Chapter 3: Therapists and Longswords

''God dammit!'' Curses Grace Pearce her luck for having a stubborn high profile client like the comatosed Drake Bell. Putting down her VR helmet she desperately trys to calm her self down. At the age of 53 she thought that she would remain carm in any given situation but Drake Bell ignoring her triggert her into killing him and also her self in this simulation. When taking him in as a client she didn't know his medical situation but when his daughter Becca Bell pointed out the uniqueness of the case, Grace got invested. Becca Bell one of the youngest fortun fifehundred company Ceos in the world is in Graces professional vew a very independent, strong and interesting women. ''What happened?'' Asks Becca anxious for her father Grace. ''I killed him in this simulation to get his attention only to get my self also killed!...'' Grace tells Becca. ''... Also why is this world in there so god damm depressing?''

''Disparate is part of the game series game design. So what do you think about my father's mental health?''

''He seams to be lucid and fully capable to make independent desisions.''

''Do you think he wanted to commit suicide? I mean my mothers death triggert a deep depression in all of us.''

''That is hard to tell. He isn't someone I would call overly cooperative.'' Tells the therapist the scared daughter. ''Thats Drake Bell right there.'' Says Becca with a smile on her face, laughing away the tears that have gathered in the corners of her eyes. ''Can you send me back into his game simulation? I might come up with a way to communicate with him properly.'' ''What ever you need Doc. Just get me back my father.''

Putting on her VR helmet Grace is transportet to [Cardinal Tower bonfire] as a purpel Phantom. Outside of the bonfire room she can see Drake Bells avatar dropping down to wooden planks where there are two Hollow Infantry Soldiers he gets efficientlyrid of. One Hollow dies from a drop attack, the other is kicked from the wooden planks. Proceeding down the plank, there is a hole in the wall on the left which should lead back to the staircase and bonfire from the previous section of the area. Ignoring the hole he sprints and to the plank ledge brings where Grace sees a corpse with an item. Drake drops down to the wooden platform below him and kills the hollow on it that Grace had missed from her point of view. Going down the ramp and walking carefully down the tree trunk next to the woodn platforms, Drake again picks up items. By closer Inspection Grace finds several hollow infantry patroling the area and a big turtle like Ironclad Soldier. To the Drakes left and Graces right a cave opens to a tunnel lined with petrified people. Drake easily pulls the patroles one by one and kills the per one hit drop kill by jumping on them from the big tree trunk. After killing all patroling undead infantry Drake has to face of aginst the Ironclad Soldier. Immedietly the differene in strength between the to of them is apparent. So Drake adapts a new strategy. He circles strafe right. Stays back from the overhead slam attack. That most likely would one hit kill him. Waiting patiently for the single-swipe attack and then running in to the right, behind the said swipe. Only to get a fast hit or two in and then quickly rolling off. All by avoiding backstaps to not get hit by the Ironclad Soldiers backwards turtle crush one hit kill. After repeatedly using this strategy Drake is able to dwindele the Soldier down and finaly killing him. Now free of all near enemys Drake goes into the cave that open up to a tunnel lined with petrified people.

Flames tinge the air and Grace can hear explosions. Go get a better view Grace follows Drake to the ground floor by jumping down the wooden planks and a ledder leading down. Progressing down the tunnel a fire breathing Flame Lizard who fires explosive molten balls. In a save distance away Grace views Drake picking up items from corpse on the floor and nearly getting ambushed from behind by two hollow infantrys. Deeper into the tunnel, a grated door is on the left, and by timing the explosions Drake is able to open the door. Grace cant see her client for a vew seconds only to see him comming out with a Fire Longsword. To the left of the cave with the fire there is another cave with another Ironclad Soldier. Ignoring him Drake goes back out the tunnel and into the clearing where Grace hiddes behind the tree trunk Drake had used to drop kill the patroling undead, there he uses the ladder Grace used to follow him down here. To the left of the ladder is a corpse with an item whichDrake picks up before taking the ladder up which now brings you back to the plank near the hole in the wall to find his way back to the [Cardinal Tower].

Following Drake back up to the bonfire she is seen by Drake when entering the tower. ''I knew you would come back. Can't a man enjoy his personal apocalypse in peace?!'' Drake tells her by jumping down into the room with the bonfire through a hole in the sealing. ''If you would accept reality and come back out of here with me I can let you be.'' ''To you this world might be a game, a simple simulation but to me this place here is real. Just as an example I can't finde any difference between you a person telling me and the inhabitants of this place. Your words are as scripted as theirs are. You might call them NPCs and yourself a Person but what gives you the right to make that distinction?'' ''Realy you want to go down that route? Are you asking me why this world is not real and the outside is?'' Asks Grace mocking Drakes intelligent. ''Yes I do. You might have a hub before your eyes with a mini map, health bar, weapon and spell loade out. You do don't you?...'' Nodding Grace agrees and lets Drake continue. ''... Year well I don't. Since I woke up in this world I never had any contact with any of these sytems. To me this world here is exactly the same your so called reality.''

''You can't possibly mean that this place hear is real?'' ''What makes something real? I can make a 3D model of a cube. Would you say that the cube isn't real because normally you can't touch it?''

''Yes I would say that.'' ''But what if I say that you are just unable to touch it because you are in a simulation from your brain that isn't compatible with my cube.'' ''Nice. You put a new spin on Descarts theorie of methodic doubt. By Using his dream argument you say that you can't make a clear labeling of real and unreal knowing that the games conten is indistinguishable from real life, so that hypothetical you are unable to see the difference between the two. There are no sufficient grounds by which to distinguish a game experience from a real experience. Do I undestand you correctly?'' Asks Grace Drake inquisitively. ''Exactly! You might argue that you are able to lable one real one unreal because you can leave this place and can't leave the other. Am I right?'' ''Yes I would say that.'' Smiling at Grace Drake answers smoothly. ''Then how the hell are you here if you are still there?'' ''I'm here because this place is like a picture. I look at this place and can only see what the creater wants me to see.'' ''Ok. Then follow me.'' Says Drake using the Bonfirewarp back to [Majula]. Arriving in Majula Drake beginns to undress while walking to the cliff.

''So your point was that this is not real because there are boundaries inplace that block me from going outside of the game area?'' ''Yes.'' ''Good then let me test your theory.'' Now undessed down to his linen cloth Drake throws a fire bomb down to the frozen seas surfice unfreasing the water and shortly after that jumping down into the freezing waters. Now swimming in the waters Drake asks knowingly. ''Now where are the boundaries that should be inplace against me swimming?'' Drake draws his Fire Longsword and melts his way through the Ice. The blade thanks to its immense heat cuts through the Ice like butter. ''Could you please get me a ledder to get out of here?''