The Mask That Always Smiles

In The Mask VR world, despite my physical appearance remaining unchanged, any alterations made to it were purely cosmetic. The stats and abilities, on the other hand, didn't reflect their real-life counterparts. Within the VR realm, there were various stats like Speed, Endurance, Strength, Luck, Resilience, Footwork, Evasion, and Vision. In Mask, my speed was magnified fivefold compared to my real-life capabilities, as were the other stats.

Speed and Resilience were the primary stats I relentlessly trained for, as they allowed me to partake in the most exhilarating fights.

I glanced at my viewers again and saw that there were 5,203 watching me now. I'd better start doing something before they got frustrated.

Within seconds, I effortlessly navigated the menus and selected the "Hyper Aqua" option. With an innate familiarity with its placement, I executed this action almost instinctively, transporting myself. I found myself standing on a white platform, facing a vast expanse of tranquil blue water.

If I overthought this, I would never initiate and start running. I grew nervous, stepped on the water, hesitated for a moment, then plunged in, swimming back towards the edge and trying to grab hold of the platform to pull myself back up.

Even though you couldn't drown in a Mask simulation, it could still be incredibly frightening. Being deep underwater in the simulation, you continued to breathe normally while feeling the immense pressure of the water around you. Death was not a possibility, but the sense of danger could be overwhelming. Perhaps in dangerous situations, people instinctively panicked and screamed in the real world, tearing off their VR glasses.

I deeply missed having Eliza by my side as my ultimate hype girl. She had been amazed when I managed to land a strike on Xinx, and this had formed a strong bond between the two of us. Just the thought of making Eliza proud fuelled me to finally start running.

I could feel my shoulders bouncing up and down as I warmed up my legs. There was a slight itch on the side of my right elbow that I tried to ignore, but I continued warming up. Any lingering discomfort would be alleviated once I got going.

I kept my eyes fixed on the sky as I ran at a fast pace on top of the water, feeling it splash around my feet and spray up my left side, with the cool water breeze rushing against my face. It was quite a euphoric experience.

One thing VR can't replicate yet is the sensation of smell, but this is enough. By observing the diverse range of individuals who engage in VR, I felt a deep sense of gratitude that we were spared from encountering their unpleasant body odours in a complete sensory experience.

Running on top of the water, I felt weightless, as if I were flying. I looked down to see if there was any activity below the water's surface, briefly losing my concentration.

My foot sank below the water a few times. Determined to stay focused, I resisted the urge to divert my gaze again. This particular task not only enhanced my Speed stat but also contributed to the refinement of other essential skills, including Footwork and Evasion. You may ask: What does evasion have to do with it?

Well, once I reached the midpoint of this training exercise, things became a lot trickier.

It was great to have no other active participants in this area—it allowed me to focus better without distractions. Eliza was undoubtedly going to watch the archived stream, as she always did. I knew she was off on a train journey with a couple of friends that day, doing her own eBunnee venture. As I gazed into the distance, I noticed significant ripples of movement emerging at eleven o'clock. Reacting swiftly, I adjusted my trajectory in the opposite direction to avoid any dangers.

Now, things were getting intense. The atmosphere so far had been relaxing, with the water still and quite easy to traverse. Up ahead, I saw turbulence in the water and big waves forming.

No matter what it was, I was determined to steer clear of it as I adjusted my trajectory once more. Abruptly, a sharp slap resonated on the side of my ear, followed by a splash of water, drenching my neck.

Undeterred, I refused to glance back or acknowledge the disturbance; instead, I continued to sprint, ensuring that not a hint of speed was lost. With every stride, I fervently hoped that whatever lurks beneath the water was unable to match my relentless pace.

The main focus for me was to make it to the other side, disregarding whatever unfolded beneath the water's surface. It felt as though I was effortlessly gliding atop the water, only to be abruptly propelled into the air by an unknown force. Despite being airborne, I strived to maintain an upright posture, diligently moving my feet in running strides. However, my momentum dissipated in mid-air, leaving me suspended and powerless.

