《Virtual Connection: Ilaria》
Chapter 1: The Last University Day of the Year
Ricardo had always considered himself the epitome of normal. He studied, worked, went out with friends, like every other undergraduate student; that he didn¡¯t depend on the VR machine for any of those was a plus. Thus, he couldn¡¯t help scowling when his group project members decided to finish their last in person meeting early.
Shortly after being outvoted, he picked up the wireless projector and left the study room. He navigated the corridors with ease even with the added bulk on him, the library building almost empty at this time of the year.
A week before Christmas Day, the discordance between the snowmen decorating the walls and the radiant summer sun in the sky was at its apex.
Ricardo got halfway out of campus when he was pulled from behind. ¡°Hey, are you done for today?¡±
He didn¡¯t have to turn around to know whose voice it was; only Sandro would take those kind of liberties with him. Just a glance¨Ctanned skin, shoulder-length brown hair¨Cfor confirmation.
¡°I guess I am. Apparently there¡¯s an unmissable tournament tonight.¡±
¡°With so many different games, you can bet there¡¯s always something going on.¡± Sandro got in line, matching Ricardo¡¯s quick but short steps.
¡°Whatever. Tomorrow they¡¯ll be watching replays and chit-chatting in prichat while I try to stir the ship.¡± Contrary to his words, he smiled. Even under less than ideal conditions, he could guarantee earning high marks.
After a couple of blocks, Sandro drank the last sip of water from his sports bottle, shaking it uselessly. Such a pointless gesture, it only reminded Ricardo of his skin sticky with sweat. Of course, if his group had stayed in the study room for another hour as planned, he wouldn''t need to be walking under the heat.
¡°Every year the summer gets hotter, and to think we are supposed to have a mild climate.¡± Ricardo could already picture the headline in his mind: 2027, Warmest Year on Record for Second Time in a Row. He looked ahead, the trees on the street too small to provide any relief.
¡°I heard in Argentina it¡¯s even worse.¡± Sandro looked at him and grinned.
¡°Probably. Makes me want to reconsider that whole thing.¡± Ricardo smiled, drying his forehead with a paper napkin.
He joked, but it would be their first family vacations after a long time. His sister Minerva was the one pushing for it, so there¡¯s no way Ricardo would miss it, even if he didn¡¯t have any particular interest in the location.
¡°Anyway, it seems I unexpectedly got some free time. Wanna go for a couple of drinks?¡±
¡°Sorry, I have a prior engagement.¡± Sandro looked away.
¡°Clara?¡±
¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll be in VC.¡±
¡°Is that better than the beach house?¡±
¡°Of course, the beach doesn¡¯t have me.¡±
They kept walking in silence, the noisy streets of Lima filling the void. Saturday evening, lots of people returning home, lots of people going out. Maybe more the former than the later, considering virtual reality¡¯s surge in popularity.
¡°I know you don¡¯t play VR games, but¡¡±
¡°If you know don¡¯t say it.¡± Ricardo looked up, reading the numbered signposts.
¡°Clara wouldn¡¯t mind you joining us every now and then. Just saying.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll happen, but thank you anyway.¡±
Next day¡¯s VR meeting went as well as Ricardo imagined: he had to push his group members to advance the project. On the flip side, their lack of interest meant he got to make all the decisions, which suited him. He took the lion¡¯s share of the remaining work and split the rest among them. Hopefully they would do an acceptable job by the due time, so he wouldn¡¯t need to stay awake all night fixing their mistakes.
Ricardo hummed to a popular song while computing in his head, the aroma of the spices and the wet sensation from his hand reminding him of his objective for the next couple of hours. He had previously lined up several bowls filled with diced vegetables of different colors, their respective wrappings peeping out of the trashcan.
Sundays were the day of the week he cooked lunch, partially for his mom to rest, but mostly because he really enjoyed it. Being busy, he planned a quick lunch of microwave-steamed salad and air-fried chicken.
¡°I¡¯m going to the gym.¡±
Ricardo was startled by the loud voice. He took out his earphones, with the hand that wasn''t rubbing the raw poultry, turning around. His sister Minerva¨Cclad in all-black sportswear¨Cwas staring at him.
¡°I said I''m going to the gym,¡± repeated the teenager, taking a look over the kitchen countertop. ¡°I''ll be back for lunch.¡±
¡°Is Amelia eating with us?¡±
¡°Probably, if I ask.¡± Minerva paced a bit in the space between the kitchen and the dining room, her ponytail swaying in the air. ¡°Can I?¡±
¡°Yeah, feel free to.¡±
Sundays were also when the whole family would eat together, and that counted Amelia more often than not. Her best friend since her school transfer four years ago, she followed Minerva at any activities she planned. Which included this sudden weight loss plan and, of course, the trip.
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As programmed, lunch for five was served at around 2 pm. Dad had to eat fast and leave early; he had VR meetings to attend. It wasn''t easy to take a month off for vacations¨Cworking on a Sunday was understandable. Ricardo himself had a lot to solve for his project. Luckily, appliances did most of the cooking, thus he had time to go over the calculations.
¡°Wanna join us?¡±
Ricardo looked up, Amelia smiling expectantly next to him. She dressed in a green summer dress, smelling of chamomile and citrus. Her hair, nails and makeup were all expertly produced, so far that you wouldn''t imagine she had just come from the gym.
¡°Ricardo, are you there?¡± Amelia crocked her head in his direction.
¡°Sorry, I missed it.¡± Ricardo begrudgingly abandoned his current line of thought, refocusing on the people still siting at the table.
¡°We want to take the ferry to Uruguay on the second day,¡± Amelia said, still smiling.
¡°Sounds good, is everyone going?¡±
¡°Your dad''s visiting the soccer stadium instead,¡± mom answered. ¡°You could join him if you want. Or maybe you have other plans?¡±
¡°I haven''t planned anything; I''m just too busy right now.¡± Ricardo directed his sight at Minerva across the table; she was fiddling around with her chicken.
¡°What else is there to do in Buenos Aires?¡± Ricardo seized the moment Minerva raised her head to ask her directly. She had been the promoter of the trip, almost beaming with emotion at the time. Since then, her mood had noticeably dampened.
¡°We have the city tour in the first day, crossing over to Uruguay the day after would be good,¡± Minerva answered, spearing a piece of broccoli as she finished.
¡°You should join us,¡± Amelia said. ¡°You don''t even like soccer.¡±
Leaving the dishes to the girls, Ricardo didn''t waste any time before getting to his room and imputing the calculations¨Che had been working on them all day¨Cin his laptop. The parameters still needed optimization but they were good enough to get a rough sketch working.
It was nothing short of wonderful how a few lines of text and numbers turned into a coherent 3-dimensional structure before his eyes. I could even fire up the VR machine and get in... it might lose part of its appeal thou.
Ricardo had always liked to do designs in his head, being them vehicles, buildings or even people. A new world that he could discover piece by piece as he got deeper into it. That being said, he surprisingly didn''t find much allure in playing games. Their worlds were mostly as thin as an egg''s shell, taking him out of the immersion with just a little prodding.
Shortly before 10 pm, the time they had agreed on for sending their advances, he raided the kitchen for food and beverages. No matter what, he knew he was up for a long night.
*knock knock knock*
Ricardo twisted in his bed, knowing he would need to get up soon, not wanting to let go just yet.
*knock knock knock*
After listening to the repeated tapping on the door, he finally got up. ¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Mom''s calling. Lunch''s ready,¡± replied Minerva outside his door. ¡°Amelia''s here.¡±
He had sent his revision of his group''s advances just before sunrise, so it was no surprise that he had slept all the way through the morning. Not that their work was bad, it was just that he couldn''t let go of the chance of improving on it.
Ricardo quickly changed out of his pajamas and checked his hair on the mirror. A bit messy, he needed to get a haircut soon. Regardless, a quick pass of the comb would suffice for today¨Cit wasn''t like short black hair could even get that messy in the first place. Besides, his mom would start yelling if he didn''t get down soon.
¡°Had a long night?¡± Amelia asked, while putting a plate of pasta in front of him. Her chestnut-colored hair made waves as she turned around.
¡°Yeah, my group project''s due for tomorrow.¡±
¡°Yikes, good luck.¡± Amelia sat down in front of her own plate: sauce-covered steamed cauliflower.
With dad being out at the office, Amelia took what was his usual seat beside Minerva. Despite both being 4th Year secondary students, Amelia felt much older. And it wasn''t just about physical appearance, even the way she conducted herself resembled mom at times.
Predictably, the topic quickly drifted towards their upcoming vacations. Despite the lack of sleep¨Cor maybe because of it¨CRicardo paid more attention than the day before, letting the chatter distract him for a bit.
¡°What I don''t get is, we are spending just three nights in Buenos Aires and then a whole month in C¨®rdoba?¡± asked mom.
¡°Well, C¨®rdoba is more in a central location...¡± answered Amelia, looking sideways towards Minerva. The later had been distracted all lunch long, conversation being driven by the other two.
¡°Renting a flat in C¨®rdoba is probably cheaper too,¡± Ricardo said. ¡°I haven''t checked it out, but it should be easy to make day-long excursions using C¨®rdoba as our home base.¡±
¡°By the way,¡± Ricardo said. ¡°Are all our reservations confirmed? We are departing in a week.¡±
¡°Your dad has been taking care of that with Minerva,¡± said mom.
¡°Sorry that I haven''t been involved. After I finish with my project, I''ll help with that too.¡±
¡°And the Christmas dinner?¡± mom asked, expectantly.
¡°Yeah, I know. I''ll take care of that too.¡± Ricardo smiled. Just wait for me a little bit, I''ll reward your trust.
¡°Do you want to come for Christmas Eve this year?¡± Mom asked Amelia, trying her warmest. Since the one year she learned that Amelia had spent Christmas alone, mom always made sure to invite her to every holiday celebration.
¡°Dad says he''ll make it this year,¡± Amelia answered, showing a half-smile. ¡°I''ll receive New Year with you¨Ceven join your family vacations¨CI should at least spend Christmas with him.¡±
¡°That''s good,¡± mom remarked. ¡°If anything changes, you are always welcomed here.¡±
Monday turned into Tuesday with Ricardo frantically mashing buttons in his laptop. Last 24 hours, no time to waste. Sleep''s for the weak.
He continued integrating every member''s input through the night, doing the adjustments himself whenever possible, but leaving them the option of sending a final update later.
Ricardo uploaded the finished v1.0 to their shared drive around noon. It was the last chance they had to check it and point out anything needing corrections. They never do.
If he was to be honest with himself, the project was already in a more than submittable state. Heck, his group members had sent him their final contributions hours ago. It worked, but... It just wasn''t it. And he was so close to making it happen. It should be possible, somehow.
His most recent full rewrite had been particularly frustrating. He had been so sure he was in the right track¨Cthe results went backwards instead¨Ctaking most of his remaining energy with it. After that, he had a couple of false starts¨Cmaking changes he normally would deem useless¨Cthat his sleep-deprived mind thought a genius idea for a second.
At some point Ricardo was forced to separate from his laptop for a second to turn on the lights. In his current condition standing up was more demanding than ever, a rumble reminding him of his skipped lunch.
I won''t make it.
A quarter before 10 pm, Ricardo pressed the send button. Technically, he still had a little more than two hours left, but he was drained. There was no way he could make any meaningful progress and he was more liable to introduce errors instead.
One way or another, it''s finished.
Chapter 2: The Christmas Shopping Incursion
When Ricardo finally arrived at the distribution center, the row of people was turning the corner of the street. He knew doing anything outside the day before Christmas Eve was madness; waiting in line was the price to pay for starting late. That and listening to the same old carols playing on a loop.
¡°Woah, a lot of people are gonna eat turkey,¡± said Sandro, who was back from parking the car.
¡°Most probably don''t have a choice,¡± said Ricardo. ¡°God knows I wouldn''t be here if dad hadn''t received a voucher from his job.¡±
¡°Nothing beats free,¡± said Sandro, taking out his cellphone.
¡°I didn''t think it would be this bad,¡± said Ricardo. ¡°You can leave if you want, I can call a taxi later.¡±
¡°It isn''t moving that slowly. Besides¨Cunlike you¨CI won''t be doing any preparations at home. If it was for me, I wouldn''t even be there.¡±
¡°At least they are letting you get away for New Year''s.¡±
¡°Yeah, Clara would kill me otherwise. With all the extra classes I''ll be giving this January...¡±
¡°Sorry.¡±
It was fortunate that Sandro worked at the same academy as Ricardo, and thus he could replace him for a month. If he just gave away his hours, it would be very difficult to get them back after vacations.
¡°Don''t be; I''m glad to help. After everything that happened, it''s great watching Minerva get excited for something.¡±
After an uneventful lunch, Ricardo braced himself and went out. Too late to buy the presents online, he had no option but to face the Christmas crowds again. The closest mall was at a walking distance; the music coming from his earphones replacing the traffic noises while he evaded the throngs of last-minute shoppers.
His first purchase was easy, he just got one of his dad''s wine of choice at the liquor store. Dad bought anything he could want himself, but wine was a consumable so you couldn''t do wrong with it.
After that, things got more complicated. Ricardo passed by the storefront windows trying to get some inspiration¨Cno, he wouldn''t go inside unless he had a reasonable expectation of actually finding something¨Cwalking through the packed aisles aimlessly wasn''t worth it.
He was talking a short break under the shade of a shoe store when he noticed her, just seconds after she noticed him. Ricardo quickly threw away the paper napkin on his hand and feigned a smile.
¡°Hello!¡± exclaimed the girl, approaching Ricardo with a spring in her step.
¡°Hello Amelia, doing Christmas shopping?¡±
¡°Yup,¡± Amelia looked at Ricardo from top to bottom. ¡°You too?¡±
¡°Yeah¡±
¡°Can you help me for a bit?¡±
And that''s how Ricardo was dragged back to the liquor store with Amelia in tow. Amelia wanted to make gives to all his family this year and she hadn''t had any idea for dad''s present until she saw Ricardo''s.
¡°I just broke the law,¡± said Ricardo, taking a bite from his ice-cream cone.
¡°Yup, you''re a criminal now,¡± said Amelia, taking a seat in a two-person table in the terrace of an Italian caf¨¦. ¡°Enjoying your bribe?¡±
¡°It''s ice-cream.¡±
Buying alcohol for a minor¨Ceven if she was just by a few months¨Cwas technically a crime. Not that anyone would care. And, actually, the ice-cream in question was really really good: orange-flavored¨Cwith small pieces of candied rind mixed inside¨Cthe perfect balance of sweet and sour that melted softly in his mouth.
¡°Did you finish with your Christmas list?¡± asked Amelia, taking a spoonful of ice-cream from her cup.
¡°I wish,¡± replied Ricardo, taking another bite and swallowing. ¡°With all the university stuff I just started thinking about presents today. And everywhere is full of people. At least dad''s easy.¡±
¡°Things didn''t go well?¡± asked Amelia, before putting the tiny spoon in her mouth, being careful to not touch her lips.
¡°The truth is I should be satisfied. It was just a group project that probably won''t ever amount to anything. But still, I feel like I was really close to something special...¡±
At that point Ricardo realized that he had raised his voice in frustration. All day he had been still thinking about the project, unable to let go. Heck, Amelia didn''t even ask about that¨Cshe was talking about the gift shopping¨Cher surprised eyes staring at him.
¡°Sorry, I guess I needed to vent.¡± said Ricardo, laughing from embarrassment.
¡°You know, I''m still missing a few presents,¡± said Amelia, smiling. ¡°We could buy them together.¡±
The rest of the afternoon got a lot more pleasant. The sun was still beaming in the sky, but Ricardo felt he was making progress. For all his complaining, being stuck inside the stores was many times better. They did have air conditioner after all.
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¡°For your mom this color shade would fit the best,¡± said Amelia, handing Ricardo a makeup box set.
¡°If you say so, I''ll trust you,¡± said Ricardo, putting the box in the department store''s basket he was carrying.
¡°Are you missing anything?¡±
¡°Only one left.¡±
The Christmas shopping was almost finished, but there was one present left, the hardest one every year: Minerva''s. She had been hard to approach for Ricardo in the meltdown aftermath years ago and they just kinda drifted away. So, even living together, he didn''t know much about her pastimes¨Cbesides her recent interest in VR games.
¡°Minerva''s?¡± asked Amelia. She surely had already realized that Ricardo hadn''t done any Christmas shopping before the day.
¡°Yeah,¡± said Ricardo, focusing in the line for the cashier.
¡°I haven''t bought it yet either,¡± said Amelia, showing a spark in her eyes. ¡°But I have an idea.¡±
After leaving the department store, Amelia walked Ricardo towards a small shop in a corner next to the elevator. Unlike the rest of the stores, this one didn''t seem to have many people.
¡°Here.¡± Amelia said, beckoning Ricardo inside.
Inside, warm ambient light accompanied a soft piano melody, an earthy smell filling the room. Handbags, jackets and other leather items filled the sparsely placed shelfs.
¡°Leather goods?¡± asked Ricardo, a bit surprised.
¡°Faux leather,¡± answered Amelia, who had already turned in a particular direction.
Ricardo followed Amelia towards a rack filled with hanging handbags. They were all roughly the size of a portable tablet, with colorful, geometric-shape designs.
¡°What do you think?¡± Amelia asked, expectantly.
¡°If you recommend them, it should be fine,¡± said Ricardo, trying to discreetly figure out the price from the label.
¡°They are the same design as she uses inside VC.¡±
¡°Oh, that''s neat.¡±
Ricardo finally found the price and was taken aback. Quite pricey, Virtual Connection must be doing really well.
¡°I know, they are a little expensive,¡± said Amelia. ¡°But it would be perfect for using during the trip. I have considered other options, but nothing compares.¡±
¡°Are you buying it?¡±
¡°She wouldn''t accept it from me. But if we buy it together, she won''t be able to refuse.¡±
And that was how Ricardo ended up filling his Christmas list. They picked a sky-blue and light-brown, hexagon-patterned handbag¨Cwhich Amelia was sure to have seen Minerva''s character using¨Cand paid it half-half. Amelia could have easily bought it alone¨Cher father had a very well-paid job, something about international business¨Cbut it was true that it might make Minerva uncomfortable.
¡°So, you play Virtual Connection too?¡± asked Ricardo, trying to make conversation with the teenage girl sitting beside him.
¡°I do play, not as much as Minerva though,¡± answered Amelia, looking at the people walking on the street. ¡°You don''t play VR games, do you?¡±
Amelia and Ricardo were sharing a ride back, since they had a lot of bags between the two of them. Ricardo had wavered if he should buy her a snack in thanks for the help, but¨Cafter they finished their last purchase¨Cshe had decidedly went off to hail a taxi and the moment was gone.
¡°No, I don''t,¡± answered Ricardo. ¡°I did try once when we got our first VR machine.¡±
¡°Not too much of a gamer,¡± said Amelia, still looking outside.
¡°I used to play tabletop RPGs when I was in school,¡± added Ricardo. ¡°I was really into it for a time.¡±
Even saying it like that was an understatement. He had been completely obsessed, to the point that his grade average nosedived. And then the incident happened. It blindsided him¨Cof course it would¨Che was just a teenage boy who lived for games and didn''t notice the big alarm signals in front of him.
¡°Oh, I have never played something like that,¡± said Amelia, turning her head. ¡°Do you need an app?¡±
¡°No, there''s one person who''s the dungeon master, DM for short,¡± answered Ricardo. ¡°He''s the one who tells the others what happens.¡±
¡°Oh, seems like a lot of work.¡±
¡°Yeah, it really is. But I enjoyed it a lot.¡±
It was a bittersweet memory. Being the DM had been the center of his life at one point, so it was extra painful when the group disbanded. From his former group, Sandro was the only one that he kept in touch with.
¡°You were the DM?¡±
¡°Yeah. I still have the files for the scenarios from that time.¡±
¡°Maybe we could try it with Minerva sometime.¡±
Ricardo couldn''t help smiling, even though it probably wouldn''t ever happen. And if it happened, he needed to revise his scenarios throughly. There was no way he would show them his younger self world-building unedited.
¡°Let me check it out first,¡± said Ricardo, quietly opening his front door. Amelia just nodded in response, waiting in the sidewalk with all their packages.
Ricardo noticed only Minerva''s dolphin key chain remaining in the rack before hanging his own. He went up the stairs, checking out his sister''s room. As he had supposed, she was inside her VR machine and disconnected from the world. He checked out his room too¨Cputting all the clothes that were laying around in the basket¨Cbefore going back to Amelia.
¡°We''re practically alone, Minerva is using the VR machine,¡± said Ricardo, taking most of the bags from Amelia.
¡°Thank you,¡± said Amelia, following Ricardo to his room.
The gifts Amelia had bought that afternoon ended up all being for Ricardo''s family members. And that being the case, he had offered to hide them in his room, so she wouldn''t need to haul them from her house tomorrow.
¡°Nice room,¡± said Amelia, looking around.
Ricardo''s bedroom was fairly standard, ash white walls with no posters on them, just a framed waterfall photo hanging over his bed. A small desk that doubled as nightstand to the right, the wardrobe to the left. The VR machine occupied the whole corner in front of the door.
¡°I expected it messier, with all the pressure you had on these days.¡±
¡°I did order a little before letting you in.¡±
¡°Knew it.¡±
It dawned on Ricardo that this was probably Amelia''s first time inside his room. She had been a regular visitor for so long that he sometimes forgot she actually wasn''t family.
¡°Where should I put them?¡± asked Amelia, pointing to the bags.
¡°Here.¡±
Ricardo got on his knees and pulled a brand new suitcase from under his bed. They had bought them for the trip to Argentina, but he wouldn''t start packing before Christmas, so it was perfect for hiding the presents.
After all the packages¨Cwhich included both Amelia''s and Ricardo''s¨Cwere fitted inside, and the suitcase pushed under the bed again, an uncomfortable silence filled the room.
¡°Do you want to stay for dinner? I can call Minerva out from the VR machine,¡± asked Ricardo, not wanting Amelia to feel like she was being thrown out.
¡°No, don''t bother her,¡± answered Amelia. ¡°It''s better if I return home now. It''ll be more surprising when we take out the presents tomorrow.¡±
Chapter 3: The Great Christmas Eve Meltdown
Who would have thought things would derail so quickly? In a few hours all their family plans¨Cfor holidays and beyond¨Cwere thrashed, and weeks of preparations rendered meaningless.
Ricardo tossed and turned in his bed for some time, finally falling asleep minutes before Christmas. This year his family would all receive midnight in their dreams.
December 24th, 2027; for Ricardo it had started as normal as the day before Christmas can be. He woke up early and motivated, having bought all his presents the day before was a big plus.
After having coffee and a toast, he took the defrosted turkey out of the fridge and cut it out of its sealed bag. The raw poultry smell was overpowering, much more than chicken could ever be. He opened the store-bought marinade and spread it all over the turkey¨Cmassaging it with his hands¨Cthe still frozen patches biting at his skin.
That was the part that mom didn''t like to do, which was why Ricardo was in charge of the turkey for Christmas Eve. It''s just a drained and defeathered bird''s carcass, all meat comes from one. Well, not all meat now. There were those lab-meat burgers nowadays.
The house was silent all morning long, so much that Ricardo could hear the cars passing through the street. Dad was doing a half day at the office and Mom had gone to deliver the presents for the kids of the family¨Cshe would be coming back with a ready-to-eat meal. Minerva hadn''t waken up yet, she had stayed until late in the night in the VR machine.
Ricardo washed his hands and stored the marinated turkey in the fridge ¨Cit was done for now. He went up to his room and searched the pocket of the jeans hanging on his chair for a small felt bag. He smiled thinking how he got away with buying it just under Amelia''s nose. He couldn''t be a hundred percent sure she didn''t notice, but at least she pretended she didn''t, so he''d do the same.
He was free until lunch, and then until the small snack they would eat when Amelia comes to visit in the evening. In times like this he was tempted to get into a VR game. They must have improved a lot since the last time he tried. He knew the simulations he did for university got a lot more realistic as the years passed by.
Mom arrived with the lunch around 2 pm, yelling for her children to get to the dinning room. Ricardo had been lazily checking out places around C¨®rdoba in his laptop¨Che felt kinda guilty he hadn''t helped much with the trip''s planning¨Cso he was already prepared to go down when he heard mom''s car entering the garage.
¡°Can you get Minerva?¡± asked mom as soon as Ricardo entered the room. Dad was already in there, checking his cellphone.
¡°Yeah.¡±
Ricardo turned around and went up, passed by his door and stepped in front of Minerva''s. No noises could be heard from the inside¨Cshe was either in the VR machine or sleeping¨Cprobably the later, since he hadn''t heard her leaving her room for food in all morning.
*knock knock knock*
No response from Minerva; Ricardo silently opened the door. The room was as messy as he remembered, gym clothes laying here and there, the pink bedsheets almost completely on the floor. A dirty plate and a half-empty glass of water on the desk completed the decadent image. And the culprit was splayed on the bed, the sun beaming over her from the thinly veiled window.
¡°Minerva, lunchtime,¡± said Ricardo, tapping her softly on the shoulder. She moaned and turned around, not willing to get up just yet.
¡°Minerva,¡± insisted Ricardo, sitting on the edge of the bed.
¡°Yeah, I listened,¡± said Minerva with her eyes still closed, finally accepting to acknowledge the call.
The lunch was a simple meal of rolled chicken and cauliflower souffle. They could have ordered pizza if they didn''t have to accommodate for Minerva''s diet.
¡°Seems like we''ll be able to meet the last milestone before next weekend,¡± said dad, very pleased with himself.
¡°That''s great,¡± answered mom, patting dad on the back.
That was really great, indeed. When they had planned their vacations months ago, dad''s current main project was supposed to be done by October. But November went by and dad was still at it. Leaving with it finished and delivered would make them enjoy the trip with a lot more ease. Things were finally getting into place.
¡°How''s the turkey going?¡± asked mom.
¡°It''s marinated and waiting to be put in the oven,¡± answered Ricardo. ¡°We''ll have plenty of time after Amelia leaves.¡±
¡°Everyone, remember she''ll come at seven,¡± added mom, looking towards Minerva. ¡°Be ready for her.¡±
Minerva, she just sitting at the table, eating mechanically without lifting her head. Now that Ricardo was free from his worries, he could see how she didn''t talk at all when Amelia wasn''t there to pull her into the conversation.
Finishing her food, Minerva stood up and raised her plate to move it to the kitchen, dropping her knife in the process. She quickly picked it up and fled to the kitchen. Something definitely is amiss, mom and dad surely noticed it too.
A couple of minutes later, they could listen Minerva''s hurried steps on the stairs and her door closing. Ricardo didn''t say anything, nor his parents. Minerva was acting weird, and that scared everyone in the house. They could only wait for Amelia to arrive and hopefully fix it.
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Ricardo had decided to shower and get ready early, that way there wasn''t a chance he''d find himself out of hot water in the middle of the process, already naked and wet. On his way he passed by Minerva''s shut door¨Cshe surely was in the VR machine¨Cthat''s all she did these days when she wasn''t with Amelia.
Feeling the hot water pouring over his body, Ricardo closed his eyes and pondered. He was such a coward, it was time to admit it. Four years ago, both his group of friends and his family went under crisis in quick succession. And he could never get them truly back. He didn''t even try to. It was easier to detach himself from everything and wait for a miracle to happen.
Maybe the trip to Argentina was the miracle.
Ricardo was down the stairs as soon as the doorbell rang. He wondered if he should check on Minerva¨Cno, surely she''s in the living room already.
¡°Merry Christmas!¡± exclaimed Amelia as she crossed the door frame. Mom didn''t waste any time to reply, hugging and kissing the teenage girl.
Amelia had arrived at 7 o''clock¨Con time and perfectly produced¨Cit helped that she lived just one block away down the street. She was even wearing matching heels to go with her red summer dress.
¡°Merry Christmas, Ricardo,¡± said Amelia, getting close and pecking him on the cheek. She didn''t even need to stand on her tiptoes.
¡°Christmas'' tomorrow,¡± Ricardo couldn''t help pointing it out.
¡°It''s the same,¡± said Amelia, laughing.
¡°If you say so,¡± replied Ricardo.
Contrary to his expectations, Minerva wasn''t downstairs yet. Even when dad came down a few minutes later, she still didn''t give any life signal. Mom went to the kitchen to bring cookies and soda, taking the chance to prompt Ricardo towards the stairs.
¡°I''ll check on Minerva,¡± said Ricardo, excusing himself.
She probably lost her sense of time and she''s hurriedly getting ready.
He went up the stairs, trying to listen for any sound coming from his sister''s room. Nothing. He knocked on the door. Nothing. He finally entered, coming in front of an active, blue light-leaking, VR machine.
Really, your best friend comes to visit for Christmas and you''ll rather be in a VR game.
He didn''t hesitate to press the forceful disconnect button.
Ricardo hadn''t waited for Minerva to come out of the VR machine before going back
It had been a mistake.
Half an hour passed; first carol compilation finished playing; cookies had come and gone; Minerva didn''t appear. Their parents were visibly pissed but¨Cjust as Ricardo¨Cthey didn''t want to make a scene in front of the guest.
¡°She might be busy, there''s an event in Virtual Connection,¡± said Amelia, trying to defuse the situation. ¡°Let''s start with the gift giving.¡±
Ricardo didn''t waste any time, going to the back of the sofa and pulling out his suitcase with all the presents inside. He had brought it down while everyone was in their rooms getting ready. Amelia got on her knees and opened it, taking out the bags containing her gifts.
¡°Did you plan this together?¡± asked mom, smiling with her eyes.
¡°We met in the mall by chance,¡± answered Amelia, giving mom and dad their respective presents.
Putting down hers, Mom opened the cupboard, taking out a long, flat box. ¡°From all of us.¡±
¡°Thank you so much,¡± said Amelia, hugging mom again.
Then she opened her handbag, taking out a small rectangular package.
¡°This is for you, Ricardo,¡± said Amelia, demurely putting it in his hands.
Ricardo seized the chance and took out the bag that he had been keeping in his pocket. ¡°And this is for you.¡±
¡°Oh, thank you,¡± said Amelia excitedly, giving him a half hug.
¡°We should open them,¡± said mom, a finger already scratching the tape on her package.
¡°Yeah, it''s like Christmas already,¡± said Amelia, siting in the sofa next to the long box.
That being said, everyone started to open their presents. Amelia''s was a yellow party dress, not too revealing, but it was adult''s clothing nonetheless. Ricardo remembered their family leaving to buy it at some point last week, of course he didn''t go with them.
Ricardo also opened his present, it was a metal, wide-lead mechanical pencil. He had seen a few students around the campus sketching with them. This one looked a lot nicer than those. He turned towards Amelia, coincidently exchanging glances.
¡°Thank you so much, I had my eyes on it,¡± said Amelia, showing the silver bracelet he had given her on her wrist.
¡°I''m glad you liked it,¡± said Ricardo. ¡°Your gift will be really useful.¡±
¡°Did you buy it yesterday?¡± asked Amelia.
¡°Yeah, did you notice?¡±
¡°I knew you bought something; I hoped it would be this.¡±
When they were passing by the jewelry section of the department store, he remembered Amelia stopping to look at that particular item before getting lost in the crowd. It turns out, Amelia not only helped him with his Christmas shopping, she even chose her own.
After they had finished opening Amelia''s, Ricardo took out his gifts from the suitcase, delivering them to his parents, which prompted them to do the same. And that''s how they all ended up opening their Christmas presents early.
¡°This color is really nice,¡± said mom, holding the lipstick from her gift box set. ¡°Did Amelia choose it?¡±
¡°Yeah, you know I wouldn''t know,¡± answered Ricardo.
¡°Thank you, Amelia,¡± said mom, laughing.
¡°Hey! I was the one who paid for it.¡±
Things were animated for a time; they could almost ignore the pile of gifts still under the nativity scene, sticking out like a sore thumb. But whenever there was a lull in the conversation, Minerva''s non-presence made itself felt. It lurked the room like a ghost.
Amelia left around 8:30; Minerva never appeared.
With Amelia gone, mom immediately went up the stairs to check on Minerva, everyone else following behind. As they got closer, they could hear some noise coming from her room. It sounded like crying. Mom made the last distance in a blur, trying the doorknob.
It was locked from inside.
Minerva was undoubtedly crying, they could confirm it by the time Dad procured a copy of the key. Mom opened the door slightly, sliding inside and closing it behind her.
Ricardo and his dad patiently waited outside, as silent as they could, listening attentively. Mom''s voice sounded warm and consoling. Minerva, on the other hand, was progressively raising her volume, ending with a full-blown sob.
¡°I WON''T GO!¡±
After what seemed like hours, mom exited Minerva''s room, turning off the lights as she left.
Christmas got canceled.
Chapter 4: Freshly Cooked Leftover Turkey for Everyone
¡°What are we eating today?¡± asked Amelia, as she stepped into the kitchen.
¡°Leftovers,¡± answered Ricardo, taking the turkey out of the fridge.
¡°Hey, that''s a whole raw turkey!¡±
¡°It''s what''s left from yesterday; therefore leftovers.¡±
Mom had called Amelia as soon as she left the bed, which was early by Christmas day standards. Luckily, she was already awake by that time. They had talked for a while, Amelia deciding to come to spend the day with them after that.
¡°Is it okay for you to not spend Christmas Day with your father?¡± asked Ricardo after putting the turkey inside the preheated oven.
¡°Yeah, he''s probably relieved,¡± answered Amelia. ¡°He must already be in the VR machine coordinating stuff or whatever.¡±
Ricardo didn''t remember ever seeing the guy. He was out of Lima the majority of days, and unreasonably busy the rest of the time. Their maid was the one who used to pick up Amelia at school when she was younger.
¡°Did you talk to Minerva?¡± asked Ricardo, while putting a timer on his cellphone.
¡°For a bit,¡± answered Amelia, looking downwards. ¡°She needs some time.¡±
¡°You know what''s this all about, don''t you?¡±
¡°I have an inkling, but she should be the one saying it.¡±
Having said that, they stood still for a moment, only the sound of the oven''s fan in the background. Amelia fidgeted with her fingers; Ricardo took out his cellphone, looking up a recipe for later.
Mom and dad must be still in their room, dealing with the situation their own way. With Minerva indisposed in hers, Ricardo had been forced into host duties. He checked the time in his phone before taking out the vegetables. It was way too early to start making the salad, but it was at least something to do.
Amelia ended up helping Ricardo with the peeling and cutting. Working side by side, they kept themselves busy, so they didn''t need to fill in the silence. At some time after they finished the salad, mom and dad came down the stairs and put a Christmas movie in the living room to wait for lunchtime.
¡°The leftovers look really good,¡± said Amelia, helping set the table.
¡°They do, if I do say so myself,¡± said Ricardo, pushing the kitchen''s door with his shoulder while carrying the turkey trey. The spicy bird''s aroma had been filling the house since a couple of hours ago.
Mom and dad were already sitting at the dinning table. They had just checked on Minerva¨Cshe didn''t want to come down yet, saying she wasn''t hungry. They set the plate and cutlery for her anyway.
¡°Wow, we should take a photo,¡± said mom, nudging dad in the shoulder.
¡°Alright,¡± said dad, stepping back and taking the picture.
Thinking about it, it was the first Christmas photo of the year. Being done with that, they cut the turkey and began eating. It was really good. Was it the extra time in the marinade? Maybe they were just hungry.
About ten minutes into it, Amelia stood up and started filling Minerva''s plate. Nobody said anything when she turned around and went upstairs.
Even after they finished with the coffee, Amelia still wasn''t back. They put on some music and made small talk, not wanting to clean the table yet.
¡°About vacations, what''s the status of our reservations?¡± asked Ricardo.
¡°They are confirmed,¡± answered dad. ¡°We still should be able to cancel them before Monday.¡±
¡°She''s still in shock,¡± said mom. ¡°By tomorrow she''ll be better. She really wanted to make this trip.¡±
Indeed, Minerva was the one who proposed the trip in the first place. She was so excited at that time that all the family decided to do the impossible to make it reality.
¡°What''s it about anyway?¡± asked Ricardo.
¡°Something happened in that game she''s playing,¡± answered mom. ¡°She didn''t say much, and I didn''t understand most of it.¡±
Ricardo felt like he was the one mostly in the dark through all the affair. Amelia didn''t want to tell him; neither his mom. And asking Minerva directly was unthinkable. Maybe he deserved it, he hadn''t been paying attention to them in a long while.
¡°Anyway, the plane tickets will be lost if we cancel,¡± said dad. ¡°So we might just wait and see for the time being.¡±
¡°I''m sure that after a day of rest she''ll feel better,¡± said mom. ¡°The vacations will help distract her.¡±
¡°Yeah, we''ll be able to make plenty of memories,¡± said Ricardo.
From there on, the conversation stayed around the vacation''s topic. Ricardo talked about what he had found around C¨®rdoba, telling them of the small towns along the sierra. They got excited again, thinking of the clothes they should bring, the food they could eat, and the souvenirs they would buy.
And then Amelia finally returned, uttering the words that put the last nail in the coffin: ¡°We must cancel the trip.¡±
¡°Are you sure Minerva won''t go?¡± asked mom, as if begging for a different outcome.
¡°She lost her reason for wanting this trip,¡± answered Amelia. ¡°As things are right now, it''s the last thing she would choose to do.¡±
¡°That, you should explain it to us,¡± said Ricardo.
¡°Alright, I''ll tell you,¡± said Amelia, sighing. ¡°What do you know about Virtual Connection?¡±
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
¡°Isn''t it about fighting monsters with swords and magic, finding treasures and leveling up?¡± said Ricardo.
Ricardo thought he knew very well what Virtual Connection¨CVC for short¨Cwas all about. Needless to say, most young people played it nowadays¨Cincluding Sandro, his best friend.
It turned out he was completely wrong. VC wasn''t a generic fantasy role playing game, it was a dating game.
Minerva and Amelia had joined VC around a year ago, just after Christmas, a few weeks into the game''s launch. Virtual Connection was a very pretty game, using the latest, state of the art, VR technology.
¡°We had played other VR games before; VC was in a whole other level,¡± said Amelia. ¡°But it still was just a RPG.¡±
¡°You didn''t use the dating features?¡± asked Ricardo.
¡°We ignored them,¡± said Amelia. ¡°Until Valentine''s Day.¡±
Valentine''s Day, it was the most important event of the year for a dating game like that. The rewards had been too good to pass for the two teenage girls.
¡°From that point on, we started doing dungeon dates,¡± said Amelia.
¡°You two together?¡± asked mom.
¡°No, we couldn''t,¡± answered Amelia. ¡°We could only date someone of the opposite sex.¡±
¡°Really?¡± said Ricardo. ¡°We''re in the 2020''s...¡±
¡°There is a way around it; it''s in the process of creating a new character, though,¡± said Amelia. ¡°Anyway, that''s how we met Johnny.¡±
Johnny, that was the guy in the middle of everything. What kind of handle is ''Johnny'' anyway? Is it like a John, but easier to approach?
¡°We leveled together a lot,¡± said Amelia. ¡°The three of us made a good, balanced party.¡±
¡°That was around the time the school year started,¡± said mom, thoughtful.
¡°Yes, we both had joined Johnny''s guild but, unlike me, Minerva went hardcore,¡± said Amelia.
Ricardo remembered how his sister would run to her room as soon as she returned home. He could barely see her those days; they would be together only for lunch on weekends.
¡°They soon hit it off as a couple,¡± said Amelia. ¡°I stopped playing as much with them; I didn''t want to be intrusive.¡±
¡°Were they dating? Like for real?¡± asked Ricardo.
¡°As real as it can be inside a VR game,¡± answered Amelia.
Minerva, his reclusive baby sister, had had a VR boyfriend for almost a year. And nobody noticed. Who knows who he''s in real life; he could be a perverted old geezer for all that they knew. His parents were shocked, for saying the least. Ricardo was also, if he was to be honest.
That being said, there was still a piece missing in the puzzle.
¡°Johnny lives in Argentina.¡±
They had been talking for hours, but everything made sense now. The trip¨Cas far as it concerned Minerva¨Cwas always about meeting her boyfriend. Now ex-boyfriend. Having heard that, dad sighed, going upstairs to cancel all the reservations.
¡°Won''t Minerva get mad at you?¡± asked Ricardo.
¡°Maybe a little,¡± said Amelia, half-smiling. ¡°But I needed to say it for you to understand. She surely knows that.¡±
It was already late; mom had insisted for Ricardo to walk Amelia home, carrying the box of leftover turkey. They went at a slow pace, enjoying the breeze of the summer night.
¡°How''s this Johnny like?¡± asked Ricardo.
¡°Well, he seemed like a fun guy. He''s about your age, just a couple of years older than Minerva.¡±
¡°That''s what he says.¡±
¡°I don''t think he''s a perverted old man, if that''s what you''re implying,¡± said Amelia, stopping in her tracks.
¡°How could you be sure?¡±
¡°He showed pictures, family pictures.¡±
¡°Those could be faked.¡±
¡°They could, but there''s lots of successful couples who first met through VC,¡± said Amelia, raising her tone.
¡°That''s just survival bias,¡± said Ricardo. ¡°The lucky 1%, exposed as a successful, heartwarming story, as a marketing ploy. It''s like the lottery ads, saying you also can be a millionaire.¡±
¡°You probably think of us as naive little girls who don''t know anything. And maybe you''re right,¡± said Amelia, straining her voice. ¡°But Minerva at least gave it a chance. It''s easy to not make mistakes if you never try.¡±
They walked the rest of the way in an uncomfortable silence, trying to not cross glances at each other.
Ricardo returned home in a pensive mood. Was I really that ignorant? It was a very uncomfortable thought¨Cbut one he could fix. He started looking up general stuff on his own¨Ccalling Sandro would need to wait for tomorrow.
Once he had read some reviews and tutorials for Virtual Connection, he got into the VR machine and watched a few gameplay videos. Even with the output limitations, the game felt incredible. Having expected VC to be bad, like most ''freemium'' games tended to be, Ricardo was utterly surprised.
And yeah, it was pretty much made for dating. There were daily ''Dungeon dates'', a matchmaking system, and even a marriage system. If he didn''t evade any conversation about gaming as the plague, he could have figured it out long ago.
He also got into the official VC forums, searching for anything in relation with Minerva or Johnny. That''s how he managed to find the ''Torinelo City Workshops''¨CJohnny''s guild¨Cmain page. He read the all their presentation for prospective new members¨Cit was a mostly Latin American guild, active in Torinelo Starting City. As for guild size, they were small¨Caround 50 active members¨Cmore about casual playing than hardcore leveling.
Ricardo clicked on the user Johnny334¨Cno way there was another Johnny in the same guild¨Cand looked at his posting history. There was nothing for the last few days. When he was going to open the latest one, the page suddenly refreshed.
Johnny had posted a guild-wide announcement.
Torinelo City Workshops'' Speed Dating Club
Open all January!
Did you hear about the Virtual Connection Couple''s Tournament?
Of course you did; everyone should be beaming with excitement. Or not; maybe you don''t have a partner yet. If that''s the case, don''t worry! We are here to help.
The Speed Dating Club accepts sign ups from every single (in-game) member of the guild who wishes to find a partner for Dungeon Dating, the Couple''s Tournament, or even for life.
How does it work: The speed dating rounds last around 6 minutes per person, in which you''ll have the chance talk privately with prospective partners. After the time is up, you will mark if you are interested in dating that person. Next day you''ll receive a private message with the names of your matches, so you can contact them and try exp dating, leisure dating or just going out for a coffee. It all depends on you!
And every week a lucky couple will get a free private date ticket from Guildmaster Wanora''s stockpile!
When and where: Every Friday of January, from 8 to 9 pm TCT, at the private lounge of ¡°The Grinning Flatfish¡± of Torinelo City.
The organizers are also participating!
For more information, PM: Johnny334 or Wanora009.
Ricardo was dumbfounded to say the least. He immediately searched up Virtual Connection Couple''s Tournament.
It seemed like VC was going to have a big update soon, opening up a Player vs Player combat league. And the tournament was planned as the highlight for next year''s Valentine''s Event.
He paced in his room, trying to comprehend what transpired from Johnny''s announcement. That he posted it hours after breaking up with Minerva was damning in itself, like he knew he was going to be single soon. Something didn''t add up. And it bothered him.
The sketch of a plan was already being drawn in his head.
Chapter 5: From Sketch to Reality, Virtual Reality
After a long night of pondering in his room, looking up for more information and pondering again, Ricardo felt like he had gotten a somewhat workable plan. Yes, it sounded like madness¨Ca lot of it was put together in a semi-conscious, sleep-deprived trance¨Cbut it was well-thought madness. At least it seemed like that for him, even now in the morning, after sleeping on it for a few hours.
Was it still morning? It might be noon already.
He went down to the kitchen, rechecking the outline in his tablet while waiting for the coffee. He took his cup as soon as it was ready, getting back to his room in a dash¨Ctoo excited to bother in preparing breakfast.
Anyway, now he needed to run his plan by a non invested party. It was time to call Sandro.
¡°So the trip is definitely canceled?¡± asked Sandro, raising his voice over the background noise.
¡°Yeah, it''s hopeless,¡± answered Ricardo. ¡°We can''t force Minerva to go, nor leave her alone in Lima, given her current state.¡±
Ricardo, still in PJs, kept making notes on his scheduling app, while his avatar talked to Sandro in a prichat room.
It had been almost noon by the time Ricardo called, catching Sandro pulling out of the driveway on his way to the beach. It seemed Sandro was finally free from his holiday family duties.
¡°It''s still surreal,¡± said Sandro. ¡°Your little sister having a secret VR boyfriend.¡±
¡°You tell me.¡±
¡°Anyway, since you''re not traveling, do you want your class hours back?¡±
¡°About that, I would like for you to keep them as planned.¡±
¡°It''s okay for me, since I had programmed it already,¡± said Sandro, talking a pause. ¡°Why though?¡±
¡°There''s something I must do,¡± said Ricardo. ¡°Actually, that''s why I called you. I have a plan.¡±
¡°Whoa, that sounds ominous,¡± said Sandro, laughing.
¡°I want to meet Johnny,¡± said Ricardo. ¡°In VC.¡±
¡°Just like that?¡±
¡°No, I don''t know what are you imagining, but it surely isn''t it,¡± said Ricardo. ¡°I do have a plan.¡±
¡°Sorry, will it take long to explain?¡± said Sandro. ¡°I''ll be getting into the highway soon.¡±
¡°It might.¡±
¡°Then I''ll call you later, from the beach house,¡± said Sandro. ¡°Clara might want to join too.¡±
¡°That would be helpful,¡± said Ricardo, before cutting the call.
By lunchtime, Ricardo had already gone through the plan''s outline multiple times. Virtual Connection, as a game, was fairly simple: three different stats, three basic classes. That might have been part of it''s widespread appeal.
He surely could get his preparations done, level-wise, by the first Friday of January. He had almost two weeks at full dedication; it couldn''t be that hard. Maybe he was being overconfident; the gaming forums made it sound so easy, though.
If he was to be honest, the role-playing part was way more worrisome. It had been years since the last time he did it. And playing a convincing female character wasn''t that easy. At some point he had introduced minor female NPCs as the DM, but he never prepared a full character sheet for one... Did he?
A sudden memory crossed his mind.
Ricardo went up like a spring, rummaging in his desk''s drawers. After a couple of minutes, he finally got what he was looking for: an old backup drive. He connected it to his laptop, searching for the character sheet files in his RPG folder.
He slowly scanned the filenames, recalling the adventures his group had lived through each one, bits of a mostly forgotten part of his past. He had been the DM most of the time, but even then he had quite a few recurrent NPCs, with big background histories of their own.
And finally, he found it. It was one of the first characters he created, one that had never been played, that he never intended to use himself.
It was ironically fitting.
Lunch was a mostly silent affair, with Minerva still secluded in her room and no Amelia to force them to enjoy themselves. Food was prepared as an afterthought; leftover turkey, and rice with veggies from a frozen bag. Ricardo finished eating in fifteen minutes and went back to his bedroom, waiting for Sandro to enter the prichat room.
He eyed the VR machine from where he was laying on his bed. It was a black, human-sized pod made mostly of plastic, with a tube linking it to the wall. He knew quite a bit about its functioning¨Che needed to, if he was to make us of it for professional designing.
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Ricardo considered calling from the VR machine for a moment¨Cprichat had been designed for VR use in the first place¨Cbut changed his mind.
Soon I''ll be spending most of the day inside one.
¡°Hey, wait a minute,¡± said Clara, interrupting Ricardo. ¡°I''m not sure if I follow.¡±
¡°Are you saying that your plan is dating your sister''s ex-boyfriend?!¡± asked Clara, raising the pitch of her voice. ¡°''Cause that''s like the craziest thing I''ve heard in the whole year. And I totally approve!¡±
Ricardo had finally gone through the plan¨Cwell, the main points of it¨Cwith Sandro and Clara, Sandro''s girlfriend. The later was so interested in the gossip that she changed the beach for a prichat room, at least for a couple of hours.
¡°Okay, leaving out how you would need to gain twenty levels in twelve days, not only as a VC beginner, but as a complete non-gamer,¡± said Sandro. ¡°Are you going to be a girl? It''s madness.¡±
¡°It''s VR,¡± said Ricardo. ¡°I can role-play it; I have done it before, in our RPG sessions.¡±
¡°Those were cringy as hell,¡± interrupted Sandro. ¡°And they were just minor NPCs...¡±
¡°That was because you could see and hear ME acting,¡± said Ricardo. ¡°If I had a female VR body, no one would have been the wiser.¡±
¡°Do you even know how much it will cost you?¡± asked Sandro.
¡°A thousand dollars,¡± Ricardo immediately answered. Pay to win¨Cmore like pay to deceive in this case¨Cthe joy of freemium games.
Virtual Connection was advertised as a way to develop authentic, long-lasting relationships between players from all around the world. And, at face value, it delivered. Anyone could get one character for free, it''s VR body a reflexion of their real life self. Anything else had a price tag.
VC actually being a dating game, maybe changing your appearance was pay to win after all.
They kept discussing for another while, mostly about the feasibility of the plan. To help make his case, Ricardo showed them the character sheet he had fetched from his old drive, adjusted for the plan''s purposes.
¡°Did we ever have such a scenario?¡± asked Sandro. ¡°I can''t recall anything like this.¡±
It was a fair question. The RPG they used to play was a classic sword and sorcery one, in a standard fantasy setting. They had played as elves, dwarves, ogres... Even if they had a human character, he would be a hardened adventurer or the magician prodigy of the age. The female character in question didn''t belong there, it was made to not belong in there.
She was a transmigrated schoolgirl.
After taking a long break for dinner¨CSandro saying they needed time to think about it¨CRicardo was back in his bedroom for another long prichat session. He was sure Clara wouldn''t be joining them back, though. She tuned out whenever Sandro and him would start getting deep into the details.
Ultimately, they hadn''t been decidedly against it; the plan might be doable after all.
¡°I''m back,¡± said Sandro, as he entered the virtual room. ¡°Clara won''t be joining us; she''s tired.¡±
¡°I figured that would be the case,¡± said Ricardo. ¡°It doesn''t matter. For voting''s sake, she agrees with me.¡±
¡°She just wants to see the world burn,¡± said Sandro, laughing. ¡°But I must admit, it will be amusing if you pull it off.¡±
¡°Anyway, if you''re really serious about this,¡± said Sandro. ¡°There''s one person who could help you more than anyone.¡±
¡°Who?¡±
¡°Amelia.¡±
It was surprising to hear that name from Sandro, not that they didn''t know each other. Amelia was at Ricardo''s house so often that they had crossed each other in a lot of occasions.
Thinking about telling Amelia of his plan, Ricardo felt uncomfortable. And not only because of their last word exchange.
But it was true, Amelia would be perfect for guiding him in VC. Not only she was a real schoolgirl, she was also a member of the ''Torinelo City Workshops'' guild.
Most importantly, she knew Johnny.
Ricardo thought about it for awhile. Involving Amelia was, objectively, the smartest choice. The risks were too high for not doing so.
The plan would demand a whole month of his time¨Cand it could alienate Minerva further¨Cnot even taking into account the monetary cost.
Sandro, and Clara by extension, were his closest friends. Maybe the only people in the world in front of which Ricardo didn''t mind looking as a fool.
Amelia, on the other hand, was his sister''s best friend. More than that, she was a friend of the family, a girl two years his junior.
I''m such a coward.
After making the decision, calling Amelia was way easier than he had anticipated. She answered right away, joining him in the prichat room without having to persuade her. She was back to her considerate and caring demeanor, as if their last conversation never took place.
Ricardo treaded lightly for a bit, recapping all that he knew about Johnny and his guild. Amelia filled in with any relevant information she could provide, already proving to be a great asset for the team.
She was genuinely surprised, almost as much as Ricardo had been at first, when he showed her the Speed Dating Club''s announcement on the guild''s homepage.
And doubly so, when Ricardo told her his intentions to participate in it.
¡°This, I could have never imagined...¡± said Amelia, after Ricardo finished telling her a condensed outline of the plan.
¡°Does it seem doable?¡± asked Ricardo, fidgeting with his fingers. If the plan was approved by Amelia, it would mean it was probably good to go.
¡°I guess it makes sense in principle,¡± said Amelia. ¡°And I would like to know the truth about Johnny as much as you do; I never expected things to end up in the way they did.¡±
¡°There are a few changes I would suggest, though,¡± continued Amelia after a short pause.
¡°Like...¡±
¡°For starters, your character should be a university student. There''s no way you could make a convincing teenage schoolgirl.¡±
Amelia, that was savage... And probably true.
That night, Ricardo left prichat excited and more than a little worried.
He was going to do it for real.
After selling the idea all day long, he should have been happy that his plan could convince so many people. He was scared instead. A part of him had wanted for Sandro and the rest to tell him he was crazy, that his plan would never work. He would trash it and keep going with his old same life.
On the contrary, the more he talked about it, the more fleshed out it became, and the more viable it seemed in the eyes of other people. By the day''s end, Amelia had committed to help him, and even Sandro was enthusiastic with the idea. There was no way out now.
He was going to sleep on it one last time.
Tomorrow would mark the first day of his VC adventure.
Chapter 6: Welcome to Virtual Connection
Ricardo opened his eyes to the first rays of sunshine coming through his window. He had been restless until late into the night, but even so his body raised up in anticipation.
Turns out it was too much anticipation. His alarm wouldn''t be going off for another couple of hours. Well, he had two hours to waste. Sandro wouldn''t be up until at least 7:30.
Today was the day Ricardo would finally register into Virtual Connection. It had been recommended to him quite a few times, by Sandro mostly, but he never imagined he would get into it in this way.
He made himself breakfast and watched a few gameplay videos, getting into the gamer mindset.
Monday, December 27th ,2027
8:00 am UTC-5
Finally, the time had come.
Ricardo stared at the VR machine in the corner for a minute. His mind drifted for a bit, going back to one of the first classes he took at university. He recalled how the wires could transmit impulses directly to his nerve connections, bypassing his sensory organs; the trick for faking reality.
It was quite unnerving if one stopped to analyze it.
Ok, that was really bad.
He cringed at himself¨Ca signal to stop wasting time¨Cand got inside.
¡°You''re finally joining VC, I thought the day would never come,¡± said Sandro, inside the VR prichat room.
¡°Yeah, who knew it would be like this,¡± said Ricardo, feeling the couch''s upholstery under his fingers.
They were in what was prichat''s standard living room template: a couch, a table, a couple of chairs and a widescreen TV set.
Everything seemed real at first glance, the warm ambient lights, the rugged wood of the table, the cold metal of the chairs'' frame... But the illusion broke easily enough. The textures just weren''t quite right, and the smells were simplified to the max. Prichat didn''t even have taste simulation at all.
People got used to VR¨Cmany said they didn''t notice anymore¨Cbut Ricardo could never get fully into it.
¡°Are you ready now?¡± asked Sandro, his lips moving naturally¨Ca sign that he wasn''t just an avatar, but a full body VR simulation.
¡°As ready as I''ll ever be,¡± answered Ricardo.
Ricardo had gone through his character sheet enough to commit it to memory. He also watched the character creation video plenty of times; the image for his/her desired physical appearance at the top of his mind.
¡°When you finish creating your character, just go to the inn. Clara and I will be waiting for you.¡±
Leaving prichat always disoriented Ricardo; the VR lobby had mostly visual and sound feed, the touch sense barely enough for moving around. And the change was jarring.
Regaining his bearings, he looked for Virtual Connection in the game list of his command screen. It was very easy to find, being one of the most popular VR extensions at the moment. After a few pages of legal jargon that he didn''t bother to read¨Cif they really wanted you to know, they would have voiced it¨Che was officially in.
An ornate wooden door appeared in the lobby, beckoning him inside.
Before getting into the game for real, there was a last thing Ricardo needed to do. He opened the VC cash shop and; carefully, put a thousand platinum hearts, the game''s premium currency, into his cart. He rechecked twice¨Ccash shop purchases weren''t refundable¨Cand confirmed the transaction.
Not going back after this.
He could have done it from the game, if he had linked his credit card. He didn''t trust them that far yet.
Ricardo took a step back and went towards the row of extension doors¨Cthere were just a handful of them¨Call related to school or work. He stood in front of the last one, took a virtual breath in, and opened it.
Welcome to Virtual Connection.
Make your own story in the fantasy land of true love!
As Ricardo entered the Character Creation room, he was taken aback, his senses coming alive. The sunlight warming his skin, a soft breeze blowing by his hair, a fresh air aroma tingling in his nose. A cumulus of sensations were returning to their right place, after being forcefully stripped away.
It was almost like if he had left the VR machine altogether.
The room itself didn''t look like a room at all. It appeared like if someone had cut a circular plot out of a meadow and brought it up to the sky, its diffuse edges blending into the clouds.
There was an arch of metallic platforms across the middle, from which only seven were active. The centermost one had a mirror image of himself, wearing the beginner equipment: a white tunic tied with a cordon, straw sandals and a plain baby blue backpack. The six outer ones projected holographic images¨Calso of him¨Cthis time in six different haircut types. That was the only free customization granted by the game.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Having paused for a moment for Ricardo to adjust himself, the voice-over restarted playing. He, knowing already what it would say, skipped ahead and asked for the full customization.
In seconds, a thousand platinum hearts were consumed. And seven very uncanny looking female models appeared in front of him.
He despaired at first. Even if he should have expected it, it was a shocking image all the same.
Ricardo closed his VR eyes for a bit, recalling the ideal image he had designed. That kept him focused during the task ahead. He tweaked and fiddled with the options for what seemed like hours¨CClara and Sandro must have been cursing him¨Cbut he needed to get it right. He only had one try after all.
As the last step, he tried on the female body he had meticulously sculpted. It felt mostly alright, just a few bumps here and there. It helped that he didn''t need to change his height, the perks of being on the shorter side.
Altogether, the biggest adjustment was the long hair, which did impossible waves as he moved around. It was impractical and bothersome, making him wonder why girls subjected themselves to it.
Well, it''s pretty.
Ricardo stalled as much as he could justify himself, before finally pressing the confirm button. Having locked his character''s appearance, he selected ''Torinelo'' from the options for beginning locations.
Suddenly, the clouds that surrounded him drifted away, showing an aerial view of the city, as the room shrank in its descent. He finally hovered over a plaza before the¨Cnow circular platform¨Cdisappeared.
You have entered Torinelo Starter City
As soon as he landed on the cobbled surface of the plaza, Ricardo felt weird. The rather small impact had been absorbed in a new, unusual way. He turned around, looking at his reflexion on the water of a fountain. It was definitely female, a stunningly beautiful one. He closed his eyes¨Che had prepared for this moment¨Cand thought about the character he was going to portray.
After I open my eyes, I''ll be Ilaria.
Torinelo City appeared to be inspired in Renaissance Era Italy, or at least what the general population thought the Renaissance looked like. There were blocks of whites and yellows as far as Ilaria could see, a lot of columns and plenty of marble sculptures.
Having already wasted a lot of time, she proceeded to go around, checking the names of each building. As she walked, she saw a few other players seemingly jumping into existence in the plaza''s surroundings. Most were clad in the newbie robes, looking like they were joining a religious pilgrimage.
I guess I look just the same.
Ilaria didn''t take to long to find it. The inn in question was a medium-sized building with an elevated, roofed porch in the front; light string music could be heard as she approached. The statue of the entrance¨Can old man with an eagle on his shoulder¨Cconfirmed that she was in the right place.
As Ilaria climbed the stairs of the entrance, she crossed sights with most of the people inside, in her quest to find Sandro. No matter who she looked at, they would invariably be looking at her too. She could feel her cheeks warming up as she grew conscious of the attention. It was such a difference from her usual, inconspicuous self.
Finally, sitting in a small table at the corner, she could recognize her friends. Sandro looked just as in real life, tall, athletic and tanned. He probably hadn''t paid for any customization at all¨Cnot that would need to. About Clara, a petite, green-eyed brunette; she was as cute as always... Mostly? There was something off, maybe her nose.
As Ilaria turned, facing them, Sandro and Clara crossed a glance of realization.
¡°Here!¡± exclaimed Clara, standing up and waving.
Sandro just laughed soundlessly in his seat, while Ilaria rushed towards them.
Geez, Clara; as if I needed any more attention.
¡°Sit down, sit down,¡± said Clara, insistently pointing towards the empty chair.
¡°I''ll do, I''ll do¡±
The wooden table looked worn out, probably a stylistic choice; a half-eaten plate of olives and a couple of forks completed the setup.
¡°You are so pretty!¡± exclaimed Clara, as soon as everyone was sat.
Ilaria grimaced, looking at Clara with murderous eyes.
¡°Don''t worry; as long as we remain seated, nobody can hear us,¡± said Sandro, smiling.
¡°That''s good to know,¡± said Ilaria.
¡°So, you are Ilaria now?¡± asked Sandro.
¡°Yeah,¡± said Ilaria.
¡°And I''m Claire, don''t forget it,¡± said Clara, making a serious face.
¡°Yup, she''s Claire in here,¡± said Sandro. ¡°I''m SanDiego, by the way; but you can keep calling me Sandro.¡±
Thank god, remembering Clara''s will be hard enough.
¡°Do you want to try them?¡± asked Sandro, signaling the olives. ¡°You''ll be surprised.¡±
¡°Do it; I promise, it''ll be wondrous,¡± added Claire, not taking her eyes off her.
Ricardo¨Cno, Ilaria¨Chad been so absorbed in the scenario, that she had completely forgotten she was inside a VR simulation. She finally could relate to all the people who enjoyed VR extensions on a regular basis.
Ilaria wavered for a second on which fork to take, before grabbing the one in front of Sandro. She picked up an olive, carefully putting it in her mouth. At once, she could feel the cool saltiness over her tongue. She bit it slowly, the acidity of its juices filling her with new sensations.
¡°It tastes like an olive!¡± exclaimed Ilaria, being unable to stop herself from laughing. She wondered if that was kinda what the deft felt when they just got their hearing aids.
After that, Sandro and Claire took turns making Ilaria try most of the menu of the inn. It was really wondrous¨Cas Claire would say¨Cdespite it being just basic tavern food. She had never realized how far VR had advanced within just a few years.
Ilaria kept making joyful expressions as she tried the food, until she noticed Sandro''s stare on her.
¡°Don''t make it weird,¡± said Ilaria, straightening herself.
¡°It''s weird,¡± said Sandro, trying a smile. ¡°You totally look like a girl, but you still look like... well, you. It might take some time to get used to it.¡±
¡°I should have guessed it would be like that.¡± said Ilaria.
¡°And I must admit, you do make a beautiful girl,¡± said Sandro. ¡°The frail, aloof beauty type.¡±
Ilaria could feel her cheeks warming again.
¡°Like an evil stepsister?¡± asked Claire, interrupting her thoughts.
¡°What? Which evil stepsister...¡± said Ilaria, dumbfounded.
¡°You totally have that look!¡± exclaimed Claire, laughing. ¡°The rich, pampered villainess, feigning weakness to snare the prince.¡±
¡°Now it''s a villainess...¡± said Ilaria, who couldn''t help smiling.
The conversation went off on a tangent, Sandro and Claire debating about which female antagonist Ilaria was the closest to. But soon enough it was lunchtime¨CIlaria had wasted a lot of time in character creation¨Cand time to end the session.
¡°I''m sorry, we got to go now,¡± said Sandro.
¡°We are gonna have BBQ at the beach,¡± said Claire, smiling. ¡°You should come by sometime.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°I might call you up on that.¡±
It was something she often said, but this time she meant it. Even if in this summer she had other worries to attend to, there''s always next year. Her family wasn''t the only people she had been neglecting.
¡°We won''t log in the afternoon,¡± said Sandro. ¡°You could call Amelia.¡±
¡°Don''t worry about it; you have done enough.¡± said Ilaria. ¡°I have watched tons of tutorials. All will be fine.¡±
¡°Here,¡± said Sandro, dropping a pouch on her hand. It disappeared as soon as it touched her, making a metallic sound. ¡°Knowing you, you''ll probably need it.¡±
After saying that, Sandro and Claire dematerialized in a flash of light, Ilaria following afterwards.
You have left Virtual Connection.
Chapter 7: A Cat in her Turf
Welcome back, Ilaria.
A whole gamut of sensations opened to her as she materialized in front of the inn, in the exact same spot in which she had said goodbye to her friends a few hours ago. Logging into Virtual Connection from the VR lobby was akin to talking a huge breath in after being forced to hold the respiration. Lunch¨Cthe real life kind¨Chad turned into a forgettable affair; she had been in quite a rush to get back to VC. Who would have imagined.
Ilaria¨Crecalling the new player walkthroughs¨Cproceeded to walk back to the plaza. There she filled her canteen in the fountain, before going to the Information Module. Every starter city had its own variations of the basic quests¨Ctherefore the need to ask around¨Cbut ultimately all were mostly the same.
Torinelo City''s Information Module was a small stone counter located next to the main teleportation gate, in a corner of the plaza. There were two Non-Player Characters, a young couple, whose job was to guide the newbies.
The girl NPC was talking to what appeared to be a catgirl¨Cone of the preset customizations for sale¨Cso Ilaria went to talk to the guy.
¡°Hello, I''m new in this game,¡± said Ilaria.
¡°Hello, I am Larry,¡± said the NPC, with a big smile. ¡°I am in charge of explaining how to play Virtual Connection, so ask me anything. You can also take the twenty-minute tutorial if you want to. I recommend it.¡±
The NPCs in Virtual Connection had an AI that was good enough for a simple conversation in their field of expertise, but wouldn''t fool anyone into thinking they were real people.
¡°No thanks,¡± said Ilaria, who had already watched said tutorial plenty of times.
¡°Rather, I was wondering¡ how can I raise my level quickly?¡± asked Ilaria, not quite remembering the recommended wording of the question.
