Gods of Blood and Bone (Seeds of Chaos Book 1) Read Online Free

“MARBLE’S” EXISTENCE. IT’S NOT A MARBLE, BUT IT IS OBVIOUSLY REAL.
    —Bunny—
    I slid the ball from under my pillow where I’d hidden it, and rolled it around my palm. “But he couldn’t see these…hologram screens.”  
    THAT’S BECAUSE THEY’RE ONLY IN YOUR MIND.
    AND DON’T MAKE THAT FACE. JUST BECAUSE THE SCREENS AREN’T REALLY THERE DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE IMAGINING THEM. SOMETHING ELSE IS REAL. THE VR CHIP EMBEDDED IN THE BASE OF YOUR BRAIN.
    —Bunny—
    “VR…Virtual Reality? Embedded in my brain? Is that what they were doing to the back of my neck?” I paused. “Wait, you can see me?”
    I’VE GOT ACCESS TO YOUR LINK CAMERA, AND OUR DOCTOR PUT A COUPLE DIFFERENT MONITORING DEVICES IN YOUR HOUSE UNDER THE GUISE OF CHECKING FOR DANGEROUS MOLD SPORES THAT COULD EXACERBATE YOUR CONDITION, SO WE CAN KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR INITIATION.
    SIGH. IF YOU’D JUST LET ME EXPLAIN WITHOUT INTERRUPTING, ALL OF THIS WOULD BE A LOT EASIER. JUST BE QUIET FOR FIVE MINUTES.
    —Bunny—
    I raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.  
    YOU ARE NOW A PLAYER OF THE GAME. AND AS FAR AS I KNOW, YOU’RE NOT CRAZY. WE TEST FOR THAT BEFOREHAND. THE GAME ISN’T THE CONSOLE OR COMPUTER TYPE YOU MAY BE USED TO. IT’S COMPLETELY INTERACTIVE, COMPLETELY REAL. THE OUTCOME IS ONLY DEPENDENT ON YOU, AND BY LEVELING UP, YOU CAN GAIN THE ABILITY TO CHANGE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOURSELF, IN REAL LIFE. YOU LEVEL UP BY COMPLETING QUESTS GIVEN TO YOU BY ME, YOUR MODERATOR, AND BY ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE TRIALS, WHICH ARE GAME-LIKE TESTS OF YOUR ABILITY. YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN 1 FREE SEED, TO USE AS YOU SEE FIT. YOU MAY NOT TALK ABOUT OR DISTRIBUTE INFORMATION ON THE GAME TO NON-PLAYERS.
    AND EVE…THERE ARE NO DO-OVERS. YOU ONLY HAVE 1 LIFE.
    —Bunny—

    * * *

    Bunny had given me an introductory quest to familiarize myself with the Game’s “user interface,” and then left me in visual silence, writing that he had something more important to tend to.  
    I didn’t proceed with the quest, but instead thought about what he’d said till the lingering fatigue of my sickness overpowered everything, and I slept. I woke and raided the fridge, my body ravenous for the nutrients to rebuild itself, then slept again.  
    The next morning, I was ready to deal with the situation once more.  
    “Bunny?” I called into the empty air of my room, hoping nothing reacted and I could write it all off as a crazy dream.  
    YES.
    —Bunny—
    Tch. No such luck. “I’ve got some more questions.”  
    I HAVE ANSWERS. SOME OF THEM, ANYWAY.
    —Bunny—
    “How are you talking to me like this?
    WE BOTH HAVE VR IMPLANTS, AND THEY SEND SIGNALS TO EACH OTHER. YOUR BRAIN KNOWS WHEN YOU’RE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME AND ACTIVATES THE CHIP.
    —Bunny—
    “You can read my thoughts ?”
    LOL, THEY MAY WANT US TO TELL YOU WE’RE ALL-KNOWING, BUT WE CAN’T RECEIVE MESSAGES YOU DON’T WANT US TO. YOUR PRIVATE THOUGHTS ARE YOUR OWN.
    —Bunny—
    “Did they do the same thing to you they did to me, or did you accept it willingly?”
    THIS IS MY JOB.
    —Bunny—
    “Working for who?”
    HAH! NICE TRY.
    —Bunny—
    “You warned me to keep this Game a secret. What happens if I talk about it with other people?”
    TRUST ME. YOU DON’T WANT TO DO THAT.
    —Bunny—
    “But what if I did?”
    LET’S JUST SAY THAT THE INFORMATION YOU REVEALED WOULD NEVER MAKE IT ANYWHERE FURTHER.
    —Bunny—
    I wondered exactly what that might entail, but the gist was pretty obvious. If I told someone, they’d never be able to tell anyone else. The easiest way I could think to ensure silence was death. “Okay. Next question. What if I refuse to play?”
    LOL. YOU CAN’T REFUSE. YOU’RE A PLAYER, AND THERE’S NO GOING BACK. REFUSING TO PLAY WOULD REALLY ONLY BE DECIDING TO PLAY BADLY . WELL…PERHAPS YOU COULD KILL YOURSELF, BUT RATHER THAN ‘NOT PLAYING,’ I TEND TO THINK OF DEATH MORE ON THE TERMS ‘LOSING.’ ”
    —Bunny—
    I swallowed. “Well, what happens if I play