The Grand Duelist

Commencing System Check...

Memory Unit: Green...

Black Box Temperature: Normal...

Systems initiated...

A feminine mechanical voice announced the commencement of the test. Lying on a movable table, Joseph's body slowly moved upwards towards a tunnel formed by a circular machine. At this moment, he felt that this event was particularly similar to getting a CT Scan.

Closing his eyes, Joseph chose to relax and let the machine do its work.

"Vital signs normal... Brain activity normal... Blood pressure within acceptable range... Should we commence now, sir?"

A scientist, this time, clad in a white coat asked Ray with an excited look on his face. It was clear that he was an employee that knew a lot since he clearly understood the significance of Joseph's presence. The one who passed the King's Trial.

"Oh my god... The data, all the data that we will be able to gather in his brain will definitely... Will definitely help us proceed with Project: Second Life after being stuck for so long!" The scientist exclaimed in almost a zealous-like manner, his words sent shivers down Joseph's spine.

A beeping sound rang out from one of the machines.

"His heart rate went up by thirty bpm..." Another scientist exclaimed, he was one of the scientists tasked to thoroughly monitor Joseph's vital status while he was being checked by the machine.

Ray took a single glance at the scientist before he said, "Zack, calm down with that shouting of yours, all right? His heart rate went up, it's clearly because he can hear you shouting as if you're a cultist."

The scientist awkwardly scratched his head and apologized. Ray nodded and waved his hand, it was clear that he wanted him to forget what just happened and focus on the job instead. 

A few minutes later, after checking that every mechanism was working... 

It was finally time to start the test.

Joseph felt something warm, similar to the warmth of the sun strike his face.

He subconsciously opened his eyes and he was astonished to find that he was staring at the blue skies.

What? 

Joseph looked particularly confused.

Wait... 

Am I in a virtual world?

Yeah, that should be the answer. I must be in a virtual world at this moment.

But that's strange, the transfer from the real world to the virtual world here is quite seamless. I don't feel dizzy like I normally would whenever I used that gaming capsule of mine. Well, it's probably because I'm using the state-of-the-art machines and technology of P.H Works.

Joseph nodded his head and he raised his upper body off the ground. But as soon as he did this motion, he found himself standing within an incomparably familiar room. A room that he was even more familiar with than the mansion that his parents gave to him.

He was inside that small restaurant inside the world of the King's Trial!

"Master! Are you okay? You look pale, I think you should rest, master..." A voice rang just beside Joseph and when he turned to look at the person who was speaking. His pupils constricted and tears welled up in his eyes. The young man who spoke was Kenneth.

Joseph glanced at his hands and found that his arms were saggy with wrinkles and skin marks.

This was a concrete sign of aging. 

But such a scene didn't terrify Joseph.

Instead, he felt happy and nostalgic as he raised his head and answered.

"No, I'm f-"

His words abruptly stopped.

He found himself sitting on a bench outside his store in the middle of winter.

All the shops on the streets had already closed and the people who passed by Joseph didn't even spare him a glance. But from the expression on their faces, the reason why they didn't glance at Joseph wasn't that they despised him. It was because they were excited.

Yes, they were incomparably excited...

Excited to be with their families in the next few weeks to come in the middle of this harsh winter.

"This... This is that new year's..."

Joseph raised his head and found Kenneth and both of his parents staring at him with smiles on their faces.

As expected, Kenneth gave him a stern warning and hinted that he should invite them inside the restaurant since it was quite cold outside. Joseph inwardly laughed and obliged. The group of four ate with each other and even drank some wine.

Once Kenneth's father became sufficiently drunk, Kenneth then said that his parents came to him to borrow some money.

Joseph walked towards the kitchen. He then returned while carrying several gold coins with him, but when he stepped his foot back into the dining room of the restaurant. The scene once again abruptly changed. He suddenly found himself in the middle of the ocean.

In front of him was a gorgeous young woman that had this innocent, yet a somewhat devilish smile on her face.

"Elizabeth!" Joseph abruptly cried out.

"Hieeek!" Elizabeth was scared out of her wits and almost jumped out of her seat, "Master... Why would you suddenly scream?"

"Did you fall asleep and dream about me of something? Oh, right! That must be it! Then, in that case. I wonder what kind of dream was that master? Could it be some lewd dr-"

"Cut it off!" Joseph hurriedly stopped her from speaking any further. He glanced at the skies and thought that Mar, that shrewd old man must be laughing his ass of right now. Letting out a sigh, he turned to look at Elizabeth and he couldn't help but facepalm.

