The Jungles of Cirkon: Tutorial

(Fair Warning ~ This gender swapped, action/adventure, sci-fi hentai litRPG features elements of non-consensual sex, sex with aliens, monsters and other non-humans, tentacle stuff, seduction, coercion, dominance and submission, male/female sex -well kinda, maybe however you want to classify the gender-swapped sex...on top of the violence, fantasy elements, and plot stuff... Or it may not...every chapter's a little different. If you're still in...please enjoy, and thanks for reading! ~Karin Mac)

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Logging In.

It started with an email from a buddy of mine.

Holy shit, bro! You have to check out this new VRG I found! It's fucking unbelievable! Meet me at The Grid tonight, I'm strapping in at 7!

It was from Tommy, we'd been tight ever since we were kids. He'd always been way more into gaming than me, but ever since virtual reality tech had reached complete neuro-immersive capabilities...he'd become a little obsessed. I didn't judge him, I played regularly, but he could have been the poster-child for all those groups lobbying to have the VR games outlawed.

See, these games were jacked directly into your brain. When you were inside a game you would see, smell, feel, hear, and EVERYTHING else, just like you were there! Of course, people began to worry that this would allow the game corporations to do things like mind-control and all the other dystopian bullshit that sci-fi books and movie have always warned us about. Not mention the groups that feared addictive qualities, and of course more than a few old timers who just didn't like anything new.

The government made those corporations do all kinds of studies to prove that mind control was impossible. Some subliminal suggestion was found to be effective, but no more than your average Pepsi commercial. Plus, the companies producing this tech were making tons of money, and giving big political kickbacks, so VR gaming wasn't going anywhere soon.

Anyway, Tommy wasn't the kind of guy to get excited easily, and hyperbole was never his thing. If he called a game "fucking unbelievable" then it was worth checking out.

I ground through the afternoon at work, unable to stop myself from wondering what kind of game could be so "unbelievable." I'd played the fantasy VRMMORPG's and walked in their sprawling, magical country sides. I'd tried the realistic combat simulators, which were intense, but undercut by the fact you still knew you couldn't actually die. I'm not even too proud to admit that I tried one or two of the porno games, which...alright, those were pretty fun...until you had to get out of the rig and face the operators. You felt like a real pervert then.

When I finally got off work, I swung by home to change out of my monkey suit and grab some dinner before heading off to meet Tommy.

The Grid was an off-books VRcade that only the most avid gamers knew about. Them and the few friends they brought, like Tommy had me. It was actually an early access facility, games that had moved beyond beta testing but weren't quite ready for commercial release. Sometimes games that were never going to be released commercially for one reason or another.

I was never 100% comfortable in the games at The Grid. Sometimes there were still glaring bugs, that ruined the fun or sounded dangerous even. I'd heard rumors about a girl that ended up stuck in a game for two days once, because her logout prompt was buggy. Not sure how I'd deal with something like that. I played pretty casually, truth is I was never very good at any game I played. I just wanted to escape reality for a few hours, have a little fun, logout and go home.

It was after seven by the time I got to The Grid. I went inside to find someone working the counter who I didn't recognize. Since, I wasn't a frequent visitor though, this didn't trigger any red flags. He was tall, a little too old to be working admissions at a VRcade, but smiled at me like he knew me.

"Welcome to The Grid," he beamed. "What game are we playing tonight?"

"Oh shit," I replied, Tommy hadn't mentioned the name. "I just realized I don't know...buddy of mine sent me an email today, said there was a new game, said it was-"

"Fucking unbelievable?"

"Uhh, yeah?" I nodded. "Guess that's the going consensus?"

"Seems to be...5 btc, please."

It was the usual rate. Five bitcoin for as long as you could play before the Vitals Monitoring System sensors determined your vitals might be dipping too low and forced you to logout for food and water, or to get some sleep or whatever. I tapped my cellphone on the pay terminal and the man smiled again.

"This way..."

"Wait," I said. "I'm actually supposed to be meeting my buddy Tommy...is he here, do you know?"

The man paused, scratching his chin. "Tommy? Oh, yes, he said he was meeting a friend but he went ahead and logged in. Said to see you on the other side."

That sounded like Tommy. Especially when he was in full on obsession mode with a game. I nodded, and the man led on. He took me to a room at the back, knocked on the door twice. A gorgeous young woman opened the door and smiled at me. She was wearing a lab coat and glasses, and was simply way too hot to be working at The Grid.

