries I got earlier never happened. And even my clothes that were torn and covered in blood have returned to their original form.

Second is this place. With a white background, wherever I look there are books, neatly arranged on shelves that extend endlessly to the sky like pillars in a large temple. I cannot imagine what knowledge and how much knowledge is stored in this place. A little fascinated by the beauty and orderliness of the room.

Third is the girl in front of me. Having a beauty that cannot be possessed by humans. Her brownish hair looks so smooth and shiny under the room light. Her red pupils add unmatched charm, making me feel like I am seeing a mythological creature born from a legend. The girl is wearing a simple linen dress, but she still looks graceful and elegant. However, the pout on her face gives the impression that she is not happy with what I said. I suspect the girl might be responsible for the strange situation I am experiencing right now.

The more I analyze and realize the strange situation around me, the more afraid I am.

'Darn, I shouldn't have said those rude words!'

Although I am confused by being thrown into this strange situation suddenly, I should have thought before I acted!

They say that fear is one of the primitive emotions that humans have and the greatest fear is fear of the unknown, just like the situation I am experiencing.

Although she does not take a threatening stance or emit a bloody aura, the girl in front of me has become a symbol of ignorance and terror for me.

And all because of my careless words just now, who knows she might suddenly turn me into minced meat because she feels annoyed.

I glanced at the girl who is currently crossing her arms and pouting. She seems really annoyed because of my words.

Questions like, "Who is this girl?" "How did I get here?" or "Is this the afterlife that my sister mentioned?" keep popping up in my mind.

'I guess I should apologize, oh wait a minute... didn't she ask something about whether I like games? I think I should answer that first.'

Suppressing my fear and nervousness, I dare to speak to her.

"I-I think I like it" damn I stuttered nervously. "And agghh-" just as I was about to apologize, the girl suddenly appeared in front of me, causing me to step back and let out another strange scream.

"Really?! Great! Then you'll surely accept my invitation!"I will never apologize to that girl. But iy seemed that the girl's mood became cheerful again after hearing my answer.

Taking a sigh of relief in my heart, I expressed my confusion.

"Invitation? Invitation for what?" I meant what kind of invitation could be given to someone who was already dead.

"Of course, an invitation to enter the game world."

The more she spoke, the more confused I became with every word that came out of her mouth.

"Game world... Is it like any other world?" I guessed hesitantly.

"That's right, and you'll be playing a game inside it."

Her words had ignited a spark of hope within me, one that I had thought was long extinguished. The mere possibility of finding my sister, who I had thought was lost forever. I could feel the excitement building inside me, pushing aside all of my doubts and fears.

I gazed intently at the girl before me, taking in her ethereal beauty. For a moment, I forgot all about the strangeness of the situation and focused solely on the possibility of being reunited with my sister. My heart was pounding with anticipation as I waited for her to respond.

"w-what?" Perhaps intimidated by my gaze, the girl seemed nervous.

"What you said, can it really be done?" I asked with anticipation.

"Of course, there's no lie in what I said," she said softly but firmly.

As much as I wanted to believe her, I couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something amiss. Was she really trying to help me or was she just using me for her own gains? I couldn't be certain, and that uncertainty made me hesitant.

Despite my doubts, I couldn't ignore the fact that she had power of things that were beyond my understanding.

Her words had a ring of truth to them that I couldn't deny, and I knew that I needed more information before making a decision.

"May I ask you something before I decide whether to accept your invitation?"

"Of course, and our conversation so far has been you asking questions and me answering them," she replied, sounding tired.

'Uuh, I guess she's right. But that's not entirely my fault, I mean anyone who's thrown into this situation after waiting for their death will have a similar reaction to mine. Maybe...'

After sighing in my heart, I asked the question that came to mind after hearing the word "invitation."

"Am I the only one you've invited?"

"No, in fact, today you're the fifth person I've invited, and there are more than ten thousand people who have received the invi-"

"HAVE YOU EVER INVITED A GIRL WHO LOOKS LIKE ME?!"

"Hiii!"

"HEY, ANSWER ME, I SAID- ahh... I'm really sorry."

Feeling a wave of guilt and shame wash over me, I stepped back from the girl, my hands raised in a surrendering gesture.

"I'm sorry," I said, my voice sounding low and contrite. "I didn't mean to hurt you or scare you. It's just that because I was so shocked by the coincidence. My older sister disappeared 5 years ago."

"I-I'm fine." Although she said that, you couldn't miss her trembling and almost crying voice.

'Damn, I'm such a bastard. How could I treat someone who gave me hope like that.'

"I'm really sorry for my rude behavior earlier."

"I-it's okay, a-and as for your question, T-the players we have are the ones who have accepted our invitation, we are not kidnappers." she said, her voice still trembling "Regarding your sister, i'm sorry I can't remember, as for the players, they usually use avatars that are different from their real bodies."

Is that so...

"Thank you," I sighed and then said, "I accept your invitation."

"Really?!"

As if flipping a switch, the girl became cheerful again, making me wonder if her previous sad appearance was just an illusion.

'No way, could it all just be acting to lower my guard and rejection?!'

Ignoring all my internal thoughts, the girl began to speak.

"Welcome to Unbound Boundary, where the limits of the world and the game are invisible, and where nothing will bind the possibilities you can achieve. I am Bellatrix, Administrator No.6, and it is my pleasure to welcome you as our newest player."