Outrun – Cyberpunk LitRPG Chapter 104

“Who… am I?” The cold running through my body spiked, dropping ice through my bloodstream. Insight. That’s right, it was Insight. Was I in danger? I didn’t feel like I was in danger… but Insight has never lied to .

”Yes, choom. Who are you?”

”I’m-“ Sothing isn’t right. This feels wrong. Why’s my head so foggy?

”Heartbeat spiking.”

Why are they watching my heartbeat? This isn’t right. I need to get out of here. This isn’t right. Gah, my head! Why was it so slow? It felt like molasses replaced my brain without noticing. Only the chills of Insight sending icey pangs of cold through allowed a fraction of focus. The cold hits- cold… cold… right.

I ntally flicked on Cold-Blooded, feeling my blood freeze over in an instant as the fog in my head cleared partially under the frozen tirade. I carefully schooled my expression, keeping it as lackadaisical as possible as I shuttered my eyes, trying to get my mind back running as the worst brain freeze ever broke through my skull.

The assistant spoke up from my side. ”Heartbeat plumting heavily.”

Out of my peripherals, I watched her ss around on a tablet. A tablet connected to a strap around my arm. I recognized the setup; she was checking my vitals. When did that happen?

It was even more of a wake-up call as the ice flow of my blood fought back against my desire to just go to sleep. I had yet to take drugs willingly, but the sensation reminded of the few tis I’d gotten second-hand highs from the sheer amount of smoke around the Ryu Container Yard-

“Her pupils are still dilated… we’ll continue.” The principal snapped his fingers annoyingly in front of my eyes. “You there? C’mon, you can trust , your choom. What’s your real na?”

I carefully controlled myself as my mind tried to catch up with what was going on. I needed to buy ti. I curled up on the chair, wrapping my arms tightly around myself. “S-so cold…”

I felt a woman’s hand wrap around my wrist, barely resisting the urge to toss her off and get out of here. “Her temperature has dropped severely, sir.”

When did it start? I tried to think back, but the entire morning was one steady decline of tiredness and relaxation. What- my eyes dropped to the plant that shifted off my lap as I curled up.

I flickered Aetherial Perception on, nearly going blind as the entire office lit up like a firework. Every plant in the office had a halo of ethereal energy radiating off of it, similar to the haze plant I saw in Drew’s stash way back when.

“Might be an allergic reaction like Christine and Boris had…” Principal Bously muttered.

The puzzle pieces slowly started to click together in my mind. The plants were all over the school. I thought Insight was warning of the other students ever since I first entered, but what if the warning was of the plants? In the recording of the principal, he ntioned running experints on teenagers. That, paired with what they were trying to do with - were they running mind control experints?

Even now, warring against the effects of Cold-Blooded, a back part of my mind was pleading just to listen and follow the principal. To just ntally give up and give in to his gentle-

I shifted my gaze, eyeing the plants out of the corners of my eyes. A large part of wanted to deny their existence. To pretend they were just pretty flowers that wouldn’t bother . To let them fade into the background as if they weren’t even there.

The feeling was similar to the complete apathy I originally felt when I found those haze plants in Drew‘s stash. I knew they were there, I knew they were potentially harmful, and yet my mind was being tricked into knowing they didn’t matter. Into knowing there was nothing there. Thankfully, blasts of headache-inducing frost blocked that voice from overpowering .

What else was going on- No, now wasn’t the ti for this. First things first: survive. I can think about it after we get out of here.

Principal Bously snapped his fingers in front of again like a hypnotist grabbing the attention of their victims. “As soon as we‘re done here, we can move sowhere warr! Tell , who are you?”

“M-no Maeni, the granddaughter of Archduke Maeni…” I lied, slowly speaking the words as if I was still under the effect of whatever they were doing to .

”Hmm…” Principal Bously frowned. I could see it in his expression though. Every Cue read ‘Was I wrong?’

He must’ve been sure I wasn’t really no before he dragged in here, and now that I was ‘telling the truth’, I could see the confusion settling. The doubt. And, though it was hidden, the fear. Was he… afraid of ? No. Not . Of Archduke Maeni. Of ssing with the Archduke’s granddaughter.

“Sir?” The assistant asked from my side. “Are we-“

The principal held out a hand, silencing the assistant. The frown on his face deepened as he pushed through his concerns. “Who is Trovare?”

”B-baron Trovare is my guard, sent by my grandfather to protect .” I answered, trying to manipulate that fear in him. “He’s supposed to defend long enough for the rest of my guards to co.”

I needed to get out of here alive. Pronto. The best way for that? Continue acting. If he decided I really was no, the principal wouldn’t dare to attack . That fear would control him better than anything I could do. If he decided I wasn’t? Well, Sentinel’s security could co at his beck and call and get rid of without much of an effort. No one would ever know where I went.

”Hmm… Do you know this person?” The principal pulled a picture off his desk and held it in front of my face. It was Feras. Was that the security breach he was talking about? Was Feras screwing over even after leaving? Damn that useless idiot! Grifter my ass.

I leaned forward slightly, my eyes still half closed as I swayed drowsily. I forced a deep yawn before answering. Beside , the assistant also yawned, though she cut it off as the principal glared at her. “He’s in my first hour. Didn’t show up today.”