¡°You get experience killing monsters and doing quests,¡± answered Larry. "To raise your level quickly, you should get an extermination quest. Then you can get both the monsters'' experience and the quest''s.¡±
¡°I see, two in one,¡± said Ilaria, smiling. ¡°I heard that dating could give you a lot of experience too.¡±
¡°Yes, going into a Dungeon Date is a good way to level fast,¡± said Larry. ¡°But it isn''t recommended for players under level 7.¡±
That she already knew, before level 7 you didn''t have access to any magical skill, or even proper weapons.
¡°I see. Then who should I ask for an extermination quest?¡± asked Ilaria, finally getting to the point.
¡°For a level 1 player, we usually recommend you to join the rat extermination effort,¡± answered Larry. ¡°You can sign up at any of the guardhouses, next to the city gates.¡±
Having gotten the information she wanted¨Cthere was usually one level 1 extermination quest per city¨CIlaria intended to turn around and leave. But then, the NPC kept talking.
¡°That being said, if you really want to level faster, there''s a new quest you could take on,¡± said Larry. ¡°You can talk to Peter, if you are interested. You can find him at the butcher''s store.¡±
This is unexpected.
Being intrigued by this ''faster'' new quest, Ilaria went to the butcher''s store and asked for Peter. He was a big man, wearing a white apron spotted with blood.
¡°Hello, I''m Ilaria,¡± Ilaria introduced herself. ¡°Larry told me you could give me a quest.¡±
¡°A newbie, huh?¡± said Peter. ¡°Then I shall give you a quest.¡±
Peter took out a small knife with rounded edges and gave it to Ilaria.
¡°You should kill and bring back the carcasses of ten wild rabbits. They are found in the grassland outside the city, leaving by the west gate,¡± said Peter. ¡°If you do it within the day, I''ll pay you a golden heart. On top of the experience, of course.¡±
¡°Not a bad deal, huh?¡± said Peter, laughing. ¡°I''ll even let you keep the knife.¡±
¡°I accept,¡± said Ilaria, while clicking on the ¡®yes'' button on the pop-up message in front of her.
¡°Bunny, bunny, bunny.¡±
Ilara had been at the grassland for ten minutes, and she still hadn''t gotten any carcass. The rabbits came to her when she called... And then she tried swinging her knife.
It was really hard to connect to a rabbit. And the few times she got one, the knife just bounced. The rabbit would shake itself off the ground and keep leaping like nothing happened.
This knife isn''t working.
Then Ilaria looked at the knife, an information icon appearing in front of it.
She clicked.
? Butter Knife
? No level restriction
? Deals 0-1 damage on contact
? Great knife for spreading butter on a bun, just don''t expect it to cut meat. It''s called a butter knife for a reason.
¡°DAMNED BUTCHER!!!!¡±
After letting herself go with the yell, Ilaria got embarrassed at herself. She looked around to see if someone had heard her.
It seems I was lucky...
She heard a girl''s laughter. Something moved at the distance; it was the catgirl she had seen before at the Information Module. She was wearing the same beginner robes as her, but she didn''t have the cordon.
¡°I guess you took the rabbit quest at the butcher''s,¡± said the catgirl, approaching Ilaria.
¡°Yeah, I did,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°But that damned butcher gave me a butter knife.¡±
¡°If you had checked the knife before, he would have offered to sell you a butcher''s cleaver for one platinum heart¡± said the catgirl.
¡°So I should spend money, huh?¡± said Ilaria.
¡°Yup, this game is shameless,¡± said the catgirl, laughing. ¡°There are other ways to level up, but the rabbit quest is the fastest by far.¡±
¡°Then I guess I have no option,¡± said Ilaria, already resigned to dump even more real money in the game.
¡°Not at all. There''s another way,¡± said the catgirl, smiling. ¡°I need to deliver my quest, so follow me and I''ll tell you.¡±
¡°What''s your name?¡± asked the catgirl.
¡°My name is Ilaria, nice to meet you.¡±
¡°I am Diana.¡±
As they walked back to the city, Ilaria kept being distracted by Diana''s cat ears swaying with each step. She couldn''t help discreetly looking sideways, checking out her current companion.
Diana the catgirl was short and slim, and she seemed to be always smiling. She had black, shoulder length hair, but she wasn''t covered in fur; the characteristic cat ears were her most distinct feature. Besides her long nails and a bulge in her rear¨Cwhich should be a tail¨Cshe just looked like a cute, young girl.
After they entered the butcher''s store, Diana took out ten rabbit carcasses from her backpack. They were neatly packed¨Ceach in its own airtight bag¨Clike one you could buy at a supermarket.
¡°Here they are,¡± said Diana to the girl in the counter.
¡°Great! Master Peter will be really pleased. Take this,¡± said the girl, giving Diana a golden heart.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
¡°If you can, please keep bringing the rabbit carcasses. Same deal,¡± said the girl.
¡°Did you buy the cleaver?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°Nope,¡± answered Diana, grinning.
¡°Then¡¡±
¡°Let''s go back to the fields; it will be easier if I show you.¡±
On the fields, Diana was a true catwoman.
She got in fours on the ground, making clicking sounds with her mouth.
The rabbits, the easiest monster in the game, were designed to be attracted to sound. Soon enough, a couple of them went leaping in front of Diana.
Diana flexed her legs and suddenly jumped, catching a rabbit between her hands. The rabbit tried to bite her, but she quickly took what seemed like rope from her pocket and tied it around the rabbit''s neck.
She pulled the ends of the rope until the rabbit stopped moving. It was dead.
¡°Wow. That was amazing!¡± exclaimed Ilaria.
¡°Hehehe,¡± said Diana smiling. Her cordon-less robes had gotten tangled, flashing her panties and tail, which was moving side to side.
¡°So that''s why you didn''t have a cordon on your robes. The view is a little indecent, though,¡± said Ilaria, blushing.
¡°This is just my virtual body and we are both girls. So it''s ok!¡± said Diana, laughing.
¡°Though I could see myself turning lesbian for you, nyan!¡±
Soon enough, Ilaria took out the cordon of her robes and started chasing the rabbits. After the first few tries, she didn''t care about showing off her underwear anymore. The times she got bitten it just stung a little. Unlike the monsters, it seemed the players couldn''t bleed.
The rabbit quest was great for gaining experience; way better than the one recommended by the walkthrough. After five hours of play, both of them got to level 7, the limit for that particular quest. And they got twenty golden hearts each.
¡°That was really fun,¡± said Ilaria, smiling. ¡°And we leveled really fast too. I wouldn''t have known what to do without you.¡±
¡°Don''t worry about it,¡± said Diana. ¡°Gaming is always better with friends.¡±
¡°We can''t take the rabbit quest anymore, though,¡± said Ilaria. The thought made her surprisingly sad.
¡°It''s ok,¡± said Diana. ¡°The fun is just starting.¡±
¡°What should we do now?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°Let''s go shopping!!!!¡±
After hearing that, Ilaria accompanied Diana into the Clothing Shop. It occupied one whole side of the plaza, a big four stories building. Ilaria wondered how far twenty golden hearts would go. At level 7 she could get clothing with stat bonuses¨Calbeit really small ones¨Cbut everything helped.
Just entering the building, they encountered a modern looking board showing the floor distribution. Even though the outside kept the aesthetics of Torinelo City, the inside looked like any modern department store, with mechanical stairs and touch-screen terminals. Even the music sounded mostly the same.
As Ilaria was looking around the store, a big display caught her attention.
Coming soon¡ the Magical Girl and Qi Warrior Costume Sets! Release your hidden power!
Greeting Diana and Ilaria, there was a couple of realistic-looking mannequins in fighting pose. The girl had a white miniskirt and a pink top with a huge golden heart. She was holding a heart-topped staff. The boy had orange trousers and long, spiky, blonde hair.
¡°Welcome to Torinelo City Clothing Shop,¡± said a smiling woman in yellow uniform. ¡°My name is Tiffany and I''ll help you today.¡±
The shop attendant had soundlessly approached them, making Ilaria blink in surprise.
¡°Hi Tiffany!¡± said Diana, like if she was an acquaintance.
Ilaria kept staring at the costumes. They looked so ridiculous that she didn''t know if she should laugh.
¡°Those are the new costumes, arriving after tomorrow''s scheduled downtime,¡± said Tiffany, mistaking Ilaria''s stare for interest.
¡°They go over your armor, overriding the looks, but they won''t get damaged on battle. They even give you additional bonuses!¡±
¡°Could she insta-try the Magical Girl one?¡± asked Diana, with a mischievous smile.
¡°Of course!¡± said Tiffany, snapping her fingers.
Suddenly, Ilaria felt enveloped in a soft light, and then her clothes changed over her. Ilaria looked at her image on the mirror and blushed.
This body looks well in anything.
¡°I must say, it really suits you, Miss,¡± said Tiffany, with sparkling eyes. ¡°It will cost ten platinum hearts for the one-week version, and fifty for a three-month one!¡±
Before returning it, Ilaria checked her stats. The costume gave +5 to all stats, +12 to Magical attack and a huge +200 mana bonus.
She figured it wasn''t that much for a high level player, but it more than quadrupled her current mana pool.
¡°It has some good stats,¡± Ilaria couldn''t help saying.
¡°If you are interested, I can show you the costumes we have currently available,¡± said Tiffany, trying to push them into buying an expensive item.
¡°We just want to check out the level 7 equipment,¡± said Diana, taking control of the situation.
They followed Tiffany, towards a much smaller, secluded section, half-hidden by the escalator.
¡°Here we are: the Woman''s Level 7 Clothing Section!¡± exclaimed Tiffany, recovering from her last setback.
There were rows of clothes of different colors, divided in three racks: light robes, medium armor and heavy plate. Though it was signaled like that, even the heavy plate section was filled with low cut tops and miniskirts.
¡°You are a total newbie, nyan!¡± exclaimed Diana, looking at Ilaria''s dumbfounded face.
¡°Haaa,¡± said Ilaria, with her mouth opened. She couldn''t believe one would go to a battle in a tank top and miniskirt, even if it was made from metal links.
¡°You know, in Virtual Connection what matters is the stats¡± said Diana. ¡°If it says it gives you defense, it will protect you.
¡°Even if it looks like a thong!¡±
¡°Ok¡¡±
In the end, all the clothing of each section had the same stats, so one could pick any combination based on the looks.
Ilaria went with a pair of blue jeans, a baby blue T-shirt and a leather jacket. The jeans and jacket were considered medium armor, so they gave a moderate defense without reducing agility too much. She also bought a pair of white sneakers that she was wearing sockless, since she had already spent her whole twenty golden hearts.
Diana ended up wearing tight leather shorts over black stockings, high boots, a bright pink tank top and a leather jacket that ended just below her breasts. Her tail was displayed in full, coming out from her shorts.
¡°We should eat something good,¡± said Diana, after leaving the Clothing Store. ¡°My satiety bar is getting kinda low.¡±
¡°I don''t know¡¡±
One needed to eat and drink every few hours in-game, more if you spent mana. Not that Ilaria was close to that limit, she had tried almost all the inn''s menu that morning.
More importantly, she was out of game money.
Maybe I''ll need to link my credit card to the game after all.
¡°Don''t worry, my treat!¡±
Walking side to side, they looked like normal teenage girls taking a stroll in the shopping district.
They got inside a small coffee shop located on a second floor, with a balcony overlooking a pond. Inside there were only small, two-person tables, illuminated by a warm, yellow light; a soft violin piece complementing the faint roasted coffee smell.
A perfectly uniformed waiter¨Cthe first one Ilaria had seen in VC¨Cescorted them to a table, leaving them two menu guides.
¡°This place is really nice,¡± said Ilaria, appreciating the candelabra hanging over the table.
¡°Yup, great place for a first date, don''t you think?¡± asked Diana, smiling.
¡°Yeah¡¡± said Ilaria, being taken by surprise.
¡°You are just way too cute, nyan!¡±
After receiving their coffee and cookies set, the girls settled in a comfortable conversation.
¡°You were amazing out there, with the rabbits¡± said Ilaria. ¡°You looked a real cat.¡±
And she meant it; she had never seen someone moving like that, either in a real or virtual setting.
¡°There are people way better than me,¡± said Diana, blushing. ¡°Besides, I have already played VC a lot.¡±
Ilaria raised her head, staring at Diana in confusion.
¡°I restarted with a new character,¡± said Diana, a hint of sadness in her voice.
So that was it; Diana was an experienced player restarting from level one.
Why?
That was Ilaria''s unspoken question.
¡°I started playing as soon as VC launched, said Diana. ¡°I didn''t know anything at that time; most people didn''t. Let''s say I made very big, unfixable mistake.¡±
¡°Then, your other character?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°She is gone,¡± said Diana, looking down. ¡°An extra chara costs a whopping thousand platinum hearts. There''s no way I could spend that much on a game.¡±
¡°Yeah, spending real money feels wasteful,¡± said Ilaria, immediately regretting having said that.
¡°I know, right?¡± said Diana, smiling. ¡°But in the end I ended up paying for my cat ears.¡±
¡°Of course not a thousand dollars; that would''ve been crazy.¡±
¡°You really like cats, don''t you?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°Of course!¡± answered Diana. ¡°They are the cutest, loveliest, most amazing creatures in the whole world, nyan!¡±
After having finishing their meal, Diana excused herself.
¡°Sorry, I need to go,¡± said Diana. ¡°It''s late and mom won''t let me skip dinner.¡±
¡°I see. Thank you for everything,¡± said Ilaria. She was truly glad to have met Diana. It was really a godsend.
They registered as friends and Diana disappeared in a flash of light. Ilaria decided to call it a day and logged out too; the sweet and bitter coffee aftertaste lingering in her mouth.
Chapter 8: Under the Same Starry Sky
Okay, here it is.
Ilaria brought her hand forward, clicking on the twinkling red button floating on the upper left corner of her view. She had been looking for it as soon as she logged in. At least those buttons worked the same as in VR DrawRight, the program she used for university.
¡°Finally!¡± exclaimed a voice next to her ear, which she recognized immediately as Amelia''s.
¡°Amelia?¡± asked Ilaria, for a confirmation.
¡°Parapapapa¡ Congratulations!¡± exclaimed Amelia. ¡°Yesterday I tried to PM you all afternoon. I even wondered if Sandro had given me the wrong ID.¡±
¡°Sorry, I didn''t notice the button.¡±
In her first day playing Virtual Connection, Ilaria had been so enthralled by the all-new VR sensations that her mind erased the existence of the extraneous red dot at the edge of her viewpoint.
When she logged off, her cellphone had several lost calls; all from Amelia. In the follow up call, Ilaria had to promise to meet in-game today.
¡°Are you at the inn?¡± asked Amelia.
¡°No, I''m in front of a coffee shop,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°Barista Caf¨¦.¡±
¡°Alright, I know where it is.¡±
¡°I''ll be waiting.¡±
¡°I''ll be there soon. Don''t dare to move!¡±
Amelia¨Cor Amy, her in-game name¨Cturned the corner of the street in a dash. Although Ilaria had been warned before, she still didn''t recognize Amelia at first.
Her character had undergone major customization.
For starters, Amy was an elf¨Cwhich mostly meant pointy ears and a willowy complexion. It didn''t make any difference in game mechanics, though some people were willing to pay for it. But that was far from the only change. Her hair, brown in real life, was in a long blond braid; and her eyes, also originally brown, were now of an impossibly clear blue.
Amy was dressed in a V-necked white top and a black miniskirt, clothes unlike anything she had seen Amelia wearing in real life.
Ilaria couldn''t help gazing at Amy''s chest as she panted¨Cit looked too big for a slender elf. But she was fairly sure that was the one part Amelia didn''t customize.
¡°Do you fight in those?¡± asked Ilaria, instantly realizing she shouldn''t had. But Amelia was almost like her sister!
I guess she''s Amy now.
¡°Well, it''s technically armor,¡± answered Amy, with her index on her lips. ¡°Level 7 light robes!¡±
¡°Haaa¡±
It figures that people in a game would dress a lot more daring than in real life.
¡°Do you like them?¡± asked Amy, spinning on her stilettos.
¡°Anyway, you were gonna help me with that letter thing,¡± said Ilaria, changing the topic.
¡°You''re no fun,¡± said Amy, frowning.
Level 7 was an important milestone in Virtual Connection, since that was the point in which you could apply for basic training at one of the three class institutions: the Fighting Dojo, the Rogue Syndicate or the Mage Academy. After completion, you would receive a basic weapon and skill module.
The introduction letter quest¨Cwhich rewarded a free basic training¨Cconsisted in helping the guys at the Information Module deliver messages around. In other words, a fetch quest; designed for new players to learn the location of the most important buildings in the city.
Of course, any new player could do the quest just by asking for directions or buying a map, but it was much easier for Ilaria to just follow Amy around.
Hey, she offered to.
They completed the quest after half an hour of running around Torinelo City, Ilaria still trying to get used to the new Amy. Maybe that''s how Sandro felt before.
¡°Finally, that was the last one,¡± said Ilaria, breathing deeply. Her vitality stat was still fairly low.
¡°You didn''t need to run, you know,¡± said Amy, who had been complaining about hurt feet because of the stilettos.
¡°Sorry,¡± said Ilaria, grinning.
Apparently market research concluded that women were happier with high-heeled shoes that realistically simulated ankle pain; the masochists.
¡°Now you should decide if you are going for the Fighting Dojo, Rogue Syndicate or Mage Academy,¡± said Amy. ¡°It won''t affect your class later, so you don''t need to force yourself.¡±
The original Ilaria character was a wizard¨Chad to be¨Csince she wouldn''t be strong enough otherwise. Moreover, the plan called for her to become a mage, since it would complement the best with Johnny''s class.
Ilaria didn''t have any strong preference anyway, and she wanted to get used to her weapon and skills, so Mage Academy was it.
The Mage Academy was a tall and narrow building, with a spire that was the tallest landmark in Torinelo City. Amy left Ilaria at the door¨Cnot before making her promise to PM her after finishing¨Csince she had to take the training alone.
¡°Hello,¡± said Ilaria to the NPC at the counter. ¡°I am here for the basic training.¡±
¡°Welcome to the Mage Academy, I am Marco,¡± the mage introduced himself. ¡°Do you have an introduction letter?¡±
¡°Yes. Here it is.¡± answered Ilaria, taking out the letter.
¡°Glad to meet you, Miss Ilaria.¡±
Marco stood up from his chair. The mage NPC was wearing a blue cape over cream-colored robes, which made him look even taller than he already was. He took out a thin wooden staff from behind the counter and gave it to Ilaria.
¡°All staves and wands have a normal attack that doesn''t use mana and can be cast chantless. We call it ¡®Force bolt'',¡± said Marco. ¡°At the beginning, it will be easier if you say its name when shooting. Later, only imagining it in your head should be enough.¡±
¡°First try shooting the target on the rear wall,¡± said Marco, pointing towards a line of targets. ¡°When you get three bull eyes, come back here.¡±
Ilaria was doing her target practice, when she noticed the pulsating red button. She pressed it, expecting to hear Amy''s high-pitched voice.
¡°Hi Ilaria. I wonder if you already forgot about me.¡± said a voice next to her ear.
¡°Hello Diana,¡± said Ilaria, smiling. ¡°I am currently doing the basic training at the Mage Academy.¡±
Stolen story; please report.
¡°That''s great,¡± said Diana. ¡°I just finished the Rogue basic training.¡±
¡°Should I meet you after I finish here?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°Actually, I''m going out in a bit,¡± said Diana. ¡°But I''ll be back tonight!¡±
¡°Okay. By the way, what time is it for you?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°Right now it''s 4 pm.¡±
¡°Really? It''s 4 pm here too.¡±
¡°What a coincidence!¡±
¡°I wonder if we live close to each other.¡±
¡°That would be nice.¡±
¡°Sh¡ I got to go. See you tonight, nyan!¡±
After finishing the target practice, Ilaria received a basic two-spell module from Marco. It had the ¡®Mana bolt'' and ¡®Healing touch'' spells.
Mana bolt dealt about three times the damage of the Force bolt, but it took twenty mana per use. With her current stats, she could only use it twice. She couldn''t try Healing touch, but the description said it was a low level healing spell.
And that ended the Mage Academy basic training. She kept the thin wooden staff that she was given at the beginning.
I guess I should call Amy.
¡°So you already finished with the basic training,¡± said Amy. ¡°Just wait in there for a bit.¡±
¡°Are you busy?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°No, no,¡± answered Amy, flustered. ¡°Hmm¡ could we meet at the plaza instead?¡±
¡°I don''t mind,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°But if you are busy¡¡±
¡°I already said it''s OK,¡± said Amy. ¡°See you soon!¡±
Ilaria treaded the cobbled roads towards Torinelo''s central plaza; which, as its name said, was exactly in the center of the city. At least that was the one place you could never fail to find.
After waiting for ten minutes, Amy finally arrived. She was wearing calf-length black pants, a strapless yellow top and ballerina shoes.
¡°Did you just buy that?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°It''s your fault, you know. Making a girl run in high heels,¡± said Amy, pouting.
Ilaria couldn''t help laughing.
¡°Don''t laugh, geez,¡± said Amy, breaking into laughter too.
Amy and Ilaria walked while sharing a popcorn bag. Ilaria had tried one of the free cereal bars she started with before, when her satiety bar got low, but it wasn''t good. Well, she didn''t like them in real life either; the rest of them left unopened in her backpack.
¡°I got the basic skills and weapon, and yesterday I bought my level 7 armor. What quest should I do now?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°You could maybe try a Dungeon Date,¡± answered Amy. ¡°At your level you could beat the first wave.¡±
¡°Is it worth it, experience-wise?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°Maybe, about the same as the next extermination quest,¡± said Amy.
¡°But you could also get dating experience, and who knows... Interested?¡±
¡°Not really, I would have to date a guy after all.¡±
¡°Forgot about that!¡±
Dinnertime was approaching, so Ilaria decided to leave the date business for tomorrow. Moreover, there was another thing that had been going around in her mind.
It should be okay, shouldn''t it?
¡°Could you keep me company for a bit?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°Of course, I''ll be glad,¡± said Amy.
¡°I want to buy a present,¡± said Ilaria ¡°Something a girl around your age would like.¡±
¡°I see,¡± said Amy, lowering her gaze.
¡°Where should we go?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°There''s only one place: the Accessory Shop!¡± exclaimed Amy, walking ahead.
The Accessory Shop was a small two-store building. It had a similar distribution to the Clothing Shop. Class-independent equipment on the first floor, class-restricted equipment on the second, and special commissions in the basement. Looking around the first floor, Ilaria could see several glass cases with assorted jewelry.
¡°Accessories with good stats go for thousands of golden hearts,¡± said Amy. ¡°If you don''t care about that, you should browse among the unleveled stuff on the back.¡±
¡°I should check those then,¡± said Ilaria, with a nervous smile.
Ilaria looked at the display on the back. There were tons of little trinkets, like bracelets, rings and medals. They looked cheap compared to the jewelry in the displays at the front.
¡°Do you know about her preferences?¡± asked Amy, since Ilaria seemed lost.
¡°She likes cats,¡± answered Ilaria.
¡°Look here,¡± said Amy, pointing to a white cat hairpin. ¡°It even gives a +1 to Speed!¡±
¡°It looks good,¡± said Ilaria, a little worried to look at the price.
Sixty golden hearts, I have barely enough.
Ilaria had thought she didn''t have any game money, until that morning. Opening her inventory screen to look for food, she had noticed a hundred unaccounted golden hearts.
The pouch from Sandro.
Dinner had passed by silently. Minerva ate without talking and went back to her room. Amelia had tried a few things in the last couple of days, but Minerva wouldn''t go out of the house for any reason.
At least she did leave her room.
Ricardo didn''t know what to do, at least inside Virtual Connection he did have a plan.
He returned to his room as soon as possible, getting into the VR machine. He entered the VR lobby and resisted going into VC right away. Instead, he got into his bank account and, against his own best advice, linked his credit card to the game.
Ricardo knew the damned game would keep trying to make him and his money part ways. And he didn''t want to depend on hand outs from Sandro either.
Ilaria kept looking around the Accessory Shop, while waiting for Diana.
Prices for jewelry were really ridiculous. A +50 mana earing set cost almost a thousand golden hearts. That was a hundred dollars!
Finally, a quarter before 9 pm, the red button started to pulse.
¡°Hi Ilaria!¡± exclaimed Diana''s voice. ¡°Sorry, took longer than I expected.¡±
¡°Don''t worry,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°See you at the plaza?¡±
¡°Alright!¡± said Diana.
¡°Here!!!¡± called Diana, waving her hands. She was wearing the same clothes she had last time.
Now the plaza was full of people; she could see smiling couples meeting up.
¡°Quite a nice atmosphere, don''t you think?¡± said Diana.
¡°I didn''t notice before, but the game clock seems to be the same as ours,¡± said Ilaria.
While she was having dinner in real life, the sun also set inside Virtual Connection. The city lights gave it a romantic feeling.
¡°Yes. Torinelo City has the same time zone as us,¡± said Diana, laughing. ¡°That''s why I chose it!¡±
¡°Oh, it makes sense,¡± said Ilaria.
¡°Actually, we don''t have much time,¡± said Diana, as she started walking.
Diana guided Ilaria through a residential zone, which Ilaria hadn''t visited yet. They went up a boardwalk, towards a small hill inside the city. It seemed to be a popular location, since a lot of people were going in the same direction.
¡°Do you have to sleep early?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°Nope, I am on my winter break,¡± said Diana. ¡°But the scheduled downtime will start in an hour.¡±
¡°Ahh, what the clerk mentioned,¡± said Ilaria, remembering that time.
¡°Yup, the game closes for an hour to fix bugs and do updates,¡± said Diana. ¡°It happens once a week, on Tuesday night for us.¡±
On the top of the hill there was a scenic overlook. Couples were sitting on blankets, talking in low voices while looking at the stars.
¡°This is my favorite place in Torinelo,¡± said Diana, taking out a blanket. ¡°Please sit down.¡±
¡°Okay¡±
¡°Just before starting the weekly downtime, there is a special event of sorts.¡±
¡°Event?¡±
¡°But it only lasts for a minute, blink and you''ll miss it!¡±
The night sky of Torinelo City was full of bright stars. And, unlike real ones, you didn''t need to stretch too much to distinguish the shaped constellations.
¡°The small one at our lower left corner is called ¡®The White Cat''. Isn''t it awesome?¡± said Diana, with a big smile.
It was truly incredible; you could even tell where the whiskers were.
¡°That reminds me¡¡± said Ilaria, taking out a small pink box.
¡°What''s that?¡± asked Diana, excited.
¡°Here,¡± said Ilaria, putting the box on Diana''s hands. ¡°Just a little thank you for all your help.¡±
¡°Oh, a white cat!!!¡± said Diana, putting it on her hair. ¡°And it even has a small bonus!¡±
¡°It isn''t that good,¡± said Ilaria, lowering her head.
¡°My old headpiece has a level 30 restriction, so I''ll use this for a while!¡±
Two minutes before 10 pm, everyone started to get up. Diana took Ilaria''s hand and made her stand.
¡°It will start soon,¡± said Diana, putting the blanket on her backpack.
¡°¡¡±
¡°Think of a wish, nyan!¡±
Suddenly the sky got brighter as stars started falling, leaving a trail of light. It was a meteor shower.
Wondrous.
Ilaria was lost in the view.
In a minute people started to disappear one by one, as the system disconnected them.
The last thing she saw was Diana''s smiling face, surrounded by a brilliant light.
Chapter 9: Magical Girl Ilaria
Wednesday morning, as she logged in, Ilaria found herself on the top of the hill of Torinelo City. Even though it was daytime now, the view was still wonderful; clear skies, bright sun and a panoramic vista of the city. She closed her eyes for a minute, imagining the starry night sky again.
Time to go.
After jogging down the hill, Ilaria met with Amy at the plaza. The later was dressed in a green summer dress, with low heeled sandals. Her outfit looked quite normal for a change, like something Amelia would wear. Ilaria, of course, was still using the same clothes she bought on the first day.
¡°Finally, today will be your first date!¡± exclaimed Amy, grinning.
¡°Yeah, later,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°I only get one free Dungeon Date a day and I don''t want to waste it.¡±
Ilaria was feeling great about her progress in the game so far. The most rewarding rabbit quest had shaved a whole day from her leveling schedule, which eased a lot of her worries.
After discussing their options awhile, they finally settled in the wild hog extermination quest. High difficulty, high reward.
Wild hogs were level 5 pig-like monsters with sharp tusks. An exotic breed of livestock brought from faraway lands; they had escaped from their enclosure, terrorizing the locals in the fields, or so said the backstory. Ilaria had to kill and bring back twenty pairs of tusks, for a three golden hearts payment.
Easier said than done.
¡°Help!!!¡± exclaimed Ilaria, running towards a laughing Amy.
¡°Dagger slash!¡± yelled Amy, killing the hog immediately.
¡°If I kill them you won''t get any experience,¡± said Amy, still laughing. ¡°They won''t drop the tusks either.¡±
¡°I know,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°It''s just that the Force bolt deals way too low damage.¡±
In Virtual Connection, monsters more than seven levels apart didn''t give experience, nor drops. Having Sandro and co. power level Ilaria was a non starter.
¡°You have Mana bolt, don''t you?¡± asked Amy.
¡°Yeah, but with my current mana pool I can only use it twice,¡± said Ilaria, depressed. ¡°I guess I could level that way; it''ll take a lot of time, though.¡±
Well, not really a lot of time. Casual players would probably be satisfied by that kind of progress. But Ilaria needed to gain more than a level a day in order to keep the plan''s schedule, specially at single digit levels, which were easier to clear.
¡°Tough luck,¡± said Amy. ¡°Buying mana potions for a level 7 quest would be way too wasteful.¡±
¡°How did Minerva level?¡± asked Ilaria. Her sister had been a mage too, leveling in Torinelo.
¡°At the beginning we just did low rewards fetch quests in the city,¡± said Amy. ¡°Most people level like that at first.¡±
¡°I see...¡±
¡°We started leveling faster after we met Johnny and formed a party. Minerva would use her Force bolt to attract the target, then Johnny would tank and I killed them.¡±
¡°That''s all she did?¡±
¡°She also healed Johnny whenever his health dropped.¡±
At her current predicament, Diana''s image came into her mind. Ilaria had been checking her friend list all morning, but she hadn''t logged in yet. Still, Ilaria couldn''t help but wonder what the catgirl would do.
The hogs were a lot bigger than rabbits, so wrestling with them on the ground was no good. Then she remembered the rope, that was actually the cordon of her beginner robes.
If I can somehow restrain the hog with it, it won''t matter if it takes ten Force bolts to kill it.
Her gaze somehow fell onto a group of bushes, and she had an idea¡
¡°HELP!!!¡± yelled a disheveled Ilaria, running towards a ¡®rolling on the floor laughing'' Amy.
Well, that didn''t go like she had thought.
The plan had been as follows. Ilaria would first secure one end of her rope to a bush. Then, she would hold the other end, tied in a running knot, while shooting a Force bolt to attract a hog. As it approached, she would throw the rope, hopefully snaring it by a tusk. Since the rope was so short, she would need to get really close to the hog.
Nice in theory; in practice, it wasn''t so easy. After running around the bushes for a bit, she had finally caught a tusk with her rope.
Now I got you.
Ilaria was taking out her staff to kill the hog when, in a burst, the hog jumped on her.
The small bush wasn''t strong enough and the hog had uprooted it.
¡°KYAA!!!¡±
Ilaria fell with the hog all over her. It ripped part of her jacket and T-shirt with its teeth, before she could get up and run.
Even after standing up and fleeing, she still wasn''t safe. She got tangled with the rope, tripping and falling again. The hog caught up to her, plunging its tusks on her bottom.
Ilaria''s health was really low when Amy finally got up and one-hit the hog.
¡°Really good plan, brilliant!¡± exclaimed Amy, laughing out loud.
¡°It went a lot better in my head,¡± said Ilaria, lowering her gaze.
¡°I bet,¡± said Amy, still laughing.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Ilaria was sitting on the ground, in a safe zone, waiting for her health to recover. Her clothes were in tatters. Even one of her sneakers had split when she tripped.
¡°Anyway, you should put something on,¡± said Amy. ¡°You look like you were ravaged by a savage beast.¡±
¡°I was,¡± said Ilaria, pouting. ¡°Why didn''t you help me sooner?¡±
¡°It was just too funny,¡± said Amy, in a singsong voice. ¡°Your yell was priceless!¡±
¡°I was scared,¡± said Ilaria, lowering her voice. She was still on the floor, crouching and hugging herself.
¡°Okay, I am really sorry,¡± said Amy, evading Ilaria''s gaze. ¡°Now cover yourself. You are making me look like a bully.¡±
Ilaria put on her beginner robes, the only other clothes she had.
¡°Let''s return to the city,¡± said Amy. ¡°As an apology, I''ll buy you new clothes.¡±
Amy materialized her handbag, taking a couple of peaches out of it.
¡°Here, let''s eat while walking,¡± said Amy, giving Ilaria one.
¡°So that''s your backpack, I didn''t notice before,¡± said Ilaria, taking a bite of her peach.
¡°It carries a lot more than you would imagine,¡± said Amy, smiling.
¡°It''s magic, huh?¡± said Ilaria.
¡°As everything,¡° said Amy, deepening her voice.
¡°By the way, there is a pulsating yellow button on my sight, where the PM one used to be,¡± said Ilaria.
¡°Since when?¡± asked Amy, surprised.
¡°I don''t know,¡± answered Ilaria. ¡°It might have been there since I logged in today.¡±
¡°The yellow button means a System Message,¡± said Amy. ¡°You should check it out.¡±
¡°Okay, pressing the button.¡±
Dear Ilaria,
we hope you are having fun in Virtual Connection.
Since you have spent a thousand platinum hearts during this month,
we are giving you a free sample of a new item in our shop.
Enjoy it!
A long golden box fell onto Ilaria''s hands. It felt light.
¡°Wow, first time I have seen that,¡± said Amy.
¡°It is a complimentary gift. For having spent a thousand dollars on the game,¡± said Ilaria, recalling the hole in her credit card.
¡°Open it!¡±
Inside there was a 7-day Magical Girl Costume Set.
¡°Mana bolt!¡± yelled a beautiful girl, dressed as she just came out from a TV screen.
Her heart-topped staff shot a pure white sphere. The wild hog received it directly and disappeared in a flash of light, leaving behind a pair of tusks.
¡°That was so cool!¡± exclaimed Amy, clapping.
¡°This costume is truly overpowered,¡± said Ilaria, smiling against herself. ¡°I don''t know what I''ll do when it expires.¡±
With the costume''s bonus, Ilaria could shoot twelve Mana bolts without running out of mana. Also, the hogs, that she would usually need two shots to kill, were a one-hit kill.
When she first received it, Ilaria was embarrassed to try on it. But then she remembered that it came with a massive mana bonus. Besides, costumes negated the clothes'' visuals.
New clothes can wait.
So Ilaria tried it on, and suddenly felt a lot stronger. Since she was already there, she couldn''t help but shooting a hog.
Surprisingly, she killed it.
With the help of the cash shop item, Ilaria finished collecting the tusks in no time.
¡°Now you should return to Torinelo to deliver the quest,¡± said Amy. ¡°And then we should go shopping!¡±
¡°With the costume, even the beginner robes should be enough,¡± said Ilaria, smiling.
¡°Maybe, but you should dress up for your date!¡± said Amy. ¡°Right now you are strong enough.¡±
¡°Couldn''t I level with just the hogs?¡± asked Ilaria, hopeful.
¡°Remember the plan,¡± answered Amy, with a grin on her face. ¡°You should get used to dating as soon as possible.¡±
¡°Okay, I''ll do a Dungeon Date,¡± said Ilaria, resigned. ¡°But first I''ll get a couple of levels with the hogs!¡±
¡°Fine, fine,¡± said Amy. ¡°After our lunch break, we''ll go shopping.¡±
¡°And then, dating!!!¡±
Amy left early, but Ilaria was confident enough to keep leveling alone. She was making progress, and it felt great.
It was already a quarter before 2 pm when a blue button began to pulse.
Shoot. Just three more and I''ll get to level 9.
She tried to ignore the button, even though she knew it was an Outside Call. That meant mom was tired of waiting, and probably mad at him.
One more, I''ll do it!
Then the screen went white.
Ilaria had been forcefully disconnected.
¡°Ricardo, wash your face and get down immediately,¡± said his mother, angry.
¡°We have a guest.¡±
Ricardo stood up and did as he was told. He knew it was late, but he had been so close¡
Going down the stairs, he saw that everyone was already sitting.
Mom, Minerva and a smiling Amelia.
¡°Hello Ricardo,¡± said Amelia, with an angelic voice.
¡°Hello,¡± said Ricardo, taking his seat.
¡°Hog hunting?¡± whispered Amelia when he got close.
¡°Ricardo, you should apologize for making our guest wait,¡± said mom.
¡°Don''t mind it, mom,¡± said Amelia. ¡°It was I who came on short notice.¡±
¡°Don''t even say it,¡± said mom. ¡°You know you are always welcomed here.¡±
¡°You even brought us cake.¡±
Amelia had mom totally on her pocket. She even calls her ¡®mom'', for crying out loud.
Their meal passed in a constant talk, mainly among Amelia and mom. Minerva just gave short responses when asked anything.
¡°You should go out one of these days, the three of you together. It''s your summer break after all,¡± said mom, fixing her eyes on her cake. ¡°I''ll drive you if you want.¡±
¡°It sounds great,¡± said Amelia, sneaking a glance at Minerva from the corner of her eye.
¡°Sorry, I don''t feel too well,¡± interrupted Minerva, excusing herself from the table.
¡°I guess I should be going too,¡± said Amelia, deflated.
¡°Do you want a lift?¡± asked mom.
¡°Don''t worry,¡± answered Amelia. ¡°The distance is too close to be worth it.¡±
After Amelia left, mom closed the door sighing.
¡°She is such a nice girl, don''t you think?¡±
After lunch break, Ilaria reconnected with a quarter of her health bar remaining. Thankfully, the hogs weren''t strong enough to kill her in the 5 second penalty for disconnecting.
I shall take revenge on your kin!
Ilaria laughed maniacally, starting to shoot hogs again.
She leveled with the first one, but she still needed a few to finish the repeatable quest. Soon she started to make poses while shooting, even winking after a successful attack.
And that''s when Amy appeared.
¡°Enjoying yourself, don''t you?¡± said Amy, with a big smile on her face.
¡°You could have told me you were coming for lunch,¡± said Ilaria, lowering her head while straightening herself.
¡°I did it on a whim,¡± said Amy. ¡°I was walking by a pastry shop, and thought Minerva could like some cake.¡±
¡°I get it,¡± said Ilaria, feeling suddenly saddened. ¡°Sorry that Minerva wouldn''t accept the invitation. Good try, though.¡±
¡°I''ll keep trying!¡± exclaimed Amy.
¡°I wouldn''t mind if it was only us, though,¡± added Amy, teasingly.
¡°I wonder what mom would think if she saw you like this,¡± said Ilaria, grinning.
¡°She sees you as such a smart, demure and humble girl.¡±
¡°I do have the best grade average of my class, thank you very much.¡±
¡°See what I say?¡±
¡°Just so you know, I am only like this with you.¡±
Chapter 10: Dungeon Date
Having leveled as much as she could with the hog quest, Ilaria followed Amy to the Clothing Shop; they needed to replace her ''armor'' set. Level 7 clothes were cheap, though. Most casual players used them as regular clothes, only changing into higher level ones for combat.
¡°I guess I should take off the costume,¡± said Ilaria, accepting the action prompt. The Magical Girl outfit dematerialized in a flash of light, revealing the clothes¨Cor the lack of them¨Cwithin.
¡°Geez, you have such a nice skin,¡± said Amy, laughing.
Ilaria looked at herself at a mirror and felt herself blush. Her robes had been ripped when she was forcefully disconnected. Of course, they were hidden by the Magical Girl costume; that is, until she had taken it off. Now her bra and panties were showing in its full glory. At least underwear was indestructible.
¡°I swear. Whoever developed this game must be a pervert.¡±
It took around an hour, but they could finally settle on two clothing combinations. The first one was black skinny jeans, a sleeveless white top and a cherry-toned leather jacket. It went with a pair of black low boots.
And the one she had on. A short aquamarine one-piece, with flat white shoes and leggings. Ilaria had been reluctant to buy it, but she had to admit it looked gorgeous on her.
Having finished shopping, the girls walked towards the Dating Center. Ilaria shared what she knew about the lowest level Dungeon Date, getting advise from Amy.
¡°I should change into the other clothes,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°Those have better defense after all.¡±
¡°Nooo. These are your battle clothes!¡± exclaimed Amy. ¡°Don''t worry; armor won''t degrade in a date.¡±
¡°But, I thought the other ones were¡¡±
Ilaria decided to shut up and concede to Amy. The later had much more experience than her, both game-wise and at being a girl. They were already at the Dating Center anyway.
When a player first arrived at the center, they needed to fill a questionnaire of likes and preferences. It was for the matchmaking system to calculate your compatibility with potential date partners. Later, as a registered user, whenever you wanted to date someone, you needed to toggle the ''looking for a date'' slider in your profile. Then, you could try contacting anyone on the ''available'' list, ordered by level and compatibility; or press the ¡®Instant blind date'' button, which would connect you with the best match among people of the opposite sex who had done the same.
And about that, Ilaria had researched same sex dating options. It was true you could opt in for it while in character creation. But, if you did, you could only date available people of your same sex who had also opted in, which was like nobody. In short, it was a scam; and only people who knew each other in real life ever used it.
After Amy helped her fill the questionnaire with what she thought would be compatible to Johnny¨Cthey had planned it in advance¨CIlaria didn''t have any more excuses for stalling.
¡°You just need to click on the ¡®Instant blind date'' button and the system will match you,¡± said Amy.
Well, here goes nothing¡
Ilaria accepted the prompt, intending to wait for VC to match her. Contrary to her expectations, she was matched instantly.
The red button had started to pulse, but now it was heart-shaped.
Ilaria stared at it.
Closing her eyes, she extended her arm and pressed it.
Ilaria didn''t actually have much dating experience in real life. And to do a blind date as a female was totally out of her comfort zone.
¡°Hello,¡± said a male voice in her ear.
¡°Eeeh, hello.¡±
Since it was a Private Call, Amy couldn''t listen to their conversation. Even so, she gave Ilaria some space, respectfully turning around.
¡°My name is Natsu,¡± said the boy. ¡°I am currently level 7 and I just finished my basic training.¡±
The voice wavered a bit.
¡°I am Ilaria, currently at level 9,¡± said Ilaria, growing more confident. ¡°Are you ready or do you need some time?¡±
After the first contact, a pink button with ¡®go to date dungeon'' would appear. When both pressed it, they would be transported to the date instance.
¡°I''m ready.¡±
¡°Hello again,¡± said Ilaria, trying to hold an uncomfortable smile. She was in danger of breaking into laughter.
Ilaria and Natsu had appeared at the center of what looked like the ruin of a former ornate ballroom. It was only illuminated by the cold, diffuse light that came from the windows. Several closed doors circled the room, probably from which the enemies would emerge. A toned-down string ensemble could be heard in the background.
The pink button now read ¡®start''.
¡°You are really cute!¡± exclaimed Natsu, openly staring at Ilaria.
Natsu was a short boy with brown eyes. The rest, you couldn''t know. He appeared to have long, spiky, blond hair; and his chest was uncovered. It was unnaturally ripped.
Qi Warrior.
¡°So you got a costume?¡± asked Ilaria, to break the silence.
¡°Cool, isn''t it?¡± said Natsu, proudly. ¡°It has good stats too.¡±
¡°It must,¡± said Ilaria, laughing a little bit.
¡°When I saw it at the store, I thought I must have it,¡± said Natsu, happily. ¡°Getting these muscles for real would be impossible.¡±
No kidding.
¡°Wanna touch them?¡± asked Natsu, pointing to his chest.
¡°I think I''ll pass,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°By the way, what weapon do you use?¡±
Natsu extended his hands¡
¡°KAMEHAMEHAAAA!¡±
What came out of Natsu''s hands was a small white sphere.
In other words, a Force bolt.
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¡°You are a mage?¡± asked Ilaria, hiding her disappointment. A party of two mages wasn''t ideal.
¡°The costume overrides the staff visuals,¡± said Natsu, beaming.
I guess I need to use it after all; we need all the help we can get.
Actually, it would be really dumb having a cash shop costume and not using it. Ilaria still didn''t want to introduce herself like that; now she reluctantly changed into a Magical Girl.
¡°Wow! You look like the real thing!¡± said Natsu, excitedly.
¡°Since we are both mages, we should attack non-stop since the beginning,¡± interrupted Ilaria, repeating Amy''s advice. ¡°If we are stingy with the mana, we risk getting overwhelmed. A close-quarters fight is game over for us.¡±
¡°Don''t worry. I''ll protect you with my life!¡± exclaimed Natsu.
¡°Protect yourself. If you die, I''ll probably be dead soon afterwards¡±
She had gone through several scenarios with Amy. In all of them, one death meant certain failure. Well, it wasn''t like they would be penalized for not completing the dungeon. At this point in the game, a DD was just bonus extra experience.
And finally, the Dungeon Date started.
First wave: Ten rabid rabbits.
After the announcement, the doors opened, letting inside the ten ugliest rabbits Ilaria had ever seen. They were black, scraggy and with deep red eyes that appeared to be bursting from their sockets. All in all, without the ears you would be inclined to think they were tailless rats more than rabbits.
¡°Force bolt should be enough for this round,¡± said Ilaria, who assumed Natsu, with his costume, should have stats roughly similar to her.
¡°Okay,¡± said Natsu, shooting a rabbit as he was told.
They were bigger and more aggressive than wild rabbits, but they died in one-hit all the same. It didn''t take too long to dispatch them.
¡°Yeah, we did it!¡± exclaimed Natsu, after clearing the first wave.
There were 30 seconds between waves, their quickness buying them a little respite.
Maybe their last one.
Second wave: Nine frenzied hogs.
The hogs, Ilaria''s old nemesis, hit the room running. Darker and dirtier than their ''wild'' variety, they fell short of being as repulsive as the rabbits; but you wouldn''t ever think about eating meat from them. That being said, wild hogs were originally big, mean and with tusk-plunging tendencies; the date dungeon ones were still true to that.
¡°Time to use Mana bolt,¡± said Ilaria, before double-shooting and killing a hog.
¡°Yes ma''am,¡± said Natsu, trying to keep up.
He did try, but her date was just too slow at aiming. After the first hog he downed, his progress was null. He had already wasted a couple shots for being startled by a hog''s thrust.
Ilaria, moving only when she really needed to, kept culling the hog''s numbers as Natsu ran around drawing aggro.
By this point, she had already mapped in her mind the positions of the doors. In theory, if she could just rotate in the center of the room by a fixed angle, she could possibly kill several of them without leaving her position. It was a little late for this date though, since they had been forced to withdraw towards the east wall in the kerfuffle.
Third wave: Eight crimson bears.
Ilaria killed the last hog as the bears started to appear.
Having being forced out of the center of the room, Ilaria didn''t even have the luxury to check on the bears; there would be one materializing outside the door directly on their back.
¡°Let''s shoot them together!¡± yelled Ilaria, making Natsu turn around and pointing to the bear in front of them.
¡°Mana bolt!¡± Both of them yelled, shooting two white spheres.
The crimson bear, a big grizzly with red undertones in their blood-matted fur, roared menacingly. Ilaria didn''t care to listen to it, calling another double-shot.
The bear received them and died.
After confirming that four shots would be enough, Ilaria quickly decided on the next target.
¡°2 o''clock!¡± yelled Ilaria, shifting to the next bear. Natsu wavered for a second before aiming as Ilaria.
Ilaria''s directions achieved the culling of half of the bears before they even got in range for a counterattack. Although, having their remaining foes at close-quarters was really bad for the couple of fragile mages; they were being forced to run around and that made it really hard to aim.
They were already way out of their depth level-wise, having survived so far only because of the costumes. With the clearing of more rounds an impossibility, the play was to earn experience by killing as many monsters as they could before dying in a blaze of glory.
Fourth wave: Seven twilight bats.
With still a couple of bears remaining, the bat wave appeared; Ilaria no longer caring enough to figure what made them special over their regular, main game counterparts. For all that it mattered, they were more difficult to aim at, but they died with only two Mana bolts.
Trouble was, they didn''t have too many of them left.
Ilaria aimed and killed three bats, just as they emerged from their doors, before running out of mana.
Natsu got one on his own before depleting his own mana too.
Fifth wave: Six cursed lizardmen.
The lizardmen, the first humanoid monsters Ilaria had seen inside VC, didn''t wait for them to finish the bats. They had dark green lizard skin and held crude bone daggers.
¡°Let''s change to hit-and-run,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°Focus on evading.¡±
¡°Got it.¡±
Both of them only had Force Bolt now. Which was fine, since it was the one attack they could do chantless.
They started to shoot together the monster which was the closest, to immediately run away. It wasn''t a perfect plan¨Cthey still got damaged quite a bit¨Cbut at least they could grind a little more experience out of the dungeon.
Like that they killed one lizardman and two of the remaining bats, before the next wave appeared.
Sixth wave: Five blood-eyed lizardmen.
The new enemies were lizardmen with slings, which spelled doom. Ilaria and Natsu had to run non-stop to evade the melee lizardmen, so they didn''t have the luxury to focus on the ranged attackers.
Another of the persecuting lizardmen finally died before the new foes could get an attack going, but it would be the last one. Stones started raining on them, reducing their health quickly. Lizardmen didn''t care if they hit their own kin.
And then Ilaria was hit on the side and fell. She saw the lizardman as he was swinging his dagger, and she closed her eyes.
I wonder if it hurts.
¡°Argh,¡± said Natsu, falling over Ilaria''s legs. He had received the hit and instantly died.
Fool.
Ilaria barely had time for one thought before the lizardman finished her too.
Both of them reappeared one after the other in the now empty ballroom.
¡°So you died too,¡± said Natsu. ¡°Sorry.¡±
¡°Don''t be,¡± said Ilaria, smiling. ¡°It was obvious that at our level we would be killed at some point.¡±
¡°You were awesome!¡± exclaimed Natsu. ¡°Do you date a lot?¡±
¡°I mean Dungeon Date,¡± said Natsu, blushing.
¡°That was my first date. Well, Dungeon Date,¡± said Ilaria, laughing.
¡°Wow!¡± exclaimed Natsu. ¡°You must be a genius!¡±
¡°Not really,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°My friend told me about it; she has been playing for a long time.¡±
¡°Still, you are awesome.¡±
He added Ilaria as a friend, which she accepted without much thinking. Natsu was very far from her ideal date partner, but she didn''t regret having DD''d him. After spending the most part of her playing time with Diana and Amy, already experienced players, a part of her relished at being the most knowledgeable person in the room for a change.
Back in Torinelo City, Amy was seated on a bench, waiting.
¡°It must have been a good date, to take this much time,¡± said Amy, laughing.
¡°We lasted until the lizardmen,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°But we ran out of mana, and the ranged ones were just too much.¡±
¡°Wow, you are really good at this!¡± exclaimed Amy.
¡°In my first date we died with the bats.¡±
¡°It was all thanks to your advice, and this costume,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°My partner also had one.¡±
¡°I see. Still, the lizardmen are level 11, and the ranged ones level 12,¡± said Amy. ¡°It was worth a lot of experience, for sure.¡±
¡°Yeah, I got to level 10, halfway to leveling again,¡± said Ilaria, smiling.
She checked her friend list one last time, still no Diana.
¡°I guess I am calling it a day. I don''t want to miss dinner, since mom must be angry about lunch,¡± said Ilaria.
¡°Sorry about that,¡± said Amy, smiling like an angel.
Chapter 11: Partying around
Thursday morning, Ilaria was once again treading the roads of Torinelo City. It had been great so far inside Virtual Connection. She was leveling at a good pace and her first Dungeon Date was also a success.
Thinking about her date, she checked her friend list. Natsu''s name was in gray, meaning that he wasn''t logged in. It wasn''t like she wanted to contact him anyway, objectively he hadn''t been a good partner for DDing.
Rather than that, Ilaria was instantly drawn towards the only yellow name on the list.
Diana was logged in.
Ilaria hovered her index finger over the name; it was amazing how the program could recognize when you really wanted to press something, instead of like just clowning around with your fingers.
She finally pressed it.
¡°Hi¡± Diana''s voice sounded in her ear.
¡°Hello Diana.¡±
¡°Wanna meet now? Where are you?¡± asked Diana
¡°I''m almost by the plaza.¡±
¡°That''s perfect, see you there.¡±
As Ilaria turned the street''s corner, she could see Diana by the plaza''s main fountain.
¡°What level are you now?¡± asked Diana.
¡°Just got to level 10,¡± answered Ilaria, not knowing if that was good or not.
¡°I didn''t think you would level that fast, nyan,¡± said Diana, laughing. ¡°But it will work alright. Want to join us?¡±
At that point, she realized there was a tall guy, clad in heavy armor, next to Diana. Even though he was taller than her, he looked young.
¡°Sorry,¡± said Diana, realizing Ilaria''s surprise. ¡°I didn''t introduce you.¡±
¡°He is Kyle, my baby brother.¡±
¡°Don''t introduce me like that!¡± exclaimed an embarrassed Kyle.
¡°Okay, okay,¡± said Diana, laughing. ¡°Lady Ilaria, here is my dear brother, the warrior Kyle.¡±
Ilaria couldn''t help laughing too, even though she knew it was hard on the kid. How old was he anyway?
¡°Sorry,¡± said Ilaria, smiling. ¡°And if I have to say something, you don''t look small at all.¡±
Kyle''s face got redder, if that was even possible.
¡°My name is Ilaria. I just started playing, so Diana has been of great help to me. Pleased to meet you.¡±
After introducing themselves, the group decided to go ''grinding'', which apparently meant just killing the same monsters repeatably for experience. Diana was level 9 and Kyle level 8, but in a party they would be capable to beat monsters several levels higher. It would net them more experience than just doing the extermination quests that they could manage by themselves.
They got out of the city from the north gate, walking through the farmland surrounding Torinelo City. After about half an hour, they arrived at a rock outcrop, which connected to a mountain chain further to the north. A narrow cavern entrance was hidden underneath, from which a faint drumming sound could be heard at a distance.
¡°We are at the lizardman caves,¡± said Diana. ¡°On the first floor there are only melee ones, so we should be able to manage, even if we make a mistake here or there. We just need to be careful to not pull more than a couple.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± said Kyle, materializing his shield. ¡°I might be new to Virtual Connection, but I have been playing games for years.¡±
¡°Good to know,¡± said Diana, pointing to Ilaria.
Kyle blushed again.
The lizard grinding at the cave went really well. The tank''s job was arguably the hardest, but Kyle wasn''t joking about his gaming experience. He pulled the lizardmen with just the exact distance as to not lose them, but without taking unnecessary hits. When he got them to their designed spot, Diana would start dagger slashing one while Ilaria helped Force bolting the other one, healing Kyle whenever he needed. As the hours passed, Kyle increased the number of pulled lizardmen.
Thanks to the costume bonuses, Ilaria could even kill a lizard with Mana bolts, with mana to spare for healing. But she did realize that if she didn''t have one, she would need to party like this just to be able to train.
¡°Whew, that was quite the workout,¡± said Kyle, storing his shield.
The party had been grinding for about four hours. For Diana and Ilaria it wasn''t that hard, but Kyle was tired. Besides, it would be time for lunch soon, so they needed to find a safe spot to log out.
¡°What do you think about Kyle?¡± asked Diana, looking at him sideways. He was in a corner a few steps away, probably reading something in his viewpoint.
¡°I really don''t know much about games,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°But I do realize he is really good.¡±
¡°If you haven''t DDed yet today, what do you think about dating him?¡± asked Diana, with mischievous eyes.
¡°What about you?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°I haven''t used my DD today yet,¡± said Diana. ¡±But dating my little bro is somewhat...¡±
A Dungeon Date was just free experience, so Ilaria didn''t mind dating Kyle at all. He would probably be miles better than Natsu, if nothing else.
The group took their lunch break around 2 pm. Diana was going out in the afternoon, but Kyle would re-log to do the daily Dungeon Date with Ilaria. They had leveled quite a bit; Diana and Kyle got to level 10 with experience to spare, while Ilaria was already in her way to level 12.
Just after relogging, Ilaria noticed a pulsating red button welcoming her.
¡°Hello?¡± said Ilaria, expecting to hear Kyle''s voice.
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¡°Hello!¡± exclaimed Amy. ¡°Sorry about this morning. I had to do some paperwork for school.¡±
¡°Don''t worry,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°I am already thankful for all your help. So just log in whenever you feel like.¡±
¡°Where are you?¡± asked Amy. ¡°Shall we meet up?¡±
¡°Right now I am waiting for my date,¡± answered Ilaria. ¡°But we can meet afterwards.¡±
¡°Who is he?¡± asked Amy.
¡°His name is Kyle. He is the little brother of a girl I met on the first day,¡± answered Ilaria. ¡°He''s a really good tank, so I think it will go great.¡±
¡°Lucky!¡±
¡°He just arrived.¡±
¡°Alright then, good luck!¡±
Ilaria could see Kyle approaching her. He had logged in already in his full combat suit: heavy armor, short spear and a small round shield.
¡°Hello,¡± said Ilaria.
¡°Diana told me about this Dungeon Date.¡± said Kyle. ¡°But let me confirm.¡±
¡°She wouldn''t show you the actual date?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°Nope,¡± answered Kyle. ¡°She takes this dating thing way too seriously.¡±
¡°She won''t date her own brother,¡± said Ilaria, laughing.
¡°Actually, I don''t think she will date anyone besides her boyfriend,¡± said Kyle. ¡°And he didn''t restart his character, so that will take some time.¡±
They made a short review of the different mob waves and planned their strategy together. The Dungeon Date wasn''t that different from grinding in a two-player party, and their builds were very compatible. Ilaria expected for them to go far.
First wave: Ten rabid rabbits.
At the time of the announcement, both of them were already at the ballroom''s center, standing back to back; Ilaria facing the closest door to the right. As soon as the rabbits appeared, she started to one-shot them, rotating in her place in a clockwork fashion. For her current self they weren''t any challenge.
¡°You made that look so easy,¡± said Kyle, smiling.
¡°Well, it was that easy.¡±
Second wave: Nine frenzied hogs.
After what felt like a long time¨Cbut was actually 24 seconds¨Cthe hogs materialized. Ilaria didn''t waste time and started to shoot. She killed most, but a couple got to the center, where Kyle took care of them.
Third wave: Eight crimson bears.
Ilaria recalled that by this point in her last date, they had already been pushed to the side. What a difference a day of leveling and a compatible partner made.
The bears had a lot more hit points than hogs, so Ilaria¨Cusing Force bolt¨Ccould only kill three of them before they got to melee range. That wasn''t a problem though. Kyle stepped to the front, pulling the bears one by one, without letting them get close to the mage.
He started going in circles in order to minimize the damage taken¨Call their foes following in his trail. Ilaria only had to cast healing touch once, focusing on finishing the most damaged bears one at a time.
Fourth wave: Seven twilight bats.
This round was tricky, since the bats were fast and difficult to aim. Ilaria still took advantage of their static initial positions to one-hit three of them with Mana bolts, before they started to move around. It was fortunate that she had saved most of her mana until this round by forcing herself to use the manaless Force bolt whenever possible.
The four remaining bats crowded them in the middle for a bit¨CIlaria had been bracing herself for a bite¨Cbefore Kyle made a sweep with his spear and ''collected'' them.
With the warrior retaining their full attention, Ilaria picked them out one by one. And she finally had the chance to give them a good look; the bats did have a kinda green fluorescent shine covering them.
Fifth wave: Six cursed lizardmen.
The cursed lizardmen¨Cwhich didn''t seem to differ much from their normal variety¨Cwere actually easier than bats. It helped that they had been killing them by dozens just earlier in the morning. Kyle pulled them like a pro, and Ilaria could take her time frying them with a combination of Force and Mana bolts.
Sixth wave: Five blood-eyed lizardmen.
This was the wave for which Ilaria had been saving most of her mana. Ranged attackers were that dangerous, since they didn''t need to get close to them to press their numeric advantage.
Just as they appeared, she started shooting Mana bolts starting with the right side. As she was doing that, Kyle ran to the left side to aggro those. Their plan was to prevent Ilaria¨Cas much as they could¨Cfrom being targeted.
And the plan had a relative success. They finished the lizardmen with seconds to spare; Kyle never being in danger.
Ilaria, on her side, had been targeted by only a handful of stones at the beginning of the wave; unfortunately, that had taken more than a half of her meager HPs. She was forced to spent most of her remaining mana in healing both Kyle and herself.
Seventh wave: Four goblin fanatics.
Goblins were smaller than the lizardmen, but way faster. They attacked with daggers, but they could also use their teeth and claws if they saw the chance.
Kyle pulled them as fast as he could, being hit in retaliation, but ensuring Ilaria would be safe in a corner. This time she hadn''t shot any of them as they appeared¨CForce bolt wouldn''t do anything but drawing aggro to herself¨Cthe small amount of mana she had left was reserved for Healing touch usage.
Eighth wave: Three goblin shamans.
They heard the announcement just as Kyle finished a second fanatic. And he had burned most of his remaining mana in a damage-dealing skill to be able to do so. Ilaria was drained too, having healed Kyle through the fight.
The shamans had appeared at some point; Ilaria never saw them. She felt herself receiving a Lightning bolt to the head, and dropped dead.
¡°That was amazing!¡± exclaimed Ilaria, as they materialized in the now empty ballroom. She was panting but satisfied. It had been a very fulfilling experience.
¡°Such a pity we ran out of mana in the end,¡± said Kyle, who couldn''t help smiling.
They left the DD instance, reappearing at the safe point next to the lizardmen cave''s entrance. Ilaria got even happier when she checked her character''s progress¨Cshe had gotten to level 12¨Cthe date amounting to more than a couple of hours of grinding.
¡°Now I should go, my virtual body is really tired,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I hope we can have another round of DDing someday.¡±
¡°Of course, I will be glad,¡± said Ilaria, still smiling. ¡°Thank you, and see ya!¡±
After Kyle logged out, Ilaria checked if Amy was still logged in¨Cthe DD had taken a lot of time¨Cbefore PMing her.
¡°Hey, did you just finish?¡± asked Amy.
¡°Yeah, we got far; until the shamans,¡± answered Ilaria.
¡°That really, really good.¡± said Amy. ¡°We underestimated you; maybe you are a genius at this game after all!¡±
¡°The genius is Kyle,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°His tanking is a thing of beauty.¡±
¡°Did it make your heart flutter?¡± asked Amy, teasingly.
¡°Don''t even joke about that,¡± answered Ilaria, laughing.
¡°You should keep dating him,¡± said Amy. ¡°At this pace, you might even clear the lowest level DD before the end of the week.¡±
¡°By the way, should I take a return scroll to meet you at the city?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°No need, I''ll be logging out soon,¡± answered Amy.
¡°Ah, I forgot to tell you,¡± said Amy. ¡°I''m going to your house later, for dinner.¡±
Having finished their conversation, Ilaria decided to log out too. She didn''t have any motivation to do an extermination quest by her own, specially when she was getting many times more experience points by grinding in a party.
Ricardo spent the rest of the afternoon listening to music while surfing the web. He had missed a lot of updates on his favorites websites since he started playing Virtual Connection.
Dinnertime arrived and everyone joined in the dinning room. Amelia had brought a box full of bite-sized sweets from a famous confectionery shop, which they picked one by one while drinking flower tea. At some point, Ricardo brought down a few tabletop games, which prolonged the gathering for a while.
And contrary to their expectations, Minerva did play for a bit. And even flashed a half-smile against her will.
Some progress.
Chapter 12: An Improvised New Years Eve
Friday, December 31th, 2027
Ricardo had woken up feeling happy and optimistic. Thursday had been a really good day in all fronts. He had gotten not only a great party, but also the perfect DD partner for Virtual Connection. And, in the real life, Minerva had finally started to enjoy herself a bit.
But just one glance at his cellphone made him deflate again.
Today is New Year''s Eve.
Holidays had a way of making one overly conscious of their lack of social life; and Ricardo wasn''t the most friendly person to be around, even in the good times. The program this year had always been to spend New Year''s Eve at a party in an Argentinian hotel, with his family.
Well, that was out of the question now. He could maybe call Sandro¨Che would be receiving the New Year with Clara''s family at the beach¨Cit would be a hassle to get there, though. And his parents at least would want to have dinner together, with Minerva. Amelia might know about that¨Cshe seemed to be talking with mom a lot lately.
Anyway, there''s nothing to do.
Ricardo shook himself from his depressing thoughts and went to fetch breakfast. Virtual Connection was waiting for him.
As soon as Ilaria logged in, the red button started pulsating.
¡°Hello?¡± said Ilaria, expecting Amy''s voice on the other end.
¡°Good morning,¡± said a male voice, that Ilaria identified as Kyle. ¡°It might be too early for you, but I''ll be going out all day...¡±
¡°Hello Kyle,¡± said Ilaria, smiling. ¡°And don''t worry, I''m already logged in, aren''t I?.¡±
¡°Would you try another DD with me?¡± asked Kyle. Ilaria was sure he would be blushing furiously on the other side.
¡°I''ll be glad!¡±
The Dungeon Date started even easier than the day before, Ilaria and Kyle''s teamwork rendering their foe''s attacks useless for the most part. They went in auto mode until they finished the melee lizardmen.
¡°Ready?¡± asked Ilaria, already aiming towards one of the two doors she would be responsible for.
¡°As I could be,¡± answered Kyle, starting towards where the next closest foe would appear.
Sixth wave: Five blood-eyed lizardmen.
The first sling-carrying lizardman got a couple of Mana bolts to its head as a welcome gift, dropping dead before any stone could be thrown. Not that Ilaria could see it falling, she didn''t waste any time before moving to the side¨Cshe wouldn''t wait to be stricken by the dead lizard''s partners¨Ca lesson from their last date.
By the time Ilaria finished her second lizardman, Kyle had already rounded the other three; the mage not in danger anymore. They finished them with a combination of basic Spear thrusts and Force bolts.
Seventh wave: Four goblin fanatics.
Ilaria and Kyle waited back to back in the center of the room, with nervous anticipation. They had much more mana remaining than the last time they fought the goblins, which would help a lot.
As soon as the goblins materialized, Ilaria started pummeling the one directly in front of her with Mana bolts. Kyle just did combinations of a front step, Spear thrust, step back; trying to keep the other three goblins on him. Since he had one front covered by Ilaria, he could get in a comfortable rhythm that didn''t cost him too many hit points.
After Ilaria finished her goblin, she turned around; picking on the most damaged goblins one by one.