As I descended rapidly, I thought quickly and kept my legs moving, hoping that when I landed back in the water, I would be able to remain running on the surface. I hit hard on a wet, slimy surface and instantly thought I had broken my leg. I toppled over and fell on my back. Feeling a little disoriented and out of breath, I lay on my front with my hands outstretched, just wanting to submit and slip into a deep slumber without waking up.

After lying there for a moment, a sharp pain shot up through the back of my leg. I stared up at the sky and noticed the surreal, otherworldly colours, realising that I was in The Mask VR simulation.

Without hesitation, I lifted my head to grab onto the surface and pull myself up with a claw-like grip. All of a sudden, I heard a very loud squeal coming from something right in front of me. I glanced at my right hand as I lifted myself up slightly and saw that it was covered in slimy, flesh-like substances and some gooey green blood.

A roar erupted. With me on all fours, peering forward, I saw a giant face staring right into my eyes, burning into my soul.

The face was menacing, belonging to a giant serpent-like creature that stared at me with enormous, icicle-like teeth. These massive teeth were arranged haphazardly, lacking any discernible formation. Each tooth appeared razor-sharp, jutting out in different directions. The monstrous entity appeared to have three layers of teeth, all covered in white saliva dripping from its tips.

My heart was racing wildly. I was tempted to disconnect and just take off my VR glasses for good, getting far away from this. It snapped at me like a snapping turtle as I fell backwards onto my hands. I glanced at what I was resting on and immediately realised I was lying right on the back of a giant sea serpent.

It snapped at me again as I accidentally dug my hands into its back while pulling back. It roared again and shook its long back rigorously. It really did not want me on its back.

I could keep digging my fingers into its back, but what would that really achieve? Eventually, it was going to knock me deep into the water.

I believed there was no possible way to defeat this creature. Maybe one could attempt to enter through its mouth and destroy it from within, using fire or by stabbing its organs. Merely glancing at its razor-sharp, gnashing teeth quickly dismissed any notion of getting anywhere near its head. Despite being in a virtual reality setting, this remained one of the most terrifying situations I had ever faced. In this digital realm, I could still sense pain and experience harm. Once the VR glasses were removed, I would return to the real world physically unscathed, with only emotional and mental damage remaining.

As I thought about the damage I had just sustained, I swiftly navigated the menus to check my current health status. Much to my delight, I discovered that my health was flawless at that very moment! Initially, anxiety gripped me as I contemplated the possibility of severe injuries such as broken legs or internal organ damage. To my immense relief, it seemed I had only suffered some minor bruising.

One of the incredible perks of being immersed in 'The Mask That Only Smiles' simulation was the ability to effortlessly monitor all your health issues with a simple flick of the wrist and a gentle tap of the fingers.

A big, heavy wave splashed right in my face as the sea serpent thrashed its tail around. This water woke me up and gave me a boost of adrenaline. I tasted no salt in the water; it tasted as pure as pure can be. It splashed me repeatedly. I knew I would eventually be knocked into the water. I needed to act now!

I gazed at the colossal sea serpent's stretched-out tail. Evidently, all the vigorous movement and water splashing had drained its energy. The tail was at least 50 feet long, stretched out in a straight line. I saw something white in the corner of my eye! There was the other end, the white platform, marking the other side of the water section of this area.

I glanced at it, resting with its head no longer looking in my direction. I didn't have to go anywhere near its head; I didn't even have to fight it.

Without thinking twice, I leapt to my feet and began sprinting as fast as I could along the back of the sea serpent. Numerous thoughts raced through my mind: Would I slip on the slime and plunge into the water? What if I inadvertently dug too deep into its back while running, causing it to sway and throw me into the water?

