Chapter 5: Simulation

"Well, its a replica. Otherwise this room would've been destroyed a long time ago." The backside of what seemed to be a body suit opened up as Kouki continued his explanation as he gestured for Rhian to come closer.

"What.. is this simulation supposed to do, exactly?" Rhian asks worriedly, inching closer to the stage of where is seems the simulation takes place.

"Two things." Kouki leaned on his cane after pressing a few buttons that booted up the giant screen in front of Rhian, raising two fingers. "Everyone goes through this ritual after being recruited, so Sorin can create a perfect unit for you." He drops a finger. "Next. To just- test your aptitude." He randomly waves his hands before giving Rhian a reassuring smile. "It's safe. I trust in Sorin."

Still the distrust that eased in after Kouki's stunt had her wary. "I... don't want to." Which sort of offended Kouki.

"Well- uhm.. You.. don't really have a choice since, this is mandatory." He explained and urged Rhian, then guaranteeing the safety.

A heavy sigh. "...Fine.." Rhian walked forward, still with a slight worry. This is a new world after all and she has never tried virtual reality or maybe this isn't even like it. Nonetheless, the jargon she's heard in this world weighs heavily, taking her back to her days in college. Guided by Kouki, she slowly entered the body suit.

"This isn't a game, but a simulation. Anything you feel, you WILL feel it." Extending her arms and legs into the suit, a loud snap echoed in the suit, alerting Rhian as she realized the suit had completely enveloped her. "Wha- HEY!"

Panicked, she tried to struggle out of the suit. "Calm down. You'll be able to move it a bit." A soft whir came from the suit as tiny little panels opened up where Rhian's joints are, following her erratic movement before expelling air from said panels, shrinking itself to better suit Rhian's body.

'Did it just- I feel like Iron Man.' Like a new car, the air inside the suit felt fresh and clean, quickly halting her tantrum as she slowly moved her limbs, feeling a sense of empowerment.

"Alright, I'll start the simulation." Rhian heard Kouki state, deciding to stop messing around as Kouki's warning bounce around in her head. 'I guess technology here is vastly different from ours..' Rhian's ears followed a soft beep above her, noticing a sudden change in her vision. "Good luck, Smyra."

The thud of a cane and footsteps leaving her field of hearing, she noticed Kouki had left the room after flapping her arm around herself. Whooshes and whirs blocked her hearing while her vision becomes clouded by a sea of fog. "Please state your name." A voice echoed in the suit. 'What? is this.. like a system or something?'

"Rhian Smyra."

"Welcome, Rhian Smyra. The simulation will start now. Good luck." The system stated with a monotone, before the sea of fog cleared to unveil a dark forest.

Rays of sunlight penetrated the canopy, offering the few non-parasitic flora to live a while longer. Scanning around the perimeter, she noticed it was very similar to where she 'spawned': the towering trees with trunks as thick as a semi-truck, the irritating bladed grass that filled her shins with numerous cuts and the unforgettable eerie warmth.

'I really can feel everything..' Despite wearing a suit in the real world, she wore her everyday attire in the simulation. The passing wind brushing past her hair as the spots of sunlight bathed her in temporary light.

"What's my goal here, exactly..?" She spoke to herself, bored as she squeezed past a wall of trees until she heard a beep.

[Rhian Smyra's Current Task: Eliminate An Abberant.]

A blue transparent panel with the bolded words appeared in front of her. To which, she just raised an eyebrow while the text suddenly changes.

[Beware: An Abberant Is Approaching.]

Rhian's face darkened as she finished reading, noticing the ground rumbling aggressively. Abberants are creatures of Chaos, unpredictable and unorthodox. Though a simulation, this was going to be her very first encounter with an Abberant.

A low growl was heard from the other side of the wall of trees. It was the same foreboding sensation she felt in the hospital. The rumbling stopped, exchanged for a constant snapping of trees as she felt the numerous trembling of the fallen trees, Rhian's mind blanked.

Her arms and legs felt cold; her vision tunneled. She was completely static. The canopy swayed with the rustling leaves, blocking out the sunlight bathing her. Danger was eminent but fear got to her first.

'I-I need to move!' Her mind urged and her body obeyed, she didn't want to die, not today. Turning around and squeezing herself through the gap between the trees, she darted way from the source of bellowing.

The main goal of finding out more about this was pushed far back into her brain. Now, her only task is to survive whatever the hell was chasing after her. Though, she doesn't have the greatest physical feats.

'SLIDE!'

She yelled in her mind, forcing her body slide under the lo- nope. She hesitates with the fear of failing hanging on her mind, she runs in a completely different direction. 'Don't stop! Don't STOP! DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE STOP!' 

Shallow cuts start to appear as she enters a meadow, trampling over grass and fallen leaves, she feels sweat flooding her clothes, applying a natural gloss over the skin as sunlight reflects off it.

'Ru-n.. J-Just keep-' "JUST KEEP RUNNING!" Fatigue looms over her. Legs starting to feel drained and numb from the running; her breath becomes heavy as her lungs feel start to hurt. And the loud, repeating beats of her heart filling her ears. Rhian was exhausted.

But the Abberant wasn't.

A jagged howl travelled into the meadow as Rhian heard timber falling and something large crashing into the ground, but she didn't look back. "RU-RUN! RU-"

"R-r-r-un...?' Rhian was struck, halting all movement as she was hit by a wave of heat, feeling her head beating aggressively, but that wasn't the most important thing right now.

"N-no-o.. r-r-rrunn.." It spoke. Rhian turned around, witnessing the wolf-tiger abomination locking its gaze onto Rhian. It possessed teeth like those of a sabretooth, head of a wolf, body and horns of a rhinoceros and for some reason the ability to speak.

"D-DO N-NOT RUN!" The Abberant exclaimed with fury, casting a dreadful gaze as it bore its sprawling teeth.

'W-What the hell?! WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING?!" Sweat cascaded along her skin as she felt the heat being substituted by a cold blanket. She needed to run. Turning around to have her back facing an enraged Abberant, she darts away, hoping in the slightest chance the Abberant would just give up.

"Y-Y-YOU DA-RE RUN?!" The Abberant released a deafening roar, rumbling the earth and swaying the meadow before starting its pursuit. It was hungry and Rhian was the only thing in sight.

The sun glared at the two of them with the occasional passing wind comforting Rhian as she tried to maintain her pace. 'H-HOW DO I SURVIVE?! I CAN'T SURVIVE!' The loud rhythmic thuds of the Abberant covered Rhian's own sporadic pace, it was very close to her.

"S-SYSTEM! WHATEVER THE HELL YOU ARE! HELP ME! TAKE ME OUT OF HERE!" A desperate plea that was answered.

[This Abberant Has A Desire For Food. Advice: Use Bait To Distract It.]

A useless answer.

Her face darkens and her body slows, the rays of sunlight were absent, leaving Rhian to be bathed in a cold shade. "W-What?" She looked up.

"W-Why d-do.. th-these things e-ex-ist?" She stuttered in fear, facing the rows, upon rows of dirty, jagged teeth that belonged to the Abberant.