Chapter 120: 120
Cobra took off his Virtua Helmet sharply and clutched it tightly . Nowadays, nothing scared him more than having to leave the digital world to re-enter the real one, despite the relatively short amount of time he had been in Boundless .
Cobra slowly rose from his luxurious King-size bed, the canopy that hung over it shielding his eyes from the sunlight that bled through his stylish ceiling that had a circular slab of marble in the center .
His room was carpeted from end to end, it's size easily dwarfing most studio apartments . Cobra could even use his room to do a daily job or play a small football game with friends .
He had bookcases, tables, coffee tables, sofas, three TVs and a computer with triple monitors .
Cobra's room was even better than a high class presidential suite in most upper-tier hotels, which most normal people could only dream of . Yet his face showed no satisfaction from living in such a space, only chagrin .
Cobra entered his bathroom, which had a huge Jacuzzi, a tub and two showers . The amount of space in there was amazing, not to mention the extremely wide variety of toiletries he could choose from .
He entered the Jacuzzi and set it to 'warm' . Cobra bathed in the mild waters as he curled his body up into a ball .
His usually tied hair was let free, and it was quite long, as it reached his lower back . It seeped into the water and floated lightly on the surface, adding a certain charm to the already gorgeous fellow .
Cobra was handsome, whether you were into guys or not . He had that symmetrical perfection that simply left one feeling like they were seeing something good . It was the type of handsomeness that could stop a baby from crying or make an animal feel trusting of him .
His body was extremely lean and toned . He was a type of slim macho that wasn't bony, so he just barely passed the scale of what was appealing .
With his oval, droopy eyes and his thin pink lips, Cobra would make men and women alike feel something stirring . He wasn't as confusing as Vano, who could totally seduce you without you realizing that his 'sheathe' was actually a 'sword' .
Cobra cleaned himself up and left the bath .
Since he woke up, he had not made a sound, nor had he even smiled .
He came out of his bathroom naked to find three young female maids placing his attire for the day down on his bed . When they saw the naked Cobra exit, they did not blush but their eyes ogled his form with hunger .
However, etiquette had to be observed, so they maintained gentle and subservient expressions, only using their peripheral vision to check out his package down there .
They all bowed and greeted Cobra .
"We greet the Young Master!"
Cobra simply nodded and waved them away, to which they obeyed with obvious reluctance .
Cobra wore the clothes that had been laid out for him . It was a turtleneck long-sleeved shirt that was black in color . Along with it were thigh-length red shorts that displayed a healthy amount of his smooth legs .
Coupled with his grey and blue slides, Cobra could challenge Draco to a battle of fuckboy fashion mastery .
Cobra exited his large room and walked along a well-furnished and slightly narrow hallway that was air-conditioned from beginning to end, just like his own room .
One could only feel trepidation at the electricity bill these fellows racked up…
Eventually, he came to a large living room where he saw an older gentleman and a middle-aged woman seated together while chatting lightly and with smiles .
When they saw him, their eyes brightened .
"Haha! Come now, my good son! Come and sit beside us and chat, what do you think?"
Cobra's father had a distinct British accent as he waved to his son . His face was full of wrinkles and smile lines, his thick grey mustache twitching as he smiled widely .
His eyes were a coppery color and his skin was a healthy light tan . His hair was grey and slicked back with a very good gel, as it made it glisten in the light .
He wore a light grey long-sleeved shirt with a blue vest over it . His trousers were tight-fitting and were a deep black in color, contrasting with his light blue loafers .
Despite being of the older generation, it was clear that Cobra's father was fashionable . His shirt and trousers weren't the usual baggy type but tailored and fit his well-built frame .
For an older man, he had no paunch or any flab . He was fit and strong, looking like one of those older men in fitness magazines . He also wore a nice silver Rolex that was at least $30,000 .
His wife was around his age, also retaining quite the youthful figure despite her age . She wore a long red dress that was comprised of a Victorian-era corset, which outlined her good figure and full breasts .
Apart from her brooch and necklace, she also had quite a bit of jewelry on her body . Her face was oval and slightly think, with soft round eyes and a small nose . Her auburn hair was neatly done into a crown braid and one could see a few wrinkles on her face, but most of them were smile lines .