Eighth wave: Three goblin shamans.
This time Ilaria could actually see the shamans. They were scrawny green humanoids with dirty brown robes and gnarled staves, who made unintelligible sounds as they conjured lightning. That last part was the important one.
Ilaria didn''t have much mana left; she had to decide if she should shoot away, and maybe kill one, or use it for healing Kyle.
¡°Don''t heal me,¡± said Kyle, stopping her internal debate. ¡°12 o''clock.¡±
¡°Okay...¡±
Before hearing her answer, Kyle was already doing an arch towards the shaman directly in front of her. Ilaria understood immediately, shooting it with all the mana she had remaining. Kyle got to the shaman as Ilaria''s mana depleted, doing an attack skill of his own and finishing it.
Ilaria saw him doing a ''thumbs up'' before feeling the lightning coursing through her body.
It didn''t feel bad.
Kyle logged out after the DD, leaving a lonely and aimless Ilaria; still at the lizardmen cave''s safe point. Amy isn''t logged yet.
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Not wanting to leave VC, but not feeling like looking for another party, she sighed and started another extermination quest.
Everdark forest, as its name said, was permanently covered in darkness, the tall trees blocking most of the light from the sun. More importantly, it was the home of the dusk bats; her next extermination target.
Normally, entering the forest would have needed a full party, since a single player could get surrounded by foes in a low visibility setting. But there was a rock formation close to the edge, in which you could hide¨Ccovered from three directions¨Cand snipe them one by one as they approached. It sounded utterly boring, but it was the best choice for a solo player of her level.
After about an hour of just repeatedly mashing a button, Ilaria welcomed any interruption. So when the red button appeared, she didn''t waste any time and received the call.
¡°Hello!¡± exclaimed Amy''s voice in her ear.
Ilaria got startled for a second, missing her shot.
¡°Where are you?¡± asked Amy
¡°I''m at the Everdark forest, killing bats.¡±
¡°Oh, that''s dreadful.¡±
¡°You tell me.¡±
¡°Anyway, about tonight...
Ricardo hadn''t needed much convincing to leave VC, the bat grinding was as boring as it comes. So that''s how he found himself in the car with Amelia and his mom, on their way to the mall.
¡°We need yellow flowers, sunflowers maybe?¡± asked Amelia, who was riding shotgun.
¡°Oh, I love sunflowers. It would be great if we found some.¡± answered mom.
Ricardo had been right after all; both of them had been planning something. His mom wouldn''t let New Year''s go by without a party if she could help it, and Amelia was up for it. They had been waiting to see if Minerva was amenable; and, after last night''s, they decided to go for it.
¡°Ricardo, what do you suggest about the food?¡± asked mom.
¡°We could buy ham and cheese, and I could put a rolled chicken in the oven,¡± answered Ricardo. ¡°A lettuce, tomato, avocado salad; maybe mashed potatoes.¡±
¡°That sounds great,¡± said Amelia.
The plan was for them to buy everything they needed in the morning, keeping it inside the car''s trunk until lunchtime had passed. That way Minerva hopefully would never notice until later in the night. They feared that if they told her in advance, she would make up an excuse to not participate.
After arriving to the mall, Amelia and mom went off together, looking for materials for the decorations; while Ricardo took charge of everything food related, as he was used to. At the end, they had filled several bags of ''yellow stuff'', which they packed in the car for later retrieval.
Amelia and mom returned home looking very pleased with themselves, and Ricardo couldn''t deny having similar feelings. New Year''s Eve might not get canceled after all.
Lunch was served around 2:30 pm, a menu of fried fish and potato salad. Dad was already back from the office, having delivered his big project at last. Maybe he would need to revise it at a later date¨Cnot that it mattered much since the trip''s cancellation¨Cit was joyous news, regardless.
¡°Finally, I still can''t believe it''s done,¡± said dad, smiling.
¡°That''s truly great, it had been delayed for months,¡± said mom.
¡°At times it seemed like it would never get finished,¡± said dad.
¡°More reason to celebrate it,¡± said mom, glancing towards Amelia, who smiled in response.
Lunchtime was surprisingly fun, even with Minerva still moping around. The tension of having to keep a secret made for a disturbingly enjoyable time.
With Minerva back in her room, Amelia and mom started with the decorations. Ricardo volunteered as a helping hand, since it was way too early to start cooking. They did have to remain silent, though; lest they alert Minerva that something was going on downstairs.
At around 6pm, Amelia went back home to get herself ready. That was the signal for Ricardo to get things started in the kitchen. He didn''t need much time for the chosen menu anyway¨Cthe mashed potatoes were what would take probably the most¨Cbut he wanted to be done early just in case anything happened.
At 7pm mom was back downstairs, already dressed up, checking that everything was in place. Ricardo was already done with the food, letting mom take care of setting the table while he changed into fresh clothes.
At 7:30, Ricardo heard the outside door opening, probably Amelia. She, with mom, would call Minerva for dinner in a short time. He quickly finished getting himself ready.
Friday, December 31th, 2027
8:00 pm, UTC-5
Finally, the time had come. Ricardo heard Minerva leaving her room and he followed.
All the first floor had been decorated in yellow; streamers, garlands, balloons, anything they could find in a short time''s notice. And, on the living room''s table; there was a big sunflower arrangement¨Cthe centerpiece of the party. It was probably brought by Amelia, since Ricardo didn''t remember having seen it before going upstairs.
Dad was dressed similar to him, dress pants and a short sleeved, colorful shirt. Mom had a skirt and blouse combo, while Amelia was wearing the yellow dress she received for Christmas. She was the most dressed up of the party by far, though she usually was.
In the case of Minerva, she was clad in her usual gym clothes, although she didn''t seem to be too surprised¨Cor upset, in any case¨Cby the impromptu celebration. She did make the point of protesting aloud; but¨Cif she really was angry¨Cshe would have left for her room.
After a moment of uncomfortable tension, everyone settled into it, eating, drinking and making conversation.
¡°What do you think?¡± Mom asked Ricardo, pointing towards Minerva. The later was still complaining to Amelia in the corner of the room, while munching on a piece of cheese.
¡°I guess she''s happy,¡± answered Ricardo.
His sister was similar to him in that aspect; both loved to complain. Even if they were enjoying themselves, they would always find something to nitpick about.
And there''s no mistake, Minerva is having fun.
Midnight arrived sooner than they expected, or at least it felt like it. After they exchanged greetings, Ricardo followed the rest of his family to the rooftop, so they could watch the fireworks at the distance. They were lit from boats at the sea in front of Lima, but they were still visible from where they lived.
Ricardo was suddenly reminded of the VR meteor shower he saw with Diana in Virtual Connection. That one had looked several times more impressive than what a real fireworks show could ever be; it was an unfair comparison.
But even so, what made each moment special wasn''t just the sensations you could perceive, but with whom you experienced it. It was ironic that what he most remembered of that night wasn''t the meteor shower itself, but Diana''s smiling face as she was forcefully disconnected.
Looking at Amelia''s, Minerva''s and his parents faces as they gazed at the distance¨Ceven more considering what happened in Christmas Eve¨Cmade the fireworks shine with a special light.
Chapter 13: New Years Day at Torinelo City
Saturday, January 1st, 2028
Ilaria got inside the VR machine in the middle of the morning, ready to force herself into bat grinding. Well, she doubted anyone would be logged until at least after lunchtime¨Cit was the first day of the year after all¨Cnormal people had social lives. It didn''t matter, New Year''s Eve went a lot better than she could''ve predicted beforehand. And today nothing could bring her down from her cloud.
She closed her eyes as she started to materialize in the safe point outside the Everdark forest¨Cfeeling how her senses were returning to her¨Cwhen she realized the system announcement had changed.
Happy New Year, Ilaria.
Feel free to join us for the all-day party.
Ask in the Information Module for more information.
A party?
It did make sense for Virtual Connection to do something for New Year''s Day¨Cshe did wonder if there would be a special event¨Cbut that didn''t sound like it would grant her any extra experience
Regardless, there was no one to ask about it at the moment¨C her whole friend''s list was in gray¨Cso she just ignored it for the time being. No use in returning to Torinelo City just to inform herself, when she was just where she wanted to.
Ilaria grinded bats for about an hour¨Cit surely felt like much more¨Cwhen a red dot gave her a much needed reason to procrastinate.
¡°Hello?¡±
¡°Hi!¡± exclaimed Amelia. ¡°Did you level yet?¡±
¡°I''m really close to level 13,¡± answered Ilaria. ¡°But I felt the same way before I started; the experience bar has barely moved.¡±
¡°Waiting for Kyle?¡±
¡°Yeah. I mean, one DD gives me more than killing bats all morning.¡±
¡°I bet. By the way, did you see the announcement?¡±
¡°Yeah, but I don''t know what''s that about.¡±
¡°Well, Torinelo City has pubs and discos, you know.¡±
¡°Actually I didn''t. Though it figures.¡±
¡°We should go, at least for a bit. They give event-exclusive items.¡±
¡°What kind of?¡±
¡°It''s kinda random. Some people have gotten ties or glasses, from what I got from the guild channel. Regardless, it''s free.¡±
¡°I guess it wouldn''t hurt.¡±
¡°Sandro says they''ll log in the evening if we want to join them.¡±
¡°It sounds alright.¡± Ilaria couldn''t help being surprised.
¡°Anyway, I''ll be at your house for lunch; don''t be late!¡±
Ricardo logged off as soon as Ilaria hit level 13, even if it was early for lunch. He didn''t need to prepare anything in the kitchen¨Cthey always had Chinese takeout on January 1st, one of the few places that was open that day¨Cso he took a shower and just idled around.
At around 2pm the outside door opened: Amelia had arrived. Ricardo went downstairs before he was called to.
¡°Happy New Year!¡± exclaimed Amelia, even though they had spent New Year''s Eve together.
Mom didn''t waste the chance to hug the teenage girl, receiving the bag she was carrying¨Cmost probably sweets¨Cand putting it on the dinning table.
¡°I''ll call Minerva,¡± said mom, before climbing up the stairs.
¡°Are you gonna train in the afternoon?¡± asked Amelia, now that they were alone. She was in one of her usual dresses¨Cthis one white with peach flower prints¨Cher make up a bit subdued compared to last night''s, but still expertly produced.
¡°I guess,¡± said Ricardo. ¡°Diana and Kyle might log at some point, they weren''t sure.¡±
¡°Bats until then?¡±
¡°Unfortunately.¡±
¡°I''ll log early to go shopping, we could go together,¡± said Amelia, as steps could be heard from the stairs. ¡°You should get new clothes for the party.¡±
¡°That sounds good.¡±
With Minerva''s arrival, Amelia left Ricardo''s side and settled into a girls'' conversation, while the later made himself busy setting the table. Five minutes later, dad arrived with the food, which was just put over the table in their takeout containers.
And that was their New Year''s lunch. It wasn''t anything fancy, but the relaxed atmosphere suited everyone just right. If this year ends in the way it started, it won''t be so bad.
Ilaria checked her friend''s list as soon as she logged in for the afternoon, noticing immediately the two names in yellow. She did a little jump and didn''t hesitate in calling.
¡°Happy New Year!¡± exclaimed Diana''s voice.
¡°Happy New Year to you too.¡±
¡°Wanna kill some lizards?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
Just like that, Ilaria didn''t waste any time to join the party at the lizardmen''s caves. They did a couple of runs¨Cnow they could do it in auto mode¨Cbut it was obvious that they had already outclassed them.
¡°Let''s go to the second floor, these lizards are barely worth killing,¡± said Diana, lazily slashing the last lizardman of the group.
¡°In the second floor there are sling-wielding ones, aren''t there?¡± asked Kyle.
¡°Yup,¡± answered Diana. ¡°Ilaria can outshoot them; she has tons of mana with that Magical Girly thing. Besides, we can resist a couple of stray stones just fine.¡±
¡°If you say so, I''m up to it,¡± said Ilaria. If she was being honest with herself, the lizardmen grinding had became boring too. Not as much as bat sniping¨Cnothing was as dreadful as that¨Cbut she was craving a bit more emotion.
The second floor was actually descending into the cave. It was a complex of narrow corridors and open spaces¨Cilluminated by torches at every ten or so steps¨Cwhich added a charcoal aroma to the air. The drumming sound that had permeated the first floor intensified as they moved inside.
Before coming into the first opening, Diana motioned them to wait, while she went scouting ahead. The party had already discussed their battle plan on the way, so each one knew exactly where to be and what to do. In the case of Ilaria, who to shoot.
¡°The first group is just turning the corner,¡± said Diana, after coming back. ¡°Kyle, go.¡±
Kyle stepped into the clear in the middle of a run.
Ilaria counted to five before joining him. As she turned into the opening, she saw that five lizardmen were following Kyle, while another two¨Cthe slingers¨Cwere standing in a corner, swinging their slings.
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Ilaria aimed towards the closest slinger, shooting at the same time as the rocks were thrown in Kyle''s direction. She quickly shot again, felling her first prey. As soon she did, she turned towards the second one, which had reloaded and was starting to swing. Ilaria didn''t give it the chance¨Canother Mana bolt startling it enough to miss the shot¨Cnext one taking care of it for good.
In the other side of the room, the five lizardmen following Kyle had been reduced to only one, which was being slashed into oblivion by Diana.
¡°See, that wasn''t hard at all,¡± said Diana, laughing.
¡°Yeah,¡± said Ilaria. She was very satisfied with the results. Diana and her didn''t get damaged at all, and Kyle had only needed one Healing touch after the battle.
The party advanced quickly through the second floor of the caves, not encountering much opposition. Until they got to the last clearing, where there were about ten melee lizardmen and five slingers, a degree of difficulty higher than they had ever faced before.
¡°Alright guys, wanna try it?¡± asked Diana, confidently smiling, like if daring them to chicken out.
¡°I think we could beat them, but there''s no need to risk it,¡± answered Kyle. ¡°Unlike DDs, if we die here we will get a penalty.¡±
Death penalty, a staple of RPGs. In VC it meant that you lost a whole level and had a 30 minute timeout, being re-spawned at the last city you had been to.
¡°Kyle votes ''no'',¡± said Diana. ¡°What about you?¡±
Ilaria, being put in the spot, wavered a bit. It was true that if she lost a level, it would be really painful¨Cshe would need to grind lots of bats again¨Cbut it was exciting. Looking at Diana''s daring face, she couldn''t answer in any other way.
¡°I''m okay with it,¡± answered Ilaria, looking at Kyle guiltily.
¡°Kyle?¡± re-asked Diana.
¡°Alright, lets do it,¡± answered Kyle, materializing his shield.
The plan was similar to what they had been doing¨CKyle pulling aggro first¨Cso Ilaria can shoot the slingers while they''re reloading. Of course, with five slingers it was sure she would get some rocks in her way. She could take three, maybe four, but if she evaded it could be fine.
Diana having given the signal, Kyle ran ahead, Ilaria counting before entering the clearing herself. She quickly identified the slingers¨Ctaking out the first couple of them in quick succession¨Cbefore starting to move around, rocks coming her way.
Ilaria got a rock to the shoulder and another to the back, before shooting and killing a third slinger. At some other place of the room, Kyle and Diana would be taking care of the other lizardmen; the mage not having the luxury of checking them out.
The last two slingers started swinging¨Cone never let its rock go¨Cbeing double¨Cshotted in the chest. The last one did let the rock fly, Ilaria receiving it to the side of the head. She wobbled a little¨Cif it was real life, she would probably be knocked out by now¨Cand re-aimed, killing the remaining slinger with relish.
¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Kyle, who had come to Ilaria as soon as they had finished with their assigned targets.
¡°Yeah, I didn''t run out of HPs, so everything is okay,¡± answered Ilaria. Everything really was okay. The game could simulate temporary confusion if you got a strong hit to the head, but¨Cas long as you still had hit points remaining¨Cyou could shook it off and keep fighting.
¡°We did it, didn''t we?¡± said Diana, satisfied with herself.
¡°We did,¡± said Ilaria, already completely recovered. It had been risky¨Canother hit would have killed her¨Cbut exciting at the same time.
¡°The door ahead will take us to the boss room,¡± said Diana, smiling.
¡°We aren''t doing that today,¡± said Kyle, looking at Diana disapprovingly.
¡°You''re right, I gotta go,¡± said Diana. ¡°See you tomorrow!¡±
Without Diana, Ilaria and Kyle decided to do their daily Dungeon Date. The first rounds were so easy that they had time to do small talk, mainly about the game and their grinding scheme.
¡°My sister, she can be really pushy at times,¡± said Kyle, as he speared a hog. ¡°You don''t need to always go along with her.¡±
¡°Ah, don''t worry,¡± said Ilaria, casually one-shotting another hog. ¡°I really did want to fight the big lizardmen group. I''m sorry.¡±
¡°Don''t say it,¡± said Kyle. ¡°You were the one under the most risk after all.¡±
There was a lull in the conversation, as the next round was announced. After killing most of it¨Cthe crimson bears never got a chance¨CIlaria changed the topic.
¡°So you mainly play competitive RPGs?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°Yeah, ones that have a player''s league, being solo or team fights,¡± answered Kyle, as he ended a bear by repeatably stabbing his spear.
¡°How did you end up in VC then?¡±
¡°Well, Diana had been bugging me to come along ever since she decided to restart her character, VC is really popular, and they''re working on a PVP league... So I took the chance.¡±
¡°Aiming for the Valentine''s Tournament?¡± Ilaria had her own internal debate about it. The ideal outcome of the plan was for her to enter the tournament with Johnny; a part of her wished to join with Kyle instead.
¡°I guess I would participate if given the chance, but I''m looking forward to a more permanent league,¡± answered Kyle, after distracting himself with a bear for a few seconds.
¡°Is that gonna happen?¡±
¡°I shouldn''t be telling you this; but yeah, it''s close to being a sure thing.¡±
They finally got into serious fighting for the goblin fanatics'' round, dispatching them in a efficient way. With over half of their mana left, they could kill the three shamans too.
But the second to last round was two trolls; which had high physical resistance over most of their body, and regeneration over time. Ilaria had used her mana for the shamans, so she couldn''t do much about it. They resisted; but the final boss, the troll king, made its appearance, and pummeled them to death.
¡°We got to see the boss, at least,¡± said Ilaria, smiling. She did feel like a fool. If she had saved her mana, they might have been able to take out at least one troll.
¡°Don''t beat yourself about it,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Chances are we wouldn''t have killed the trolls anyway. We secured the shaman round, that''s the important thing.¡±
¡°Are you going to the New Year''s party later?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°I don''t know; we might just join for the event items and log out,¡± answered Kyle. ¡°If we decide to stay, I''ll PM you.¡±
After Kyle logged out, Ilaria took a return scroll to Torinelo City. She went to the plaza¨Ctaking the chance to visit the Information Center¨Cbefore Amy made her appearance for their shopping incursion.
Once inside the Clothing Shop, the two girls went directly to a special section in the first floor. Unlike the level 7 clothes section, these were no-stats, no level requirement clothes. Just cosmetic items, and more expensive to boot.
¡°I could use the dress I already have,¡± said Ilaria, as she checked the price tags.
¡°Don''t be a sourpuss,¡± said Amy, ¡°Besides, you''ll need a formal dress for the speed dating event. Better to get used to it early.¡±
Those were the magical words. The plan, the justification for every irrational thing since Christmas. Ilaria just shut up and let herself be guided by Amy.
¡°Ready to party?¡± asked Amy, as she made strides towards the ''party'' district of Torinelo City.
¡°I guess,¡± answered Ilaria, not yet knowing what to expect.
Amy was wearing a bare back, golden gown, with high-heeled stilettos. After seeing her in miniskirts and V-necks, it seemed tame in comparison.
For Ilaria, Amy chose a shimmering midnight blue gown with long sleeves, and low-heeled pumps. The dress was a compromise. It was tight in the chest area, but didn''t show any skin.
¡°Here we are, the Hidden Owl Lounge and Disco,¡± said Amy, opening the door for Ilaria.
As she entered the room, the greeter gave her a yellow box and a couple of drink tickets¨Cthe event items¨Cbefore taking them towards the low tables. A EDM track could be heard at a distance, as they passed through the sparsely lit corridor.
¡°Here!¡± exclaimed Claire, dressed in a short red dress. She had a yellow band around her wrist.
¡°Hello!¡± Amy closed the distance, sliding in the table next to Claire. Ilaria followed, taking the seat next to Sandro.
¡°Ilaria, you look great,¡± said Claire, as she took her seat.
¡°Isn''t she?¡± said Amy, proud of herself.
¡°Did you know each other already?¡± asked Ilaria. It was weird how Amy fit so well in the group.
¡°We met in Virtual Connection a while ago,¡± answered Sandro.
¡°I see,¡± said Ilaria.
¡°Open it,¡± said Claire, pointing to their yellow boxes.
¡°Alright.¡± said Amy, picking the box and opening it. It had a shimmering yellow ribbon, which she tied to her braid.
¡°They all give a +1 stamina bonus,¡± said Sandro, pointing to the yellow flower pin in the lapel of his coat. ¡°Not good enough for the designated accessory slot, but at low level it''s better than nothing.¡±
Ilaria opened also her box, finding a shiny yellow half-mask, which would only cover the area around her eyes. She put it on, suddenly feeling more confident.
After drinking their complementary drinks and catching up for a while¨Cmainly about New Year''s and the progress of the plan¨CClaire pressed them to change locations.
¡°It''s time to go dancing!¡± exclaimed Claire, pushing Amy to go.
¡°Alright,¡± said Sandro, standing up too. He gave Ilaria a look of circumstance, and the later only could go with the flow.
Just as she opened the door to the disco section, Ilaria felt the music suddenly increase in volume, the chatter of conversation filling the background. The light arrangements pulsed following the rhythms of whatever was currently playing; it was very disconcerting at first.
¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Amy, next to her; Sandro and Claire nowhere near them.
¡°I''m fine,¡± answered Ilaria. ¡°Just a little disoriented.¡±
¡°We don''t need to stay too long,¡± said Amy. ¡°I''ll get you some water.¡±
It was a VR simulation, so Ilaria didn''t think water would help. Or maybe it will, everything is on the mind after all.
Ilaria was going towards one of the high tables along the walls¨Cto wait for Amy¨Cwhen she bumped someone.
¡°Sorry,¡± said Ilaria, picking up the yellow hat that had fallen from the stranger''s head.
¡°Don''t worry, there''s just too many people tonight,¡± said the guy, flashing a smile. ¡°Do I know you?¡±
¡°Most certainly not,¡± answered Ilaria. ¡°I just started playing less than a week ago.¡±
Ilaria wondered if she was being hit on. Regardless, she was pretty sure that she hadn''t ever seen the guy; he had a very distinctive face, not to mention the golden highlights of his hair.
¡°We might see each other again soon,¡± said the guy, as he put on his hat and turned around.
Ilaria had been staring at his back as he retreated¨Cthe shimmering black tuxedo was very eye catching¨Cwhen Amy reappeared next to her.
¡°Do you know him?¡± asked Amy in a serious tone.
¡°No, why?¡±
¡°He''s Johnny.¡±
Chapter 14: The Mother of All Lizards
Sunday morning, January 2nd, Ilaria materialized in front of the¨Cclosed at the moment¨CHidden Owl Lounge and Disco, in Torinelo City. Last night had been short, one could say. After her dizziness episode¨Cand way earlier than planned first meeting with Johnny¨Cshe had decided to log off and call it a night.
Actually, Ilaria didn''t know if meeting Johnny was good or not¨Cshe could see it benefiting the plan¨Cshe just wasn''t feeling well, and didn''t want to risk doing something she would regret. At least I had the mask on, he wouldn''t recognize me later, would he?
Anyway, her goal for the day was getting at least to level 15¨Cthat would leave her 5 levels for 5 days, until Friday. It would be hard on her, but it was possible¨Cspecially if she kept DDing Kyle.
As Ilaria was pondering her next movement, she received the call of certain catgirl, inviting her to what promised to be a very exciting lizard-grinding ''party''. She took out a return scroll registered to the lizardmen''s caves and teleported away.
Ilaria hadn''t seen Diana or Kyle in the party¨Cshe had left so early she didn''t gave them a chance. They didn''t comment anything about it¨Cnot that Ilaria had much to say¨Cbefore starting with the grind.
Inside the caves, the group mowed through the lizardmen as if they were rabbits, moving like an efficient, ruthless machine. And soon they got to the last cave clearing, in front of the boss room.
¡°Ready?¡± asked Diana, without even giving them the chance to refuse.
¡°Yeah,¡± answered Ilaria. Kyle just materialized his shield and put himself in his starting position.
Yesterday, they had cut it close, but Ilaria was sure this time would be different. For starters, she had gained one level, so she could tank one extra rock. Most importantly, she had been thinking about this battle all the morning¨Cpicturing the scene in her mind¨Cand she knew exactly what she needed to do.
Kyle went into the room first; Ilaria could hear the lizardmen grunting as they noticed him. She counted to five before following inside.
The room was as she had pictured in her mind: rough stone walls lined with smoky torches; high ceiling from which an iron candelabra was hung, it''s wax candles dripping to the floor. In the far left an open tent, from which emanated an aroma of fat and spices, a handful of crude drums abandoned at its entrance. And, the important part, five lizardmen slingers in a pentagon formation, swinging their slings.
She could feel Kyle rushing by her as she approached the center of the room¨Chaving the candelabra as a landmark¨Cdesigners would always put it in the exact center, it would be irksome otherwise. Ilaria was aiming before she raised her head, shooting just as the same time the rocks left their slings, in Kyle''s direction.
As the first slinger dropped dead, the other four turned towards Ilaria. Last time she had been unmoving while she aimed the second one, which earned her a couple of rock hits. Now¨Csince she knew their positions¨Cshe ran at an angle towards the right wall as she double-shot a second one, at exactly a quarter, and halfway, respectively.
While Ilaria was killing her second target, the slingers released their shots too. Ilaria got hit on her left leg as she moved, the other rocks missing her widely. She stumbled a little¨Cnothing like the headshot of yesterday¨Cand double-shot a third slinger before they could even recharge.
Then, she turned around, moving towards the center again. She shot from the same positions as before¨Cshe didn''t need to see to aim, the advantage of going against unmoving targets¨Cfelling a fourth slinger. The last one had missed its only chance at retaliation; its rock going pass her head at a couple centimeters of distance.
Ilaria smiled as she looked at her last target, and executed it in a couple of shots to the torso. She then turned around towards Diana and Kyle, who were finishing with the last pair of lizardmen. She crossed glances with the former, who smiled at her, as she gave the last slashes to her prey.
¡°That was easy, wasn''t it?¡± asked Diana, after approaching Ilaria at the center of the room.
¡°Yeah,¡± answered Ilaria, smiling. Even if she got hit once, she was very satisfied with herself.
¡°I didn''t get to see it, but the results talk by itself,¡± said Kyle, with pride in his voice. ¡°Your hit points are almost full.¡±
¡°Well, it wasn''t that hard,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°Hitting an enemy who won''t move, that''s it.¡±
¡°It makes sense,¡± said Kyle.
As they were talking, Diana started walking forward.
¡°Let''s do that.¡± said Diana, pointing to the golden door at the far end of the room, the boss'' room door.
It was an almost floor to ceiling gold-plated wooden door, with carvings depicting war scenes between lizardmen and humans. The most prominent figure was a huge lizard wielding a spear.
Boss fights weren''t easy¨Cthe game recommended a full six person party of around the boss'' level¨Cbut Diana was sure they could do it. Emboldened by their recent success, the group went ahead.
The golden door closed behind them with a thump, the temperature in the boss'' room much colder than in the rest of the cave. The room itself was a square about half the size of the last clearing, illuminated by blue crystals embedded in the ceiling. The wooden walls were dirtied by mud and bloodstains in equal proportions. And, sitting on a raised dais against the far wall, there was the biggest, fattest lizard Ilaria had ever seen. It was even taller than the troll boss from the Dungeon Date.
¡°The Lizard Broodmother,¡± said Diana. ¡°Lovely, isn''t she?¡±
¡°I don''t know if I''m more repulsed by her mud crusted skin or her dirty drooling mouth,¡± answered Ilaria, thankful that the developers had toned down the smell. It was merely unpleasant; it should have been close to unbearable by the looks of it.
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Kyle quickly set into his previously designated place, covering them as the vanguard. The lizardwoman got up with a roar and picked up its spear. Kyle, who was waiting for that, ran towards the boss, intercepting the spear throw with his shield.
¡°Now!¡± yelled Diana.
Ilaria¨Cwho had been aiming ever since she walked into the room¨Cdidn''t waste time and made her shot. The Mana bolt impacted the Broodmother directly in the chest, making it step back. Diana¨Chaving already gone around the other side¨Cjumped the boss with daggers in both hands. The catgirl slashed her foe twice and hopped backwards, as the spear came flying back towards the Broodmother''s hand.
They continued attacking the boss in the same way until its hit points got halfway down. At that point, the Broodmother stepped down from it''s raised dais with the spear in her hand. Kyle went forward to engage it, blocking with his shield while trying to stay in front of the girls. Ilaria alternated between shooting and healing, chipping at the boss'' hit points.
Here it comes.
Suddenly, the walls at the sides of the room started moving sideways, revealing ten big, light-pulsing, crackling-sounding eggs.
¡°Don''t mind them,¡± said Diana, while running towards the closest egg. ¡°I got it.¡±
The rogue frantically slashed the lizards from the right wall as they emerged from their eggs. The lizardlings were fast but weak, falling easily to Diana''s daggers; she didn''t even bother to evade their claws. She finished them just in time to intercept the left side ones, who were approaching Ilaria from the back.
¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Ilaria, glancing sideways.
¡°Don''t worry; they won''t kill me.¡±
After Diana killed all the lizardlings, the Broodmother became enraged, dropping its spear. It began thrashing wildly, attacking with claws and teeth at Kyle. He intercepted the attacks when he could, taking the hits with his body otherwise; his hit points steadily dropping. Ilaria could barely follow the movements¨Cand that just because he had fought alongside Kyle several times¨Cbut she still needed to remain close despite the danger. Healing touch¨Cthe basic healing spell and the only one at Ilaria''s disposal¨Cneeded physical contact to activate.
After a couple of seconds, Diana returned to engage the boss, chipping at its HPs one opportunistic strike at a time. It finally fell down in a burst of light, leaving its spear floating behind.
¡°Lucky!¡± exclaimed Diana, clad only in her underwear. Her armor laid in pieces all over the room.
Blood spear of the lizard tribe
Level 17 shortspear
Retrace (This weapon can be recalled to your hand two seconds after impact)
The spear of the matriarch of a lizardman clan, coated in the blood of all its previous owners.
A boss weapon, less than 2% of a chance for it to drop. They had really been lucky. It didn''t look much different from the normal spear though, just a crimson shine along the shaft.
It was a spear, so Ilaria prompted Kyle towards it. He looked towards Diana, who nodded at him.
¡°Is it really okay for me to take it?¡± asked Kyle, looking at Ilaria.
¡°Yeah, take it,¡± replied Ilaria, smiling. ¡°I don''t have any use for a spear anyway.¡±
¡°Thank you, Ilaria,¡± said Kyle, picking up the weapon.
¡°That rare drop is the best weapon for a tank under level 30,¡± said Diana, smiling.
¡°Nice!¡± said Ilaria, not being able to stop glancing towards Diana. ¡°By the way... Are you sure you''re feeling well?¡±
¡°It just feels a little itchy!¡±
¡°I didn''t think I would ever see the Naked Ninja in action,¡± said Kyle, laughing.
¡°Naked Ninja?!¡± exclaimed Ilaria, dumbfounded.
Diana, Ilaria and Kyle were back at the Barista Caf¨¦ in Torinelo City, sipping cold drinks.
¡°That''s how she is called in her guild,¡± said Kyle. ¡°You can imagine why.¡±
¡°I can see it,¡± said Ilaria, stifling a laugh.
¡°You know...¡± said Diana, a little peeved. ¡°In the first days of the game, we farmed that boss for days. And I would always end up with my clothes all in tatters. So I decided: instead of wasting gold in buying new armor every time, I''ll just fight naked!¡±
¡°It makes a lot of sense,¡± said Ilaria, laughing.
¡°I wish I had done that today,¡± said Diana. ¡°I wasted a perfectly fine set of level 7 clothes.¡±
¡°We have been leveling really fast,¡± said Ilaria, after noticing she was halfway through level 15. ¡°If we keep at it we''ll get to level 20 in no time!¡±
¡°Such a pity winter break is almost over,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I still need to level twice to be able to use my new spear.¡±
¡°That''s easy,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°We just need to date!¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± said Kyle.
¡°By the way, I can''t join you in the afternoon,¡± said Diana, apologetically. ¡°But you two can still train together without me.¡±
¡°Is Dave logging in?¡± asked Kyle.
¡°Yup,¡± answered Diana, smiling. ¡°And I should be a good girlfriend.¡±
After finishing their drinks, Kyle excused himself, promising to log back in the afternoon for their daily DD.
¡°What plans do you have for level 20?¡± asked Diana, now that they were alone. ¡°Are you gonna be an official mage?¡±
¡°Yeah, that''s the plan; and I''m already used to it,¡± answered Ilaria. ¡°Watching you two fight has made me painfully aware I wouldn''t make it either as a warrior or rogue.¡±
¡°You would do just fine,¡± said Diana. ¡°Kyle and I are pros!¡±
¡°Really?¡± asked Ilaria, dumbfounded.
¡°No way!¡± exclaimed Diana, laughing. ¡°You are so cute!¡±
Ilaria felt herself blushing. If Diana had told her seriously that she was a professional gamer, she would have believed her. Kyle too. They were as good as what little she had seen from the big gaming tournaments.
¡°There aren''t any Virtual Connection pros yet anyway,¡± said Diana. ¡°The game doesn''t even have any PVP capabilities yet.¡±
¡°But that will change soon...¡±
¡°Yup, the new update scheduled before Valentine''s Day. It will change everything,¡± said Diana, excited.
¡°Are you looking forward to it?¡±
¡°Everyone in the guild is.¡±
Ilaria moved the ice remaining in her cup, slurping what liquid was left with the straw.
¡°That''s another thing I wanted to ask you,¡± said Diana, looking at Ilaria in the eyes. ¡°When you get to level 20, do you want to join my guild? Kyle will be joining for sure.¡±
Ilaria had dreaded that question ever since they breached the topic. She, as a newbie, had been benefiting immensely by being in a party with expert gamers like Diana and Kyle. Which made her feel like she owed them. Regardless, in normal circumstances, she would join gladly. But she currently couldn''t, she needed to join Johnny''s guild for the plan.
¡°I...¡±
¡°Don''t worry too much,¡± said Diana. ¡°Sorry if I made you uncomfortable.¡±
¡°No, I''m sorry,¡± said Ilaria, knowing she was probably making a mess of herself. ¡°The thing is, I already have a guild to join. Otherwise I would have loved to.¡±
¡°Don''t mind it,¡± said Diana, smiling. ¡°We won''t stop playing with you because of that. And if you ever change your mind, just tell us.¡±
Chapter 15: Date and Date
Lunch had been an uncommonly common affair. No Amelia on a Sunday for a change; only mom, dad, Minerva and him sharing the table. They sat around a pair of big pizzas¨Ca forbidden meal since his sister started her diet months ago¨Ceating and talking in between. Ricardo felt Minerva''s eyes on him a couple times, but she didn''t say anything.
Anyway, Ricardo went back to his room as soon as lunch was over and prepared to change into Ilaria. She had a date.
Ilaria and Kyle were already experts in the under-20 Dungeon Date, going through the first six rounds without losing HPs or spending mana. The goblin fanatics put a little resistance, but they got done just the same. In the goblin shaman round, Ilaria was forced to use mana for the first time, which irked her a little¨Cshe wished for a full bar against the trolls.
¡°Don''t mind it,¡± said Kyle. ¡°We are doing great.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
Ninth wave: Two troll guardians.
With Ilaria''s mana pool three quarters full, they were in a much better position than the last time. Just as the trolls appeared, Kyle went towards the left one, while Ilaria shot a Mana bolt to the right one, to immediately run behind Kyle.
Since Kyle would be forced to only dodge and use Taunt¨Cthe skill making the monster focus on him¨CIlaria had to be the sole damage dealer for this battle. She began to make use of all the mana she had been hoarding, shooting both trolls alternately.
She finally killed them one after the other, with a few seconds to spare.
Final wave: The Troll King.
¡°Here it comes!¡± exclaimed Ilaria, overly excited.
¡°Lets do it!¡± exclaimed Kyle, with a confident smile.
The Troll King was three meters tall gray humanoid monster, with big hands and hard skin. It was dressed in a simple copper armor, holding a tower shield of the same material, and a club with metal spikes. Contrary to appearances, the King was actually pretty agile, since it could spin its shield at will.
The Troll King entered through the middle door, going directly to the center, where they were waiting. Ilaria followed as Kyle approached the King sideways from the shield side, so that the troll would need to spin around for hitting him.
And it did try, Kyle constantly on the move, anticipating at each turn. Ilaria, who already knew Kyle''s usual pattern, kept shooting the King while remaining always covered by the tank. She knew one hit from the club could be fatal.
After being depleted of a quarter of its HPs, the Troll King changed its pattern and went for a shield bash. Kyle couldn''t evade that¨Che intercepted with his shield¨Cjumping backwards and to the left. Even if it wasn''t the full amount for the attack, Ilaria could see his health bar lowering dangerously. Her mana was at the quarter mark, but she didn''t hesitate on healing him.
The troll took the chance to spin around and try to club Kyle, but, surprisingly, he slided on his shield, hitting his foe in the knee. Ilaria didn''t waste the chance to shoot at the King''s uncovered head, while it tried to kick the warrior.
And then Kyle got hit.
Ilaria saw how the warrior flew from the impact, hitting the wall. His HPs were almost gone; he would have been out for sure if Ilaria hadn''t healed him before. Looking at the Troll King, it wasn''t doing great either. Kyle had left his spear lodged into its knee, which was bleeding profusely.
Ilaria didn''t have much mana left. Kyle needed healing, but he had lost his weapon and shield. Even if she healed him, he wouldn''t resist much more. She decided to use all the mana she had left and try to kill the troll herself.
Sorry Kyle, this is just a game.
The troll had been aggravated towards Kyle, so it went for the finishing blow, leaving Ilaria alone. She had expected that, shooting the troll on its uncovered neck while it hit Kyle with the club.
Kyle died.
Ilaria shot her last Mana bolt.
Wow.
Ilaria and Kyle were looking at each other and smiling. They couldn''t do anything but that. The shot of adrenaline was just too much to handle.
They were still in the ballroom of the experience date.
At the time of the challenge, the room had a dark and heavy atmosphere. Now a warm sunlight came from the windows and you could hear soft string music.
In the center of the room, a bright yellow crystal was floating.
A Private Date ticket.
Finally, Ilaria took a step forward, and pointed the crystal to Kyle.
¡°Take it,¡± said Kyle. ¡°You killed him in the end.¡±
¡°No, I can''t possibly do that,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°You are really awesome. I know someone like me normally wouldn''t be able to get that far.¡±
¡°But then...¡± said Kyle. ¡°This should be your first chance to do a Private Date.¡±
¡°Yours too, silly,¡± said Ilaria, laughing. ¡°Say what, we should go together.¡±
What have I done.
Ricardo logged out¨CKyle was going to be out for a few hours¨C and went out for a stroll. He felt cramped in his room. In the game he had been walking through the countryside, exploring and fighting, but he felt like he still needed some real-life fresh air. And to ponder about his life choices. Specially that last one.
The local mall was a few blocks away, so that was his aim for the afternoon. He hadn''t put on his earphones today; he wanted hear the streets of Lima. Real streets. It was the Sunday after New Year''s Day; it was supposed to be a quiet day, unlike the last time he had been out.
Was Lima always like this?
The streets looked messy, and sounded even messier. And that wasn''t even taking the smells in consideration. People crossing by, cars honking, colorful billboards vying for attention. Torinelo City was so ordered in comparison, so symmetrical, so aesthetically pleasing to his designer heart.
Ricardo was almost at the entrance of the mall, when he heard something familiar.
¡°Hey!¡± exclaimed an overly excited, high-pitched voice.
Damn, it''s Amelia.
¡°Hello,¡± said Ricardo. He turned towards the familiar voice, and immediately made a double-take. He was already used to the elvish Amy¨Cthe one he had spent a lot of time with lately¨Cso he was surprised with the sudden change.
Besides, Amelia was dressed in a yellow blouse and white pants; her brown hair tied in a ponytail. A lot more casual than what Ricardo was used to see on her.
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¡°I thought you would be in Virtual Connection, leveling,¡± said Amelia, going towards him.
Ricardo stared at her for a second too long.
¡°Do you miss Amy''s blond hair?¡± asked Amelia, grinning.
¡°It would look weird,¡± answered Ricardo, lowering his gaze.
¡°Are you shopping?¡± asked Amelia, walking next to him.
¡°Not really. I just wanted to leave my room for a while.¡±
¡°Then come with me!¡±
Ricardo¨Cnot having anything better to do¨Cfollowed Amelia as she entered the mall. It didn''t take him too long to realize they were heading towards the main concert area.
¡°Didn''t know there was a performance today,¡± said Ricardo.
¡°Lately, every Sunday there''s something in there,¡± said Amelia. ¡°I guess it''ll be just for the summer.¡±
¡°What are we watching today?¡± asked Ricardo, now intrigued.
¡°I don''t know!¡±
The guest artists were a Peruvian folkloric group, both musicians and dancers. The musicians were in the scenario, but the dancers stayed in a corded square at the audience''s level. They were performing Afro-Peruvian music, coupled with very energetic dancing.
There were just a few seats for the elderly, most people watching the show standing around the dance zone. Luckily, there weren''t that many people, so Ricardo and Amelia could stand in a corner without anyone in front of them.
It seemed like they caught the tail end of the performance, since it didn''t take too long for the group to start wrapping things up.
¡°And now, as the last part of our show, we invite people from the public to dance with us!¡±
Ricardo laughed¨Cwatching people try to dance was always fun¨Cwhen he felt someone pulling his hand, and suddenly he was inside the corded square. He was caught unawares, to say the least.
Ricardo gauged his position¨Cone of the five couples now inside the dance floor¨Cwith dozens of people surrounding them. I can''t possibly flee now. He sent a look of despair towards the smiling imp who was holding his hand.
¡°That was really fun,¡±said Amelia, while sipping on her strawberry smoothie. ¡°And don''t dare to even try to deny it!¡±
¡°Okay, okay,¡± said Ricardo, smiling against himself.
Ricardo and Amelia were sat at a table in a coffee shop¨Cwhich sadly couldn''t compare in ambiance with the Barista Caf¨¦¨Cdrinking cold refreshments. They needed them, with all the energy they spent dancing in the show.
Actually, it hadn''t been too bad, only two songs, and there were way worse couples out there. They even got a coupon for the mall, which they were currently using.
¡°I didn''t know you could dance Afro,¡± said Amelia.
¡°Mom always makes me dance in family parties, so I can fudge it.¡±
¡°Such a pity we didn''t get to dance at the New Year''s party.¡±
¡°Don''t remind me of that,¡± said Ricardo, sipping his iced coffee.
¡°Are you logging into VC later?¡±
¡°Yeah, I have to meet with Kyle.¡±
¡°A Dungeon Date?¡± asked Amelia, moving her drink with the straw.
¡°I think I made a mistake,¡± said Ricardo, looking downwards. ¡°We are doing a Private Date.¡±
¡°What!?¡±
After saying that, Ricardo proceeded to explain all the sequence of events that lead to that point. Which included beating the lizard boss, getting a rare weapon drop, and then finally beating the under-20 Dungeon Date. If one looked at all at a whole, it had been a very exciting day.
¡°So you asked a guy out,¡± said Amelia, openly laughing.
¡°It was in the spur of the moment!¡± exclaimed Ricardo. ¡°We had just defeated the boss after giving it all. And he wanted to leave the ticket for me, even though he looked like he really wanted to use it.¡±
¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Amelia.
¡°We haven''t decided yet; I hope for arcade,¡± answered Ricardo, with a dreadful feeling.
¡°At least wear your dress!¡±
After their impromptu outing at the mall, Ricardo and Amelia walked together most of the way back, before separating to go to their respective homes.
Ricardo had needed to get back somewhat early to eat dinner, since he had an appointment. His first Private Date in Virtual Connection.
A Private Date ticket, the reward for winning a Dungeon Date, gave two players¨Cwith the same restrictions as in a DD, so mostly male-female pairs¨Caccess to a private instance of the Game Lobby. In there you could choose between three types of ''date'' and have an hour-long private session.
It didn''t give any experience at all, it was purely meant for ''dating''. And you didn''t need to go with the player you won the DD with¨Cthough it was designed with that in mind¨Csince they awarded only one, indivisible ticket.
Logging in after a light dinner, Ilaria materialized in front of the coffee shop¨CTorinelo City''s Barista Caf¨¦¨Crealizing instantly from where they had gone to their Dungeon Date earlier that day.
¡°Hello,¡± said Kyle, who was standing a few steps from her. He was dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans¨Cwhich was unusual enough¨CIlaria had mostly seen him in his full plate armor, even when walking through the city.
¡°Hi Kyle,¡± said Ilaria, who hadn''t changed from her Magical Girl costume. ¡°Did you wait long?¡±
¡°No, I just arrived,¡± said Kyle.
Yeah, as if you would tell me if that wasn''t the case.
¡°Turn around for a bit,¡± said Ilaria, and Kyle did as he was told without questioning.
Ilaria materialized her backpack, taking out her dress and changing out of her costume. She didn''t want to date dressed as a Magical Girl, no matter how ''not-a-real-date'' the date would be. And since she was changing anyway, she would heed Amelia''s advice and wear a dress, her aquamarine one.
Having changed clothes, Ilaria took out the Private Date ticket and called Kyle. She extended her hand with the crystal towards him. He put his hand over it, brushing her fingers, as they were enveloped in a yellow light.
The couple moved to a small circular room with a glass roof. They had an exit door behind them and three smaller ones in front, labeled as: Dance Hall, Karaoke Bar and Retro Arcade.
¡°Which one do you like?¡± asked Kyle, looking sideways at Ilaria.
¡°Let''s try this one,¡± said Ilaria, walking towards the Arcade door. ¡°Let''s see how good you are with those.¡±
¡°Shoot!¡± exclaimed Kyle, while moving his character down the screen.
¡°I''m trying to aim, but it''s hard,¡± said Ilaria, while pressing the joystick repeatedly. It was the first time she had encountered one of those, and they were crude. No wonder they fell in disuse.
¡°Doesn''t matter, I just need you to cover me,¡± said Kyle, while throwing a grenade inside a building.
The Retro Arcade was a rectangular shaped room, with walls covered in black tiles from floor to ceiling. It had two rows of different machine games; their weird computer-generated sounds, and twinkling, colorful lights were part of the ambiance. Besides the video games, you could even play some mechanical classics, like whack-a-mole.
¡°Seems like we won,¡± said Kyle, watching the ending animation on the screen.
Ilaria wasn''t amused. The game had been way too easy for Kyle, and she didn''t get to do much. She scanned the room, searching for something she could enjoy, her eyes stopping at the far left corner.
¡°Lets play that one,¡± said Ilaria, pointing to a white rectangular table.
¡°Yeah, now this is my type of game!¡± exclaimed Ilaria, after scoring another goal.
They were at their second match of air hockey, the first one ending 7-0 in Ilaria''s favor. Kyle had started with a really awkward grip on the mallet. After the first three goals, Ilaria insisted on guiding Kyle''s grip and motions, so he could at least hit the puck in a straight line.
¡°Finally!¡± exclaimed Kyle, after scoring his first goal. Ilaria was afraid Kyle wouldn''t enjoy the game after being beaten so soundly, but she had to commend his tenacity. Second game ended 6-1, but Kyle was beaming regardless.
¡°I wonder if you are a pro in this,¡± said Kyle, after being scored by a double bank shot.
¡°That was a lucky shot; I intended to do a regular bank shot but my grip slipped a bit,¡± said Ilaria, laughing. ¡°Dad''s the one who''s really good; I have yet to beat him.¡±
¡°Knew it,¡± said Kyle, after hearing the buzz.
Kyle and Ilaria were sitting in a big fluffy couch sipping from their complimentary refreshments. After the very spirited match of air hockey, they chose the trivia challenge for the date''s finale.
¡°If it''s a consolation, I would have also chosen cheetah,¡± said Ilaria, smiling. ¡°Who could have thought bats were so fast.¡±
¡°It seemed too easy of a question,¡± said Kyle. ¡°I guess that was our last game.¡±
¡°Yeah, we got like a couple of minutes left for the date instance,¡± said Ilaria, finishing her drink.
¡°I wonder if we get anything from this,¡± said Kyle, looking at the wall clock.
¡°I wonder too. My friends haven''t told me anything about items or such.¡±
*ding*
Just after the clock signaled the end of the date instance, a yellow envelope appeared in front of them, while the rest of the room turned gray.
¡°I guess we should open it,¡± said Ilaria, while touching the floating envelope with her fingernail.
The envelope opened in a flash of light, three rectangular pieces of paper floating in the air until they fell in Ilaria''s lap. She picked them up, noticing at once the waxy texture. They were photographs, like the old ones, taken by an analog camera and printed in photo paper. She passed them one by one, showing them to Kyle.
The first one showed Kyle focused on the arcade machine screen, while Ilaria was mashing the joystick button furiously. Second one was when the both of them were looking at each other incredulously, just after the double bank shot. Third one had Ilaria smiling at Kyle''s guilty face, after botching the last question of the trivia challenge.
do you wish to keep the pictures?
These are actually good, really good; I wonder how do they do it.
Ilaria pressed the ''Yes'' button without much pondering. A photo album appeared on her lap, the pictures floating and inserting themselves inside.
Chapter 16: The Goblin Encampment
A new day arrived, with Ilaria walking aimlessly through the streets of Torinelo City. It was a really pleasant design¨Cshe had to admit it¨Ceven though the symmetry and cleanness were actually failings of the simulation, making it less real.
Ilaria hadn''t checked her friend list yet; she didn''t want to be the one initiating contact. I hope Diana is free today.
It wasn''t like last night''s date with Kyle was bad; it was actually pretty good, if she could say herself. Although, they hadn''t said more than a ''goodbye'' afterwards; it just felt a little awkward. It must have been the pictures. Anyway, she was sure that, after a few grinding runs, things would get back to normal.
As Ilaria was ruminating on last night''s, the twinkling red button made its appearance. She made a little jump in surprise before accepting the call.
¡°Hello! Wanna go grinding?¡± The cheerful voice sounding right in her ear filled Ilaria with relief.
¡°Of course; I''ll be glad,¡± answered Ilaria. She couldn''t help but smile when listening to Diana''s voice at the other side.
¡°Great; I''ll drag Kyle right away,¡± said Diana. ¡°See you at the plaza!¡±
When Ilaria arrived at the meeting point, Kyle was already standing next to Diana, clad in his usual plate armor. If clothes for male characters worked similar to female ones, he could probably wear armor shaped like jeans or slacks, even shorts. That he chose to use the classical heavy armor said a lot about his priorities.
After beating the lizardmen boss yesterday, they were due for a change of grinding location. Surprisingly, Kyle had been the first to suggest it.
¡°Goblins are level 14, and shamans level 15,¡± said Kyle, making his case to Diana. ¡°Both Ilaria and I are already at 15, and you will get there soon. Besides, we have killed them easily enough in the Dungeon Date.¡±
¡°Yeah, I also would like a new challenge,¡± said Ilaria.
¡°The Goblin Encampment is it then. I would have said it myself, but I found Kyle endearing,¡± said Diana, smiling. ¡°Going for the One-eyed Wand, huh?¡±
¡°What''s that?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°A rare drop from the goblin boss,¡± said Diana, glancing at Kyle. ¡°The best weapon for a hybrid mage around your level.¡±
Having decided their destination, the three of them left Torinelo City through the east gate. In Virtual Connection¨Cfor local areas within a region¨Cyou needed to physically walk there the first time. Later, you could attune return scrolls to the location to teleport yourself instantly.
The members of the party were walking side by side, Diana in the middle, planning their grinding strategy. Beating the normal goblins didn''t seem too different from what they had done for the lizardmen. The shamans were tougher than the slingers, but they weren''t that numerous. Soon the topic changed to the One-eyed Summoner, the goblin boss.
¡°It summons more monsters,¡± said Diana. ¡°That''s why it''s called a summoner.¡±
¡°Like the Broodmother?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°Something like that,¡± answered Diana. ¡°But its most powerful attack is akin of a death ray, at least for non-tank characters.¡±
¡°I see,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°Can we beat it?¡±
¡°Probably,¡± answered Diana, excitement reflecting on her face. ¡°Might be close though.¡±
The Goblin Encampment was an extensive plains, in which heart laid a walled complex of tents inhabited by goblins. The soil was mostly barren, a few small bushes here and there, wind currents carrying reddish powder around. Around two meters tall stone formations dotted the terrain, giving cover from the winds and the scorching sun.
In the outer border of the goblin''s territory¨Cakin to the first level of a dungeon¨Cthere were groups of 5-to-7 goblins, including one shaman, rarely two. They were going to grind on those mostly, crossing to the inner complex only if they felt they were ready.
¡°Now.¡± Diana whispered almost soundlessly¨Cmore like mouthed really¨Cfrom her cover behind a stone formation.
Ilaria and Kyle¨Cwho were crouching side-to-side under a smaller rock further to the left¨Cnodded in understanding. Ilaria gave a brief glance, trying to locate the shaman, while the patrol was still unaware of their existence.
¡°Mana bolt!¡± The magical girl jumped over the rock and shot the shaman point-blank, which knocked him backwards. Kyle had made his move at the same time, getting between Ilaria and the rest of the patrol.
The dagger-wielding goblins turned with a hiss and jumped to attack Kyle. Ilaria ignored them¨CDiana would surely be already there¨Cand shot again, killing the shaman before it could make any lightning.
Only after finishing the ranged menace, Ilaria could spare attention for Diana and Kyle. Not that they needed it, being already almost finished with their foes themselves.
With Diana''s guidance, the party blitzed through the outer section of the Goblin Encampment, taking out any patrol appearing in their way. Two shamans weren''t too much trouble since Diana could take on one of them. When they got the wall to the inner complex within sight, there wasn''t any discussion as if they should cross over or not.
¡°Inside the complex we should be extra careful,¡± said Diana. ¡°Only engage after I have checked the surroundings. It won''t be fun if we get into a pincer attack.¡±
¡°Got it,¡± said Kyle. ¡°As for our formation?¡±
¡°You engage the melee goblins while Ilaria and I take on the shamans,¡± answered Diana.
¡°So, the same as we have been doing?¡± asked Ilaria, confidently.
¡°Yeah, but now we might get three or four of them at the same time,¡± answered Diana. ¡°You might get targeted, so it''s imperative to kill them as fast as we can.¡±
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¡°Understood.¡±
Their first fight inside the walls went as well as it could. Diana noticed the patrol before turning a corner, so the group could target the shamans at the back first.
At the signal, Diana jumped on one shaman, while Ilaria shot the one next to it. The other two shamans turned around and shot at Diana, who had already felled the first one. Ilaria winced as Diana was hit on the leg, but the mage didn''t stop aiming towards her target, killing it with her second shot. Diana hadn''t stopped moving, landing on the offending shaman with daggers in both hands.
Ilaria quickly re-aimed on the last unattended shaman, while taking a quick look sideways¨Ca pair of dagger-wielding goblins were getting really close¨Cbut she trusted Kyle. As the mage made her shot, Kyle shield bashed one goblin, following with a body slam towards the one closest to her.
The last shaman was readily bolted by Ilaria, ending the dangerous part. Then it was just picking out the goblins one by one, while healing Kyle before it got dangerous.
¡°Not bad,¡± said Diana, nursing her bootless left leg.
The party continued taking out patrols in the same manner, Diana guiding them straight through the encampment towards the boss room. They had taken a fast paced approach, that got faster as they approached their destination; the catgirl determined to get to the boss before lunchtime. It had been obvious even for the newbie Ilaria, but neither Kyle nor her pointed it out.
And it got dangerous a few times, Diana''s recklessness in full display. In the last fight before getting to the big tent, Ilaria had to get in between her and the shamans to heal her, almost getting shot herself.
¡°You really should be more careful,¡± said Kyle, reprehending Diana. ¡°You were within a sliver of your HP bar.¡±
¡°Don''t be so serious,¡± said Diana, not sounding remorseful at all. ¡°We are fighting in an area designed for players 3-to-5 levels over us; of course it''ll get dangerous. That''s the fun of the game.¡±
They kept walking until having the central tent of the complex directly on sight. Unlike the hut-like structures they had passed by, the goblin boss'' tent was a wooden, rectangular building, with a tall roofing made out of patchwork leather. It could barely qualify as a ''tent''.
Turning around the corner, they came in front of a heavy golden cloth curtain, which covered the entrance. The equivalent of the boss room''s door.
Ilaria, now walking in the middle, looked sideways without saying anything. The atmosphere had gotten strained after Diana and Kyle''s discussion. Suddenly, she didn''t know if fighting the boss was a good idea anymore.
¡°Here''s the boss, the One-eyed Summoner,¡± said Diana, smirking. ¡°I say we try it; I know we can beat it.¡±
¡°But maybe Kyle wants to play it safe and call it a day,¡± added Diana, looking towards him.
¡°What do you think?¡± asked Kyle to Ilaria, ignoring the needling of Diana.
¡°Since we are already here, I want to try it,¡± answered Ilaria, smiling uncomfortably.
¡°Alright,¡± said Kyle, preparing himself.
¡°Then it''s decided,¡± said Diana, looking as excited as Ilaria had ever seen her.
Ilaria thought things would still be uneasy for a time, but¨Cafter having committed to it¨CDiana and Kyle discussed the strategy seriously. They really were like pros, no matter what they said.
Before opening the door, Diana approached Ilaria and gave her two pairs of glass vials; one pair filled with red, and the other with blue liquid. They identified as low grade health and mana potions.
¡°Feel free to use them as you will,¡± said Diana in a low voice. And this time she really sounded remorseful.
The One-eyed Summoner was a tall goblin, clad in dark brown robes; sitting in a throne chair, located at a raised dais in the back of the room. As its name predicted, it appeared to have only one eye¨Cthe left one¨Cthe other one permanently closed. The patchwork roof let the sun illuminate the room by areas, making it a bit difficult to get used to. After the curtains closed themselves, the boss stood up, pointing his wand towards the middle of the room.
¡°Go!¡± exclaimed Diana, as she started towards the right side.
Ilaria and Kyle also ran towards their predetermined locations, the warrior to the center and the mage to the left. Ilaria was already aiming before the goblin materialized, killing it instantly. Diana and Kyle had taken out their targets too, quickly jumping back before the next summoning.
The boss summoned three waves of three goblins each, which were quickly dispatched by the party. After the last one, the girls took cover behind Kyle.
The One-eyed Summoner finally opened his right eye. It was bright red, pulsing light from within. Suddenly, the boss raised his ruby-topped wand, shooting straight at Kyle''s shield. He grunted, sliding back from the power of the shot.
¡°I''ll go now,¡± said Diana, running towards the boss with a mischievous grin in her face.
Diana got to the raised dais just before the room was flooded with goblins. Now there were twelve dagger-wielding goblins between where Ilaria and Kyle were, and the raised dais with Diana and the boss. Ilaria quickly shot the ones closest to the dais; she couldn''t let them target Diana.
The dagger-wielding catgirl engaged the boss in a frenzy. She slashed and whirled with reckless abandon, not caring about the wand strikes she was receiving.
Kyle and Ilaria got into their familiar grinding: Kyle in front, pushing back the goblins one by one, enabling Ilaria to shoot them cleanly from the back. She was worried about Diana, wincing each time she got hit, but she couldn''t afford to get distracted; Kyle needed her full healing attention.
Ilaria ran up of mana after killing the fourth goblin, leaving eight to gang up on Kyle while she drank a mana potion. Fortunately, he could endure the hits for a bit.
In the raised dais, Diana was still doing circles around the boss. As Ilaria was preparing to aim again, the catgirl was hit, leaving her within a sliver of her hit points. If she gets hit again, it''ll be all over.
The mage quickly crossed glances with Kyle, who nodded at her. And then, Ilaria started running.
She went in a straight line¨Ccrossing right in front of the normal goblins¨C Kyle having made her the space with his body. Having the summoner in front of her, Ilaria didn''t waste time and shot it. The boss got knocked back, giving Diana time to drink a potion.
The One-eyed Summoner, also freed from Diana''s frenzied slashing, turned towards Ilaria and shot her. Ilaria tried to evade to the right, getting hit only in the leg¨Cit still took more HPs from her than all the rest of battle combined. She immediately shot again.
¡°It''s enough; get back,¡± yelled Diana, jumping the boss again with her daggers.
Ilaria drank a health potion, saving her mana for shooting, and started targeting the melee goblins. Kyle had tried to go around but he was quickly being overwhelmed. I need to get to him now.
Following Ilaria''s intervention, Diana got just enough health to barely finish the boss. Fortunately, Kyle resisted the time required to let Ilaria get back into position. After that, it was going through the motions to mop up the leftover goblins.
¡°That was so thrilling!¡± exclaimed Diana, sitting in the former summoner''s throne, her armor cracked and falling to pieces.
¡°We were really lucky to pull it out,¡± said Kyle, trying to not smile. ¡°And even so, it was because Ilaria went against the plan and charged forward to save you.¡±
¡°She''s like a guardian angel,¡± said Diana, grinning. ¡°No wonder you''re so fond of her.¡±
Diana excused herself shortly after finishing the boss¨Cshe was going out for lunch¨Cwhich left Ilaria and Kyle alone for their Dungeon Date. It was a mindless grind at this point, the two of them killing the monsters while chatting; the goblin grinding having resolved the awkwardness.
¡°It''s a pity we didn''t get the wand from the boss,¡± said Kyle, while stabbing hogs casually.
¡°We can''t always hit the jackpot,¡± said Ilaria, shooting a bear as it appeared.
¡°We can try it again in the afternoon,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Diana should be up to it.¡±
The mage didn''t know why, but the catgirl seemed fixated on that particular boss.
¡°I thought you didn''t approve,¡± said Ilaria.
¡°I don''t know how to feel about it. It just seems like bad gaming, taking a risk and wasting items,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Although, if we fail, we''re just going to lose a level; it isn''t like we''re gonna die for real.¡±
¡°Yeah, it''s just a game,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°Even so, getting hit doesn''t feel great.¡±
¡°You could never tell by looking at my sister,¡± said Kyle, laughing.
¡°She''s unlike anyone I''ve met before.¡±
Chapter 17: What I Didnt Want Her to Know
As Ricardo entered the dinning room for lunch, he got surprised by the return of a familiar sight¨CAmelia and Minerva happily chatting¨Ceach with a grilled chicken breast and lettuce salad in front of them.
¡°Hello!¡± exclaimed Amelia from her seat. ¡°Sorry that I won''t stand up; my legs hurt.¡±
She truly must have been feeling the strain; her makeup not even close to her usual standards, her hair lazily held by a hair tie.
¡°Who told you to skip gym for more than a week?¡± said Minerva. His sister was still clad in gym clothes¨Cthough those were the new, fancy ones¨Cnot ones she actually used for training.
¡°Sorry,¡± said Amelia, lowering her gaze.
Of course, Amelia had stopped going to the gym because Minerva did too. Nobody wanted to point that out, though. It was great that his sister was getting back to her usual routine.
After mom came from the kitchen with her and Ricardo''s lunch¨Ccreamy chicken stew¨Cthey settled into their usual conversation pattern. Minerva was cheerful enough; everything was good.
Having finished eating¨Cmom was already washing the dishes in the kitchen¨CRicardo stood up to leave the room; when he heard something that froze him to the core.
¡°Going into Virtual Connection?¡± asked Minerva, her lips turning into a smirk.
Ricardo raised his eyes to look at Amelia, who was mouthing a ''sorry'' while smiling.
¡°Yeah, I started about a week ago,¡± said Ricardo. He looked at Minerva, trying to discern her reaction.
¡°Don''t stare at me like that,¡± said Minerva, smiling despite herself. ¡°If you want to play, just play; maybe you''ll finally get a girlfriend.¡±
¡°I''m okay; for real,¡± said Minerva, since everyone was staying silent. ¡°I''m not playing that game anytime soon but you don''t need to tiptoe around it.¡±
¡°She took it better than I feared,¡± said Ilaria, one-shotting a bat without looking.
¡°Yeah, I''m so glad she''s back to her usual self,¡± said Amy, mirth in her voice. ¡°Even if she''s a pain sometimes.¡±
Ilaria was hiding in her usual spot in the outskirts of the Everdark Forest¨Csnipping bats¨Cas she waited for Diana and Kyle to get back. Amy was perched on a tree nearby¨Cnot that Ilaria could see her¨Cshe had her stealth activated so the bats wouldn''t notice her. She didn''t even need to be close, though; since they were chatting by Private Call.
¡°How is the leveling going?¡± asked Amy.
¡°I''m at level 16, halfway through,¡± answered Ilaria. ¡°If I do about a level a day, I''ll be hitting twenty just in time for Friday.¡±
¡°That''s cutting it close,¡± said Amy. ¡°You need to get there before being able to join a guild. ¡±
¡°Yeah, but we got a lot of experience defeating the goblin boss in the morning,¡± said Ilaria.
¡°You beat the One-eyed Summoner?!¡± exclaimed Amy, dropping a dagger.
¡°It was really stressing, and exciting...¡± said Ilaria, remembering the battle. ¡°We are actually going again this afternoon.¡±
¡°Seems like you are enjoying yourself,¡± said Amy, going down the tree and picking up her dagger. ¡°I guess you are aiming for the One-eyed Wand.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± said Ilaria, casually shooting a bat. ¡°It would be great if it drops.¡±
¡°By the way, are those daggers also a boss drop?¡± asked Ilaria, just noticing Amy''s dagger going up and down. It was even more eye catching for the fact that the rogue wasn''t visible at all, only the dagger.
¡°Yeah; they''re from the Winged Reaper,¡± answered Amy. ¡°The boss of those bats you''ve been exterminating.¡±
¡°I think Diana just started using them too,¡± said Ilaria, downing a bat without looking.
¡°The level cap was at 35 for a long time,¡± said Amy. ¡°Most people who started playing at that time hunted for the boss drop weapons.¡±
Two daggers went up and down, being withdrawn as they fell.
¡°They aren''t the most powerful, but each one of them has a very convenient ability,¡± said Amy. ¡°These ones, for instance, have something called Sure throw.¡±
¡°What''s that?¡±
¡°When you throw them at your enemy, they will always land blade-point first. On the other hand, if you throw them to yourself or an ally, you receive them hilt in hand.¡±
That was a really convenient ability to have. Throwing daggers without assistance must be demanding. No wonder Diana had been more liberal with her throws after she changed weapons.