"Oh hello," she said through a perfect-toothed grin. "Ready to try the new game I see?"

I chuckled, feeling myself blush. "Sure, I hear it's-"

"Fucking unbelievable!" she cut me off.

"Geez, is that the name of the game or something?" I laughed.

She hurried me inside, shutting the door behind me. Seeing the set up took my breath away. Before me was a huge wall lined with boxes, reminding me of a mausoleum. They were made from some nearly translucent polymer and back lit by radiant neon lights. I could just barely make out the shapes of bodies lying in some of them. Across from that was a huge control console, like something you'd expect to see at SpaceX.

Normally the game rooms were just full of cots or recliners, and you logged in with a helmetlike neuro-rig. The operator would have a single desktop computer on some flimsy folding table, to monitor the game systems, but nothing like this.

The pretty operator walked over to the wall, found an empty case and tapped the control panel. It slid open smoothly and inside I could see a much more streamlined version of the neuro-rig. This was next level stuff.

"So, uh, what's with the coffins," I joked trying hide a sudden nervousness.

She grinned at me. "This is where the tech is headed, a more luxurious experience and all that...y'know, like when they started putting recliners in movie theaters."

Seemed obvious when she put it like that, still I wasn't thrilled at the prospect of being sealed in a plastic tube, just to play a VR game. Still, my intrigue overrode my apprehension and when she motioned for me to lay down, I did.

The bottom was some kind of malleable silicone, molding itself perfectly to my back. It was so comfortable my apprehension vanished, laying on those lumpy cots always left me sore and cramped, this would surely eliminate that aspect of gaming.

She helped me put on the new neuro-rig, barely more than a headband, and asked if I was ready, then tapped a button near my shoulder. I felt the coffin sliding back into place. The neon light brightened to a blinding, almost painful proportion and suddenly I felt the sickening lurch as the neuro-rig took me in.

Tutorial.

Everything was a formless white void for a moment. Then a face appeared before me. Actually, a row of faces, and above them a flashing words that read: CHARACTER SELECTION.

Damn, I preferred games where I could customize my avatar. At least this game had a huge list of pre-fab characters to choose from though. I scrolled through, seeing only names and faces, wasn't much to go on. I noticed some of them were blocked which I assumed to meant those had been chosen by other players already. I wondered if this were some kind of PVP arena game...guess I'd find out soon enough.

Eventually I scrolled past a face that kind of resembled mine...or at least how I imagined mine would look if they ever made a movie about me. This face sported rugged good looks, a sharp jawline, piercing green eyes, dark cropped hair, and went by the name Mercer.

Reaching out with my mind to select Mercer, suddenly the face beside his started flashing instead, and the words: YOU HAVE SELECTED LEX! Flashed before me. Who the hell was Lex? This was a pretty glaring bug, nothing could ruin a game as quickly as running around in a body that you didn't like being in. That's why most VRG's let you customize your avatar these days.

There was a sudden sensation as if I was rising upwards, and then I came through a sort of energy portal into an actual room. It was always something of a relief when you came out of the void into the actual game simulation with familiar dimension and space. This chamber was a perfect cube, with seamless metallic walls.

I stepped forward off the energy portal, and immediately noticed an odd swaying feeling from my chest and hips. I looked down at myself to see a pair of breasts. I quickly took in the rest of my body... My avatar had silky, bright green hair falling past a pair of rounded shoulders, slender arms ending in distinctly feminine hands, a narrow waist with gently curving hips and a full round booty leading down to a pair of long legs. Lex was a fucking GIRL!?

I was wearing a shiny purple half jacket, over a blue tube top which left my stomach bare. Below that was a pair of skin tight booty shorts, the same purple as the jacket, which didn't quite cover my ample butt cheeks. Below that, a pair of black, knee high, high-heeled boots. Not just a girl, I was your typical sexy video game babe. Fucking unbelievable!

I know lots of people play opposite gendered avatars in VRGs and I don't judge, who cares? It's never been my thing though, in fact the thought had always left me mildly uncomfortable. Especially in the games with sex mechanics, and...wait!

