With trembling hands, Leo logged out of the game the moment the option appeared, anxiety coursing through him.
Was this the end of the road? He wondered, as thoughts like these had reduced the once-mighty warrior to a puddle of nerves.
It wasn't his fault that he couldn't hide his true level from the leaderboards.
It wasn't his fault that no matter how many levels he gained, his identity as 'TheBoss' was locked in at a constant +10 level difference.
These were the system-imposed restrictions of the 'actor' class—completely beyond his control.
"The worst part is, if I die, it won't even be my fault," Leo muttered, as he removed his VR gaming headset and looked around at the real world.
For a brief second, Leo blinked, adjusting to the dim light of his bedroom as he pulled off the VR headset, however, almost as soon as he removed his VR headset, an overwhelming pungent stench hit him.
He wrinkled his nose, feeling surprised, as it was unusual for his room to smell bad, especially when he did not bring food or other substances in here.
Looking down, Leo located the source of the stench, only for him to find his body covered in a slimy, mucus-like substance, as shock washed over him.
"What the—" Leo muttered, staring at his hands, which were slick with the foul-smelling secretion. His bed was soaked in the sticky mess, and the once-clean sheets were now utterly ruined.
He stumbled up from the bed, recoiling from the filth. "What is this?!", he said, his voice shaky as he tried to wipe off the thick, revolting slime from his arms.
His mind raced, struggling to piece together what was happening, until he correlated the slime in real life to the power-up he had experienced in the game, as even then he found his in-game character covered in similar looking slime. It was almost like his body had undergone a similar transformation. But how?
It was just like in the game—when he had ascended to the 'master' realm of power, his virtual body had been cleansed of impurities through these secretions. But here? In the real world?
Leo stood frozen for a moment, still processing the bizarre event, with his breath stagnant, as something else caught his eye.
On the bed, amidst the filth, lay his ankle monitor—a bracelet-like object he hadn't given much thought to in ages. But what shocked him now was the fact that it wasn't attached to his leg anymore.
His heart pounded as he took a step back, staring at it in disbelief.
"What... How?" His voice cracked. The ankle monitor wasn't supposed to come off. Not ever. The monitor was designed to keep passengers like him bound, and there were no exceptions.
It did not matter if one was a Sector S resident or a Sector E resident, everyone was supposed to wear the monitor at all times and hence, seeing it being unlocked sent goosebumps all over Leo's spine.
It was next to impossible for the bracelet to just fall off, yet there it was, sitting on the bed, lifeless and unresponsive.
Leo's mind raced with confusion and alarm. His pulse quickened, as his thoughts spiraled out of control.
He desperately tried to make sense of it. The ankle monitor was like a slave collar—a constant reminder of his captivity, a device that kept him in check both in-game and on the ship. But now it was off.
"What does this mean?" he whispered to himself, feeling the weight of the moment settle heavily on his chest. Could this be real freedom? Or was it something far worse?
Stunned, Leo slowly walked out of his room covered in the dirty slime, as he could not take the stench anymore.
He walked towards the bathroom, wanting to take a quick bath, however, as soon as he exited his room and took a step into the common walkway inside his apartment, he found himself surrounded by elf operators.
"Mr. Skyshard, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, I'm Captain Kid…. The chief commanding officer of this Arc Ship" said a kind middle aged looking elf, who extended his hand for Leo to shake in a friendly gesture.
"Greetings captain, do you mind if I use the bathroom first? I don't want to get this filth on you" Leo replied, mustering all his courage as he instantly played the role of 'TheBoss', almost unconsciously.
Although he felt terrified and vulnerable on the inside, he did not let it show on the outside, as he put a calm and composed front in front of the world.
"But of-course, it's important that you clean this impurity slime off your body as soon as possible–" Kid said, as he and Raven moved aside, giving Leo space to move past them.
"Also, please take this… it's a special cleaning foam that will ensure that you undergo a deep cleanse, removing all traces of the slime.
Please take your time and have a thorough bath, we will be waiting to chat with you outside" Kid said, handing over a bath supply kit to Leo, before he headed into the bathroom.
*Fsshhhh*
*Water trickle*
Entering the bathroom, Leo tried to calm down under the shower, as he allowed his muscles and mind to relax.
He did not know the purpose behind the captain's sudden visit, however, judging by his friendly demeanor, Leo assumed that it wasn't something as severe as him losing his life.
"I don't think they're here to kill me…. If they were, they had no need to offer me cosmetics to help clean my body off. However, they may be here to nerf me once again.
I absolutely don't want to spend another 6-12 months in my mansion alone, but I may not have a choice" Leo muttered to himself, as he tried to predict the next move of the operators.
His ankle bracelet was off, and his body was covered in slime, in what seemed to be a messy day overall.