Trapped in a Cursed Game, But Now with NPCs

 

“Finally! Sob, finally…!”

 

I shouted with a cheer, hastily standing in front of the NPC.

 

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  Me: Excuse me! I’ve been trapped in this game for 2 years and 2 months. 
I can’t log out, and I can’t disconnect either! This seems like a 
serious bug, please force stop it quickly. Please!

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  Within seconds, the chat window was filled with my complaints.

 

Since it was connected to my brainwaves, the game automatically translated my thoughts into text in the chat window without the hassle of typing on a keyboard.

 

“A message has arrived. Phew, I can finally leave. Pant, pant…”

 

Filled with racing thoughts and an anxious gaze, this feature couldn’t have come at a better time for me.

 

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  ― [GM Ari] : (typing. . .)

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  I anxiously stared at the chat window, waiting for a reply. Nevertheless, I felt somewhat relieved.

 

Though it was a nickname I had never seen before, being a GM (Game Master) meant they held a high position within the development team.

 

Employees who dealt with trivial matters like me were usually called “Helpers.”

 

‘Yeah, well, it’s a bug of historic proportions that’s trapping a person within the game.’

 

I was certain that I would receive a reply saying they would execute a forced disconnection.

 

But the response that came back was…

 

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  ― [GM Ari] : Ah, I see.

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  “Ah, I see…?”

 

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  ― [GM Ari] : I understand that you must have been very confused because 
the game wouldn’t end, Adventurer.

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  The response felt even more soulless than an NPC, causing my mind to go blank for a moment.

 

Of course, the operators had tirelessly worked day and night, dealing with hundreds of players and resolving bugs.

 

‘Is this really a joke? Isn’t this going too far?’

 

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  ― Me: Confused? Are you kidding me? 
A person is trapped inside the game, a human!

  ― Me: And I’m not a player. 
Can’t you see that I’m an NPC character? -_-

  ― Me: I’m an operator too. I logged in to work and got stuck!

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  Filled with anger, I flooded the chat window with my words. Fortunately, it finally got through.

 

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  ― [GM Ari] :  Ah! It’s now confirmed. You’re not a player.

  ― Me: Yes! I’m a member of the operations team. 
I logged in as an NPC character to check the bug, and then I got 
trapped T.T Why can’t I cancel the connection?

  ― [GM Ari] :  Excuse me, but could you please provide the ID you used to 
log in so I can verify your identity?

  ― Me: sari_sss

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  I was a bit skeptical that a member of the development team couldn’t access my account information, but it wasn’t the time to hesitate.

 

I obediently called out my ID.

 

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  ― [GM Ari] : Thank you. Operation Helper Shari Azrael, your identity 
has been verified. You are currently logged in as the character 
‘[Dover Village Apothecary NPC] Shari Azrael.’

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  “Hmm, well.”

 

Feeling a bit embarrassed by the straightforward response from the operator, I coughed unnecessarily.

 

Due to the recent trend of a horizontal organizational structure, the company had everyone using English names.

 

But to have an English name that matched the character I logged in with…

 

How much more like a game company employee could I look?

 

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  ― Me: Now that it’s confirmed, can you please log me out quickly? 

  No matter how much I shout, it won’t end. 

  It’s been two years in game time.

  ― [GM Ari] : Oh… Upon checking, it seems that there’s an error due to the current
emergency system maintenance, which is causing server usage restrictions. ㅠ.ㅠ

  ― Me: ?

  ― Me: Then what should I do?

  ― [GM Ari] : First, I’ll inform the server management team to find a solution.
Can I get back to you with a chat reply later?

  ― Me: No!

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  I opposed and disagreed with the reply that came back.

 

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  ― Me:  I’ve been waiting for two months for a response to 
this bug report!

  ― Me: And I’ve been using the VR device for over 24 hours now, 
what if I die?!

  ― [GM Ari] : (typing. . .)

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  The word “typing” blinked several times in the chat window, as if they were typing some soulless response again.

 

In reality, being trapped in the game wasn’t a big problem. After all, most of the humans living here did so voluntarily.

 

The important thing was that my real body might be starving to death.

 

Now, only 48 hours remained.

 

No, not even 48 hours.

 

I anxiously waited for the operator’s response, feeling my blood run dry.

