Dystopian Tales Online

Dystopian Tales Online and Virtual Reality is somehow related. Dystopian Tales Online can be Virtual Reality, however, never the otherwise. That is why some VR players don't have DTO accounts but can use it if ever they want to play the game. One of the players who never played DTO is Ari-05, or known as Aries Sagan in real life.

Aries Sagan, age 19, a part time barista in a shop his uncle owned. Born from a big family, Aries' parents can't send all of their children to college that is why Aries decided to go to the city to earn a living while attending college.

Unlike any of his siblings, Aries was born with an outstanding intellect. He is known for his language skills and is fluent with ten languages at the age of ten. With a course related on the subject, he is attending in one of the known university of the city, and in the world, with a full scholarship. The only thing that he needed to do is the expense for living like food and some other daily necessities.

He is living in a pretty mediocre life, not until the game was introduced to him. By a friend of his uncle, he was given the game as a gift and played it. It's a very long story how he ended up being one of the best players of the game. Forwarding to the current time, he is now standing in front of the building he last visited eight years ago.

Receiving a message early in the morning while he is still on the sleep mode, a message told him about an invitation of a meeting with the time and date. Needless to say, this meeting must be all about the next expansion of the game. There are no other reason for the company to call this kind of gathering.

As for Aries, he just agreed and accepted the invitation. Ari-05 is the only humanoid who managed to enter the top 5 and one of the two humanoids of the top ten. He is part of the first string players that is why it's not something that is surprising. Most of the people in the top ten are first string players.

He arrived as early as possible. He entered the building with an identification, an escort approached him, and they went to the hall where most of the meetings happen. When he arrived, there are already some people waiting inside.

the meeting place is a conference room with a huge round-edged square table with two dozens of office chairs arranged in a distance in both of the sides. On the other end of the table is another chair that is mainly for the president to sit, while on the opposite direction is a white board and an overhead projector.

Aries just counted the seats where numbers are being placed. There are also additional plates in front of the seats where titles are placed. Like just on the side of the seats where he was placed. Two plates are there saying that on his right, where the top 4 can be found, is the Guild Leader of Arcana and on his right is the Thunder Beast's Guild Leader. Looking over at the President's chair he found the name of his Guild.

Clover must have owned that place.

He just waited as people started coming in. He was served with a drink and some snacks while waiting. This is the hospitality of the Foster Company. Never they treated their people as servants but an asset. While waiting, he recognized some people. One of them is on the Top 12, Xav-11.

The image of the elven is almost close to his real life face. Like that fluffy and comfortable feeling around him, he also brings the flowers as he greeted the people he met on the door. The players who recognized him by just his aura greeted him heartily. He waved his hand when he caught Aries looking over him.

Xav-11, known as Xavier Church in real life, is a genius computer engineer. Aries found him in a conference inside the college and somehow watched his forum even though he has no interest in programming. May it be because he is smart enough to understand his topic but the reality that Xavier is the heir of a computer company completely surprised Aries.

The man is humble, he admits. When it comes to kindness, everyone will vote into him with no doubt.

Fifteen minutes has passed and every chair was being occupied except the two chairs on the very edge where the positions of Top 2 and Top 1 is placed. Though there is still time left, it's a bit surprising to know that the top positions are still empty. Of course, one would assume that because they are the top they can arrive any time they want. That is not a good thing.

Clover never comes in late, Aries told himself.

He drummed his fingers on the table while counting seconds. Some of the players are bored, while some opened their phones to check on their social media sites. The two guild leaders beside him waited patiently. That is when he heard someone calling his attention on the left side.

"Hmmm?"

He faced the guild leader of Arcana, Rio-72. On his ID, it says that he is Roderick Hussein and is wearing a gakuran - he must be still on his last year in high school. Roderick motioned his hand as if wanting Aries to come closer. Not only Aries but also the Thunder Beast's Leader's attention was caught.

"What is it?" Aries asked.

"I've been wondering, are you the bartender at the Cassaianne?" Roderick asked.

"Yeah, why?" Aries responded.

"Oh good, then I think this will fit in you!"

The high school kid suddenly took out a black clothing from his paper bag and quickly pushed it towards Aries. They caught the attention of the other players who are surprised when they heard Aries yelped.