”And what of this?” The principal, if that’s even who he really was, held up my Listener into the light. It had been crushed, bits of wire hanging out. It looked as if the micro transceiver had been destroyed entirely by… a pen maybe?

Ah, so that’s the real reason he was suspicious. Or at least one of them. I figured I’d be long gone before that would bite in the ass. I should’ve known better. Maybe I should add a self-destruct to- No, don’t get distracted, Shiro. “A… I d-don’t know? Looks like scrap tal.”

”Heartbeat is still steady, albeit extrely low, sir.” The assistant said from my side. “Three minutes left before Hippocampus Degradation.”

Hippocampus Degradation? That really, really doesn’t sound good. I wish I could call for backup- no, I should’ve called for backup when I first noticed sothing was off. Now it was too late. No way Feras could get here, and Torren might still be under the effects of the flowers.

Not that it would matter anyway. If they kicked up a fuss, Sentinel security would put us down. It was basically an admission of guilt, especially if Feras popped up. I could still get out of this.

The principal let out a growl, twisting back around to grab a different plant. He handed it to , my hands loosely grabbing at the pot as I stared into space. “Damnit! We’ll have to start the rewrite early…”

The new plant also glowed with an ethereal light now that I knew what to look for. More importantly, it gave off a sickly sweet scent that brought a cloudy feeling to my head. That sensation was blasted apart with every pulse of thick, cold blood through my head. I tried not to breathe as deeply, wishing I had my mask with . It didn’t work.

The assistant stood up. ”Should I call in Trovare-“

”No. The archduke likely put him through ntal training. We aren’t at the stage to ss with that level of ntal acuity yet without the subject noticing.” Principal Bously’s face twisted in irritation. “Call in the next person on the list.”

”Sir.” The assistant moved, pulling the strap off my arm and rewrapping it around the tablet as she tidied up the room slightly. Then she slipped out of the room.

The principal spoke to , poorly hidden irritation in his face as he tried to control his expression. “Close your eyes, no. Focus on the sound of my voice.” He waited for to follow his instructions. “Good, you’re doing good. Now imagine how you first walked into here. Imagine that relaxed and comfortable sensation of settling deeper and deeper into the chair.”

The principal continued to drone on for several minutes as he repeated keywords and phrases, but I stopped paying attention after I realized what he was trying to do. The guy was attempting to put into a trance to make forget the past several minutes.

It was good news, all things considered. If he was going through the effort of making forget this happened, then his suspicions of not being no must be just that: suspicions. I probably wouldn’t be disappeared if he was putting in the effort.

”When I snap my fingers, wake up and forget the past ten minutes.” Principal Bously commanded. He didn’t wait as his fingers clipped each other, a sharp and crisp sound echoing forth from them.

I jolted ‘awake’, rubbing my arms fiercely to fight back so of the frigid cool of my Perk. “Where- Oh, sorry principal. I m-must’ve fallen asleep for a few monts.”

The man eyed suspiciously for a mont before his usual smarmy smile- it was always smarmy, right? Why was I thinking it was kind when I first walked in? How deep did these effects- “Not a problem, my Lady… I just wanted to discuss how you were fitting in.”

”I-its going alright, I guess.” I was fitting in so well that I beca part of this freak’s experints without even realizing it. I should’ve turned him over to the Inquisitor as soon as I found sothing. Why hadn’t I?

”Good, good… how are you liking your classes?” The suspicion didn’t quite leave his eyes, though his expression loosened slightly.

“T-they’re fine. Corporate History is a bit of a drag, but o-other than that they’re fine.” I doubt I would’ve been able to stay calm enough to continue the conversation as if he didn’t just try to brainwash if not for Cold-Blooded. I can’t believe I thought the Perk was useless. I really need to set aside so ti to look through the rest of my Perks and double-check them.

“So I’ve he-“

The bell rang cutting the principal off. I jumped up from my seat. “S-sorry, I guess ti flies…”

Principal Bously waved to the door as he turned to so papers on his desk. He didn’t take his eyes off of though. “Go on ahead. I pulled you out of… lunch? Go ahead and take lunch with the younger students.”

”R-right…” I slowly moved towards the door, desperately holding myself from rushing. I was so close to freedom. It would be horribly stupid to do sothing suspicious. My hand gripped the door handle-

“Oh, Lady no?”

I froze, feeling like an idiot for jinxing myself. I turned back around slowly as I forced another yawn. “Yes?”

“You forgot your bag.”

”Right… sorry.” I went back to my seat, carefully avoiding eye contact as I grabbed my bag and left the office. I passed by another student walking into the office. Probably the next person on the guy’s list.

No one stopped as I left and headed for the lunch room. I spent the rest of the day taking it slow, acting as if I was half asleep. The entire ti my brain ran through ideas, spine-chilling simulations of how things could’ve gone down, and observations of the almost zombie state everyone seed to be in.

Torren seed a little better off, but not by much. I decided against warning him in case we were under watch as I suspected. Thankfully, the rest of the day passed by without anything terrible happening. At least, so far.