Ch. 18: Isn't this like a game?

Chlevern and Cressida started to prepare themselves for the dangers they would face while clearing the levels. They had their guard up and with full focus they jumped into the portal formed in front of them.

[A/N: Yeah, the System of the Punishment Chamber had created a portal for them to enter into and clear the levels.]

As they jumped into the portal they were transported to a different dimension, where there was a huge monitor with the names of the levels they had to clear and at the corner they both saw their names written and below that there was a list counting the amount of fouls they made altogether. The number of fouls allowed was 6, 4 per person.

Seeing that huge monitor with all the details on it, Chlevern was awed and he thought,

'Isn't this like a game?'

He had played many games with Nick when he was on Earth, one of which was FIFA, which was the most favorite game of all he had played. He had known that in the game he had to avoid fouls and score goals and he mastered the game after many hours of playing it on PS4 with Nick.

His mom had gifted him a PS4 on his 11th birthday when she was living with him and it was the very last gift he ever received from her. So in a sense, it was his only treasure. He had cherished it since. He even got games from his friend Nick on his Birthdays and so he had kind of played many games and knew the gameplays so he thought these Levels were similar to those games he had played. But Cressida on the other hand was confused as hell. She didn't know what video games were as she was from a different dimension. Though she didn't know what games were and was confused, she tried hard not to show it on her face. But still Chlevern noticed her confused looks and said,

"I know you are confused, but don't worry. I tend to know what kind of thing these levels could be, so I will help you pass these levels together without any fouls.", he said this with an assuring look. 

Hearing this, Cressida felt overwhelmed. Since, childhood she knew what it was like to be inferior, as her sisters were all geniuses since the start, so hearing this triggered her inferiority complex. Though deep down, she was happy that someone was there to assist her through the Levels but her inferiority complex meddled in between.

"Ha, you think I don't know what this is about? Well..... surely I-I do.", Cressida said looking at Chlevern with a face that said she was confused but her inferiority complex didn't let her back down.

'Hah..... women really are difficult to understand. Surely, when I could fully control Mr. Kingspeare's powers, I would write a book on how to understand women.', Chlevern sighed, helpless.

Suddenly when the interaction between Chlevern and Cressida ended, the sadistic voice they heard when they were in the Punishment chamber before entering the portal, was heard by them once again.

"So you have arrived huh? Aren't you both too eager to be punished.", said the voice.

"Just who are you and what are these 'Levels' we must clear?", Cressida said with an annoyed expression.

She was holding her guard up for any incoming dangers.

"Oh my! relax. A beauty such as yourself should not have a such an expression. It ruins your pretty face, you know.", said the voice in a bit flirty manner but the same heaviness in it.

Cressida was now creeped out by the way the voice talked to her and she displayed a gross expression.

"Don't you have anything to tell us except flirting with a girl knowing the situation she's in while she's here with another man?", said Chlevern which surprised Cressida.

She looked at him dumbfounded as Chlevern spoke to the voice. She thought of this as if he was provoking the voice saying, 'She's my girl and no one flirts with my girl'. Cressida's face immediately turned red and she looked away from Chlevern. She had clearly misunderstood the situation. Actually, Chlevern was referring to the rules, the voice should tell them in order to pass the Levels, but Cressida thought that he was referring to her as his girl.

"Very impatient aren't you? What's the matter, are you willing to be punished so bad? How did a beauty like her ended up with someone like you? What do you say huh, pretty lady? How about being with someone more patient?", the voice said, not affected by the way Chlevern spoke to him.

"Enough with the trash talks. Can't you see the girl here is uncomfortable by your remarks. So skip to the main point and tell us about the rules of this Level.", Chlevern said noticing the discomfort Cressida was showing towards the voice.

"Very well, since both of you have no interest having your time without being punished, I shall tell you about the game we're playing.", said the voice noticing both Chlevern and Cressida quite impatient.

'I knew it. This is really like a game. We have to win the Levels till we finally escape after the last Level or before the punishments get too harsh.', thought Chlevern.

Chlevern looked at Cressida and as soon as she nodded back to him saying she agreed, he spoke to the screen,

"We both are ready. Tell us about the game we must play to clear this Level."

He looked determined to win the game and escape as soon as possible, but he also had to ensure Cressida's safety. Though he knew that Cressida had enough strength to easily destroy her opponent in a fight, he as a man, felt it that he should ensure her safety. Does it matter if she did not lose a fight till now? does it matter if she was far more stronger than him, he as a man should protect her at all cost.