There was a lull in the conversation¨Conly the bats being felled, and the dagger going up and down breaking the silence¨Cas Ilaria kept thinking about the morning''s boss battle.
¡°Are you telling Minerva about the plan?¡±
¡°Are you crazy?!¡± exclaimed Ilaria, missing a bat for the first time. That one flew straight towards Ilaria''s face before dropping down in a swoosh. Amy picked up her dagger and returned to stealth as if nothing had happened.
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¡°What were you gonna to do if she had wanted to meet you in-game?¡± asked Amy, in a singsong tone.
¡°I don''t know,¡± answered Ilaria, downing yet another bat. ¡°That''s why I didn''t want her to know!¡±
¡°Luckily, she doesn''t seem eager to return to VC.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± said Ilaria, getting into her bat-grinding mode again. ¡°How did she hear about it, anyway?¡±
¡°I told her. It was the only thing that came into my mind when she interrogated me.¡±
¡°Why did she?¡±
¡°I would rather not tell you.¡±
Amy refused to say anything more, and soon arrived the call that Ilaria was waiting for. The mage just left for what promised to be another go at the goblin boss, hoping that Minerva wouldn''t want to log into Virtual Connection in the foreseeable future.
Back in the Goblin Encampment, the grinding had gotten easy, and boring, again. Diana, Kyle and Ilaria worked the goblins like a killing machine, even the tank barely getting hit at all. Every member of the party had gained at least a level¨CIlaria already at 16, probably a boss fight worth of experience away from 17¨C arriving to the boss door in half the time they had made in the morning.
¡°Ready?¡± asked Diana, smiling excitedly.
¡°I guess so,¡± answered Ilaria.
Even with the close call in the prior battle, there was no way she could say ''no'' to that face. Besides, if they could beat it before¨Cnow being higher leveled and having the experience¨Cit wasn''t that reckless to try again. Still, they probably had no business trying the boss as a trio at their current levels, it being only possible because of a loophole expertly exploited by their rogue.
¡°Don''t worry; last time I was rusty,¡± said Diana, crossing the threshold ahead of the party. ¡°Now I''ll show you!¡±
The three goblin waves that started the battle were slightly more than an annoyance¨Cbeing felled as soon as they appeared¨Cthe party waiting for the real duel to start.
When the One-eyed Summoner opened its right eye for the first time in the fight; Kyle was already set in place, the girls covering behind him. The shot went directly towards them, Kyle resisting it stoically while Diana prepared to sprint.
Just after the red light began to dim, the catgirl jumped right ahead and started towards the dais. Ilaria set herself two steps back and to the left.
¡°Shoot!¡± yelled Diana, as she stepped onto the raised dais.
As the shadow of the dagger-wielding goblins started to materialize, Ilaria shot the centermost pair one after the other. The goblins grunted and went directly towards the room''s center, where Kyle was waiting. Diana engaged the summoner successfully, spinning and slashing with her daggers.
Ilaria and Kyle got into their familiar rhythm, the later taunting the goblins and evading or blocking most of the attacks. Ilaria paced herself, shooting the goblins whenever she could get a clear shot, and healing Kyle as needed. The mage¨Cbeing already in auto mode¨Ccould spare the attention to watch the boss duel over the dais.
Diana was even more impressive than last time, her movements mesmerizing in their simplicity. She twisted and turned, a smile on her face, as she evaded the wand and made opportunistic attacks. She couldn''t step back though¨Cthat would let the boss shoot at her¨CDiana could only move around in tight quarters, the wand passing millimeters from her body.
It seems like she won''t need any help this time.
As the battle progressed, Ilaria got more and more engrossed in Diana''s duel. She hadn''t even been hit once! Soon after the mage realized that, Diana took her first hit of the battle, her face twisting. It was gonna happen eventually. Still, Ilaria couldn''t help thinking it was a pity.
¡°Please,¡± said Kyle, who had been hit by a goblin.
¡°Sorry,¡± said Ilaria, touching Kyle''s neck to heal him. She refocused on her battle, having been distracted enough.
The boss fight ended soon after that, Ilaria and Kyle finishing at the same time as the boss took the killing blow. Diana had been hit a few times after the first¨Cher HP bar was at half-point¨Cshe had never been in risk, regardless.
All in all, it had been a comfortable victory. Ilaria looked towards the back of the room¨CDiana covered in shadows, in a blind spot behind the throne chair¨Cthe mage waiting for the rogue to face her to say her congratulations.
The catgirl turned around¨Cgetting under the light filtering from the roof¨C her expression now visible to the rest of the party. She was pissed.
Diana stomped down the dais, so unlike the first time they had beat the boss.
¡°Dammit!¡± exclaimed Diana, her face twisting into a smirk. ¡°I was so sure I had timed the turns perfectly.¡±
Ilaria got frozen in her tracks, looking sideways at Kyle.
¡°It didn''t drop the wand this time either,¡± added Diana, approaching the group in her not-quite-wrecked clothes.
¡°Don''t worry about that,¡± said Ilaria, taken aback at Diana''s outburst. ¡°If you want to train in some other place, we don''t have to stay here on my account.¡±
¡°You''re so sweet,¡± said Diana, walking towards Ilaria with a serious face.
¡°Sorry; I didn''t want to scare you,¡± said Diana in a low voice, touching Ilaria''s cheek while showing a forced smile. ¡°I think I should log out now. See you tomorrow!¡±
Ilaria remained standing in place, with her sights still focused towards where the rogue had been before logging out. She had thought she knew Diana¨Ca cheerful and always helpful Virtual Connection expert¨Cwho, even though she appeared to be young, had taken the newbie mage under her wing without asking for anything in exchange.
Now Ilaria realized she actually didn''t know anything about Diana¨Cnot even her age or where she came from¨Ctheir characters being companions in an RPG didn''t amount to much. Of course, she wasn''t going to complain; ultimately she was the one who was probably hiding the most among the group.
After what felt like hours¨Cbut was likely less than a couple of minutes¨CIlaria heard the voice of the other party member Diana had left behind.
¡°Were you surprised?¡± asked Kyle. Ilaria didn''t know if that had been the first thing he said; it was the first she registered, though.
¡°I guess I was.¡±
¡°She wasn''t mad at you; my sister''s really hard on herself and gets easily frustrated.¡±
¡°She has always been so nice and cheerful,¡± said Ilaria, trying to smile. ¡°It seems she can get angry too.¡±
The mage felt like crying, and she really didn''t want to cry. Maybe the real Ilaria would cry at this point; it didn''t matter if she was breaking out of character; I won''t cry.
¡°Maybe I shouldn''t tell you this,¡± said Kyle, in a soft voice. ¡°Diana doesn''t really have any close female friends in real life. Being the only girl in her group of gamers, she has always had to prove herself through her skills.¡±
Ilaria didn''t know what to say to that, opting to remain silent. It felt like taking a peek through the curtains, sneaking a glance at Diana''s real life.
¡°She looks really happy when she talks about you,¡± added Kyle, looking at Ilaria pleadingly. ¡°I hope you can still be good friends with her, even if she''s brash or uncouth at times.¡±
¡°I will,¡± said Ilaria, not bearing to look at Kyle.
¡°Today was our last day of winter break,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Diana and I have school tomorrow.¡±
¡°Then you won''t be able to play?¡±
¡°We can log in the afternoon, around 4:30. I''ll be there for sure; Diana probably would too, if you''re okay with that.¡±
¡°Yeah, I''ll be waiting for you.¡±
Chapter 18: Diana
Tuesday morning, Ilaria was once again snipping on bats in the Everdark Forest. She welcomed the mindless grind for once, not wanting to think much about anything.
Whenever Diana''s image came into her mind, the mage got a bit depressed. Not being able to play together as much as before¨Csince the siblings were going back to school¨Cgave her a nostalgic feeling.
Soon I''ll be level 20 anyway, not much room for them in the plan.
Amy made her appearance around eleven¨Cshe had logged off still perched on a tree¨Cinstantly going into stealth.
¡°Hello!¡± exclaimed Amy by Private Call. ¡°Hardworking as always.¡±
¡°Well, I must keep the schedule,¡± said Ilaria, shooting a bat.
¡°Do you think you''re leveling today?¡± asked Amy, playing with her daggers.
¡°Not anytime soon if I have to depend on these; Diana and Kyle have school in the morning.¡±
¡°Tough luck.¡±
¡°Why are you here again?¡± asked Ilaria, in a heavier voice than she intended. She really didn''t feel like talking.
¡°My real body aches all over,¡± answered Amy, pouting. ¡°At least while I''m in the VR machine, I can move without wincing.¡±
¡°Tough luck.¡±
The conversation died at that point; Amy even stopping with her dagger play. Ilaria didn''t think the rogue would log out without saying goodbye¨Cshe was surely looking at something on the secondary display of her viewpoint.
Amelia had been sweet and understanding since the first time they met¨Cshe wouldn''t had been able to become friends with Minerva otherwise¨Cfor which all their family would be forever in her debt. Even now, she was supporting this crazy plan, not being resentful in the least for having the last summer vacations of her school life ruined overnight.
¡°Hey, still there?¡± asked Ilaria.
The mage actually knew Amy was still logged on¨Cthe Private Call was still active¨Cshe just got restless at being ignored for a change.
¡°Yup,¡± answered Amy. ¡°Checking out the developer notes for tonight''s scheduled downtime.¡±
¡°Ahh, it was every Tuesday night, wasn''t it?¡±
Ilaria had completely forgotten about VC''s weekly maintenance. Most importantly for her, it meant that her Magical Girl costume was going to expire. It had been handy for doing Dungeon Dates and grinding when she was just starting, since the bonus was huge for a low leveled character. Now, it amounted to less than 20% of her mana pool; nice to have as a cushion, but not really paramount. She was going to miss it anyway.
¡°They are previewing some stuff for February''s big update,¡± said Amy. ¡°Some kind of mounts; they only showed pictures, though.¡±
¡°Anything else?¡± asked Ilaria, not wanting to check it on her own.
¡°Ah, there''s something,¡± said Amy. ¡°They are giving an extra daily Dungeon Date; from tomorrow, until the February 1st update. They really want plenty of people to join the Couple''s Tournament.¡±
¡°That would help a lot with leveling,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°Maybe I won''t need to do these bats anymore.¡±
¡°Maybe. There''s a catch, though,¡± said Amy. ¡°You can''t do both daily DDs with the same person.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
¡°Were you two in VC?¡± asked Minerva, while cutting a piece of broccoli.
It had been a surprising question coming from her; Ricardo thought his sister wouldn''t want to be reminded of Virtual Connection at all. Maybe she was missing the game more than they expected.
¡°Yeah, trying to finally get to level 20,¡± answered Ricardo, munching on his chicken breast. ¡°Killing bats is a chore.¡±
He was out with Minerva and Amelia, eating lunch in a healthy food restaurant, since mom was visiting a friend. He wondered if mom really had an appointment, or it was just a ploy to get Minerva out of the house. In any case, it had worked; even though Ricardo had to compromise with the location.
¡°You should get a party to train,¡± said Minerva, eating happily. ¡°And Amelia doesn''t count; she would tank your exp.¡±
¡°He does have a party: a tank and a dagger rogue.¡± said Amelia, playing with the veggies in her plate. ¡°They beat the One-eyed Summoner yesterday!¡±
¡°Are the rest over level 20?¡± asked Minerva, surprised.
¡°I''m at level 17, and they are even lower,¡± answered Ricardo. ¡°But they are amazing; I''m glad I''m a mage, because there''s no way I would be able to do what they do.¡±
¡°They must be,¡± said Minerva, looking wistful. ¡°We couldn''t beat it when we were around your level; we barely succeeded after getting our level 20 class.¡±
After finishing lunch, Amelia convinced Minerva that¨Csince they were already inside the mall¨Cthey should seize the chance and go shopping around. Ricardo, not wanting to risk being late for his VC appointment, decided to walk home alone.
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¡°Hello?¡± said a male voice through the cellphone.
¡°Hello Sandro,¡± said Ricardo. ¡°How are things at the academy?¡±
¡°Busy, really busy,¡± answered Sandro. ¡°You know, adding your hours to mine makes it a full-time job.¡±
¡°Sorry about that.¡±
¡°Don''t worry; as long as I''m being paid it''s fine,¡± said Sandro. ¡°You must come back for February, though; Clara won''t forgive me if I spend all summer working.¡±
¡°Yeah, I''ll definitely do,¡± said Ricardo. ¡°With what I spent at the game, I''ll need to save as much money as I can.¡±
¡°I''ll return your classroom to you gladly,¡± said Sandro. ¡°How''s the game going?¡±
¡°I''m at level 17 at the moment. I think I''ll be leveling on time for this Friday''s event.¡±
¡°Wow, that''s fast.¡±
¡°Yeah, I caught more than my fair share of lucky breaks.¡±
¡°The truth is, none of us thought you would get to level 20 in twelve days for real. I figured it would still be fine if you got there in time for the second, or even third speed dating session.¡±
¡°Man of little faith,¡± said Ricardo, laughing.
¡°Yes, yes; I shouldn''t have doubted your prowess.¡±
¡°Anyway, I''ll get there for sure.¡±
After hearing that he would have a second daily DD available, Ricardo no longer doubted that level 20 was within his grasp.
¡°And then, you''ll start the second phase of the plan.¡± said Sandro. ¡°Your first meeting with Johnny is probably the biggest hurdle in the whole thing.¡±
¡°Yeah. To be honest, I have been dreading it since the start.¡±
Ricardo had kinda already met with Johnny¨Calbeit very briefly¨Cand, hopefully, the guy in question wouldn''t recognize Ilaria when they get to meet for real.
Soon I''ll uncover what''s behind that pretty boy facade.
Around 4:30pm, as Kyle had said the day before, the party reunited in the safe point outside the Goblin Encampment. Ilaria had been nervous¨Cmaybe Diana wouldn''t want to log in¨Cbut her fears didn''t prove right.
¡°I''m sorry about yesterday,¡± said Diana, not meeting the mage''s eyes.
¡°Don''t worry for me,¡± said Ilaria, putting on her warmest smile. ¡°Everyone has times like that. Besides, I''m not that delicate.¡±
¡°See, I told you,¡± said Kyle, smiling. ¡°Let''s get moving.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
Diana was still a bit guarded towards Ilaria at first, but that didn''t last. After a few fights, the group was joking and laughing again like if nothing had happened; which filled Ilaria with relief.
This time the party crossed the goblin''s territory pretty much unopposed. It helped that they weren''t interested in the least in killing the normal patrols, just mowing through anything in their way towards the goblin boss.
¡°Lets rest for a bit," said Diana, upon arrival to the boss room''s door. ¡°We''ll wait until Ilaria''s mana bar is full.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± said Ilaria and Kyle in unison, sitting at both sides of the catgirl.
After a few seconds, Diana started talking in a low voice. ¡°Do you know why I restarted my character?¡±
¡°You said something about making a mistake,¡± answered Ilaria, trying to remember that conversation not so long ago.
¡°Yes. In summary, that''s it,¡± said Diana, staring at the distance. ¡°How old do you think I am?"
¡°I don''t know, sixteen?¡± answered Ilaria, fidgeting after being put in the spot.
¡°I''m eighteen,¡± said Diana, letting out a laugh. ¡°A high-school senior.¡±
¡°And Kyle?¡± asked Ilaria, not being able to hide her surprise.
¡°I''m seventeen, a high-school junior,¡± said Kyle, laughing.
¡°And I''m nineteen; I just finished my first year of university,¡± said Ilaria, smiling to cover her embarrassment. ¡°So I''m still your senior.¡±
¡°Where I was going,¡± said Diana. ¡°I''m short, baby-faced and underdeveloped; it''s so bad that I''m the only one who''s ever asked for an ID at the movies.¡±
¡°When I started with VC, I figured I could finally look the way I wanted to,¡± said Diana. ¡°Of course, I didn''t change that much; customization gets expensive real fast. Just a few centimeters here and there, telling to myself it would be barely noticeable.¡±
¡°I don''t think that''s something bad,¡± said Ilaria.
¡°No, it was really, truly bad,¡± said Diana. ¡°I just didn''t know at the time.¡±
Ilaria''s mana bar had been full for a few minutes already, but she let Diana keep talking. It felt like something important, that she needed for someone to listen to.
¡°There''s a moment for a player in which you get so used to your VR body that you can move it as freely as in real life,¡± said Diana. ¡°That''s what the top VR gamers call complete body synchronization, almost a requisite if you intend to be a pro.¡±
¡°It turns out, the closest your VR body is to your real one, the easier it is to achieve,¡± continued Diana, lowering her gaze. ¡°I could never get there with my old chara.¡±
Ilaria remained sitting still¨Conly focused on Diana''s words¨Cas she poured out her soul.
It had been hard for the girl. After trying so hard for months, Diana had finally taken the last resort: restarting with a new, similar bodied character. If she didn''t get there either... Better to not even consider that chance.
The catgirl finally stood up, showing a self-deprecating smile. ¡°Sorry for suddenly unloading my silly worries on you.¡±
¡°I don''t mind,¡± said Ilaria, raising up to her feet, not quite knowing what to do next. ¡°If it makes you feel better, I''ll listen to you anytime.¡±
¡°Me too,¡± said Kyle, suddenly standing up too.
Ilaria made a small jump of surprise, having completely forgotten that he was still there. Diana noticed her, letting out a small laugh as they crossed glances.
¡°Lets get to that boss now,¡± said Diana, changing her smile to a confident one. ¡°I have already wasted too much of your time.¡±
¡°Unreal,¡± whispered Ilaria, while looking at Diana''s ''dance'' with the One-eyed Summoner.
Kyle and Ilaria were sitting on the floor, watching Diana go at the boss. They had finished the normal goblins early¨Cthe extra damage from the stats gained from leveling made a lot of difference¨Cbut they wouldn''t dare to interrupt the rogue''s duel. Specially after getting to know how much it really mattered to her.
¡°She hasn''t been hit yet,¡± whispered back Kyle, his voice filled with admiration.
Diana kept twisting and turning, whirling and slashing; like if she knew exactly how long were her limbs and the precise time it would take to move them from one point to the next. Was this the ''complete body synchronization'' that they had been talking about? Ilaria didn''t have any reference to compare to¨Cshe only knew what she was currently watching. And it was wondrous.
The catgirl kept at it for a few minutes that seemed to stretch into hours¨CIlaria couldn''t even spare a thought, so engrossed as she was¨Cthe boss'' health points decreasing steadily. A final slash did it, and the One-eyed Summoner dissipated in a flash of light. Ilaria and Kyle started to clap; Diana''s HP bar still at a hundred percent.
¡°Congratulations, that was the most amazing thing I''ve ever seen!¡± exclaimed Ilaria, before noticing that Diana had started crying in her place.
¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Ilaria, shyly approaching Diana.
¡°Yes, more than ever,¡± said Diana, walking into a bright spot.
Even with the tears streaking her face, Diana was showing the biggest smile Ilaria had ever seen.
After the boss'' fight, Diana logged out, leaving Kyle with Ilaria for their daily DD. At this point beating it was a given, leaving the mage eager for trying the level 20 Dungeon Date. And about the Private Date ticket, they just took turns taking it¨CIlaria had hers stored in her backpack¨Cnot ever mentioning the one date they had had.
Chapter 19: Going on 20
Wednesday passed in an unremarkable way; Ilaria started the morning killing bats as she was used to. She could have skipped them and get a Dungeon Date, but she needed such a small amount of experience for level 18 that bats would suffice. Amy didn''t log though¨Cshe was probably at the gym with Minerva¨Cso it had been an extra boring affair.
She took a break in the afternoon, logging at 4:30pm, the designated time to meat with her party. Even with the loss of her Magical Girl costume, Ilaria was strong enough to keep pace with Diana and Kyle at the Goblin Encampment. What''s more, they were so fast at them that they could squeeze two full runs of the map in the time they had allotted for playing. Sadly, even with twice the chances, they didn''t get the rare wand to drop.
In the evening, Ilaria dungeon dated Kyle as usual, putting her close to earning another level. She decided it was a waste to not use her extra DD after all, and pressed the Instant Blind Date button; bracing for another disappointing partner like Natsu had been, so long ago. Surprisingly, the game matched her with a warrior, giving her hopes that she could beat it even without Kyle.
They didn''t win it though¨Cthis warrior couldn''t tank as efficiently as her usual partner¨Che died with the troll grunts, leaving Ilaria to face the King alone. She tried to channel her inner Diana, or something like that¨Cit didn''t work at all¨Cthe mage was thrown to the ground within the first few seconds, and subsequently got pummeled to death. She hit level 19 anyway.
And that had been her Wednesday, Ilaria logged off satisfied for having achieved her goals for the day.
Just one more level.
Thursday morning Ilaria forced herself to go bat hunting one last time. Amy was logged in, so they talked for a bit to ease her boredom. After a while, the mage got bored enough to be convinced to go shopping. She did need a new formal dress, since she didn''t want to risk Johnny recognizing her last one.
¡°Dark colors go great with you, since your skin''s so white,¡± said Amy, combing the rows of dresses.
It was true that Ilaria didn''t go out much in real life, although the straightforwardness of the affirmation hurt her pride a little bit. Yes, her skin was naturally pale all year long, something she didn''t change when she was customizing her looks.
¡°Come here,¡± said Amy. ¡°What do you thing about these?¡±
¡°I like the purple one,¡± said Ilaria, taking the dress from Amy and insta-trying it.
¡°It looks great, like if it had been designed for you!¡± exclaimed Amy, giving Ilaria a look over.
Ilaria looked at herself in the mirror¨Cshe never stopped being surprised at her own beauty¨Cinspecting how the long dress clung to her body. The top was long-sleeved, similar to her midnight blue gown. The bottom was different, though; the upper part of the skirt being tighter, opening up at the knee level. She walked for a bit, not finding it difficult to move in.
¡°I''ll take it,¡± said Ilaria, deciding right away.
She had also looked around, but without making much effort; she knew Amy would pick the perfect dress for her.
¡°Wanna have something to eat?¡± asked Amy, as they were leaving the Clothing Shop.
¡°I guess I should,¡± said Ilaria, whose satiety bar was getting low. She had already eaten the complimentary cereal bars in the days before; they might have tasted badly, but free food is the best food.
Since they were already around there, Amy decided to invite her to ¡°The Grinning Flatfish¡±, the place where the Speed Dating Event would take place. It sounded fancy¨CAmy having her change into her new dress was a big tell¨Cbut the elf had plenty of money, both real and virtual, so Ilaria went with the flow.
¡°By the way, have you ever done speed dating?¡± asked Amelia, clad in her golden dress, as they walked.
¡°I haven''t,¡± answered Ilaria, raising her eyes towards their destination. She could see hints of the roofed terrace of the restaurant as she looked over the nearby buildings.
¡°Wanna practice?¡±
¡°I guess it could help.¡±
Ilaria wasn''t looking forward to it, but any practicing could only be helpful for honing her roleplaying skills.
They kept walking in silence for a while, Ilaria taking special attention to her feet¨Cthe skirt shape coupled with the low-heeled pumps took time to get used to. As they turned a corner, the restaurant finally came into view. And the word fancy didn''t give it enough justice.
The Grinning Flatfish was the most ornate two-story building that Ilaria had seen in Torinelo City so far, it seemed more baroque than renaissance-like. It was of a yellowish-orange color, with textured white overlays around the corners; every window stile painted in white, covered with golden decorations. The entrance portal was made of white marble; profusely covered in carvings, too small to identify at a distance.
¡°Here we are, my lady,¡± said Amy, making a show of welcoming Ilaria into the restaurant.
As Ilaria entered the building, she felt noticeably warmer; an aroma of garlic and herbs permeating the room. The Grinning Flatfish was¨Clike the Clothing Shop¨Cmuch more modern inside than the facade would indicate; it even had a big elevator next to the reception. It still preserved the marble decorations motive, though; a soft piano music filling the silence.
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Amy went directly to the reception, where she asked for a private table from the tuxedo-clad attendant.
¡°Hello; I don''t think I''ve seen you before?¡± asked Amy, with a confident smile.
¡°I''m Johnny; very pleased to meet you,¡± added Amy, getting closer and grasping Ilaria''s hand.
The girls had been ushered to a small, peach-colored room. From the side walls clung oil-painted still lives; the wall opposite to the door having a wide window instead, opening towards a lake surrounded by flowers and white swans.
¡°Nice to meet you too,¡± said Ilaria, surprised at Amy''s characterization.
¡°My name is Ilaria; I just joined the guild.¡±
¡°I though that must be the case,¡± said Amy, pulling Ilaria chair for her. ¡°I wouldn''t be able to forget such a beauty.¡±
They kept role-playing even after ordering the food¨Cit was already way out of a speed dating scenario¨Cbut Amy looked like she was enjoying herself, and Ilaria didn''t want to waste the chance for practicing.
¡°Did you enjoy the food, my lady?¡± asked Amy, taking Ilaria''s hand to help her stand after the meal.
¡°Yeah, it was a truly fine meal,¡± answered Ilaria, not being able to stop herself from laughing.
¡°Does Johnny really talk like that?¡± asked Ilaria, after her laughter subsided.
¡°Sometimes,¡± said Amy, smiling. ¡°But I''m sure he does it as a joke.¡±
And the food was really, truly fine; the smells, tastes and textures way beyond what Ilaria thought VR was capable of. Probably not as good as a real high-class tablecloth restaurant, but she wouldn''t be able to compare.
¡°Not as fancy as The Grinning Flatfish, huh?¡± asked Amelia, taking a bite from her chicken sandwich.
¡°Nope; but it''s satisfying in its own way,¡± answered Ricardo, munching on his hamburger.
¡°Virtual reality food is like chewing gum, it tastes great but it always leaves you wanting,¡± added Minerva in a sagely tone while looking at her salad, regret plainly shown in her face.
The three of them were eating lunch at the food court of the local mall, another day that mom couldn''t make it for the midday meal.
¡°Well, it would cost a hundredfold to eat at a place like The Grinning Flatfish in real life,¡± said Amelia, smiling. ¡°We should seize the chance!¡±
¡°Looking at things like that, it does make sense,¡± said Ricardo, as he picked up a bunch of fries.
¡°Did you two go together?¡± asked Minerva, the tone of her voice catching Ricardo''s attention.
¡°Yes, of course,¡± answered Amelia with an impish smile.
¡°I should join you next time,¡± added Minerva, before Ricardo could finish chewing. ¡°VR food doesn''t have any calories after all.¡±
¡°Are you coming back to Virtual Connection?¡± asked Amelia. She looked like she was having the time of her life.
¡°Maybe; I mean, it would be a waste to get into another game when I already have a max level chara,¡± answered Minerva, spearing a cherry tomato with her fork.
Soon after saying that, Minerva stood up with her salad bowl¨Cthere were still some pieces of lettuce at the bottom¨Cand took it to the trash can. It was time for the desserts.
¡°Are you going for the wand again today?¡± asked Amelia, taking a bite from her hot apple pie.
¡°Yeah, that''s the plan,¡± answered Ricardo, cutting a piece of his strawberry custard. ¡°They should log in around 4:30pm.¡±
¡°That wand took us like two weeks of grinding for it to drop,¡± said Minerva, a nostalgic look on her face. ¡°Those boss drop weapons have less than 2% drop chance.¡±
¡°I see,¡± said Ricardo. ¡°I guess getting the spear from the lizard boss at the first chance was really lucky.¡±
¡°Incredibly lucky!¡± exclaimed Amelia, grinning. ¡°We got my daggers on our third try, though.¡±
¡°And we were thoroughly thankful for that,¡± said Minerva, smiling. ¡°That boss was super annoying.¡±
¡°Yeah; flying and blinking all around the room,¡± said Amelia, gesturing with her hands.
¡°And then suddenly diving down to back stab you,¡± added Minerva, spearing the cherry on top of her cake for emphasis.
¡°I know, right?¡±
In the afternoon Ilaria met with her party at the Goblin Encampment''s safe zone as usual. This time they even squeezed an extra boss round, on top of the usual two; no wand drop yet. It did make Ilaria put in perspective how lucky they had been with the spear.
Either way, when the boss fell for the third time, the experience boost was just enough to get her to level 20. She couldn''t help doing a small jump and yell. Finally, she was done¨Cand she hadn''t even dated yet¨Cboss runs were much profitable.
Diana logged out ahead as usual.
¡°I guess I should log out too,¡± said Kyle, gesturing with his hand to make his controls appear. Ilaria and him had been standing in an uncomfortable silence for awhile.
¡°Don''t you want to do the Dungeon Date?¡± asked Ilaria, suddenly realizing she had taken it for granted.
¡°Now that you got to level 20, you should try the next date dungeon,¡± said Kyle, raising his eyes towards Ilaria. ¡°Even if you don''t clear it, it''ll give you more exp than the under-20 one.¡±
That might have been true for an expert gamer like Kyle, but Ilaria strongly doubted it would be the case for her. She hadn''t even done her class change yet.
¡°See you tomorrow?¡±
¡°How much do you need to level up?¡± interrupted Ilaria, calculating in her head.
¡°Not that much,¡± answered Kyle. ¡°I should level if I do today''s two DDs.¡±
¡°Then I shall be your first for tonight.¡±
After a bit more of persuasion, Ilaria and Kyle finally went on with the Dungeon Date.
¡°It feels nostalgic,¡± said Ilaria, while shooting the bats as they appeared.
¡°Gonna miss the little batties?¡± asked Kyle, mockingly.
¡°I might,¡± answered Ilaria, laughing as she finished the last ones. ¡°I must have killed hundreds of them.¡±
¡°Such a great bat killer will be sorely missed,¡± added Kyle, laughing too.
¡°You bet!¡± exclaimed Ilaria. ¡°Your next girl should at least two-hit them; and no misses!¡±
¡°She could miss one or two,¡± said Kyle, looking like he was concerned about it.
¡°Then they would fly towards her face,¡± said Ilaria, raising a finger. ¡°She might even go: KYAAA! Take them off me!¡±
¡°That would be a very girly thing to do,¡± said Kyle, casually spearing a lizardman.
¡°Are you saying I''m not girly enough?¡± asked Ilaria, grinning while burning a lizardman to a crisp.
¡°No, you are quite girly,¡± answered Kyle, smiling while one-hitting a goblin with a thrown spear.
¡°But Diana is my reference; make of that what you will.¡±
Chapter 20: Guild Induction
Friday, January 7th; Ilaria logged into Virtual Connection first thing in the morning. It had already been late after DDing Kyle last night¨Cthey had done three boss runs after all¨Cso she had logged off and went to sleep, not using her second date.
Today''s the day.
A return scroll sent her directly to Torinelo City''s central plaza, from where she headed towards the old-looking spire that was the Mage Academy''s distinct feature. Once there, she approached the counter with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.
¡°Hello, I want to be a Mage,¡± said Ilaria.
¡°Hello Miss Ilaria, I see you already got to level 20,¡± answered Marco, the Mage Academy''s NPC. ¡°If you really want to become a Mage, you''ll have to prove your worth.¡±
*ding*
Mage Academy''s class change quest (Tier 1 Level 20)
Phase 1: Collect and deliver 20 midnight bat''s fangs.
Phase 2: Collect and deliver 10 goblin shaman''s staves.
Phase 3: Get 5 bullseyes in a row at the Mage Academy''s practice field.
*Note: Completing the Mage Academy''s class change quest will overwrite your Tier 1 Lvl 20 class.
If you have an incompatible subclass, you''ll also lose access to it.
¡°So boring; I feel like an assembly line worker,¡± complained Ilaria, while shooting a bat. The fangs weren''t even a guaranteed drop, adding to the vexation.
¡°Yeah, it''s like the game knows where you have been training,¡± said Amy, laughing. ¡°And it''s giving you another chance for remembrance''s sake.¡±
¡°Next it''s the goblin shamans,¡± said Ilaria, one-hitting another bat. ¡°I''m half-minded to just leave that for later, when I go with Diana and Kyle for the goblin boss.¡±
¡°You know you won''t,¡± said Amy. ¡°You''ll want to try your new skills as soon as possible.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± said Ilaria, smiling while killing yet another bat.
¡°Minerva''s calling,¡± said Amy, while finishing the two last goblins with thrown daggers.
They had gone to the Goblin Encampment after collecting the fangs in the forest. Since they didn''t have a tank available, Ilaria was going around sniping the shamans, while Amy dealt with the aftermath.
¡°Can you stall her for a bit?¡± asked Ilaria, pleadingly. ¡°I only need one more staff.¡±
¡°Okay, I think she''ll understand.¡±
After Amy left, Ilaria had returned to the Mage Academy to finish his class change quest. She just needed to do some target shooting; it''ll be over soon.
Alright, here comes the last one.
Ilaria furrowed her brows and stared intently to the bullseye in front of her. When she collected the last staff from the shamans, she had thought the rest would be fast. But she didn''t account for something: there were several different practice targets, and the quest used the furthest one.
She pointed her staff sideways, with the top leveled to the target. She had failed the last shot on three different chances before and her frustration was growing.
*ding*
You have finished the third phase of the quest: Mage Academy''s class change quest. Return to the Mage Academy to collect your rewards.
¡°Fireball!¡± exclaimed Ilaria, as she shot a hot ball of flame. Her target didn''t even squeal before starting to burn. She turned around, doing a victory pose as the hog kept being roasted.
Hahaha, take that piggy!
She was giggling and bouncing on her feet, already used to the heels of her boots. Now that she didn''t have her costume anymore, her black and red dress fluttered as she moved around hunting for new prey.
The new dress was her level 20 ''armor''¨CIlaria had chosen it herself for a change¨Cshe was already used to wearing skirts since spending so much time in the Magical Girl''s miniskirt. The mage would never say it aloud, but she had to admit she was enjoying dressing Ilaria up.
After becoming a Mage¨Cthe official, written with an uppercase M variety¨Cshe had received a free three skill module. In addition to the Mana Bolt and Healing Touch spells, it had the Fireball, which was a more expensive and powerful single target spell that dealt fire damage.
And looked cool as hell.
¡°They won''t give you any experience, you know.¡±
A male voice called Ilaria from behind. She recognized it immediately, flinching as she turned around.
¡°I know,¡± said Ilaria, looking downwards. ¡°Just trying my new spell.¡±
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¡°It''s good that you''ve been enjoying yourself,¡± said Sandro, eying her from top to bottom. ¡°That dress looks really nice on you.¡±
¡°Glad to know,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°It doesn''t feel so good coming from you, though.¡±
¡°Anyway, I just wanted to check on you before your induction,¡± said Sandro, grinning. ¡°Today''s the big day?¡±
¡°I guess so,¡± answered Ilaria, fidgeting.
¡°Don''t worry too much,¡± said Sandro, getting closer. ¡°I''ve been told you are doing a wonderful job.¡±
He lowered his head, Ilaria feeling his breath in her ear. ¡°No one would guess that you aren''t really a girl.¡±
¡°Ready?¡± asked Amelia, taking Ilaria''s hand.
¡°I guess I am.¡± answered Ilaria, steeling herself. Her current dress didn''t leave any doubt about the gender of the body within.
The two girls were standing in front of the guildhall of the ''Torinelo City Workshops'' guild. They had logged together as soon as Amy was back at her house, after having lunch together. The rogue had dressed in her leather-looking battle armor, a sign of her taking the event seriously.
The guildhall was a white one-story building in the outskirts of the city. It consisted of a frontal reception area, a pair of private offices to the sides, and a covered arena at the back; which was the default for a low level guild. As most buildings in Torinelo City, it had a marble statue in the entrance; this one resembling a man shooting a soccer ball. That was the only thing that distinguished it from the other guildhalls nearby.
And contrary to its name, it wasn''t a craft guild¨Cnot that there were crafter classes in VC in the first place¨Cfew people knew why the Guildmaster named it as such, and Amy wasn''t one of them.
The later hadn''t been in the guildhall in a long time; she still talked in the guild chat, though. Regardless, Amy had already coordinated with the Guildmaster about today''s meeting. It would be much easier¨Cand faster¨Cfor Ilaria to join the guild if she was recommended by another member.
Ilaria worried about her cover being blown by her association with Amy. The rogue had been secretive about her relationship with Guildmaster Wanora, but she assured Ilaria that the Guildmaster wouldn''t tip Johnny. And, despite Johnny being technically an officer in the guild, it was highly improbable for them to bump into him at this time of the day.
Here we go.
¡°Hello Amy!¡± exclaimed the Guildmaster, grinning with open arms. ¡°I thought you had surely quit already; you have been stuck at level 35 for ages!¡±
¡°Sorry Wanora; I have had a lot of things on my mind,¡± replied Amelia, hugging the Guildmaster.
Wanora, the Guildmaster, was a tall, busty girl dressed in white and blue robes. She wore a striped hairband of those same colors over her long, dark-brown hair.
¡°And this one should be the new inductee,¡±said the Guildmaster, looking towards Ilaria for the first time since they entered the guildhall.
¡°Ahh, sorry,¡± said Amy, flustered. ¡°This is my friend Ilaria; she just became a Mage.¡±
¡°Hello; I''m Ilaria,¡± said Ilaria, bowing. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±
¡°Such a cute girl!¡± exclaimed the Guildmaster, getting closer to Ilaria. ¡°Are you a hugger?¡±
¡°Ehh...¡±
The tall girl took a step forward, covering Ilaria in her shadow. The mage flinched, imagining the predatory gaze that Wanora was sure to have. The later stopped her advance, turning around as if nothing happened.
¡°As you will soon notice, this guild isn''t too hardcore; we are just having fun among friends,¡± said Wanora, inviting Ilaria and Amelia to her office.
Wanora''s office was decorated in the same white and blue motif prevalent in the whole guildhall. The wall behind the big, wooden desk, was covered in shelfs with several sports implements within. On the opposite wall, there was a mini basketball hoop hung directly over a big cylinder, which seemed to be a trashcan.
¡°Here''s the guildbook,¡± said Wanora, moving her hand to materialize a thick old-looking tome which opened to a blank page. ¡°You just sign on it and we''ll own you.¡±
¡°What?!¡± exclaimed Ilaria.
Wanora laughed, while going around. ¡°Just joking; it never gets old.¡±
¡°Don''t worry,¡± said Amelia, reassuringly. ¡°It will just confirm your membership. It''s true that the Guildmaster will be able to know when you''re logged in and your level at all times but that''s all.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± said Ilaria, still distrustful, while sitting down on the chair in front of the book.
When Ilaria touched the book, a fountain pen materialized in her hand.
*ding*
You have come into contact with the ''Torinelo City Workshops'' guildbook. Signing on it will confirm your membership to the guild.
*Note:
You can''t join more than one guild at the same time.
If you leave a guild you''ll need to wait a week before joining a new one.
Ilaria signed her name with big capital letters. The book closed itself and disappeared in a flash of light.
¡°Congratulations!¡± exclaimed Wanora. ¡°Now you are an official member of Torinelo City Workshops!¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± said Ilaria, as she stood up.
¡°A hug?¡± asked Wanora, opening her arms.
¡°Okay.¡± said Ilaria, hugging Wanora reluctantly.
¡°And now you should take some time to check the event board,¡± said Wanora, separating from Ilaria with a full grin. ¡°Are you single?¡±
¡°Yes?¡± answered Ilaria, dumbfounded.
¡°Perfect; we have a kind of event going on.¡±
After asking for directions¨Cand refusing a Pomelo soda can from Wanora¨CIlaria said her goodbyes and left the room, leaving Amy with the Guildmaster.
Ilaria toured the deserted guildhall''s reception area; the sidewalls were covered with long note boards, most about recruiting for training parties or boss hunting parties. But also there was a big central poster, one per side; a sky blue one to the right and a pink one to the left. Ilaria went for the later, already knowing what would be written on it.
Having signed as Ilaria for the second time ever, the mage returned towards the Guildmaster''s office to pick up Amy. The door was still ajar; Ilaria extended her arm towards the door bolt, when she heard something that gave her pause.
¡°I don''t think Mina will be coming back. And if she ever does, I''ll probably leave the guild too.¡± Amy''s voice was much more subdued than what Ilaria was used to.
¡°And I wouldn''t fault you for that. I understand you might be angry at Johnny; he could have worked it out better.¡±
¡°That''s a huge understatement.¡±
¡°He also has his issues... And I can''t tell you about that; frankly, as the Guildmaster, I shouldn''t stick my nose in a couple''s relationship problems.¡±
¡°Then there shouldn''t be any problem in fulfilling my request.¡±
¡°I already promised, didn''t I?¡±
¡°So, did you sign up?¡± asked Amy, fetching a pair of apples from her handbag.
¡°Yeah, as planned,¡± answered Ilaria, catching the apple from Amy. ¡°Did you sign up too?¡±
¡°No,¡± answered Amy. ¡°I''m not interested in dating new boys; besides, it''s better if Johnny doesn''t see me around.¡±
The girls were walking back towards the city''s center, after Ilaria''s induction into the Torinelo City Workshops guild. The mage was still curious about the specifics of Amy''s conversation, but she didn''t dare to ask directly; she would have to admit to eavesdropping.
Ilaria had also checked the notes across the guildhall''s board; there were a couple of requests for a Mage for a goblin grinding party, but she didn''t think they would be up to Diana and Kyle''s standards.
¡°Did you try the level 20 date yesterday?¡± asked Amy, her eyes at something in her viewpoint.
¡°No, I decided to wait for Kyle,¡± answered Ilaria. ¡°Besides, I hadn''t even done the class change yet.¡±
¡°Really? I didn''t think you would get so attached,¡± said Amy, gazing at Ilaria with a half-smile.
The girls were already entering Torinelo City commercial street. Since it was still around 4pm, they had decided to shop around for a few changes of clothes for Ilaria''s dates.
¡°It''s just that... Well, I have been looking forward to it,¡± added Ilaria. ¡°And I''m sure it will be disappointing if I just do it with a random guy that the AI matches me with.¡±
¡°You know you''ll need to at least date Johnny.¡± said Amy. ¡°And you really should try to date a few more guys from the speed dating event, as practice, and to not alert Johnny that anything is amiss.¡±
¡°I know, I know,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°But that''s later. Let me enjoy my date first.¡±
Chapter 21: The Level 20 Dungeon Date
Since they were going shopping, Ilaria expected to go directly towards the Clothing Shop. She was surprised when Amy turned a corner halfway, and made her enter to a different, smaller building; so much that she didn''t even identify the statue outside. Did it have one? Must have had, we''re in Torinelo City after all.
As soon as she stepped inside, she could feel the warm ambient light, accompanied with a soft piano melody, and an earthy smell that filled the room. Handbags, jackets and other leather items occupied the sparsely placed shelfs.
¡°This is familiar...¡±
¡°Yes,¡± said Amy, smiling as she turned around. ¡°We have been to one of their stores, in Lima.¡±
At that point it dawned to Ilaria; this was in the exact same style as the shop in which they had bought Minerva''s Christmas present. She wondered what had happened with that handbag; she supposed her sister had received it, but she hadn''t ever asked.
Amy walked Ilaria towards the handbag''s rack. ¡°Now that you''ll start to date seriously, you need one.¡±
The ''bag'' slot in the game could be any kind of carrying device, from a suitcase to a purse; the size and shape not influencing the inventory size. Since it only appeared whenever you wanted to store or withdraw an item, Ilaria hadn''t cared about upgrading her beginner''s backpack yet.
¡°They are expensive...¡±
¡°Come on,¡± said Amy. ¡°It isn''t even a fifth of what we paid for the real one. Besides, if you choose a neutral color, you only ever need one.¡±
Ilaria started browsing, contemplating the options. If she was to only buy one, it should go well with both of her formal dresses, and with her red and black combat dress too.
Maybe this one, black with gold accents...
A pulsing red button suddenly appeared in her display, startling Ilaria, who almost dropped the handbag she was looking at. Flustered, she pressed it without thinking.
¡°Hello, are you busy?¡± asked the male voice. Ilaria took a second to identify it as Kyle.
¡°I''m shopping, but I''ll finish really soon,¡± answered Ilaria, still with the handbag in her hands.
¡°If you want to do the Dungeon Date now, I''ll be around the fountain,¡± said Kyle.
At the mention of Dungeon Date, Ilaria felt her heartbeat accelerating; they were finally going to do it. ¡°Yeah, I''ll go there in a bit.¡±
After closing the call, Ilaria raised her head towards her currently smiling companion.
¡°Is your date already here?¡± asked Amy.
¡°I guess he is,¡± answered Ilaria, noticing that it was a few minutes past 4. ¡°They usually log in later.¡±
¡°He must have been looking forward to it as much as you,¡± said Amy, grinning. ¡°Don''t make him wait too much. And take that purse, it''ll be my gift. The beginner''s backpack clashes awfully with your dress.¡±
¡°No, I''ll pay,¡± said Ilaria, not letting Amy touch the handbag. ¡°I can''t keep mooching from you; you are helping so much already.¡±
And she meant it; Amy had already gone above and beyond what Ilaria had expected from her. Even if the elf had plenty of expending money, it was wrong for her-him-to keep taking advantage of the younger girl.
¡°I thought you couldn''t log in until later,¡± said Ilaria. She had met Kyle at the fountain, the warrior already in his combat suit.
¡°I ran from school and logged just after getting home,¡± said Kyle, reddening as he was saying it.
¡°That explains it,¡± said Ilaria, unable to stifle her laughter. This guy was so earnest in his words, not even a bit of guile or deception.
Ilaria couldn''t fault him though. She had walked the fastest she could from the bag store. No running though; she didn''t want Amy to tease her any more than she did.
¡°Did you already try it yesterday?¡± asked Kyle, still red-faced.
¡°Nope. I was tired. And I didn''t want it to be a disappointment,¡± answered Ilaria. ¡°But I did research into it!¡±
¡°I did too!¡± exclaimed Kyle, beaming.
After a short planning session in which they decided to spend potions¨Cyou could only do a DD for the first time once¨Cboth pressed the button that transported them to the date dungeon.
They appeared in the middle of a huge circular room¨Cif not for the lack of stands, one would call it a coliseum¨Csurrounded by dozens of half-rotted, paint-peeled ornate doors.
Looking up, there was a huge, half-lit candelabra hung from the overly tall dome that served as a roof. Despite it having candles, the light was blue and eerie, a cold chill permeating the building. A discordant piano and strings tune completed the ambiance. Thankfully it played at a low volume, Ilaria didn''t know how much time she would had tolerated it otherwise.
Unlike the under-20 date, this date dungeon scaled up or down the number of enemies in each wave according to the average level of the couple. Ilaria and Kyle being at level 20 meant the least possible monster number.
Kyle looked at her, the mage nodding confidently, ready to start.
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First wave: Ten nightmaned direwolves
The first wave was against melee opponents, so Ilaria took cover behind Kyle as they had planned before. Nevertheless, she had readied a fireball for release as soon as their enemy appeared.
¡°I like dogs but those look like meanies,¡± said Ilaria, taking a look at their materializing foes.
The direwolves were huge, even with them being in all fours Ilaria had to raise her head to look at them in the eyes.
¡°Yeah, I bet they beat up cute puppies and steal their food,¡± added Kyle, getting into a guarding stance.
¡°Bad doggies shall burn in hell!¡± exclaimed Ilaria, laughing as she shot the first fireball.
Second wave: Nine skinshredder hawks
Kyle was still engaging a couple of direwolves when the new wave started materializing. Ilaria had her mana pool at half and was drinking a mana potion since being at level 20 meant she couldn''t be stingy.
¡°Sorry, I''ll have to rely on you for those,¡± said Kyle, still chipping little by little at the last direwolves'' HPs.
¡°Don''t worry,¡± said Ilaria, grinning. ¡°Those fat birds will get roasted in no time.¡±
¡°Fireball!¡± exclaimed Ilaria, as she shot the closest winged menace.
The meter tall brown hawk with oversized claws screeched in the air before erupting in flames. It started to fall down in circles, as the ones closest to it noticed Ilaria and prepared to dive, claws in front.
Ilaria shot another fireball before taking cover with Kyle, who was still at it with the only surviving direwolf. A hawk scratched at Ilaria''s back before Kyle''s spear forced it to take flight again. She had felt that, a stinging sensation that didn''t subside. She worried for her dress for a second, before remembering that armor didn''t degrade in DDs.
Ilaria collected herself and mana bolted the direwolf, finishing it, while Kyle kept circling to prevent the hawks from diving.
After Ilaria fried a third bird, the spear''s deterrent wasn''t enough and three hawks dived for them at the same time. Ilaria immediately shot at the one towards her left, Kyle throwing his spear towards the rightmost one while taking cover with her shield against the last diving hawk. That one made a 180 degrees turn and joined the one that had evaded Kyle''s throw.
¡°I don''t think I''ll be able to get them with the spear,¡± said Kyle, while willing his weapon back to his hand.
¡°Making them flee is good enough,¡± said Ilaria, readying another fireball as the other trio of hawks prepared to dive.
Third wave: Eight ethereal nightmares
The couple had already beaten most of the hawks, but the next wave wouldn''t wait for them to finish.
The nightmares, horses with legs finishing in shadowy clouds of fog, started to cross their respective doors. Ilaria and Kyle were bracing for the last hawks'' attack and couldn''t afford more than a glance at their new enemies.
¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Ilaria, drinking a health potion. They were cheaper than the mana ones.
¡°As fine as I could,¡± answered Kyle, smiling as he drank a potion himself.
As the hawks dived, they could hear the nightmares rapidly approaching.
¡°Fireball!¡± exclaimed Ilaria, frying a hawk. Kyle threw his spear at the other one, making it flee. And just in time, since the first couple of nightmares were already within breathing distance.
Ilaria heard the impact¨Cshe was frying a hawk¨Cbefore being able to turn around. She touched Kyle''s neck reflexively.
¡°Arghh, and I just healed myself,¡± said Kyle, still shaken.
The two repelled nightmares moved aside to make room for the next pair of charging steeds. This time Kyle had his spear back, blocking both of them while suffering a manageable amount of damage.
¡°Sorry, I won''t be able to counterattack,¡± said Kyle, grunting from the effort.
¡°It''s okay; we''ll go as far as we can,¡± said Ilaria, smiling as she burned the last hawk out of the air.
Fourth wave: Seven heartbroken otterflies
¡°So cute!¡± exclaimed Ilaria, as the new foes materialized: dark colored otters with butterfly wings on their backs.
¡°I don''t think we''ll last much longer,¡± said Kyle, deflecting another double charge of nightmares. ¡°Try to kill one or two of them before we are done.¡±
The eight nightmares were still alive and mostly undamaged. Ilaria had to use her healing touch nonstop to keep Kyle''s hit points outside danger zone.
¡°Alright; see you on the other side,¡± said Ilaria, withdrawing her outstretched arm.
The mage girl used her recently freed hand to drink a mana potion and stepped back, aiming at the closest otter. It squeaked and flew around Kyle, being awarded an encounter with a big ball of fire. As soon as she had let the Fireball go, she felt it. A sting several times stronger than the hawk''s scratch had been.
¡°Kya... Argh,¡± grunted Ilaria, as she tried to shake away the otterfly clawing at her chest, finally killing it with a point blank mana bolt.
Kyle turned around, but he was unable to leave his position; he couldn''t do anything about the otterflies anyway. The nightmares were still contained for the time being, his HPs bar decreasing steadily in a corner of the mage''s viewpoint.
Ilaria was half-kneeling, recovering her breath, when another otterfly dived for her face. She fireballed it down with a well aimed headshot. This time she didn''t hesitate and finished it with a mana bolt; her burned and scratched chest felt like she was continuously zapped by static current.
The five remaining otterflies decided to dive down at the same time, three towards Ilaria and the rest against Kyle, who had less than a tenth of his HPs remaining.
¡°Fireball!¡± Ilaria half-yelled, half-grunted as she took down the centermost otterfly. The other two clawed her at her shoulders, as she resisted the pain and finished the burning critter.
Kyle died stoically, not making a sound, and Ilaria just closed her eyes.
¡°Was it like you expected?¡± asked Kyle, already recovered and smiling.
¡°Yeah,¡± said Ilaria, grinning while catching her breath, her chest still throbbing with the emotion. Even if it hurt, she did enjoy it. Am I turning into a masochist?
¡°I was wondering, being a tank you are always getting hit, don''t you?¡± asked Ilaria.
¡°Yeah, that''s how it usually works out,¡± answered Kyle, who appeared to be checking something in his viewpoint.
¡°Doesn''t it hurt?¡± asked Ilaria. ¡°When the otterfly got me before, my chest felt like it was being zapped.¡±
¡°That must have sucked,¡± said Kyle, raising his eyes to look at Ilaria. ¡°The simulated pain level in VC depends on the percentage of your hit points suffered. I get hit constantly, but the damage is really small compared with my HPs.¡±
¡°Was it painful?¡± asked Kyle, eying Ilaria.
¡°Just a bit, not unbearably,¡± answered Ilaria, still breathing heavily. ¡°I think I''m starting to understand Diana.¡±
¡°Don''t become a battle junkie like her, please,¡± said Kyle, feigning reproach. ¡°That would be really unladylike.¡±
¡°See, complaining again,¡± said Ilaria, playfully. ¡°Surely your next girl will be a fluffy, squealing little princess.¡±
¡°Maybe...¡± said Kyle, thoughtful. ¡°You did squeal, though.¡±
¡°I didn''t,¡± quickly denied Ilaria.
¡°You did,¡± reaffirmed Kyle, smirking. ¡°You tried to cover it up, but I heard it.¡±
Chapter 22: Speed Dating
A beautiful mage, clad in a long formal dress, traveled the cobbled streets of Torinelo at night. Her steps, small but hurried, betrayed her inexperience at walking in her current footwear. As she turned a corner, she made a black and gold handbag appear from thin air, taking a square of cardboard before it disappeared without trace.
She stopped at the front of an ornate, two-story building, with a white marble sculpture in front of a decorated entrance of the same material. Said statue showed a detailed depiction of a rocky outcrop beaten by waves, and a peculiar animal grinning as it prepared to take a jump: a flatfish.
Ilaria had arrived ten minutes before eight at The Grinning Flatfish, she didn''t want to risk being late. She showed the invitation in reception, being immediately ushered towards the elevator that would send her to the private lounge.
She couldn''t help but pacing in her place as the elevator moved. She felt she had been roleplaying in easy mode so far.. True, Diana and Kyle didn''t suspect her at all, but both of them were as inexperienced treating with females as it comes. The Speed Dating event was her ultimate test.
As she heard the sound of the elevator stopping, Ilaria took a deep breath. She pressed the button, opening the door to a breathtaking roof terrace under the clear, starry sky of Torinelo City. All along the edge of the building there was a thin wooden roofing, with two-person tables placed underneath.
Woah, this is amazing.
¡°Hello!¡± exclaimed Wanora, approaching Ilaria in a long-sleeved navy blue dress with a white scarf.
Ilaria walked into the dark parquet flooring, the sound of her heels barely audible under the soft string music. The Guildmaster had her arms wide open; Ilaria sighed to herself and hugged the taller girl in lieu of a greeting.
¡°I''m so glad you decided to come,¡± said Wanora, materializing a white handbag. ¡°We don''t have too many guild activities; this one is a chance for you to make your guild debut.¡±
¡°Yeah...¡± said Ilaria, crouching in her purple gown.
¡°Here it is,¡± said Wanora, pinning a nametag on Ilaria''s breast.
¡°To speed up the introductions, everyone has this nametag,¡± said Wanora, pointing towards hers. ¡°It has your name, class and level. That way if you''re only interested in nabbing a good exp date partner, you can check out your compatibility at a glance.¡±
¡°I see,¡± said Ilaria, reading Wanora''s nametag. She was a level 50, as expected... ¡°Are you a rogue!?¡±
¡°Yup; wanna have a drink?¡±
¡°We even have free drinks, this event is really fancy,¡± said Ilaria, sipping a strawberry mojito.
¡°Yeah, and the best is...¡± said Wanora, getting closer.
¡°You can''t get drunk in Virtual Connection.¡± whispered Wanora to Ilaria''s ear.
¡°Hmm... Wouldn''t it make drinking pointless in the first place?¡± asked Ilaria, crooking her head.
¡°Nah, it gets you to the mild buzz state and then stops. It''s magical!¡± exclaimed Wanora, taking a chug of her drink and leaving the empty glass on the bar with a clank. A tuxedo-clad attendant made the show of taking it away. ¡°Another vodka greyhound, please.¡±
¡°What''s that?¡± asked Ilaria, looking at the pale yellow drink.
¡°It''s just pomelo juice with vodka,¡± answered Wanora, smiling. ¡°Wanna try it?¡±
¡°Okay,¡± answered Ilaria, taking the glass in her hands and sipping the cocktail.
¡°It''s bitter,¡± said Ilaria, frowning.
¡°It''s an acquired taste,¡± replied Wanora, happily sipping her greyhound.
¡°Shouldn''t you get back to welcome the participants?¡± asked Ilaria, still nursing her first cocktail. ¡°It''s already eight.¡±
Certainly, it was already the time for the event. Even so, there were only Wanora, Ilaria and the bartender in the whole rooftop.
¡°Don''t worry, you were the only newbie tonight,¡± said Wanora, smiling while holding her third greyhound. ¡°Johnny''s arriving 15 minutes late, or so he says.¡±
¡°In the guild chat,¡± the Guildmaster added, noticing Ilaria''s confusion.
¡°So it''s like that,¡± said Ilaria, scowling. She hadn''t opened the guild chat yet¨Cshe didn''t know how to¨Cbut making everyone wait for just one person was grating to her.
¡°Don''t mind it,¡± said Wanora, laughing. ¡°He''s the one paying for the venue; we need to be accommodating, don''t we?¡±
¡°I guess...¡±
At 20 past eight, Johnny had finally made his appearance. He entered the room strutting with confidence¨Ca tall guy in a shimmering violet tuxedo¨Cwith a way too perfect smile plastered in his face. There wasn''t a podium, nor mic stand; but everyone recognized instantly that he was man of the day.
¡°Everyone, welcome to Torinelo City Workshops'' Speed Dating Club!¡± exclaimed Johnny. He tucked his shoulder length almond-colored hair behind his ears, as if showing off the golden highlights that couldn''t possibly be natural. ¡°For the new ones, I''m Johnny, an officer of the guild and the host of this event.¡±
¡°Tonight we have 12 girls and 11 guys, so Wanora is sitting out this time. Such a pity for her fans,¡± said Johnny, glancing towards the bar; where Ilaria was with the Guildmaster.
¡°Is it ok?¡± whispered Ilaria.
The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°Don''t worry; I''m here just for the free drinks.¡±
The speed dating event was going to be managed by private message, organized in the background with something called dateBOT¨Cprobably a script running in a secondary display.
Each participating girl would first get a table number, in which they would be sit for the duration of the event. Guys would get assigned to a random table at the beginning and then rotate clockwise when the time''s up. Since there were eleven guys, she would get to meet everyone once.
Soon after Johnny''s presentation, the pop-up appeared in front of Ilaria''s viewpoint. Table number 5.
The mage said her goodbyes to Wanora and got to her table with a little trepidation. She discreetly checked out the girls nearby; they were kinda cute but none a match for her current image. I can do it.
¡°Hello, nice to meet you,¡± said a short guy in a blue blazer and jeans, before sitting in front of Ilaria. ¡°My name is Roberto; you can call me Rob.¡±
¡°Hello Rob,¡± said Ilaria, lowering her gaze, and taking a glance at Rob''s nametag by chance.
¡°Yeah, I know,¡± said Rob, showing a forced smile. ¡°It''s really hard to get a steady date partner as a male mage.¡±
¡°It wasn''t that,¡± said Ilaria, stifling a laugh. ¡°This is my first time speed dating ever; I just don''t know what I''m supposed to do.¡±
¡°You don''t need to worry,¡± said Rob, taking a gulp of his rum and coke. ¡°For starters, I''m pressing Yes after our time''s up, no matter what.¡±
¡°That''s reassuring,¡± said Ilaria, looking at Rob''s eyes. ¡°You know what? I''ll do that too.¡±
¡°Woah, I might have broken the system,¡± said Rob, laughing.
¡°Maybe,¡± said Ilaria, smiling. ¡°I''m Ilaria, by the way.¡±
¡°Nice name, very original,¡± said Rob, taking a glance at Ilaria''s nametag and deflating. ¡°I would like to get a regular DD partner, but most girls want a warrior.¡±
¡°You got it tough,¡± said Ilaria, taking a sip of her drink. ¡°I did date a mage once.¡±
¡°How did it go?¡±
¡°Not too well,¡± answered Ilaria, laughing. ¡°But we were beginners; I think now I would do it much better.¡±
¡°I''d like to take you up on that,¡± said Rob, not hiding his hopefulness.
¡°We''ll see...¡±
Following Rob, Ilaria speed-dated a couple of high-leveled guys. They were mostly agreeable, but it was easy to realize that they weren''t that interested in dating a low-leveled mage. Even if the level 20 date was the only one available at the moment for experienced players, it did make sense to date with someone close to your own. She didn''t put much effort either, looking sideways from time to time, towards the real motive of her participation.
Here he comes.
As soon as she heard the ring signaling the end of the current round, Ilaria turned to her right, catching Johnny standing up from the table next to hers. He raised his head, Ilaria quickly looking down, resisting the urge of glancing at him.
¡°Hello Ilaria, welcome to the guild.¡± said Johnny, with a perfect smile on his face, as he took the seat in front of her. She hadn''t been able to see his eyes before, they were of a clear, golden color.
¡°Hello,¡± replied Ilaria. She was still taken aback by the fact that he used her name.
¡°Sorry, I just knew it,¡± said Johnny, with a twinkle in his eyes. ¡°There''s only one new girl tonight, and there''s no way I would forget someone like you.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
She forced herself to lower her gaze¨Cthose eyes were too eye-catching¨Cimmediately regretting it. The guy was wearing a tie-less white silk shirt, the top three buttons undone.
¡°I''m Johnny, by the way,¡± said Johnny, raising his glass and drinking.
¡°Yeah, I know,¡± said Ilaria, smiling despite herself.
¡°Are you having fun tonight?¡± asked Johnny, leaving his drink in front of him. It was violet colored, resembling his tuxedo.
¡°Yeah, Wanora told me you are providing for the venue,¡± said Ilaria, sipping the last of her mojito. ¡°That''s very kind of you.¡±
¡°It''s my pleasure; I''ve got more golden hearts than I can possibly spend alone,¡± said Johnny, smiling. ¡°You can get a new drink directly from the table, just press the button on the right side.¡±
¡°What are you drinking? It looks really pretty,¡± asked Ilaria, pointing towards the pale violet cocktail on the table.
¡°This one is a color-changing martini,¡± answered Johnny, swirling his glass.
¡°Color-changing...¡± said Ilaria, confused. ¡°Is it magical?¡±
¡°It could be; you should check it yourself,¡± answered Johnny, winking.
It was irritating how he could manage to do such a perfect wink; a normal person would look stupid if they tried.
¡°Alright; it''s free anyway,¡± said Ilaria, pressing the drink order button.
A four-button display appeared in front of her, named: reorder, favorites, keyboard input, voice input. She pressed the last one and said: color-changing martini.
Her empty glass disappeared from the table, a martini glass filled with a deep blue drink taking its place.
¡°It''s blue,¡± said Ilaria, dumbfounded.
¡°Yup, as it should be,¡± said Johnny, stifling a laugh. ¡°You see that small pitcher?¡±
¡°Yeah...¡± said Ilaria, just noticing a little jug filled with a pale yellow liquid next to the glass.
¡°Pour it over,¡± said Johnny, looking amused.
¡°Okay,¡± said Ilaria, pouring the pitcher''s contents over her drink.
As the liquid mixed with the glass contents, violet swirls started to appear, slowly turning it into the violet cocktail that Johnny had.
¡°Hmm, so this is the magic,¡± said Ilaria, a little disappointed.
¡°All the drinks in this place are real life replicas,¡± said Johnny, taking a sip of his drink encouragingly. ¡°I first saw this one in a cooking show.¡±
Ilaria raised her glass to her lips¨Cthe drink smelled faintly of alcohol and lemon¨Cand took a small sip.
¡°Tastes like diluted cough syrup,¡± said Ilaria, frowning after swallowing the liquid.
¡°It isn''t for everyone,¡± said Johnny, laughing.
Ilaria was getting flustered, fidgeting with her fingers along the side of the table.
I''ll be damned...
¡°That one''s good too,¡± said Johnny, as Ilaria voiced the name of her new drink.
¡°And it tastes nice to boot,¡± added Johnny, winking conspiratorially.
Ilaria had decided that she couldn''t force herself to finish her violet martini, ordering a blue Hawaiian in replacement. The drinks were just bits of data, so she didn''t feel guilty about throwing an almost full cocktail down the metaphoric drain.
¡°Ahh, much better,¡± said Ilaria, sipping from her blue Hawaiian.
¡°Indeed,¡± said Johnny, leaving his sky blue cocktail on the table.
¡°Really!? So you don''t even like it!?¡± exclaimed Ilaria, completely flabbergasted.
¡°Well, if you think about my image, wouldn''t you say ''a violet martini just suits him''?¡±
After the drinks switcheroo the mood had completely changed. Ilaria asked Johnny to tell her of an embarrassing story as a punishment; yet he wasn''t fazed, and she got into it despite herself.
¡°And then, Wanora stuck the gargoyle''s head down the salamander''s throat,¡± said Johnny, mimicking with his hands.
¡°Did it work?¡± asked Ilaria, excited.
¡°In a way,¡± said Johnny, showing a self-deprecating smile. ¡°We didn''t get wiped out by the salamander''s fire breath...¡±
¡°But...¡± said Ilaria, prompting Johnny to continue.
*ring*
¡°Time''s up,¡± said Johnny, flashing a winsome smile.
¡°I hope we get to talk again soon,¡± continued Johnny, doing another of his perfect winks before taking his leave.
¡°...¡±
¡ú *Do you accept to exchange contact information with Johnny334?*
¡ú YES
Chapter 23: The Troll Caverns
Ilaria had just eaten breakfast in real life, but that didn''t stop her from going to the Barista Caf¨¦ as soon as she logged in. It was Saturday, the day after the guild event, and Amy had insisted on¨Cpractically forced¨Cthe early meeting. They would have talked the day before, but Amy spent the evening with Minerva, and it might had made her sister suspicious.
¡°How was the event? Did you get the yes?¡± asked Amy, as soon as they were seated.
¡°Yeah,¡± said Ilaria, not much mirth in her voice.
She finally did it. Last night Ilaria went to the Speed Dating event, and got Johnny''s acceptance; which meant she now had him registered in her friends list, available for contact. Despite having succeeded in her goal, she couldn''t help feeling defeated instead.