Joseph stared seriously at Elizabeth.

"W-What...? Why is master staring at me like that...? Could it be that master wants to... here...?" Elizabeth's face went pale at the end of her sentence and she couldn't help but inch closer towards the edge of the small boat.

Exasperated, Joseph rolled his eyes, but he didn't say anything.

Instead, he pulled Elizabeth closer towards him until Elizabeth's head fell into his chest.

"Ah! Master! What are you doing...? This is inappropriate! We have a... we have a master-and-servant relationship!"

Elizabeth swiftly protested and even tried pushing Joseph away. But the latter was clearly stronger than her and since she felt somewhat weak on her knees, she couldn't muster any kind of substantial protest at all. 

"Elizabeth, you..."

Joseph looked down and saw the crimson blush on her cheeks.

He made a sidelong glance at the skies and after seeing that there was no reaction at all from those people from the outside world. Joseph concluded that they may not be able to see what was going on inside the world of King's Trial at the moment, or... 

Could it be that all of this is a dream?

This is something more logical than those people being unable to look at this virtual world!

If this is indeed a virtual world, then Ray should've done something when he saw me taking advantage of his sister, earlier...

But since he did nothing...

In other words, this must be a dream!

Yeah, that should be the answer.

The shock that I received earlier from seeing Ray's sister on that hospital bed must've caught onto me and even now, I'm dreaming of Elizabeth.

"Sigh..."

Joseph let out an audible sigh.

Since this was a dream, then he could just wait until he woke up.

Leaning on the edge of the boat, Joseph raised his head and stared at the starry-skies.

Elizabeth saw that Joseph seemed to be in the middle of deep contemplation.

She wanted to say something, but when she saw the unapproachable look on his face. She became inexplicably nervous, and afraid.

However, at this moment, she drew courage out of nowhere and suddenly asked.

"Master... Once you are out of here... Is it possible for you to visit me?"

Joseph's interest was immediately piqued.

"Visit you? What do you mean?" Of course, Joseph played dumb. He wanted to extract more information from Elizabeth, so he had no other choice but to act like he didn't know anything.

Elizabeth tightly clenched her fists and said, "Actually, master... I'm not your Personal Pixie Assistant. It should've been someone else, but when I saw that master looks to be an interesting and honest person..."

"I decided to steal you from that person, so I can become your Personal Pixie Assistant instead."

Elizabeth looked down onto the ground, she was incredibly ashamed at this moment.

But Joseph was amused.

He waved his hand and said, "It's fine... Since everything has already happened, then there's no use crying over spilled milk. Let bygones be bygones! I've also enjoyed your company all this while, so I can't say that I have something to complain about your service as my personal assistant." 

"Really?"

Elizabeth suddenly became invigorated when she heard his words.

"But I stole you from her! Are you not mad at me, master?" Elizabeth's eyes were widened in astonishment, making her look even more amusing to Joseph.

"I'm not!" 

"I see... I'm glad... I really thought all this while that master would hate me if I told you the truth. But it turns out that I was just overthinking!" Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief and her body became even more relaxed as she leaned on the edge of the boat.

"Then, what did you mean about that visit? I can visit you? How? I don't think that I can even return to this world." Joseph lifted a bitter smile.

Elizabeth turned to look at him and said, "Does that mean that master really wants to visit me?"

"Of course, I want to visit you! Why would I not want to visit my assistant who's been with me for so long?" Joseph stretched his hand out and patted Elizabeth's head, "No matter what, even after this, we will always be best friends! I promise you that!" Joseph solemnly vowed.

After all, this was just a dream. Why not savor it?

Elizabeth was taken aback by his words, but then her figure suddenly trembled.

"M-Master... Do I really... Do I really deserve your kindness...?" 

It was Joseph's time to be confused. He couldn't understand what Elizabeth was talking about.

"But Master is saying that he wants to visit me. But will master really continue to say that if master knows what I look like?"

"Actually, master. I'm not that pretty..."

"I'm ugly and I have these tubes attached to my body. If master sees me like that, will master continue to be my friend? Will master not be disgusted with me?"

Joseph shook his head and said, "Of course not! Elizabeth, we will always be friends, forever! One cannot judge a book by its cover. Even if you're physically ugly like what you said, I am absolutely certain that you are incredibly gorgeous and beautiful inside!"

