It went black and the next thing that happens is he woke up his bed. His phone is beside him. As he opens it, a notification surprised him. It was Aleiya's message so he suddenly opens it, but he didn't expect what was written.
"I'm sorry, Mel, but I think we need to part ways from now on."
Tomorrow passed and classes are still ongoing, but the morning surprised his two friends because Mel isn't present in his class. Their first subject teacher already entered their classroom but they're still hoping that Mel will come as late in the class. Thirty minutes passed and Mel has shown no presence. After the first subject, Walter came to his friend's seat and asks what's going on. Worry can't leave their faces as there must be some serious problem going on. Mel won't come to class if it is.
"Lenard, why won't we visit Mel?"
"You just want to see Zera, don't you?"
"N... No!"
&nbs
"Hello, players. I can't thank you enough for reaching the milestone of our project. We're so grateful that each one of you helped us in achieving the perfect world."We would install an update first that will apply the remaining fixtures in the system. It's more convenient for the players since all of us don't speak Latin, is it? More of the game updates will come tomorrow."And tomorrow also, we will be conducting a once-in-a-lifetime event that will take place in the spawn. We've reached a million players, and with that, the Crevole community is spreading wide quickly. What you will get? It's definitely a secret, but I swear if you don't attend this, you'll regret it up to the bottom of your hearts."I'll be expecting your participation in the event. Thank you for listening," Dr. Mi
'Aleiya, let's talk about this!''Aleiya!''I'm worried about you.''If you need someone, I'm just right here.''I still love you.' These are the messages that pop from a phone in a pinkish bed. It is beside a girl who sheds her tears while sleeping, but there are no signs of crying. She's already unconscious, but what's causing it is the technology covering her head, the NTS Gear. Argos explained what happened to his two friends. Starting that day, they gave him empathy. They left him alone, fighting his spirit. Heartbreak is his friends' worst nightmare. They don't even know what to do when that happens. The next day is Saturday. Classes won't interrupt the gamers. Most of the players spent their time grinding until 4 PM, the time of the welcome event. By that time, ev
Earlier that afternoon after the announcement, they didn't even have the chance to farm experience points as the players swarmed through the wilderness. There's no space for them to grind. Almost every player joined or formed a party. As they wander out of the spawn point, the other players left nothing but footsteps. They stopped at the plains and watches thousands of players killing armies of slimes. "Are those greedy assholes plan to kill us?" Zeus said as he breathes loud. "They just left the spawn quickly, more like a person's response in buying groceries in a pandemic," Walter said with a deep sigh. He notices Argos staring at the floor with no energy left. "Hey, are you okay?" After a second, Argos comes back to his senses. His reality shocked him, causing him to wake up. "Oh
"Please... Help my grandson," she said, but she expected not a quick answer. "Sure," Argos said with a smile. Zeus smashes his head and spoke. "Hey! That was quick! Are you forgetting about us?" Zeus looks at the woman and asked. "What can you offer us?" The old woman looks left as she shakes, wanting to cry. Tears shed out her eyes as her breathing hardened. In no time, she continues her mourn. "Is that a no?" Zeus asked as he faces her chin up. "Hey, Lennard. You're being rude," Argos said as he drags Zeus's shoulder to face him. "It's Zeus!" "That's not the problem here," Argos said while showing him the paper the old woman gives. "Look! Her grandson is missing. She needs hel
"Excuse us!" Walter said as he leads the team in entering the empty cabin. From the outside, the view is somewhat a hidden house from the missing Atlantis. Inside is a zone of floating dust with different kinds of herbs hanging on a string above the entrance. There is a table in the middle of the room with only one chair. Above it is a lit candle and a small mortar. The house is so closed that only limited light can enter. The house has a second floor, but the stairs are already broken. The first floor contains three rooms including the main dining room. Besides the right door is a cupboard full of ceramic plates and glass bottles. Like the entrance, the doors also have hanging ingredients above them. Argos enters the right door and discovers just a normal bedroom. The bed already froze, losing its comfort. Having asleep there is no different from sleeping above ground.
