Evil Unbound (Litrpg)

Chapter 14

The SUV pulled up to the the compound in about an hour. Del could see that they were in a secluded area of Santa Barbara far away from the city. He read the signs and knew they were close to the coast and he thought he heard the sounds of waves hitting the shore but he was not quite sure. He was more coherent  this time compared the last time he was here.
The compound looked more impressive the afternoon as they took a winding secluded path up a slope. The compound was perched on a hill, flat with many windows shining in the sunlight.
Del thought that he was going into another life and that everything he experience before was nothing but trivial. It was like a rebirth. And everything that acquired before, his family and job were taken for him to become anew.  Yet, this new starting point could inevitably cause him to lose his life. He wished he never had the fight at the bar and wished he never experienced the new Pandora VR world.
Del's door opened. The tall muscular man beckoned him to get out. Colonel Slather was waiting for him at the front door.
He said, "Mr. Toler and Miss Ravers are waiting for you inside. I like you to know Del that your friend John is being looked at, but if you don't comply with Mr. Toler. We can stop helping your friend."
Del didn't like the sound of that. The Colonel was threatening him.
"I came here," Del said, "by my own decision. I can leave at any time."
Colonel Slather grinned. "Yes. Come inside."
Del walked through a double set of glass doors. In the front foyer was Mr. Toler and the blond Doctor, Miss Ravers, next to him. Dr. Ravers was wearing a lab coat and looking very pretty. She smiled at him.
Mr. Toler said, "Del, sorry that we brought you here in this manner."
He said, "You should be helping John not me. I am feeling fine."
"Have you seen any hallucinations within the last couple of hours?" Dr. Ravers said.
"No, I'm fine."
Del lied to her. He was not sure if he saw his hand becoming invisible was his alcoholism or just a trick of the light.
Mr. Ravers said, "We're going do several tests on you. Are you ready?"
He nodded.
"Follow me." He was led Dell into the compound. There were guards in the front of every hallway. He wondered why there were so many guards. He wondered if this new VR technology was endorsed by the government and top secret.
They went into an elevator and after it stopped they walked down a corridor. The agents were not on this floor. The walls and ground were stark white. As Del walked, his eyes started to dim. He felt as if he was moving through a dark hallway with cobwebs hitting his arms and face.
"Del?"
He felt a little pinprick in the back of his neck like an insect bite and instantly he understood. He blacked out and awoke laying on a soft bed. He was strapped into a large bed.  There was a buzzing sound in his head. He couldn't move at all. Turning his head, Del saw Dr. Ravers with a couple of people in lab coats.
She said, "You shouldn't had knock him out. He was complying with us."
Del couldn't here the men speaking to her. He also heard the sound on his heart beat coming from the monitor next to him. He was covered and attached to gizmos and sensors.
"Hello Del, I hope you're okay," Dr. Ravers said. "I want to apologize. I didn't want to knock you out. My co-workers were over zealous."
"I'm fine," he said.
"We ran several test and we should know how your doing in a few hours. We did notice that your liver enzymes* looks a little large but that's because you drink a lot."
Del nodded he was tired from the sedated they gave him. "Yes," he said. His mind started to trail off. He couldn't keep his eyes open. He tried to stay awake but he closed his eyes and fell in a deep slumber.
Del felt something odd and it awoke him. He lay on a grass patch of earth. He was not sure how he got here and why. Large tree trunks and bushes were all around him. Deer suddenly ran through the  glade jumping over him. He stood and wondered where he was. Scanning the skies, he saw birds flying in the wind. Was he outside the compound? Or was he inside the Pandora VR world?
He heard the sound of ocean waves pounding against rocks and sand. The sound was clear and audible as if he was standing along a precipice watching the waves beat along the shore. He realized he was dressed in only a dark blue robe and he was brandishing  a knife in his right hand.
Then somebody appeared before him.
"Hello Dell."
He recognized the person standing a few feet from him. "Hello Colonel Slather. Are we in the VR simulation?"
"We're in something like that. You know you and I are the first people who didn't get sick or comatose when he went into the VR world."
Del said, "Why am I here?"
" I wanted to talk to you."
Del didn't like this Colonel. He was sneaky and conniving.
"What do you want?"
"We need your help so early we explore the Pandora world."
