Chapter Two: Yunon (Interlude)

**Chapter Two: *Yunon (Interlude)*** is the third chapter of *CyberWorld*.

## Synopsis

Michael's first time in CyberWorld goes horribly wrong.

## Plot

Michael spawns in Yunon, the town from Opening where a large crowd has gathered in front of a wooden stage in the Town Square. When he kneels down to touch the stone floor, a mechanical crow lands in front and eyes him inquisitively. When Michael reaches out to pat it, the crow pecks his finger and flies away. He looks at the blood flowing from his finger with awe, irked by how realistic the bite was. Michael makes his way to a row of shops near the stage where a small group of players are engaged in discussion, including a young man in a yellow poncho and his girlfriend. However, the young man turns his nose up at Michael, forcing him to venture off on his own. He ends up outside a modest weapons store and walks inside, admiring the holograms of various weapons and attachments on the shelves. Michael notices the cashier (a young girl reading *Tried & True*) and asks her for weapon recommendations. She introduces him to the TRIN-12 Trinity shotgun and the POS-15 Point Sight handgun, both being low-cost options suitable for beginners. Michael purchases the TRIN-12 from the girl but is unable to express his gratitude wholeheartedly since he doesn't know her. The girl introduces herself to him as Yoona.

Back in the Town Square, a squadron wearing dark blue armour called the Cybersecurity Reinforcement Division surrounds the bottom of the stage carrying kinergy rifles. The ceremony commences as Aiko and Suki comes on stage at varying speeds. Suki tries making an opening joke to impress the audience, but the crowd mostly remains silent at her quip. When she catches the squadron's leader hinting for her to finish her speech quickly, Suki announces a mysterious event that involves testing players' skills to much needed applause.

The ground below the crowd begins to shake, causing everyone to lose their balance, with the exception of Leader. A portal glitches into existence on the stage behind Aiko and Suki. A faction of soldiers, this one wearing white robes, storm the stage with a variety of weapons at their disposal. A figure who appears to be their leader steps out from behind them wearing darker robes. He introduces himself as Enoch, stating that through "the First’s noble sacrifice", humanity has been given a chance to return to its old ways without the help of machines. Michael recognises him as his high school senior, and is visibly shaken by this reveal.

Although Suki requests for him to leave the venue, Enoch continues his speech, saying that he has removed the log-out function for everyone and insinuates that dying in the game means dying in real life. In a response to this overt threat, the C.R.D second-in-command prepares to open fire on Enoch, but the Apostle next to Enoch unleashes a barrage of bolts onto her, punching several holes into her body. Now in crisis mode from getting caught off guard, Leader and the C.R.D open fire on the Apostles, while the rest of the squadron escorts Aiko and Suki off stage. Michael is launched into a state of panic along with the crowd, dropping to his knees. As Leader puts up a riot shield, the same Apostle from earlier shoots a C.R.D soldier without cover. He falls down the stairs with his hand still on the trigger, smashing nearby shop windows and killing several people in the crowd, tying into the opening scene.

Still trying to flee from the Town Square, Michael trips over a girl's corpse and comes face-to-face with Yellow Poncho Guy lying next to her. He lifts his girlfriend's hand with his and tells Michael, "Without this, you'll die". Puzzled by his cryptic words, Michael gulps and nods. As he watches the chaos around him unfurl, we hear his voiceover begging for him to "get out of here". In an instant, a blue aura flashes across Michael's body, its energy crackling across his skin. While players in the crowd watch on, Michael is sucked into a vortex from the Town Square.

## Trivia

* The name *Yunon (Interlude)* is a reference to Yukon (Interlude), a song by comedian turned singer Joji.