Jack put away his VR headset and put on his work clothes quickly.

He checked himself in the mirror to make sure he looked okay for work. His hair was a bit messy but a cap will hide it.

His face kinda looks tired.

Then he noticed something on his arm.

A bracelet. It looked familiar. What the hell?

Jack tried taking off the bracelet but it did not budge. His mind was racing. Where in the world did he get this bracelet?

###

Jack arrived in the nick of time to work. He was put on the front counter immediately by his manager. And then she left to do some errands.

“Welcome to Bomblicious Burgers. Where each bite leaves your mouth exploding with flavour. How can I serve you today?” Jack smiled at a customer who was about to order.

“Uhm… I don’t know… what do you recommend?” a broke college student in a hoodie asked.

“Well, we have a special today. You can get two chicken burgers for the price of one. And large french fries will be added for free.”

“Nah. I’m hungry for a wagyu combo burger.”

“Then why did you ask for my recommendation?” Jack grumbled softly so the customer did not hear him.

He just nodded with a professional smile and placed the order in the till.

For the next two hours, the restaurant was busy. Jack was also responsible for taking orders from the driveway.

For the amount of work he was doing, he wanted to be paid more. But this was a part-time job so he wasn’t going to complain to his manager. Hopefully next year he’s going to university to pursue his dreams and he’ll leave this stupid job behind.

When the restaurant started quieting down and there was only one customer silently enjoying their burger, Jack excused himself to the staff bathrooms.

There he entered a toilet stall, locked the door behind him, and then sat on the steady silver toilet seat.

Jack stared at the bracelet on his left wrist. He figured out why it looked so familiar. It was the same bracelet from the game.

Coincident?

Jack once again tried taking it off but to no avail. So he took out a small knife he got from the kitchen and tried prying it off.

When that didn’t work, he attempted to cut the bracelet open. This knife was rather sharp.

But that too failed.

In desperation, he started stabbing at the knife. Surely at some point it will crack, he thought.

With each strike to the bracelet, small sparks flew out. Jack could see small cracks appearing where the knife struck.

Finally, something was working.

“HELLO! WHERE IS EVERYONE!? I’VE BEEN WAITING FOREVER!” a new customer was shouting outside.

Jack was startled for a moment. But that was enough for his hand to jerk away, leading the blade of the knife not to the bracelet but to his arm.

Jack stabbed himself just shy of the bracelet, hitting his wrist instead. Blood poured out.

“Crap! Crap! Crap! I fucked up,” he got up.

He knew there was a First-Aid Kit nearby.

Jack opened the stall and went to the first-aid kit, which was located next to the hand dryer, to get some bandages and an antiseptic.

He opened the kit to find it empty. His jaw nearly fell to the ground.

Another kit was probably in his manager’s office. So he applied pressure to his wound and left the bathroom.

He was immediately confronted by the customer who was shouting earlier.

“Hey you!” she shouted at him. “I want to order now!”

“I’m a bit busy. Can you wait for five minutes?” he asked.

“What? I’ve been waiting here forever and you want me to wait even more? That’s bullshit, where’s your manager?”

“She’s not here so please wait, I’ll be back in no time.”

She pulled out her phone and started recording.

“I can’t believe the shoddy customer service here. Tthe staff in Bomblicious Burgers disrespect their loyal paying customers.”

“Look, ma’am. I’ve cut myself and I’m bleeding. I need first aid.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes.”

“Excuses after excuses. My followers are going to give a one star review to this restaurant.”

Jack showed his wrist to her as she recorded. “Look see, I cut myself and I’m bleeding.”

She laughed. “Where’s the blood? Where’s the cut? You’re such a lazy liar. You think just because you have a fancy glowing bracelet I’m going to shut up.”

Huh. What was she on about? So Jack looked at his left arm and stared in disbelief at his wrist.

There was no blood. No cut. And the bracelet was glowing red.

“I…I… swear…”

“Cat got your tongue? So not only are you lazy, but you’re also a liar. Why even have this job? You’re here to serve me, you lazy bum. I’ll make sure you get fired for this.”

Jack’s head was pounding. He didn’t know what the hell was going on.

The glowing bracelet. The shouting customers. His head was spinning.

“What do you have to say for yourself!?” she continued to shout at him.

“ENOUGH!” Jack screamed in anger.

All the glass windows of the restaurant shattered. The cooking stove in the kitchen exploded. And black smoke erupted.

The sprinklers activated and the restaurant’s fire alarm rang.

“AH!” the woman who was recording Jack screamed. “What’s going on here?”

She didn’t wait to find out. She ran away.

Jack felt a buzz in his pocket. His phone was ringing.

He picked it up.

“Hello?”

“I got a message that there’s a fire. Is everything okay there? Wait, am I hearing the fire alarm?” Sophia asked.

“Yeah,” Jack admitted. “The stove exploded. It must’ve set off the alarm.”