"Really?" Elizabeth's eyes twinkled with joy.

"Yeah, so I'll definitely go and visit you!"

"If you say so, master... Then... I'll let you visit me." Elizabeth said in a hushed voice that sounded more like the droning of a mosquito. But since they were in the middle of the ocean with literally no noise pollution. Her voice rang clear and as loud as the peal of thunder.

She instantly blushed out of embarrassment and Joseph boisterously laughed.

After a few seconds of laughing from Joseph...

Elizabeth spoke up once again, this time. She stretched her hand and pinched a piece of fat on Joseph's waist and cried out, "Why are you laughing at me, master! I really am serious! I want you to visit me! Okay, once you're out here, master... Go and ask my big bro Ray about my location!"

"He'll tell you everything! I promise!"

"Once I'm out of here?" Joseph furrowed his eyebrows.

"But isn't this just a dream?" He subconsciously uttered.

"A dream? What are you talking about, master? This is a computer-generated location based on our memories, right now you are in a miniature world similar to the world of the King's Trial, but with no time dilation at all!" 

"WHAT?!" Joseph was so shocked that he almost leaped out of his seat.

He turned to look at the skies and asked Elizabeth in a nervous voice.

"Then... Does that mean that they saw and heard everything that happened in here...?"

Elizabeth sweetly smiled, yet her eyes radiated a dangerous light.

"Yup! They saw everything! Including master pulling me into an embrace and trying to take advantage of me!"

"Sautee my scallops, fuck!" Joseph was so incensed by this revelation that he let out a strange combination of words.

"Hahaha..." Elizabeth let out a charming chuckle, "Bye, bye, master... It seems like everything is over... I hope to see you outside! Remember what you said to me here, all right? You must absolutely never hate or be disgusted at me when you see me, okay?" Elizabeth sternly warned.

Joseph nodded his head as if he was chicken pecking rice and at this moment...

His vision suddenly blurred.

Commencing System Check...

Memory Unit: Green...

Black Box Temperature: Within acceptable parameters.

Systems initiated...

A feminine mechanical voice rang and Joseph found himself staring at a concrete ceiling.

He raised his upper body and he found Ray staring at him with a cold look on his face, while Mar, on the other hand, secretly sniggered at the side.

Joseph bitterly smiled.

He went out of the testing area and stood in front of the three.

"Young man, you really are quite ballsy. To think that you'd do such a thing to Ray's sister! I'm sure that you know by now how much Ray dotes on her sister!" Mar patted Joseph's shoulders and even gave him a thumbs up.

"Stop being so noisy, darn old man!" Joseph subconsciously barked at him in anger.

Mar's laughter froze.

Joseph also realized his blunder and when he was about to apologize and explain that he only responded in a fit of anger and irritation. Mar's laughter resumed and this time, he was patting Joseph's shoulder once again while saying...

"Yeah, you are definitely quite gutsy. The number of people that would dare to swear at me can probably be only counted with a single hand. It has been a long time since an outsider did that to me. Damn, what you said was actually refreshing.

Joseph almost keeled over in shock when he heard Mar's words.

He's not angry that I cursed at him? He felt refreshed after I cursed at him? What the fuck...? This company's really full of weirdos, dang... I think I'm not going to return here once I get home...

Joseph kept all of his thoughts to himself.

He raised his head and found that Ray and Elizabeth were already at the exit.

Both of them were staring at Joseph as if urging him to hurry up.

Joseph jogged towards them and asked, "Sir Ray, are we done with the tests now?" 

"Yes..." Ray replied with only a single word of confirmation.

"Then, in that case, can I return now? It's getting late, and I'm afraid that I would have to take a red-eye flight if I stay here any longer!" Joseph explained his situation to Ray.

"No... You aren't going back." Ray coldly replied.

Huh? What's wrong? Is he mad about what I did to Elizabeth earlier? But I really wasn't taking advantage of her! I was just trying to test if I was in a virtual world or in a dream!

Joseph inwardly sighed.

Fortunately, Ray's explanation came a second later.

"Are you going against the words that you said to my sister, earlier?"

Joseph's expression froze.

Ah... So, that's the reason why he's not letting me go.

Awkwardly scratching his head, Joseph hurriedly answered that it was all a misunderstanding and the group proceeded to visit Elizabeth's ward once again. 

As soon as Joseph stepped inside the special ward.

An incredibly familiar voice rang out from out of nowhere.

"Master! You're finally here!"