She also smiled lovingly at her son and laughed when she saw his embarrassed expression . Her bright blue eyes sparkled mischievously .
For that matter . Cobra dropped all his coldness and became really gentle .
"Yes, Father . Hello Mother . "
He greeted them both with a light bow before sitting opposite them .
"How are you, Astarte? I heard from Darian that you've been spending all your time in this popular new game called… Boundless?" His father, Franklin, asked him this with a slight frown .
It wasn't that he disapproved or anything, he just found it strange that Astarte would be so immersed into a mere game .
"Well Father, the thing is that this game is really special . It's frankly, revolutionary . "
Cobra smiled when he was referred to by his true name, but he felt even more excited to share his growing love for Boundless with his parents .
"Oh? You seem to like it so much, Astarte . Tell us more about it . " His mother, Freya, asked with a raised brow .
"Well, it features FIVR - Fully Immersive Virtual Reality . This is a field of technology where there is an electrical and biological connection between the brain and the Virtual World in question . "
"This allows the user to feel as close to being in reality in the virtual world as possible . You would feel, see, hear and taste just like you would in the real world, without being able to disturb your real body's surroundings . "
"Previous games mostly had between 10% to 40% Full Immersion, which seemed immensely impressive at the time, according to research . However, this new game breaks boundaries since the Immersion rate is 100%!"
Cobra leaned forward and spoke with an excited tone .
"It means you would feel everything! It is no different from being in the real world!"
His parents' eyes widened as questions formed in their minds, but Cobra didn't allow them to start .
"Most older FIVR games - just like most technology nowadays days - rely on an Artificial Intelligence to automate the management of the games in question, but most of them were very stale and limited, according to research . "
"However, this AI in charge of Boundless is so unique and through that, some have begun to speculate that it is… alive!"
"What?!" Franklin and Freya shouted out in fear, but Cobra still plowed on .
"And that is just another side aspect . The biggest allure… the biggest draw of Boundless that is almost unspeakable to consider…"
Cobra's voice became lower and lower, and his parents couldn't help but lean in with anticipation and expectation .
"There is time dilation in the Virtual World . One hour out here is four hours in there . "
Cobra dropped this bombshell with a light smile . He didn't need to spell the true meanings and consequences of such things to his parents, they were not blockheads .
The expression on Franklin and Freya's faces morphed so many times within a minute that it was quite comical to see .
Eventually, the air around them became cold as their faces became sharp . The genial atmosphere around them disappeared and the once kindly old couple became like predators .
"Astarte, what is your assessment?"
Cobra smiled and nodded to his parents, seeming pleased with their personality shift .
"I have investigated deeply through the Cartel, but their information gathering is truly limited . I would prefer to work with the Espio Group, but it is too hard to infiltrate their ranks compared to the Cartel . "
"What I have discovered though, is that the studio behind the game is a shell company at best . They have no workers in their main office and none of their equipment is located there . They do have a lab in the business district, but the first fixer to take on the job reported that the job was impossible . "
Franklin scoffed . "What limits a common fixer, might not limit us . "
"I agree, father . However, the files state that this particular fixer… was a Control master . "
Cobra's expression was strange here because he only knew one Control master in his life that might be the fixer, but he dared no share Draco's details just yet .
He harbored no ill will and greatly respected him and his terrifying soulmate, but he would have to be objective about certain things when it came to business and his family .
Franklin and Freya almost shouted out when they heard Cobra state that the fixer was a Control master . If such a person reported such a case to be impossible to complete, then just who could complete it?
Draco knew that doing this would change the timeline greatly, as many fixers who were supposed to die would survive, but he didn't want anyone disturbing the AI or GloryGore labs just yet .
Freya took a deep breath . "Well done, Astarte . Keep us updated at all times and if you need anything let us know . "
Cobra smiled . "Yes, Mother . I'll be taking my leave now . "
Franklin and Freya lost their edge as they became genial again as if their previous dangerous selves were naught but a mirage, a thing of the mind .
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login