Hauntingly Beautiful Girls

"Game Secrets"

The realm ruler's champion has been defeated with a series a combined attack sword sequences.

The gladiator falls off the tall spire into foggy mists. The fall will end, but those up here will not hear the sound.

Baecrush finds these fights incongruous. Armor and swords have a mass and deflect solidly during blows, but are light and make no effect on leaps, jumps and spins.

The realm ruler stands next to the cage hanging by a chain. The object of this level, sits wounded, abused and defeated in the cage. That young man needing rescue from the vile woman.

She brandishes a small dagger near the neck of her captive.

"You can reach me fast enough to defeat me, but not before I infuse this poison that slowly destroys life each new cycle of game play. The curse poison."

Baecrush knows it is true. That item will reduce the ranking strengths of a player.

The threat is real, so Baecrush empties her weapon holdings and drops all her armor into nothingness.

The young man in the hanging cage lets out a weak trembling gasp. Collapsing further inside the cage and whispering "Do not trust his word. Let me die. You must live, for memory of us."

The realm ruler saunters forward (dagger held high) with a superior smile.

"You have supplanted me in the eyes of all. A rejection of order held by right of superior strength.

For most of my life, I have held your view to be self-serving.

Taking those things that were rightfully wrested from the slain and giving them to the needy.

I have pierced through the veil where the meek stop and wail.

I have studied long and varied. Until my thoughts marched away harried.

There is just one vice I accept. I enjoy victory too much!"

She lunges with the dagger, but Baecrush dodges and deflects each thrust.

The realm ruler lunges in a rage. Baecrush twists that hand holding the dagger to cut the realm ruler. In shock, the realm ruler is flipped off the spire.

It is only a kind of victory. Baecrush did not defeat her in battle, so the woman lives (now with the curse on her). When the next game segment starts, they will both be alive, no longer at the top of the spire.

Baecrush has only seconds before the segment will end. She draws near the cage to speak consolingly with the man in the cage.

The game ends abruptly.

"Baecrush. The time has come. It is time for you to return to your body and life."

Baecrush aches to return to her body. She feels somehow naked without her 'crush sense'.

She also perceives the trick played on her. There were some very interesting things in Pinnacle. Things that were described with enthusiasm in the early days. Things she wanted to experience herself.

The touch of a soul directly to a soul (described as being like nothing else). Many 'adult' or 'advanced' experiences. She expressed interest in those things.

Baecrush had been out maneuvered by the requests of the billion souls. "Please let us play this game with you first. We have not played games with you yet. I really want you to see this game."

The signs were there. They had encouraged more and more to select a game form similar to her real body.

Just like in many of the games. They used a secret trick.