The loud wall-banging reached outside the room. Zeus and Walter rushed to open the door that triggered their danger alarm. As they broke it with Zeus's foot, they saw Argos being choked in his neck against the wall. Adeline's loud breathing covered the room as she sweats. Later she realized that her emotions controlled her. She released her hand as Argos coughs, sits down her bed and lowers her head while avoiding eye contact. "Please, go," Adeline said while trembling. "I'm sorry," Argos said as he leaves the room, closing the door. *I'm the one that should be apologizing.* Adeline thought. Meanwhile, as the door closed, the three agreed to clean the house. "What the h
"Aw! Damn you, Le..." Argos stuttered after seeing Adeline above him in her pajamas."Le? Who's that? Your girlfriend?" Adeline asked as she tilts her head. "Anyways, Zeus is preparing your breakfasts. Follow us and eat.""But I thought..." Argos said as he is shocked that Adeline allowed them to eat breakfast."No buts. Before you go, you'll do your breakfast here," she said as she goes down the stairs.*That's weird. What's into her?* Argos thought and followed her down. He saw Zeus cooking their breakfast.*"Late again? Do you have insomnia? I bet Adeline's cough made the house shake so you can't sleep," Zeus said and laughs. Adeline clenches her fist as she knit
"Here, have some tea first. Your sweats show your tiredness," Marza said as she gives a tray of tea to Argos who sits at the ground with his team. They're brought by Marza in a tent where she stays. The tent is so small that it can only fit 5 people in it. The people share the same facilities like the bathroom so it's usual for it to be crowded. Argos notices that the shakiness in her arms didn't disappear. It has been two days since they've met, but he sees a drastic change in her weight. More wrinkles appeared on her skin. "Thanks for the treat, but is this alright?" Argos asked as he holds one of the plastic cups. The two took also theirs. "Feel free young adventurers. I owe you more than that," she said. Suddenly, she grunts as she holds her chest with pain. The trio enters pani
Argos and his platoon already set up for their journey to the Aumoxozar Kingdom and its nearby towns. Even if would take too long for them to accomplish their task, which is finding a veteran doctor with the exchange of the Golden Rin. With the luxuries and comfort that Argos provided them, Alex and Zak didn’t hesitate to join his squad. They considered it as a mode of payment for his deeds.“Head check! I already have Zak and Alex. How is everybody doing?” Argos asked as they gathered near the hill where Loic’s cave is located.“Holessa and I, ready to go,” Loic as he puts his hand on Holessa’s right shoulder.“Argos!” Suddenly, a tiny girl’s voice caught Argos’s attention.“Sevy! Are you fine now… why are you with this guy? He should be bound back there,” Argos asked as he narrows his eyes towards Ranulph. “Are you doing something malicious? If you d
Still the same night where Holessa caught Walter talking to one of the affiliates of the Octagon, Iris Borguignon, which is really a mysterious adventurer, Saga, Walter and Saga tries to simplify their understanding of their world. Even if it is only a short time left, Walter did his best to create an explanation that will not trigger the World’s forbidden banner.“So you came in here as heroes? What are you really planning to do?” Holessa asked but Walter replied with an unusual and childish answer.“I already devoted myself to restoring this world.”“You are really into this, kid Walter,” Saga commented and chuckles.“I am taking a hard time right now because of a sudden decision that you did. Damn you Saga,” Walter complained as he gives Saga furrowed eyebrows.“It is fine if you are already tired of explaining. There is still time. Walter is always with me anyway so he can answer my qu
“To put it simply, there is a man who used high-class alchemy to preserve lifeforms in an orb. He longs to put human souls in some container right after they died. I know that is impossible, but that man did whatever he can in which he succeeded.“The samples of orbs that he had reached a huge space that it nearly overloads, and he needs to solve it as fast as possible else he will be classified as a murderer. After he succeeded with a faulty orb, he created a world wherein those orbs will mimic a human body so that they could interact with each other even after they died. As there is a person that dies every day, their souls are gathered by this man, giving them a new and interactive home. That world is the world where we are stepping right now, Cordale,” Walter explained to Holessa the situation of the world as simple as he can without triggering any violent triggers from the Mishima system.“What are you getting into?” Holessa asked as
