2. A: the only option

Just as my hand drew closer to pressing the log-out button, I was suddenly weighted by an indescribable pressure, and with it, the world around me has suddenly...

Lost all of its colors.

Not only colors but even movement and life of everything has been lost.

From the breeze of cool air to the rustling of shaking leaves, and even the heartbeat inside of my chest, everything .....

Everything has stopped as if petrified in place.

Nevertheless, even in this now, silent world, changes still did not cease to stop.

zZsShzGshZ.

Because suddenly, a weird spark of light flashed, and with it, the UI menu has suddenly cracked.

ZzsGzSzsGshZ.

Just for it then, to suddenly get engulfed by electric sparks, as it started to glitch.

ZzsGzSHzZshZ.

Like that, cracking and glitching as if being eroded by something, the UI menu began to break into fragments, just for it to then slowly disappear into the air, leaving nothing of it behind...

Ssshhhh.

And in such a manner, I stood there frozen in place, only watching as everything happened, while doing my best to observe it all.

Though at least, it did not last long, because just as the UI menu has disappeared, the weird pressure of before has also done the same, and with that, I was finally freed of its binding, as I started to violently cough.

"Cough. Cough. Cough... tha- cough, the hell wa- Cough, that ?"

I mean, seriously what just happened?

Just as I tried to press the logout button, the world has all of a sudden grew silent, and then before I could even understand what's happening, I was suddenly unable to move.

But then just as that happened, the UI menu suddenly disappeared as everything returned to normal.

Oh, and a fun fact, by the way, everything has happened in a single moment, and so if not for my thoughts acceleration skill, I probably would have missed it all.

Surprising, huh?

But anyway, now what?

I mean, the UI menu had just gone puff.

"or is gone bzzzt the right word?"

hmmm ...

Ah, well, back to the topic again.

So the UI menu, right? well, you see the UI menu has just disappeared, and so with it, the only way out of lost Solace is now gone, huh? I mean, seriously?

First a forced login, and now is a weird lock on the menu? the hell's going on?

Was there maybe a bug, or a logical error, maybe? I mean, I thought everything was alright and no problems were found, no?

Otherwise, I should have at least been notified of this.

"though on the other hand, it may also be just a corrupted new update not working properly, otherwise you can't explain this."

Saying so, I glance up at something floating above me.

And can you guess what it's?

Hmm, you can't? seriously?

Sigh, well.... anyway, what is floating above me, or above my head to be specific, was an arrow.

A transparent yellow arrow was floating above my head, and no matter how I moved or shook my head, it was still following me, as it kept its position there.

So yeah, it is just a yellow game marker of sorts. But still, it's a little nerving for it to just appear out of nowhere, you know?

Like suddenly raising your head, and waaa...

There's a MARKING above me. Could it be... I am cursed? or maybe haunted? or something like that.

But anyway, as I was saying. suddenly, there's a yellow marking above my head, and just saying but even my player name is visible below it.

-Anon-

“so taking that into consideration, the weird glitching of UI menu, and maybe even the forced login may all just be a corrupted update that was newly implemented, but for some reason is not working properly, right ?”

After all, it's not like such a thing never happened, you know?

A new update not working properly, or a new game having bugs and errors. and so, in those types of situations, you just have to sit down, and wait for a while, until the GM fix it, or if you don't have enough patience, you can just directly make a report, while hoping for all to be quickly fixed.

"ah, right. the whole menu disappeared. so there's no way to make a report, huh ?"

Not to mention that waiting is clearly not a possible choice, right?

Sooo, yeah.

I guess I have no option left, right?

Well, no option except for that, but...

Sigh.

“I didn't want to do this, but I guess there's no choice, is there ?”

Thinking so, and resigning myself I open my mouth and speak.

"Original Command:"

"Connection Request - Central Index"

And then, with a serious face, I get into work mode.

For no matter how you look at it, it’s clear that whatever is going on is possibly an even bigger incident than my previous assumptions.

“well, big enough to force me back into work even though it’s my free time, at least”

Thinking so, I stand back as suddenly, a strong wind current is generated around me.

Fuuusshh.

And with it growing in intensity, it also starts converging in front of me, and with it, a beautiful glow of light is created amidst all of the raging air.

Ssshhh.

When slowly that light...

Materialize.

And with that,...

Crack.

An arm broke through it all, as the light quickly started decomposing into particles.

And like that, “She” breaks into our world, as her diving figure is enveloped by light.

Blink.

“ ?....”

Well, her divinely cute chibi figure that is.

With a height of 10 cm, maybe? Oh, and yeah, her red hair in twin-tails, and a cute red and black dress.

Though, seriously. Just who made this? like, I know that waiting for the program to start is always boring but .....

Having Shy-Kyun and all of the visual effects is just ...

Yeah, it’s just going overboard.

Thinking so, I look at Shy-Kyun, who’s clearly oblivious to my thoughts, and is confusedly looking around her, before then locking eyes on me, as she finally speaks.

“hmmm ..., ID recognition......”

And then squinting as if trying to recognize me, she slowly circles around me, while carefully looking at me, before suddenly beaming with joy as she succeeds in doing so.

“....ah, temporary account: Alice001. Welcome.”

And looking at that, all I could was nod my head, as I try stopping my sigh from leaking.