I quickly stuck my new, feminine hands into those skin-tight shorts and probed my crotch. Sure enough, I felt the soft fleshy folds of labia and the opening of a vagina...my vagina. It was smooth and hairless, sensitive to the touch, and sent a pleasant little shiver up my spine just from my meager inspection. This game certainly had some form of sexual pleasure mechanics.

I wondered if I could just log out and choose another avatar. I opened my HUD and inspected the stats. Lex...I was a HUMAN intergalactic BOUNTY HUNTER (Lvl 1) with 50HP. I specialized in energy weapons, with a weakness in Close Quarters Combat. My inventory was empty and there was a list of special skills that had to be unlocked before I could see them. It was a pretty standard layout for a VRG but where the logout command usually was, instead there was a flashing button: START GAME.

Guessing I would have to start before I could log out, I tapped the button. Immediately I heard static in my left ear, as if I were wearing an ear piece. Then a predictably gravelly male voice began to speak.

"Lex, this is Lt. Commander Dreg of the Intergalactic Space Navy, thank god I reached you!" As he spoke, a crackled video screen appearing in the air before me. "As you know this is Captain Korvas, the most notorious space pirate in the galaxy!" The picture of a nasty looking alien appeared on the screen. He had a silvery beard and big black eyes, with two sharp little horns protruding from the grey skin of his forehead. "As you may not know, the ISN has recently been in development of a top-secret weapon called the Imminent Dominator! Last week, Captain Korvas stole the designs and a half-finished prototype!" The screen flashed through some pre-rendered video of Korvas and his crew killing some space naval officers, and stealing some typical looking sci-fi cannon. "Lex, I know you haven't always seen eye to eye with the ISN but, dammit, this is bigger than that! If Korvas assembles that weapon, no one will be able to stop him!"

The words: AWAITING YOUR RESPONSE... Flashed under the screen, it was a prompt for me to interact.

"I, uh, understand sir...fuck that's weird!" I said in a lilting, high-pitched tone. Hearing myself speak in a woman's register was kind of like when you partially lose your voice...you feel like you're talking normally but the sound just doesn't come out right.

"We have no idea where Captain Korvas is hiding but luckily we have a little time," Lt. Cdr. Dreg started up again. "Korvas still needs 5 components to fully assembled the Imminent Dominator! He's dispatched his top 5 lieutenants to get them!" The screen changed to display the faux mugshots of 5 mean looking space pirates, the game bosses no doubt. "If you can intercept them, and either save the component, or find out where Korvas is hiding...we might have a prayer!"

I looked through my HUD and searched the screen for a skip command. This was shaping up to be an interesting game, if a little cliché. Almost kind of a throw back feel to it. I was definitely intrigued, but since I had to quit and change avatars I didn't want to stand through this intro twice. No skip, no exit, no command prompt would respond while Lt. Cdr. Dreg was talking.

"I know you BOUNTY HUNTERS don't work for free, Lex," Lt. Commander Dreg went on. "So bring me those components and not only will the ISN be eternally grateful but there'll be a hefty reward in it for you!" The response prompt flashed again.

"Yes, sir," I sighed.

"Oh and Lex, one more thing," he sounded suddenly more severe. "We have every ISN AGENT out searching for these components, but news travels fast, every criminal organization in the galaxy is after this thing as well." Now other faces started flashing across the screen, I recognized some of them as the other character avatars. "Every other BOUNTY HUNTER, ASSASSIN, GALACTIC GANGSTER and any SPACE PIRATE not working for Korvas is out looking for these things too! Watch yourself, and trust no one! Good luck!" Translation, watch out for the other players.

The screen faded from sight and behind it was a strange looking gun floating in midair, slowly spinning in a circle. It was short and round with a wide glowing barrel. Flashing above it was the words: BEGIN TUTORIAL.

I checked through my HUD again, still no logout command. So I grabbed the gun to start the tutorial. The words: PLASMA PISTOL ACQUIRED. flashed where the gun had been. Then a section of the wall before me slid open, revealing a long hallway beyond.

I headed into the hallway, noticing the way my curvy hips swayed when I walked. Luckily the games mechanics took over a bit, so I didn't have to figure out how to walk in heels! I could run too, and started to hurry down the hallway. The running made my breasts bounce, and I couldn't help but giggle a little at the unfamiliar sensation. My heels thumped noisily as I went, I guess Lex wasn't a stealth character.