I attempted to push all concerns aside and concentrate solely on maintaining my maximum speed. The body of the sea serpent remained flat as I kept up the pace. Without a hitch, I hit the water and glided smoothly across its surface, inching closer to the endpoint. I didn't want to look behind me to see if the sea serpent had noticed my disappearance; I wanted to run. And running was what I did!

In no time at all, I managed to put a significant distance between myself and the threat. The water remained still, and I sensed no disturbances nearby. The speed increase achieved through this task was invaluable, as it boosted both my morale and confidence. I felt quite proud of myself and eagerly brought up my eBunnee stream comments to see what people were saying about my recent accomplishment.

Being too lackadaisical, I experienced a momentary lapse in focus. It proved costly. Abruptly, a large, sharp green hand grabbed my foot, yanking me with brute force into the watery depths. There was a massive thump as I hit the bottom of the water's surface. Whatever grabbed me, for sure, wasn't the serpent from before.

The relentless creature tightly clung to my right foot, ruthlessly pulling me across the water's surface while my head struck the rocks at the bottom of the ocean as I was dragged. The vice-like grip briefly loosened due to the slimy residue that had built up on my leg from lying on the sea serpent.

I instinctively pulled my leg out of its grip, crawling backwards and desperately trying to see through the foggy waters. And then, I finally saw it: the giant humanoid creature possessed long, black claws that gleamed ominously in the dappled sunlight. Its skin, a captivating shade of sage green, seemed to blend seamlessly with the surface of the water.

Its face was a thing of nightmares—a monstrous combination of a piranha and a witch, appearing tongueless. When it released me from its grip, it emitted a loud, ear-piercing screech. This was all just VR that I had to keep reminding myself of. The person who created and digitised this monster had quite the attention to detail.

Just the way its face twitched and seeing all the blemishes and imperfections on its face was unbelievable. Imperfections, I thought to myself. This whole thing is an imperfection. Every aspect of it is ghastly.

I tried to push myself through the water, but the pressure at the bottom was too strong. I could barely move. It felt like being in a dream where you're trying to escape danger, but no matter how hard you run, you never manage to distance yourself from the threat.

In VR, you don't need to breathe underwater, but it's quite an unpleasant experience to be this deep without any breathing equipment. It's hard to suspend your disbelief and tell yourself, "This isn't real."

I should just disconnect. I couldn't take this. Let this nightmare be over. All this patting of Blobby statues and lucky charms did me no good at all.

Hold on a minute! A lucky charm? Do I have the opal gemstone that the old woman gave me? I have no other options. I rummaged around in my pockets, hoping to find it, and then something stuck to my fingers. I brought it close to my face to inspect it. Gross!

It was some sort of sea snail that had stuck to the back of my leg. I tried to throw the snail at the witch, but it stuck to my hand like a booger that I was trying to flick off. The witch became furious and reacted with a loud screech that filled my head and knocked me unconscious.

I found myself immersed in a blissful scene, where fluffy clouds hosted a delightful gathering of playful puppies leaping from one cloud to another, creating a harmonious display of joy. However, my thoughts abruptly shifted to a distressing scenario: my hand unwittingly plunged into a blazing campfire while marshmallows roasted nearby. Strangely, I was unable to free my arm, trapped by an invisible force.

In the midst of this unsettling vision, an image of Eliza captured my attention. Her tear-filled eyes gazed at me, conveying a sense of deep sorrow, as though I had committed an unforgivable act.

Moments later, my mind conjured up another disconcerting scene: standing on the edge of a grand stage, facing an expectant audience. Regrettably, my memory failed me, and the words I intended to speak vanished from my consciousness. In a succession of unfortunate events, I stumbled and tumbled off the stage, only to realise that no one in the audience reached out to save me from the fall. None of this could be real!

I now found myself at the beach, gazing at the vast expanse of the ocean, when suddenly, a menacing tsunami loomed above me. Just as panic started to grip me, a voice pierced through the air.