¡°What''s the problem? Wasn''t that the objective?¡± asked Amy, grabbing Ilaria''s hand that was laying on the table.
¡°It''s just that... I feel like he led me by the nose all the conversation,¡± said Ilaria, realizing how whiny she sounded.
¡°At the end he left with a smirk, like he was sure I would be dying to talk to him.¡± Anger boiled inside her whenever she remembered Johnny''s insufferably perfect wink as he left the table.
¡°Wow,¡± said Amy, smiling widely. ¡°That''s great!¡±
¡°How...¡±
¡°Isn''t it better if he''s the one doing the seducing?¡±
¡°I...¡± Ilaria stopped whatever complain she was going to voice. Amy was right, she shouldn''t care.
¡°Should I call him?¡± asked Ilaria, having cooled down.
¡°Not yet, wait until tomorrow,¡± said Amy, looking into Ilaria''s eyes. ¡°Who knows? He might send a message tonight.¡±
It made sense. Ilaria let out a breath she didn''t know she was holding, withdrawing her hand to pick up her drink.
¡°How did it go with Minerva yesterday?¡± asked Ilaria, after sipping from her iced mochaccino.
¡°Great!¡± exclaimed Amy. ¡°She''s getting over it.¡±
¡°I still can''t believe she agreed to go out with us,¡± said Ilaria, getting excited.
Even before the Christmas meltdown, she could count in one hand the times she had gone out with her sister without their parents being involved.
¡°I think Minerva has been ready for a while,¡± said Amy, playing with the straw of her smoothie. ¡°She was just waiting for an excuse.¡±
¡°I see,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°And what did it?¡±
¡°Let''s say we caught her attention,¡± replied Amy, cryptically.
¡°Whaa...¡± As Ilaria was re-asking, the red button appeared suddenly on her display, startling her. She really should have been used to it already.
¡°Sorry, I just got a private call notification.¡±
¡°Kyle?¡± asked Amy, teasingly.
¡°Yeah,¡± answered Ilaria, deflated. ¡°Diana isn''t logging today, so it''ll be just the two of us.¡±
¡°Do you want me to go with you?¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
Ilaria thought things were back to normal with Kyle after their Private Date, but it would make her more at ease having Amy with her.
The girls were meeting with Kyle at the central plaza, before deciding where to go for leveling. Amy was still clad in the leather armor she had worn for going to the guild hall, which made Ilaria and her dress look very out of place. It was weird that from the group, she was the one who didn''t have any normal combat armor.
¡°Hi, my name is Amy,¡± said the elf, with a beaming smile. ¡°I''m glad to finally meet you!¡±
¡°Hello, I''m Kyle. Glad to meet you too, Amy.¡± He lowered his gaze, blushing a bit.
Ilaria was sure he wasn''t as red as he had been the first time they met; at least she was helping him in that aspect.
¡°By the way, I won''t be able to party with you since I''m already at level 35,¡± said Amy. ¡°I''ll just tag along and give you some advice.¡±
The group discussed their options, finally settling for troll hunting. They couldn''t take on the goblin boss without Diana, and it would be a waste of time to just grind on the normal ones. Ilaria hadn''t seen trolls outside the date dungeon, although¨Cfrom her experience¨Cthey wouldn''t be much different in the wild.
The party took a return scroll to the Lizardmen Caves and kept walking further into the mountains, jagged rocky outcrops dotting the almost lifeless trail. It was windy, but not the hot, sandy kind that the Goblin Encampment had been. The mountains were cool windy, smelling of ferns and refrigerator fluid. Don''t ask how she knew that last one.
¡°Here we are, the Troll Caverns,¡± said Amy, pointing towards an opening in the side of a mountain, from where a light blinked in the shadows.
¡°Groups of 4 or 5, no ranged attackers?¡± asked Kyle, as he withdrew his weapons from his blue backpack.
¡°Yes, as far as the first floor is concerned,¡± said Amy, locking eyes with the warrior.
Kyle turned around, evading Amy''s gaze. ¡°Just confirming.¡±
¡°Don''t worry,¡± said Amy, laughing. ¡°From what Ilaria has told me, you won''t have any trouble.¡±
¡°And if you have... I''ll be there,¡± added Amy, taking out her daggers.
The group entered the Troll Caverns in their typical formation. Amy¨Cbeing a Rogue with uppercase R¨Cactivated her Stealth and went scouting ahead. Ilaria followed into the opening, taking a time to get used to the darkness. All the cave vibrated, or at least the low humming sound made it feel like that.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
The mage stepped onto the pebbled ground, very conscious of her lack of sneakiness compared to her companions. The cavern, once her eyes had adapted to the lighting, didn''t seem much different from the Lizardmen''s; narrow rock passages, and torches every few meters.
¡°There''s five of them in an opening, turning to the right,¡± said Amy, from somewhere ahead of them.
¡°Alright, I''ll get them,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Ready?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
Kyle went ahead, Ilaria counting in her head before following.
The cavern widened into an oval-shaped opening, a bonfire in the far corner providing most of the light. Five trolls crowded Kyle, who was luring them towards the narrowest side. Ilaria went ahead without shooting, she needed to be sure the tank had aggravated them enough before.
After Kyle settled in his position, it wasn''t much different from what they were used to from the date dungeon. Only two trolls could ever face the tank at the same time, Kyle alternating between Spear thrusts and Shield bashes. Ilaria followed behind, shooting whenever she had a direct line towards her foe, and healing at measured intervals.
The trolls changed places whenever Kyle pushed one with his shield, having the five of them in rotation. Soon enough they started falling one after the other, not ever getting in risk.
They advanced quickly for being only a two-person party, soon clearing the first floor. Amy helped scouting, never needing to get into the fight to protect them.
¡°I must say you have great coordination,¡± said Amy, reappearing from stealth after their last battle. ¡°No wonder you have done so well in the Date Dungeons.¡±
¡°It''s all thanks to Kyle,¡± said Ilaria, laughing. ¡°I''m just riding his coattails.¡±
¡°No, you might not realize it yet,¡± said Kyle, serious. ¡°But you''re actually a really good mage.¡±
¡°Really?¡± asked Ilaria, not quite believing it herself.
¡°Yes. You are always aware of the positions and HPs of both foes and party members,¡± said Kyle, looking at Ilaria in the eyes. ¡°And you aim really fast too; I only need to give you a sliver of space, and bam.¡±
¡°It''s just because I''m used to you,¡± said Ilaria, this time her being the one feeling the warmth on her cheeks for a change.
¡°People think being a mage is easy, stay in the back and shoot,¡± said Amy. ¡°But there''s a lot more to it.¡±
¡°I see,¡± said Ilaria, smiling. ¡°I''m glad that I haven''t been dead weight all along.¡±
¡°Sorry, I should go ahead,¡± said Amy, apologetically. ¡°I need to get ready for today''s lunch.¡±
¡°Yeah, that''s true,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°See you later.¡±
¡°Bye!¡± An smiling Amy disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Ilaria alone with Kyle in the deserted caverns.
¡°Do you know each other in real life?¡± asked Kyle, breaking the silence.
¡°Yeah,¡± answered Ilaria. ¡°Actually, we are eating lunch together today.¡±
¡°Then, are you leaving too?¡±
¡°She''ll be coming to my house first,¡± answered Ilaria. ¡°So I still have some time.¡±
And it isn''t like I need to do my make up anyway.
¡°Enough for a DD?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°I''ll be going out in the afternoon, so it might be difficult to meet again later.¡±
¡°Alright.¡±
¡°Got it,¡± said Ilaria, watching a flaming hawk dropping from the sky.
¡°That was the last one,¡± said Kyle, setting himself on one side of the room to prevent them being surrounded by the next wave.
The first wave, ten direwolves, wasn''t that hard as long as they were willing to use mana. They eliminated them before the flying foes'' appearance, which Ilaria had just finished. Next wave would be several degrees harder so having a clean slate was comforting.
Third wave: Eight ethereal nightmares
¡°Horsies incoming!¡± exclaimed Ilaria, while taking cover behind Kyle.
The closest pair of nightmares charged towards them, Kyle blocking both with his shield and spear.
¡°Take a shot if you have the chance,¡± said Kyle, while getting ready for the next ones. ¡°I can take a couple of charges without getting in the danger zone.¡±
¡°Alright.¡± said Ilaria, aiming over Kyle''s spear arm.
¡°Fireball!¡±
Fourth wave: Seven heartbroken otterflies
Ilaria had finished their third nightmare when the announcement played. From the leftover horses, just one was anywhere close to dying. She had been aiming only over Kyle''s right hand, since she didn''t have enough mana to spam fireballs.
¡°As we planned, now I''m stepping back,¡± said Ilaria with a mischievous smile, as she broke into a sprint.
¡°Do as you must,¡± replied Kyle, rotating in his position to let the mage go towards the center. ¡°I''ll keep these horsies entertained.¡±
Ilaria, who had already set herself under the candelabra, aimed and immediately shot a force bolt towards the closest otterfly. It squeaked and fell back, unnoticed by the mage girl who was already shooting the one next to it.
Shoot, shoot, shoot...
¡°Fireball!¡±
Shoot, shoot, shoot...
¡°Fireball!¡± exclaimed a serious Ilaria while spinning in place. The otterfly fell down burning as Ilaria restarted the round from the rightmost one.
¡°I''ll be going down soon,¡± said Kyle, preparing his spear to attack. There were five nightmares left, one of them within a sliver of its HP bar.
Ilaria just answered with a smile, not that the warrior could see it from his vanguard position. The mage kept counting otters in her head, dispensing Force bolts, waiting for the damaged one to come up. It was mechanical at this point, so much that she took the liberty to glance towards her partner.
Kyle thrust his spear towards his designated prey just before their charge would collide with him. The rightmost nightmare impaled itself, falling down while the other one impacted onto the warrior''s shield and turned around.
The next pair of nightmares began their charge as Kyle dislodged his spear. With his health bar almost depleted, he knelt in place, turning his head towards the mage. Ilaria showed him what she thought was an encouraging smile.
¡°Fireball!¡±
¡°Those nightmares are just way too strong!¡± exclaimed Ilaria, pouting.
¡°They are level 27; it would be weird if they were a pushover,¡± answered Kyle. ¡°We did better than I expected, we didn''t even use potions this time.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± said Ilaria. Potions were hard to come by unless you bought them with real money. It would be wasteful to use them for every date.
¡°I know I have said it before,¡± said Kyle. ¡°You aim really fast.¡±
¡°You see, if you have seven otterflies in a circle, it''s fairly easy to calculate the angle for shooting,¡± said Ilaria, tracing lines over her palm. ¡°I was more concerned about forgetting which one I had to fireball.¡±
¡°So that''s what worried you so,¡± said Kyle, laughing. ¡°You looked like a zen master, frowning while shooting with downward eyes.¡±
Ilaria laughed, half proud and half embarrassed.
¡°The date almost got me to 21,¡± said Kyle, having his eyes somewhere in his viewpoint. ¡°We gained a lot of exp today.¡±
¡°Yeah, solo grinding feels like a waste of time,¡± said Ilaria, who had hit 22. ¡°And I guess I should log out for lunch now.¡±
¡°I''ll probably try to use my other daily date; I can''t let you outlevel me too much,¡± said Kyle, smiling bashfully.
¡°Don''t worry about me; have fun,¡± said Ilaria, smiling.
¡°Are you using your second date too?¡±
¡°Who knows?¡±
Chapter 24: Going Out
After logging out from Virtual Connection, Ricardo left the VR machine in a hurry; it was late and Amelia would be coming soon. He had to at least change clothes, and put his hair in an acceptable state¨Cby now he badly needed a haircut. Next week, sometime next week for sure.
Ricardo put on a white T-shirt, the jeans that were hanging from his chair, and tried to fix his hair. It was a mess to start, that the comb made even messier; like a nest made of cotton candy.
He left his room for the bathroom. It was occupied. He went to the first floor''s, also occupied. He entered the kitchen and closed the door behind him. He wet his hair in the sink, finally putting it in order with the comb. Or so he thought, he didn''t have a mirror available.
Ricardo heard the doorbell as he was drying his hair with a paper towel. This much should be alright. It needed to, he couldn''t leave without passing by the front door.
When Ricardo left the kitchen, Amelia was already inside the house; her small hands¨Cnails done in the pastel yellow hex¨Cpressing against mom''s back.
¡°Hello!¡± exclaimed Amelia, disentangling from mom.
¡°Hi,¡± said Ricardo, making eye contact with her by accident. She stepped forward, him lowering his glance first; Amelia''s yellow dress had white feather prints.
¡°I''ll check on Minerva,¡± said mom, leaving them alone.
Amelia closed the remaining distance, kissing him on the cheek, and leaving a trail of citrus perfume on her way. ¡°How was your date?¡±
¡°Good, as usual,¡± answered Ricardo.
¡°He''s good.¡±
¡°I know.¡±
They remained silent for a couple of seconds, before hearing steps on the stairs. Ricardo turned around¨Cstanding next to Amelia¨Cwhen Minerva made her appearance.
After two weeks, his sister was finally out of her gym clothes. Black sneakers, skinny jeans, green top, a bit of make up, high ponytail tied with a ribbon; not her best, but acceptable for the occasion.
¡°Hello,¡± said Amelia, smiling.
¡°Hi,¡± said Minerva, looking at them in turn. ¡°Did you think I would stand you up?¡±
Ricardo had thought there was a chance¨Cnot a big one, since they had been to the mall twice already. Regardless, he was relieved. Amelia ignored Minerva''s words, following her as she picked up her keys from the rack at the entrance.
¡°Shall we call a cab?¡± asked Ricardo.
¡°It''s just the mall, we can walk,¡± answered Minerva, opening her handbag to store her keys. It was the hexagon-patterned one Amelia and him had given her for Christmas.
They walked their usual road, passing by the same buildings, and listening to the mostly typical Saturday traffic noise. Ricardo unconsciously erased it all from his mind, looking ahead at his companions.
The girls were walking at a brisk pace, side by side, overtaking the other people in the street. He couldn''t help noticing how Amelia expertly moved in her heeled sandals, keeping the taller Minerva''s rhythm.
¡°Do you know what are you ordering?¡± asked Amelia, taking the chance while they were stopped at a red light.
¡°I guess the same as always, it''s the mall''s food court,¡± answered Ricardo. He usually liked to try new places, but they went so often there that he had ran out of options years ago.
¡°Me too,¡± said Minerva, not showing much excitement.
Amelia closed her mouth as the light turned to green; Minerva had already started walking.
¡°That cake must have more calories than my hamburger,¡± said Ricardo, looking at Minerva''s tray.
¡°Definitely,¡± said Amelia, pretending to whisper to Ricardo''s ear. ¡°It surely defeats the purpose of having salad for lunch.¡±
The three of them were sitting in a small round table¨Cwhich was obviously meant for two¨Ctheir elbows touching as they ate. Saturday afternoon, lots of people around; they had been lucky to find a table at all.
¡°I eat cake because I had salad for lunch,¡± said Minerva, defensively, while cutting a small piece of her whipped cream-covered, marmalade-filled chocolate cake.
¡°Staying beautiful is all about making compromises,¡± continued Minerva, in an sagely voice.
¡°Yes sensei,¡± deadpanned Amelia.
¡°Now you know,¡± said Minerva, breaking into laughter.
They kept talking as they finished with their desserts, the food court gradually emptying as the minutes passed by.
¡°Did you finally get lucky with the wand?¡± asked Minerva, while scooping the last bits of cake from her plate.
¡°Not yet,¡± answered Ricardo, standing up. ¡°Our rogue couldn''t log today, we did trolls instead.¡±
¡°But I don''t care that much about it; I have been fine playing with the basic staff,¡± added Ricardo, picking up the empty containers from the table.
Minerva looked at him, taking a pause. ¡°I''ll give you mine.¡±
Ricardo froze in his place for a second.
¡°I can log in after we return home.¡±
¡°Don''t worry; we''ll keep farming that boss for a while,¡± answered Ricardo, looking sideways. ¡°And as I have said before, I''m just a casual gamer; it isn''t like I need it.¡±
Minerva had been insistently curious about Virtual Connection lately, so Ricardo had seen it coming. At some point he would have to meet his sister in-game, but the later the better.
After their meal, the three of them walked around window shopping, wasting time until their 5pm movie.
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The local mall was older than Ricardo; it was like it had always been there. He heard from dad that it was originally only the ground floor, being designed as rows of stores along a roofless, pedestrian path. As it began growing, they just added more floors to what existed before; and erected new buildings over the parking lots, which were moved to the basement levels.
Now they had three floors over a seemingly narrow walkway, which made it feel claustrophobic at times. It was a true mishmash of a design, where profit maximization had triumphed over any kind of aesthetics.
The girls went ahead, stopping occasionally when they noticed something of interest, mostly clothes and shoes. Ricardo felt kinda like a guardian, not having much to add to the girls'' dynamics. He wondered what would Ilaria do in his place; Amy would surely be using her as a dress-up doll by now.
¡°Can we enter for a bit?¡± asked Amelia, in front of a women clothes boutique.
¡°Don''t mind me, we still have time,¡± answered Ricardo, checking his cellphone. He paced outside, following them after a bit of deliberation.
The store was decorated following a bright greens and yellows color scheme, which went along with the items on sale¨Cmostly short summer dresses. A bright instrumental tune¨Cflutes and chimes¨Cplayed in the background.
It was the most Amelia-like place Ricardo had ever been to. He could even pretend it had the chamomile and citrus aroma, despite it smelling to chlorine and plastic like every other store.
¡°Amelia''s in the changing room,¡± said Minerva, pointing to the back.
¡°I see.¡±
Minerva was lazily checking the dresses in a rack. From what Ricardo knew, those weren''t his sister''s style at all. She did wear skirts sometimes, but mostly in dark colors, to go with bold printed tops.
¡°Thank you,¡± said Minerva, in a low voice.
Ricardo didn''t know what she was talking about at first. He lowered his gaze, looking at the handbag that his sister was holding in front of her.
¡°I was worried, after all...¡±
¡°No, I like it,¡± interrupted Minerva, smiling. ¡°I chose it in VC for a reason.¡±
¡°I''m glad then.¡±
A couple of minutes later, Amelia came back from the changing room. She was wearing a whole-colored aquamarine dress, with a textured pattern that Ricardo couldn''t identify at the distance.
¡°Do you like it?¡± asked Amelia, making a twirl.
¡°It looks nice,¡± said Minerva. ¡°I like it more than the yellow one.¡±
¡°It figures,¡± said Amelia, flashing a smile before going back to the changing room.
His eyes followed Amelia''s retreating figure, her dress flowing with every step, its pattern reflecting the light in an unpredictable way. As he turned around, he could feel Minerva''s stare on him.
The movie had been okay¨Cwhich was more than he had expected from it¨Cbeing a typical superhero blockbuster. The girls were entertained, that was what mattered. And he didn''t imagine it, Minerva had been staring at him whenever she thought she could get away with it.
¡°It''s still early, wanna do something else?¡± asked Amelia, after they left the movie theater.
¡°Something like what?¡± said Minerva, looking like she was actually considering it.
¡°Karaoke?¡± said Amelia, looking at Ricardo.
¡°Sounds good,¡± said Ricardo.
Most probably it wouldn''t really sound good¨CRicardo not having any singing talent¨Cbut it was something to do that didn''t require sharing personal space with strangers. They could just rent a box for an hour, and it would be like being at home without actually being there.
Amelia led them in a fast pace¨Czigzagging across the people milling around¨Cmaybe fearing they would change their minds. Ricardo walked next to Minerva for the first time in the afternoon¨Chis sister silently sneaking glances at him¨Clike she was pondering a question.
Two escalators and a 50m passageway later, they finally arrived to the karaoke bar. Ricardo and Minerva followed Amelia into a small reception room¨Cwhich betrayed the real size of the establishment¨Cthe doors to the soundproofed boxes all along a long corridor in the back. To the left there was a bigger, heavier-looking black door; separating them from the open bar side.
Amelia went to the counter, luckily getting a box without issue. Normally you would need to reserve in advance, at least that''s what Ricardo had done the few other times he had been there.
¡°Here we are,¡± said Amelia, opening the door number 7 ahead of the group.
Minerva stepped into the room before him, Ricardo catching their reflexions in the mirror that covered most of the far wall. He hadn''t realized it before, but his sister had a resemblance to Ilaria, specially her side profile. If they ever got into VC together, he would be able to say they were siblings with a straight face.
Am I even considering it? I must be crazy.
¡°I''ll alleviate the suffering, that makes you cry,¡± sang Ricardo, the instrumentals fading out after him. He had gone for one of his go-to songs¨Csung by a former heartthrob with an unremarkable voice¨Cthus perfect for him to not ridicule himself.
Ricardo was next to Amelia in the couch in front of the screen, each of them holding a microphone; Minerva sat alone on the side. The later had bought a bottle of water from the vending machine in the hallway, with which she occupied her hands.
¡°Bravo!¡± exclaimed Amelia, clapping. ¡°That actor is so dreamy.¡±
¡°Isn''t he like 70?¡± asked Minerva, mockingly.
¡°He''s just around 40.¡± answered Amelia, indignation in her voice.
¡°It''s the same thing,¡± said Minerva, taking a gulp of her water, as if signaling the end of the argument.
Amelia and Ricardo had been trading songs all along, Minerva not checking the catalog even once. His sister seemed to be content just listening and nitpicking.
That''s not fair, is it?
¡°Amelia and I have sung enough.¡± said Ricardo, putting the microphone on the low table, in front of Minerva. ¡°Your turn.¡±
¡°I guess I should,¡± said Minerva in a small voice, taking out her cellphone to go through the song list. She didn''t take much time to decide, quickly sending it to the karaoke machine.
¡°Oh my god,¡± whispered Amelia, as the first notes of the song started playing.
¡°Shut down my heart, can''t sense a thing, when will I learn...¡±
Minerva proceeded to perform a downright awful rendition of a break-up power ballad. She began with a small off key voice, getting louder as she went along. When she got to the belting, she started crying as she sang. Ricardo stared at his sister, not knowing what to do.
Amelia, always understanding Amelia; she was already next to Minerva by the time the song finished. She held her best friend as she sobbed on her chest, patting her in the back as a mother would do.
The weep gradually subsided, Amelia raising her gaze towards Ricardo; giving him a reassuring smile. Minerva straightened herself soon after, wiping her tears with a paper napkin.
¡°Sorry about your dress,¡± said Minerva, staring at the make up stains on Amelia''s chest.
¡°Don''t worry about that. It was kinda ugly anyway,¡± said Amelia, laughing.
¡°Yeah.¡± Minerva smiled despite herself.
They stayed seated still awhile.
¡°I guess we should call it...¡± Ricardo broke the silence after a couple of minutes.
¡°No, we have time for one last song,¡± interrupted Amelia, smiling saintly. ¡°Let''s sing together.¡±
¡°Yeah, I''m okay now,¡± said Minerva, squeezing Amelia''s hand.
Amelia looked up the song and passed one mic to Ricardo¨Ckeeping the other one with her¨Cwhile side-hugging Minerva.
¡°Love is like this, since before the flowers bloomed...¡± started singing Amelia, exchanging a glance with Ricardo.
I guess I''m singing the male verses.
After Amelia finished the first verse, she signaled to Ricardo with a nod.
¡°Love is like this, since before the rain fell...¡± continued Ricardo, getting into character.
The song progressively picked up. When they got to the chorus, Minerva starting singing too, finishing with the three of them in unison.
As they were leaving the mall, Minerva walked next to Ricardo, holding his hand for an instant. He didn''t have time to startle before feeling the warmth of a half-air, half-sound whisper in his ear.
¡°Thank you.¡±
Chapter 25: The Joy of the Game
Sunday morning, when Ilaria logged into Virtual Connection, a Private Message was waiting for her. She extended her arm, deliberately pressing the button with her fingernail. Let''s see what the pretty boy has to say.
As she read the message, she laughed at herself. She had already forgotten all about the other guy she had said yes to; Rob.
Predictably, he had asked about doing a Dungeon Date together. Ah, he''s the mage dude. She might have gone with it, if Rob had been logged at the moment. He wasn''t.
Shortly after that Diana and Kyle logged in, and Ilaria forgot all about Rob again.
After a few minutes, Ilaria joined her usual party for their typical goblin grind. Well, it was mostly goblin boss farming by now; the normal ones not being any challenge at all.
The mage had been sort of pensive all along the way. She was worried about having to contact Johnny, and Minerva''s wish to meet her in-game wasn''t helping to lessen her anxiousness.
She could stall the issue as long as their party was still playing in the Goblin Encampment, maybe enough for her to get what she needed out of Johnny. On the other hand, it was obvious that they really should be grinding trolls; the only thing that kept them here was the possibility of finally getting the wand.
¡°Here we are again,¡± said a beaming Diana while staring at the golden-curtain, the One-eyed Summoner waiting on the other side.
¡°To think we were one hit away from being wiped out the first time,¡± said Kyle, wistful.
¡°I bet you are glad we took the risk at that time,¡± replied Diana.
¡°Okay, I admit it,¡± said Kyle, reddening a bit. ¡°Are you close to leveling up?¡±
¡°Yup, I should level after beating the boss,¡± answered Diana, while probably checking her character screen.
¡°Are you ready?¡± asked Kyle, turning his head towards Ilaria, concern in his eyes. I guess my worries are shown in my face.
¡°Yeah...¡± started to answer Ilaria. Beating the low leveled grunts had been so easy that her mana bar hadn''t lowered from the three quarters mark at any point.
¡°Before going in I want to say something,¡± added Ilaria, steeling herself. ¡°It''s obvious that we have outleveled this place for some time. Since Diana is leveling up after this, let''s make it our last run.¡±
¡°But you don''t have the wand yet,¡± said Diana, raising her eyes from somewhere in her viewpoint. ¡°It''s true that we could get a bit more experience in other areas, but if we are gonna do mindless grinding it''s better if we have a purpose.¡±
¡°Don''t worry about that,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°My sister used to play this game, and she just told me she would give me hers if I wanted it.¡±
Of course, Ilaria would rather not have it come to that; she couldn''t evade Minerva forever, though. Well, who knows, the wand might drop this time.
¡°Alright, then let''s make this a memorable run!¡± exclaimed Diana, going ahead.
¡°You didn''t need to refrain,¡± said Diana, laughing as she put her daggers away.
¡°No way!¡± exclaimed Ilaria, with a twinkle in her eye. ¡°I wouldn''t dare to mess up your masterpiece!¡±
The party beat the One-eyed Summoner soundly; Diana didn''t get hit at all while dueling the boss. The catgirl sported a relaxed smile all the way, like she had taken a huge weight off her shoulders.
¡°Such a pity, no wand today either,¡± added Diana, still smiling.
¡°Yeah, I did notice,¡± said Ilaria, not all that concerned about it. ¡°It would have been too perfect.¡±
Ilaria knew it meant she would need to come clean with her sister sooner rather than later, but her friend''s happiness was infectious. Besides, one part of her was excited about spending time with Minerva in Virtual Connection.
¡°Did you finally level?¡± asked Kyle, storing his lance and shield in his briefly materialized backpack.
¡°Yup, got to 20.¡± answered Diana, doing the victory sign with her fingers.
¡°You''re such a dork,¡± said Kyle, stifling a laugh.
¡°Kyle''s calling me a dork,¡± replied Diana, openly laughing.
¡°That''s how I know,¡± added Kyle, breaking into laughter too.
¡°I really want to do my class change now, so I''ll be going solo,¡± added Diana, after the laughter subsided. ¡°Dave has been waiting for a long time.¡±
¡°That will be an extreme level-gap DD,¡± said Kyle, pensive. ¡°Tell us how it goes.¡±
Getting to level 20 not only gave you access to a real class and let you join a guild, the level 20 date dungeon was the DD for most of the players; a higher leveled one being in the works for months but not yet implemented.
¡°Of course,¡± said Diana. ¡°Though, what I would really want to try is the new couple PVP system. I won''t be close to Dave''s level anytime soon, but under the tournament rules it wouldn''t matter.¡±
For the Valentine''s event, every player''s level was going to be scaled to 35. It made sense for that tournament, since they wanted the highest number of participants possible. If they started a PVP league¨Cas Kyle had said before¨Cit would certainly be different.
¡°I guess this is it for the morning grinding,¡± said Ilaria, after the conversation died.
¡°I''ll go back to Torinelo City now,¡± said Diana. ¡°But you two feel free to continue without me.¡±
It would be a pity to stop so soon. They had done the boss run in less than an hour, still being ten past ten. Ilaria turned around, showing a playful smile. ¡°Kyle, wanna date now?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± answered the warrior, not blushing as he used to, to the mage''s disappointment. He must be getting used to having a pretty, older girl asking him out for a ''date''.
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After a Dungeon Date that wasn''t all that different from the one of the day before¨Cthere were only so many ways they could improve with tactics alone¨Cthe duo decided to grind trolls for what was left from the morning. At some point Amy logged in too, joining them at the caverns.
¡°Then, is your rogue doing her class change quest?¡± asked Amy, while they were waiting for the mage''s mana to replenish.
The group was sitting in a safe zone hidden in a corner of a corridor, just before the opening where the stairs were located. It was the only room they had left to clear in the first floor of the Troll Caverns for their current run.
¡°Yeah,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°Diana hasn''t been doing DDs, so she only got to 20 this morning.¡±
¡°That explains it,¡± said Amy, playing with her daggers as usual.
¡°You haven''t met my sister yet, have you?¡± said Kyle, his eyes somewhere else in his viewpoint.
¡°Nope,¡± said Amy. ¡°But I would love to watch her play. From what Ilaria has told me, her skills are something else.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± said Ilaria, not hiding the pride in her voice. ¡°She might be just level 20 now, but she''s a veteran.¡±
¡°She had a level 50 character before,¡± added Kyle. ¡°And her boyfriend is still at max level; they might be dungeon dating right now.¡±
¡°I wonder how would that work,¡± said Ilaria, unintentionally remembering something she didn''t want to. Johnny was level 50 after all; she might be able to experience it if things go well. And she still hadn''t contacted him.
¡°By the way, shouldn''t you be logging out soon?¡± asked Amy, flashing a knowing smile at the mage.
¡°It''s true, I have to log out in a bit,¡± said Ilaria, surprised as she realized the passage of time.
It was Sunday, the day she was in charge of the cooking. And even if she had bought precooked pasta and sauce, the lasagna wouldn''t assemble itself.
¡°Want me to bring anything?¡± asked Amy.
¡°Nothing in particular,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°If you bring a dessert my sister will happily eat it. And then complain for it being there.¡±
¡°Your call,¡± added Ilaria, smiling conspiratorially.
¡°I''ll think about it,¡± said Amy, laughing.
¡°Are you eating together again?¡± asked Kyle.
¡°Yeah, we eat together almost every Sunday,¡± said Ilaria, smiling. ¡°And often during the week too; we live just a block apart from each other.¡±
¡°It makes sense,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Then, are you logging out now?¡±
¡°I should,¡± said Ilaria, making a pause. ¡°Lets finish with the run first; a few more minutes won''t make much difference.¡±
¡°If you say so,¡± said Amy, rolling her eyes.
The last room of the first level of the Troll Caverns was a mostly rectangular opening in the rock, dotted by a bright yellow crystal formation; although most of the illumination came from a huge bonfire. A rumble of water could be heard from the stairs descending towards the second level.
Concerning the enemies, it had eight troll grunts¨Cdivided in two groups of four¨Cone by the entrance; and one in the far corner, behind the bonfire. That second group was kinda hard to spot¨CAmy had told them how she missed it the first time with her old party¨Calthough the combat plan didn''t change from their usual once you knew it was there.
Kyle entered the room running, Ilaria close behind him. There was no need to wait for the tank to Taunt the trolls, since there weren''t any ranged menaces.
As soon as Ilaria had a line of sight, she started spamming fireballs towards the closer troll quartet. Although the trolls had several levels over the goblins, the first level of the caverns was way easier; melee only enemies made for a straightforward approach.
Kyle remained always in front of her, not letting any troll retaliate as they were being systematically burned in their place. The mage just needed to pace her mana, so she would have enough to heal her tank if the need arose. Amy¨Cwho wasn''t officially part of the party¨Chad been sent to check on the other group, telling them of their movements.
¡°Incoming, 9, no, 10 o''clock from Kyle,¡± said Amy to the mage by Private Chat.
¡°Thank you,¡± said Ilaria.
¡°Kyle, incoming 10 o''clock.¡±
By the time the second group got around the bonfire, Kyle was finishing the last troll from the first group. Ilaria, behind him, stretched her arm towards his neck¨Cher usual spot¨Ctopping the warrior''s HP bar ahead of the last encounter.
From the couple of runs they had already done at the caverns, they knew things were close to being wrapped up. Ilaria didn''t have too much mana left, so she couldn''t spam fireballs like with the first group. It didn''t matter. Kyle did rounds around the trolls; giving her time to finish them with Force bolts, and the occasional Mana bolt whenever her mana allowed.
¡°That was good,¡± said Kyle storing his weapons. ¡°I guess you should go now.¡±
¡°Yeah, I should go,¡± said Ilaria, storing her staff in her handbag.
¡°Yup, she should go,¡± said Amy smiling. ¡°She''s cooking today.¡±
¡°Oh, what are you making?¡± asked Kyle, stopping what he was doing.
¡°White sauce lasagna,¡± answered Ilaria. ¡°I bought ready-to-use sauce, but I need to layer it and put it in the oven.¡±
¡°Anyway, I got to go,¡± said Ilaria, smiling. ¡°See you!¡±
Ricardo logged off half past noon, leaving the VR machine in a hurry; he needed to put the lasagna in the oven soon, or it wouldn''t be ready for their usual lunch time.
As he layered the pasta, cheese, bacon and vegetables, he wondered at what point he had became so engrossed with Virtual Connection. So much that he was regularly catching himself playing for a little bit longer, and then running because it had gotten late.
It''s just for the summer, and only because of the plan; when University starts again, gaming is over.
Amelia arrived ten minutes to 2pm, just as Ricardo was descending the stairs to give a look to the lasagna in the oven. She was dressed in the new aquamarine dress she had bought the day before, carrying a bag with a bakery logo on it.
¡°Hello!¡± said Amelia, kissing him in the cheek as usual. ¡°How''s the food? It smells great.¡±
¡°I don''t know,¡± said Ricardo, closing the door behind her. ¡°I was going to check.¡±
Ricardo left Amelia with mom¨Cwho entered the room shortly after them¨Cand went to the kitchen. Contrary to his fears, the lasagna was done on time; the mozzarella cheese on top completely melted, and perfectly golden. He let out a sigh of relief¨Ctaking a picture for posterity¨Cbefore putting on the kitchen gloves and pulling out the tray.
¡°That looks amazing!¡± exclaimed Amelia, as Ricardo entered the dinning room with the lasagna in his hands. Dad and Minerva had arrived in the time Ricardo had been in the kitchen.
¡°Spinach and bacon lasagna, I hope you enjoy it,¡± said Ricardo, putting down the tray and dividing the portions.
¡°I guess it''s fine just for today,¡± said Minerva, looking at the tray with greed.
Soon the conversation died at the table; everyone too busy eating instead. The pasta had cooked evenly¨Clike the packaging promised¨Cand bacon was always a sure bet. The ready-to-use sauce was alright; maybe he would make it himself next time. Anyway, the lasagna was a success.
¡°This is really good,¡± said Amelia, smiling as she filled her fork. ¡°You should make it every week.¡±
¡°You can''t eat like this every Sunday; do you know how many calories are in here?¡± said Minerva, looking at Amelia reproachingly.
¡°Once a week should be okay,¡± said mom. ¡°It''s not bad to enjoy food from time to time.¡±
¡°Yup,¡± said Amelia, smiling as she held eye contact with Ricardo. ¡°Seconds?¡±
Chapter 26: Meeting Expectations
Sunday afternoon, lunchtime having gone by, there was no more room for dilly-dallying. Ricardo was going to contact Johnny once and for all.
At this point the craziness of everything made itself evident. Did he really think he would get Johnny to do as he wished? Even if he didn''t have the guy in high regard, his sister had been dating him for months. He wouldn''t just fall in love with the first pretty girl he found on his way, even if she was as beautiful as Ilaria.
Originally, he had convinced Sandro with something fuzzy, like: ''We''ll meet alone and I''ll say I heard about his ex; he wouldn''t help boasting about it.'' Well, convinced was used loosely here. It was more like: ''If you really want to, go ahead; at least it''ll help you understand Minerva.''
Amelia did seem to buy the plan though, supporting him all the way. But who knows with that girl. Ricardo had been surprised plenty of times already in the couple of weeks that they had been playing together. So much that it took an effort to reconcile the Amy from the game with the teenage girl that was his sister''s best friend.
In the end, the truth was that asking Johnny about it was just a front. What he really wanted is to date him, join the tournament with him. And then, the later the better, expose himself to everyone. That would teach him, hopefully in a humiliating fashion, to not mess with a young girl''s feelings. And if it served as a lesson for Minerva too, that was a bonus.
First thing after logging in, Ilaria checked her Private Messages: nothing new. It would have been too perfect. She pondered about answering Rob first, but then stopped herself. She only had one DD left for the day, and she might use it with Johnny, if all went well.
Here goes nothing. Ilaria was gonna press the name Johnny334¨Ccurrently in gray¨Cin her friends list; when it suddenly lighted up. He had logged in. Ilaria steeled herself and pressed it anyway.
¡°Hello Ilaria, what a nice surprise,¡± sounded the pretty boy''s voice next to her ear.
¡°Hello.¡± The mage was taken aback, though she really shouldn''t had. You could check who was at the other side before pressing the button; that she never did wasn''t anyone''s fault but her own.
¡°Did you want to hear the end of the story?¡± asked Johnny. Ilaria could picture the smug smile on his face. No need to antagonize him, be smart.
¡°You did say we would meet again,¡± said Ilaria, trying to sound eager.
¡°Alright, are you free right now?¡± Ilaria could hear hints of a laugh in the guy''s voice.
¡°Yeah.¡±
Alright, this should be okay.
Ilaria thought for a minute if she should change clothes. She didn''t know what they were going to do, just that they would meet at the plaza. She finally decided to go in her red and black level 20 dress. It looked nice, and if they ended up doing a Dungeon Date, she wouldn''t need to change out of it.
Ilaria read the return scroll and was instantly teleported next to the gate of Torinelo City. There, close to the fountain, was the guy, seemingly focusing on something in his viewpoint. He wore white dress pants and a red and white checkered shirt. The highlights of his hair looked even more outrageous in daylight.
¡°Hey,¡± said Ilaria, having gotten closer, since Johnny didn''t seem to have any intention of searching for her.
¡°There you are,¡± said Johnny, still moving his fingers without really looking at her. ¡°Done.¡±
¡°What were you doing?¡± asked Ilaria. Doesn''t he know how rude he''s being?
¡°Guild chat,¡± said Johnny, finally turning in her direction. ¡°Haven''t seen it?¡±
¡°Ah, no,¡± said Ilaria, lowering her eyes. ¡°I don''t know where it is.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Johnny smiled, almost laughed. ¡°Don''t worry then; I''ll teach you later.¡±
Ilaria looked at him, not knowing how to respond. She was a little embarrassed, if she was honest to herself.
¡°For now, lets go to a more private place,¡± said Johnny, motioning her to follow.
They traveled the cobbled streets for a while, gradually leaving the city''s center. At some point Ilaria realized they were in the residential area¨Cone and two-story houses, mostly keeping with the Torinelo aesthetic¨Cclose to the hill in which the scenic overlook was located. Johnny appeared to be walking in long strides, but he was actually matching the shorter mage''s rhythm.
¡°Are we going up the hill?¡± asked Ilaria, not enduring the silence anymore.
¡°Why? Do you want to?¡± Johnny looked at her from top to bottom, stopping his gaze at her boots. They did have a small heel, to which Ilaria was already completely used to.
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¡°Not particularly,¡± answered Ilaria. ¡°Where are we going anyway?¡±
¡°If I said my house, would you be okay with that?¡± Johnny laughed.
¡°Eh, can you even own a house?¡± Ilaria was unable to tell if he had said it in jest.
¡°Why not?¡±
It turns out, Johnny did own a house in Torinelo City. A small 1-floor, 1 bedroom unit, painted in the same yellowish color that shared most of the city. Lemon yellow? Maybe; it had been some time since she had to be in charge of choosing color palettes.
¡°Let''s get in, I''ll show you the house,¡± said Johnny, opening the white wooden door.
¡°Alright,¡± said Ilaria, stepping inside first. She would never enter a stranger''s house like this in real life, even as a guy. But it was VR, and she was really curious.
The inside looked cozy, in real state agent terms. For starters, there were only two doors in the whole house; three, if you counted the sliding door towards the backyard. Everything else was in an L-shaped room, dinning room, living room, kitchen, all loosely defined. The walls were painted in a light shade of blue, to go with the white of most of the furniture.
¡°What do you think?¡± asked Johnny, as he went around, stepping on the white ceramic tiles that covered the floor. The house smelled new, like rubber and latex paint. There wasn''t anything on the tables, and the paintings on the walls seemed like outdoors stock photos.
¡°It looks okay, although generic; resembles a display apartment.¡± The words came out of her before Ilaria could ponder them.
¡°Got me,¡± said johnny, letting out a laugh of surprise. ¡°I haven''t changed anything yet. Actually, this is only the second time I''ve been in here.¡±
Ilaria couldn''t help but laugh too, covering her embarrassment. She had broken out of character in the most stupid way.
They still completed the round around the house¨Cwhich didn''t take much time¨Cthe total area being like 30m2, accounting for the bedroom. The backyard was empty and barren, which made sense with Johnny''s previous statement.
¡°Then, what can you actually do with a house?¡± asked Ilaria, after having seen all of the open floor. She hadn''t seen the bedroom; she wasn''t going to ask, though.
¡°Well, you can just sit around, eat, talk...¡±
¡°Just like if you sat outside,¡± interrupted Ilaria, unable to resist.
¡°Pretty much,¡± said Johnny, making eye contact. ¡°You can cook though.¡±
¡°Oh, that''s new,¡± said Ilaria, trying to put on a smile. ¡°Are you cooking for me?¡±
¡°No,¡± said Johnny, laughing again. ¡°I couldn''t; I don''t have any ingredients.¡±
¡°Ah.¡± Ilaria wondered why Johnny brought her here in the first place. Was he flaunting his money? How much did a VR house cost anyway?
Having said that, Johnny still went to the kitchen. He took a couple of plates and cups from the cupboard and materialized a brown leather shoulder-bag.
¡°Fruit or crackers?¡± asked Johnny, turning his head.
¡°What kind of fruit?¡± Ilaria had only tried apples and peaches in VC so far.
¡°Watermelon.¡±
As they ate in the small dinning table, Johnny finally finished telling his salamander raid story. He was a good storyteller, Ilaria had to admit. His hand movements and gesticulations made the story come into life.
¡°It just went boom like that?¡± asked Ilaria, covering her mouth with her hand to hide the fact that she was talking with her mouth full.
¡°Who knew the monster was even capable of that,¡± said Johnny, fixing his hair with his left hand. ¡°Trying to predict the developers'' sense of causation is a crapshoot at best.¡±
¡°Death by high speed viscera impact, it must have been hard to program that,¡± said Ilaria, laughing. ¡°I give the developers my regards.¡±
With the story being finished, Johnny taught Ilaria how to open the guild chat window. It was fairly easy once you knew it, drawing a circle with a finger in one hand''s palm. Using the floating keyboard was a whole different thing; it would take time for Ilaria to get comfortable enough to write in a timely manner.
Having hit a lull in the conversation, Ilaria thought about the next step: asking for a Dungeon Date. How could she do it nonchalantly? But first, there was a question that had been doing circles in her head since she had stepped inside. Whatever, I''ll ask.
¡°Maybe it''s rude from me asking, but I''m really curious.¡± said Ilaria, looking at the smiling guy in front of her and making a pause. ¡°How much did the house cost you?¡±
¡°That, I was wondering if you were ever gonna ask,¡± said Johnny, laughing as always. Ilaria wondered what did Johnny find so funny in her. It felt like he was mocking her at times.
¡°Answering the question, it was 500 plat hearts to win the auction, plus a hundred monthly.¡± Johnny continued, like if paying a hundred dollars a month for a few bits in a game¨Cokay, not really a few bits¨Cwhich amounted to a social housing unit, was completely normal.
¡°Really?! And you don''t even use it?¡± Ilaria couldn''t hide her surprise at the guy''s wasteful ways.
¡°The truth is, I don''t have a reason to own it anymore,¡± said Johnny, smiling in everything but his eyes. ¡°I''ll probably return it when the month ends.¡±
¡°And you''ll lose the auction payment too?¡± Ilaria couldn''t conceive how one could throw money down the drain like that.
¡°That''s right; I won the auction on December 15th, so I have less than a week left,¡± answered Johnny, not looking at Ilaria for a change. ¡°I guess that''s why I brought you here. I wanted to at least show it to somebody else before it''s gone.¡±
Ilaria stayed silent for a second. It was the first time that she had seen Johnny showing anything other than a smug smile on his face. It almost made her feel sorry for him.
¡°Since we are already together, wanna do a Dungeon Date?¡± Johnny had gone ahead and asked first, rendering all Ilaria''s pondering pointless. She just said yes while nodding, pressing the button as it appeared in her viewpoint.
¡°Let''s see, you are level 23?! I swear you were just 20 on Friday,¡± continued Johnny, after Ilaria had accepted the invitation.
¡°I do level fast,¡± said Ilaria, she the one being smug for a change.
¡°You must be good then,¡± said Johnny, changing into a plate armor and taking out his shield and spear.
¡°You''ll have to see it for yourself.¡± Ilaria smiled, welcoming the challenge.
Chapter 27: Dating Johnny
First Dungeon Date with Johnny, it was time to show off all that she had learned so far. For her goals, this was akin to an audition / job interview / reality show performance, all in one.
¡°How are we gonna do it?¡± Asked Ilaria, after having taken out her staff.
The ''go to date dungeon'' pink button had already made its appearance, but she wasn''t going to press it anytime soon. Ilaria did expect to have a strategy discussion before starting, like she had always with Kyle. So she was really surprised with Johnny''s next words.
¡°Don''t worry, just do as you do; I''ll try to cover you.¡± said Johnny, more concerned about other things in his viewpoint, not even looking at her.
This guy is insufferable, what did Minerva see in him in the first place?
Ilaria¨Cwho had restrained herself from replying¨Cpressed the button, prepared to wait. They teleported instantly.
First wave: Twenty-six nightmaned direwolves
Ilaria got startled as she heard the announcement. Twenty-six? There aren''t even that many doors. She wondered what was the max, maybe forty. Johnny looked unworried though, standing still in the middle of the ballroom. She glanced at him sideways, expecting to hear something from her partner, up until the doors opened.
Alright, if it''s going to be like this, I''ll do my thing.
Ilaria quickly scanned the room, looking for the zone with the least number of opponents. There were twenty doors, six of them having two direwolves, which were mostly in front of their current position.
¡°I''m taking the ones on the back.¡± Ilaria had affirmed, not questioned. She turned her back to Johnny and started spamming fireballs. She didn''t know what the warrior would be doing, but he was level 50, he could suit himself.
The taller-than-her wolf-like creatures noticed the source of the fireballs immediately, running towards the center. Ilaria knew it would happen, now her worry was to kill enough of them to get a clear side towards which to back up. Two down, four to go.
The mage managed to kill a third direwolf before they reduced the distance to a half. I''m not gonna make it. Ilaria was already committed to her plan¨Cshe kept shooting even though it guaranteed that she would be the one targeted¨Cshe had dealt way too much damage for the tank''s Taunt to make a difference in the direwolves'' attack priorities.
A fourth direwolf was felled before they were at jumping distance. She could hear movement behind her¨Cthe tank had probably engaged the ones coming from other directions. As the pair of aggravated direwolves jumped, Ilaria favored her right, shooting twice in quick succession. She twisted in her place, bracing for the bite that was surely coming.
¡°Run!¡±
Ilaria got startled by the male voice¨CJohnny hadn''t said anything since the Dungeon Date started¨Cbefore being pushed aside. She barely kept balance, breaking into a run before knowing what was happening. It helped that clearing a running lane had been her goal all along.
Johnny had followed her, knocking aside the direwolves as they went through the room. Ilaria turned around a few steps before the doors, watching the warrior intercepting and pushing aside the attackers just using brute force. His tanking was completely opposite to the efficiency of Kyle''s; it did help that he had over twenty levels over their current foes.
Ilaria let Johnny finish the direwolves on his own. Even though the warrior didn''t require any healing, the mage still needed to conserve mana for the next rounds. Besides, she was uneasy aiming from behind him. She didn''t know his movement patterns at all, making it difficult to have a clean shot.
Second wave: Twenty-two skinshredder hawks
¡°Should we return to the center?¡± asked Ilaria, as the announcement played.
¡°No need, stay behind me and choose one side,¡± answered Johnny, aiming upwards.
It wasn''t time to ask for an explanation, so Ilaria did as she was told and aimed to the right. She would need to trust Johnny for the one who would come from the door just behind her.
That hawk didn''t even get to squeak, before being propelled towards the back, splashing the soot-stained wall like a blood-red paint balloon. Ilaria''s surprise made her lose half of a second¨Cshe had looked upwards despite herself¨Cbut she still fireballed the rightmost hawk out of the air.
Johnny had already turned around facing their left¨Chis right hand extended in the air¨Crecalling his spear. The now-closest hawk stretched its claws, diving like a brown feathery lance. Ilaria could barely see it from over the warrior''s tower shield; there was no opening for her to make a shot.
¡°Got it,¡± said Johnny, casually bashing the hawk from the air with a twist of his tower shield. The maneuver had looked impossible at a glance.
I guess that''s the strength of a level 50 character.
Ilaria didn''t shoot again for the rest of the wave. Johnny stood in front of her, twisting and turning his shield over his head like it were a paper fan. That not only prevented the hawks from slashing with their claws, but each impact threw them back, doing massive amounts of damage.
Third wave: Eighteen ethereal nightmares
Her partner had killed all the hawks with time to spare before the next wave started to appear. Ilaria didn''t know what to do, feeling bored and useless. Nightmares were the most problematic when she dated Kyle¨Chaving enough hit points to not fall to even two fireballs¨Cso she just took cover behind the warrior and waited.
Johnny stepped ahead, putting himself just in front of the closest door, the one that had received a new coating of red. The horse-like monster materialized as Ilaria remembered, skin shimmering black, turning into foggy gas as her gaze fell through their legs.
The nightmare didn''t even have the space to charge, it just raised its almost invisible hooves at Johnny. The warrior then proceeded to thrust his spear right in the middle of the horse''s chest. The nightmare twisted on its hind legs, but Johnny stood firmly in his place, up until his foe stopped moving. He dislodged his spear like it didn''t take any effort¨Cprobably it didn''t, level 50 strength seemed superhuman¨Csilently moving in front of Ilaria, facing the rest of the room.
The remaining nightmares started charging at them in pairs, their usual pattern as far as Ilaria knew. Johnny blocked each easily and without any finesse. He did a half step towards the leftmost one, Shield bashing it and throwing it back, before turning around and hitting the second one on the side of its head. The shield did some damage, slowly chipping at the nightmares two at a time. At some point, Johnny started using his spear to finish the most damaged nightmares, one after another.
Fourth wave: Fifteen heartbroken otterflies
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Since the otterflies were airborne, Ilaria had decided to use her mana in that round. Who knows if I''ll be able to even touch what comes after; better to do at least something.
The mage raised her glance towards their door; Johnny looked at her and didn''t say anything. I guess I shall do as I do, huh?
The otterfly that she had been waiting materialized, it''s blue wings reflecting the cold candelabra light. Ilaria shoot it twice in succession, downing it before even looking to the rest of the room.
The nearby otterflies squeaked and flew to them; the ones further away ones did too, but the closest seemed more desperate. Or maybe it was just Ilaria''s impression. Otterflies didn''t dive¨Cthey attacked with teeth and claws¨Cwhich made them slower to engage. Ilaria took advantage of that, killing both the leftmost and rightmost before Johnny could block her out with his shield.
The dozen otterflies remaining were already at striking distance, trying to get to them. Johnny spun around her, fending them off with his shield. Ilaria did try to aim, but her opportunity windows were short lived.
After a handful of frustrating seconds, the mage finally could figure out a semblance of a pattern in Johnny''s movements. She wasn''t sure if it was Johnny''s, or just the otterflies forcing him to that, but it was all the same for her. Just after a Shield bash, Johnny would turn around, leaving the hit otterfly stunned for less than a second. If she aimed before the bashing occurred, she would have a clean line of fire.
Fifth wave: Twelve shadowlurker Nagas
¡°Fireball.¡± Ilaria finished the last otterfly as she heard the next announcement. She was kinda proud of her accomplishment; it would be fair to assume they wouldn''t have finished them on time without her contributions.
The mage looked sideways¨CJohnny didn''t even glance at her¨Cthe warrior setting himself in the vanguard position, ready for the next foe to cross their door.
From what Ilaria had investigated from the level 20 date dungeon, the nagas were mostly melee attackers. They could throw their tridents for a one-shot ranged attack, but they did it only after they had below a quarter hit points remaining. Anyway, they couldn''t fly, so her chances to get some shots would be slim after the tank set himself.
¡°I''ll take the one on the right,¡± said Ilaria, not waiting for a reply.
The nagas started to materialize all around the room. They were around two meters tall, legless, humanoid lizards; slithering on their fat, scaled tail. Their green-purplish scales shimmered in a disturbing way, like if they were covered by an oily sludge, reflecting light and shadows in a deliberate fashion.
Ilaria shot her target as soon as she judged it tangible enough to receive damage. She had been using fireballs exclusively and, even though she hadn''t spent any in healing, her mana was running low. Regardless, she still hit the naga twice more¨Cit being higher level than her¨Cany other attack wouldn''t suffice. Her prey fell with the third Fireball, Ilaria turning around to see Johnny finishing his first target. The leftmost naga was almost on them already, the mage taking cover behind as the warrior engaged it.
Comparing him to Kyle, Ilaria found Johnny lacking. Where Kyle would move the least possible, evading within centimeters of the blade; her current partner used big movements, trampling through his opposition instead. She wondered if Johnny was always like this, or it was just that he didn''t care about the current DD, his foes way underleveled for him.
As with the waves before, it didn''t seem like Ilaria had any chances to attack¨Cnot that she had many fireballs left anyway. The nagas being landbound, her line of fire was almost always blocked by the warrior and his tower shield. Not having anything better to do, she observed the tank and waited for a chance.
Johnny kept spinning in a half-circle, the door¨Cand Ilaria¨Cat his back. He blocked with both shield and spear, the former being the most damaging one. So much that she wondered if the warrior would be better served wielding two shields instead of the spear.
When Ilaria thought she might have figured the pattern, everything changed. After chipping at their hit points for a while, Johnny seemed to switch towards the offensive. When the next naga thrust with its trident, he didn''t block it, but made a half-step forward. The naga''s weapon missed him over his right shoulder, his didn''t. Johnny pierced the naga''s scaled chest, dark green blood oozing from the wound. As he turned around to block a different attack¨Cdislodging his spear in the process¨Cthe naga fell to the floor, dematerializing on its way.
After the change of pattern, Ilaria wasn''t completely covered in the back anymore. It didn''t matter, the nagas had received enough damage from Johnny to ignore the mage without any effort on her part.
Sixth wave: Ten spiteful Salamanders
From what Ilaria could recall, the salamanders were semi-melee attackers, their firebreath having a range of about 2 meters. In practical terms, it meant that, what had been half way through in other waves, was already in the line of fire for them.
Johnny still engaged with the four remaining nagas, Ilaria quickly decided to run towards the center. There was no way she could finish the salamander that would appear behind her, already in firebreath range from minute one.
¡°Don''t shoot,¡± said Johnny, as Ilaria passed by his side. I guess I shouldn''t, but then what am I to do?
Johnny finished two nagas in quick succession, before having to engage with a salamander too. The first firebreath had surprised him, only being blocked halfway. The warrior''s HP bar decreased in a noticeable amount for the first time. After the fire subsided, he spun, intercepting a naga in the last second. He killed it, receiving a slash to his shoulder in return.
Ilaria could see how the salamander raised its head, preparing for another attack. She was going to shout, before noticing Johnny turning around to meet the fire with his shield. At this point every other salamander was close to attack range towards her.
I wonder how it feels being cooked alive in one go.
Suddenly, Ilaria noticed movement from the corner of her eye. The last naga hadn''t approached Johnny, it was preparing to throw. She quickly took a decision. I''m a goner anyway. Disregarding Johnny''s instructions, she pointed her staff and fireballed the naga.
The naga fell in a heap of fire, the room warming up in a blast of light and embers as it happened. No, the room wasn''t the one lighting up. It was her.
If one had to choose how to die inside a VR game, being burned to death wasn''t the worst by far. It even felt pleasurable at first¨Clike being inside a scalding water bath¨Cbefore turning into the dull, uncomfortable ache of sunburned skin.
And then she was just there, like inside a transparent sphere, from which she could move her viewpoint 360o towards the room. It felt weird. The times she had died before in a DD, she had been teleported instantly outside the room. It was the first time she had been killed before her partner.
Seventh wave: Eight stillhearted Gargoyles
Johnny had finished the first salamander without any issue, not being faced at all by his partner''s demise. And without anyone to protect, he went on the offensive. The warrior killed three salamanders one after the other¨Cnot minding being singed a bit in the process¨Cbefore the gargoyles made their appearance.
The gargoyles were imp-like, gray stone monsters; their face set in a eerie grin, their bodies crisscrossed by purplish crack lines from their head to the tips of their wings. Johnny didn''t pay them much attention, going around killing salamanders.
The winged monsters dived like the hawks, clawing at the warrior''s heavy plate. Ilaria was sure that the armor had been rendered useless by now, not falling in chunks just because it was a DD. Johnny didn''t seem to feel the injures at all, killing the salamanders in turn. The mage knew it to be a lie, the warrior''s HP bar being decreased as each new red line was drawn by the claws on his back.
Johnny had a grin of satisfaction as the last salamander dissipated. He didn''t even try to block the next attack, two gargoyles clawing him in a pincer attack. He smiled towards nowhere and fell.
The pair reappeared in front of Johnny''s house, under the darkening sky of Torinelo city. Being in the residential area, Ilaria couldn''t see anyone on the street at all, like if the two of them were still in a private instance together.
To say that Ilaria hadn''t liked the Dungeon Date would be an understatement. She hated it. Having a level 23 and level 50 player do a dungeon together was pointless in the first place. Not that two max level characters would find it much better¨Cas far as she could tell¨Cthe scaled number of enemies being a crude attempt to make it at least somewhat engaging.
¡°Did you level?¡± asked Johnny, reappearing in his plate armor as if nothing had happened.
¡°Ah, I don''t think so.¡± Ilaria was surprised at the question; Johnny had barely talked to her while in the DD. She had just gotten to 23 in her last date with Kyle, so leveling was out of the question. She still opened her stat window on her viewpoint, noticing a big increase in her progress bar. It left her wondering how was the experience calculated.
¡°You surprised me,¡± said Johnny, showing her a non-smug smile. Or it was maybe her imagination.
¡°You are good, for not having a One-eyed Wand,¡± added Johnny, deflating Ilaria''s mood instantly.
You aren''t too bad either, as long as you have at least ten levels over your target.
¡°I have been there; no luck yet.¡± The mage restrained herself from saying more.
¡°I''m leaving now, I guess I''ll see you on Friday,¡± said Johnny, winking at her.
¡°See you.¡± Ilaria resisted until the last trace of him dissipated before scowling.
Chapter 28: Sister?!
Monday morning, it was time for the weekly debrief with Amy at the Barista Caf¨¦. Or at least it had felt like that, being interrogated by the elf while sipping cold drinks. And, of course, the main topic had been Ilaria''s date with Johnny. The day before she had been so angry that she logged out immediately after he left. But, recounting it for Amy, she couldn''t help noticing a few things.
¡°He won an auction for a house, just before Christmas?¡± asked Amy, just after hearing it from Ilaria. It seemed like it was an important detail.
¡°Yeah, that''s what he said,¡± answered Ilaria. ¡°He did say that it was only the second time he had actually been in there too.¡±
¡°What a waste.¡± Amy swirled her milkshake with the straw.
¡°I know, five hundred platinum hearts,¡± said Ilaria, still not capable of comprehending the fact. ¡°And to not even use it.¡±
¡°Was it meant to be a Christmas present, maybe?¡± asked Amy, raising her glance towards her.
¡°For whom?¡±
¡°Minerva.¡±
¡°But he broke up with her,¡± said Ilaria, indignation pouring out from her chest. ¡°And he started that stupid speed dating club the day after.¡±
¡°It still doesn''t make sense for me either,¡± said Amy, looking sideways. ¡°Nothing of this makes sense.¡±
¡°Yeah, starting with Minerva dating him in the first place,¡± said Ilaria, taking a big gulp from her iced coffee. ¡°He''s a self-centered jerk who enjoys flaunting his levels and money.¡±
¡°He really wasn''t like that,¡± said Amy, in a soft and paused manner. ¡°Not that I have dated him, but Minerva painted me a whole different picture.¡±
¡°The guy is insufferable. It might not count for much, but I would have left him before even saying hello in normal circumstances.¡± It was like a damn had broken inside Ilaria. All which she had been silently thinking¨Ckeeping to herself while pretending otherwise¨Cstarted bursting out from her.
¡°That really doesn''t sound like Johnny at all,¡± said Amy, using her soothing voice, like Ilaria had heard from her countless times while talking to Minerva. ¡°I would say that someone else is using his account, if that was possible in the first place.¡±
For PC or cellphone games players would share or outright sell an account. But for VR it was impossible. The VR machine had to make a neural map for you before you even used it for the first time. And that was unique for each person, akin to your login information. No one in the world would be able to get into your account, the machine wouldn''t even try to. You get into the pod; you are scanned and directed to your personal VR lobby.
They didn''t talk for a few minutes, the sound of Ilaria chomping on the ice cubes that remained on her cup filling the silence. Amy swirled her milkshake, not looking like she intended to finish it soon.
After a while, Ilaria calmed down. There was nothing to do about Johnny until Friday, he said it himself. Rather than that, there was another thing that had been on her mind for a few days.
¡°I think I''ll ask Minerva for the wand.¡± said Ilaria, swirling the last piece of ice in her cup.
¡°Really? If she logs into the game, you would need to explain her this,¡± said Amy, moving her hand as if showing Ilaria off.
¡°I know,¡± said Ilaria, feeling her cheeks warming up. ¡°Do you think she''ll take it badly?¡±
¡°Mm, it isn''t like there aren''t other players who would play an opposite sex of their own. Even with the thousand dollar payment.¡±
¡°Is it common?¡± asked Ilaria, meeting Amy''s glance.
¡°I don''t know; I don''t think there''s any data about that,¡± answered Amy. ¡°In Virtual Connection seldom someone asks about your real sex; you just assume if you aren''t told otherwise.¡±
¡°Anyway, I don''t think she''ll be mad. She might get some funny ideas, though,¡± said Amy, grinning.
¡°Better than the alternative, I guess.¡±
During lunch Ricardo had been looking for a time to spring the question to his sister, but it didn''t feel right with mom in the room. Finally, after mom went to the kitchen with the dishes, he raised his voice before his sister could flee. She was clad in gym clothes, fresh from her after-training shower; her long hair tied in a ponytail, and no make up whatsoever.
¡°Minerva?¡±
¡°Yes?¡± The teenage girl turned her head in surprise.
¡°Do you remember about the wand?¡± asked Ricardo. He glanced at Amelia, who remained seated and just smiled.
¡°Ah, from VC?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°Didn''t have any luck?¡± asked Minerva, smiling.
¡°No, it hasn''t dropped yet and we already outleved the Goblin Encampment.¡±
¡°Alright, as I said I don''t have any use for it anymore. I''ll give it to you,¡± said Minerva, going around the table. ¡°We could log in right now.¡±
Ricardo fidgeted with his fingers over the table. It''s finally happening. He evaded Minerva''s eyes, meeting Amelia''s by accident.
¡°Give me ten minutes to return home,¡± said Amelia, standing up. ¡°I''ll join you there.¡±
¡°Alright, in Torinelo''s central plaza in ten minutes.¡± said Minerva, going up the stairs. Ricardo''s eyes followed her until she was gone.
¡°I guess I should be going now,¡± said Amelia, going around the table. She gave Ricardo a tap on the shoulder before walking to the kitchen.
¡°See you there,¡± said Ricardo, nervously excited about the development.
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Entering Torinelo City''s central plaza, Ilaria could identify her sister with a glance; and not just because of the blond elf standing next to her. Minerva¨Cor Mina, her in-game handle¨Clooked exactly the same as her real life self. The same height¨Cwhich was equivalent to Amy''s with heels or Ilaria''s without¨Cthe same facial features, the long black hair tied in a ponytail. She even dressed similar, black pants and top, the later with a colorful neon print. It was a whole different weird from when Ilaria had seen Amy for the first time.
I wonder how will she take it. Amy had supposedly talked to Mina beforehand, to prepare her for the meeting.
As Ilaria got closer to the girls, she could see how her sister''s expressions cycled from surprise to recognition, and to surprise again. Ilaria glanced sideways; Amy was smiling, seemingly refraining from outright laughing.
¡°Sister?!¡± said Mina, finally articulating words. ¡°Why are you a girl?¡±
¡°Well, I wanted to try it,¡± said Ilaria, crouching in her place. She felt her cheeks warming up; at least there wasn''t anyone around to hear them.
¡°Really?! Wait, I don''t really want to know,¡± said Mina, turning around.
They walked towards the west gate in silence, Mina taking glances at Ilaria as they walked. Amy was all smiles, clearly enjoying herself.
As they emerged in the grasslands, Mina materialized her blue and brown handbag.
¡°Here''s the wand, take it,¡± said Mina, extending to Ilaria a short ruby-topped wooden wand.
One-eyed Wand
Level 19 one-handed wand
Rebound 1 (Directional, single target magic cast with this wand will bounce off the first time they come into contact with a rigid object not attached to a character or enemy)
¡°What does that mean?¡± asked Ilaria, after reading the information in her viewpoint.
¡°What it says,¡± said Mina, struggling to find the words. ¡°You can make your shots rebound like a ping pong ball. It comes handy when shooting from a covered position.¡±
That explained a lot about Johnny''s way of tanking and how Mina could play with him. If Ilaria had had the wand, their date would have been way different. In the right hands, and in the right environment, that ability was truly overpowered.
¡°How do I know what counts and doesn''t count?¡± asked Ilaria, imagining the possibilities.
¡°That''s mainly common sense,¡± said Mina, pondering her answer. ¡°This is a game after all. Anything the developers choose to make it count, will count.¡±
That wasn''t the clear cut answer Ilaria had expected.