"Since you are ready to be punished, let me explain to you about the game we are about to play.", said the voice.

Suddenly a huge ground appeared from below the floor Chlevern and Cressida were standing on and it left both of them shocked at its sudden appearance.

"The game we are about to play is called, Ball & Shadow. The rules are simple, you get a ball made up of darkness and you have to protect it from the shadows which try to steal it from you while running towards the other end. Of course you have to fight the shadows as they keep emerging from darkness.", said the voice.

Chlevern asserted that with his current strength and the training he received from Kingspeare till now, not forgetting he had the SYSTEM was enough for him to defend the ball from the shadows. But then the voice sounded again.

"But what fun it is, if the game doesn't thrill you? To add to the fun, the ball will become heavier by the time passes and you have to reach the end, saving it from the shadows which will chase you constantly.", said the voice, sounding delighted by himself.

Chlevern, though having played games before, was a little surprised at how the voice, or rather the one whose voice it was, made the game harder than normal. But on the other hand, Cressida who never knew what a game was in her whole life, was now too much in a confused state. Chlevern knew it, it was like a game of Rugby, where players had to take the ball to the endpoints defending it from other players. He had played it on his PS4, with his best friend Nick. Chlevern now sure that he can play the first game of the Levels, turned to Cressida and said,

"Don't worry, we got this. I will make sure we win so trust me.", he had a smile on his face.

This make Cressida blush a little, but not with embarrassment. Rather it was a look which said that she trusted Chlevern completely. She smiled at him and said,

"Okay. I trust you, we will Win.", the blush, still on her face but it was too faint for Chlevern to notice it.

Just after the encouraging talk between Chlevern and Cressida ended, suddenly they felt the ground beneath them tremor and that instant, The block, on which Cressida was standing on, rose above the ground and the crack formed by that was quickly filled with a new layer of soil.

"HUH!!!, WHAT IN THE HELL IS HAPPENING?! WHY AM I ABOVE THE GROUND ON THIS FLOATING BLOCK!?.", Cressida exclaimed in shock.

"What the fuck? Why was she lifted in air?!", Chlevern asked with the same amount of shock as Cressida.

But then the voice sounded again.

"Who said that the pretty girl would be playing?", said the voice, ignorant of their shocked reaction.

Suddenly there was a barrier formed around the block, with Cressida standing inside it and the block shifted from above the ground to a place, which was outside of the playing grounds.

"The fuck? What's the meaning of this?", Chlevern asked standing in the middle of the ground. He was now alert as the situation began changing.

"Since you were the one who was the most impatient to play the game and be punished, you will clear the Level alone while I keep this pretty lady company.", said the voice.

"What the fuck? No! I don't want your company, you creep me out.", said Cressida, strongly disagreeing the voice.

"Don't be like that beauty. I would be a great company.", said the voice in a slightly flirty manner.

Chlevern quickly dashed towards the end where Cressida was, but as soon as he reached the end, he bumped and fell down. There was an invisible wall which surrounded the ground, end to end, which led to Chlevern crashing into it. It was like he had hit a concrete wall at a speed of 200mph, but he was just knocked off the ground and suffered only a little damage. In this case, the invisible wall was not a damage dealer but was only used for blocking the entrance and exit, so that a player would not escape the ground in the middle of a game.

"CHLEVERN!!", exclaimed Cressida, worried after she watched Chlevern crash on the wall but soon calmed down when she saw that he was fine. 

"What was that? It felt like I crashed into a concrete wall but barely suffered any injuries!", said Chlevern getting up slowly and looking at Cressida at the other side of the invisible wall.

"The Invisible Wall. It blocks anyone who tries to exit the playing grounds before completing the Level. Also it only has one-sided entry, which means anyone can enter from the outside but you cannot exit once you have entered. Not before you beat the Level.", said the voice in a tone which expressed his delightfulness after watching Chlevern fall due to the crash.

"What the hell are you so happy about huh?", Chlevern asked with a baffled expression and a hint of displeasure in his voice.

"Haha. The punishments are just starting, young man. You have a lot more to endure. Enough wasting time, lets begin with your retribution, you can see the time left for you to complete the Level on the screen here.", said the voice.

Suddenly a monitor appeared on the top of the ground, with a timer showing the time left to complete the Level.

| 3:00:00 DuQuints Left | said the timer

(Quints mean Seconds & DuQuints mean Hours)

"LET THE GAME BEGIN! Your time starts now.", said the voice.

TIMER: | 2:59:59 DuQuints left |

'Well, I have to do it now!', thought Chlevern.

The End