"What is happening?" Xavier quickly stood up and approached the two.

Roderick is holding some black robe with a hood that you can usually see worn by fortune tellers. By the looks of it, he is trying to fit it in with Aries who are too surprised to resist. Xavier saw the interesting thing and took out another clothing from the paper bag the high school student brought.

"What is this?" Xavier asked as he looked on the size while estimating if it will fit him or not.

"A costume," the high school boy exclaimed.

"A costume for?" Xavier decided to try the robe and is now fitting on hand on one sleeve.

"Well, when I received the message of the meeting I suddenly got excited and prepared some disguise. I brought in robes and cloaks for everyone to wear. Can't you see, just imagine the look of the scientists if ever they saw us in a black surroundings in black robes as if we are in a cult or something! Can't you imagine their faces?"

"Oh!" Xavier is already wearing the robe fitting him perfectly. "That could be a good thing! Don't you think this looks good on me?"

"Ooh! Ho ho ho, it perfectly fit you. You really look like the head master of the cult or something!"

Aries watched the two laughing enthusiastically. They both wore the embarrassing clothes while boosting their energies. Aries decided to not join the fad when Xavier saw him folding the clothes.

"No! Ari, you also need to wear it!" Xavier demanded. "Wear it!"

"N-no, I'm too old to wear something childish and embarrassing like that," Aries refused.

"Too old?"

Xavier moved on the seat where the 25-year-old Jung 55, Young Dong-Jun is seated. Xavier just casually placed the robe above the head of the man as if ignoring the age and the barriers that could tell that he should never do that especially that these guys are never really in truce not in the game.

"Can't you see? Jung is also old but it looks perfectly well on him!" Xavier didn't mean to drop some bombs but the people inside the room can tell that the air has gone cold.

Dong-Jun removed the robe above his head and threw a deathly glare towards the bunny. Xavier quickly felt it and sweat dropped, slowly turning his head around to see the man. Young Dong-Jun is no ordinary man. He might be the oldest player on the game but of all he is the only one who already graduated in college and has a stable job at the age of twenty.

Now that he is 25, he owned an accounting firm with the money he got from playing VR.

"What do you mean that I look cute?" Dong-Jun asked in his most terrifying, earth shaking, voice that not only made Xavier tremble but also all the people inside the room.

"Well, well, just let our little bunny pass and wear this robe like a real man, soldier," Roderick entered the scene and quickly dressed the man in a split second. "A.. you pretty much look like a model!"

Two voices from the side laughed out. They are the cousins, Melon-45 and Allen-38, which are known as Damian Forbes and Alexander Murphy respectively. Damian, the head of the Merlin's Box, took one out from the paper bag and find his fit. He showed it to Alexander.

"Now, I do really look like I'm from the undead race," He said with a smirk. "All who belonged to the Merlin's Box, I am ordering you to wear the same clothing as mine. And don't be shy, this one really looks good on us."

The players are actually bored just followed him and wore the robes, even if they are not part of the guild. It came to a point when everyone is wearing the robe with the hood covering their faces. By the perspective of the people who are watching them, they really look like a part of the cult. Do they have to lit some candles to level up the fun?

They just sat there silently. There's only a little time left. The scientists who are to explain the details entered the room almost in shock. They even wondered if they entered the right room of they sent the messages to some cult people. The players snickered by the reaction and laughter filled the room.

"Don't scare me like that!" The head scientist said, named Ivan Carter.

"Your face!" Xavier laughed out.

"I don't know what you mad people are thinking! And here I thought I started some religion of games or something," Carter commented.

"Religion of games? I kinda like that," Alexander pointed out.

"More of a cult," Damian snickered.

Light laughter filled the place again. Carter raised his board up to silence them.

"Oh well, I think everyone is here already so can we start-"

"The two are still not here," Damian pointed the chairs beside him.

"Oh..." Carter said, pushing the rim of his glasses up. "As for Frass, he is flying from a trip in China that is why he might be a little late. And for Clover..."

Right just when Carter to say something else when they heard the door opened with plenty of steps coming. The room is been lit dark when Carter decided to start his presentation that is why these men got confused. One voice that they heard a lot of times filled the place.

"Oh shit, have I not sleeping enough time or it was just I'm seeing a cult rising over here. Are you sure this is the right room?"