¡°Lets go; I''ll demonstrate it,¡± said Mina, flustered.
The girls had taken out a return scroll and teleported to the Troll Caverns, by Mina''s suggestion. As they entered, Ilaria could feel the humming that must have been caused by the waterways in the floor under them.
¡°The One-eyed Wand works really well in enclosed places, like caverns.¡± Mina shoot a Force bolt towards the ceiling, which rebounded cleanly in a way you would expect if the roof over them was a perfectly smooth ceramic tile, and not rugged ''natural'' stone.
¡°The imperfections of the rock shouldn''t make it change angles in an unpredictable way?¡± asked Ilaria, in her University class mode.
¡°I guess they should,¡± said Mina, ¡°But they don''t, at least as far as I know. Lizardman caves, troll caverns, haunted grotto, dragon''s lair, everywhere works the same.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Ilaria committed it to memory. ¡°Are buildings treated like that too?¡±
¡°Yeah, mostly,¡± said Mina. ¡°As long as you point to the naked walls. If there''s a window, sometimes it''ll crack instead, the shot going through. And paintings or tapestries don''t work at all. Roof and floor works too, as long as it''s smooth, packed dirt won''t do it. Neither the garden''s soil, it has to be rock or paved.¡±
¡°Then it depends a lot on your surroundings,¡± said Ilaria, pensive. ¡°In an open field it would be useless.¡±
¡°Not really, let me teach you something dear sister,¡± said Mina, smiling confidently.
Mina materialized her handbag, taking out a small steel shield, barely bigger than the handbag had been.
¡°That doesn''t look like it would do anything to stop a troll''s fist,¡± said Ilaria. The shield looked more like a decorative covering than a shield, being so light and thin.
¡°Good that it isn''t for that,¡± said Mina, grinning.
Mina prepared herself, taking the wand in her right hand, and the shield in her left. Then, she tossed the shield spinning in the air and shot. The Force bolt rebounded cleanly in the shield''s surface and impacted in the wall opposite to the direction of the first shot. When Ilaria turned her face to see Mina, she had already the shield back in her hand.
¡°That was really cool,¡± said Ilaria, with light in her eyes. Not only it looked impressive, being able to do that would open a lot of possibilities in combat.
¡°I''m great, I know,¡± said Mina, cheeks blushing. ¡°Wanna try?¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
Ilaria received the shield from Mina. It really was as light as it looked, barely a sheet of smooth silver-colored steel with a handle in the back. The shield was a common item, without any special ability whatsoever. Which meant that the tossing all depended on the player''s skills.
It can''t be that hard.
Ilaria did try tossing the shield and shooting as she had seen her sister doing. The shield, instead of spinning, twisted in the air, and the shot passed through. Ilaria extended her left hand to receive the shield anyway.
¡°Ouch,¡± the shield fell flat on her fingers, dropping to the ground, as Ilaria heard her shot impacting the side of the tunnel ahead of them.
Amy, who had been in one side silently looking at them, laughed as she picked up the shield.
¡°I guess you should practice with the shield only for the time being,¡± said Mina, grinning at her older sister.
They stayed for a bit, Ilaria getting the shield to spin after several tries. She couldn''t catch it in the air yet, though. But she would get there eventually, for sure.
After their training session, the girls went to The Grinning Flatfish, Mina eager to eat to her heart''s content without guilty feelings. They ordered several dishes, mainly pasta, to share between them.
¡°This is so unfair. Why did you have to look like this?¡± said Mina, pouting as she finished the plate of shellfish lasagna.
¡°Sorry.¡± Ilaria looked downwards towards the plate in front of her, Parmesan crusted shrimp.
¡°Without any effort whatsoever, you look like the older, slimmer and just unequivocally prettier sister,¡± said Mina, spearing a shrimp from Ilaria''s plate and startling her.
¡°Sorry.¡±
¡°Argh, I can''t stand it.¡±
¡°Sorry.¡±
¡°Stop saying that!¡± exclaimed Mina, laughing despite herself.
After a while, Ilaria received a Private Call. It was already 4:30; Diana and Kyle were asking for her. She said she would be joining soon, since they were almost finished with their meal.
¡°Who was that?¡± asked Mina, eating a big piece of tiramisu.
¡°The guys with whom I have been partying,¡± said Ilaria, biting half a macaron.
¡°Ah, the tank and rogue,¡± said Mina.
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°I guess I''ll log out now, have fun.¡±
¡°Do you want to come with us?¡± asked Amy, smiling at Mina.
¡°It would be pointless, I''m level 50 after all,¡± said Mina, scooping the last bits of her dessert.
¡°You could just be there keeping us company. I''ll go, even if I can''t join the party,¡± said Amy.
¡°You are level 35, not that far from joining at some point,¡± said Mina, sipping cold water.
¡°Level 36 now, I had a date,¡± replied Amy, smiling.
¡°It''s the same,¡± said Mina, standing up. ¡°Anyway, I''ll go now. Maybe next time.¡±
Chapter 29: Putting the Wand to Use
After receiving the One-eyed Wand from her sister, Ilaria teleported with Amy to the Troll Caverns, eager to try the rare wand''s capabilities next to Diana and Kyle. A part of her wished Mina had come with them, but it was too much too soon for her. Anyway, she did take fairly well the fact that she was playing as Ilaria. Although, if she knew the motive, she might have thought different; the mage hoped she would never need to test that.
¡°Oh, shiny new weapon,¡± said Diana, as Ilaria took out the wand. The catgirl had recognized it at a glance.
¡°Yeah, my sister just gave it to me,¡± said Ilaria, refraining from taking out the shield. Since the rebound only worked on objects not in contact with players, she needed to throw it for it to be of any use, and she didn''t think she was able yet. Regardless, in the caverns she could use the walls, roof, even floor at her leisure. The possibilities were huge.
Going through the first floor of the Troll Caverns, Ilaria slowly got used to the new dynamics brought by the new wand. For instance, she didn''t need to time her shots taking Kyle into account. In the small cavern openings, she used the roof and walls to her advantage, so that she always had a clean line of fire.
It was a bit anticlimactic. With the addition of a Rogue class Diana and the new wand, the trolls didn''t give them any challenge. Even in the last big opening¨Cwhere the roof was high enough for being of no use¨Cleaning towards one wall was enough to make it trivial. The mage missed the interaction with her tank, how they had needed to synchronize with each other. We need a greater challenge.
¡°That was it for the first floor,¡± said Diana, storing her daggers. ¡°And I need to log out for a bit.¡±
Ilaria couldn''t help feeling disappointed. It felt like they had just started with their run. Amy, already out of Stealth mode, walked towards them from the behind the bonfire.
¡°Don''t look at me like that,¡± said Diana, smiling. ¡°I''ll be back soon and we can try the second floor; there are otterflies.¡±
¡°Okay.¡± Ilaria smiled, thinking about otterflies on fire falling from the air.
¡°Do your DD and you won''t even feel the wait,¡± said Diana, turning around to face their other companions. ¡°See you soon.¡±
The catgirl dissipated in a flash of light, leaving Ilaria with Amy and Kyle, both of them talking as they approached the mage.
¡°Diana is amazing; I feel so inadequate,¡± said Amy, with a self-deprecating smile.
¡°No, you are good,¡± said Kyle. ¡°My sister has played this game to the point of obsession; the comparison is unfair. Not that I have done a DD with her anyway.¡±
Ilaria realized it had been the first time Amy had seen the catgirl in action. Both being rogues, the elf could probably realize Diana''s proficiency at a glance. Anyway, now that they were back, the mage was itching to try the wand in the date dungeon.
¡°Should we do our daily DD while we wait?¡± asked Ilaria, when she judged Kyle close enough to hear her.
The warrior got startled, looking sideways towards Amy.
¡°Go ahead, don''t worry about me,¡± said Amy. ¡°I don''t really care about leveling anyway.¡±
Were Amy and Kyle dating? I guess they did a dungeon date yesterday, after I logged off.
The silence was uncomfortable. At this point the mage realized that, no matter how they did it, one person would be left waiting alone in the Troll Caverns.
¡°You two go first, I can go later,¡± said Ilaria, noticing that Kyle had frozen up.
¡°No, I insist,¡± said Amy, walking towards the mage.
¡°I won''t steal your date.¡± The elf whispered to the mage''s ear, tapping her on the shoulder in the process.
After what had been a couple of minutes of awkwardness, it was decided that Ilaria would date Kyle first. Soon they got back to their usual pre-DD battle prep, though the stinging sensation wouldn''t completely relent.
¡°Should we try to set out a position closer to the wall?¡± asked Kyle, eying the mage''s wand.
¡°Too close and we''ll have an enemy just behind us at the start of the round,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°Maybe we should do it as usual for this one.¡±
When she dated Johnny, they had been against the wall most of the time. But he was level 50 and could solo any foe that would come through the door at their backs. And the mage wasn''t that confident in her prowess with the rare wand either. Watching her sister, it had been obvious that she still had much to learn.
Regardless, it was time to start the Dungeon Date.
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First wave: Eleven nightmaned direwolves
The direwolves hadn''t been that challenging the first time, and with their practice and levels, they wouldn''t stand a chance¨Cthe extra one not making much difference.
Ilaria chose a side and started fireballing the enemies, trying to clear her running lane as fast as possible. Kyle threw his spear once¨Cnot able to afford more¨Cbefore setting himself back to back with the mage.
Second wave: Ten skinshredder hawks
When the announcement played, the couple had already finished the direwolves with time to spare. Ilaria set herself in front of one door, not as close as Johnny had been¨Cshe wanted space to shoot twice before the hawk would dive at her¨Cbut close enough so Kyle could cover her after the deed was done.
¡°Fireball.¡± Ilaria had already nailed the timing between the monster''s silhouette appearance and its complete materialization, shooting in the first possible moment.
The hawk squeaked and took flight towards her. Ilaria calmly shot it again, felling it in a burning bundle. Its partners on both sides took offense, coming quickly for the mage.
¡°I''ll shoot one,¡± said Kyle, turning around. If the tank threw his spear, he would need to face the rest of the incoming hawks only with his shield for one dive, maybe two. He could resist, but it would be taxing on his hit points.
¡°Don''t; let me try,¡± said Ilaria, doing a quick computation in her mind. It was just for reassuring herself; she had already calculated it while moping up the trolls before.
¡°Fireball.¡± Ilaria looked at the hawk on her left from the corner of her eye, shooting at an angle towards the curved wall in front of her. Without looking at the result, she turned slightly to her other side, shooting again to the wall, this time to her right.
As the mage heard the first squeak, she turned around, shooting the left hawk point-blank. For the second squeak, she did the same. The hawks fell one after the other in a heap of flame. The second shot had to be done directly, since she couldn''t predict the injured hawk''s reaction. Even with that, she could get rid of both foes before they could dive on her.
¡°Got them,¡± said Ilaria, showing a proud smile on her face.
By the time Ilaria had killed the three closest hawks, the rest of the wave was already firmly set to attack Kyle. They settled into their normal grinding pattern, the tank pushing a hawk with a Shield bash before the mage finished it. As such, they easily got through before the nightmares materialized.
And then their progress stopped. The nightmares were just too powerful, Kyle not being able to tank them for too long before needing healing. And they took at least three fireballs before going down, Ilaria not having the mana to account for all of them.
They still did their best, having only a couple nightmares left when the otterflies appeared. Ilaria decided to ignore the later, burning the last of her mana reserves in finishing the horses. At least they could say they beat them at last.
¡°How did it go?¡± asked a smiling Amy, as Ilaria and Kyle reappeared in the Troll Caverns.
Diana wasn''t back yet.
¡°At least we beat the nightmares,¡± said Ilaria, painfully aware that Amy probably got further than that.
¡°It went well, I leveled,¡± said Kyle, as his eyes went through an invisible screen.
They stood around in silence for a few seconds. Ilaria took the time to check her status screen; she had gotten to level 24.
¡°Want to do a DD too?¡± Kyle raised his head, looking at the rogue, who was playing with her daggers.
¡°Won''t Diana come back soon?¡± replied Amy, holding her daggers still.
¡°She should take at least ten more minutes.¡±
¡°Alright.¡±
And that was how Ilaria found herself alone in the middle of a cavern. She shot a few Force bolts in several directions, noting the deflection angles. It was as Mina had said, the rock walls acted like a perfectly smooth surface.
Then, the mage sat down, pondering how to improve their performance in the Dungeon Date. That line of thought didn''t last; the nightmares weren''t a problem that the rare wand could solve.
How does Amy do it?
She tried to imagine the elf in place of Diana¨Ca whirlwind of daggers attacking in a frenzy¨Cbut she couldn''t. Amy¨CAmelia¨Cdidn''t fit the image in her mind.
¡°Hey, did they leave you alone?¡±
Ilaria got startled, standing up as Diana walked towards her.
¡°Amy and Kyle are doing a DD.¡± The mage looked down, as if she was using her secondary display.
¡°Jealous?¡±
Ilaria froze for a second, feeling the warmth creeping up her face.
¡°Don''t worry,¡± said Diana, laughing. ¡°Kyle adores you; whenever he dated another girl, he wouldn''t stop complaining afterwards.¡±
¡°It isn''t like that,¡± said Ilaria, hoping against hope that her blush wasn''t noticeable. ¡°Dungeon Dates are just extra experience; I''m dating other people too.¡±
The mage belatedly realized that Diana was the one who didn''t do DDs with anyone but her boyfriend. I''m such a mess.
¡°Are you participating in the Valentine''s Tournament?¡± asked Diana, sitting down. The mage had wanted a change of topic desperately, but that one was tricky too.
¡°I don''t know.¡± Ilaria answered reflexively, sitting next to the catgirl.
¡°I don''t think Kyle will, unless it''s with you,¡± said Diana, glancing sideways at the mage.
¡°He could find someone else easily enough, maybe even Amy,¡± said Ilaria, more forceful than she intended.
¡°Are you participating?¡± Ilaria quickly added.
¡°I can''t; well, more like Dave can''t,¡± said Diana, her lips curving upwards. ¡°I shouldn''t say it, but he''s a beta tester for VC.¡±
That explained all the secrets Kyle had been sharing with her.
¡°He must be a really good player,¡± said Ilaria.
¡°He''s the best,¡± said Diana, smiling widely. ¡°I''m biased, but I know it''s true.¡±
Chapter 30: Into the Otterfly Nest
Going down the rocky steps to the second floor, the rumbling that had permeated the Troll Caverns kept increasing in intensity. Blue crystals dotted the walls and roof of the stairway as the only source of illumination, which paired with the ambient humidity to heighten the cold sensation. As the four people group finished descending, they walked into a clearing as big as the final first floor one had been; a subterranean river could be seen at the distance.
¡°Wait behind that rock,¡± said Diana, pointing to a wide pillar-shaped formation a few steps in front of them. ¡°I''ll go with Amy to scout ahead.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± said Kyle, leaving his position next to Ilaria. The later, whose eyes had been glued to the column-like rock, noticed the rest moving around and stepped forward, following Kyle.
¡°How is dating a rogue like?¡± asked Ilaria, now that they were waiting alone. Her eyes were looking around the stone walls and roof, taking into account the patterns and angles of contact.
¡°It''s different,¡± answered Kyle. ¡°I''m still getting used to it myself.¡±
¡°I hope Amy isn''t giving you trouble,¡± said Ilaria, smiling.
¡°Not at all; she''s good,¡± said Kyle, letting out a laugh. ¡°It''s much better than dating random girls; for sure.¡±
A few minutes later, Diana contacted them through party message. The river was narrower than it appeared at first glance, dividing the room through the middle. There were six trolls and four otterflies in total, distributed evenly between both sides. Other than that, there were several pillar-like formations dotting the room, useful for taking cover. The exit was at the other side of the room, so they needed to cross the water at some point.
¡°Ready?¡± asked Kyle, preparing to run.
¡°Yeah.¡± Ilaria smiled in anticipation.
The first troll trio had been just turning the corner, behind the next closest formation. Kyle engaged them first, pulling then towards the arch between the pillar and the wall. Ilaria¨Cwho had moved to take cover closer¨Cset herself behind the tank; working the trolls one at a time, waiting for the signal.
The mage heard the squeak before seeing it; an otterfly turning around the pillar, coming at them from behind. And being impaled by a pair of daggers, one after the other. She fireballed it as it fell, not taking any chances with the winged menaces.
¡°Next one incoming,¡± said Diana, as she ran for her daggers. Amy had been in charge of watching the second otterfly. She couldn''t use party chat, though; the other rogue relaying what the elf shared by Private Chat.
Kyle was more than able to withstand the trolls in his current position, so Ilaria focused on the space around Diana. Before the catgirl could get her daggers back, the other otterfly came from behind; flapping its wings as it descended on her, with its claws ready to attack.
¡°I don''t think so,¡± said Ilaria, letting a fireball go. She was rewarded by the squeak of her foe, as it was pushed back. Diana turned around with daggers in her hands, jumping the otterfly and slashing it into a short lived bloody pulp.
With the flying monsters out of the way, Diana went around the pillar to kill the trolls one by one. Their physical resistance didn''t help them, the catgirl only aiming for their weak points in an efficient and ruthless attack.
After finishing the trolls, they regrouped to discuss the strategy going forward. It had been easy so far since the rogue''s stealth had guaranteed they wouldn''t get surprised by the otterflies. Crossing the river would make noise and alert the monsters on the other side.
¡°We could use Amy to cross from one side of the cavern while we go through the other side,¡± said Kyle, not sounding very confident.
¡°I''ll do it if you want me to,¡± said Amy. ¡°Even if they surround me I wouldn''t die; I think.¡±
¡°No need,¡± said Diana, leaning on a pillar. ¡°We can just cross in group and take them on. Two otterflies won''t be much trouble for Ilaria.¡±
¡°If you say so.¡± The mage didn''t expect to be put on the spot, but thinking about it, she had been surrounded by otterflies in the date dungeon. And she had been able to kill at least a pair of them before being attacked.
¡°I think, no, I''m sure I''ll be able to deal with them.¡±
And she did it.
For the river crossing, Kyle went as the vanguard, followed by Diana in stealth, and then Ilaria and Amy holding hands. The later guided the mage as they crossed, letting her focus solely on the possibly incoming enemies. The water was clear, letting them see the gravel bottom. It was cold but shallow, the downstream current barely perceptible through their boots.
Ilaria noticed the shimmer of blue butterfly wings at the distance, coming from different directions, before Kyle warned them of the approaching trolls. Well, the mage didn''t need to be concerned of those, Diana and Kyle were plenty enough.
The warrior was already out of the water, preparing to engage, when Ilaria made her first shot. It had been only a Force bolt, since she wasn''t that confident in her aim from so far. The squeak confirmed the direction though, earning the otterfly a Fireball to the torso.
A tug from Amy reminded her of her second prey, the mage turning her glance and giving it a welcome Fireball. She knew it had been good without watching it, turning and shooting the first one again. After three Fireballs each, the otterflies fell in a heap of fire, still at a couple meters of distance. When Ilaria got out of the water, the trolls had already been done.
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The rest of the second floor was comprised of similarly big openings, following the river downstream. The exits switched sides as they advanced, forcing them to cross the water once in each one. The trolls were practically an afterthought, but the number of otterflies increased as the river got wider, Ilaria not able to kill them all before engaging in combat as for the first one. They still progressed steadily, only having a couple incidents, before getting into the final opening, which contained the boss room door.
¡°I''m sorry; I wasn''t thinking,¡± said Amy, with downcast eyes, as the group stood behind a pillar at the entrance of the opening.
¡°Don''t be; that bit of experience is nothing to be concerned about,¡± said Kyle, trying to be encouraging.
In the clearing just before, they had to fight seven otterflies at the river crossing. Diana and Kyle tried to engage a few to lessen the pressure on Ilaria, but they could only lure a pair. The mage was able to kill three, which left two of them free to do a pincer attack on her. She steeled herself for the clawing¨Cshe knew it wouldn''t kill her but she mourned her dress¨Cwhen Amy threw her daggers, making them reel from the impact. After that, Ilaria could finish them with Fireballs, making the rest of the combat effortless.
Nevertheless, there was a reason why Amy wasn''t participating in combat. If she was in the party, they wouldn''t get experience from the trolls because of the elf''s current level. But receiving a non-party member assistance in an instanced dungeon meant voiding their current room''s experience.
¡°It''s done; don''t beat yourself about it,¡± said Ilaria, tapping Amy in the shoulder as the elf often did.
¡°Actually, I think it''s time for you to join us,¡± said Diana, smiling widely. ¡°Trolls aren''t relevant experience-wise; otterflies are much more valuable. And here there are twenty of them; we could use another damage dealer.¡±
¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Amy, looking at each member of the party in turn.
¡°Yeah,¡± said Ilaria, holding Amy''s gaze. ¡°I don''t think we can do it without you.¡±
The first half of the cavern was quickly cleared by the now four people party. Since the two rogues could deal with any incoming otterfly, Ilaria was free to experiment with bounce shots as she assisted Kyle. She quickly realized that¨Ceven in a rocky opening with suitable surfaces all around¨Cthey still needed to be in sync with each other. Aiming without a line of sight was only possible if she knew where the enemy was at that particular time. That being said, she had already internalized her partner''s troll tanking movement pattern, easily killing them from behind the tank''s cover.
After taking out the trolls and otterflies in groups of three or four at the time, it was finally time to cross the river. The twelve trolls and ten otterflies from the other side would come at them at the moment they stepped into the water. Which didn''t mean they would all engage at the same time, since they were dispersed around the cavern.
The group prepared in their usual formation, Kyle entering the water first, and making a splash in the process. The river was deeper here, coming up to the warrior''s mid-calf, which meant over the knees for the rest of the group. Ilaria could feel the coldness seeping through her clothes, the river''s current making the advance harder than it had been upstream.
The first trio of trolls got to the river before Kyle had finished crossing. He engaged one, the rogues taking on the remaining pair. Thankfully, every member of the party had at least five levels over the trolls, making them little more than an annoyance.
Ilaria, who remained in the back, was in charge of scanning the battlefield for any blue wing sighting. As she restarted her surveillance after checking on her party members, she noticed two groups, of three otterflies each, appear from behind pillars in opposite directions. She shot a fireball to the middle of each group in succession¨Ceach trio flew close enough for the attack to get at least one of them, even at a distance¨Cbeing rewarded with the unmistakable squeak.
The otterflies accelerated their approach after being attacked, going for Ilaria, who was still in the middle of the river. She kept shooting at both groups in sequence, glancing at Kyle from the corner of her eye. He was already out of the water and engaging another troll group.
I hope the girls are getting ready to help.
The mage took out one otterfly from each group before switching to Force bolts. They wouldn''t do as much damage, but they were quicker to shoot, and they could at least slow them down. Just before the otterflies reached the edge of the river, the two rogues came out from stealth, using their daggers to get them down.
¡°We''ll take care of them,¡± said Diana, as she engaged the rightmost pair.
¡°Get out of the river,¡± said Amy, laughing as she took on the remaining group.
¡°Yeah, I''ll do,¡± said Ilaria, covering the distance to the edge.
Once on land, the mage went forward, getting in her usual position behind Kyle. He had finished half of the troll group by himself.
¡°Welcome back,¡± said Kyle, glancing at Ilaria from the corner of his eye. He then proceeded to Shield bash the remaining trolls one after the other, giving Ilaria a line of sight to finish them.
All the remaining enemies of the room were already approaching them from the front, five trolls and four otterflies. Ilaria extended her arm, topping Kyle''s hit points in preparation for the battle. The mage was confident of their chances, she and Kyle being used to worse number disparities in the date dungeon.
Ilaria started shooting the flying enemies using a combination of Force bolts and Fireballs, to slow their approach while concentrating her firepower in a single target. While she did that, Kyle was pulling the trolls towards the opening between a rock pillar and a wall, the mage following him sideways, a few steps behind.
Once Kyle settled into his intended position, the trolls weren''t any problem anymore. From the otterflies, Ilaria had taken out one, the others still following her.
Anytime now.
As Ilaria turned around the pillar, the otterflies squeaked and dived down. The rogues were back.
¡°Sorry for the wait,¡± said Amy, as she engaged one foe. Diana took another, leaving one for the mage.
¡°Alright, lets finish this up,¡± said Ilaria, spamming fireballs towards the last otterfly.
¡°Did you enjoy it?¡± asked Diana to Amy, once they had mopped up the remaining enemies.
¡°Yes. I had forgotten how it was to play in a party,¡± answered Amy, smiling. ¡°Thank you for having me.¡±
¡°Don''t say it,¡± said Kyle. ¡°You helped us a lot.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡± Ilaria didn''t know how to feel about Amy joining the party on a permanent basis. But she looked happy; it couldn''t be a bad thing.
¡°Shall we?¡± asked Diana, grinning as she pointed towards the golden door in the far end of the room.
¡°Are we ready?¡± asked Ilaria, not having any idea of what to expect.
¡°Normally we wouldn''t, at our current levels,¡± said Diana, still grinning. ¡°But we have Amy now. If we use potions, we might do it.¡±
¡°Then that''s a no,¡± said Kyle, laughing.
¡°Okay, okay,¡± said Diana, smiling as she stored her daggers. ¡°It''s kinda late anyway. See you tomorrow!¡±
Chapter 31: The Otterfly Queen
Spinning the small shield in the air and getting it back using only her left hand was easier said than done. Thursday morning, Ilaria was again at it¨Cin an exercise of perseverance¨Crepeatably throwing the shield in the plateau outside the Troll Caverns; she had been practicing for a couple of hours the last few mornings with little to show for it. She had to admit she wasn''t as physically dexterous as her sister, but at some point the movements should have gotten engraved in her mind.
From time to time, she let her glance wander towards her companion. Amy, a few meters away, was doing a complex choreography around a human-sized boulder. Daggers in hand and clad in her leather armor¨Cthe rogue was always wearing it since joining the party¨Cshe twirled and turned, thrust and slashed; her braid swaying as she moved. With her blue eyes focused on the rock in front of her, she almost resembled Diana for a second.
Ilaria shook herself off before Amy finished a set of her routine, restarting with the shield spinning practice. She kept tossing it, focusing on the image of her sister in her mind. Mina hadn''t logged again after that day, and Ilaria wanted to master the shield spin before it happened. She had her pride as the older sibling.
After another twenty minutes of throwing and picking up her shield from the ground, Ilaria got it at last. She looked down not believing it herself¨Cshe had been distracted again¨Cbut the handle was positioned perfectly in her hand. Truth being told, it wasn''t actually the first time she caught the shield. The other times, she had barely caught it in an awkward grip, though. This time it felt different, right.
I am sure of it.
And just in time, since that afternoon her party would challenge the otterfly boss at last. She was already level 27, and Diana¨Cthe lowest leveled of the party¨Cwould hit 25 before getting to the boss room. Contrary to expectations, the catgirl hadn''t pushed them to do the boss fight in the preceding days. Since then, the mage had already watched a few videos. And it was hard; the ones who beat it were full six people parties.
Ilaria kept throwing the small shield awhile, looking proudly as the sunlight reflected on the polished steel surface, proving to herself that it hadn''t been a fluke. Well, and trying to catch the eye of the blond elf nearby.
¡°Woah, finally,¡± said Amy, smiling, almost laughing, as she turned around. ¡°I should congratulate you, but after three days working on it, it doesn''t feel that much of an achievement.¡±
¡°How much time did it take Mina to learn it?¡± asked Ilaria, smiling all the same. She might not be a natural talent, but she did it regardless.
¡°She could do basic flips within the first hour,¡± said Amy, storing her daggers. ¡°She was the first mage to be able to do it in the guild, not that it''s saying much.¡±
Amy took out two pears from her handbag, tossing one to Ilaria. The later barely caught it, siting on a long, rectangular rock that they had been using as a bench. The rogue walked towards her, taking a seat by her side. They ate in silence for a bit, Ilaria glancing at the elf from time to time.
¡°What kind of training are you doing?¡± finally asked Ilaria.
¡°Image training.¡± said Amy, looking at her. ¡°It''s something Diana suggested while you were with Kyle yesterday. I have more than ten levels over her, and she still kills trolls faster than me. I need to improve.¡±
¡°Only if you want to,¡± said Ilaria, lowering her gaze. ¡°People play for different reasons; I think it''s okay to be casual about it.¡±
¡°Yes, I know,¡± said Amy. ¡°But it''s really fun to clear higher level areas. It makes you feel accomplished, doesn''t it?¡±
¡°Yeah, it does.¡± Ilaria couldn''t help smiling. She finished her pear, tossing the core, which disappeared as it touched the ground.
¡°Now that you finally mastered the shield flip, what do you plan to do the rest of the morning?¡± asked Amy.
¡°I guess I should try different shooting techniques. We should invite my sister to log in again,¡± said Ilaria, flipping the shield as she talked.
¡°Wanna show off?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°But also I could use some advice. Only this already took me so much time.¡±
¡°Anyway, I don''t feel like grinding solo and it''ll be lunchtime soon,¡± continued Ilaria. ¡°I''ll just sit here; you can keep training.¡±
¡°If that''s the case, you can help me,¡± said Amy, putting her hand over Ilaria''s.
Ilaria danced with Amy until it was time for logging out; Amy''s eyes focused on hers as she made circles around the mage. The later refrained from moving at first¨Cshe had been scared of being inadvertently damaged by the daggers¨Cbut it wasn''t possible. The game didn''t let you attack other players; the daggers had just bounced off her the few times it happened. Having internalized that, Ilaria started to move a bit, punching in a deliberate way like a troll would do.
Half an hour later, they logged out for lunch, planning to log back in after finishing eating. Amelia didn''t come to his house that day, but Ricardo still managed to convince his sister to log in again to check on his progress. It was strange having Minerva as a teacher, but it didn''t feel bad. It had been a long time since they had spent that much time together.
¡°The left hand movement should come as second nature for you,¡± said Mina, preparing to demonstrate a shot. She threw the shield and let out two Force bolts in succession, going towards different sides of a rock outcrop, right next to the Troll Caverns'' entrance. ¡°That way you can focus on aiming.¡±
¡°Okay, let me try.¡± said Ilaria, taking the wand and shield from Mina. She furrowed her brows as she tossed the shield repeatably, trying to not think while doing it. Five or six repetitions later, she finally let out a shot. It got to the shield and bounced.
¡°Great,¡± said Mina, smiling. ¡°After taking three days for spinning the shield, I didn''t think you would get it.¡±
Ilaria smiled sheepishly. She hadn''t actually gotten it, the shot going far from her intended target. That it bounced at all was proof of her aiming quickness.
The two siblings kept practicing for a long time, Amy joining them at some point. When they got bored, they sat in a circle, the elf taking out cookies and soda cans from her handbag.
¡°We are going for the Otterfly Queen today, any suggestions?¡± asked Ilaria, before grabbing a bunch of mini chocolate chip cookies.
¡°Ah, that one,¡± said Mina, taking a gulp from her cherry cola, before looking towards the rogue. ¡°Do you remember?¡±
¡°I do,¡± said Amy, looking at the distance. ¡°We got wiped out there.¡±
¡°We never tried it together again,¡± said Mina, with wistful eyes. ¡°I beat it much later, with Wanora and other players from the guild.¡±
They didn''t talk for a while, the sound of the wind, and of cookies being munched, filled the ambient. Mina and Amy looked regretful; it might have been around that time that they had stopped playing together.
The red button appeared in Ilaria''s display, taking her out of her contemplation. She answered immediately, being Diana and Kyle as expected.
¡°They are here, wanna join us?¡± asked Ilaria, without much hope.
¡°Okay,¡± said Mina, surprising the mage. ¡°I want to meet those players you have in such a high regard. And the Otterfly Queen is a major undertaking.¡±
¡°By the way, they don''t know who I''m in real life,¡± said Ilaria, lowering her gaze and raising it again. ¡°I have told them you are my sister, but...¡±
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¡°They think you are a girl?¡± interrupted Mina, staring at her sister.
Ilaria looked at Amy for help. The elf was pensive, not seeming like she was going to talk anytime soon.
¡°Alright,¡± said Mina, sighing. ¡°Let''s go meet them, big sister.¡±
¡°Diana, Kyle; she is my sister Mina,¡± said Ilaria, doing the introductions in front of the Troll Caverns.
¡°Glad to meet you at last; I thank you for looking after my big sister,¡± said Mina, bowing. ¡°She''s new in VR games and clumsy by nature; I hope she hasn''t caused you any trouble.¡±
¡°Not at all, she''s been a boon for our party,¡± said Diana, smiling.
¡°I wonder; I have never seen her in action before,¡± said Mina, laughing.
The group did a speed run through the first floor of the troll caverns, Amy joining the party for the second floor. Mina, not having access to stealth, had to stay at the entrance of each clearing most of the time. Nevertheless, she still complimented Ilaria and the rest of the team after beating the last room before the boss. The golden door, etched with trolls and otterflies figures, called to them to open it. They had resisted the lure so far, but they were going to challenge it today at last.
Diana smiled as she opened the door. Ilaria had seen it in videos already, but it surprised her the same. They came onto a rocky ridge, overlooking a huge underground lake. At their right the river splashed into a waterfall, which dropped directly onto the body of water bellow.
The cavern was huge, about three times as large as the last clearing, the roof being so tall that there none of the pillar outcroppings reached it, looking from above like scattered stone bowling pins. There were shelfs in the walls, into which countless otterflies¨Cactually Ilaria had been told there were forty, not that she could count them at that distance¨Claid in rest.
In the middle of the lake, half-covered by the impossibly clear water, laid a huge brown-furred heap. Its surface pulsed rhythmically, not giving any signal of noticing the intruders yet. And there were scores of trolls mulling around, not that they were of any importance.
There were narrow stone steps for going down the ridge, but the party wouldn''t use them yet. The trick for this battle was to not engage the Otterfly Queen until every other monster in the room was taken care of. The boss was strong, but if they had to deal with the normal otterflies on top of it, it would be hopeless.
The rogues went into stealth as Ilaria calculated her shot from behind Kyle. If she did it well, the sleeping otterflies would wake up only ten at a time, which wasn''t that hard to deal with. The mage pointed towards the closest shelf to her left, and send a fireball to the midst of the sleeping otters.
The impacted otterfly squeaked, waking up the rest of its shelfmates, suddenly a squadron of ten flying towards Ilaria. Very careful of not moving her wand towards an uncalled direction, the mage kept firing, decreasing their numbers before they were in attack range.
Seven otterflies got to the ridge, from which the rogues handled a pair each, Kyle entertaining another pair. That left one free, which dived to claw Ilaria. The mage used her shield defensively, only getting superficial scratches in her arm from the first attack.
Of course, as the otterfly was repelled, Ilaria fired it twice, one Force bolt and one Fireball. It tried to turn around, but she took advantage of the rock formation behind her to shoot while being covered with her shield. It was enough to fell it. By the time Ilaria could check on her party, the rogues had already finished their prey, and taken care of Kyle''s too.
Mina got out from behind a pillar, touching each member of the party in turn, without saying anything. She had her level 35 support module on her, letting her not only heal, but also transfer mana. It was like having free potions available.
For the second otterfly shelf it worked similar, Ilaria shot, they came, they got wiped out. The third and fourth were trickier, but Mina knew exactly where Ilaria had to shoot for the shot to bounce and get to their intended target. After clearing the normal otterflies, the group descended the stone stairs as silent as possible.
For the trolls, Ilaria took a break; Mina''s mana reserves were huge, but not infinite. The two rogues went into stealth, ambushing the trolls in pairs whenever they got the chance. For bigger groups, Kyle tried to pull them the further from the water as possible, to not risk waking up the Queen.
While the rest had their fun, Ilaria talked with Mina in Private Chat, commenting about their performance. The later was mostly surprised with Amy; it seemed like she had never been as serious as now when they played together.
It''s time for the showdown.
The group finished their last strategy meeting, walking towards the edge of the lake. The water surface was dotted with flat rocks all around, which had been used by the troll extermination subgroup to cross to the other side a bit before. Now, they would need to use them to run and evade, and attack when the opportunity arises.
The rogues, in stealth, were the closest ones to the huge sleeping otter. They had been positioned behind it, at both sides. Ilaria and Kyle were much further, directly facing the enemy. With everyone in their positions, it was only left for Ilaria to give the Queen her wake up kiss.
She looked towards Kyle, who nodded¨Che was standing sideways to give her an unobstructed view. The mage smiled, as she shot a Fireball directly to the Queen''s face. The otter woke up with a squeak that sounded more like a bear''s roar. Ilaria shot it again without much thinking.
The Queen tried to go into the water, when the two rogues jumped on it. They slashed its hind legs, before backing up. The boss turned around, sweeping with its tail. Both rogues jumped again towards the edge of the lake.
¡°Not so fast,¡± said Ilaria, shooting to the back of its head. The Queen turned around again, and got slashed again by the rogues. It roared and moved its tail from side to side. Diana evaded, but Amy got thrown a few meters away. She wasn''t in risk yet, though; her HP bar still over three quarters full. Ilaria shot again, the giant otter growling in pain. Of course, this boss wasn''t that easy. It would change to their next attack phase soon enough.
The Otterfly Queen, tired of the affronts received, pulled one of the rocks and hurled it directly towards Ilaria. She could evade it if she went into the lake, but that was the worst. The water was deep, and she wouldn''t be able to do anything until she was pulled up again. Kyle settled himself in front of her and received the impact in her place, grunting from the effort.
¡°Thanks,¡± said Ilaria, giving a Healing touch to her tank before shooting the boss again.
Diana approached the boss from its left side, evading the tail whips and using her daggers on that very same extremity, not letting it focus solely on their mage. Amy got to stand up in the rocky bottom of the lake and approached the otter in stealth, the water parting ways for her. The elf had wasted a lot of time, but she could still get something out of it.
Ilaria kept shooting and Kyle kept tanking the rocks, Diana handling the Queen''s tail, preventing her from diving towards the sharpshooting mage. They were doing fairly well, but they would need to start consuming potions soon if they didn''t start dealing more damage.
The Otterfly Queen raised itself in hind legs, hurling yet another rock towards the mage-tank tandem. As soon as the rock left its front paws, the boss let out a screech of pain. The level 37 elvish rogue had slashed the soft otter''s underbelly. It started trashing, but the elf kept moving around, thrusting and slashing as she went by. She was the highest leveled member of the party; her slashes dealt substantial damage.
Of course, Amy wasn''t Diana, a day of practice notwithstanding. At some point her luck ran out; the elf got struck by a savage kick, being thrown out of the water, impacting against a pillar formation, and sliding down to the ground.
Ilaria had a yell in her throat that she didn''t voice. She felt like running towards the prone elf, but she didn''t move. It was hard, the VR being so realistic to the point of making you forget it all was just a game. She steadied herself and tried to refocus on the battle. Amy''s HP bar wasn''t at zero; she was alright, no matter how badly she currently looked.
The boss kept trashing around even after Amy was gone. Ilaria kept shooting while Diana moved around, not even trying to attack. It was enough for the boss to focus on the rogue while the mage finished the job.
Amy stood up and rejoined the combat at some point, but the battle was already won. The elf''s attack and Ilaria''s Fireball barrage were too much, even for a high leveled boss like the Otterfly Queen. It took a lot from them though, triumph and tiredness reflecting on their faces in equal proportions.
¡°They are good,¡± said Mina, after the rest of the party had disappeared.
¡°Yeah, they are amazing players,¡± said Ilaria, feeling proud about her friends.
¡°Not only that, they are good people too,¡± said Mina, making a pause and looking at Ilaria in the eyes. ¡°You should tell them.¡±
What should she tell them was left unsaid, though Ilaria was very conscious about what Mina was talking about. The mage evaded her sister''s gaze, struggling to voice a reply.
¡°It''s your call in the end,¡± said Mina, after not getting any response. ¡°But you should think about it.¡± And with that Mina disappeared too, leaving her alone in the empty boss room.
It wasn''t like Ilaria hadn''t consider it before; it was just that Diana had assumed since the beginning and acted accordingly. At that point, she went with the flow, taking it as roleplaying practice. And, as the days passed, coming clean turned out to be more and more difficult. Ilaria never thought that she would end up getting friends in Virtual Connection in the first place.
Were they friends? Real friends?
After Diana''s breakdown and subsequent heart-to-heart, it was fair to say that at least the catgirl considered Ilaria her friend. If she knew, would she feel betrayed? It felt awful just contemplating the chance.
And Kyle, they had been dating for so long. Well, mostly dungeon dating, except for that one time. It had been fun, and a terrible mistake all the same. Would he be disgusted for having dated a guy?
Ilaria had never intended to form any real relationships in the game; she was supposed to play her role, get her revenge in her sister''s name, and disappear without trace. When had all gotten so complicated?
The troublesome pondering continued even after leaving the VR machine, making him toss and turn until finally falling asleep.
Chapter 32: Meeting Again
Friday morning, a message was waiting for Ilaria when she logged into Virtual Connection.
We can''t play this afternoon. Hopefully we''ll see you tomorrow!
She could picture Diana saying it with her enthusiastic, youthful voice. A part of Ilaria was relieved; she wouldn''t need to face the decision of outing herself or not at least for a day. Which suited her well, since she hadn''t come to any conclusion after all her pondering.
That morning was a gym one for the girls so Ilaria practiced alone, limiting herself to target training with the shield. It wasn''t as hard as learning the flipping in the first place; she could do one shot with relative accuracy before lunchtime, but sending a consecutive two in different directions like Mina was still out of her capabilities.
The morning passed by relatively fast¨CRicardo had woken up late in the first place¨Cand soon he found himself sitting in front of his sister for lunch. Minerva''s mood had improved a lot since they had that outing at the mall. She smiled while talking with Amelia, mostly about gym stuff. The later wasn''t as enthusiastic about it, but she still followed along.
¡°Did you master the shooting with the shield?¡± asked Minerva, after mom had left for the kitchen.
¡°I wouldn''t say master...¡± answered Ricardo, as he raised his head, surprised that his sister had turned to him. ¡°I''m far from doing what you showed us, but I can shoot.¡±
¡°It''s okay,¡± said Minerva, evading his glance. ¡°The more you shoot, the more it''ll feel like second nature to you.¡±
¡°It makes sense.¡± Ricardo couldn''t help smiling when he noticed his sister''s slight blush. She hadn''t been this cute in a long time.
The girls kept eating their vegetables in silence, while Ricardo made slow progress on the last pieces of potato from his plate.
¡°Are we doing the Otterfly Queen again?¡± asked Amelia, smiling as she met Ricardo''s glance.
¡°I don''t think so,¡± answered Ricardo, smiling back at her. ¡°Diana and Kyle can''t log today.¡±
¡°Bummer; I wanted to show Diana my improvement.¡± Amelia speared the remaining piece of carrot from her plate, letting it rest in her fork. She turned towards Minerva, who was munching the last bite of her meal. ¡°Do you want to log in for a bit?¡±
¡°I guess I could check big sister''s progress.¡±
Getting into VC, Mina demonstrated the spinning-shield-double-shot again. Ilaria tried to commit it to memory¨Cpracticing for a bit with her sister watching¨Cbut she would need more time to master it.
After a while, they made a pause for VR eating¨Cit was probably half the reason Mina logged in¨CAmy taking out an assortment of chocolates and flavored milk bottles. They ate as they talked about their strategy for the Otterfly Queen; they couldn''t rely on Amy getting lucky every time.
Ilaria checked the hour in her display; it was Friday, which meant a new Speed Dating Event. She didn''t feel like meeting Johnny at all, but she had done too much to quit right now. I''ll show you, pretty boy.
Soon they ran up of ideas to take on the otter boss, so Ilaria took the chance to ask something that was on her mind.
¡°What''s your strategy for the level 20 Dungeon Date?¡± asked Ilaria to her sister, as the later was putting a piece of chocolate in her mouth. ¡°I mean, taking advantage of the wand''s ability.¡±
Mina swallowed and took a gulp of her vanilla milk. ¡°Nothing much. You try to make your stand close to one door, using the wall to your advantage.¡±
¡°Makes sense.¡± It was what Ilaria had been doing with Kyle in their later DDs. Still, there was something missing.
¡°Ah, I remember,¡± said Mina, putting a finger on her cheek. ¡°If you stand sideways at the back of your tank, you can shoot flying enemies as he bashes them with his shield.¡±
¡°Oh, that sounds neat.¡± Ilaria started thinking of the possibilities. She would need to spin the shield over her head without looking at her left hand.
¡°But Kyle''s still far from being able to use a tower shield,¡± said Mina. ¡°The round shield isn''t suitable for overhead bashing.¡±
¡°Can you show me anyway?¡±
A couple of minutes before eight, Ilaria entered The Grinning Flatfish, clad in her midnight blue gown. It was the one she wore for New Year''s, when she had unknowingly met Johnny for the first time. She had opted to buy a new dress for last week''s event, but now she didn''t care. Chances are he wouldn''t recognize her; and if he did, then she could just say she didn''t remember him. He didn''t deserve a new dress.
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She went directly to the roof terrace, it being as breathtaking as she remembered; though it lacked impact the second time. And, contrary to her expectations, there were a few people in there already. She took out her nametag, pinning it over her left breast. For a second she imagined putting on her New Year''s half-mask and saying: I''m back. Of course, she didn''t actually do that.
¡°Hello,¡± said Wanora, intercepting Ilaria as she was going to order a drink. She dressed in a long silver dress, with a blue shawl over her shoulders. And she had a glass of what must have been a vodka greyhound in her right hand.
¡°Ah, hello,¡± said Ilaria, forcing herself to half-hug the Guildmaster.
¡°I''m glad to see you again,¡± said Wanora, smiling. ¡°You have been leveling really fast; wanna enter the Valentine''s Tournament?¡±
¡°Yeah, it would be nice,¡± said Ilaria, looking around. It seemed like it was going to start soon. ¡°I''ll get a drink; see you later.¡±
Shortly after ordering her strawberry daiquiri, Johnny made his appearance. And Ilaria couldn''t help letting out a laugh, which she discreetly covered with her left hand. He was wearing the shimmering black tuxedo from New Year''s.
Ilaria sat on the table, demurely sipping from her pink-colored drink, waiting for the first guy to appear. It was such a waste of time. She wondered if the other participants¨Cthe ones who were there to actually get a date¨Cwere taking advantage of the event.
¡°Hey! I know you!¡±
The exclamation of a voice she hadn''t heard in a long time made Ilaria stop her musings. She looked at the guy in front of her and smiled. It was hard to reconcile the image from what she remembered of him.
¡°We did a Dungeon Date before!¡± said Natsu, as he sat. He was clad in brown pants, yellow coat, and a white T-shirt. His hair, now black, was still short and spiky.
¡°Yeah, we did.¡± Ilaria''s first DD. It felt like so long ago, even though barely half a month had passed since. ¡°I didn''t know you had joined this guild.¡±
¡°I joined yesterday,¡± said Natsu, ¡°I had just gotten to level 20 and I was stuck with the class change quest.¡±
¡°The staves?¡± asked Ilaria, remembering that Amy helped her with that.
¡°Yup,¡± said Natsu. ¡°I was in the city looking for a party when I met Johnny. He introduced me and even gifted me some potions.¡±
It seemed like Johnny took his role as a guild officer seriously. He would help his junior members get quests or dungeon parties, and answer questions in the guild chat when available.
At least Natsu had a good impression of him.
Maybe it was because of the conversation with Natsu, but when Johnny''s turn finally arrived, Ilaria didn''t feel as much anger as before. He still was the self-centered jerk who broke her sister''s heart, but at least he treated his guildmates well.
¡°Hello, I''m glad you decided to participate again.¡± Johnny didn''t wait for a response before sitting, letting his blue cocktail rest on the table.
¡°Hello.¡± Ilaria took a gulp from her drink. She chastised herself for not having planned what to say beforehand. She had been preoccupied with other things and now she would need to improvise.
¡°Level 28 so quick,¡± said Johnny, his gaze at Ilaria''s breast level. ¡°If you don''t have the One-eyed Wand yet, I can help you find a farming party.¡±
¡°No need, I already got it,¡± said Ilaria, finishing her drink. She was stalling while thinking of how to approach the conversation.
¡°I see,¡± said Johnny, looking like he was considering something. ¡°You know, tomorrow is the last day I''ll have the house.¡±
Ilaria raised her gaze to look at him. He didn''t look so smug, more like distant. She wondered if last week''s impression had been biased on her part.
¡°I''ll cook for the first time, wanna come to try it?¡± Johnny''s question had a hint of hopefulness in it.
¡°Alright.¡± Ilaria couldn''t help but wonder what had happened during the week. It definitely didn''t feel like the same Johnny.
From there, they talked a bit about the guild while sipping on their drinks. She had already gotten the objective of the night¨Ca second date with Johnny¨Cthe question at the end of the six-minute period being redundant.
Ilaria was relaxing while drinking her fifth mojito, when her last partner for the night appeared. As he sat on the chair, the mage couldn''t hide her embarrassment.
I completely forgot about him
¡°Hello.¡± Rob finally broke the ice, looking uncomfortable as he sipped on his rum with cola.
¡°I''m sorry,¡± said Ilaria, lowering her gaze. ¡°I had a lot of things on my mind that morning; it just slipped away.¡±
¡°Don''t worry,¡± said Rob, not quite meeting Ilaria''s gaze.
¡°No, I''m really sorry,¡± said Ilaria, suddenly getting an idea. ¡°Have you done all today''s DDs?¡±
¡°Not yet.¡±
¡°Let''s do one after this?¡± Ilaria looked at him with what she hoped was an encouraging smile.
¡°Okay.¡±
The Dungeon Date with Rob went as she Ilaria had expected. He was about the same level as Amy but, both being mages, there was little that they could do about the nightmares. They killed about half of them, and resisted enough time for the otterflies to appear, but it was hopeless in the end. The game had serious balance issues¨Csome class combinations were substantially better than others¨Cno way around it.
¡°You play well,¡± said Rob, after they were returned to the cobbled streets of Torinelo at night. ¡°You remind me of Mina.¡±
Hearing that name from Rob made Ilaria pause. Of course someone like Rob would know about her sister, she having been one of the guild''s top players.
¡°Was she good?¡± Ilaria tried to not show her excitement.
¡°Yeah, I wish I had asked her for pointers when I had the chance.¡± Rob looked genuinely regretful.
¡°What happened to her?¡±
¡°Even before I joined the guild, Johnny and Mina were known as the golden couple of Torinelo City Workshops; they were always together.¡± Rob looked at the sky while slowly walking ahead. ¡°Everybody thought they would last.¡±
Ilaria tried to picture it in her mind; she couldn''t.
¡°But then, about three weeks ago¨Cthe day after Christmas¨Cshe was gone. No notice, no farewell, nothing.¡± Rob turned around, facing Ilaria. ¡°It was a shook for everyone who had thoughts of realizing VC''s promise. If even them couldn''t make it, what hope could anyone have?¡±
Chapter 33: The Second Date
Saturday morning, when Ilaria logged into VC, a pulsing red button welcomed her.
¡°Hey, wanna come for another boss run?¡± The voice of Diana sounded in her ear.
¡°Yeah, of course.¡±
Ilaria messaged Amy immediately, the elf logging in and joining them at the Troll Caverns. She didn''t say anything to Mina; it would be pointless for her to join just to follow them. And, to be honest to herself, she was still troubled by Mina''s suggestion, a little ashamed to face her sister without having resolved that.
Ilaria carried the worry on her mind during all the first floor. At some point even Kyle noticed and asked her about it. She made up an excuse and decided to forget it for the time being. One more day didn''t make a difference.
At lunch Ricardo looked at his sister guiltily, of course she didn''t say anything about it. He thought about what Rob had told him the night before, Mina and Johnny being the ideal couple everyone looked up to. No matter how he tried, he couldn''t picture it. His little sister¨Cwho he had never seen dating¨Cbeing in a steady relationship, ''married'' inside a game.
After real life lunch, it was time for the lunch date with Johnny. It had been a surprise how he had been the one who had the initiative to ask Ilaria out. Ricardo didn''t know if he would have many more chances to ''date'' him. He needed to get some results soon. Maybe he should just force the issue, ask directly about Mina and see what happens.
Ilaria, dressed in her level 7 aquamarine dress, arrived at Johnny''s house around 3 pm. He opened the door, dressed in white pants and shirt, an apron on top, and a chef''s hat on his head. He welcomed her to sit on the couch, as she waited for the meal.
¡°Alright, I''ll get started.¡± said Johnny, smiling as he took out a lot of stuff from his shoulder-bag. First came out a couple vacuum-sealed meat packages, maybe rabbit, then there came another pair, bigger and darker colored, and a third pair, which she didn''t get a good look at. Then there came assorted vegetables, something that resembled potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, tomatoes; lots and lots of foodstuffs kept pouring out of the bag onto the kitchen counter.
Ilaria looked and couldn''t put it together, she didn''t have any idea of what was Johnny going to prepare.
He took out a cutting board and a butcher''s cleaver. Then, he opened one of the meat bags and cut it into big, uneven chunks, putting it into a pot. He continued with the second one, doing it the same way. When he went to the kitchen sink to pour water directly into the pot, Ilaria couldn''t stay still.
¡°Wait!¡± She stood up and went towards Johnny. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± She had been restraining herself but she couldn''t endure anymore. Pouring water directly over the meat? Whatever it was, it would be a crime against humanity.
Johnny looked at her dumbfounded. Ilaria extended her arms, receiving the¨Cstill waterless, thank god¨Cpot from his hands. ¡°Okay, what were you going to prepare?¡±
¡°Stew.¡± Johnny smiled embarrassed.
Ilaria put the pot on the counter and made a quick scan of the stuff currently over it. ¡°What kind of stew?¡±
¡°Meat stew, like the ones the adventurers always make.¡± Johnny drummed on the counter with his fingers as he evaded Ilaria''s gaze. The mage looked around¨Cthe kitchen was lacking a lot of things¨Cnot quite sure about how to proceed.
¡°Are there any recipes for VC?¡± finally asked Ilaria, realizing she didn''t know if cooking inside the game would work like in real life. For all that she knew, maybe Johnny''s way was the how it was done.
¡°I haven''t been able to find anything,¡± said Johnny. ¡°Cooking is fairly new and only a few people have been posting about it.¡±
¡°Hmm, what did they say?¡± Ilaria had started setting the ingredients in columns, accordingly to how she would use them. It was a comprehensive assortment of meat and vegetables, but no salt, nor spices, nor any fat source.
¡°That''s mostly common sense; easier than cooking for real,¡± said Johnny, smiling sheepishly.
Ilaria felt his gaze on her, as she opened the kitchen cabinets; they were full of pots, pans, and other kitchenware, but they didn''t have any foodstuff at all. After several minutes, she gave up on finding anything, putting all the meat, including the pot, inside the fridge. ¡°Where did you buy the ingredients?¡±
¡°There''s a grocery store a couple of blocks from here. I just grabbed anything that seemed to fit.¡±
¡°Well, we still lack a lot of basic stuff. Let''s get going.¡±
In the grocery store, Ilaria went ahead directly to a shelf filled with small white containers. She picked up several dried herbs and spices, and, most importantly, salt. Passing by the meat aisle, she also took a big block of lard. Johnny followed her with a basket, receiving the stuff from her hands. When they got to the cashier, he paid for everything without complaining.
At that point Ilaria realized it would probably be the only time they would cook in the house; maybe she should have refrained from buying that many things. She had gotten a bit excited.
¡°Do you cook often?¡± asked Johnny, as they were walking back to the house.
¡°Only once a week.¡± Ilaria walked looking forward, as she planned her dish in her head. ¡°But I do like it.¡± Cooking was a very girly interest, she felt it was a safe topic to show enthusiasm for.
¡°I have never cooked before; I mean in real life,¡± said Johnny, in a subdued voice.
¡°It''s obvious.¡± Ilaria resisted glancing at him.
Back in the house, Ilaria started by taking out a stack of plastic bowls from a cabinet and the meat from the fridge; distributing them one bowl in front of each different ingredient.
¡°Alright, we should prep the ingredients first.¡± Ilaria took the meat from the pot first, re-cutting it as even as possible, before putting it in a bowl. ¡°Now, you should do the rest of the meat in similar, even pieces.¡±
Johnny followed her, opening and cutting the other types of meat. After finishing with that, they continued with the vegetables, peeling and dicing as it was proper for each one. Ilaria always liked to have all her ingredients ready before even turning on the stove.
¡°Finished,¡± said Johnny, showing Ilaria the diced potatoes proudly.
¡°Great; now we can start cooking.¡±
Ilaria took out the biggest pot of the kitchen. It was tall, made of stainless steel with a glass lid, maybe twenty liters of capacity; enough for feeding a small army. She wondered what was Johnny thinking when he bought that one. He might not have been thinking at all; she had the suspicion he had bought one of everything when he stocked the kitchen.
She directed Johnny to fill the pot a third of the way with water, threw in a couple of bay leaves, and put it to boil. Meanwhile, she scooped a big piece of lard into a pan and started frying the meat bowl by bowl, seasoning and tossing it into the water as they were done. Once she dealt with the meat, she did the same with the onion and most vegetables, asking Johnny to pass her the bowls in order. With the last bowl done, she replaced the lid on the three quarters full pot and lowered the heat.
¡°Is it done?¡± asked Johnny, as he picked up the bowls and put them in the dishwasher.
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¡°For now, it needs to simmer for an hour or so.¡± Ilaria really didn''t know how much time it would take in the game. In real life she would have used a pressure cooker, but she hadn''t seen one in Johnny''s kitchen.
¡°We could do a Dungeon Date while we wait.¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
The last DD they had done together was a miserable experience for Ilaria, but she relished the chance of showing Johnny the fruits of her week-long practice.
First wave: Twenty-seven nightmaned direwolves
Ilaria glanced at Johnny as the announcement played; he appeared to nod at her. Maybe it was the wand and shield in her hand, or his newfound respect after showing off with the cooking; but he seemed to trust her. They hadn''t discussed any strategy beforehand; she knew what to do anyway. As the silhouettes filled up, she fired fireballs towards the direwolf in front of her chosen door. One, two, three direwolves fell in succession.
¡°Start moving,¡± said Johnny, as Ilaria killed a fourth direwolf.
She didn''t question it and ran. Johnny pushed the direwolves that had been closing on her, and they safely retired to their designated side of the room.
Johnny took hold of the remaining direwolves, leaving Ilaria at the back without much to do. She started flipping her shield as she waited, until she realized something: she could shoot from behind the tank. The direwolves were as tall as the warrior, if she spun the shield high enough she could get to them as Johnny pushed them back. Besides, it was the first wave. If she failed, it would hardly matter.
Ilaria positioned herself sideways behind Johnny and threw the shield up. She kinda missed the timing a couple of times, but on her third try she shot. The Fireball went up, bounced, and she could watch it from the corner of her eye as it hit the direwolf that had been just pushed back by a Shield bash.
Johnny stood still for bit, missing the timing on another direwolf. It scratched his spear hand before he bashed it on the flank. Ilaria reflexively touched him on the neck, feeling him flinch at the touch.
¡°No need to heal me,¡± said Johnny, his voice betraying some irritation.
¡°Sorry.¡± For a second she had forgotten she wasn''t dating Kyle. Johnny wouldn''t need healing from a mere direwolf scratch.
Second wave: Twenty-three skinshredder hawks
After killing all the direwolves, Johnny positioned himself in front of the door. He hadn''t said anything but his intention was obvious. Ilaria prepared herself to shoot the ones to the sides.
A splash of blood on the wall and two felled flaming heaps later, the mage found herself back to back with the tank, as he spun his tower shield overhead.
Now is the time.
Ilaria set herself behind Johnny and she began to spin the shield and shoot. It almost felt like when she played with Kyle, hawk bashed aside, hawk shot to death, move on to the next.
They finished the wave with tons of time left. Johnny turned around, staring at her with haunted eyes; it was uncomfortable, Ilaria breaking eye contact immediately.
The rounds that followed were taken down in the same way as the hawks and direwolves; Johnny tanking at front and Ilaria shooting from the back. They were mostly silent, though the warrior kept taking glances at her. What does he want now?
Sixth wave: Eleven spiteful Salamanders
The round in which she had died the last time, Ilaria didn''t have much hopes for it. They were resistant to fire, and they could use firebreath from a distance; the worst scenario for her.
Johnny engaged the first salamander as soon as it materialized, poking it with the spear and turning around, so he wouldn''t be burned with fire at point blank. He kept moving, using moves way more complex than what she had seen from him so far.
Maybe he does have some talent after all.
Ilaria, on her part, decided to try to kill at least one salamander; using only Mana bolts. She had chosen the rightmost one, shooting it repeatably as she watched Johnny take on his prey.
Salamander number one¨CJohnny''s¨Cwas killed before the two neighboring ones closed on them, at firebreath range. The warrior went to the left, leaving the damaged one to her. She tried to flank it, but the salamander turned its head, breathing on her. Ilaria slided on the floor, evading most of the fire but still taking damage. She kept shooting as the salamander got closer. It should go down soon.
As the salamander opened its mouth, Ilaria shoot her shot. It ate it, going through its mouth and throat, it bursting seconds afterward. The mage had downed her first salamander. She turned around to check on Johnny, when she felt the heat on her, followed by a whoosh.
Ilaria turned to the other side, seeing a salamander impaled through its neck by a spear in the middle of a firebreath. She had taken so much time on one monster, that the rest of the wave was already over them.
Johnny ran towards her, fending off the salamanders as he could. They breathed on him, his HP bar declining steadily. Hers wasn''t that high either, having taken on two half-way firebreaths. They might be gone this round.
Ilaria thought how in their other date she had died early in the round and Johnny finished the salamanders alone. They had undoubtedly done better this time around, but it could end up being worse for them. That she wasn''t dead yet was a disadvantage, the tank taking damage to protect her. How ironic.
As they returned to the house, the spicy meat smell made Ilaria''s mouth water. She went directly to the stove, opening the lid of the pot and whiffing. She whirled the stew with the ladle, taking a piece of meat with it. She took out a knife and poked.
It''s tender, thank god.
Ilaria hadn''t really known how much time it would take for the mysterious meat to be done. It would have been embarrassing for it to not be good after having taken over the cooking from Johnny. She tried the salt and poured two bowls of the thick, brown stew.
Johnny smiled in expectation as Ilaria put the bowl on the table, in front of him. She sat on the opposite seat, with spoon in hand, looking at the host as he tried it.
¡°This is amazing.¡± said Johnny, almost immediately scooping a second meat piece with his spoon. ¡°Better than the inn''s for sure.¡±
Ilaria smiled as she ate. Her cooking experience did work for VR, such a pity she wouldn''t have access to a kitchen after today. There was no way she would spend the kind of money needed for a house in Virtual Connection.
They had second servings, and even a third for Johnny, but the stew seemed inexhaustible. The house would be gone after today, so they couldn''t keep it in the fridge. It felt like a pity, Ilaria had used the biggest pot available because of the quantity of ingredients Johnny had provided, maybe she shouldn''t had used up everything. It would have been faster too.
¡°Don''t worry,¡± said Johnny, materializing his bag. He took out several stacks of flimsy plastic containers, like those for takeout. ¡°These can keep food fresh for a month.¡±
They filled twenty-seven.
While putting the kitchen in order, Ilaria couldn''t help thinking of all the stuff Johnny had bought and wouldn''t ever use, starting with the kitchenware. It gnawed at her so much that she had to say something.
¡°You should take the stuff from the kitchen. It must be worth something.¡±
¡°I guess I could put it in my inventory, I do have the space.¡± said Johnny. ¡°Maybe I can give them away at the guild. Do you want something?¡±
¡°Aren''t you being way too casual about things you have spent your money on?¡± asked Ilaria, growing impatient.
¡°True; it might look like that,¡± said Johnny, smiling. ¡°I''m quitting VC after Valentines anyway. The golden hearts won''t be of any use to me.¡±
Ilaria turned around to disguise her shock. What was that? Quitting? Why?
¡°I haven''t told anyone else yet; sorry if I surprised you,¡± said Johnny, walking towards the living room area and sitting on the couch. ¡°If I told any of the long time members of the guild, they would try to change my mind.¡±
¡°And I won''t?¡± asked Ilaria, sitting in a chair sideways to Johnny.
¡°I get the impression that you wouldn''t be too sad about it,¡± said Johnny, laughing. ¡°Sometimes it feels like you hate me. I wonder why you keep seeing me.¡±
Ilaria laughed too, embarrassed at having been seen through, though it was liberating at the same time.
¡°I don''t hate you; at least not most of the time.¡± As Ilaria was saying it, she wondered if it was true. Last week she would have said she hated him for sure; now she didn''t know.
¡°I''m glad, even if it''s not true.¡±
After a while, Ilaria convinced Johnny of taking everything they could from the house before the day was over. They went through the kitchen cabinets, taking stuff and tossing it into Johnny''s bottomless shoulder-bag. Ilaria did keep some kitchenware: a pot, a pan, a set of knives and a peeler. She figured they should be able to cook over a campfire.
As they picked the house clean, Ilaria pondered about Johnny''s confession and what it meant for the plan. It was bad. Not so much for the original plan of just asking him, but for the real one. He was quitting anyway, the dating and humiliating him would be pointless. She needed to rethink everything, but she could start asking now. And she knew where she wanted to start.
¡°Why did you start the Speed Dating Club?¡± asked Ilaria, without any preamble. Johnny stopped what he was doing, turning to look at her.
¡°I mean, you''re quitting anyway, aren''t you?¡± Ilaria continued, not letting herself seem fazed.
¡°That''s obvious,¡± said Johnny, his smug smile reappearing for a second. ¡°To find a partner for the Valentines'' Tournament.¡±
Ilaria looked downwards, entertaining herself with a grater.
¡°Thought that''s a lie.¡±
Chapter 34: A Day Out in VR
Sunday morning, Amy was waiting for Ilaria at the Barista Caf¨¦. It wasn''t Monday for a change, since she had met Johnny on Saturday. They ordered their usual drinks, iced coffee for the mage and a milkshake for the rogue.
Ilaria had been thinking about what she had learned on her ''date'' ever since she woke up; and, the more she pondered, the more evident it was that her secret plan was doomed. She couldn''t fault Amy though; as far as the elf knew, it was all about gathering information. And she was doing exactly that.
Still, did Amy knew more than she had told her?
Regardless, it was pointless doubting Amy at this point. Ilaria retold all that happened the day before; the cooking and how they had taken everything they could from the house before the day ended. Maybe they could figure out something together.
¡°Did you get any new information from him? Something about Minerva?¡± asked Amy, after listening to the date''s summary.
Well, there was something.
Should she tell her? Ilaria hadn''t promised Johnny she wouldn''t; but still, she felt like she was told in confidence. Maybe... She pictured Johnny''s eyes at the Dungeon Date; it was unnerving just remembering it. She wondered if those were the same glances he had given to Mina. The words fled her mouth without thinking.