 

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  ― [GM Ari] :…Then how about sending one of our employees to your home, Shari?
So that we can remove the device.

  ― Me: Yes! Please do it right away!

  ― [GM Ari] :  Is the address registered in your employee information correct?

  ― Me: Yes!

  ― [GM Ari] : Alright, we’ll take immediate action. I know it’s tough, 
but if you could wait a little longer, we would appreciate it.

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  “Finally!”

 

That’s how my chat with the GM ended.

 

I didn’t know how much longer I had to wait, but I didn’t feel as desperate as before.

 

After all, there was hope that I could finally escape from this crazy situation if I just waited a little longer!

 

And if I thought of it positively, living as an NPC in the game wasn’t so bad.

 

Even if I got hungry, my health declined, or couldn’t sleep, all it took was a potion to solve everything.

 

Moreover, I was almost at the maximum level, so there was no risk of dying like the newbie players who had just started the game.

 

‘Well… Is it really not that bad? It’s no different from being a rich, unemployed person.’

 

Since reaching [Count Hailey’s territory] for the first time, I had bought quite a lot of things from the general store, but my coin balance remained abundant.

 

I blocked all the AIs that were harassing me, so my days were peaceful.

 

Except for the worry about my real body starving to death.

 

Naturally, I didn’t even think about returning to [Dover Village] and sat at the temple, waiting.

 

Thanks to my daily rituals, the AIs who came to the temple to pray started considering me a homeless person and didn’t pay much attention to me anymore.

 

Fortunately, this time, there was no unfortunate event that would require waiting for two months.

 

It happened three days later.

 

  [!]

  Sprawled out on a stool in front of the statue of the gods, I jumped out of my seat when I saw a flash of light above the NPC’s head.

 

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  ― [GM Ari] : Thank you for waiting patiently, adventurer… No, Shari!

  ― Me: What happened? Why am I still stuck here?

  ― [GM Ari] :  First, I have unfortunate news to deliver. The server management
team hasn’t found the cause of your abnormal game termination yet. ㅠ–ㅠ

  ― [GM Ari] : Also, when our employee went to the address registered in your
employee information, there was no one at home.

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  “What―?!”

 

Is this what it feels like to have sparks fly out of your eyes?

 

I stumbled over my words like a flustered fish and managed to type in the chat.

 

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  ― Me: Are you sure you came to the right place? 
Where would I be if I wasn’t home?

  ― [GM Ari] : Yes. We even called the locksmith to forcefully open the door,
but the house seemed empty for quite a while. Could you be somewhere else?

  ― Me:  That can’t be true… Did you check the company? 
Is there no trace of me there either?

  ― [GM Ari] : Yes. We checked your department and your workspace,
but you were not there.

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  “That can’t be true…”

 

I foolishly repeated those words, then started hitting my head with both hands.

 

“Remember, you idiot! Remember!”

 

But no matter how much I banged my head and tried to recall, where else would I go if not the company or my house?

 

‘Surely, after working late for the first time in a while, I had a drink at the nearby food stall and went home…’

 

I had been playing the game for too long that my memories were becoming hazy.

 

Furthermore, since I couldn’t even control my mind and became absorbed into virtual reality, playing and living like a real NPC, I was not in a sound state of mind.

 

But being trapped in the game like this and dying was not an option.

 

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  ― Me: Then, please at least file a missing person report for me, please! 
I don’t have any family who can file a report! ㅠ.ㅠ

  ― [GM Ari] : Unfortunately, that’s not possible. Only immediate family members
can file a missing person report for adults.

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  “Fuck…!”

 

To make matters worse, everything blurred in front of my eyes as if I would pass out at any moment.

 

I barely held on to my sanity and asked.

 

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  ― Me: Then… then what am I supposed to do? Just die like this? 
Become a game addict who starved to death while using a VR device…?

  ― [GM Ari] : First, we will do our best to explore all possible
solutions, so please don’t worry too much.

  ― [GM Ari] :  The server management team will soon discover the cause, and we
will investigate your whereabouts by checking the company’s shutdown circuit.

  ― Me: How long will that take?

  ― [GM Ari] : It’s expected to take about two days.

  ― Me: Two days?!!!

  ― Me: That’s 48 hours!

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  Snap.

 

If you’re wondering what that sound was, it was the sound of my barely held sanity breaking.

 

 

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