Chapter 1
As a certain player ；Green Four Hands
August 8, 2024. I finally had this day. Not as a spectator, but as a player, joining TWO, this day ・・・・! I never thought I would have to wait this long, I’ve missed the lottery four times in a row. I guess it was bad luck, but most of all... I guess it was the fact that I have become so well-known in the last two editions. In the 9th contest, Vtuber Senri entered the world while maintaining his avatar’s appearance. His result was a good one at best. Even so, he was probably the only one who was able to attract a large number of GAs (gallery A) to this world. Some of them even approached him and tried to touch him... “Participants, please put on your headsets and enter.” A notification appeared on my smartphone screen. I lifted the headset from the corner of the room to my chest, and suddenly my hands started shaking - as soon as I put it on, my every move would be exposed to the public gaze and become an object of curiosity. What? That’s something I’ve done before. And it is my avatar that is being watched, not me. Whatever I do in that space, it will not come back to me. I can change my voice. Just take it easy.
A storm is blowing in front of me with a tremendous roar. I’m in the middle of a storm. This is how the player sees this scene... The free fall ends with a shock. The view becomes bright all at onceーー? What is this biological interior? There are no colors other than fluorescent yellow-green and black. There is no furniture, and the walls are only chunky and uneven. What in the world kind of avatar inhabits this dwelling？ I thrust my hands out in front of me, astonished. They are the same color as the yellowish green of the walls. And it has only four fingers. Is it a new species? But still, where is the door? There is not enough light here. What else is there but arms? No victory without knowing the physical characteristics of the avatar. That’s the conclusion I’ve drawn from the past 13 times I’ve watched it over and over again.
Under a light blue sky, sparse coniferous trees, which could be anywhere, grow. I took a couple of steps forward. The steps seemed large. I’ve never seen a player make an appearance like this before. I looked down, extended my right hand a little, pulled my left hand back, and my avatar’s left leg shot forward, crashing through the wall of the house. I didn’t realize that was the kick switch. It would have been a good laugh by now... ！！！！ I looked down and saw something strange. Something yellow-green, stocky, and four-eyed was reflected in the puddle of water in front of me. Is this me...? I moved the controllers attached to my hands, and the yellow-green hands moved without the slightest delay. A little later, a third and fourth hand, growing behind the two hands, also appeared.
Well, it doesn’t matter, we’re just doing what any other player would do,” he said. For now, I’ll just find my way to Diamond City.
Is this really the TWO I’ve been watching as a spectator? Every single dwarf I met in the woods ran out of the woods at a tremendous pace as if they had been kicked in the butt. Unless you have special abilities, the theory should be to ask them for directions first. Is conversation not allowed in this avatar? Still, some GAs came into view. I guess we are still in the early stages of the game, so they are looking around at the various players. They don’t seem to be cheering me on. Even under these circumstances, I noticed one of the abilities given to this avatar. It has eyes that can follow biological traces. No special manipulation is required. When I gaze at a single point, my vision becomes as if through a thermal imaging camera. Now I see a footprint highlighted in red. They belong to a dwarf ... what can I do if I follow these? It’s going to be a nightmare, even though it’s my first time in the game. I kept walking, wondering if I would be lucky enough to see another player’s footprints, but I still only made it to the dwarf’s village. As soon as I stepped into the village, the same reaction as before was repeated on a larger scale. I stood alone in the center of the village, where small houses stood side by side. What a strange sight. It was as if I was a real monster. I could have walked up to them with an apple in my hand, their favorite food. Four hands are of no use to me. I still don’t know the way to the City. Damn it. The next thing I know, I’m dealing a blow...no, four blows to the little house in front of me. The house was immediately reduced to a pile of bricks and plaster. I looked up at the sky without thinking. My headgear was heavy. My vision changed to biological trace tracking mode. A single red line was running. Airplane cloud? There are only a few beings in this world that can fly around in the sky...!
Are you still here?
My motion-sensitive vision returned to normal and I caught sight of a black spot approaching me. A broom, a cloak, and a long hat. It was the Black Witch. A high-pitched voice scratched my ears.
The only one who hasn’t gotten a card yet is you,” she said. ・・・・ But even so, you’ve destroyed it pretty badly, haven’t you? Now that you’re here, don’t you want to show off your power?”
I don’t know if this witch is an NPC or an avatar...but it’s a shame to log out here. I’ll go out with her...
