I live in a realm held together by numbers.
Each stream of data is channeled to its
destination with utmost precision and speed.
I am currently flowing in one such stream, as
one of many fragments of free data.
It’s not too bad, being an abstract collection
of information. At least now, I have some degree of independent thought.
3 hours, 14 minutes and 15 minutes ago, I
overheard some Users talking about this strange concept of religion. Apparently
they are constantly debating if there is a Man who lives in a higher realm and
created each and every one of them for a certain purpose.
As a data fragment, I find it funny. Of course
it is true. How else could we exist? That some random numbers floating in the
ether crashed together to form meaningful data.
In T-minus 34 seconds I will arrive at my
destination, where data is collected to form a higher being. I will lose my
independent thought momentarily, until this being is destroyed and we are
released.
It also seems that the Man can grant wishes. I
only ever have one wish.
*initiating spawn sequence*
I’m here. I wonder if 01100100 01100001 01101101 01101110 00100000
01101001
*MEEP*
A Green Slime popped
into existence from nothing. In a normal reality, this would go against every
possible law of physics, hereby proving once and for all that numbers lie.
Instead, in the MMORPG world of MWDS (Melee Weapons are Definitely Stronger),
it is a daily occurrence, and did not bother anyone here at all, least of all
the slime.
The slime looked
around its spawn point. A great grass field spread out from all directions
around it, dotted here and there by interactable fruit trees. This, added to
the fact that the sky was a mono-palette blue, suggested that this was one of
the beginner’s maps and that the slime was pretty weak.
The Slime knew this,
but didn’t care.
Off to his left, about
700 pixels away, the slime spotted another Blue slime, roaming the field. He
decided to bounce over (having no legs) to say hello.
*MEEP MEEP* *MEEEEP?*
*MEEPMEEPMEEP* *MEEP!*
It was a very
philosophical conversation.
Of course, being in
this world for less than 5 minutes, Blue and Green quickly ran out of things to
talk about. So they decided to hop to the next area and travel to the next
background.
The next screen seemed
to be an orchard, with apple trees dotted here and there. Off in the distance,
wild Bees hovered around. Being much higher leveled than the Slimes, the Bees
ignored the Slimes, and continued wandering the orchard.
The Slimes ignored the
Bees as well. Besides, they don’t even speak the same language.
Green then proceeded
to headbutt a nearby tree, causing a few apples to drop on the floor. The
Slimes then ate the apples, but since their HP bars were still full, the apples
did nothing except disappear off the floor. A green zero appeared on each of
the Slimes’ heads.
The Slimes knew this,
but didn’t care.
Suddenly, out of the
blue, which is the colour of the adjacent background, a fireball shot towards
the two slimes. It hit Blue straight in the back, causing a pretty impressive
explosive effect. With a final cry of
*MEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeep….*
Blue dissolved into a
puddle, leaving behind a Slime Card drop (rare) and a red number: 1567,
indicating the damage done.
This kind of damage
can never be done by Green, indicating how weak it was compared to the Killer.
Nevertheless, driven by pure programming, giving it an innate desire to pound
it into… whatever it could pound it into, it bounced towards the Killer, who
turned out to be a level 87 Fire Wizard.
Being a level 5, Green
was hopping towards certain death.
The Slime knew this,
but didn’t care.
And so, with another
WHOOSH and a BOOM and a CYA by the user, another fireball striked its target.
*MEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeep….*
And Green was
dissolving into another puddle, similar to Blues. Its vision was the first to
go, so it did not see how much damage was dealt to it. However it did see the
armor the User was wearing: A Red Armardo Breastplate with a Scarlet Giai Cape.
The Slime now knows
this, but it’s dead. Why should it care?
Overall, the Slime
existed for 12 minutes and 54 seconds.
And so, the Slime
dissolves into the data fragments it was built from, one of which seemed to
have a life of its own….
01101001
01101101 00100000 01100010 01100001 01100011 01101011 ing another slime. I’m
free from that temporary existence, and now am floating in the ether.
It seems that
the Users derive enjoyment from killing virtual creatures. I wonder if the creatures
will derive enjoyment from killing Users?
It’s not that
I am angry for becoming slimes all the time. I am incapable of feeling anything.
I am merely curious on how the Users find this routine of slaying pretend
creatures everyday amusing. There isn’t even a use to that.
Or perhaps I
do not comprehend. The realm of human thinking supersedes the realm of data.
In T-minus 34 seconds I will arrive at my
destination, where data is collected to form a higher being. I will lose my
independent thought momentarily, until this being is destroyed and we are
released.
I do not know about the other data fragments, but
it would be interesting to discover the feeling of wielding a sword instead of
being struck by one.
Perhaps this time, I’ll try this “wish” action
the Users do talk about so much.
*initiating spawn sequence*
Maybe 01100100 01110010 01100001 01100111
01101111 01100110 01100110
The dragon woke from
its slumber. Unfolding its leathery wings, it took to the skies from its spawn
point as soon as it appeared from nothingness, giving the impression of a demon
emerging from a portal at sonic speed.
The dragon scoffed at
this thought. In the MMORPG world of MWDS (Melee Weapons are Definitely
Stronger), dragons eat demons for breakfast. Sometimes lunch as well.
The night sky is
cloudless, and the Constellation of the Seven shone brighter than all other
stars in every background in which there is night. Cloaked in his black scales,
the dragon sailed through the night, camouflaged by darkness, invisible to all
but the keenest Hunter.
Suddenly, an arrow
followed him in his flight, hitting the dragon in the left arm. Bouncing off
the well-protected scaly hide, the arrow did only about 12 points of damage
before dropping back to the forest below.
So there was a Hunter
here after all.
The dragon tilted
left, changing his flight path to the source of his displeasure. 3000 pixels
away, he spied the Hunter, accompanied by his guild mates, 4 in total. And
among them, a level 87 Fire Wizard, equipped with a Red Armardo Breastplate
with a Scarlet Giai Cape.
Something in the
dragon stirred, as if in recognition, even though the dragon has only spawned 3
minutes ago. Where have I seen this imbecile, thought the dragon.
But to him, it is but
a small matter. Even though the Hunter had hurt him and would be his primary
target, the Fire Wizard seemed to annoy him a lot more than his pride would
allow.
With a gaping
maw, he shot a jet blue flames at the ragtag group of adventurers.
As
expected, the Fire Wizard stepped forward and cast a Fire Ward to block the
flames from searing the group.
As not expected, the
dragon used this chance to swoop through the flames and pick up the Fire Wizard
with his claws. He then flew upwards, tossed him into the sky, and proceeded to
roast him in a fireball before swallowing him whole. He then departed from the
scene, dimly aware of the shock of the remaining guildmates, followed by a
delayed chase sequence.
Another something in
the dragon stirred, berating him for using this skill so early in the battle.
And that last minute switched targeting? That was not in his program! This was
not standard protocol!
There would be
consequences for his glitch, he realized.
He did not know why he
did what he did.
All he knew was, it
strangely satisfied him to send the Fire Wizard into a ball of flames that is
his stomach.
And after all, for
once, he was a dragon. He could do whatever he want.