¡°Do you think they really loved each other?¡± Ilaria locked eyes with a surprised Amy. ¡°I mean Minerva and Johnny.¡±
Amy looked away. After seconds of silence, she answered in a subdued voice. ¡°They seemed to; but what do I know? I''m just an unexperienced seventeen year old girl.¡±
The elf lowered her head, hiding her hands under the table, before continuing. ¡°You know, things between Minerva and I hadn''t been so good before Christmas. When she just started dating Johnny, she was eager to share everything; even after I stopped playing regularly. But, a couple of months ago, she started avoiding the topic. At some point, she started avoiding me altogether. I can''t say that I know what was happening lately; I''m sorry.¡±
Amy avoided Ilaria''s gaze, closing her eyes as she sipped from her drink. She was acting radically different than when she had confronted him the night of the twenty-five. Now the elf looked so sad that the she couldn''t help it.
¡°Johnny''s quitting VC after Valentines.¡±
¡°What?!¡± Amy raised her head, looking at Ilaria in surprise.
¡°He told me yesterday. And, from the way he''s been acting, it makes sense.¡± said Ilaria. ¡°He''s spending money like there''s no tomorrow.¡±
Johnny was quitting without telling anyone, and deliberately wasting his game money beforehand. Well, it wasn''t so unreasonable if that was the case. As he had said, golden hearts were worthless if you were leaving VC. Even paying for the extravagant Speed Dating Event made sense in that light.
¡°You know how engrossed Minerva got with the game?¡± asked Amy, no trace of the melancholy she had shown before.
¡°Yeah, of course.¡±
¡°Johnny was even worse.¡± said Amy. ¡°I always wondered what did he do in real life. He was supposed to be attending virtual courses in an on-line program. But he never elaborated on that.¡±
¡°His life is VC, I don''t see him quitting.¡± Amy ended with a very forceful affirmation, daring Ilaria to refute her.
Maybe that''s why.
Amy probably would never understand. Ilaria kept silent, though. Trying to explain Johnny would hit too close to home. There was a time he had taken a very similar decision; long time ago, even before meeting Amelia for the first time.
¡°Maybe you should talk to Minerva,¡± continued Amy, now letting their eyes meet.
¡°About Johnny?¡±
¡°Yes. You have never actually talked to her about that.¡±
¡°But you did. If she didn''t tell you more than that they broke up, definitely, and without any chance of reconciliation; what would she say to me? I never talk to her about those things. I didn''t even know she had a boyfriend in the first place.¡± Ilaria unloaded the excuses one after the other, like if she had prepared them in advance. There was no way she was going to do it.
¡°But you have been talking with her lately. Maybe it''s time to have a heart-to-heart.¡±
¡°It''s hard; you wouldn''t understand.¡±
Talking to Minerva about those kind of things was even scarier than exposing himself to Diana and Kyle. Nevertheless, there was a lot that she didn''t know. Did Johnny always intend to quit, even before Christmas? And why after Valentines? Speed Dating?
''Thought that''s a lie.''
He was so infuriating, leaving her hanging like that. Johnny never elaborated on the statement, just that she would know soon enough.
Soon enough was yesterday!
Ricardo served tomato-based chicken stew for Sunday''s lunch. An uninspired choice, but something fast and using what was available on the fridge. It was okay, but he felt the VC stew was tastier somehow, the mystery meat being more flavorful than mere chicken. He was finishing the last bit on his plate, when he heard something that made him raise his head.
¡°Did you know Ricardo also cooked stew in VC?¡± asked Amelia, smiling.
Mom and Dad were still at the table; she was breaking the unsaid rule of not talking about Virtual Connection in front of them.
¡°Ah, that VR game you play?¡± said mom, smiling. She would always smile at Amelia, no matter what. Both Amelia and him knew that the topic wasn''t sensitive to Minerva anymore, but mom didn''t.
I guess she trusts Amelia that much.
¡°Yeah, I started playing a few weeks ago,¡± said Ricardo, stealing glances at Amelia as he smiled for his family. ¡°It turns out, you can cook inside the game.¡±
¡°I would like to try it.¡± Minerva''s voice made Ricardo turn his head. She looked excited.
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Because of Amy''s calculated comment, Ilaria found herself going up the hill of Torinelo City with Amy and Mina after finishing lunch. They would have a picnic at the scenic overlook. Stew wasn''t exactly the type of food for that; but the magical containers kept it warm until their expiration date, so the location didn''t matter. Johnny had given her half of the leftovers; she had enough for them and more.
¡°They introduced cooking a couple of months ago, when they started renting houses,¡± said Mina, going up the hill in front of them. ¡°Sadly, I don''t know anyone with one. Where did you cook?¡±
¡°A friend lent me his kitchen,¡± said Ilaria, relieved that a pulsing red button interrupted her. ¡°Sorry, a Private Call.¡±
Ilaria stopped, moving to the side of the road, letting the girls go ahead.
¡°Hey, are you free right now? There''s someone I want to introduce to you.¡± Diana''s voice always cheered her.
¡°I''ll have a picnic with Amy and Mina, at the top of the hill of Torinelo City. You could come if you want, we have plenty of food. It might not be what you expect, though.¡±
¡°That works great. I''ll meet you there in a bit!¡±
Amy and Mina were already at the top, settling for a spot in the open area, under an evergreen tree, when Ilaria finished the ascension.
¡°Diana, Kyle and another person are coming,¡± said Ilaria, as the girls set the blanket on the lawn. ¡°Lets wait for them before eating.¡±
¡°Alright.¡±
The three of them sat facing the road, over the big light blue blanket. The lawn felt cool and fluffy under Ilaria''s hands, a cool breeze blowing through her hair. The sky was bright, no clouds on the horizon. A perfect spring day, even though it wasn''t that season anywhere in the world. Amy sat in the far left, not very talkative for a change. Mina, seated in the middle, gazed sideways to Ilaria from time to time.
No, sister; I haven''t told them yet.
¡°Hello!¡± Diana crossed the last distance between them in a trot. She was flanked by two tall guys, half a step behind her. At her left, Kyle smiled bashfully, dressed in his casual clothes for a change. And, at her right, a short-haired, athletic guy in a printed black T-shirt and jeans smiled confidently.
¡°Ilaria, Mina, Amy; he is my boyfriend, Dave,¡± said Diana, half-embracing the guy.
¡°Glad to meet you at last,¡± said Dave, smiling while he looked at the girls. ¡°I have heard a lot about you.¡±
¡°We also heard about you,¡± said Ilaria, feeling Dave''s black eyes on her. ¡°Diana told us you are the best VC player there is.¡±
¡°She''s exaggerating,¡± said Dave, laughing. ¡°Well, at least I''m good enough to be hired as a beta tester.¡±
¡°That''s awesome,¡± said Mina, suddenly getting interested in the conversation. ¡°Anything you can tell us?¡±
¡°Hmm, it''s hard to go into the specifics,¡± said Dave, pretending to ponder. ¡°Let''s say I''ll have to work later. And, if everything goes well, you''ll know by Tuesday.¡±
¡°So cryptic, as always,¡± said Kyle, with a look of admiration. Ilaria wondered, it surely was different if you were the younger sibling. She didn''t think she would ever think of Mina''s boyfriend in that way.
¡°You should sit down,¡± said Amy, motioning to them. ¡°We have drinks and homemade food.¡±
¡°Oh, how come?¡± asked Diana, as she sat in the middle, facing Mina. The six were now in a circle, Kyle next to Ilaria, and Dave to Amy''s side.
¡°Ilaria cooked; in VC,¡± said Amy, as she took out an assortment of cans from her handbag.
¡°Is it okay?¡± asked Diana. ¡°We dropped on you without notice.¡±
¡°Nah, don''t worry,¡± said Ilaria, materializing her handbag too. ¡°I cooked in a twenty liter pot, there''s enough for everyone.¡±
¡°Stew?¡± Diana looked at the warm container with curiosity. It seemed like cooking was still rare in the game.
¡°This looks good,¡± said Kyle, opening his container. ¡°It smells good too.¡±
¡°I haven''t eaten player-cooked food since the time we were testing it, months ago.¡± Dave scooped a piece of meat with his spoon and bit on it.
¡°How''s it?¡± asked Ilaria, expectantly.
¡°It''s good, way better than what we came up with,¡± said Dave, laughing. ¡°You must be a great cook in real life.¡±
¡°She is,¡± said Amy, smiling.
Ilaria drank from her soda bashfully.
¡°I''ll tell you a secret,¡± said Dave, putting the container on the blanket. At the mention of the word secret, everyone stopped eating, turning towards Dave with anticipation. ¡°Virtual Connection''s engine is staggering in its realism, way beyond the competition. I have no idea how it ended up in a freemium dating RPG, from all things. Most of our work as betas is to give the okay to the modifications to make it simpler. Combat is the least realistic part of the game, by design.¡±
At first, Ilaria didn''t understand it. Why would you make it unrealistic in purpose? But then she realized the logic of it. Very few people knew how to fight for real. If combat was a perfect simulation, almost no one would be able to fight the monsters effectively. You would need to train for years, becoming a true martial artist, to be able to beat the game.
Having finished eating the stew, Dave had to go, as he anticipated before. Ilaria was left wondering about the new possible update. She would need to wait for Tuesday.
They wrapped up the picnic and the group moved as a whole to the Troll Caverns, for another Otterfly Queen boss run. This time Amy got underneath it on purpose, knowing she wouldn''t get killed from one hit. To her credit, she did last more with each repetition, reducing the time taken to kill the boss in a significant amount. Watching Amy get thrown away like a rag-doll was hard on Ilaria''s heart, but it was objectively the best move.
Afterwards, Ilaria and Amy took turns dungeon dating Kyle. Ilaria went first, leaving Amy with Diana, who was instructing her as the senior rogue. Mina logged out, giving Ilaria a concerned look as she disappeared.
I know, sister, I know.
Ilaria and Kyle''s date had gone as well as they expected. This time they not only killed all the nightmares, they also did most of the otterflies. Nagas had been a problem, though, not being able to finish them before the salamanders. The one that appeared from the door behind them took Ilaria by surprise¨Cnot that she would have been able to do anything differently anyway¨Cshe was running on fumes at that time, her mana already depleted from killing otterflies and healing Kyle.
Getting back to the cavern, Ilaria was left with Diana¨Calone, together¨Cas Kyle dated Amy. It was probably the best chance she had to come clean at last. She pondered in silence, pacing a bit, not knowing how to start. The catgirl looked at her with concern, before breaking the silence herself.
¡°What do you think, about Dave?¡± asked Diana, softness in her voice.
¡°I don''t know, he seems like a nice guy,¡± answered Ilaria, taken back from her contemplation.
They stood in silence for a few seconds, the rumble from the waterfall taking the role of a relaxing background sound. Diana''s profile was illuminated by the blue crystal light coming from the roof, as she looked towards the lake in which the otterfly boss had been.
¡°Do you think it''s possible to fall in love in Virtual Connection?¡± Ilaria had opened her mouth to say something at last, though not what her sister would have liked her to.
¡°Ah, that, I think so,¡± said Diana, being taken aback. She turned around, motioning Ilaria to sit down. ¡°Not by personal experience, though. I met Dave at school first.¡±
Ilaria sat down next to Diana, looking towards the waterfall. The rock floor was hard and cold, but not unbearably so.
¡°He was one grade above me, but we met at the VR club regularly,¡± said Diana, smiling. ¡°The time passed and I never said anything; until the night before he was off to college. Out first date was in VC.¡±
That explained why the catgirl took in-game dating so seriously. But it didn''t answer the question in the clear-cut way that Ilaria would have liked.
¡°Anyway,¡± continued Diana. ¡°I don''t think there''s a difference between VR and real life relationships. As long as you are willing to bare your heart, to close the distance, to risk getting hurt, it''s real enough for me. Maybe I''m being a hopeless romantic, but I think so.¡±
Ilaria glanced at Diana and couldn''t help feeling admiration, even if she didn''t know if she shared the same thoughts. The short girl, with the youthful face and the cute cat ears, looked wise beyond her years.
Chapter 35: An Invitation
Monday had been as typical as it went in Virtual Connection for Ilaria. She practiced in the morning¨Calone since Amelia was out with Minerva¨Cjoining with the party in the afternoon. And no, she didn''t say anything about that. She would make an excuse, but it would be lying to herself. She just didn''t want to; at least not until all the stuff with Johnny was sorted.
The red button, so small in her viewpoint, was waiting for her as Ilaria materialized in Torinelo City. Her finger hovered around it, the game unmistakably identifying the sender: Johnny. That it came Tuesday morning, the day after deciding to not out herself to her friends, was a vindication for her.
I''ll get what I need soon enough; no need to risk it now.
Her secret mission of getting Johnny to fall for her was dead, but that only meant that the plan that she pitched to Sandro and Amy was the one now. And Ilaria felt it¨CJohnny had been opening up to her¨Csoon she would know the real reason why he broke up with Mina.
And then, what? Revenge?
It all felt pointless, now that his¨Cher¨Ctrue motivation was gone. If she knew more, would it help Minerva somehow? Would her sister even want that? No, it wasn''t time to doubt; she had already gone too far to quit.
The morning''s message had been an invitation. It seemed like there was a monthly party for the Torinelo City Workshops guild, and the first one of the year would be that afternoon. By the time she was getting ready to reply, Johnny logged in, getting her to agree to go on a date before going together to the event. Sadly, that would mean she wouldn''t get to play with Diana and Kyle for the day, but the chance was too good to pass.
Tuesday afternoon, instead of beating flying otters in a cave, Ilaria¨Cclad in a new, level 30, violet and silver combat dress¨Cwaited in the plaza for her date''s arrival. She had considered asking Amy for details about the guild event, but the elf had been MIA all day long, and she didn''t feel like calling her outside the game.
¡°Wow, new dress,¡± said Johnny, approaching her. He was clad in casual clothes: jeans, shirt and jacket; though the metal accents gave the appearance of it being functional armor, by VC standards.
Ilaria was glad that her dress was being noticed. She had to solo trolls all morning to get enough experience for level 30. At this point she didn''t really need to level anymore¨Cthe Valentine''s tournament would set everyone to 35 no matter what¨Cbut she liked the recognition.
¡°Shall we do it?¡± Johnny didn''t waste any time, taking out his spear and shield.
¡°Yeah.¡±
The date had gone mostly the same as the last one. For the salamanders, Ilaria decided to go berserk on one of them, to try to kill it as fast as possible. The added stats of her new dress helped¨Cone of the reasons she wanted to level¨Cgetting to kill it with enough time to flee. Still, it didn''t make that much of a difference, though they got all the salamanders before dying.
The glances that Johnny gave her cycled from happiness, to restraint, to pain, to irritation, to happiness again. It had been disconcerting at first, but at some point the mage learned to ignore it and keep fighting.
After the Dungeon Date, they went to the caf¨¦ to have some drinks.
¡°I can''t invite you to my house anymore,¡± said Johnny, smiling ruefully. ¡°That night I almost paid for an extra month.¡±
¡°That would have been a total waste.¡± Ilaria stirred her strawberry milkshake.
¡°Maybe, but...
¡°When you quit the golden hearts will be useless,¡± interrupted Ilaria, laughing.
¡°Anyway, what I wanted today.¡± Johnny made a pause, drinking from his iced latte. His facade from the first meeting was nowhere to be seen.
¡°Yeah...¡± Ilaria raised her head, prompting him to continue.
¡°I guess you are my best option, my only option.¡± Johnny glanced at her, speaking to himself.
¡°You aren''t making any sense,¡± said Ilaria, getting tired of his roundabout ways. Johnny drank again from his latte, closing his eyes for a second.
¡°Would you go to the event with me?¡± Johnny looked at her expectantly.
The way the question had been sprung made her take a pause. It surely wasn''t what it seemed at face value. ¡°Today''s party? I thought we had already arranged it in the morning.¡±
¡°If you are okay with it, then I have nothing else to add,¡± said Johnny, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
At that point, Ilaria knew she was missing something important.
¡°Check the guild chat,¡± added Johnny, his smug smile reappearing for a second.
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Ilaria made the gesture with her hands and the guild chat window opened in the far left corner of her viewpoint. She had checked it for the last time the morning after she learned to access it. It had been flooded with trade and party requests; she wasn''t interested and had forgotten of its existence until now.
Today it had a pinned announcement.
Torinelo City Workshops Tenth Monthly Party Invitation
Theme: The Destined Couples
With Valentines just around the corner, we''ll run a party games contest among the happy couples of the guild. If you''re single, you can still come and share time with us. And, who knows? You might pair up in the end.
Date and Time: January 18th, 2028; 7pm TCT
Place: Torinelo City Workshops Guildhouse
Prize: Secret (it will blow your mind)
Organizer: Wanora009
Reading that Ilaria got the feeling that she had agreed upon something bigger than she realized. Her dumbfounded eyes met Johnny''s by accident, him smiling like he had gotten away with something.
¡°No, I didn''t sign up for that,¡± answered Ilaria reflexively. If she had time to think it out, she might have gone with it. But the perspective of being caught in Johnny''s pace again made her revolt against it.
¡°There''s no need for PDA or anything of that sort; we have just started going out together after all,¡± said Johnny, smiling. He put his elbows over the table, crossing hands as he looked over her.
¡°You know, there''s this and that. We have done DDs, but those aren''t real dates,¡± said Ilaria, getting flustered. She took a gulp from her milkshake, using the glass to hide part of her face. ¡°You know I don''t even like you.¡±
¡°We have had house dates, and you even cooked for me,¡± said Johnny, laughing. ¡°But fair enough; I can make it worth your while. I''ll leave my rare items to you when I quit; some are quite valuable.¡±
¡°Why me?¡± asked Ilaria, leaving the glass on the table, risking a glance at him. He didn''t seem to want to answer to that, picking up his glass and raising it to his lips, even though it only had ice remaining.
Pretending to be his date... It wouldn''t be too hard, would it? Definitely easier than trying to seduce him in the first place.
¡°Okay, I''ll do it,¡± said Ilaria, clenching her fists under the table. ¡°Under one condition.¡±
¡°Say it.¡±
¡°I don''t care about your rare items or whatever. I''ll go with you as your date. But, after the party''s over, you''ll answer everything I ask you; no matter what.¡±
Johnny let out a laugh that extended for tens of seconds; he bobbed his head, golden highlights reflecting the light from the candelabra. Ilaria felt her cheeks getting warmer as she hid behind the milkshake glass again. Her mind was blank.
¡°Sorry, couldn''t help it,¡± said Johnny, after the laughter had subsided. ¡°Alright, I''ll answer one question; whichever it might be, as long as it stays between us.¡±
¡°Not one; I''ll need at least five.¡± Ilaria furrowed her brow as she went through several possible questions in her mind.
¡°That''s way too much,¡± said Johnny, smiling. ¡°I''ll give you three if you also join the Valentine''s tournament with me.¡± He had ended the sentence with one of those impossible winks that Ilaria had hated so much when they first met.
¡°Deal.¡±
Minutes before 7pm, Ilaria¨Cin a sleeveless crimson gown sponsored by her date¨Cwalked into the Torinelo City Workshops Guildhouse, holding hands with a tuxedo clad Johnny.
¡°Is this really necessary?¡± asked Ilaria, as they were crossing the outside portal. She could already see the lights in the open area at the back of the building.
¡°This much should be fine, my lady,¡± said Johnny, smiling as they went through the reception area and entered the covered arena, converted into the party venue. The low volume sound of an EDM track enveloped the area.
¡°Welcome!¡± Guildmaster Wanora received them with open arms, enveloping them into a hug, her eyes stopping at their interlocked hands. ¡°You are participating in the couple''s event, don''t you?¡±
¡°I wouldn''t miss out on the fun,¡± said Johnny, winking.
¡°Go on; don''t linger at the entrance,¡± said Wanora, motioning them to advance. Ilaria couldn''t help feeling the Guildmaster''s eyes analyzing her; she was happy to be on her way.
The arena was covered by a white and blue awning, about fifty plastic chairs and their respective six-person rectangular tables all along the edges of the room. The room was about the same size as the terrace of The Grinning Flatfish, making the bigger tables feel cramped in comparison.
The couple walked towards the drinks table¨Conly an assortment of cans available, no glasses¨CIlaria taking an orange-flavored soda. As they were turning around to greet a group of Johnny''s friends, the mage caught someone from the corner of her eye: a certain blond elf that she hadn''t seen so far in the day. Ilaria''s mouth opened in surprise before a red button interrupted her thoughts.
¡°Don''t look at me,¡± said Amy''s voice through the Private Call. Ilaria involuntarily glanced at Amy, immediately lowering her gaze.
¡°Pretend that we don''t know each other,¡± continued Amy, ¡°It''s better if you don''t even talk to me.¡±
¡°But Wanora...¡± Ilaria couldn''t help pointing it out.
¡°Use text messages,¡± said Amy, sounding worried. ¡°Wanora won''t say anything.¡±
After saying that, Amy cut the call. Johnny was entertained with other people; Ilaria risked looking towards where she had seen the elf before. She crossed glances with Wanora instead, Ilaria quickly lowering her gaze. Apparently, they were seated together.
¡°Are you participating in the Valentine''s tournament together?¡± The question from the male player in front of her interrupted Ilaria''s attempt at sending a text message.
¡°Yeah, that''s the plan.¡± Ilaria tried to smile to mask her irritation, giving up on texting Amy.
¡°We are going to practice in the new Training Hall tomorrow morning,¡± said the female across from her. ¡°Wanna join us?¡± She looked mostly at Johnny, Ilaria not having talked too much. She didn''t even remember their names.
¡°In the morning will be hard for me, maybe some other time,¡± answered Johnny, without even turning towards Ilaria.
The Training Hall was probably the big update that Dave had hinted. It was a new building in Torinelo City¨Ca place to train player versus player combat¨Cwhich would be live after tonight''s scheduled maintenance. In any other circumstance it would have excited her; but, at the moment, her head was full of other worries.
Chapter 36: Guild Party
An hour had passed¨Cmost of the seats were already occupied¨Cwhen Wanora walked towards the middle of the covered arena, her magician-like, white and blue robes made her look the part of a Guildmaster.
¡°Welcome to the Tenth Monthly Torinelo City Workshops Party,¡± said Wanora, her eyes scanning the room as some people clapped. ¡°I''m glad so many people decided to come; specially the new members. I hope you are all having fun.¡±
Ilaria felt the Guildmaster''s gaze linger on her for a bit; it was surely her imagination.
¡°Being already 8pm, and knowing tonight we do have a time limit,¡± continued Wanora, all eyes of the room on her. ¡°We''ll start with today''s special event. I''ll invite every participating couple to come here, next to me.¡±
Johnny turned his head to look at her; taking her hand in his. Ilaria nodded, raising from their seat together. The mage looked around the room; several other pairs started to get on their feet. At some point her gaze wandered towards Amy; she had stood up.
¡°What are you doing?¡± Ilaria typed it as fast as she could¨Cwhich was really slow¨Cher not being used to the virtual keyboard. By the time she pressed send, Wanora was already giving the instructions for the first game.
¡°I''m participating, of course.¡± Amy''s response was fast and to the point. Despite the previews warning, Ilaria risked glancing at the elf again. She was a couple of steps to the back of Wanora¨Cclad in a melon-colored summer dress¨Canyone who glanced at the mage would think she was looking at the Guildmaster.
Ilaria had started to type another question, when Johnny interrupted her, taking her left hand and pulling her to the front. Including them, there were ten male-female teams lined up in front of Wanora. Amy wasn''t in any of them.
The first game consisted in shooting empty soda cans balancing on the head of your date. You could use your own weapon to do it; since, if you failed, the system wouldn''t let you injure another player. Wanora went through the players, setting them in their respective positions.
¡°Ilaria, Johnny, who''s shooting?¡± asked Wanora, when she got to them.
¡°I will,¡± answered Ilaria, before Johnny could say anything. She was confident in her aim, if nothing else.
The one player of each couple who would be shot at got in a line at the front of the room, their backs towards the entrance, since it was the only side that didn''t have tables behind. They were going to shoot ten cans for each couple, and the one who got the most would win. In case of ties, they would shoot in turn until one fails. And yes, all the shooters were females.
Since they were going ninth, Ilaria calmly watched how the rest of the players did. All the other participating girls were mages too, shooting Force bolts towards the top of the head of their date. Amy¨Cit seemed like she had been recruited as an assistant for the event¨Ckept handing out the empty cans from a white plastic bag she was holding in her arm.
First couple did only three cans. The girl had started well, with two clean shots, before sending one directly towards her partner''s face. It bounced harmlessly; but it had spooked her, making her miss several in a row, until finally getting another one. The second did five, which ended up being the average; the top couple getting seven.
¡°Ready?¡± asked Wanora, while Amy was giving Johnny the first can. He had told the elf something that Ilaria didn''t get to hear.
¡°Yeah.¡± Ilaria answered, taking out her wand and positioning herself behind the chalk line that they had drawn on the ground. At ten meters, it was a way easier target than the one from the mage class quest. Mina had told her later that nobody actually tried to get the bull''s eyes by aiming; people usually spammed Force bolts until they got it by chance.
Johnny winked as he put the can on his head, making Ilaria consider missing on purpose. She calmed herself and did the calculation in her head; setting the wand in the precise position.
Force bolt.
The sphere of white energy did a straight line and impacted the first can right in the middle of the cherry logo, knocking it down. The wand would move from the recoil after each shot, but it didn''t matter. As long as Johnny didn''t move his feet, her body already knew the exact place for a perfect bull''s eye.
Johnny laughed as she got her tenth can in a row. It had been so easy that she wondered why no one else could do it. Mina probably would.
The last participants of the round were the couple that had been talking with them before. The girl failed the second shot¨Cwhich would mean that Ilaria had won the first game¨Cbefore getting eight in a row. She smiled at her, which made her feel guilty that she didn''t remember their names.
¡°Nine cans, good but not good enough,¡± said Wanora, smiling. ¡°Now; can you help us a bit, Johnny?¡±
Johnny approached Amy, talking the white bag from her. The elf went towards the cross marked in the ground and stood facing the shooters. Johnny passed her an empty can, which she put over her head. Wanora took out a short, leather-hilted dagger; and set herself behind the shooting line.
Ilaria watched the development with disbelief. When Amy had said participating, she hadn''t expected that she would be part of a couple. And much less with Wanora. Johnny moved a heavy wooden board behind Amy, and stepped aside.
The Guildmaster held the dagger from the hilt and extended her right arm over her shoulder. Amy closed her eyes. Wanora moved her arm like a whip, sending the dagger flying, hitting the can squarely in the middle, and sticking it in the wood panel.
Johnny took the dagger out of the board, giving it back to Wanora, before giving Amy the second can. She set it on her head, closing her eyes again. She didn''t seem to be enjoying the game.
Wanora ended up hitting nine cans in a row. For the tenth throw, Amy opened her eyes, locking gazes with Wanora in the last second. Ilaria could feel the throw going off course even before the release. Amy flinched as the dagger impacted the middle of her forehead, bouncing harmlessly and falling down in front of her.
¡°Too bad,¡± said Wanora, picking up her dagger. ¡°Congratulations to Johnny and Ilaria, the winners of the first game.¡±
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For the second game, one player would have to use a spoon, held with their mouth, to pick up marshmallows, one by one, from a plate. Then they would turn around and move, as fast as they could without dropping it; to feed their partner, who sat at ten meters of distance. The couple who ate five marshmallows first would be the winner.
Ilaria sat next to Johnny''s female friend; Amy, two seats away from her. This time the roles were more evenly divided between males and females. Her partner was with Wanora, on the other side¨Cspoons already on their mouths¨Cwaiting for the horn that would signal the start. It was finally the chance for Ilaria to text Amy without interruptions.
¡°Why?¡± Ilaria didn''t waste time in needless letters.
¡°It was part of the deal, for helping us.¡± Ilaria risked glancing at Amy from the corner of her eye. She was looking straight ahead, as she discreetly moved her fingers.
As she was going to type a response, Ilaria noticed that Johnny was already closing on her. She opened her mouth¨Cthe spoon hovered around her lips¨Cand used her tongue to slightly push the marshmallow, before biting onto it. It was strawberry-flavored. Johnny turned around and ran back to get another one.
¡°Are you dating her?¡± Ilaria pushed send impulsively, almost instantly regretting it. She raised her head, crossing glances with Wanora, who had just fed Amy the second marshmallow, and was turning around. She heard the ping of the answer; Johnny was already in front of her. She opened her mouth, hitting the spoon with her teeth, and munched on the marshmallow.
¡°No, of course not. I''m just helping tonight.¡±
Ilaria didn''t risk looking at Amy anymore, cooling down as she watched Johnny fumbling with a marshmallow in front of her. ¡°Why didn''t you warn me about it?¡± If Ilaria had known beforehand, they could have planned for it together.
¡°Sorry. I didn''t realize you would be here too.¡±
Johnny was already at her again, Ilaria raising her head and biting into the marshmallow that was offered. He went back for more, as Wanora crossed the distance with her fourth? marshmallow balancing on her spoon. She took long, deliberate steps; the spoon perfectly leveled at anytime. Maybe being used at playing as a rogue helped with it.
¡°What else was in that deal?¡± Ilaria couldn''t help but ask; she didn''t like surprises. Amy''s response wasn''t immediate, and Ilaria had another marshmallow to focus on.
¡°Nothing that concerns you. Let''s talk tomorrow.¡±
Amy didn''t write anymore. Ilaria watched around the room; people were cheering as Wanora picked up her fifth marshmallow from the plate. Johnny fed Ilaria their fourth; even though the game was already lost, Amy eating her last marshmallow soon afterwards.
After declaring herself the winner of the second game, Wanora told the players to remove the chairs and table. Meanwhile, a pair of guys were setting up what seemed to be colored lamps. A girl drew a big cross on the ground with chalk, dividing the open area in four quadrants; then drawing a small circle in the middle, filling it up in white.
¡°For the third and final game, we''ll play balance the ball,¡± said Wanora, taking a red ball of about 10 cm of diameter from Amy''s hand. As she explained, the lamps turned on, lighting each quadrant of the room in a different color: red, green, yellow and blue.
For the game, the couple would need to keep the ball between them as they moved around. It would start blinking in a different color at random intervals, and they would need to move towards that area before it settled. The white area in the center didn''t count, and, if the ball fell down, they would be out.
Amy didn''t look at Ilaria when she came to give them the ball; it was green. Johnny took it from her hands, showing a half smile as the elf moved on with the next couple.
¡°Where should we hold it first?¡± asked Johnny, looking at her from top to bottom. Ilaria could change into sneakers; though, even with her heels, the warrior was taller than her. It probably wasn''t in their best interest to increase the gap.
¡°Forehead?¡± Ilaria had never played something like this, but that''s how she had seen it in movies.
They ended up holding the ball on top of Johnny''s nose, Ilaria putting pressure on it with the side of her head to keep it in place. The position only let them look at their respective right, so they would need to guide each other as they required.
The music increased in volume as the game started. Ilaria watched as a handful of teams moved around, two almost bumping each other, one team letting the ball fall to their chest area.
Yellow.
Their ball flickered; Ilaria knew the yellow zone was to her left, therefore Johnny needed to guide. She was still surprised when he grabbed her by the waist, slightly pushing her towards their destination.
While they moved, she could see Wanora''s team arriving to the green zone. They were holding each other like in waltz dancing¨Cthe Guildmaster guiding the shorter girl¨Cwith the now green ball nested under Wanora''s chin.
As the time passed, the ball started changing colors faster. The couples crossing in each others way seemed to be the greatest peril. There had been already a double elimination from one of such collisions.
Red.
They had gone from yellow, to red, to yellow, and back to green. Now they needed to cross diagonally through the white zone. Ilaria put his hand on the back of Johnny and guided him over. She had to evade one couple coming from the other direction, inadvertently bumping into another that was passing by their side. Their ball fell, the mage pressing against her partner to stop it. It lodged between Johnny''s upper chest area and Ilaria''s breast.
They arrived at the red zone without any more trouble, when someone who wasn''t Wanora announced that there were only five teams remaining. The music upped in tempo as the colors in the ball began to change even quicker.
Blue.
Johnny held her again as they moved; she could see another two couples double eliminating themselves as they tried to cross through the middle.
Yellow.
They hadn''t had any time to rest before moving again, Ilaria taking them towards the white zone. Going through the middle was the longest distance, the mage going in a hurry. She watched Wanora coming from the corner of her eye as her forward momentum put her in collision course. The Guildmaster smiled at her as she spun Amy around to evade. Their red ball was held between each others breasts, which seemed like an unfair advantage.
Green.
¡°Go,¡± said Johnny, poking her on the side.
Ilaria had been distracted, overcompensating by going faster. She never saw the other couple before feeling the impact on her back. She was pushed slightly forward, the ball squeezing through and falling to her waist. Johnny tried to press it with his leg but it was useless, the ball bumping and falling down.
¡°And the winner tonight is: Amy and Wanora''s team!¡± exclaimed Wanora, like she hadn''t just said her own name. The other participants clapped, seemingly content with the results. ¡°But I never intended to reward prizes to myself, no matter the outcome. The second place team, Johnny and Ilaria, will get a rare item of their choice from the stockpile.¡±
Ilaria had completely forgotten that there were prices involved. The items in question were weapons and accessories; Johnny letting her keep the price. She quickly scanned the list; she could have picked a pair of mana earrings or something like that. Yet, there was only one possible choice: the One-eyed Wand.
It was a quarter to ten after they wrapped up the game event. Both music and lighting were turned down, the arena''s awning being withdrawn and stored away. Each couple got back to their table, talking in low voices as they contemplated the sky expectantly. Ilaria watched as Wanora walked side by side with Amy, towards the far corner.
¡°Is Wanora gay?¡± Ilaria had blurted it absentmindedly, like if she was talking to herself.
¡°Is that one of your questions?¡± replied Johnny, looking at her reproachingly.
¡°No, forget it.¡±
They remained silent until the stars began to fall from the sky, the players in the room blinking out one by one.
Chapter 37: The Training Hall
The guild event had finally ended; Ricardo let out a sigh as he came out of the VR machine. Why did Amy have to be there? During the last game he had genuinely tried his best to win, temporally forgetting the reason of his participation.
It''s almost over, isn''t it?
Tomorrow evening, he would be meeting Johnny in VC, and collecting his reward. He would hopefully learn of what had happened with Minerva on Christmas. And act accordingly.
Too mentally tired to think questions, Ricardo went to sleep early.
Wednesday morning, Ricardo sat in the kitchen, nursing a cup of coffee, as he read a message in his cellphone. From Amy.
Tomorrow morning 9:30@BaristaCaf¨¦, k?
It had come late at night, when he was already tucked in his bed. He checked the phone''s clock: 9:21. Ricardo went up the stairs in a hurry and got into the VR machine.
Ilaria materialized in her red gown, outside the Torinelo City Workshops Guildhouse. She used a return scroll to move to the central plaza. A waste, but it was late. In a brisk pace, she crossed the few blocks separating her from her destination; entering the caf¨¦ only a little agitated.
The elf was sitting sideways by a window table, the light illuminating half of her face. She turned around in her chair, facing Ilaria as she approached. The mage couldn''t help noticing Amy had put on the daring V-neck she had used for their first VC meeting.
¡°Sorry for not replying. I didn''t notice until this morning and it was already late. I''m glad you waited for me.¡± Ilaria sat in front of Amy, forcing herself to look aside.
¡°That''s just like you.¡± Amy giggled as she picked up her milkshake. ¡°Are you ordering?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡± Ilaria asked for an iced coffee, to which she added two spoons of sugar. Although inside VC it was permanent spring, the hot Lima''s summer made her crave the ice. They had remained silent in the time her order was fulfilled, the mage purposely stalling.
¡°So, how did it go with Johnny?¡± asked Amy, catching Ilaria as she was bringing the glass to her lips.
¡°It wasn''t too bad,¡± answered Ilaria, sipping from her coffee.
¡°I guess you are dating now, huh?¡± Amy hunched over the table, showing an impish smile.
¡°You know how it is.¡± Ilaria was again focusing on a random building through the window. She did want to talk about her compromise with Johnny¨Cand brainstorm questions together¨Cbut first she expected the elf to share about a bargain of her own. It must had happened weeks ago; she still remembered listening outside the Guildmaster''s office.
¡°Anyway, what was the deal with Wanora?¡± Ilaria decided to just ask bluntly; she wasn''t good at being subtle. When she joined the guild, she was worried that the Guildmaster might tell Johnny about her relationship with Amy. It could have doomed her plan before it even started. The elf took care of that. And now she was learning how.
¡°She wanted my support for the party,¡± said Amy, stirring her drink. ¡°Mina had helped her before.¡±
¡°And that included being her date for the night?¡± Ilaria wondered just how far had Amy been willing to go.
¡°It wasn''t a real date; not much different from what you are doing with Johnny.¡± Amy laughed, playing with the end of her braid.
¡°This and that are different.¡± Ilaria frowned as she directed her sight at the excessively mirthful elf. They crossed glances; Amy lowering her gaze and taking a sip from her milkshake.
¡°Why?¡± asked Amy, after a couple of seconds. Her voice, suddenly serious, reminded Ilaria of the night of the twenty-five. ¡°Because you are playing as a girl?¡±
¡°Yeah, this isn''t real. Not at all.¡± The mage pointed to herself; the sleeveless gown showing more skin than what she was used to. No matter how much she had put from her real self into her character; Ilaria wouldn''t ever be more than that. A fictional character she was roleplaying for a purpose. A lie.
¡°Then Amy isn''t real either; I''m not an elf!¡± Amy''s voice hinted a laugh, which irritated Ilaria to no end.
¡°A pair of pointy ears, such a difference,¡± replied Ilaria, restraining herself from saying more. Even if Amy had another colors of hair and eyes, slightly thinner complexion, and elvish ears; she was obviously still Amelia. Ilaria took a gulp from her coffee, munching on a piece of ice. Amy sipped from her drink too, closing her eyes for a second.
¡°Anyway, you should have told me about Wanora. I don''t want to owe you anything.¡± As Ilaria was finishing saying it, Amy''s gaze turned into a stare. It had seemed like an innocuous statement at the time.
¡°You...¡± Amy''s right hand, which had been laying on the table, clenched into a fist. ¡°Why do you think I have been supporting you? Minerva is my friend in the first place.¡±
At that point Ilaria realized she had messed up. She opened her mouth and closed it again, lowering her gaze as she tried to think. Seconds passed, maybe minutes; and if someone had said hours, she could have believed it. Finally, the sound of Amy sipping the last swallow of her drink prompted Ilaria to action. She slowly raised her head, doubting herself for a bit too long.
¡°I need to go,¡± interrupted Amy, her voice neither hard nor soft. ¡°Minerva must be waiting for me.¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
¡°I can''t play this afternoon.¡± Without even raising from her seat, Amy disappeared in a flash of light.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Ilaria was left alone at the table, a glass of partially melted ice cubes in front of her.
Ricardo had logged off shortly after Amy left, wasting the rest of the morning watching random videos on his laptop. There wasn''t anything else to do in Virtual Connection for the plan. He now needed to decide his questions; it might be his only chance. And he wished he had consulted Amy.
Lunchtime arrived, Ricardo going down the stairs as soon as he was called. He looked at Minerva sitting at the table alone, not able to hide his disappointment.
¡°Amelia isn''t eating with us today,¡± said Minerva, a half-smile on her face as her gaze followed Ricardo.
It was a quiet lunch, as they were used to when Amelia wasn''t with them. After mom left with the empty plates, his sister stood up, looking at him from above.
¡°Did you have a fall out with Amelia?¡± Minerva''s tone sounded more curious than concerned.
¡°I don''t know.¡±
At that point Ricardo really didn''t know; Amy had remained silent after her outburst. Later, she talked in an even voice as she excused herself. It was like that other time; she would probably log in tomorrow and act like if nothing happened.
He left for his room, wasting some more time until 4:30.
As she materialized inside Torinelo City, Ilaria allowed herself to get excited. She changed to her combat dress and jogged towards the meeting site. This afternoon they weren''t going to grind, they were going to train. And it would be awesome.
The Torinelo City Arena was destined to be a new landmark; just the scale of the building in construction was impressive. Ilaria wondered if it''s presence was purely cosmetic, or if there would be a time limited quest in there before its completion. The Training Hall¨Clocated across the street¨Cwasn''t too remarkable in comparison. A long, single-storey construction with a porch in the front, showing several marble statues of adventurers in the middle of combat.
¡°Alone today?¡± asked Dave, who was waiting in the porch with Diana and Kyle, his black eyes startling the mage for a second.
¡°Yeah,¡± answered Ilaria, evading his glance. ¡°Amy can''t play this afternoon.¡± And she hadn''t asked Mina; maybe she should had.
¡°Don''t let his eyes intimidate you,¡± said Kyle, approaching Ilaria, as the other pair walked ahead. ¡°That''s part of his strategy.¡±
¡°Are them...¡±
¡°Obviously not,¡± replied Kyle, laughing. ¡°They are dark brown; I guess it didn''t take much customization to get them black.¡±
The group entered the building, which had a long and wide corridor with numbered doors at both sides. The first dozen doors were illuminated by a red light; number 13 was lighted in green, and then a few more reds.
¡°This one is free,¡± said Kyle, pointing to the door. ¡°Does it bother anyone?¡± He had said anyone, but he was clearly looking at Ilaria.
¡°Why? Because of the number?¡± Ilaria laughed, going forward. ¡°Since they graciously left it for us, we should take it.¡±
The door opened to a dirt-floored, roofless enclosure. The interior was a square of about 200 m2, limited by walls made of a dark green, rubbery material; far bigger than what one would expect by the distance between doors.
¡°Here we are,¡± said Dave, walking to the middle of the room and turning around. ¡°It doesn''t look like much, huh?¡±
Ilaria looked around, and yeah, it really was just an empty backyard. There was a digital display on the back of the door. Next to it, hanging to the wall, there were two pairs of colored bracelets: one red and one blue.
¡°We were in a hurry; the aesthetics were left for later. The Arena will be a beauty for sure.¡± Dave laughed as he took out his spear and shield. ¡°Leaving that aside, the important part is that in here we have a second HP bar: the Combat Points bar. We attack towards that bar; and, if depleted, there''s a ten seconds timeout and the other team scores a point. Team with more points win.¡± There were adjustments to a few abilities¨Cstealth had a five minute cooldown, for example¨Cbut things worked mostly the same as when fighting monsters.
Dave started doing a demonstration against Kyle. And, even though both were fighting as if they were level 35, the experience gap showed. Dave moved like a faster and stronger Kyle, switching relentlessly between spear thrusts and shield bashes. Less than two minutes later, the younger warrior was out, his spear tossed aside in the last exchange.
¡°What do you think?¡± asked Dave, helping Kyle to stand up.
¡°As expected, I''m still no match for you.¡± Kyle smiled, picking up his spear. ¡°But it feels great, even compared to PVP-focused games.¡±
¡°Shall we try a team fight now, ladies?¡±
Ilaria and Kyle took the blue bracelets and positioned themselves towards the left of the room; Diana and Dave standing on the opposite side.
¡°Diana will try to get to you,¡± said Kyle. ¡°Stay close to me and don''t let her get close without paying the price.¡±
¡°And if she goes into stealth?¡± Ilaria wouldn''t be able to do anything about it, and she had seen how effective the catgirl was in close quarters.
¡°Try to at least pinpoint the side of approach by sound. She can only use it once, so giving up that point isn''t the worst.¡± It was the first time for Kyle, too. He must had been researching it during classes.
They exchanged glances and set in running position. The digital display showed the countdown, making a horn sound as it turned to zero. Kyle ran towards their opponents, Ilaria letting him be several steps ahead so she could shoot if given the chance. On the other side, Dave was also running in the front, Diana directly behind him. Ilaria tried a couple of shots, which the opposing warrior easily blocked with his shield.
Not minding having lost earlier, Kyle went ahead to challenge Dave. Ilaria took the chance to use her shield to pepper Dave with several Mana bolts from behind her tank. Diana¨Cwho had made a tentative of going for a backstab¨Cleft the warriors in their duel and went ahead, forcing the mage to focus on her.
Ilaria changed her target, aiming towards the incoming rogue. Diana made a complicated pattern on the floor as she approached; all the bolts missing her but the last one. Although, Ilaria was sure the catgirl could have evaded it if she really wanted.
¡°Now I got you,¡± said Diana, grinning as she did the last spin that put her directly in front of the mage. The earlier shot had impacted on her left side, taking about five percent of the rogue''s Combat Points.
Ilaria used her shield to defend against the dagger onslaught. She did try to shoot, but in close quarters the rogue had the advantage. After seconds of token resistance, Diana''s slashes started to connect; the mage''s CPs descending in tens of percentage chunks. Not much time later, Ilaria was out; conceding the first point of the match.
¡°Don''t worry too much,¡± said Kyle, looking at her with concern. ¡°You have never experienced player versus player combat; it was to be expected.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡± Ilaria had been proud of her progress in the game so far. The combat practice made her realize she had a long way to go as a player
They kept practicing for about an hour, the results not changing at all. Well, the extra practice made Ilaria realize that Diana had been holding back all along. At least she wasn''t too clueless to notice.
¡°Sorry; I gotta go,¡± said Dave, storing his weapons. ¡°Don''t worry; a few days of practice can make a lot of difference.¡±
¡°Yeah, I guess.¡± Ilaria knew Dave was right; it was depressing anyway.
Since there were only the three of them remaining, Ilaria excused herself and logged off early. She still needed to plan her questions for Johnny. If she failed, all that she had done in Virtual Connection so far would have been for nothing.
Chapter 38: Questions
Ricardo got out of the VR machine five minutes past 6pm, immediately picking up his phone. And he called Sandro. He knew he must have been already out of his afternoon classes, and he really wanted to consult about his questions for Johnny. A few pulses later, the voice of his best friend came through the cellphone.
¡°Hello. Sorry that I haven''t been able to help too much; between classes and Clara, I have been full,¡± said Sandro, raising his voice over the street noise. ¡°At least you have Amelia.¡±
¡°Don''t mind it; Amy has been really helpful. I''m glad you insisted on including her.¡± She might have been withholding information from him, but Ricardo couldn''t deny all the support he had been receiving. I guess I need to apologize.
¡°What did you wanted to talk about?¡± asked Sandro, after a couple of seconds of silence.
¡°Do you have some time?¡± Ricardo hadn''t talked about the progress of the plan with Sandro in a long time.
¡°I''m meeting with Clara in VC as soon as I get home,¡± answered Sandro. ¡°You could log in and meet with us; if you don''t mind her being there.¡±
¡°No, actually it might be better. I wanted some advice, and a female perspective would be appreciated.¡± Ricardo would still need to update Sandro; explaining to Clara too wouldn''t demand extra effort.
¡°Alright, see you in a bit,¡± said Sandro, sounding relieved, before cutting the line.
A few minutes later, Ricardo got inside his VR machine once again.
Ilaria had materialized in front of the Training Hall, clad in her level 30 dress. She walked to the inn in a relaxed pace; Sandro still needed to get home. Getting in front of a fountain at the Central Plaza, she admired her reflexion with a smile on her face.
She entered the inn, finding Sandro and Claire in a corner at the back; the same table they had been in the first time they met in-game.
¡°Ilaria!¡± Claire called as she waved her arms next to the table. ¡°Already over level 30? You look wondrous.¡±
Ilaria sat at a side, between the two of them, and ordered a beer. A few weeks had passed since their last meeting; yet they looked the same. Getting tanned in real life wouldn''t affect their in-game looks after all.
¡°So, how''s everything?¡± asked Claire, who couldn''t stay silent for too long. ¡°Is the plan going well?¡±
¡°Probably alright,¡± answered Ilaria, sipping from her beer. ¡°That''s actually what I wanted to talk about.¡±
Then Ilaria proceeded to do a summary about her dates with Johnny, up until the last house date, when he had revealed that he was quitting Virtual Connection after Valentines.
¡°Wow, that''s a lot of progress,¡± said Claire, flashing a winsome smile to Sandro. ¡°I had a hunch you would do great.¡±
¡°Alright; I didn''t expect your crazy plan to work to that extent,¡± said Sandro, smiling despite himself.
They were praising her, but it felt undeserved. Ilaria had the impression that Johnny had looked through her since the beginning. Regardless, she was close to her goal. After taking a long sip from her beer, she continued by telling them about the guild party. And the deal.
¡°Now you only need to ask,¡± said Claire, eyes sparkling.
¡°It''s weird though.¡± said Sandro. ¡°Why would Johnny go so far as to make you pretend to be his date?¡±
¡°Yup.¡± said Claire, suddenly thoughtful. ¡°It''s like he has a crazy plan of his own.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± said Ilaria, straightening herself in her seat. It was something that she had been pondering during the day. Her plan was succeeding because it aligned with Johnny''s, whatever it might be. And it bothered her. ¡°So, I have been thinking... maybe I should ask him why he''s doing what he''s doing, before talking about Mina directly.¡±
¡°It might be the best,¡± said Sandro. ¡°If you start with Mina, he might get suspicious, if he isn''t already.¡±
¡°And, after he explains his plan, I can ask freely,¡± said Ilaria, a smile on her face. ¡°Whatever he''s doing, it must be related to Mina somehow.¡± With an action guide for the night, she allowed herself to relax in her seat.
¡°What does Amy think about all this?¡± asked Claire, breaking the lull in the conversation. ¡°She knows Johnny from before.¡±
¡°I haven''t been able to tell her yet,¡± answered Ilaria, picking up her glass of beer. ¡°She has been busy.¡±
¡°I imagine,¡± said Claire, playing with a strand of her hair. ¡°I still can''t believe she''s leaving Peru after summer ends.¡±
¡°What?!¡± Ilaria felt herself stiffen as coldness went through her body. Too late she realized she was still holding her beer, the glass slipping in slow motion. It crashed loudly on the floor, and disappeared within seconds.
¡°Damn,¡± said Claire, hands covering her mouth. ¡°Forget that I said it.¡±
¡°Since when do you know?¡± Ilaria consciously tried to remain calm, a closed-mouth smile being the best she could manage. She had been with Amy almost everyday for the last three weeks... And she hadn''t told him.
¡°We talked a couple of months ago,¡± said Claire, with downcast eyes. It was an expression seldom seen on her. ¡°Sorry. I was sure she would have already told you.¡±
¡°Does Minerva know?¡± asked Ilaria in a low voice. Being objective, Amelia leaving would hit his sister the hardest.
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¡°Yes. They had a quarrel because of that,¡± answered Claire.
¡°I guess I''m the only one who didn''t know.¡± Ilaria couldn''t help feeling betrayed, even though he shouldn''t had. For Amelia, he wasn''t more than her friend''s brother. And if they had been seeing each other lately, it was only for the plan''s sake.
With the mood ruined, the reunion ended shortly afterwards.
Ilaria, clad in her violet gown, aimlessly walked the cobbled streets of Torinelo City at dusk. In a brisk pace, ignoring the ankle pain, she wasted time until the meeting with Johnny. Being in motion helped.
After a few rounds around the commercial district, she finally heeded towards The Grinning Flatfish, where she would have her date. She closed her eyes in front of the fish sculpture, trying to get in-character again.
Here I go.
As soon as she said her name, Ilaria had been escorted to a private table for two. A smiling, tuxedo-clad Johnny waited for her. The room, with its wide window opening to the lake, was similar to the one in which she had practiced with Amy long time ago.
¡°Welcome, please sit down,¡± said Johnny, standing from his seat to pull Ilaria''s chair.
¡°Are you always like that?¡± asked Ilaria, after Johnny was back on his seat.
¡°I try to be.¡± Johnny winked at her, before materializing the menu card. He was back to his former self, seemingly intent on pretending that it was a real date. Yet both knew otherwise.
Ilaria materialized a menu card of her own¨Cshe wasn''t going to let her date order for her¨Cscanning the list for something she hadn''t tried before.
¡°Can I start asking now?¡± The waiter had already left to fulfill their orders, so Ilaria started with the night''s goal.
¡°So hasty,¡± answered Johnny, flashing a short-lasted smirk. ¡°We can leave those for after the meal.¡±
Ilaria clenched her fists under the table as she showed what hopefully was a charming smile. Johnny being back to his insufferable self was the last she needed after the day''s happenings.
Five minutes later, the waiter returned with their dishes. He put a plate of shellfish pasta in front of Johnny, and a deep ceramic bowl for Ilaria. The metallic cracker than accompanied the plate gave away the content of the lidded container.
¡°Crab? A quite unconventional choice for a date,¡± said Johnny, a smile on his face, as he waited for the waiter to pour the wine.
¡°It''s not a date,¡± replied Ilaria, frowning. Honestly, she had second thoughts as she took off the lid. A whole red crab was laid over a kind of vegetable soup. It would be a mess to eat. Regardless, it was already there and she wanted to try it.
Ilaria spent most of the dinner in utmost concentration, breaking the shell in the cleanest way possible. So much work for so little meat. Johnny made small talk while almost hiding his mirth at her difficulty.
At least the crab was tasty.
Ilaria wiped her hands clean with a wet towel as the coffee and dessert were set on the table. If it was real life, she would definitely have to wash her hands properly, and even so she would smell fishy for the rest of the day.
¡°I hope you enjoyed the meal,¡± said Johnny, as he cut a small piece of his berry panna cotta.
¡°I did; thank you.¡± Ilaria wouldn''t give him the satisfaction of admitting that the crab was a suboptimal choice. She ate a spoonful of her chocolate mousse, making a show of enjoying it.
They kept eating in silence for a couple of minutes, making short work of their desserts. Later, Johnny set his spoon on the empty plater with a clang, straightening himself.
¡°Alright, it''s time for me to fulfill my part of the deal,¡± said Johnny, taking a sip from his black coffee.
Finally.
Ilaria had her opening question already decided. She went through it in her mind for one last time, drinking from her latte while briefly closing her eyes.
¡°First question,¡± said Ilaria, meeting Johnny''s gaze. ¡°Why are you doing all this stuff? What''s your plan?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Johnny looked at her with a restrained smile, one that Ilaria couldn''t decipher at a glance.
¡°I mean, the speed dating event,¡± said Ilaria, her fingers drumming on her leg. ¡°You said it was for getting a partner for the couple''s tournament, yet you told me later that it was a lie. Then, you made me pretend being your date at the guild party. And you are quitting VC after Valentine''s? It''s weird no matter how I see it.¡± Once she started she couldn''t stop until unloading everything. Johnny looked at her silently, his expression locked.
¡°All of that shouldn''t count as one question,¡± said Johnny, breaking into a laugh. ¡°My lady is so greedy.¡± Ilaria lowered her gaze, maybe she had overreached with the first question.
¡°Alas, I always meant to tell you at some point. I guess now''s the time,¡± continued Johnny, sipping from his coffee. ¡°To make it short, I''m giving closure to the story.¡±
Ilaria stared at him, folding her arms over her stomach, as if getting ready to protest.
¡°Wait, wait,¡± said Johnny, laughing. ¡°I''ll elaborate; give me a minute.¡±
¡°Lets start with the setting,¡± continued Johnny, sounding like Ilaria when she taught at the academy. ¡°No matter how real Virtual Connection feels, at the end of the day everything is a computer simulation. For example, the crab you just ate never existed. It won''t make a difference once you leave the game. All that we have done tonight is lay on a pod and let the machine fabricate a lie for us.¡±
¡°And?¡± Ilaria had always been conscious about the meaninglessness of VR games. Yet, what did that have to do with anything?
¡°The point is, every fiction needs a satisfying ending,¡± continued Johnny, with a detached demeanor. ¡°Just disappearing would leave too many open threads. Moving on and then leaving, that would be an epilogue that doesn''t allow for any kind of sequel.¡±
¡°You aren''t making any sense,¡± said Ilaria, fidgeting with her fingers under the tablecloth. ¡°What do I have to do with any of that?¡±
¡°You, my dear, have been casted as my new female lead.¡± Johnny showed a satisfied smile, as he relaxed in his chair.
¡°I...¡± Ilaria could only stare at him, as she tried to process his answer. Was Virtual Connection a stage for him? Was he acting out a drama? More importantly...
Did he ever cared about Minerva?
Some time later, their plates were dematerialized from the table. And Johnny took it as a cue to change the topic.
¡°Are you free tomorrow morning?¡±
¡°Ah, yeah,¡± answered Ilaria without thinking. Since Diana and Kyle were at school, she didn''t have any plans in particular.
¡°Then we should practice at the Training Hall,¡± said Johnny, standing up. ¡°We are entering the Valentine''s tournament together after all.¡±
¡°Wait,¡± said Ilaria, her voice shaking a bit. ¡°The second question...¡±
¡°I''ll answer it tomorrow. Thinking it over will be in your benefit,¡± said Johnny, winking at her. ¡°Ten thirty at the Training Hall.¡±
And just like that, he left the room; Ilaria remaining seated awhile. Johnny''s answer had opened even more questions. She had plenty of things to ponder.
Chapter 39: Answers?
Thursday morning, Ricardo sat in front of his laptop, the screen showing a document that he hadn''t used in a long time¨Ca blank RPG character sheet. He had been thinking about Johnny¨Cand his answer to the first question¨Csince the moment he left their date.
When Ricardo thought he had finally gotten a read on Johnny''s character¨Cbeing sure that Mina and him were a real couple¨Che came out and flatly said that all was a lie. It was vexing. Johnny was the most infuriating being in the whole universe.
No matter how much Ricardo tried, he couldn''t reconcile the smug and self-centered Johnny¨Cwho claimed that everything within the game was worthless¨Cwith the caring guy everyone else though he was. The guy that Minerva had fallen for.
Thus, Ricardo did what he used to when he couldn''t figure out a character¨Ccreate a character sheet. Yet, as he started filling it, he realized it was impossible. As if the same person could be a good-aligned paladin one day, and an evil assassin the next.
He needed two character sheets.
It didn''t make sense and it did make sense at the same time. There were two Johnny''s¨CMinerva''s and Ilaria''s. Which was the real one? That''s what he needed to solve.
Later that morning, Ilaria, again in her combat dress, slowly crossed the streets that separated her from the new Arena district. She wasn''t in a hurry¨Cit was still twenty minutes before the time set by Johnny¨Cusing the walk to ponder the second question. Should she just ask about the break up directly? Moreover, could she trust Johnny''s answer?
Turning the corner of the street, still deep in thought, Ilaria did a full stop as she arrived in front of the Training Hall. It had taken way less time than she expected. She could always do another walk around.
¡°Here!¡±
The female voice sounded familiar. Ilaria turned around, coming across a tall brunette, dressed in a green and gold combat dress. She was Johnny''s friend from the party.
¡°I''m glad you could come,¡± continued the other girl, as she shortened the distance. ¡°Edu shouldn''t take too long. Let''s get a room.¡±
Without a chance to escape, Ilaria followed her inside the building. At least she now knew the name of the guy. They crossed other players in the brightly lit hallway. The place was popular. They had to walk to door 32 to get a vacant room.
¡°Is it your first time in here?¡± asked the girl, turning around after both of them had entered the roofless enclosure.
¡°I trained for a bit yesterday.¡± Ilaria materialized her handbag, taking out her weapon.
¡°Ah, the One-eyed Wand,¡± said the girl, a big shoulder bag appearing on her hands. ¡°I guess I should use it too. To be honest, I never got comfortable with it.¡±
The two girls practiced shooting for a bit, balls of energy streaking across, and getting absorbed by the rubbery walls. Ilaria still couldn''t do the two consecutive rebound shots that Mina had shown her. Although, compared to her current company, she was a prodigy.
¡°You have a talent for this,¡± said the other mage, her eyes on Ilaria as she spun her shield once more.
The first shot was a success. The second one... The Force bolt hit the edge of the shield, the energy ball rebounding towards Ilaria''s face. She jumped backwards, the shield dropping with a clang.
¡°Now I''m embarrassed.¡± Ilaria laughed, crouching to pick up her shield.
¡°You''re still way better than me!¡± The tall brunette smiled sheepishly. ¡°As the top leveled mage in the guild, I''m ashamed of myself.¡±
¡°Getting to level 50 isn''t that small of an accomplishment.¡± Ilaria knew she would need months, even taking into account the Dungeon Date''s experience.
¡°If you play daily, you''ll get there eventually,¡± replied the other mage, in a softer tone. ¡°I''m not much of a gamer myself, but I like the idea of belonging to a guild.¡±
Ilaria shifted her gaze to the door¨Cit wasn''t ten-thirty yet.
She ended up giving pointers to the level 50 mage, of all things. Edu arrived five minutes later. He didn''t join though. The warrior was content with watching the girls practice while they waited for Johnny.
¡°I see you haven''t been wasting time.¡± Johnny entered the room a few minutes past the agreed time, immediately commanding their attention. ¡°Shall we start now?¡±
¡°That''s why we''re here.¡± Ilaria glared at the new arrival, which only got a wink in response. It was smug Johnny.
He picked up the blue bracelets, tossing them to Edu, before taking the red ones for himself.
¡°Here.¡± Johnny tossed one red bracelet to Ilaria, which almost slipped from her hands. The other girl smiled at her as she left to join Edu on the right side''s starting circle.
¡°Do you know the match rules?¡± asked Johnny, on his way to their starting position.
¡°Yeah, I trained yesterday.¡± Ilaria followed, knowing him well enough to not expect any strategy discussion.
¡°Alright, whenever you are ready.¡± Johnny pressed the button on his bracelet, which prompted Ilaria to do the same.
The countdown started.
As soon as the horn blared, the warriors from each team jogged forward, shortening the distance between teams. Ilaria defaulted to the strategy she had used with Kyle¨Cwaiting a couple of seconds before advancing¨Cto allow her space to shoot.
The warriors predictably clashed in the middle of the room¨Cspear and shield clanging in a consistent rhythm¨Cas they tested each other. Both used big tower shields, their patterns much less dynamic than Kyle and Dave. Meanwhile, Ilaria took advantage of bounce shots to harass the other team''s tank from a covered position. The tower shield was bothersome, but Edu''s comparatively slower movements made it somewhat easier to aim.
The opposing mage had ran only a step behind her tank, which didn''t allow her much flexibility for aiming. After Johnny blocked three of her shots in a row, she had seemingly shifted towards healing. Edu had taken a few Mana bolts already¨Cin addition to a nasty Spear thrust¨Cwhich had reduced his CP bar to under fifty percent.
¡°Damn.¡± Edu grunted as he received yet another Mana bolt. ¡°Mina''s merciless.¡±
Did he...
A ball of light impacted Johnny''s left side, his CP''s diminishing by a noticeable amount for the first time in the battle. Edu''s eyes widened. Ilaria barraged the other team with Force bolts in response. She aimed loosely¨Ceven if they hit, they wouldn''t deal much damage. It was enough to fulfill her goal, the opposing mage hiding once more behind her tank''s shield.
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A minute later, Ilaria''s Mana bolts finally knocked Edu out, earning her team the first point.
Unsurprisingly, the matched ended 3-0 in Johnny and Ilaria''s favor. In the third game, the opposing mage had tried to flank Johnny. It backfired. She had only made an easy target of herself, eating a couple of Ilaria''s Fireballs in quick succession.
¡°Sorry,¡± said Edu, approaching Johnny after having helped his teammate stand up. ¡°I swear it was a honest mistake.¡±
¡°Don''t mind it.¡± Despite his words, Johnny''s tone deepened like a sinkhole. To his credit, he quickly shifted to a restrained smile. It would be far-fetched to think of Edu using Mina''s name on purpose in a meaningless combat practice.
¡°Ilaria, you are great!¡± exclaimed the other girl, getting in front of Ilaria in no time. ¡°I never had a chance.¡±
¡°I''m still learning too.¡± Ilaria shifted her glance, meeting Johnny''s by chance. She knew she wasn''t all that good.
After a bit of chitchat, they started another match. This time Johnny attacked more aggressively¨Cnot minding trading hits with Edu¨Cwhich made their victory even faster. A third 3-0 later, the other team excused themselves¨Cleaving for their daily Dungeon Date¨Cnot before promising to get together for another session the next day.
¡°Well, what do you think?¡± asked Johnny after they left. The dirt-floored room felt bigger now that they were alone.
¡°Edu seemed to be alright,¡± answered Ilaria, fixing her hair. ¡°The mage, though...¡±
¡°Flo doesn''t like combat all that much. That''s her name, by the way.¡± Johnny winked, taking off the bracelet on his wrist. ¡°Mina, my ex, tried to guide her a few times, but she quickly lost interest.¡±
Ilaria blinked. He had said it so casually.
¡°It isn''t like I can''t mention her. Naturally, people must be talking in the guild.¡± Johnny laughed. ¡°Although, I admit it did take me by surprise earlier.¡±
¡°You hadn''t taken a clean hit before that.¡± Ilaria took out her bracelet too, handing it to Johnny. Flo''s shots were clock-like predictable, but Ilaria would still give him some credit.
¡°It was a good reaction from you, covering with Force bolts.¡±
¡°I guess we can make this team work.¡± Ilaria preferred Kyle''s tanking, but Johnny''s wasn''t too bad. Besides, it wasn''t like she had a real shot of winning the tournament in the first place.
¡°With a few more days of practice, we should do well,¡± said Johnny, hanging the bracelets on the door. ¡°Do you feel like doing a DD?¡±
¡°Not really.¡± Ilaria didn''t care much about leveling anymore. Dungeon dating Johnny wasn''t that enjoyable either. There was a reason why she had come today, and it definitely wasn''t spending leisure time with him.
¡°Okay, then I''ll listen to it,¡± said Johnny, turning around with a smile. ¡°What do you want to know?¡±
What indeed? Ilaria had a few alternatives in her mind. Her first question, contrary to her plans, hadn''t given her anything about Mina. It couldn''t happen again. Well, Johnny practically said he didn''t mind talking about her. It was time to test that.
¡°Why did you break up with Mina?¡±
The question was met with silence, Johnny frozen in place.
Ilaria lowered her gaze. Maybe it had been too much. But then, the guy didn''t seem to be that delicate. She surely wished she had Amy to get advise from. She would know how to smooth things over.
¡°That question is kinda rude.¡± When Johnny finally talked, his voice could freeze a freshly brewed espresso.
¡°If you don''t want to answer, it''s okay.¡± Ilaria risked meeting his stare. Now that she knew him, she couldn''t help feeling a bit guilty.
¡°Never mind, I did say anything.¡± Johnny shook his head, sending Ilaria a half-smile. ¡°Let''s move to a more suitable location. This might take awhile.¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
Ilaria followed Johnny down the hallway, a step behind him. Boisterous parties crossed in both directions¨Call immersed in worlds of their own¨Cnot sparing any attention to the taciturn couple passing by.
As he stepped outside the Training Hall, Johnny turned towards her, like if making sure she was still behind. Ilaria stepped forward¨Cbelatedly answering with a half-smile of her own¨Cwhile positioning herself next to him.
