VRMMO: World's First Glyphborne-Chapter 53: The Tetris Effect

A colossal corpse laid across the ground, so massive that it crushed an entire mountain beneath just one of its legs. But there was something inherently wrong with this corpse, at least from what Valerie could see.

Despite crushing the mountain with a leg, the torso of the corpse laid on the tree tops without bending them in the slightest. Beyond the issues with its impossible weight, there was the simple fact that Valerie couldn’t see the corpses face.

She was sure that it had one, and that at its size it would be larger than the ones on Mount Rushmore, but whenever she tried to look at what was above the neck, the dream became unfocused and her mind struggled to process what she was looking at.

Eventually she stopped trying, and instead focused on what she could see.

Shapeless creatures pulled themselves from the pitch black shadow that the corpse cast onto the forest below, before these creatures disappeared behind the trees.

Golden blood oozed from the corpse, although there were no physical wounds that she could see. The blood simply manifested from underneath it, dripping from the tree tops and staining their leaves gold, before turning to the crimson colouration she was used to from blood when the droplets hit the ground as if the leaves had tainted their colouration.

The crimson blood gathered in mass, completely avoiding the shadow she cast as if the blood was alive, and instead created a moat of crimson around the impossible corpse of unnatural wrongness.

Five figures - three men and two women stood at the edge of the moat of blood, staring up at the impossible corpse, until one of them, the woman at the very front of the group bent down.

She cupped her hands, dipping them into the blood, and slowly brought her blood filled hands up to her lips, before drinking it. She gulped it down without a care, her companions looking on and seemingly having no reaction what so ever.

But when the last drop was drunk, the woman paused in her actions. She frowned deeply, licking her lips as if she was listening to something, before her head whipped around. Her eyes flashed with a bright crimson, as she stared directly into Valerie’s eyes.

***

Belladonna gasped as she suddenly sat up in bed, clutching at her heart as it thundered in her chest. Her eyes glanced around the room, searching for the woman in her dream, which only led to more confusion when she realised it was not her bedroom that she was sitting in.

It was the room of the Inn, in game. She frowned deeply, trying to remember when she had gotten out of bed and put on the Neural crown, but quickly shook the thought away.

She was sleep deprived, and probably just did it in her sleep, which could explain the weird dreams suffering from the Tetris effect. Play games too much, and you start seeing them in your sleep and everywhere you go. But at the very least, she was prepared for her new day in the game and didn’t have to worry about work, so that was even better!

Hopping out of the bed, Belladonna thanked the Brownies again to keeping her things safe and quickly exited her room. She cast a strange glance towards the broken door across the corridor, but ignored it as she headed downstairs.

After a quick breakfast to refresh herself, she thanked the Innkeeper again and rushed out of the Inn, walked straight towards the armour smith.

Hopefully, between her sleeping and her ’studying’ he had enough time to finish her armour.

As she walked, however, her mind drifted back to the strange dream. The corpse that defied nature, the formless creatures, the five figures and the one that seemed to notice her.

Just thinking about those eyes on her sent shivers down her spine. As if they could still actually see her, even now.

As her mind drifted, so did her eyes, as they eventually landed on the cemetery upon the hill and especially on the mausoleum that they respawned within. The twin statues outside stood tall, showing the two hooded figures that seemed to radiate a strange, yet comforting aura.

"You are Graceless because you will never understand the Grace of the Lord of the End, to feel his embrace before the Wandering Lady guides you to the eternal rest. Your people are cursed to be reborn, to never understand peace.

Honestly... I don’t know how you all keep going with such glee."

That was what the Innkeeper had said to her when she asked. Belladonna could still remember the pity in her eyes and sad smile she gave, as she talked about her like she was some kind of terminal patient. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

A pitiable look she knew far too well, and absolutely hated.

How ironic it was though. In one world they pitied her for dying, most likely before she hit her mid thirties.

In the other, their pity game because she wouldn’t die.

No matter what, she could never win.

Shaking the thoughts from her head, Belladonna quickly wiped the tears dripping down her cheeks before puffing out her chest and putting on a wide smile.

With a hurry in her steps, she made her way to the armour smith and, by the time she entered, her wave of sadness had been relieved. At least for the time being.

The Pink Hellions over dramatic gloating when it came to showing off his latest work and even his tight fisted negotiations ended up putting a smile on her face. It got to the point that thinking about just leaving him, and the Butcher that had helped her, without a word made her sad once again.

So after she sold all of her ’donations’ and got her armour, Belladonna made sure to talk with the strange store owner some more and gave him a proper goodbye, as well as visited the Butcher once again to do the same.

It was strange, to feel so nostalgic and attached to NPCs she had only known for a few days, but perhaps it was because she was feeling in an especially vulnerable mood that she allowed herself this bout of strangeness.

But eventually, she had to leave and so after her bouts of strange goodbyes, that is exactly what she did. Heading off to the dungeon with a spring in her step and a content smile on her face.