Story by: Rhenhwa.
Virtual God's Online
Chapter 6: DECIDE transportation
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, organizations, and settings depicted are entirely fictional and created for storytelling purposes.
***
While Ageha remained imprisoned within the sealed boundaries of the Shinto Star, the challenge on the other hand, didn't wait.
Having accepted, Alcor was granted a short period of preparation.
And during that short lull, someone arrived.
The large, hollow throne room echoed with the soft thud of approaching steps.
Dust floated through the stagnant air along with the mumblings of said person.
Breaking the silence was Lute, his voice ringing louder than it should have in such a quiet space.
"Oh boy, how desolate this place is. Do you actually live in such a place?"
The blonde-haired deity didn't bother to hide his judgment.
Instead of a warm greeting, he threw that line instead.
Alcor paused, eyeing the sides as he silently mumbled under his breath..
"Well, I haven't had the time yet."
Lute raised a brow, arms crossed, as he stood below the elevated platform of the throne.
"What do you mean you haven't had the time yet, you antisocial deity?"
"Antisocial is a bit…"
"Am I wrong?"
"....."
Alcor felt like he'd been hit square in the chest. Personal. Way too personal.
But still… not entirely wrong.
Lute clicked his tongue, then asked,
"Now tell me, aside from me, how many other friends have you made since you were born till now?"
Hearing that, Alcor blinked once, then twice, and then tilted his head.
That, more than anything, seemed to agitate Lute.
"See what I mean!"
Then, as if it wasn't worth the energy, he exhaled and slumped his shoulders.
"Ahhh, fine. That can come later. For now, let's focus on what's in front. However, before that—"
He paused, then,
Lute began, his expression serious—but for now, he stretched out his hands.
A soft glimmer of light sparked from his fingertips, spinning outward like a gentle breeze made of light.
The light spread, gradually reconstructing the throne room around them.
What had once resembled the half-ruined shell of a forgotten palace now stood transformed.
Smooth marble floors shimmered beneath their feet, crimson carpet spread from the center like a royal path, and finely sculpted pillars rose to meet the ceiling with renewed splendor.
The outside world, still painted in gloomy, cold hues, peeked in from the tall windows, but Lute chose to ignore it.
With a casual wave, he motioned Alcor to follow him to the side.
Complying with a nod, Alcor followed.
They walked over as a modest table and two chairs materialized in front of them.
Furnished with a soft, golden sheen and elegant craftsmanship born from divine conjuration.
Certainly, from its structure, Alcor could tell it was just Lute's style.
"Sit, then."
"Alright."
Once they were seated, a porcelain tea set appeared mid-air, gently lowering itself onto the table.
The pot began pouring itself as Lute raised a cup to his lips, took a sip, then leaned back with a deep exhale.
Once satisfied, his gaze narrowed as all his earlier playfulness vanished.
"By now, you should've received the game setting, no?"
"Mhm," Alcor nodded, "They called it 'Decision Protocol'."
The moment those words left his lips, Lute's face drained of color.
In a split second, his hands slammed down on the table, eyes widened in disbelief.
"Wha—!? That's not fair!"
"It's not?"
"Y-you! This isn't a random game—it's an invite game. It's clear they want to sabotage you."
Decision Protocol.
The name sounded innocent enough, but its structure was anything but.
It mimicked the structure of mundane FPS games.
A battle royale, in essence—where participants are dropped from the sky and forced to fend for themselves.
However, this divine variant was far more brutal.
Deities were dropped into fragmented world zones—up to eight in total—alongside a single central seed.
These zones functioned as isolated realms, each hosting a shadow deity:
A simulated reflection of powerful virtual deities, limited to the deities current rank.
To progress, a participant had to defeat these shadow deities and clear at least five of the world fragments.
Only then would they qualify to enter the seed, the final stage.
But there was a catch.
Each world fragment had a strict time limit.
If it wasn't cleared in time, the fragment would collapse entirely, erasing the chance to proceed.
"Literally speaking, you're at a massive disadvantage."
Lute leaned forward.
"It's a free-for-all, which means even blocking the paths of your enemies is allowed!"
Hearing Lute's words, Alcor now had an idea of what he was facing.
Additionally, it is not like they just spawned and suddenly they were fighting a shadow deity.
No—first, they'd have to traverse those world fragments. Locate the temples hidden within each.
Face trials.
Fight shadow deities under time pressure.
And if multiple deities worked together, they could sabotage others, block temples, or even force confrontations to delay progress.
"So… I've been played?"
"Big one," Lute grumbled, clearly annoyed. "You've been duped. Scammed. Bamboozled!"
His hands clenched into fists, resting on the table, frustration boiling just beneath the surface.
In hindsight, he should've been clearer, should've warned him earlier.
Given proper instructions, or anything that would have helped avoid this situation.
"It's not your fault Lute."
Of all times he didn't expect it, that single line made the blonde-haired deity freeze.
He blinked, turning to Alcor, who had spoken it without bitterness.
If anything, he was…. smiling.
"H-hey!"
"Even if you had advised me earlier…"
Alcor shook his head, indicating that he would still have accepted.
Hearing that, Lute stared at him for a moment, then let out a breath and scratched the back of his head, a wry smile tugging at his lips.
"Geez… and? Do you at least have a plan?"
He raised an eyebrow, asking that, however, all he got in return was a clueless smile from the male.
He could swear Alcor was getting more expressive as time passed.
At the same time, he couldn't help but deadpan, slouching into his seat, sighing dramatically.
"So you're going in blind?"
"And what's bad about that?"
"That…" Lute started, but paused—his lips twitching into a grimace.
Lute wasn't much of a combat-specialized deity.
Sure, he had the strength befitting one of his status, but he lacked that reckless, headlong thirst for battle that many deities thrived on
It was just that, in a game where the odds were clearly stacked, it left a sour taste in his mouth.
"The rules allow a free-for-all, am I right? Then I'll do just that."
"...that's What I want to know."
"Strategy, huh….? Lute. I don't really understand, but… I have a feeling. A feeling I will not lose to them."
That moment.
That expression.
It wasn't loud, nor dramatic, but it carried weight.
So much that it sent a chill crawling down Lute's spine, a higher-ranked deity, no less.
He wasn't just bluffing.
'Alcor… his 'true strength' is beyond his rank, isn't it.'
A slow realization washed over him, and Lute finally relented.
With a dramatic groan, he flopped back into his chair.
"Ugh. Fine, I get it."
He waved his hand lazily, like surrendering to a storm he couldn't hold back.
"Just don't go dying in the first round or something, alright?"
A small, amused smile tugged at Alcor's lips, but he said nothing.
And somehow, that silence was more reassuring than anything else.