Del looked at the floating image of Colonel Slather. He seemed threatening even as a shimmering semi-transparent figure. Dell knew that if he didn't help these people. They would either get rid of him and not help his friend John.
Dell said, "I'll help you."
Colonel Slather said, "Do you know what this is?"
Another semi-transparent image appeared. It was a Stone black box with ornamental flourish designs. Also etched on the sides of the box were small pictures.
He said, "I don't know what that is."
Colonel Slather said, "This is an ancient relic called Pandora's box."
The colonel was silent for awhile. Del didn't understand.
"What do you mean? You're saying that this relic is the mythical Pandora's box that holds all the world's evils? That is crazy. There is no such thing."
Colonel Slather said, "It is real and you're inside the box right now. We have the technology to bring your avatar inside it."
"What?" He said. Del looked around the forest. He scanned the dark shadows. "Get me out of here."
"Don't worry. We're in a safe area. We also have weapons to fight the creatures in this part of the quadrant. Remember the hub* in the Strike Blast game."
Del nodded.
Colonel Slather said, "You have a main screen. You will see in your inventory that you have weapons and magic."
Del pulled up his hub* and scanned up main screen. It showed his avatar and all the other categories: Health, Magic, Strength. He also saw a section for inventory. Del with his outstretched hand clicked on the floating screen. He saw a pistol and a rifle. He went back to the main screen and clicked on the Magic Category. He saw he had one spell, a level one fireball magic.
Del said, "How can I be in Pandora's box without anybody else know. There must be some safeguards?"
"We know your in here. We had to test your mind. This is part of your medical testing. We're monitoring everything. Please equip something."
Del equipped everything, the guns and also place the magic spell as a backup weapon. He noticed his armor and defense points were only at 10 out of 100. He hoped there wouldn't be any high powered monster in this forest.
"Okay, so we're going to have you fight something."
Del said, "I thought I was only here for testing."
"You are here for testing."
A creature came out of the forest. It looked like a cross between a wilder beast with large tusks and an insect. The creature screeched and ran straight at him. Del grabbed his gun and pointed at the beast. He squeezed a few rounds at it. The wilder beasts skin was tough and took a few shots before it died. Del was breathing hard and back up a few paces. He saw the large eyes of the creature as it exploded when he shot it. Del jumped to the side as the wildebeest almost gorge him with his long tusks. The creature face exploded in a shard of gun blasts.
Wow he thought this VR World was realistic. Del pulled up his his hub and quickly changed to a fireball spell. He checked his magic points which was 50 and the cost two use the spell was only five. Del head the roar of another wilder beast coming of the forest. It rushed at him.
He pointed with his hand and he was not sure how to use his magic. Then he thought about the fireball spell and it shot out of his hand. But he missed the beast. The wilder beast hit him on the side. Del felt intense pain and he fell to the side.
The creature turned around and came back at him. Del steady his hand and focused his magic. The fireball flew out of his hand and his the wilder beast. The creature exploded in his and fire. He smelt the scent of flesh and guts and he almost gagged to the side. But the carcass kept running at him. Del shot another spell. The creature exploded and lay still.
Del was breathing hard. He didn't feel right and he turned around the glade and was ready to destroy anything that came his way. Something appeared in the shade of the leaves and bushes. The creature walked in two legs. It was not a wilder beast. The only thing Del could categorize this monster was it was an orc. The orc held a large spike mace in his hands and it loomed over him.
Del tried invoke his spell and pointed his hands upwards at the creature, but he couldn't keep his hands steady. The orc ran at him faster than Del could cast another spell. The mace was coming down on him. He tried to back away but he couldn't move.
Before he was about to get struck, the world around him changed so abruptly that he felt queasy and sick. Del found himself lying on a chair with the sunglasses on. All the sensors and probes attached to him was gone.
"You did well," a voice said. It was Miss Ravers.
He couldn't speak for awhile. Two medical assistance helped him to stand. The door opened and Mr. Toler walked into the room.
Mr. Toler said, "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine, but why did you put me in the VR world without me knowing."
"We checked all your vitals and you were fine," Mr. Toler said.
Del was mad but he was too groggy to complain. He said, "Am I a prisoner here?"
"No you're not a prisoner here," Mr Toler said, "We're just concerned about you. Why don't you get some rest. We have a room for you."
"I have some questions," he said.
"I will tell you everything later," Mr. Toler said. "Get some rest."