Suddenly, something jumped out in front of me. It was some kind of green skinned alien. He came up to about my shoulder, glaring at me with red oval eyes set in an oversized head. He had stubby legs, but long spindly arms that ended in big hands, so his knuckles dragged when he walked. He let out a threatening little snarl and I could see rows of sharp needle-like teeth.

Suddenly everything froze and an instruction panel popped up, it read: Watch out! This is a ZAUKNOID, Korvas's primary type of soldier... use your PLASMA PISTOL to destroy him!

I followed the instructions, lifting my gun and pulling the trigger. A blue beam of energy ripped from the barrel, I could feel the surge reverberate through my arm, a very visceral and exciting sensation. The blast hit the snarling alien between the eyes and he burst into a shower of sparkling pixels. Cool, very retro. I couldn't wait to get into a male avatar and give this game a real go.

I hurried along, blasting three more ZAUKNOIDS into sparkly bits as I did. When a fourth leapt out at me, I aimed and pulled the trigger but nothing happened. Again, everything froze, and another instructional panel popped up: Oops! You're out of charges (ammo)...quick recharge with the BLAST PACK behind that ZAUKNOID!

I ran up to the attacking alien and kicked him as hard as I could. He bounced back a step but didn't seem to take any damage and came at me again. I cocked my arm to through a punch, but he grabbed my wrist and yanked me forward.

Everything froze mid yank, and a new instruction panel appeared: Oh no! Lex is a very weak fighter, so try to avoid Close Quarters Combat...now the ZAUKNOID has caught you!

Great, what does that mean, I wondered as the text box faded. The game unfroze and the alien finished pulling me in. Before I knew what was happening he spun me around and grabbed my breasts! I could feel those oversized hands groping and squeezing my firm, plump flesh, and the sensation sent tingles all through my chest.

As the little bastard molested me, my health bar appeared before my eyes. Underneath it was another bar labeled: SP: 0. My HP began to tick down and at the same time my SP ticked up! Oh shit.

Finally, the little guy let me go, and I stumbled away gasping for breath. I checked my bars; HP: 44, SP: 8.

Everything stopped for another instruction panel: Be careful! The ZAUKNOIDS have no women on their planet and the only thing more important than following their captain's orders...is their desire to mate! If your Health Points get too low, or your Stimulation Points get too high, they will take you prisoner for breeding!

OH. FUCK. NO. This was one of those games!? I think they called them hentai games or HVRG, something like that. Why the hell would Tommy want me to play something like this? He knew I wasn't into this kind of thing. I so distracted wondering what Tommy was thinking, I didn't notice things were moving again.

The ZAUKNOID shoved me against the wall and grabbed my breasts again! His big hands closed around the soft orbs, squeezing and twisting them, sending a surge of tingles through my chest. A girlish moan escaped my lips and a shiver ran down my spine. (HP: 38 StimP: 20)

When he finally let go, I kicked the little perv again, knocking him back just enough for me to dive on the BLAST PACK. The gun hummed in my hand and I noticed a counter appear on it's back. (CHG: 4) Damn, I only get four shots with this thing, hopefully there were upgrades soon.

I blasted the leering alien just before he grabbed me again. My breasts heaved as I took in a deep, relieved breath, and I noticed that my nipples were clearly hard underneath the thin material of my tube top. This was too weird.

Whirling back towards the exit I made a dash down the hallway. I tried unsuccessfully to keep my boobs from bouncing with my free arm, keeping my PLASMA PISTOL up in front with the other. Several more ZAUKNOIDS jumped out at me, I avoided the ones I could, blasted the ones I couldn't and kept running. A few attacks landed, punching me with those big meaty hands and ticking away my health (HP: 32).

The punches hurt too. This game was definitely calibrated to feel pain, as well as pleasure. It wasn't quite to realistic levels but still unsettling, and not pleasant at all. Now I was definitely getting less into the idea of playing this game once I logged out, regardless of which avatar I had. Although, I couldn't help but wonder how the male characters were treated in the rape mechanics.

Shaking those thoughts from my head, I kept moving. I only had one shot left, but the exit was getting closer.

Then something else jumped out in front of me. I pulled up short, skidding on my high heels and aimed my gun at it. It was a very similar but different kind of alien. The head was the same, a big oval with red eyes and a fanged mouth, but the body was different. First it had blue skin, and second it had long, slimy tentacles instead of arms! I blasted it, obviously.