The forest was vast, gloomy, and blooming. Its canopy was claimed by juniper, willow, and magnolia, and occasional openings in their crowns allowed plenty of light through for a hodgepodge of sprouts to make use of the rich grounds below.Silent branches embraced the occasional tree, and a potpourri of flowers, which were common to this area only, added some bright touches to the otherwise amber scenery.A disharmony of wild noises, most belonged to critters, resonated through the air, and were in harmony with the rustling of the leaves and branches of the treetops in the wind.“Starting tomorrow, Holessa, together with Loic, will set out to find her sister. You should follow her. Maybe that can be your chance to clarify things out,” Walter said to Iris as he gives her a new set of commands.“Who’s following who…” A voice said behind Walter, which give Walter goosebumps. As he turns back, he sees the one he wished not to h
The night came when the full moon shines throughout the forest while everyone is already asleep. Walter checks everything around him so that he can make sure that no one is following him. Without further ado, he left the site without any trace of his disappearance. He went not so far in the northern part of the Haslita plains and waited at a huge boulder of rock from the forest. While he sits in the stone boulder, he hears some whooshes of the bush behind him.“If you are appearing, can you please give me a sign that is more recognizable to humans,” Walter complained with crossed arms.“Are you sure no one followed you?” Iris said after appearing behind Walter but is looking at her left.Walter turns back and asks her the reason for a sudden appearance. “I’m better careful than never. What is the reason you are here? Did you miss me?”“Eat your balls, Coulomb. I’m here to check up for the Golden Rin. I
Holessa checks for Sevy at her tent but unexpectedly, she isn’t there. Meanwhile, at the cave where Ranulph is caged, Sevy spends her time thinking on the side of the wall of the cave. It might be dark, but because Ranulph is already two days staying in the dark, even with the small lighting from Loic’s room, he can see her lost hope in life.“You really are a strong one, kid. Do you want to be here too? I wouldn’t recommend copying me, else they might do the same to you,” Ranulph said but he didn’t get a reply from her. He thinks of a way so that he can be close to her but he didn’t expect to be suppressed by her. “Do you want me to tell you a bedtime story?”“Just shut up, you ridiculous chief!” Sevy shouted with rage against him.“Woah. I get surpassed by a kid! Sorry for all of that…” Ranulph apologized bowing his head towards her. But because Ranulph is a fool, he did not g
Just later that afternoon, Loic brought Argos to their own tent. After Argos opens the tent doors, he sees everyone gathering beside Zeus. He just realized that they started the party without him, the initiator.“Hi, guys. Welcome to my blog,” Argos said.“Did Loic slap you? You seem fine by now as I can see,” Holessa said.“More like a slap of reality,” Argos replied and adds. “Is that true, Holessa!? That powerful witch is your sister!? I already had a hunch since I have met her.”“Celestia, she is one of the top rankers in the Oak Spirit ever since the incident five years ago happened. The coven prevents her from casting some common spells because she finds them destructive as she can’t control them well. It once threatened the village by making it rain with toxic acid, causing minor casualties,” Holessa explained.“Acid rain? I think it is already normal,” Alex commen
In the afternoon, Argos sits on the cliff in front of Loic’s cave as he watches the art and wonders that the sunset makes. He is completely blanked out together with the quietness that he is gasping. His foot swings while feeling the swing of the air that collides with him. But the calmness of what is around him isn’t synchronizing with what he has in mind. Meanwhile, Loic came up of his cave and sees Argos spending his time alone. He sits beside him so that he could ask what is wrong.“Do you want some drinks for chilling?” Loic suggested.“Why are you here? You distracted my way of thinking,” Argos complained with a cold tone.“Are you really thinking, or you are just regretting your past actions? Either way, it won’t help you calm down. Get some refresher. I can assure you that everything here is fine. The villagers are all safe, and the race against time is already finished,” Loic said.“But
The villagers easily escaped with the help of Argos and his party, but the problem is where they will reside. In order to stop enemies from tracking their path, they detoured a long route but their destination isn’t the campsite, but towards the Haslita woods. Holessa and Loic fully welcome the villagers for a temporary stay, but the mood they brought back isn’t a touch of victory but internal defeat.Just after going to a new home with all of the people downed, Loic crafted a cross using wood and buried it on the ground to pay respects to Old Marza and her heroism. With her veteran medic title, all of the villagers attended a short ceremony to thank him. The most affected individual are both Sevy and Argos because they saw clearly with their eyes what happened, and the regret is still inside their hearts.Two days after…The villager already set up a tent for each of the families affected. They placed their tents the same way as what it was l