“WHAT! Are you hurt? Have you called the ambulance?”

“No, I’m fine. I’m not hurt.”

“Good. Wait outside. I’m coming.”

She hung up the phone.

Jack’s head was still pounding. He needed to lie down. So he walked towards the exit.

His vision was blurry, but eventually, he got to the door.

He pushed it open… and then collapsed on the concrete pavement.

…
…

Jack opened his eyes reluctantly.

His head felt fine. The last thing he remembered was falling.

Jack noticed that he was in bed. Was he in the hospital?

He tried moving his arm under the blanket and his arm responded well enough. Jack then tried moving his legs. They too were able to move.

Jack chuckled. He was alive. And he wasn’t paralysed due to that fall.

Jack slipped his left arm out from under the blanket. The glowing bracelet was gone. But for some reason, his skin was red.

Well there was a fire. Maybe he got burnt after he collapsed and this was the outcome, Jack guessed. Hopefully the doctors will explain what’s going on with him.

Jack tried sitting up but then realised something odd. A woman was sleeping next to him on his right side.

She had blond hair and tanned skin. He didn't recognise her. Was she the nurse? But that made no sense. It would be too unprofessional for a nurse to sleep next to a patient.

He took a closer look at her. He lifted the blanket covering her just enough to see if she was wearing a uniform of sorts.

Jack’s face went red hot when he got a glimpse of her under the blanket.

This lady was in her birthday suit. He quickly put the blanket back.

Jack looked around the room. The room looked nothing like a hospital. The room was so large, it looked like he was in a fancy hotel.

The ceiling had a large crystal chandelier. The walls were covered with a gold and silver tapestry.

Oil paintings dotted the walls and in the centre of this rather large room was a fireplace that gave the chamber room a cosy warmth feeling. It reminded him of a fancy medieval-esque palace room.

Opposite the bed was a large mirror. Jack wanted to check the extent of his injuries.

He got up from bed, making sure to not disturb the sleeping woman, and walked to the mirror. There he stared in disbelief at his reflection.

He had red skin. Two horns on his forehead. And of course, rock-hard abs!

Jack wasn't athletic. There’s no way he grew a six pack while unconscious.

Jack took a closer look at himself.

This body. This face. It all looked familiar.

Then it hit him.

This was his player character, Zodark. Was he in the game?

He looked around the room again.

It looked similar to the main bed chamber he designed in the game. But everything now looks more realistic and much more detailed compared to the game.

“[Character Status]!” he thought.

A familiar screen appeared in front of him.

Name: Lord Zodark

Rank: Demon Lord

Race: Half-Demon

Level: 100

Class: [Beast Summoner lvl 50], [Talismanist lvl 50],

This confirmed it. He was inside the game.

Jack sighed with relief. He didn’t understand how he got inside the game in the first place but he wanted to leave. He needed to make sure he was safe.

“[Menu]!” he stated.

Nothing happened.

That’s odd.

“[Menu]!”

Nothing.

“[Log Out]!”

Nothing.

“[Game Settings]!”

“[Admin Support]!”

“[Help]!”

“[Log Out]!”

“[Log Out]!”

“[Log Out]!”

From the corner of his eyes, Jack saw movement in his bed.

The woman who was sleeping before woke up and rubbed her eyes lazily. She stared at the empty side of the bed where Jack was previously sleeping in and then scanned the room.

When her eyes locked with his, she smiled.

“My love, what’s the matter? You seem troubled,” she asked worryingly.

Jack didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know this lady. She looked nothing like the NPCs he remembered in the game.

“Why are you ignoring me, my love? Have I upset you?” she pressed him again.
“Uhm… who are you again?” Jack blurted out.

The woman raised her brow. “Lord Zodark… what have I done to upset you,” she got out of bed and prostrated herself before him.

Jack was taken aback that he took a step away from her.

“Lash me a thousand times, my lord, if it will quell the anger I’ve caused you.”

“I’m not angry. Get up lady and put on some damn clothes!”

She refused, her head was still squarely pressed on the carpeted floor.

“I’ve angered you. And now you wish to discard me. I beg of you to forgive me.”

Discard her? What was she on about?

“How many times must I say I’m not angry at you?” Jack exasperated. He didn’t know her for him to be angry at her.

“You’ve chosen to rid my name from your heart. Even after months of us sharing a bed.”

Wow, this NPC is crazy.

Then again nudity is not allowed in the game and she is in her birthday suit.

Something is seriously odd around here. He can’t log out and the game rules are not being enforced by the Game System.

Jack stared at the woman who was still prostrating herself to him.

Was she really an NPC?

“Please, my lord, forgive me…” she cried. Jack could hear her whimpering.

Jack had an idea.

“[Appraise].”

A screen hovered over the woman.

Name: Octavia

Rank: Concubine

Level: 30

Class: [Poet lvl 30]

“O-Octavia…? That’s your name, right?”