I wonder how everything is back in my apartment. I estimated about an hour had passed, so the water from the shower head would still be flowing and the computer was still running the last I remember.

On the other hand, right now, as I walked and garnering the attention from the surrounding, oh gosh, my fabulousness has shot up through the roof with my stylish new loin cloth of a bold colour never been explored by men from these world!

Also, I’m surprised, that they didn’t attack the summoned monstrous non-humanoids at first sight. Usually if you see a Basilisk and a Manticore, normally the danger sense would go off the scale and the killing would start, but the monsters didn’t attack either, so it was strange to an impressionable human like me.

After catching up, they once again threw glances or maybe stares at me. Seeing my new accessory, various types of reaction was shown on their faces. Some were indifferent, others were amusement and most of them looked at me with ridicule, especially the group of the mixed red and green haired.

The girl that I made eye contact earlier also took a glance but quickly turned around. I could see from here that she was blushing.

Someone please cast on me that calming spell again.

Right now we were still inside the building but it was a hallway of a sort. Quite a long one too but I could see the end of this hallway after several minutes of walking. After we got outside, it was night and some stars could be seen vaguely. Everyone had their mouths gaping as we were marvelled on. I was no exception.

It was because, it was truly unique. The building that we just came out was a single detached building but that was not what made it unique.

An architectural concept of when man-made architecture incorporates nature as part of its material, a fusion of man’s or not-natural creativity and the will of Mother Nature. That building was the result of it. The columns that supported the buildings were huge trees and wild plants could be seen all around the building. It was as though the building was built accordingly to the flora around it.

That was not the most eye-catching for what stood in front of us, was a building or buildings that were more impressive then the hall.

If I had to describe it, it was like the hanging gardens in ancient Babylon, mixed with multiple Leaning Tower of Pisa’s. The flora; vines and plants were growing without restraint on the surface of the buildings. All the towers were leaning in various directions and there were huge trees among the towers.

It was indeed magical as the moonlight from… well, several moons, shone on the buildings from above.

As I looked around from where we’re standing, there were rows of tropical-like trees and flickering floating lights surrounding the area. Are we in a jungle?

Anyway, between the building hall that we came from and the buildings that we saw in front of us, there was an arboreal garden enclosed by trees filled with flower beds and natural pathways.

“That is the palace of Tchekaz, the seats of the Inheritors of Athryshiayl Hegemony. The Inheritors, the ones who summoned you all, await the summoned ones you in the palace. Please come...”

Said the Head Priest with a beckoning gesture and so we all followed.

Along the way, walking in a garden that had many types of flowers that I had never seen and illuminated by flickering orbs of light, unseen before design to me, this felt quite dream-like. Of course, the scene of various types of creatures surrounded by guards walking in garden of flower fields with a one particular ape wearing a pink cloth is a pretty surreal sight to behold.

It would make a really good work of art.

After a while, we reached a place that looked like an arch-way and in that arch-way was an entrance of sorts. The entrance was shimmering with some sort of energy. There were feathered armoured guards on both side of the arch-way.

“This is a Portal leading directly to the thrones of Inheritors that reside in one of the towers. Before you enter, please prepare yourself.”

The Head Priest informed us.

Prepare yourself? Is this a boss fight or something? Looking around, all the summoned ones were dusting the dirt off their clothes or straightening and checking their clothes.

I didn’t need to do any of that but I straightened my loincloth just for good measure. After everyone finished making themselves prim and proper, our Ubermensch-looking leader nodded at the Head Priest and with that the Head-Priest announced to the summoned; “Enter.”

The Ubermensch, fearless as ever, entered without hesitating. There were sounds of energy crackling when his body seemingly connected and merged with the entrance…then he was gone.

The others looked quite mortified, but a humanoid-looking man with blue-scaled skin and jet-black hair with a tail behind his back, calmly took a step forward.

“It’s alright, I'd sensed that he was transported somewhere else. His energy signature had reappeared into… that tower.”

Said the blue humanoid in assuring tone and then he pointed at one of the towers at the east side from where we were standing. After he did that, he calmly walked towards the entrance and whoosh… he was gone.

The rest of us, seemingly reassured, followed. I inwardly volunteered to be the last one to enter, for it was certainly not because I was afraid, but it was because I realized that this may not be a real summoning and maybe it was really just another different thing entirely.

There might be a possibility that an unheard company had made a new discovery into V.R. technology and I had unwittingly signed a contract with them and therefore I had been knocked unconscious and kidnapped into becoming their test subject for their newest V.R. experiments. Right now, I may be inside a virtual world. That is more believable of a story than this crap that was happening to me. For starters, I vaguely recall there was a blank period between when I got back to my apartment and the time I woke up in the bed, then checked the computer and took a shower. That must be the time when they knocked me unconscious and then kidnapped me.

Still, standing still without doing anything wouldn’t resolve the problem. This must be the story mode where I have to proceed by going along and meet these ‘Inheritors.’

After I clearing some of the story, my consciousness will probably be pulled back into the real world and I probably will be greeted by smiling corporates and then a; ‘Hey welcome back, we hope you liked the experience of our newest simulation-technology. Since you signed a contract, you can’t sue us for this, but rest assured, we’ll keep you updated daily and give you a discount for our products when they go public!”

Hopefully, that’s the best outcome I can expect, so let’s enjoy this while it lasts.

Yes that is it. This is all fake, a product of some unheard of before, VR technology.

So with a sudden cheerful expression I just walked towards the entrance with a renewed, personal assurance.

The Head Priest, seeing me like this, tilted his head curiously. Even though he was an NPC, I tipped an imaginary hat towards him while I walked. This made him even more baffled. The programming and scripting for the AI’s is very thorough and interactive huh…??

After I came into contact with the energy-based entrance, I was suddenly thrust into new scenery. What an impressive program to make it almost fully realistic so that it affected both my body and mind.

I arrived in a grandiose and vibrant hall. All the summoned ones were gawking and gaping at their surroundings.

It was grandiose, in that there were a lot paintings and statues of varied arts decorating the hall and rainbows of colourful dust, in all colours that humans can perceive, was raining down all around on us. It was vibrant because there was a symphony playing right now. Looking around, there were musical instruments some that I recognized and some I didn’t, were performing all around us but there was no players behind the instruments and yet the music flowed like the air itself was the one that was playing.

Is it magic? I wonder how the VR system dictates the magic… maybe just enchanted musical instruments…

The music that was playing sounded classical, but with mixed of polka and it had an oddly timed signature. It was played in cheerful major scale of sorts but there was a set of instruments playing counterpoints.

All this made it feel like we were being welcomed to an award ceremony. I do feel a little bit of a celebrity due to my unsung bravery in wearing something unprecedented and thus made me an iconoclast but this is probably the setting that the game made so it can be something surprising for the player. Overall, I find this experience to be very good.

As that thought went through my mind, the music gradually rose up into a climax as though they were heralding something. Just as I thought that, lights started appearing from above and four figures materialized just after the music was at the highest point of climax.

Bathed in glorious light, the four figures were now fully visible and they were gazing above us with loving smiles.