¡°So that you know, I didn''t break up with Mina.¡± Johnny had started talking while they walked almost side to side, Ilaria consciously managing to not fall behind.
¡°She broke up with me.¡±
From the beginning, Ilaria had thought Johnny was the one to blame for their break up. And he still could be. Regardless, it showed how little she really knew.
They continued in silence, soon entering the residential district, where Johnny''s house had been. They walked pass it, turning a corner into a narrow street, which opened into a really big park. Like tens of thousands square meters big.
¡°Not many people know about this place.¡± said Johnny, motioning Ilaria to step into the lawn. ¡°Most prefer to climb the hill for the views.¡±
Almost all the visible surface was covered by evenly-cut grass, its vibrant green sparkling under the sunlight. Islands of medium-height, evergreen trees¨Cwith white flowers underneath¨Cgave shade to the wooden benches that dotted the right side of the open extension. It was sparsely populated, being a weekday at noon. Only a handful of couples sitting here and there.
To the left side¨Cthe direction they seemed to be going to¨Cthe trees got thicker, reeds and shrubs growing underneath. Johnny took her hand as they walked pass the undergrowth, her dress rustling against soft branches. The ground was getting progressively softer under her boots. A little swampy, though it didn''t stink like one. It actually smelled great, like jasmine and hay.
¡°Here we are,¡± said Johnny, as he stepped aside, pulling Ilaria into the open. The mage, who had been minding her steps, raised her head. A pristine looking lake¨Cwater lilies sprinkled on top¨Cfilled her sight.
Wondrous.
A snorting noise startled Ilaria, taking her out of the spell. A big, white swan, just a meter to her left, flapped its wings as it took notice of them.
¡°Don''t mind them, they won''t attack you.¡± Johnny laughed, as he guided her towards a fallen trunk that overlooked the lake.
Ilaria sat next to him, looking pass the lake. She could make the shape of The Grinning Flatfish on the other side. It made sense that you could get to the lake somehow.
¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± asked Ilaria, as her eyes followed a pair of swans on the water.
¡°It''s fitting. Here is where I saw Mina for the last time.¡± Johnny''s voice was subdued. Definitely unlike someone who didn''t care.
¡°You don''t really have to tell me, even if you promised before.¡± For Ilaria, it was the fulfillment of the plan. Yet, it felt increasingly wrong.
¡°I guess I do want to tell someone,¡± said Johnny. ¡°And, as sad as it sounds, you might be the only one to whom I can.¡±
Unlike Minerva, Johnny seemed to have an outgoing personality and lots of friends. Why did it turned to be like that?
¡°As I said before, she was the one who broke up with me,¡± continued Johnny. ¡°Not that I can fault her. Ultimately, we wanted different things.¡±
¡°How so?¡± Ilaria had noticed last time, Johnny enjoyed being cryptic with his answers. He seemed to relish the idea of her trying to decipher the clues.
¡°I was content with what we had. No. Rather, it was the most I could ever aspire to.¡± Johnny made a dramatic pause, letting the snorting and wing flapping fill the blanks. ¡°Virtual Connection''s beautiful lie.¡±
¡°Didn''t you love her?¡± Ilaria struggled to not say what she knew¨CMina had wanted to meet him in real life. That was the crux. And no amount of verbal subterfuge could hide it.
¡°Don''t misinterpret me. I did love her. I still do.¡± Johnny''s tone gradually raised, making Ilaria glance at his profile. His eyes were closed, palms over his knees.
¡°She loved Johnny. And maybe Johnny would have loved her back. But Johnny''s dead.¡±
They let the warmth of the sun, the whisper of the wind¨Cand the frolicking of the birds¨Cfill the gap between them. Was the real Johnny dead? Who was the guy sitting next to her now?
¡°That doesn''t make any sense.¡± Ilaria had tried to understand, growing frustrated in the attempt. She knew it was impossible that someone could log into another player''s account. The VR machine would never allow that. Johnny didn''t sound like he was lying, though. From his demeanor, he really believed what he had just told her.
¡°I guess it wouldn''t make sense to you,¡± said Johnny, or whomever he really was. The assassin''s smile was back on his face.
¡°Or to anyone. Who''s Johnny supposed to be?¡± Ilaria pressed her hands together, as she tried to not raise her tone. It all had been a farce.
¡°Don''t look at me that way. I''m not that good yet.¡± He straightened himself, as he shifted to partially face her.
¡°Johnny certainly existed. And I knew him the best, for he was my older brother.¡± He continued talking, not a trace of mirth or teasing in his voice. ¡°He died two years ago.¡±
Ilaria forced herself to look at Johnny. Well, at the avatar that he presented himself as. The highlights of his hair, the gold of his eyes... Had the real Johnny been like that? Why would he pretend to be his brother? Regardless of the motives, he had been lying to everyone¨Cstarting with Minerva.
Chapter 40: A Wish to Talk
After exiting the VR machine, Ricardo laid on his bed¨Ccontemplating the unremarkable whiteness of the ceiling¨Cas he went through Johnny''s answer once again. Well, the guy who called himself Johnny.
How should I refer to him? Not-Johnny? Fake Johnny? The farcical J?
Anyway, he had admitted that the original Johnny, his older brother, had died two years ago. That was before meeting Minerva; even before Virtual Connection''s launch.
The real Johnny never played VC.
Minutes after 2pm, mom''s yell startled Ricardo from his bed. He turned towards his window, an ominous cloud darkening the summer sky. It was Thursday, only Minerva, mom and him would eat at home. He descended the stairs quietly¨Chis skin damp under his clothes, product of equal parts ambient humidity and sweat. The dining room welcomed him gloomy and empty.
Instants later, Minerva came from the kitchen with a cooked veggie salad. She muttered a greeting and took her seat in front of him. As she sluggishly speared a piece of broccoli, Ricardo couldn''t help staring. His sister''s VR life was upended after the break up. Amelia would leave soon too. When Minerva raised her head, she surely looked lonely and hurt.
Maybe he was just projecting.
Even after mom arrived with their plates, Ricardo couldn''t stop pondering the situation. Amelia leaving would be a big hit. They probably would keep in contact by Prichat, or maybe even VC. It still wouldn''t be the same¨Cnot for Minerva.
Or for him.
Lunchtime ended as it started¨Cin silence. Ricardo had been the last one to finish, as preoccupied as he was. He hadn''t even noticed when mom left for the kitchen.
¡°Want one?¡±
Minerva''s voice woke Ricardo from his musings. His eyes fell to the painkiller pills in his sister''s outreaching hand.
¡°No need. Thank you.¡±
¡°Alright.¡±
That afternoon Ilaria did a double take as she materialized in Virtual Connection. The lake was ethereal. Unlike real life, the sun beamed in the sky, coating the water surface in gold. Of course it was fake. As everything else in the game.
Ilaria turned around, finding herself face to face with a snorting swan. Its white feathery body seemed so fluffy. Could she touch it? She extended her slender arm¨Cslowly, almost there.
Damn.
The stupid bird flapped its wings twice, taking flight right under her nose. Ilaria was taken aback, falling backwards on her bottom. Luckily, there wasn''t anyone to witness it. She stood up and took a return scroll, not feeling like crossing the undergrowth back to the civilization.
Ilaria reappeared in front of the fountain in Torinelo City Central Plaza. She smoothed her combat dress before walking towards the street that would led her to the Arena District. It was already past 4pm, new players jumped into the city here and there¨Clight in their eyes and a smile on their faces. She had been one of them not too long ago.
She strolled the wide street, smooth cobbles in an orderly pattern under her boots. The shops that lined at the sides appeared to be unique, but Ilaria could discern the variations sprinkled on top of a handful of basic modules. Everything was too symmetric, too perfect to be real.
Ilaria slowed her pace as she approached the Training Hall''s block. Would Amy be there? She hadn''t seen her since Wednesday morning. That was only yesterday. She had learned so much in that time.
The mage stopped before turning the corner¨Cwhich would put her in front of the entrance¨Cclosing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She didn''t want to quarrel with Amy. She still owed the elf an apology, though that was harder to digest. Ilaria couldn''t help feeling betrayed.
And she hated herself for it.
Ilaria hadn''t needed to be worried after all¨Conly Diana and Kyle were waiting for her. She still looked around just in case. No signs of the blond elf nearby. No red button on her display either.
The catgirl welcomed her with her usual smile and strode ahead, her ears moving rhythmically as she navigated the corridor. Ilaria and Kyle followed a step behind, walking side to side.
¡°Amy isn''t coming today either?¡± asked Kyle, almost to her ear.
¡°I guess she isn''t.¡± Ilaria turned her head, looking at the taller warrior. His youthful face showed her a half-smile.
The trio trained for about an hour¨Cmainly one on one¨Cthough they also had a mock battle of Ilaria and Kyle against Diana. They did beat her, though it wasn''t as lopsided as it sounded. Ilaria had earned the last point with a fireball to the back, after the rogue had gotten tangled with Kyle on the floor.
¡°I gotta go for a bit.¡± said Diana, getting up after the battle. ¡°You can do your daily DD; I''ll be back soon.¡±
¡°Okay.¡± Ilaria crossed sights with Kyle, who just nodded.
The first couple of rounds of the Dungeon Date¨Cdirewolves and hawks¨Cdidn''t demand much from their team at their current levels. Ilaria went back to dwell on Johnny; he still owed her one last question. Meanwhile, her body went through the motions, taking advantage of Kyle''s tanking pattern to finish their foes from behind. Fighting together did bring a sense of camaraderie.
Did Minerva and Johnny experienced the same? Ilaria had thought the whole dating RPG concept was dumb in the first place. Yet, after only three weeks, she could see it working.
¡°Step back!¡±
Ilaria obeyed reflexively, Kyle meeting the misty hoof against shield. She had forgotten about the door behind her.
¡°Sorry. I got distracted,¡± said Ilaria, in-between fireballing the nightmare.
¡°Don''t worry. I got your back.¡±
Even while fending off their current target, Kyle kept looking sideways, crossing sights with his mage. Ilaria gave him what hopefully was a reassuring smile, refocusing on the current battle. Nightmares were still tough at their levels. Yet, they had plenty of experience to draw from in their way to clearing the round.
Fourth wave: Fifteen heartbroken otterflies
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Next round was otterflies¨Cthe mage grinning as she shot them down¨Cshe still remembered the pain from their first encounter. At their current capabilities, it was easier than the nightmare one, finishing it with time to spare.
¡°Are you alright?¡±
¡°Don''t worry, my mana bar is half-full,¡± answered Ilaria. Kyle wasn''t really asking about that, though. She didn''t deserve him.
¡°If there''s anything, you can tell me. Or Diana,¡± said Kyle, positioning himself to Ilaria''s back. ¡°We are friends, don''t we?¡±
¡°Yeah...
Fifth wave: Twelve shadowlurker Nagas
The naga''s appearance interrupted Ilaria, forcing her to aim and shoot in rapid succession. Kyle had engaged the closest naga¨Cthe one coming from the door behind them¨Cbut Ilaria would need to kill at least one of the rapidly approaching foes at their both sides.
They were her friends¨Cor at least they would be, if she hadn''t deceived them from the start. Would Diana and Kyle forgive her? Maybe not, but it was their right to know.
¡°Heal, please.¡±
¡°Going.¡±
Ilaria turned around, touching Kyle''s neck briefly to cast the spell. The warrior had already engaged a second naga. Ilaria¨Chaving already killed her first target¨Crefocused on the battle, shooting the most damaged naga from behind the tank.
Ilaria had known she would need to tell the truth long time ago¨Ceven before Mina suggested it. She had been making excuses ever since, yet it would only get more difficult the more she delays it. After they get back from the Dungeon Date, she would expose everything.
She wouldn''t end up like Johnny.
The Dungeon Date ended, predictably, with the salamanders'' arrival. They had almost finished the nagas, getting them a sizable chunk of experience. It was getting repetitive, though. Unlike the under-20 DD, they weren''t leveling fast enough to make a difference from day to day.
¡°I guess we won''t be clearing this DD anytime soon,¡± said Ilaria, facing Kyle as they reappeared in the practice room.
¡°It seems so,¡± said Kyle, smiling at her. ¡°Maybe it''s time to grind seriously. A few extra levels should make a difference.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
Ilaria looked around as she spun her wand. Diana wasn''t back yet. She paced a bit, thinking how she would breach the topic.
¡°Do you want to spar for a bit?¡± asked Kyle. ¡°Even as a mage, you need to be able to defend yourself in close quarters for PVP.¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
Ilaria welcomed the distraction, letting the warrior guide her in the use of her flimsy shield. It wouldn''t resist a direct impact, but she could deflect. If she combined it with turns and sidesteps, she might be able to get a bit of space¨Cenough to shoot. She wouldn''t be so defenseless against Diana.
¡°I''m back! Sorry for the wait.¡±
The door of the practice room had opened soundlessly, Diana''s voice catching Ilaria''s attention. She had been gone for the better part of an hour. And there was another person coming behind the catgirl.
¡°Hello,¡± said Amy, still halfway obscured by Diana.
Ilaria froze as her eyes recognized the elf. She had taken for granted that she wouldn''t see Amy today.
¡°Hi. I''m glad you could make it,¡± said Kyle, shortening the distance.
¡°Sorry for being late,¡± said Amy, in a subdued voice.
Ilaria crossed sights with the elf, immediately looking aside. Their last meeting ended awkwardly¨Cthey had yet to talk about it.
¡°Now that we are four, lets do a team battle,¡± said Diana, picking up the bracelets. ¡°I already went through the basics with Amy.¡±
For the combat practice, Ilaria and Kyle would go against Amy and Diana. Both teams went towards their respective starting circles, waiting the countdown.
¡°I''ll try to engage Diana,¡± said Kyle, setting himself in front of the mage. ¡°Focus on Amy.¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
As the horn blared, Kyle jogged forward, Ilaria following a couple steps behind. The rogues, on the other hand, approached zigzagging; taking two distinct, parallel routes. The mage shot a few times at Diana, the catgirl evading without much trouble. Amy would be an easier target. Yet, Ilaria hesitated in going for the elf in what was her first player combat.
After a few seconds, both teams met in the middle of the room. Diana took a step forward¨Cengaging Kyle¨Cwhile Amy ran in an arch past her. The catgirl''s daggers met the warrior''s spear and shield as they spun in a clanging dance.
¡°You have improved,¡± said Diana, a wide grin on her face.
¡°I would hope so,¡± said Kyle, glancing sideways at Ilaria as he rotated. Amy was already closing in.
The mage was forced to engage, shooting Amy for the first time. It was a straight Mana bolt, easily evaded. The elf continued the motion with a dagger slash, which Ilaria deflected. Thanks to the earlier training, the mage sidestepped after the attack, getting out of range of a following left-handed slash.
Ilaria kept moving¨Cevading or blocking¨Cbeing nicked a handful of times. She didn''t shoot anymore, though. It resembled the time she had helped Amy train outside the caverns.
¡°You don''t need to go easy on me,¡± said Amy, her blue eyes staring at the mage.
¡°I''m not used to this either,¡± said Ilaria, blocking another slash.
Ilaria would need to shoot at some point¨Cusing the wand as a blunt weapon was out of question. She struggled to get right the timing, pondering for a second too long.
Not having to worry about being hit, Amy increased the rhythm of her slashes, her blond braid swaying as she spun around. When the elf overcommitted in a two-handed attack, Ilaria finally decided to attack.
She sent a Fireball towards Diana.
Diana and Kyle had been going in circles awhile, the former in a frantic whirling that sometimes positioned her back towards Ilaria. The catgirl seemingly hadn''t considered being shot by the mage at all.
The Fireball impacted Diana in the small of her back, making her tumble. Kyle went in, impaling his sister without delay.
They got the first point.
¡°I didn''t expect that,¡± said Diana, letting Kyle help her to her feet.
¡°Sorry.¡± Ilaria still didn''t process the catgirl going down like that. She was sure Diana would evade the shot while flashing a smile.
¡°You did well,¡± said Diana, laughing. ¡°It was my fault. I got too caught up with Kyle that I forgot the surroundings.¡±
For the second point, the setup was the same. The rogues evaded Ilaria''s shots as they went forward to meet at the middle. This time, the mage did shoot at Amy. Most bolts still went towards the catgirl.
Amy closed in with a serious face and furrowed brows, slashing at Ilaria as fast as Diana would. The elf did leave herself open, but the mage only poked with the wand for minimal damage.
¡°You are infuriating,¡± said Amy, glaring.
Ilaria had been scratched in the elbow, before retreating a couple of steps. She risked a look towards Diana. As engaged as she was, the catgirl did take care of not giving Ilaria a direct shooting chance.
The mage returned her focus to Amy¨Cshe was nowhere in sight.
¡°Wha...¡±
Ilaria felt the cold metal plunging in, itchy warmness spreading through her side. Too surprised to turn around¨CAmy''s heavy breathing in her ear as her only warning¨CIlaria found the other dagger poking at her throat.
¡°Got you.¡± Amy slashed.
Ilaria finished the combat kneeling in the dirt of the practice room. Of course it had been her fault¨Cshe had underestimated Amy. Diana had yet to use Stealth in combat; it had slipped out of her mind. Still, the coldness in her voice before she slashed. It was so uncharacteristic of her.
¡°Don''t mind it,¡± said Kyle, extending his hand to help her stand.
Amy was being congratulated by Diana, blushing from the attention. She lowered her head as her eyes met Ilaria''s.
¡°We need to go now for dinner,¡± said Diana, looking apologetically. ¡°There''s a storm warning. Mom gets extra strict on those days.¡±
¡°It''s okay,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°See you tomorrow?¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Diana grinned as both Kyle and her disappeared in a flash of light.
Ilaria and Amy remained in the center of the big, empty room. She knew she had to apologize for her words of the day before. But, after learning of Amy''s plans from Claire, taking the first step was hard.
¡°Sorry.¡± Amy approached Ilaria first, talking in a low voice.
¡°Don''t be. That''s the game.¡± Ilaria interlocked her fingers as she went through her thoughts.
I''m...
¡°It isn''t just that.¡± Amy locked her blue eyes on Ilaria''s. ¡°There are things I''ve been keeping from you.¡±
Ilaria froze in the spot. In that instant she surely felt the non-existent VR heart pumping in her chest, as she voicelessly followed Amy''s lips.
¡°Wait for me. In a few days I''ll tell you everything."
Chapter 41: The Remaining Piece
Ricardo hadn''t realized how much pressure he had been under until talking with Amy. When he got out of the VR machine it was raining in Lima, yet he couldn''t help smiling. Her having gone ahead and taken the first step was a blessing. Technically, she still hadn''t told him. However, it wasn''t all that important. He already knew. That she decided he was worth telling to, that meant everything.
Next morning, Ricardo''s room was illuminated by the warmest of suns, no cloud visible in the sky. He sipped from his iced coffee while doodling on a notebook with the mechanical pencil that had been his Christmas gift. Nowadays he seldom used paper for anything. The notebook¨Cone he bought for University¨Cwasn''t even half-full.
Now that he had slept it over, it dawned to him that what Amy had said didn''t really change anything. She was still leaving after summer ends. It was kinda hard to accept; they depended so much on her.
He had the training practice with Johnny at ten-thirty. After that, he would hopefully get the answer to the last question. Did it matter? Johnny had been a farce from the beginning.
Not any different from Ilaria.
Although, if the real Johnny was the older brother, then the guy behind the character couldn''t be that old¨Chis age at max. Maybe that part hadn''t been a lie.
Was the real guy ugly? Why would he hide behind his older brother''s mask? Could Johnny have a chance for redemption?
Minerva''s relationship with him was over, but part of her VR life could still be salvaged. That was it. There was only one thing left to ask Johnny.
Who are you in real life?
¡°Ilaria! You are early again.¡± Flo waved in front of the Training Hall. Her gold and green combat dress sparkled as she came out of the shade of a statue of a warrior throwing his spear.
Ilaria smiled, following Flo inside the building, looking for a green-numbered door. She silently pondered, watching the red numbers ascend as they went through the hallway. She had arrived early on purpose. Maybe she could extract some information about Johnny from his friends¨Che would be late for sure. Besides, she didn''t have anything better to do in real life.
¡°Finally, number sixty-three,¡± said Flo, opening the door.
¡°If things are like this Friday morning, I wonder if we''ll be able to get a room in the weekend,¡± said Ilaria, entering after Flo.
There were only a hundred rooms available in the Training Hall at any given time. Of course, they could add more in the next scheduled maintenance. That was half a week away, though.
¡°Edu should be here in ten minutes,¡± said Flo, taking out her wand and shield.
¡°You log earlier than him,¡± said Ilaria, materializing her handbag. It was a quarter past ten.
¡°We both have summer classes at the uni. But his always ends up going overtime. I don''t get what''s so engaging about biology.¡± Flo''s high-pitched voice flirted with a laugh.
¡°Are you both at the same University?¡±
¡°No, no.¡± Flo smiled as she answered. ¡°Not even in the same city. I''m in Buenos Aires, he''s from C¨®rdoba.¡±
The last mention evoked a memory.
¡°Does he know Johnny? I mean, in real life.¡± Ilaria risked the question. C¨®rdoba was the city where Minerva wanted to spend the most time during their trip¨CJohnny must live there.
¡°No, he has never seen Johnny outside VC,¡± said Flo. ¡°From the guild, Wanora''s the only one.¡±
Wanora, huh? That was a dead end; she would rather ask Johnny directly. Though, it was telling that the Guildmaster knew about his lies and still covered for him.
¡°Johnny''s reserved, but he''s a good friend,¡± added Flo, interrupting Ilaria''s musings. ¡°Give him time and he''ll open up.¡±
Why was everyone defending him? Ilaria kept trying the two-shot trick, and kept missing the timing.
The girls had barely started their One-eyed Wand training when Edu arrived. He let them continue though, seemingly entertained with something in his viewpoint. An contrary to Ilaria''s expectations, Johnny did arrive on time, shortly after Edu.
The horn blared, prompting the warriors to get into a run. Ilaria counted and followed, always a couple of steps behind Johnny. Even after admitting the day before being a fraud, he had greeted his friends nonchalantly in front of her¨Cnot even a bit of guilt in his voice.
¡°Be careful,¡± said Johnny, just as a bolt passed centimeters from Ilaria''s side.
¡°I''ll be,¡± replied Ilaria, grinning while answering with a bolt of her own.
Contrary to their previews matches, Flo had left the shadow of Edu from the beginning. The pair must had planned it in advance¨Cthe warrior favoring his left side while his mage advanced in that flank. Ilaria could have moved in the opposite direction, targeting Edu while keeping the tanks between Flo and her. But why would she? If the opposing mage wanted a direct confrontation, she was more than willing to comply.
The Mana bolts went back and forth, Ilaria zigzagging as she shortened the distance. Different from Flo¨Cwho mostly went in a straight line and had already suffered a few hits¨Cshe had yet to receive damage.
A couple of exchanges later, Flo yelped as the mages came face to face in close quarters. Ilaria couldn''t resist winking, before doing a full turn and shooting a Fireball to Flo''s back.
First point scored.
¡°You are truly mean,¡± said Flo, laughing as she complained. ¡°Couldn''t you play with me for a bit before going for the kill?¡±
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¡°Sorry. I''m not good enough to take it easy.¡± Ilaria''s face warmed as she was saying it. It might have sounded pompous, but it was true nonetheless. Diana was at a level where she knew how to hold back¨Cshe wasn''t.
For the whole first match Flo engaged Ilaria directly. The later did try her best to make it fulfilling, but it was hard. Both of them were squishy mages playing with level 35 stats. Not even using Fireballs, a handful of Mana bolts was be enough to down either one of them.
It didn''t last long.
¡°Did you have fun with Flo?¡± asked Johnny, showing her one of his perfect winks.
¡°I made an effort,¡± said Ilaria, smiling and immediately feeling guilty about it. Edu and Flo had interrupted their training for a Dungeon Date¨Cto ''shake things up'', or so they said.
¡°Don''t worry. They are probably planning a new strategy right now.¡± said Johnny. ¡°You can take Flo at face value. She''s incapable of deceit.¡±
Unlike you.
Of course she didn''t voice her thoughts. It would be too shameless for her¨Cshe had been misleading Diana and Kyle from the get-go.
¡°Have you ever thought about telling them? About your true self, I mean.¡± Ilaria struggled with her words. In her case, she had already concluded she must.
¡°Why would I?¡± Johnny stared at her, grinning. ¡°I''m quitting soon anyway. Telling them would only devalue our experiences together.¡±
¡°I mean, you wouldn''t necessarily need to quit...¡±
¡°Are you gonna miss me?¡± Johnny''s grin turned into a predatory smile.
Ilaria looked aside, mad at herself. He had pushed her buttons on purpose¨Cshe wouldn''t let him change the topic, though. ¡°I barely know you, but they do. You have been playing together for months.¡±
¡°They know ''Johnny'', not me. You might know more about my real self than them, or anyone else in the guild.¡±
¡°I doubt that''s the case, even if you don''t look the same in real life.¡± Ilaria knew it wasn''t¨CWanora was a given. But even with Edu, she had seen their expressions as they fought against each other. It was frustrating looking at Johnny. She wondered if Amy and Mina thought the same about her.
Ilaria couldn''t help it, the words gushing from a broken dam. ¡°Most people don''t look exactly the same inside VC either, but it doesn''t mean they are a different person. There are plenty of elves, catpeople and such. Even if it started as playing a character, part of yourself is already in Johnny. No way around it.¡±
And if he could make it work, then she could too. Ilaria glanced at the stiff warrior, trying to catch a glimmer of understanding.
¡°I guess I was wrong.¡± Johnny didn''t smile anymore. He turned around and walked towards the door. ¡°You don''t know anything.¡±
He''s mad. This might be it for today.
Ilaria flinched as a projectile was throw in her direction. It was a red bracelet, which she scrambled to catch with the tip of her pinkie. Johnny¨Cwearing the blue one¨Cwalked to the opposite side of the room.
The one-on-one combat started with Johnny closing the distance in a straight line, covered by his shield. Ilaria decided to not move¨Cclose quarters wouldn''t favor her. She shot instead, using her shield to change angles. The warrior still blocked them, but the effort slowed his approach.
If I...
The thrust of a spear interrupted the mage''s planning¨CJohnny was already in attack range. Ilaria moved to the side and let the spear slide against her shield. Doing a half turn, she shot again, forcing Johnny to halt the attack. She kept moving, completing the spin and generating a two-step buffer from the warrior.
¡°Mana bolt.¡± Ilaria''s shot flew towards the warrior''s left side. He barely deflected with a twist of his tower shield.
Johnny wasn''t proficient in single combat¨Cparticularly in the aggressor role. It made sense, Virtual Connection hadn''t had any player-vs-player content until a few days ago. Playing in a party against monsters, the tank would seldom initiate any attack¨CKyle and Dave drew from their experience in different games.
¡°You are surprisingly good.¡± Johnny''s smirk was a callback to unpleasant memories.
¡°I might be.¡± Ilaria didn''t hide the edge in her voice. She prepared for an attack.
¡°This could get more interesting. Let''s make a bet.¡± Johnny pointed his spear towards the mage.
¡°What kind of?¡± Ilaria clutched her shield, not being too trustful of the brief respite.
¡°If you win, I''ll tell Edu and Flo that I''m not Johnny in real life.¡± It was obvious he didn''t consider it likely.
¡°And if I lose?¡±
¡°Then you will tell them who you really are,¡± Johnny met the mage''s glare and laughed.
Ilaria froze, almost dropping her wand.
Did Johnny figure who she is?
Maybe she had pressed him too much earlier. Maybe she hadn''t been girly enough. Maybe she was just too beautiful. No, it couldn''t be. If he knew she was Mina''s sibling, he would have cut her out long ago. She shook her head and steeled herself. No way out now.
¡°Accepted.¡±
Johnny pressed in with a flurry of spear thrusts in lieu of a reply. Having played against rogues like Diana and Amy, Ilaria found his movements slow and predictable. The tower shield didn''t help either. That being said, Ilaria hadn''t dealt any significant damage to the warrior so far. If she had infinite mana, she would eventually win. But, as things were going, she would run out long before that.
¡°No Mana bolts left?¡± Johnny shrugged a Force bolt and went forward for a slash.
¡°You wish.¡± Ilaria stepped back, getting nicked in the tight.
She had started to mix in Force bolts when her mana pool hit the quarter mark. Sadly, Johnny could tank them with little consequence. She only needed to tell Edu and Flo, she might be able to keep it a secret from Johnny.
Or lie.
Johnny slashed again, getting her across her right side as she belatedly tried to turn. The mage spent a Mana bolt in getting a few steps of separation. A red button flickered in the far right corner. She couldn''t figure a way out. And her remaining mana closed on ten percent.
¡°Getting tired?¡± Johnny pushed forward, not giving the mage any extra time.
¡°As if I could.¡±
Ilaria kept moving, getting into a rhythm that she could sustain. As long as she favored Johnny''s left side as she turned, she would be fine¨Cthe bulky tower shield wouldn''t surprise her. Damaging the tank¨Cthat was the issue.
¡°The bet is only to tell Edu and Flo, not you,¡± said Ilaria, shooting a Force bolt as she stepped back. ¡°Aren''t you curious yourself?¡±
¡°Not really,¡± answered Johnny, making a pause in his attacks. ¡°Ilaria is all I need. We won''t be seeing each other for much longer anyway.¡±
Ilaria had been half-listening while doing numbers in her head. Johnny''s Combat Points were still too high. With her remaining mana, the only plausible way to beat him was a point blank Fireball.
When the combat restarted, the mage was ready.
The Spear thrust targeted her left side¨CIlaria would normally step back or spin, using her right foot as a pivot. This time, she pressed her flimsy shield against her breast and moved her right foot, meeting the spear sideways. The spear slided against her shield with a screech, making a itchy gash as the steel ended into cloth, biting into the flesh within.
Johnny glanced at her, a question in his eyes.
And that was enough. She got her right hand under the spear, the ruby in her wand touching Johnny''s chest plate. Her elbow felt a dull impact and then she was falling. Doesn''t matter.
¡°Fireball.¡±
The two tangled bodies rolled in the dirt, red fire in-between. Ilaria got crushed by the armored warrior¨Cburning chest and dull aches all around. And then nothing. The combat was over.
Johnny laughed.
It had been a tie.
Chapter 42: A Mess Unraveling
Was a tie even possible?
Ilaria laid on her back on the floor of the training room, looking at the blue sky, trying to make sense of what had just happened. She had shot while tumbling down. Nevertheless, her Fireball had surely impacted Johnny¨Cit had been what ended the combat. At that time, she had barely a sliver remaining of her combat points bar¨Ctanking a Spear thrust was hard on a mage. Maybe the damage from her own fireball¨Csandwiched between their two bodies as they fell¨Chad been enough to kill her too.
Johnny, who had been laying next to her, finally stopped laughing. He crouched and extended his arm, casting a shadow over her.
¡°Don''t wanna go up?¡±
Ilaria turned her head¨Cfacing the warrior¨Cbelatedly noticing his open hand. She took it, letting him help her stand up.
¡°What will we do now?¡± asked Ilaria, looking around¨Cthey were still alone. ¡°I mean, about the bet.¡±
¡°Nothing.¡± Johnny walked towards the door, unclasping his bracelet. ¡°Nobody won; nobody lost.¡±
¡°We could do another round.¡± Ilaria regretted saying it before ending the sentence. She had been lucky her last-ditch attempt landed. It wouldn''t happen a second time.
¡°Feeling confident? Won''t be today, regardless. Edu and Flo should be coming back soon.¡±
Johnny hadn''t given her any time for answering. And he had been right. Before he even finished putting on the red bracelet, his friends were already back from their Dungeon Date.
¡°Don''t mind it.¡± Flo smiled while laying on the floor. ¡°I know I''m lacking. I''ll practice more!¡±
The new match hadn''t ended much different from the one before the interlude. Johnny and Edu were evenly matched¨CIlaria could tell they were used to train together. Flo, on the other hand, had tried to copy some of Ilaria''s movements¨Clike zigzagging instead of approaching in a straight line¨Cyet, she still had a long way to go.
Ilaria bent down, taking Flo''s hand and pulling her up.
¡°Though, I don''t think I''ll log in tomorrow. It''s summer after all,¡± added Flo, smiling sheepishly.
¡°Don''t worry too much,¡± said Ilaria. ¡°Go at your own pace. There will be other tournaments.¡±
Being already past noon for Ilaria¨Cwhich was two hours later for the Argentines¨CEdu and Flo excused themselves. She waited until the last glimmer of light had snuffed out before turning towards Johnny. It was the time, at last.
¡°I guess this is it for this week,¡± said Johnny, storing his weapons in his brown shoulder-bag.
Was he leaving?
¡°Hey, you still owe me...¡± Ilaria wouldn''t let him flee so easily. Training with him wasn''t such a pain lately¨Cand she had genuinely learned from it. That being said, her main motivation still was to uncover who was behind the Johnny character.
¡°Really?¡± Johnny turned towards her and smirked.
¡°Yeah. The deal was three questions.¡±
¡°What do you want to ask anyway?¡±
Ilaria took a couple of steps towards Johnny. With his athletic but also slight frame¨Cand the golden highlights of his hair¨Che embodied the boy group popstar image.
¡°Well, I already know you aren''t Johnny in real life.¡± She made a pause, trying to read the warriors reaction. ¡°Who are you in reality?¡±
¡°The deal was in exchange of the guild party and the Valentine''s Tournament.¡± said Johnny, turning towards the door. ¡°I''ll answer your last question at Valentines.¡±
¡°That''s not fair.¡± The words came out without thinking. Why would he even ask if he wasn''t going to answer.
¡°I think it''s more than fair.¡± said Johnny, hanging his bracelet. ¡°You could disappear on me at anytime.¡±
Johnny opened the door, taking Ilaria out of her trance. She aligned besides him with a few quick steps. The red dot was blinking again¨Cshe didn''t have time for it.
¡°How little trust you have on me,¡± added Ilaria. ¡°I already know you are lying. What change could it make?¡±
¡°It''s a matter of principle,¡± answered Johnny, walking into the hallway a half-step ahead of her.
Actually, her question was a bit lacking¨Cit was the final one and all that. Johnny being a fraud was the important part, who he was in reality was of lesser concern. Though, his reluctance to talk prompted her to insist.
¡°If I knew more, I might be better able to help you,¡± added Ilaria, following the warrior. If he really wanted to cut her off, he could have logged out from the Training Room.
¡°It''s enough as it is.¡± He replied without stopping¨Cgoing around an eight people party¨Cbanishing for a second.
She muttered an apology as she bumped a leather-clad rogue, quickening her pace, trying to not lose Johnny.
As the hallway opened behind the crowd, she had to stop on her tracks to not collide with Johnny¨Cwho was suddenly standing still.
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¡°What?¡± She raised her head and looked ahead.
And crossed sights with Mina.
Why?
It was Friday, his sister should have been training at the gym. Maybe he could pretend he didn''t know Johnny. No, too late for that. Her stare said everything.
¡°Hello Johnny, I haven''t seen you in a while,¡± said Mina, shortening the distance a step at a time. ¡°You already met my sister.¡±
Mina''s eyes¨Ccurrently directed at Johnny¨Cfroze Ilaria in place. Although his sister needed to know about the plan at some point, this was the worst of the scenarios by far. To be honest, he was hoping to convince Johnny to out himself and save him the conversation.
¡°Anything to say?¡±
Mina''s question floated in the open space, until a male laughter filled the silence.
¡°Now all makes sense,¡± said Johnny, between chuckles. ¡°I have been played like a fool.¡±
Ilaria looked at Johnny from the corner of his eye. He couldn''t see his face, just his hair swaying, reflecting the ceiling''s lights.
¡°Congratulations, Ricardo,¡± added Johnny, looking over his shoulder. His right eye twitched as he spoke. ¡°You have wrecked my story, almost a year in the making.¡±
Johnny knew who he was? How?
¡°Don''t look so surprised,¡± said Mina, focusing on Ilaria for the first time. ¡°I shared everything with him while we were together. Too late I realized he never did.¡±
Johnny didn''t argue¨Cjust bowed slightly, like in silent admission.
¡°That being said, what are you doing here with him, dear brother?¡±
¡°I...¡±
The first syllable¨Csaid automatically, as filler¨Chung in the air. Ilaria couldn''t answer. How could he? He had yet to even consider telling his sister anything. Mina didn''t press him either, her gaze returning to her ex.
¡°Mina, lets log out and talk.¡± Amy''s high pitched voice broke the standstill. He hadn''t noticed her presence until now.
¡°Why? We''re all here now,¡± said Mina in a monotone, still facing Johnny.
¡°I''ll come to your house, we''ll explain it.¡± Amy insisted, approaching Mina.
¡°You knew.¡± Mina''s voice trembled as she turned towards the blond elf.
¡°Listen to me, please.¡± Amy attempted to hold Mina''s arm, making her step back instead.
¡°You traitor!¡± Mina raised her right hand, fury in her eyes.
Time slowed to a crawl. Ilaria knew what would happen, yet he had been turned into a bystander. Amy closed her eyes.
Nothing.
Mina did try to slap Amy, the scene didn''t leave any doubt about that. Her hand remained suspended in the air¨Ca breath''s distance from the elf, like stopped by a forcefield¨Cno noticeable signal of impact. It didn''t make sense¨Csince Christmas Day, Amy and Mina had been as close as best friends could ever be. Yet, something was definitely up between the girls.
¡°I''m sorry,¡± said Amy, like she hadn''t been the one on the receiving end.
¡°I don''t want to hear from you anymore.¡± Mina''s visage blinked out.
Amy turned around, bowing and logging out too.
Diana and Kyle were standing just behind. And they certainly had listened to everything. Diana didn''t even acknowledge Ilaria prior to leaving. Kyle remained a second longer¨Cgiving him what could have been a pity glance¨Cbefore disappearing.
Once the other party was out of the way, the people around had started to move¨Cor maybe they always had, him having blocked them from his perception. Johnny was still standing in front, like he had been during all the confrontation. At no point Ilaria had even tried to leave the warrior''s shadow.
¡°We don''t need to wait until Valentines, I''ll quit VC right now,¡± said Johnny, without facing him. ¡°Deal''s broken.¡±
I never told anything.
It was pointless to argue. He kept Johnny''s answers to himself almost by accident¨Che would have told Amy for sure if they didn''t have that quarrel.
¡°Since this is the last time we''ll see each other, I guess I could tell you,¡± continued Johnny. ¡°You''ll figure it out soon either way.¡±
Was he going to answer the last question? Should I say something?
Ilaria pondered for several seconds, other players going around him. His mouth remained open in the middle of a sentence¨Chis thoughts never catching up with the scene in front of him.
Finally, Johnny said his last words before blinking out.
¡°I''m a girl.¡±
Ricardo exited the VR machine in a daze.
What had just happened?
From the point he realized Minerva had uncovered him, things had gone increasingly awry¨Chim unable to roleplay Ilaria anymore. He was taken completely unaware, voiceless, motionless, just an spectator as the main characters took center stage, the unfolding of a story he had barely glimpsed.
And so, Johnny was a girl. How ironic.
It would have been a big revelation if he had uncovered it earlier. Now, it was a speck within the pile of unknowns. And that tower had just tumbled down and burned. Ever since he joined Virtual Connection, he had been fumbling around, like a blindfolded kid in a pi?ata party.
The plan, in theory, would have helped to bridge the distance between Minerva and him, and maybe even help his sister get back to the game. Who was he trying to fool? It had been nothing more than a desperation move. Something to fill the void of their aborted family vacations. Going through it, he thought he would see the light.
And it had almost worked.
Minerva had returned to the game, Johnny had been opening up to him. If he could get Johnny to out himself, then Mina might had been able to return to her guild. Now Johnny was definitely gone, and Mina most probably too. The only thing that he had gotten out of it was ruining her friendship with Amy.
He glanced at his cellphone, laying on his desk. It was 1 pm, an hour before mom would call them for lunch. And then it dawned to him. As things were now, he couldn''t bear to see Minerva. If he saw the disappointment in his sister''s eyes, he might break right there.
He made an urgent call.
Ricardo was picked up a quarter of hour later. Sandro had only morning classes on Fridays, driving to Clara''s family''s beach house in the afternoon, and returning to Lima Sunday evening.
¡°We''ll stop for a sandwich on the way, is that alright?¡± asked Sandro, as he started his white sedan.
¡°Okay.¡±
Ricardo couldn''t afford to be picky. It was already a huge imposition on his friends, joining them for the weekend on such a short notice. As long as he got out of his house, anything would do. Besides, he wasn''t hungry. There was a lot he wasn''t, empty like the remains of a hollowed pi?ata, after all the candy has poured out. Disappearing was his only wish. He would even join a dance contest, if that meant not facing his sister for a few extra days.
The plan had been a terrible mistake, coming from a terrible brother. Why was he so useless? Amelia, a younger girl who had only met Minerva a few years ago, was so much better at dealing with his sister than he would ever be.
He had betrayed Minerva''s trust, once more.
Like four years ago.
Chapter 43: Four Years Ago Part I
¡°Mili, don''t be difficult.¡±
Looking back, it would be the last time Ricardo would hear his sister being addressed with that name. He hadn''t even been the one saying it, yet he couldn''t help being consumed by guilt. He had believed on those words at the time¨Cas the rest of his family.
December 10th, 2023¨Ca week before the end of the school year¨Chad been a normal Sunday, at least most of the way. The whole family dressed up in the morning for Mass, their parents dragging Ricardo and his sister around for the subsequent social pleasantries. The weather had been getting warmer in Lima, but it wasn''t unbearable¨Csummer was still a couple of weeks away. They had lunch at the mall, and a movie in the living room. Until the topic of the school''s Spiritual Retreat came forth.
¡°Mili, don''t be difficult.¡±
Dad sat in a padded armchair, to the left to the couch Ricardo was sharing with mom and sis. His voice hadn''t been particularly harsh. Still, it didn''t leave room for doubt.
¡°I... I really don''t want to go.¡± His sister''s arm trembled next to him.
She was sitting with her knees up to her chest¨Ca pillow in-between¨Cher eyes partially covered by her long, black hair. Ricardo tried to focus his gaze towards the TV¨Cwhich displayed the home screen¨Choping he wouldn''t be involved.
¡°You need to socialize more. All your classmates will be there. And, if anything happens, you can always call the teachers.¡± Mom insisted, taking advantage of all the family being together.
¡°Please, Ricardo. Tell her.¡± Mom glanced at him with tired eyes, before standing and leaving with dad.
Ricardo hated being put on the spot. Specially because he did understand his sister''s position¨Che hadn''t wanted to go to his Spiritual Retreat either. It was a tradition of their Catholic school, for all the students graduating from Primary education. For him it happened last December, though¨Cat the end of his first year of Secondary¨Ccoming out of a couple of years of remote learning and forced isolation.
¡°Don''t be too worried about it.¡± Ricardo turned half-way in his seat, noticing his sister''s wet eyes for the first time. She was big¨Cand taller than him¨Cit was easy to forget she was only thirteen.
¡°I didn''t want to go at first too,¡± said Ricardo, smiling at the thought. ¡°A whole weekend without TV, computers or phones, sleeping with classmates that you barely know.¡±
It had seemed like a nightmare at the time¨Chim dreading it for weeks, planning ways to get out of it. His parents had pressured him, not accepting a no for an answer. And, despite all his misgivings, it had been a wonderful experience¨Cone he wouldn''t want Mili to miss. He had to convey that, somehow.
¡°But that''s the great part,¡± continued Ricardo, raising his voice a bit. ¡°Being forced to be together all day long, everyone gets closer. It''s the chance to make friends.¡±
Ricardo kept talking about the structured games and play-acting that they would do during the day, and the free time they would have in the evening. He didn''t know if it would help to reassure his sister, but at least she would know what to expect.
Mili didn''t look convinced. At least she didn''t cry.
The year 2022 had been one of changes, Ricardo starting Secondary school the least of them. He remained in the same campus, with the same classmates¨Cthey just moved to a newer building.
It was the first day of December¨Cless than three weeks left before his year''s Spiritual Retreat¨Cthe bell signaling the end of the school day having just rung. In-person classes had restarted more than half a year ago¨Che still wasn''t used to seeing so many people in the same place.
¡°Ricardo, hey!¡±
The voice came closer¨Crendering him unable to ignore it and keep on his way, which had been his first reaction.
¡°Yes?¡± Ricardo sighed as he turned around. A tall student with chestnut-colored hair and tanned skin smiled at him¨CSandro. Genetics were so unfair. Three years ago, he had been another scrawny grade-schooler, not unlike himself. Yet, he had barely recognized him when they met again last March.
¡°You are coming to the spiritual retreat, aren''t you?¡± asked Sandro, leaning on the row of lockers at his right. The school hallways were fairly empty¨Cmost students still in their classrooms¨Cchatter coming through the half-opened doors.
¡°Yeah, I guess I am.¡± Ricardo answered with a sigh. He really, really didn''t want to go. But that wasn''t an option, according to his parents. He didn''t even have roommates yet, being resigned to whomever that would have a free slot remaining.
¡°Wanna join our room?¡±
Ricardo thought he had misheard at first. From his class of forty, there were eighteen male students, which mostly conformed three groups. First, the sports enthusiasts¨Cmainly soccer players¨Cwho would claim the fields at recess. Then, the music snobs, who would listen to their alternative rock and fiddle with a guitar. And lastly, the gamers, who sat on the stairs and played on their cellphone¨CSandro was closest to them. Well, there was a fourth group, composed of only one member. Him.
¡°We are five at the moment. If you want to join, we can submit the room registration right now.¡± Sandro looked at him expectantly, enumerating their current members.
¡°Okay.¡±
Sunday evening¨Cafter finishing the conversation with Mili¨CRicardo went to his room in a hurry and turned on his laptop. The last roleplaying session with his friends from school¨Ca couple of weeks ago¨Chad been canceled, which put a wrench to his plans. And it couldn''t be reprogrammed, since they were in the middle of the final exams. But¨Cafter much negotiation and plenty of insistence¨Cthis Friday they had promised to come. It would be the last session of their campaign, having a break until their next school year.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
It had to be perfect.
Ricardo opened his campaign documents, going through the different rooms of the final dungeon he had planned. The final boss of the campaign was going to be a zombie hydra, a callback to one of their most successful combats. Unlike the original monster, the zombie version would be unkillable by normal means, regenerating from any of its parts. For beating this foe, they needed to get the blessing of the goddess, which was supposed to happen in the scrapped last session.
He closed the laptop and rolled on his bed in frustration. It would be a huge letdown if he just let them kill the zombie hydra like a normal monster. Having a deus-ex-machina magical fountain in the middle of the dungeon was also a no-go. If only he had been able to skip the family Sunday, he could have poured himself into fixing his scenario.
He needed something powerful, exciting, that would leave everyone eager to start a new campaign the following year.
The new campaign...
Ricardo stood with a jump, sat on his desk and opened the laptop. He did have another final boss planned¨Cthe one for next year''s campaign.
A dragon.
Resistant to magic and physical attacks, it would need a unique, otherworldly magic to be beaten. Something that their new party member would provide. He had already filled the corresponding character sheet, his cursor hovering over the name.
Sorry, I''ll plan something for you later.
But first was first. The interest in the current campaign had been waning and he needed something special now. He had to scrap his plans and use his best weapon. He needed to end strong, even if that meant cannibalizing next year''s campaign. Else, there wouldn''t be any group remaining to play it anyway.
The first couple of days after joining Sandro''s retreat group didn''t bring any change to Ricardo''s nonexistent social life. He still went alone to the library during recess, revising books or working on his assignments. Well, not all was study. When he was feeling lazy¨Cnot unusual those days¨Che would read webnovels on his cellphone. The one he was hooked on had its protagonist''s world turning into a roleplaying game. Ironic, since he didn''t even own a gaming console. He didn''t play games¨Che would rather read about getting sucked inside one.
It was Monday afternoon¨Ca week before the beginning of their final exams, two weeks before the spiritual retreat. At this point in the year, his classes consisted of reviews and self-study. He already had his notebooks under his arm, ready to bolt out.
¡°Ricardo!¡±
He stopped in his tracks and turned around. Trying to ignore Sandro was a futile endeavor.
¡°Yes. I''m here.¡± The bell started in the middle of Ricardo''s answer.
¡°About the retreat, you know how we can''t bring electronic devices,¡± said Sandro, putting his notebooks over Ricardo''s desk.
¡°Yeah. They said it from the beginning.¡± Among the boys, the gamers would be affected the most by the restriction.
¡°Anyway, we found this,¡± Sandro opened a file on his cell phone''s screen. It was a pdf document, a roleplaying game manual of sorts. And it had a red dragon on the front page.
¡°Maybe we could play something like this, printing out the relevant pages,¡± continued Sandro, scrolling down the document.
¡°I guess it''s an option,¡± said Ricardo, scanning through the content. It seemed like a medieval sword and sorcery RPG at first glance. He couldn''t deny it catching his attention.
¡°The thing is, I tried to learn it over the weekend and I can barely understand it,¡± said Sandro, smiling sheepishly. ¡°If it''s you, you''ll probably get it with one reading.¡±
¡°I can try.¡± Ricardo smiled, his mind already immersed in the possibilities.
The following days passed in a blur, Ricardo dissecting the manual and watching every newbie gameplay video he could find. Finals? He wasn''t concerned¨Cbeing diligent all year long had its advantages. While his classmates worried about their exams, his mind was full of medieval towns, fantasy monsters, adventures, and lots of dice.
That Monday Ricardo had kinda messed up his math exam, which was a first for him. Despite that, he smiled all the way through it¨Ca dragon. Maybe staying up most of the night¨Cfitting a new final boss into their year-long RPG campaign¨Chadn''t been the most proper use of his time. Though, he didn''t regret it one bit. He hadn''t fine tuned the details, but he could feel it working.
¡°For the final session, I¡¯m thinking big, really big.¡± Ricardo smiled while almost skipping towards Sandro, in a reversal of their usual roles.
¡°Like the hydra we defeated before?¡± Sandro gave him a close-mouthed smile as he picked up his writing implements.
¡°Nah, better than that, Sandro. A dragon, a huge firebreathing dragon!¡± Ricardo had inadvertently raised his voice, looking around after the fact.
¡°How are we going to beat that? We only have Friday¡¯s before summer vacations.¡± Sandro grinned, walking next to Ricardo as they left the classroom.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have everything planned. We are going to level hard.¡± At that point Ricardo truly didn''t have everything planned, but he was sure he could get there in the few days remaining.
¡°It sounds great.¡±
¡°It¡¯ll be. I¡¯ll be there just after school to set the campaign. We need to update the character sheets of the ones who didn¡¯t come last time.¡±
¡°I wonder if they¡¯ll come¡¡±
¡°They said they will. It¡¯ll be the last session of the year.¡±
It was true that they hadn''t had full attendance in months¨Cending with the cancellation of their previous one. Yet, Ricardo had to believe they would come. They had promised.
The two students kept walking in silence for a few blocks, until their paths diverged. Ricardo kept going through the scenario in his head as he followed his route in auto-mode, finding himself in front of his house sooner than expected.
Opening the front door, Ricardo checked out the keys hanging on the holder. Mili was already back, her pink dolphin keychain facing him. He hanged his keys cautiously and went directly to the stairs, pretending to not notice the chubby grade-schooler watching TV in the living room. He skulked to his room and closed the door behind him.
It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t like Mili, she was Ricardo¡¯s only sibling and they had been close in the past. It¡¯s just that she was extra clingy these days. And he really needed to make the next roleplaying session a success. Vacations would come soon anyway, he could make it up to her later.
Ricardo turned on his laptop, opening the bestiary file and checking the corresponding stats for the monsters in the scenario. For them to be able to beat a real dragon, they would need to level fast. Maybe an experience boosting blessing, maybe stat bonus weapons... He started scribbling on a spreadsheet.
After what felt like a short time, he heard a soft knock against his door. He kept writing for a bit until he knew she wouldn¡¯t turn back.
¡°Going.¡± Ricardo closed the file and opened the door. Mili was standing outside, balancing two paper bags in her left hand while fidgeting with her right.
¡°Mom called; she¡¯s doing overtime today.¡±
¡°I see. Thank you.¡± He took the bags from Mili while she moved her mouth soundlessly.
¡°Good night.¡± Ricardo added, turning around. He heard Mili¡¯s good night just as he closed the door.
Before the end of the night, Ricardo finally got his calculations to make some sense¨Cat least more than in his sleep-deprived weekend attempt. He still had a few days left. And then, to hunt a dragon.
Ricardo''s Spiritual Retreat took place in an ex-convent that had been closed ages ago, which the church used for miscellaneous events. It was an old two-story building, an inner patio in the center of a hollowed square. The white walls and roofs had been repainted recently, though the floor tiles met with irregular edges over the unleveled floor. The usual place¨Ca retreat house an hour from Lima¨Cwas in use by the students graduating Primary that year.
The first day''s activities weren''t too hard on him. Friday morning had been mostly an extended religion class¨Cwith some introspection periods in-between, which Ricardo exploited to ponder the contingencies if the players went outside the planned scenario.
At lunchtime, he explained some of the mechanics to the rest of the group. Roleplaying would be a challenge, and he would have to lean on Sandro. He had not only read the manual before, but also sat next to him on the bus, getting instructions on the ride.
Ricardo had already checked all his materials as soon as they got to their room. All would be fine.
Chapter 44: Four Years Ago Part II
Thursday evening, Ricardo had secluded himself in his room as soon as he arrived from school. He had his last exam of the year¨Csciences¨Cnext morning. And, most importantly, their last roleplaying session of the year¨Cthe campaign''s finale¨Cin the afternoon. So, of course, he was frantically going through his files¨Cordering all the relevant documents for the scenario¨Cwhich were all over his laptop''s desktop.
A fear crept through his body with the first vibration of his cellphone, deep into his school pants'' pocket. His eyes unfocused for a second, forgetting the file he intended to check. Then the ringtone sounded, prompting him to take out the phone.
It was mom.
¡°Hello.¡± Ricardo smiled as he answered the call.
¡°Please help your sister pack her bag.¡± Mom''s voice sounded tired. ¡°I won''t be able to leave anytime soon.¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
Ricardo wasn''t too surprised¨Cthey had eaten reheated scrambled eggs and toast for dinner. He sighed, closing the lid of his laptop¨Che could finish later¨Cand left for Mili''s room.
His sister''s door was ajar, her pink backpack opened on her bed. The drawer of her wardrobe laid on the floor, clothes all over every available piece of furniture. Mili stood still at the foot of her bed, her back to the door.
¡°Do you need some help?¡± Ricardo asked from the threshold in what he thought was a low voice, trying to not startle her.
His sister made a little yelp¨Cjerking her arms¨Cfollowed by the dull sound of an object dropping on cloth.
¡°Did mom call you?¡± Mili didn''t turn around as she asked, her voice restrained.
¡°She''ll be late,¡± said Ricardo, stepping inside the room. ¡°I''ll help you instead.¡±
¡°You don''t need to.¡±
Ricardo still went forward, getting a glance of the inside of Mili''s backpack before she could close it. A shrink-wrapped makeup set laid on top of several white bags.
¡°My roommates insisted. You know we aren''t allowed phones or tablets.¡±
Mili had never used makeup before, as far as Ricardo knew. She was graduating Primary, maybe it was to be expected.
¡°Have you decided on the clothes?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± answered Mili, pointing to a pile next to the backpack¨Cblack jeans, sweatpants, a couple of T-shirts.
Mili restarted packing in silence. She didn''t seem to want or need any help, though Ricardo had promised mom. Not wanting to stay idle, he went around the room, picking up and folding the random clothes. He set them in the drawer, and then put it back inside the wardrobe.
¡°Have you packed your toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant?¡± asked Ricardo, not having any more organizing to do.
¡°Yes,¡± answered Mili, closing the backpack without looking at him. ¡°I really don''t wanna go.¡±
¡°Sadly, that''s not up to you. Or me.¡± said Ricardo. ¡°Think of it like an overnight trip. You are going to the new retreat house. Our class was sent to an old, creaky convent in the middle of the old city.¡±
Mili smiled, looking at Ricardo for the first time in the day.
¡°You''ll have fun. Like in our trip to the jungle,¡± continued Ricardo, his pitch raising now that he had caught her attention. ¡°Do you remember the waterfall? And the dolphins?¡±
¡°The dolphins were cute.¡±
Mili had been fascinated by the pink dolphins going around the boat. Their family vacations to Pucallpa, a city in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, had been the highlight of their year.
Having gotten a smile out of her, Ricardo said his goodbyes, hoping that her Spiritual Retreat would be as good of an experience as his had been.
Friday evening, after a light dinner of chicken breast and mashed potatoes, the students participating with Ricardo in the Spiritual Retreat divided by groups spontaneously. The biggest sat in a corner of the patio, a couple of male students with guitars in the middle, playing a popular¨Cbut definitely not commercial¨Csong.
They had a couple of hours of free time before they were sent to their rooms. Not that it mattered to Ricardo''s roommates. As soon as they were let go, they followed Sandro upstairs, their steps making the wood squeak under them. Ricardo, who was the last of the pack, looked around as he went by. Some girls had left for their rooms, though all the other boys were accounted. A neon green inflatable ball had materialized, which was being put to use by the soccer players.
Sandro directed the guys to sit in a circle over the tiled floor, in the free space between the bunk beds and the door. Ricardo took out his pile of paper, quickly fetching the five pre-filled character sheets that came with the manual.
¡°Here, everyone choose one,¡± said Ricardo, putting the sheets in the middle of the circle.
¡°Hey, I wanted to create my own character,¡± said Lucas, raising his voice over the music and chatter that came from downstairs. He was a fat, noisy guy, who always had a bag of candy in his pocket. Snacks weren''t allowed in the retreat either; he might have been cranky.
¡°Filling a new sheet would take too much time,¡± said Sandro, glancing at Ricardo as he talked. ¡°Lets play with the default ones first.¡±
¡°Alright, but I want a warlock,¡± said Lucas, ¡°A dark elf warlock would be nice.¡±
There wasn''t a dark elf¨Cor even a warlock¨Cin the pre-filled sheets. But there was a high elf wizard, which was enough to placate Lucas. The premade party also included two fighters, a rogue and cleric. The last one would be a point of contention¨Cnone of the guys wanted to play support¨Cuntil Sandro took it for himself, giving away the rogue that he had picked from the beginning.
¡°Okay. You''re all individual adventurers,¡± said Ricardo, as Sandro passed around the brand-new dice. ¡°You would team up with other people from time to time, if a big job came around. This is one of those times. A noble has called you all to an inn in a medium-sized village. Introduce yourselves.¡±
The guys looked around for a second.
¡°I''m Hadral Runeback, a dwarf from the southern hills,¡± said Sandro, who was sat next to Ricardo. ¡°I''m a cleric, though that doesn''t mean I can''t deal pain. I''ve disposed more evil creatures with my warhammer than with divine magic.¡±
After Sandro, the other players also introduced themselves, going in a circle. Ricardo should had told them to go from his right from the beginning. Regardless, the party was formed successfully, receiving their mission. They had to enter an abandoned mine and rescue the son of the local lord, who had been ambushed in a mountain trail.
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Friday afternoon, the last class day of the year, Ricardo slowly walked down the hallway. His sciences exam hadn''t gone as well as he was used to. Yet that wasn''t anywhere near the top of his worries. It was finally the day for the dragon challenge. The rest of the group was still in the classroom, as most of the class¨Che was the weird one who didn''t like the cacophony of overlapping conversations.
A few minutes later, Sandro joined him¨Cthe rest of the group passing by, a nod being their only acknowledgment. They would meet with them in an hour, Ricardo going early to make the setup.
Ricardo and Sandro left the school campus together, arriving at Sandro''s home after only a five minute walk. The perimeter was enclosed by a red brick wall, with a code pad on the door. The actual house was a modern construction of concrete, glass and steel, all in their natural colors. They didn''t approach the main portal, but went through a side door that would get them directly to the basement.
The lights turned on automatically as they took the steel stairs, the ambient getting colder with their descent. They crossed another door, which opened to the long side of a rectangular room. The far sidewall contained the biggest TV screen Ricardo had seen life¨Ccovering almost half of the wall''s width. On the opposite side there was a round table¨Cwhere they usually played¨Cand three stacks of wooden chairs.
¡°Lets get you set,¡± said Sandro, picking up two chairs, putting one to the back to the wall, Ricardo''s usual position. ¡°I''ll bring the rest of the stuff. Do you want a drink?¡±
¡°No, it''s okay.¡±
Ricardo took out his laptop, connecting it to the usual socket. He set the scenario files¨Che liked to have everything in tabs on a browser. Once done with that, he opened the file with his calculations.
The party was currently around level 10. For the boss he had originally planned¨Can ancient force dragon¨Cthey would need six players of around level 14, and to debuff him with the otherworldly magic. He had already modified it to be just an adult dragon, bringing the difficulty down.
Also, there would be an encounter with a couple of injured red dragon wyrmlings on the way. They would kill them for experience and loot, rescuing an elder sorcerer. He would end up being a magician from other reality realm¨Cwhich would serve as the sixth member, casting the spell needed to defeat the dragon. He could even make him sacrifice himself in a blast of glory if things went south during the final combat.
Joining the party as a non-player character was the key of his plan.
¡°We got the noble kid. We should just deliver the quest and take the gold!¡± Lucas exclaimed, his cheeks reddening.
¡°We have differing positions,¡± said Sandro, looking around, a smile on his face. ¡°Lets vote on it.¡±
Their first roleplaying session¨Cfrom the night before¨Chad had their ups and downs. The lights-out time had arrived shortly after the players had finally gotten used their characters. Now they were in their second session, having already killed the kidnappers after only one hour of playtime. The noble scion had told them his guards confronted an hydra¨Cheavily damaging it¨Con the way. That was why they were beaten by brigands. He knew the cavern where the hydra had fled to. If they went back to the town first, the monster would regenerate, making it impossible to defeat with their current levels.
¡°Who wants to kill an hydra?¡± Sandro looked at each member of the party in turn, daring them to say no.
Everyone but Lucas raised their hands, directing their glances to the sole holdover.
¡°Alright, lets do it,¡± said Lucas. ¡°I hope the dwarf knows revival magic.¡±
Sandro turned to Ricardo, expectantly. He looked down to his bundle of pages, looking for the next passage in the scenario.
¡°The party leaves the cave and goes up the mountain trail, quickly finding signs of the battle. Several puddles of red-stained mud dot the dusty footpath, a cavern entrance opening to the right, half-hidden by thorny bushes.¡± Ricardo continued the narration, getting immersed in his own reading. At that point, they were no longer at the old convent in Lima, but in the middle of the mountains, looking to defeat a fearsome beast.
At the end, they would get to beat the hydra, in their second roleplaying session ever. Of course, it was already heavily damaged, but still an accomplishment at level 3. Ricardo had fudged the dice a couple of times, so the hydra wouldn''t get to kill either Lucas¨Ctheir source of fire damage¨Cor Sandro¨Ctheir only healer. It had been warranted, though. They wouldn''t have finished the battle within the day otherwise.
And it had been cool.
Ricardo and Sandro looked at each other from time to time, checking their cellphones in a once per minute basis. They had revised the party''s character sheets several times already, nothing else to add to.
The last five sessions, going back to the return to classes after winter break, have had between three and four participants. The first time someone missed a day, they made up a sudden illness and left the character at the inn. But, as it became more frequent, Ricardo and Sandro started playing the characters, so they could still advance the campaign''s main plot.
Two hours had passed by, and there were no signs of anyone else arriving.
¡°Maybe we should get started,¡± said Sandro, who had already finished his soft drink, spinning the ice on the glass. ¡°Don''t you want anything?¡±
¡°Iced water, please,¡± said Ricardo, taking his eyes off the cellphone''s screen. ¡°No, give me a soda too.¡±
Sandro left for the kitchen, leaving Ricardo alone in the big white room. He glanced briefly at his reflection on the shiny floor tiles. There had been times they had been late.
Something vibrated under a sheet on the table. It was Sandro''s phone. Ricardo couldn''t help turning it around.
A new message appeared on his notifications.
There''s a timed event on Daybreak. Tell Ricardo we''ll be late.
Another message appeared.
It was extended for another hour. Lets postpone the session.
And another.
You can still join us.
Ricardo quickly flipped the phone down, covering it with Sandro''s character sheet. Another cancellation. Did it make sense to reprogram it? He only wanted to leave.
When Sandro came back with the refreshments, Ricardo had already packed his laptop. He told him they were postponing the session, and was glad that Sandro didn''t ask for explanations. He gulped the soda¨Cthe bubbles leaving an acid aftertaste¨Cand left for his house.
The roleplaying group was probably doomed. Maybe they would ask for the last session on their own, to give the campaign a closure. He wouldn''t let his hopes up, though. And wouldn''t try to convince them either.
He was done.
Ricardo spent what was left of that Friday alone on his room, reading webnovels. He even skipped dinner, not having mom or Mili there to remind him. Saturday, outside lunch and dinner with his parents, he spent the day in the same way. Mass on Sunday was an unavoidable family obligation, the rest of the day uneventful as most weekends were.
That was, until Mili''s return from her Spiritual Retreat.
Sunday, after dinner, his parents had gone to pick her up at school, as they had done with Ricardo the year before. Not having anything else to do, he stayed in the living room¨Cstill reading¨Cso he could greet his sister as she arrived. He wondered if she had fun. Now that they were in summer break, he could teach her roleplaying, as she had asked him before. It wasn''t like he still had other obligations either way.
The car entered the driveway, Ricardo closing the browser of his cellphone and standing up. The twinkle of keys preceded the opening of the front door. Mom entered first, prompting Mili forward with her arm.
His sister, dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt, entered the house with her head hanging down, running past Ricardo. He listened to the rushed steps on the stairs, and the slam of a door closing.
What had happened?
Ricardo had yet to talk directly to Mili¨Cno, she''s Minerva now¨Cabout what happened on her Spiritual Retreat. For a time he hadn''t been able to even approach her. Picturing the disappointment on her face was enough for him to die of embarrassment.
From what he pieced together, his sister had justified reasons for not wanting to go in the first place. And nobody, not her parents, or her teachers¨Cor her brother¨Chad ever taken her seriously. She had been laughed at by her whole class, the gossip quickly extending to the rest of the Primary campus. The only blessing was that electronic devises had been forbidden at the retreat¨Cthere weren''t any pictures for posterity.
If only he had taken the time to get his facts right, but he was too busy with the stupid RPG campaign. He had filled his mouth with empty assurances, told with such confidence, thinking that he new everything. Who was him to give advice to anyone? He was just an awkward boy who had one lucky break.
If he could go back in time, he would have never said anything at all. Now it was too late.